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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

President Biden rides a bicycle along the beach at Kiawah Island, S.C., Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Keeping count of Biden’s vacation days

"As of July 7, 2023, Biden has spent 352 days -- 39.2% of his presidency -- on vacation. Biden's vacation habit still outpaces virtually every other president in modern history," the Republican National Committee said in a written report. Published July 11, 2023

President Biden waves as he steps off Air Force One on arrival at Vilnius airport ahead of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Monday, July 10, 2023. Russia's war on Ukraine will top the agenda when NATO leaders meet in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

As NATO puts more focus on climate, the limousines remain

President Biden has gone to Lithuania to attend the 2023 NATO Summit, which formally gets underway Tuesday. Let us recall that NATO is an organization which counts "environment, climate change and security" as one of its main focal points of concern -- noting in a mission statement that "environmental security issues can lead to humanitarian disasters, regional tensions and violence." Published July 10, 2023

President Biden takes off  his sunglasses as he speaks from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, July 4, 2023, during a barbecue with active-duty military families to celebrate the Fourth of July. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

As Biden ages, the public weighs in on ideal presidential age

What is the best age for a U.S. president upon arrival at the White House? "When asked about the ideal age of a president, around half of Americans (49%) say they prefer someone in their 50s," advises a recent Pew Research Center survey. Published July 9, 2023

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump, right, answers a question, as Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., listens, during the Republican presidential debate at the University of Miami, March 10, 2016, in Coral Gables, Fla. Trump’s norm-busting style carried him from reality TV to the White House, and he remade the party in his image along the way.  (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

GOP debate looms as possible last chance to topple Trump

The first official Republican presidential debate is scheduled for Aug. 23 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, to be broadcast live on Fox News. But what about the candidates? Donald Trump looms large here. The former president suggested back in April that he might skip the event -- and that canny threat has been followed by the news media ever since. Published July 6, 2023

The ever-present media: Then Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is surrounded by the press while on the campaign trail in 2016, seen here at a stop in Las Vegas, Nev.    (Associated Press)

Survey finds viewers of conservative networks are more informed

New research finds that right-leaning cable news channels do a more effective job delivering the news itself than their left-leaning rivals. A comprehensive new poll from the conservative Media Research Center finds that U.S. voters who rely on CNN and MSNBC are "significantly less informed" about important issues which have surfaced since President Biden took office. Published July 5, 2023

Bartender Brian McGee demonstrates how to make a gin martini at the Koval Distillery's tasting room in Chicago, on Feb. 8,2023. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Cocktails become the latest target of the climate-concerned

'Climate-friendly cocktail recipes go light on ice. It takes a lot of water and energy to make negronis, manhattans and margaritas. Could we do with less ice?" asks a headline in the Scientific American, a popular academic journal. Published July 3, 2023

The Raab Collection — a family-owned business dealing in historic signatures and letters — has announced the discovery of a previously unknown, early 19th-century autograph book, or “friendship album”  which includes both the signature and some practical advice from founding father and U.S. president John Adams. (Image courtesy of the Raab Collection).

John Adams message in ‘friendship book’ brings $40,000

Got any old notes or correspondence tucked away in the dusty drawer of some ancient desk? The Raab Collection has announced the discovery of a previously unknown, early 19th-century autograph book, or "friendship album" as it was called back then. This small book contains a unique entry that includes both the signature and some practical advice from Founding Father and former President John Adams, who at that time was 88 years old. Published July 2, 2023

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a town hall event in Hollis, N.H., Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

DeSantis draws the line on U.S.-Mexico border security

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is clearly spelling out his policy intentions should he succeed in his quest to become president. He is particularly clear when it comes to the threat of fentanyl, which is arriving in the U.S. through the southern border with Mexico. Mr. DeSantis is protective of his fellow citizens. Published June 29, 2023

The.Capital Beltway is known for rush-hour slowdowns, such as this one from May 23, 2014, in Hyattsville, Maryland. Another snarl came Tuesday, thanks to the Inner Loop being closed off to accommodate a drive by President Biden from the White House to Chevy Chase for a fundraiser. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) **FILE**

The ‘Bidencade’ snarls traffic around nation’s capital

Well, if you're going to tie up traffic around the nation's capital, you might as well go big. That is what happened Tuesday evening when President Biden journeyed from the White House to a pair of political fundraisers in Chevy Chase -- a most attractive town in Maryland just over the D.C. line. Published June 28, 2023

