Jennifer Harper
Articles by Jennifer Harper
Inside the Beltway: Trump is ‘odds-on favorite to win re-election’ says political analyst
President Trump could win the White House again in 2020 -- which likely would send hostile political operatives and the disapproving news media into an epic meltdown. News flash: Get ready. Mr. Trump will likely win re-election, says one analyst. Published July 31, 2017
Inside the Beltway: News media obsesses over ‘chaos’ in the White House
The latest press narrative against President Trump and his administration is to suggest that there is "chaos" in the White House. This hostile narrative is so strong and well organized that even the Democratic National Committee cited the phenomenon, identifying 11 news organizations which pushed dramatic "chaos" headlines. The White House is in "chaos." The GOP is in "chaos." Maybe chaos is in chaos too. It's all strategic. Published July 30, 2017
Despite widespread belief in climate change, few are changing their lifestyle to combat it: Poll
Climate change is back in the news now that Al Gore has produced a new book and a new movie on the subject. Furious activists continue to sound the global warming alarm, and remain vexed at President Trump for recently abandoning the Paris Climate Agreement. But are critics practicing green-minded lifestyles? Maybe not, says a new poll. Published July 29, 2017
Media wars: 34% of Americans approve court-ordered fines for biased or inaccurate news stories
A majority of Americans -- 51 percent -- now disapprove of the news media's treatment of President Trump says an Economist/YouGov poll, which also asked respondents if U.S. courts should fine or even shut down a news outlet which published or broadcast biased or inaccurate stories. Published July 28, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Courage, competence, sacrifice: What lawmakers can learn from the military
"Americans have given the military the highest confidence rating of any institution in American society for nearly two decades," writes Frank Newport, director of the Gallup poll, which finds that the public continues to revere the traditional, old-school values of our fighting forces. Published July 27, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Donald Trump emerges as the true master of media
It happens after every speech, tweet or press conference. Critics complain about President Trump, calling him outrageous and unpresidential, apparently vexed that Mr. Trump says what he has to say on his own terms — and when and where he wants to do it. Published July 26, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Congress cares more about the media than the voters says new poll
Imagine this: A sleek member of the press and an earnest likely voter are standing side by side in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Which one would attract the most attention from passing lawmakers? Unfortunately, new research reveals a predictable, but shabby scenario. Journalists appear to mean more to members of Congress than voters. Published July 25, 2017
Inside the Beltway: 19 talk radio hosts broadcast live from the White House on Tuesday
It's an efficient way to bypass the hostile mainstream media: The White House will host a hefty number of syndicated talk radio hosts on Tuesday, all of them hailing from the vast Salem Media Group stable — where conservative and Christian content rules. It is a herculean effort. Every one of them will man their microphones for a mass broadcasting effort that will stretch across 10 hours and be heard by a huge audience. Things get underway at dawn, and some high-profile guests will be much in evidence, a source tells Inside the Beltway. Published July 24, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Anthony Scaramucci cuts to the chase
The nation's capital is a noisy place. There is continuous, seamless policy chatter from those with an agenda, and they are very good at their craft. Their commentary always sounds important and true, whether it is or not. It's refreshing, however, when someone steps forward and simply cuts to the chase. That is what incoming White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci did 48 hours after President Trump appointed him to the post. Published July 23, 2017
Sean Spicer blasts news media, praises Trump as ‘unbelievably gracious’ in Hannity interview
It is what broadcasters call the "good get." Fox News Channel's prime-time anchorman Sean Hannity interviewed former White House press secretary Sean Spicer about his resignation. Published July 21, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Broadcasters undermine Trump with an ‘Iron Curtain’ of hostile Russia news
Forget about providing fair, conscientious coverage of important topics. Even after all this time, it's still all-Russia all the time for the nation's biggest broadcasters. Significant news stories are being ignored in favor of a never-ending parade of speculative reports about President Trump's relationship with Russia, say Nicholas Fondacaro and Rich Noyes, both analysts for NewsBusters.org, a conservative press watchdog. Published July 20, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Weathering the storm, Trump style
"There is no denying that America elected an exceptional president in (Donald) Trump, a consummate outsider and the first president ever to have no government or military experience. But as it wraps up its first six months, Trump's presidency looks more conventional than exceptional," writes New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin. "Separating the substance from the noise shows him in a position familiar to all new presidents: struggling to turn his campaign promises into reality while juggling foreign-policy challenges and mastering the learning curve of the world's most powerful job." Published July 19, 2017
Inside the Beltway: ‘Obamacare survives thanks to Republican moral narcissism’
"Obamacare survives thanks to Republican moral narcissism," writes Roger L. Simon, who appears vexed by the conservative lawmakers - specifically Sens. Jerry Moran, Mike Lee and Rand Paul -- who said publicly they'd vote "nay" on the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Published July 18, 2017
Midterms fire up early: Ted Cruz Vs. Beto O’Rourke and three other races to watc
There is much talk that the Democratic Party is scrambling to assume a proper war footing, craft a snappy message and raise a lot of money before election season begins. But election season has already begun. The 2018 midterms are clearly on the radar — with four specific Senate battles already brewing in center stage, complete with sword rattling. Published July 17, 2017
Media take note: Hamburger carryout plans to serve the nation’s first ‘Nothing Burger’
"Nothing burger" is the favorite media term of the moment, meant to signify that certain political events are, well, insignificant or meaningless. Both Hillary Clinton's missing emails and Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian officials have been deemed nothing burgers by assorted journalists. Now, however, there's a real Nothing Burger. Published July 17, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Trump effect: Confidence in personal finances hits a four-year high
Political attacks on President Trump and his administration continue, amplified by media coverage that is often melodramatic, negative and manipulative — long on speculation and short on facts. Jittery voters are continually distracted and often confused by conflicting or shifting news accounts, along with anonymously sourced reporting and an emphasis on a select narratives that incorporate partisan opinion. Published July 16, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Soaring stock market a powerful symbol of the Trump era
Americans are peeking at their 401(k) plans and investments, and daring to think that maybe, just maybe, America is getting great again. Numbers suggest this may be true. Published July 13, 2017
Broadcasters obsess over Trump Jr., ignore ‘Hillary Clinton’s Russia-Uranium scandal,’ study says
They were obsessed: ABC, CBS, NBC evening news shows have been dominated by one subject: Donald J. Trump Jr.'s 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower. In the past four nights, the "Big Three" networks devoted over 62 minutes of their coverage on Mr. Trump's story he says, after tabulating the content of the coverage. Published July 13, 2017
Inside the Beltway: Expanding the press corps: White House to stage talk radio marathon
The White House is expanding the press corps to include those journalists who happily exist beyond the rarefied confines of the nation's capital or New York City. Consider that President Trump is featured in an exclusive interview with Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, set to air on the "700 Club" on Thursday. It looks like the White House is just getting started, however. Published July 12, 2017
When trolls attack: Online harassment now a ‘feature of life’: Poll
"Harassment is now a feature of life online for many Americans. In its milder forms, it creates a layer of negativity that people must sift through as they navigate their daily routines online. At its most severe, it can compromise users' privacy, force them to choose when and where to participate online, or even pose a threat to their physical safety," reported a wide-ranging national survey from the Pew Research Center. Published July 12, 2017