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Jennifer Harper

Jennifer Harper

A graduate of Syracuse University, Jennifer Harper writes the daily Inside the Beltway column and provides additional coverage of breaking national news, plus long-term trends in politics, media issues, public opinion, popular culture, Hollywood foibles and “eureka” moments in health and science.

She has been a frequent broadcast commentator on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, C-SPAN, Voice of America, Citadel Broadcasting, Talk Radio Network and other news organizations. Born in Elizabeth, N.J., Ms. Harper grew up in Texas and arrived in Washington in time for Watergate -- and has been tracking the political and media landscape ever since.

She is an active member of the American Federation of TV Radio Artists and Screen Actors Guild. She has won 14 journalism awards during her years at The Washington Times.

To read Jennifer Harper's Inside the Beltway columns, click here. Contact her at jharper@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Jennifer Harper

The official 2019 CPAC Straw Poll shows the vast majority of attendees at the conservative conference back the president's emergency declaration authorizing spending on the border wall. (American Conservative Union)

Inside the Beltway: Countdown to CPAC

A cheerful heads-up for conservatives weary of partisan division and hostile news media. The Conservative Political Action Conference - CPAC -begins exactly three weeks from Wednesday, complete with the robust speeches and rousing patriotism that conservatives need and thrive on. This will be CPAC No. 45, by the way, and its theme is "What Makes America Great." Published February 5, 2019

Seems like only yesterday. President Trump during his first State of the Union address on Jan. 30, 2018, — with Vice President Mike Pence and then-House Speaker Paul D. Ryan. The next one will be Tuesday. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Media are already trashing Trump’s State of the Union address

The news media has been hard at work offering caustic commentary and dire predictions about an event that hasn't even happened yet. That, of course, is President Trump's State of the Union address, which nevertheless commands wall-to-wall coverage and an intense audience. A new Rasmussen Reports poll reveals that 72 percent of all likely U.S. votes plan to watch. It might come as a relief to weary America if Mr. Trump could deliver his speech on Tuesday night amid the decorum of some previous era - back when political provocateurs and the hostile press stepped quietly aside for a few moments. Published February 4, 2019

New statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics have inspired postive press coverage about President Trump for a change. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: The press can’t deny a fantastic economy

The stock market jitters late last year gave the hostile news media an excuse to claim that the U.S. economy was faltering, and that the Trump administration's happy era had ended. Things change. News organizations have noticed. Published February 3, 2019

Republicans and Democrats can at least agree on something this weekend. No one is particularly interested in the Super Bowl. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Super Bowl fatigue: Majority of Americans now have ‘no interest’ in the big game

Republicans and Democrats can at least agree on something this weekend. No one is particularly interested in the Super Bowl this year. A new poll finds that 51 percent of Republicans and 52 percent of Democrats have absolutely no interest in the big game. None. Exactly half of all Americans agree with that. So says a Monmouth University survey that also found that about two-thirds of both the parties will be paying only "a little attention" to the doings on the gridiron - or won't have the game on at all. Published January 31, 2019

A comprehensive study from the Pew Research Center now says that the largest ethnic voting bloc in the United States is Hispanic voters. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Hispanics now the largest ethnic voting bloc of all

A comprehensive new study reveals what many politicians already know: Hispanics are poised to become the major force in the voting booth. The potential surge could be of particular interest to President Trump, who has just received a vow of support from a large group of Hispanic pastors, even as a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll reveals that 50 percent of Hispanics now approve of the job Mr. Trump is doing, up 19 percentage points since December. Published January 30, 2019

People are bundled up against record cold in Chicago, even as a hot debate on the role of climate change continues in the news media. (Asspcoated Press)

Inside the Beltway: America’s deep freeze blamed on global warming

Never let a good agenda go to waste. In a predictable frenzy, news organizations are blaming the extremely cold temperatures in parts of the nation on climate change. The coverage has been ramped up with melodrama, scientific language and a certain amount of sensationalism; noting that Chicago is colder than Alaska and Antarctica has been a favorite aside. Meanwhile, news stories about the polar vortex and tutorials about climate change itself have piled up like a heavy snow across the nation. The hashtag #PolarVortex2019, in fact, has ranked in the top 10 national trending topics on Twitter. Published January 29, 2019

Fox News won the ratings race with their coverage of the North Korea summit according to Nielsen Media Research. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Media victory: Fox News marks 17 consecutive years as the No. 1 cable news network

It is uncommon phenomenon in the news media, a field often marked by constant change and shifting business models. Fox News Channel, however, has defied the odds, emerging as the No. 1 rated cable news network for 17 consecutive years, this according ratings numbers from Nielsen Media Research. Published January 29, 2019

A poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal reveals a drop in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's favorability during the government shutdown. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Whoops: Pelosi approval ratings drop during shutdown

New approval ratings may not be so promising for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has not emerged unscathed following the acrimonious government shutdown. A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of 900 U.S. adults released Monday finds that positive sentiments about Ms. Pelosi suffered during the shutdown. Published January 28, 2019

President Trump listens intently to Pastor Norma Urrabazo, flanked by Lourdes Aguirre (left) and pastor Ramiro Pena at a meeting Friday. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Inside the Beltway: ‘We don’t want open borders’: Hispanic pastors back Trump on immigration

President Trump hosted a meeting at the White House on Friday with Hispanic pastors from around the nation who are attuned to the realities of illegal immigration in their cities. They clearly supported Mr. Trump's proposals on the issue. The representative clergy in attendance, in fact, brought a letter signed by 150 Hispanic evangelical leaders thanking the president for his leadership. Published January 27, 2019

Presidential historian Craig Shirley has authored "Honored Madam," a biography of Mary Ball Washington, mother of George Washington. (Harper Collins)

Inside the Beltway: Colonial powerhouse: George Washington’s mother

Presidential historian Craig Shirley — author of four books on Ronald Reagan and a host of other iconic figures — reports that he has just turned in the final chapter of his latest project to publisher Harper Collins. The forthcoming book is titled "Honored Madam," and it is a definitive biography of none other than Mary Ball Washington, mother of George Washington and five other children. It is also a reminder about old school tenacity. Published January 24, 2019