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Washington Reporter expands into premiere events, Gov. Kelly Armstrong takes on the Schumer Shutdown, and more
Speaker Johnson’s California cash infusion, how the Republican Study Committee and the Freedom Caucus work with Speaker Johnson on shutdown messages, and more!
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October 15th, 2025
Let’s dive in.
INTERVIEW: Gov. Kelly Armstrong on how the Schumer Shutdown harms the Plains States and why the Trump administration is a critical partner on American energy
INTERVIEW: Scenes from the Kennedy Center’s Onegin VIP red carpet
Heard on the Hill
EXCLUSIVE: Washington Reporter announces latest expansion into events with lawmakers and corporate partners
EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s crackdown on illicit vapes wins broad backing, poll reveals
EXCLUSIVE: Small Business Committee Chairman explains why Trump’s foreign auto tariffs are a necessary “decisive action”
EXCLUSIVE: Republican House candidate’s bizarre posts calling for an “invasion of America” exposed
SCOOP: Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, and Chairman Pfluger turn to new media outlets to counter Schumer Shutdown disinformation
SCOOP: “The House Freedom Caucus stands with President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson” amidst unprecedented Schumer Shutdown
SCOOP: Speaker Johnson sends cash infusion to stop Newsom’s “unconstitutional power grab”
SCOOP: The Kennedy Center revives the Stuttgart Ballet with Onegin
OPINIONATED: Mike Fragoso on what if Republicans actually nuke the filibuster, Thomas Willcox on why the Charter-Cox merger is a no-brainer, and Julia Cartwright on why Congress should protect crypto by preserving decentralization
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Introducing Washington Reporter Events–our latest expansion.
Over the past 18 months, the Washington Reporter has grown from an idea to an indispensable source of news for Republican policymakers and staff.
We are excited to announce a new initiative starting this month: Washington Reporter-hosted events featuring the most influential lawmakers and journalists in D.C.
Over the next few weeks, we will be hosting:
Senator Eric Schmitt, (R., Mo.) for a discussion of the Senator’s best-selling book;
An event with Microsoft featuring Matthew Foldi on conservative journalism and how media influences policymakers;
An event with Google featuring Eliana Johnson on the future of media.
If you work on the Hill, in the administration, or downtown, we would love to have you join us. Invitations to come. Thank you for reading and supporting the Washington Reporter.
— Brian Colas, CEO of the Washington Reporter
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INTERVIEW: Gov. Kelly Armstrong on how the Schumer Shutdown harms the Plains States and why the Trump administration is a critical partner on American energy
by Matthew Foldi
Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R., N.D.) left Washington, D.C. behind for the streets of Bismarck, where he currently follows in the footsteps of giants who have led the Roughrider State for decades.
And while America’s heartland isn’t on the radar of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) or Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), Armstrong explained that their shutdown “impacts every North Dakotan.”
“The thing with shutdowns is you don’t feel them right away,” Armstrong explained in an interview with the Washington Reporter. “I’ll start with the most important thing…we have two military bases. We have the Air Force Base in Minot. We have the Air Force Base in Grand Forks. We have the only base with two legs of the triad. We’re proud of our military service here, and that’s before you talk about Customs and Border Patrol and FBI and BIA and our relationships with all of these federal employees who are charged with keeping our country safe and with keeping our communities safe.”
“Soon,” Armstrong said, “they’re not going to get paid, so we’re going to give them a loan to make sure that’s not a problem. We’re lucky we have a state bank, and we’re going to utilize that to make sure that people in uniform recognize that we actually care more about what they do than New York Democratic primary politics.”
INTERVIEW: Scenes from the Kennedy Center’s Onegin VIP red carpet
by Matthew Foldi
The Kennedy Center made history once again — this time by bringing the historic Stuttgart Ballet back to Washington, D.C.’s premier arts center for the first time in 33 years for a performance of the renowned show Onegin.
