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May 14th, 2026


In This Edition

[1] INTERVIEW: Trump-endorsed Anthony Constantino maps out path to Congress
[2] Heard on the Hill
[3] EDITORIAL: Trump made the right call at FDA
[4] EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Lance Gooden unveils bipartisan legislation to crack down
on Mexican exploitation of American railroads
[5] EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Andy Barr heads into homestretch with commanding lead,
poll shows
[6] EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Randy Fine on the Democrats’ Hasan Piker problem
[7] SCOOP: Secretary Sean Duffy rejects Buttigieg’s criticisms, touts success
of his agency under Trump
[8] SCOOP: “Speed is the weapon”: Rep. Darrell Issa on China, drones, and
America’s industrial wake up call
[9] OPINIONATED: Rep. Troy Nehls on the importance of National Police Week,
Noosheen Hashemi on fighting back in healthcare, Patrick Halley on Brendan
Carr’s latest FCC win, andSeth Oranburg on the CLARITY Act’s significance

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1 INTERVIEW Trump-endorsed Anthony Constantino maps out path to Congress By:
Matthew Foldi For years, Trump loyalist Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) has
represented New York’s 21st District. But with Stefanik’s decision to retire
from Congress, Anthony Constantino is running to follow in her footsteps – and
President Donald Trump already endorsed him ahead of a contentious primary.

Constantino told the Washington Reporter in an interview that he initially
started running for Congress after Trump selected Stefanik to serve as
America’s Ambassador to the United Nations. But after Stefanik withdrew from
consideration, Constantino held back until she announced that she was not
running again.

As a longtime businessman, Constantino is no stranger to budgets and
planning. He told theReporter that he initially pledged $2.6 million for the
special election, because he “make[s] quick decisions and I like to just have
fun.” $2.6 million, he said, “was the appreciation and value of my Tesla
shares.” Now that he’s running in a regularly scheduled election, he plans to
need more. “5 million is a nice number. $10 million is probably too much.”
Finish Reading →
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2 HEARD ON THE HILL Heard on the Hill BOUCHARD’S TO LOSE: A poll of GOP
primary voters in Michigan’s 10th District, obtained exclusively by the
Washington Reporter, finds that Michael Bouchard is starting to pull away from
his opponents, leading the field with 39.2 percent support. PARENTS MATTER: The
National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is highlighting Democratic
candidate Lindsay James saying that Iowans are not “concerned with” transgender
sex surgeries on their children. Republicans are consolidating behind
Republican Joe Mitchell, who has been endorsed by both President Donald Trump
and Vice President JD Vance. FDA CHANGES: Our sources on Capitol Hill and in
the Trump administration are celebrating the resignation of FDA chief Marty
Makary. Sources tell theWashington Reporter that there is excitement for
American vapes to now compete with illicit Chinese vapes. RONNY JACK$ON: Rep.
Ronny Jackson (R., Texas) transferred $700,000 to the National Republican
Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) coffers, bringing his total contributions this
cycle to $1 million. “More to come,” Jackson’s chief of staff Casey Hood,
teased. NYC OR WISCONSIN: Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Cooke, who
is challenging Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R., Wis.), is under fire for having
attacked the “quiet racism” of her home town of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. “Rebecca
Cooke keeps proving she’s a better fit to represent Mamdani’s New York than
Wisconsin families,” the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) Hunter Lovell
said in response. GOLDEN STATE PROBLEMS: The City Journal’s Haley Strack and
Christopher Rufo found that “Gavin Newsom [is] providing personal pornography
devices to every inmate in the state of California,” in Rufo’s words. Newsom
denied the claims in the extensively-documented expose. RICK SCOTT VS. MAMDANI:
Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.) wrote to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche urging
an investigation into anti-Semitic mobs in New York City. “The American people
have watched mobs harass Jewish New Yorkers, intimidate individuals for
supporting Israel, obstruct synagogues, express support for terrorist
organizations, and spread vile anti-Semitic rhetoric,” Scott wrote. He urged
the DOJ to prosecute perpetrators where necessary. WHEN IN EGYPT: Nick Adams,
the Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism, and
Values, returned from an official visit to Egypt, where he remarked that the
highlights included the Pyramids, the Nile River, and also Egypt’s “famous
pigeon delicacy.” MAZEL TOV: The Israeli Embassy celebrated Israel’s 78th
birthday in bipartisan style in D.C. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D., N.J.) and Jared
Moskowitz (D., Fla.) urged those in attendance to take go on the offensive in
combatting anti-Semitism. Among those spotted were Reps. Don Bacon (R., Neb.),
Mike Lawler (R., N.Y.), and Randy Fine (R., Fla.), along with Rabbi Levi
Shemtov, Eli Shemtov, Merav Ceren, Jeff Miller, Dan Conston, Paul Foldi, Bonnie
Glick, Emily Austin, Randy Morgan, Phelim McAleer, Ann McIlhenny, Omri Ceren,
Eric Gertler, Hilary Kapner, Ambassador Yehuda Kaploun, Sebastian Gorka, and
keynote speaker Chris Wright, the Secretary of Energy. Share This →
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3 EDITORIAL Trump made the right call at FDA By: Washington Reporter Editors
President Donald Trump deserves real credit for the leadership change at the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The move put a bookend on an increasingly
untenable chapter — and acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas is the right person
to steady the agency.

