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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

A poll says that 75 percent of U.S. overall say that conversatives are motivated to turn out and vote in the midterm elections on Nov. 6. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Midterm fever: Conservatives stoked for election

The American Conservative Union has released a no-nonsense get-out-the-vote message now running in 28 key congressional districts, including the territories of Reps. Mia Love of Utah, Dave Brat of Virginia, Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Pete Sessions of Texas and, Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida — to name just a few. Published October 24, 2018

Migrants sit on top of a wall near San Diego earlier this year during a gathering that included people who live on both sides of the border. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Caravan sparks call to build the wall

President Trump recently cited "Democrat-supported loopholes in our federal laws" as the reason that most immigrant families who crossed the border illegally are not detained or removed from the U.S. — "only released." Recent numbers appear to reflect the influence of the loophole factor. Published October 23, 2018

A new study from the Media Research Center says broadcast news has ignored President Trump's accomplishments in the war on terror. (Associated Press)

Biased broadcast news ‘buries’ Donald Trump’s gains in the fight against terrorism: Study

News organizations have downplayed economic gains and other viable accomplishments made by President Trump and his administration according to studies conducted by the Media Research Center, a conservative press watchdog. A new study from the organization released Tuesday reveals that the press is also overlooking Mr. Trump's triumphs in national security. Published October 23, 2018

A migrant is comforted by a paramedic as the caravan of Central American migrants continues on a quest to reach the U.S. border. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Mainstream media sharpens its ‘caravan’ narrative

Though the origins of the expanding Honduran caravan advancing on the U.S. border remain somewhat mysterious, broadcasters hostile to President Trump and his administration have already crafted the political narrative as a "humanitarian crisis" and are off on a march of their own. The tone and content of the coverage is so clear and unified that even The Associated Press — which officially sets style and grammar use for most news organizations — was criticized for referring to the caravan participants as "a ragtag army of the poor." Published October 22, 2018

President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, at Houston Toyota Center, Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Inside the Beltway: EPIC: 100,000 Texas Trump fans

There are clear clues when an OSS Society dinner is under way, as was the case on Saturday evening. Each guest received a complimentary crystal martini glass, and the official libation of the night was the "Fighting 69th Regimental Cocktail" — named for a U.S. Army unit which traces its heritage back to 1849. The drink consists of one part Irish whiskey and three parts chilled champagne. Published October 21, 2018

A Honduran migrant holds a Honduras national flag, as he sits in the bed of a a pick-up truck, on his way to the Mexican border, in Cocales, about 80 miles north-west from Guatemala City, Guatemala, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018. Many of the more than 2,000 Hondurans in a migrant caravan trying to wend its way to the United States left spontaneously with little more than the clothes on their backs and what they could quickly throw into backpacks. (AP Photo/ Oliver de Ros)

Mainstream media joins the Honduran ‘caravan’

The caravan itself has become a complex political symbol that some observers say is yet another ploy by rival Democrats and a hostile news media to portray the president in a negative light as the midterm elections approach. Published October 19, 2018

Honduran migrants bound for the U.S climb into a truck bed in Zacapa, Guatemala, part of a "caravan" that's sparked intense media coverage. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: News media joins the Honduran ‘caravan’

The countdown is on for the arrival of what has come to be known as the "Honduran caravan" — an estimated 4,000 men, women, children and infants who left the troubled Honduran city of Pedro Sula last weekend on foot and by truck. Saturday will mark a week on the march for the throng of hopefuls who plan to assemble on the U.S.-Mexico border and demand entry. The caravan itself has become a complex political symbol that some observers say is yet another ploy by rival Democrats and a hostile news media to portray the president in a negative light as the midterm elections approach. Published October 18, 2018

It's must-see TV: Talk radio kingpin Rush Limbaugh meets cable news kingpin Sean Hannity during an encounter at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday. (Fox News Channel)

Inside the Beltway: Dream team: Rush Limbaugh and Fox News

It is must-see TV for conservatives and Republicans, of course. But Democrats might want to peek at some special programming Thursday evening on Fox News Channel when talk radio kingpin Rush Limbaugh meets cable news kingpin Sean Hannity. The pair of hosts will chat for a full hour about President Trump, the midterm elections and the ever-changing prism of vital information, political and otherwise. Published October 17, 2018

Evangelicals played a pivotal role in the 2016 election, and poll numbers suggest the group will be a major factor in the 2018 midterm elections. One poll has support for President Trump among evangelical voters at around 70 percent. Presumably they will vote for Republicans. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Evangelicals poised to pray for the midterms

When President Trump won the election almost two years ago, his support from evangelicals was a major driver of the win - so much so that the Rev. Franklin Graham later commented that "God showed up" at the election. Some say it also could happen with the midterm elections, now 20 days off. Published October 16, 2018

President Trump came across as "truly president" in his "60 Minutes" interview, said interviewer Leslie Stahl. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Inside the Beltway: A succinct review: ‘He is truly president’

After a full week of campaign rallies, problem solving and partisan attacks, President Trump also had an in depth interview with Leslie Stahl on CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday night. The overnight ratings from Nielsen Media Research are very telling here. Mr. Trump's interview drew a respectable 11.8 million viewers for CBS. The debut of the "Alec Baldwin Show" on ABC, however, garnered 2.2 million. But that, as the sages say, is show biz. Published October 15, 2018

A new dawn for the Republican Party? Some say that unity has emerged in the GOP following the Kavanaugh matter. The U.S. Capitol is seen here at sunrise. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Finally: Republican Party shows signs of unity

All aboard that proverbial Trump train? Behold, there's some clear evidence that a more united Republican Party has emerged after the confirmation of Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court — and just in time. The party is "edgier, more rugged, and more relentless" in the aftermath of the unprecedented brawl on Capitol Hill, says Brad Todd, a columnist for The Federalist. Published October 11, 2018

Actor and President Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin has a new talk show debuting on ABC with a roster of stars. The host, however, has pondered interviewing Mr. Trump, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (ABC)

Inside the Beltway: Alec Baldwin wants to interview President Trump

Actor, political activist and President Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin has a prime time talk show debuting at 10 p.m. Sunday EDT on ABC — and if the host has his way, a future guest just might be the president. Yes, well. Just imagine that cultural moment. Published October 10, 2018