Signs and voters are many outside an election polling site in Cranston, R.I., on Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Trump both ‘the favorite’ to win GOP nod, leader over Biden in general election

"Trump continues to be the favorite for the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nomination, with 57% of potential GOP primary voters supporting his candidacy. But for the first time since tracking began in December, Trump also leads President Biden by 3 percentage points in a hypothetical general-election matchup, outside the surveys' margins of error," reports Eli Yokley, an analyst for Morning Consult, a global pollster. Published June 27, 2023

President Biden talks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Bipartisan PRESS Act aims to stem government snooping on news outlets

Here's some legislation of note: Reps. Kevin Kiley, California Republican, and Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat, have introduced "The PRESS Act" -- some bipartisan and bicameral legislation of interest to the press. That "PRESS" acronym stands for "Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying." Published June 25, 2023

The "Road to Majority" Policy Conference, a large gathering of some 3,000 faith-minded conservatives, is underway in the nation's capital. Among the many notable speakers are Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina Republican and a 2024 presidential hopeful.

Mighty conservatives gather at Road to Majority conference

Now underway in the nation's capital: the Road to Majority Policy Conference, a gathering of some 3,000 faith-minded conservatives who have a distinct mission. "The purpose of the conference is to empower conservative activists to fight for their values at the polls and in the public arena and to equip attendees with the knowledge and connections they need to drive engagement and voter turnout," the Faith and Freedom Coalition said in a mission statement for the event shared with Inside the Beltway. Published June 22, 2023

Former President Donald Trump is seen here during an appearance at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., on June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Trump continues to dominate GOP primary polls, plus a lesson for Christie

"Trump has a big lead over rivals: 57% of potential Republican primary voters back Trump for the party's 2024 presidential nomination, a slight decline from an all-time high of 61% in mid-May. Despite the small dip in support, Trump is still well ahead of DeSantis, his closest competitor who is backed by 20% of the party's electorate," writes Eli Yokley, an analyst for Morning Consult, the pollster behind the numbers. Published June 21, 2023

What once was: In this March 3, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidates, businessman Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich appear during a Republican presidential primary debate at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) **FILE**

Fox News names moderators for first 2024 GOP presidential debate

The race is on. Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will co-moderate the first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election, according to an announcement from Fox News Media president and executive editor Jay Wallace, shared with Inside the Beltway on Tuesday. Published June 20, 2023

In this Aug. 18, 2020, file photo, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson adjusts the American flag hanging off his front porch in Appleton, Wis. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

From corporations to sports teams, Americans prefer ‘unwoke’

"Companies, schools, amusement parks and even professional sports teams that have gone 'woke' and adopted 'diversity, equity and inclusion' measures are alienating many customers, leading to a drop in business, reports indicate. The latest Issues & Answers/TIPP Poll shows why: A strong plurality of Americans oppose such social activism rather than support it," according to Terry Jones, an analyst for Issues & Insights, a news and opinion site. Published June 19, 2023

Vivek Ramaswamy speaks with supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, Friday, March 3, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

GOP presidential hopeful Ramaswamy defends ‘nationalism’

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy continues to make frequent appearances in the media, and Sunday was no exception. "Fox News Sunday" host Shannon Bream was curious if the candidate was uncomfortable being called a "nationalist" or an "American nationalist" in recent media coverage. "To me, nationalism doesn't have to be a bad word. It means we stand for the ideals that set this nation into motion 250 years ago -- meritocracy, the pursuit of excellence, the rule of law, free speech and open debate, self-governance," Mr. Ramaswamy replied. Published June 18, 2023

Talk radio continues to be a force in the media world. There are those who excel on the airwaves, however — including the “Heavy Hundred” list  of hosts whose on-air work includes “courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, revenue, public service, talent and uniqueness.” (Image from Shutterstock)

Talkers magazine names the rulers of talk radio

Talk radio continues to be a force in the media world. There are those hosts, however, who excel on the airwaves. Talkers, a news organization that covers this specialized field, has just named the "Heavy Hundred" -- a list of those current hosts whose on-air work includes "courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, revenue, public service, talent and uniqueness." Published June 15, 2023