The Washington Reporter was on site as VIPs swarmed the red carpet, and they shared their thoughts about what the Kennedy Center is like under the new leadership of President Donald Trump and Ambassador Richard Grenell.
Grenell was on site for the festivities, and he was joined by Trevor Milton, the CEO of SyberJet Aircraft, who sponsored the red carpet event.
Heard on the Hill
HARD AT WORK? Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D., Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, was spotted at Lobby Bar, “eating oysters until a plane falls out of the sky,” a source told the Washington Reporter. Pictures are here.
STOPPING SCHUMER SHUTDOWN’S IMPACT ON SOLDIERS: The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) has been all over the Hill and the D.C. press thanks to the resource it offers to soldiers who are expected to miss a paycheck this week due to Congressional Democrats. The DCUC’s Chief Advocacy Officer, Jason Stverek, had strong words in Breitbart for the politicians behind the shutdown, saying our troops “shouldn’t have to worry about whether their next paycheck will arrive while they’re standing watch for our nation.”
OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES DOA? Congressional sources tell the Washington Reporter that there is firm and growing opposition to extending the COVID-era enhanced ACA subsidies that Democrats are demanding as a ransom for the Schumer Shutdown. Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Leader John Thune (R., S.D.), and nearly every other Republican in leadership believes the subsidies are terrible healthcare policy and drive up costs. One Hill source told the Reporter that “getting Republican support for the Obamacare COVID bonuses is going to be nearly impossible. The only thing harder will be if Democrats start demanding even worse healthcare policies — like price controls — to go along with the enhanced ACA subsidies.”
ZOHRAN PROBLEMS GROW: Zohran Mamdani still has an election to win, but Republicans are eager to make him — and his radical wife — the new faces of the Democratic Party. The RNC’s Kiersten Pels attacked the duo. “Communist Zohran Mamdani took nearly $13,000 in potentially illegal foreign donations from at least 170 donors — even one from his mother-in-law in Dubai. He still hasn’t returned 88 of the donations that are worth more than $7,000,” Pels noted. “To make matters worse, his wife publicly mourned a pro-Hamas extremist who celebrated the October 7th attacks.”
ALL FOR SHOW: Rep. Madeleine Dean (D., Pa.) recently confronted Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) about the Schumer Shutdown. The Washington Reporter exclusively obtained fundraising texts showing that Dean is now using the altercation to raise small dollar donors. “You might have seen the video of me confronting Speaker Mike Johnson,” she writes in her plea to donors. Pictures are here.
HAVING IT BOTH WAYS: Abigail Spanberger is trying to distance herself from Jay Jones, her violence-inclined running mate. But, she is still selling merchandise on her website featuring him.
GIVE IT BACK: The Buffalo Bills celebrated “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” before getting blown out by the Atlanta Falcons. The New York State GOP wants the Bills to put their money where their mouth is: “Give your stadium back to the Native Americans or stfu,” the party wrote. The New England Patriots now lead the AFC East.
HAPPY 21ST! The Washington Reporter was honored to attend the
21st50th birthday of Newsmax’s host extraordinaire, Bianca De La Garza. Among those present at the Miami Beach party were Rudy Giuliani, Marisela Ramirez, John Bachman, Ford O’Connell, Ed Henry, Ted Goodman, Mike Davis, John Jordan, Jason Quinoñes, Kate Hartson, Lucas Kelman, Jerry Ryan, Katie Matos, Michael Snyder, Erin Parker, Matthew Foldi, and more.
A message from our sponsor.
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Big banks shouldn’t decide who gets access to the financial system. The open banking rule protects Americans from being debanked—keeping your data secure, your choices open, and your money under your control. Stand for a system that serves the people, not big Wall Street banks. Learn more.
EXCLUSIVE: Washington Reporter announces latest expansion into events with lawmakers and corporate partners
by the Washington Reporter
While the Washington Reporter is not even two years old yet, it is expanding its offerings into events with all-star guests, the Washington Reporter can exclusively report.
The Reporter’s latest plans include events, obtained by the Reporter, with guests that include Sen. Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.), who will speak about his new best selling book, Microsoft, featuring the Reporter’s Matthew Foldi, and Google, for an event featuring the Washington Free Beacon’s Eliana Johnson.
“In less than two years, the Washington Reporter has grown to become an indispensable source of news, analysis, and commentary for Republican policymakers and staff. We are excited to expand our offerings to events with some of the top lawmakers and journalists,” said Brian Colas, CEO of the Washington Reporter.
Its latest initiative follows a series of events that it has already hosted, including with the now-Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Andrew Ferguson, who hosted his first public event as chair with the Reporter, as well as events with Americans for Tax Reform and with the Manhattan Institute.
Sources close to the Reporter tell the Reporter that the initial announcements are part of a tranche still to be announced.
EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s crackdown on illicit vapes wins broad backing, poll reveals
by the Washington Reporter
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal partners, recently launched a sweeping series of raids targeting manufacturers, distributors, and retailers peddling illegal vaping products smuggled from China.
Now, a poll from Meeting Street Insights, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, reveals overwhelming voter support for President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance against illicit vapes. The survey found that 73 percent of voters back continued enforcement against smoke shops and distributors, including 80 percent of Republicans. Majorities emerged across every demographic, with peak enthusiasm from Republicans (80 percent), men aged 65 and older (88 percent), women in the same bracket (86 percent), and rural voters (80 percent).
This shows a rare bipartisan consensus on protecting children from illicit Chinese vapes.
The poll follows action from Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy who oversaw a high-profile raid in the Chicago suburbs, where agents confiscated 600,000 units from a single warehouse stocked with flavored e-cigarettes.
EXCLUSIVE: Small Business Committee Chairman explains why Trump’s foreign auto tariffs are a necessary “decisive action”
by Matthew Foldi
President Donald Trump’s economic policies continue to lead to massive investment and new jobs in the manufacturing sector. The White House announced tariffs on foreign-made heavy and medium trucks to encourage made-in-America production. Sources on the Hill told the Washington Reporter that this move is smart economics and smart politics.
Rep. Roger Williams (R., Texas), the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, is one of them. Williams, a longtime car dealer himself, understands the issue better than most policymakers.
He told the Reporter that “this decisive action by President Trump underscores a resolute commitment to fortify American manufacturing. By imposing a 25 percent tariff on imported medium- and heavy-duty trucks, we are not just protecting our domestic industry; we are investing in the competitiveness of our workforce.”
EXCLUSIVE: Republican House candidate’s bizarre posts calling for an “invasion of America” exposed
by Matthew Foldi
A Republican congressional candidate running in Michigan’s 1st District is under fire from the incumbent he’s challenging for “publicly wish[ing] someone would invade America.”
Justin Michal, an Army veteran, is challenging Rep. Jack Bergman (R., Mich.) in next year’s GOP primary — but an exposé in a local website, West Michigan Politics — is threatening his campaign before it even takes off the ground.
The piece, titled “Controversial MI-1 Candidate Justin Michal Supports Invasion Of America, Says Life Is Better In Saudi Arabia” chronicles a litany of social media posts from Michal, in which he, the site notes, “supports the invasion of America, and even says life is better in his former home of Saudi Arabia.”
SCOOP: Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, and Chairman Pfluger turn to new media outlets to counter Schumer Shutdown disinformation
by Matthew Foldi
Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.) and Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas), the Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman, set the record straight on the Schumer Shutdown during a call restricted to new media outlets; it was the latest way that House Republicans are taking their messaging directly to the American people.
The trio of current and former RSC Chairmen joined together to correct the record about some of the more blatant lies promulgated by Democrats and by their allies in the media. Scalise blasted Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) for “holding the American people hostage,” as the Senate adjourned until Tuesday without movement towards a resolution to reopen the government.
“They’re still unhappy with election results from November, so they voted to shut down the government,” Scalise added.
Pfluger, a former military pilot, explained that, while Schumer and almost all Senate Democrats shut the government down “for political theater reasons,” there are real-world consequences.
SCOOP: The Kennedy Center revives the Stuttgart Ballet with Onegin
by Matthew Foldi
The Kennedy Center added a new crown jewel to its repertoire of classic restorations with the highly anticipated return of the Stuttgart Ballet’s Onegin.
From Les Misérables to The Sound of Music, the Kennedy Center is on a crusade to bring iconic masterpieces back to its stages — and the return of the Onegin is another triumphant testament.
“The last time the Stuttgart Ballet actually came on tour [at the Kennedy Center itself] was 33 years ago and so we’re very excited to be here and to perform one of the best, actually one of the jewels from John Cranko,” Stuttgart soloist Fabio Adorisio told the Washington Reporter from the red carpet kickoff.
OPINIONATED
Op-Ed: Mike Fragoso: What if the Republicans nuke the filibuster?
by Mike Fragoso
A growing talking point among Democrats is that Republicans, with unified government, could open the government at their pleasure. At first blush this is their version of “boob bait for the bubbas,” but upon further consideration they may think they know what they’re doing. It’s becoming increasingly possible that Democrats are positioning Senate Republicans to nuke the filibuster to get the clean CR. This is a very bad strategy for Democrats.
Using must-pass vehicles to enact their filibuster agenda is not a new tactic for Democrats. In the fall of 2021, as Republicans insisted that Democrats use a reconciliation instruction to lift the debt ceiling without Republican assistance, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) responded by saying he wouldn’t do that; instead he’d put it to Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema: nuke the filibuster or default on our debt.
Even filibuster purists like those two would have had a very hard time allowing the country to default in order to preserve a Senate procedure. In the end, Republicans relented and worked with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling.
Op-Ed: Thomas Willcox: Why the Charter-Cox merger Is a no-brainer
by Thomas Willcox
The proposed merger between Charter Communications and Cox Communications arrives at a pivotal moment for American connectivity, offering the potential to significantly enhance consumer welfare by accelerating broadband deployment, spurring innovation, and expanding service options in both cable and streaming markets.
With approximately 20 million U.S. households still lacking reliable high-speed internet — especially in rural and underserved areas — the Charter-Cox combination is poised to leverage operational synergies and increased scale to deliver more affordable, reliable, and advanced broadband services.
Contrary to claims of reduced competition, the merger would not diminish consumer choice because Charter and Cox operate in largely distinct geographic territories. Instead, it would position the combined company to compete more effectively against national broadband giants and rapidly growing wireless and streaming providers.
Op-Ed: Julia Cartwright: Congress should protect crypto by preserving decentralization
by Julia Cartwright
Cryptocurrency — the once avant-garde monetary alternative — is going mainstream. The GENIUS Act, recently signed into law, and the CLARITY Act, passed by the House and waiting on a vote by the Senate, are central to the industry’s effort to obtain regulatory clarity and to level the playing field with traditional finance (TradFi).
In its quest for legitimacy, however, the crypto industry has been betrayed by the proposed legislation. These bills suggest abandoning the x-factor that made crypto so powerful and attractive in the first place: trustless decentralization. New crypto legislation would benefit from tapping into what makes this trailblazing industry so appealing by embracing regulation as technology itself.
Cryptocurrencies — digital currencies that leverage blockchain technology to enable secure and transparent peer-to-peer transactions — are decentralized. Their trustless nature, where no central authority is needed to verify transactions, is essential to crypto’s adoption, with a market cap of $3.78 trillion.
Until now, the industry has thrived without central oversight or burdensome government regulation. Crypto’s huge success is the culmination of no-holds-barred free market competition.
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About the Washington Reporter
We created the Washington Reporter to give Republicans in Congress an outlet for insights to help you succeed, and to cover the toughest policy fights that don't get the attention they deserve.
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