Marty Makary did important work during COVID. He told the truth about natural
immunity and school closures amid the leftist capture of the public health
establishment. But those skills do not make a good FDA Commissioner, and his
position at the FDA was wrong almost from the start.

The Washington Reporter heard about turmoil at the FDA from numerous
Republican Hill staff, and even from several members over in recent months.
People painted a consistent picture: Makary was difficult to work with. His
application of regulatory reviews was unpredictable in ways that kept everyone
guessing. And he showed little real respect for Right to Try, a signature Trump
policy that gives terminally ill patients access to investigational therapies.
Right to Try was one of the best accomplishments of the first Trump term.
Finish Reading →
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4 EXCLUSIVE Rep. Lance Gooden unveils bipartisan legislation to crack down on
Mexican exploitation of American railroads By: Matthew Foldi Rep. Lance Gooden
(R., Texas) has a bipartisan plan, obtained exclusively by theWashington
Reporter, to “end [] Mexican exploitation of U.S. rail standards that threatens
American railroad jobs and border security,” he explained to theReporter.

Gooden’s latest bill, the Protecting American Railroad Workers Jobs Act, is
designed to close a legal loophole that allows foreign rail crews to operate
inside America, which he argues jeopardizes both border security and American
jobs.

“Freight moving through the United States should be operated by workers
legally authorized to work here and held to American safety standards,” he
added. Currently, foreign rail crews are able to bypass both safety inspections
and crew changes at America’s border with Mexico; Gooden’s bill, which he
introduced alongside Rep. Chris Pappas (D., N.H.), requires trains crossing
America’s border with Mexico to undergo mandatory crew changes and safety
checks. Finish Reading →
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5 EXCLUSIVE Rep. Andy Barr heads into homestretch with commanding lead, poll
shows By: Matthew Foldi Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) is in a prime position to
succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), according to a new poll obtained
exclusively by theWashington Reporter.

The UpOne Insights poll, conducted by Robert Blizzard on behalf of Barr’s
campaign, finds that Barr “expanded his narrow lead over Daniel Cameron into an
overwhelming advantage with one week to go before the Kentucky Republican
Primary. Once down 30 points in this campaign, Andy Barr is now well-positioned
to win the GOP primary going away,” the polling memo notes.

Following President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Barr is now leading among
“very conservative voters, somewhat conservative voters, and moderate/liberal
voters.” He even has a five-point lead over Cameron among voters who view
Cameron favorably. Finish Reading →
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A message from our sponsor

<[link removed]>

Why does a calculator app need your child's age?

The App Store “Accountability” Act mandates sharing children's sensitive
information too broadly. Americans need digital safety that respects parental
rights and data privacy.

Tell Congress: Keep PARENTS in charge of how your child's data is handled.

Learn more at netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe
<[link removed]>





6 EXCLUSIVE Rep. Randy Fine on the Democrats’ Hasan Piker problem By: Matthew
Foldi One of the Democratic Party’s highest-profile surrogates is causing
problems for dog lovers across the country, Rep. Randy Fine (R., Fla.) told the
Washington Reporter.

Anti-American Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has interviewed and rallied for
Democrats from Maine to California, but Fine is using videos that purport to
show Piker threatening to “f—king kill” and electro-shocking his dog, Kaya.

Fine, who introduced the Protecting Puppies from Sharia Act, told the Reporter
that “the fact that Democrats will now embrace the most depraved, sick,
monstrous ideology tells us everything we need to know about the November
election. They’re crazy and evil and they hate America and they hate dogs. They
can’t get enough of a Nazi, they can’t get enough of a dog-beater. What the
hell is wrong with these people?” Finish Reading →
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7 SCOOP Secretary Sean Duffy rejects Buttigieg’s criticisms, touts success of
his agency under Trump By: Matthew Foldi Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s
predecessor — and potential 2028 Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg — is
taking aim at a documentary that Duffy noted was cleared by “career ethics and
budget officials at the Department of Transportation [who] approved both my
participation and individual travel in accordance with federal rules.”

Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, criticized Duffy and his wife,
Rachel Campos-Duffy, for the documentary’s production, which the Duffys said is
tied to celebrating America’s 250th birthday.

“The radical, miserable left has noticed our awesome Great American Road Trip
trailer,” Duffy said, following muted criticisms from the Buttigiegs. “And they
hate it. It’s too wholesome. It’s too patriotic. It’s too joyful.” Finish
Reading →
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8 SCOOP “Speed is the weapon”: Rep. Darrell Issa on China, drones, and
America’s industrial wake up call By: Matthew Foldi Rep. Darrell Issa (R.,
Calif.), the Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC),
delivered a blunt warning about the future of American power: the United States
is entering an era where military strength will be determined less by legacy
systems and more by industrial speed, technological adaptability, and political
will.

Issa’s analysis came at a recent discussion hosted by the Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Dr. Seth Jones; their global
conversation ranged from China and Iran to drone warfare, domestic
polarization, and the future of America’s defense industrial base. But one
theme tied everything together: America is no longer competing in a world where
it can afford to move slowly.

“We haven’t been in my lifetime in a situation where we’re reshuffling who’s
with us, who’s against us, and who pretends to be on both sides more than
today,” Issa noted. That reshuffling, he argued, is reshaping the international
order. Countries once firmly aligned with Washington are hedging. Rivals are
coordinating more closely. Strategic ambiguity has replaced Cold War certainty.
Finish Reading →
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A message from our sponsor


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Batteries power every car, truck, airplane, tractor, tank, and vessel in
America. The Responsible Battery Coalition and Coalition for a Prosperous
America's new report outlines four pillars for the Trump Administration and
Congress to reverse CCP control over critical battery mineral processing and
refining.

learn more
<[link removed]>





9 OPINIONATED
Op-Ed: Rep. Troy Nehls: The men and women in blue deserve our support By: Rep.
Troy Nehls During National Police Week, we honor the brave men and women in
blue who risk everything to protect our communities. As a former Sheriff with
generations of family members who have served in law enforcement, this week
especially reminds me of the profound sacrifices our officers make.

Right outside my office is an End of Watch wall I began the day I entered
Congress. It honors every fallen officer killed in the line of duty and is
sadly updated nearly every day. Each name is a heartbreaking reminder of the
cost of keeping us safe. It is shameful that those who protect us are too often
disrespected or taken for granted in our society. Finish Reading →
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Op-Ed: Noosheen Hashemi: Junk food built our healthcare crisis. Federal policy
is finally fighting back. By: Noosheen Hashemi For decades, the United States
has spent trillions treating chronic disease while largely ignoring its root
cause: what we eat. That may finally be changing.

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative represents one of the most
serious federal commitments to nutrition policy in a generation. In just over a
year, Washington has moved faster on food and health than it has in the
previous three decades combined, and the results are already beginning to show.
Finish Reading →
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Op-Ed: Patrick Halley: The Trump administration is putting America’s airwaves
back to work via Brendan Carr and the FCC By: Patrick Halley America’s
wireless airwaves are our country’s invisible infrastructure, as essential to
the modern economy as roads, bridges, and power lines. For years, a portion of
these licensed airwaves — a precious public resource — sat underutilized,
failing to deliver the connectivity Americans were promised. This week, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its Chairman, Brendan Carr, took a
big step to change that.

On Tuesday, the FCC approved an over $40 billion sale of spectrum licenses
from EchoStar and its subsidiary DISH to AT&T and SpaceX, while requiring that
funds be set aside to ensure that the builders of that network are protected.
It was a landmark decision — one that put spectrum back to work for the
American public while holding corporations accountable. Finish Reading →
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Op-Ed: Seth Oranburg: End the crypto culture wars with CLARITY By: Seth
Oranburg Crypto outgrew the culture war years ago. Today’s Senate markup of
the CLARITY Act tests whether Washington has, too.

Today, the bipartisan CLARITY Act gets its Senate markup treatment. This
should put the bill into final form for what should be enough votes to pass by
July 4. CLARITY changes the entire federal securities law system to account for
digital assets or “crypto.” Finish Reading →
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