Outside the Beltway

As expected, Gina Haspel was confirmed as C.I.A. Director yesterday despite her controversial record when it comes to torture.

The Mueller investigation turns one year old today and, despite the arguments of Trump and his supporters, there’s no sign that it will be coming to an end in the near future.

Backing up the nation’s intelligence agencies, the Senate Intelligence Committee said in a preliminary statement that it had concluded that Russia sought to aid Donald Trump’s campaign in the 2016 Presidential election.

President Trump’s latest financial disclosure finally acknowledges that he reimbursed Michael Cohen for the payoff to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has released a treasure trove of documents related to the June 2016 meeting between Trump campaign officials and a Russian lawyer, and they raise far more questions than they answer.

With a third Democrat crossing the aisle to support her, Gina Haspel now has the votes she needs to become the next C.I.A. Director.

Quietly, Mike Pence is seeking to create his own power base inside the GOP even as the White House pushes back.

The Generic Congressional Ballot has tightened in some recent polls, but on average the battle for control of Congress continues to favor Democrats.

President Trump’s decision to violate the terms of the nuclear deal with Iran could be a turning point in relations between the United States and its most important allies, and not in a good way.

While longtime supporters have turned on the legendary attorney over his support of Donald Trump, he’s been astonishingly consistent.

Mike Pence’s obsequiousness to his master knows no limits.

Gina Haspel faced some tough questions from Democrats regarding her role in the C.I.A.’s post-9/11 torture programs, but she’s likely to be confirmed anyway.

For Donald Trump and his supporters, “Fake News” means any news that doesn’t shower enough praise on him.

New documents reveal that the Limited Liability Company that paid off Stormy Daniels also received payments from a company linked to a Russian oligarch.

Some good news from North Korea.

As expected, President Trump has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear deal with Iran. There was no rational basis for doing so.

Rudy Giuliani is basically now suggesting that his client would be willing to set off a Constitutional crisis that would make Watergate seem like a picnic.

With the start of her confirmation hearings just days away, Gina Haspel’s nomination to be C.I.A. Director is by no means secure.

Seven years after deactivation, the U.S. Second Fleet will be patrolling the North Atlantic again.

The facts in the Stormy Daniels affair continue to move in a direction that doesn’t look good for the President.

Rudy Giuliani tried to clean up the mess he created for his client earlier this week. He failed miserably.

President Trump has told an astonishingly large number of lies since taking office.

In addition to his admissions about the Stormy Daniels matter, Rudy Giuliani also confirmed what we’ve known for awhile, that James Comey was fired because of the Russia investigation.

Another one of Trump’s lawyers bites the dust, and hired someone with some very specific experience.

When it comes to a potential interview with Robert Mueller, President Trump faces risks no matter what form that interview takes.

It’s been 441 days since Donald Trump held a full-fledged Presidential press conference. Does anyone care?

Robert Mueller has some questions for the President, and the wide range of topic areas should worry President Trump significantly.

Israeli Prime Minister gave a speech yesterday designed to undermine the nuclear deal with Iran. The evidence was unconvincing, but the speech was really only aimed at an audience of one.

Republicans are worried about 2018, and they’re even more worried that they have a President who is refusing to acknowledge political reality.

The United States is apparently looking to Libya as a guide for upcoming talks with North Korea. The DPRK most likely sees the fate of that nation and its leader as a warning.

Despite the fact that President Trump’s continues to praise him, Ronny Jackson will not be returning to the White House as the President’s personal physician.

Instead of attending the White House Correspondents Association Dinner last night, Donald Trump took his show on the road where he continued his long-standing attacks on the press. Unfortunately, it’s a message that resonates with his supporters.

The House Intelligence Committee’s report is being touted as vindication by the Trump Administration and its supporters. It’s not.

The lawyer who met with President Trump’s oldest son and other top Trump campaign officials is now admitting that she is a Russian informant.

Republicans joined with Democrats to advance a bill to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller, but it’s unlikely to go anywhere beyond that.

Not surprisingly, Mike Pompeo was confirmed as America’s 70th Secretary of State today. Now, the hard work begins.

French President Emmanuel Macron predicts, correctly, that President Trump will pull out of the nuclear deal with Iran for the worst possible reasons. This will be a disaster for America’s national interests.

It’s a valid question, but one should also be careful about drawing conclusions based on how a person in Trump’s position acts.

French President Emmanuel Macron is in the U.S. hoping to lobby President Trump to keep the United States in the nuclear deal with Iran. He’s got his work cut out for him.

Hoping that Donald Trump might not run for reelection? Don’t get your hopes up.

Based on his recent behavior, it’s clear that the President is worried about how loyal Michael Cohen might actually turn out to be.

The Kim regime has announced the end, for now, of its nuclear and ballistic missile testing programs. To understand why they made this concession, one needs to read between the lines.

The Democratic National Committee has filed a lawsuit alleging a wide-ranging conspiracy to influence the 2016 election. As a legal document, it appears to be little more than a political stunt.

A longtime “Hillary Beat” reporter ruminates on what she and her candidate could have done differently in 2016.

Republicans on Capitol Hill and in positions of power are slavishly backing their President over their country. They should be ashamed.

Rudy Giuliani is joining President Trump’s legal team but it’s unclear what he actually brings to that team.

Former F.B.I, Director James Comey’s memos regarding his meeting with Donald Trump early in 2017 have been released, and they corroborate everything Comey has said about those conversations.

Sean Hannity was Michael Cohen’s “secret client,” but it’s not clear that should matter to anyone.

Membership has its privileges.

President Trump undercut his own Ambassador to the United Nations today by blocking the imposition of new sanctions on Russia.