The Daily Punch

Democrats are in desperate search for a winning message as Trump's second term kicks off. Plus: The latest on the debt limit. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune will meet with President Donald Trump today with 52 days until the federal government runs out of money. Plus: The latest on Trump's nominations. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside Inauguration Day and a glimpse of what the new Trump administration may look like. Plus, the latest on Trump's nominees. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congressional reporters Mica Soellner and Max Cohen discuss the dynamic between the Main Street Republican Caucus and the Trump world in comparison to the House Freedom Caucus. This story was featured in The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.ne...

Congressional Democrats find themselves in an awkward position with the shutdown of TikTok looming in a couple of days. Plus: Newly-elected House Republicans are non-committal about joining the HFC after accepting the caucus' help in the election. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices....

House Republicans are looking for budget savings any way they can get them, including asking President-elect Donald Trump to hold off on rolling back several Biden-era policies by executive order. Plus: The latest on Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation process. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad c...

With Trump's inauguration coming up in a few days, what is on his policy agenda? Plus: The Main Street Republicans cozy up to the president-elect. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Pentagon, has a confirmation hearing this morning. What are Democrats planning on doing? Plus: Some Democrats on the Jan. 6 committee are talking about pardons. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

President-elect Donald Trump's nominees have a busy week ahead. Plus: What are Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune focusing on? Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tech reporter Ben Brody takes you behind the scenes of the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and how Congress may react to agentic artificial intelligence. This story was featured in The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn m...

Rep. Jodey Arrington "accidentally" pitched raising taxes in a presentation to House Republicans. Plus: Tulsi Gabbard changes her tune on Section 702. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump came to the Capitol Wednesday night and met with Senate Republicans. There, Trump made it clear that he's leaning toward Speaker Mike Johnson on reconciliation. Plus: Is reconciliation the best place for the debt limit? Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices...

President-elect Donald Trump is set to meet with Senate Republicans tonight on Capitol Hill. Plus: Some congressional Democrats are expressing a willingness to work with the Trump administration. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump's relationship with the House Freedom Caucus is growing tenuous. What does the future look like? Plus: The Senate eyes votes on immigration. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's election certification day on Capitol Hill, and Congress is coming in despite the snow. Plus: Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated to us that he’d oppose efforts to overrule the Senate’s parliamentarian. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congressional reporters Mica Soellner and Max Cohen break down the speaker's race and how the House Freedom Caucus quickly shifted their support for Mike Johnson to win the gavel. This story was featured in The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl...

Speaker Mike Johnson seeks another term leading the House of Representatives. Can he keep the gavel? Plus: It's syllabus week in the Senate. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker Mike Johnson can only afford to lose one vote during the speakership election tomorrow. With Rep. Thomas Massie already committing to vote against the Louisiana Republican, attention turns now to how Rep. Chip Roy will vote. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

Speaker Mike Johnson faces an uphill battle to keep his role leading the House of Representatives. Plus: Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on his successor John Thune. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vault co-author Brendan Pedersen discusses French Hill's history of pushing for meaningful changes to financial regulation for the sake of new technologies. This story was featured in The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about...

Speaker Mike Johnson and President-elect Donald Trump are not having a great week. We are hours from a government shutdown and the speaker's options are limited. Plus: Who's up and who's down this week in the Punch Power Matrix. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

Speaker Mike Johnson finds himself in a precarious position as time runs out to avoid a government shutdown. Plus: What are Democrats saying about the situation? Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a CR. And House Republicans are in an uproar about what’s in it, including a pay raise for lawmakers. Plus: Some of Trump's nominees skirt Democrats on Capitol Hill. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal agencies run out of money at midnight on Friday night, and as of now, there’s no text available for a funding bill needed to avert a shutdown. Plus: This morning’s Democratic Caucus meeting will feature a fascinating moment. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

Federal agencies run out of money Friday night at midnight. And there’s still no bipartisan deal on a government funding bill. Which isn’t great news. Plus: RFK Jr. comes to the Hill. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices