Opinion: Potomac Watch

Opinion: Potomac Watch

From the award-winning opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal, Paul Gigot, Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn and Kyle Peterson discuss the latest from Washington. Get critical perspective and the analysis you need on developments from the nation’s capital. Join them every weekday. Send your feedback to pwpodcast@wsj.com

RECENT EPISODES

5/31/2022 4:34:00 PM

Biden Says No to Long-Range Missiles for Ukraine

Is the West losing interest in helping Ukraine stand up to Vladimir Putin's aggression? The European Union is imposing a ban on Russian oil imports. But President Biden says the U.S. won't send Ukraine any missiles that could strike Russian territory, and the tanks promised by Germany apparently haven't arrived. Plus, many Republicans in Congress voted against the latest aid package.

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5/30/2022 2:00:00 PM

Is Florida's Facebook Law Unconstitutional?

Federal courts are ruling on the laws that Florida and Texas passed last year to curb censorship on social-media sites. What are those judges saying about free speech and the First Amendment, and is this likely headed to the Supreme Court? Plus, Elon Musk casts new doubt on his deal to purchase Twitter.

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5/27/2022 6:46:00 PM

The Debt Monster That Could Eat Washington

The Congressional Budget Office releases a report showing that while tax revenues are booming, they aren't keeping up with Washington's appetite to spend money. What will it take to wake up Congress? Plus, Joe Biden reportedly plans to forgive $10,000 in federal student debt per borrower, leading a listener to ask if any student-loan reforms are on the way.  

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5/26/2022 5:38:00 PM

The Aftermath of the Uvalde School Shooting

The horrific shooting that killed 19 children in Uvalde, Texas, has re-opened a debate over mental illness, safety precautions at schools, police readiness, and gun control. Plus, Beto O'Rourke uses the massacre to boost his campaign for Texas governor, and controversy surrounds the NRA convention scheduled for Houston on Friday. 

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5/25/2022 3:52:00 PM

Trump's Revenge Tour Falls Short in Georgia

Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger easily triumphed over two Republican primary challengers who were endorsed by Donald Trump. Does that suggest Trump's influence over the GOP is waning, as voters move on from his claims about a stolen election in 2020? Plus, the panel discusses races in Texas and Alabama and responds to a listener email about what President Biden's overreach means for the November midterms.   

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5/24/2022 4:30:00 PM

Georgia's Primary is a Trump Grudge Match

As voters go to the polls in Georgia, Vice President Mike Pence is rooting for incumbent Governor Brian Kemp, while President Donald Trump has strongly supported a Republican challenger, David Perdue. But the polls suggest GOP voters are no longer focused on Trump's 2020 loss, but on finding the best Republican who can beat Democrat Stacey Abrams in November. Plus, what to look for in Texas and Alabama as the primary results arrive.

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5/23/2022 4:45:00 PM

Did Joe Biden Commit Another Gaffe Over Defending Taiwan?

On his Asian trip the President seems to suggest a change in U.S. policy, but the White House quickly walks it back. Plus, why did the Administration omit Taiwan from its new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework?

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5/20/2022 6:53:00 PM

A Hillary Clinton Bombshell at the Sussmann Trial

Trial testimony reveals that Hillary Clinton personally approved a plan to plant a false story about Russia's Alfa Bank and the Trump campaign in 2016. Plus, Donald Trump recommends Mehmet Oz declare victory before all the votes have been counted in Pennsylvania, and the contest between Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and David Perdue enters the homestretch.

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5/19/2022 3:12:00 PM

Joe Biden's Baby Formula Shortage Plan

Joe Biden tries to end the nationwide baby formula shortage, but were government programs the cause of the crisis in the first place? Plus, a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine passes Congress, but a group of Republicans vote no. Were they right?

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5/18/2022 4:13:00 PM

Dr. Oz and David McCormick in Overtime

Pennsylvania's hotly contested GOP Senate primary is still undecided, with Mehmet Oz and David McCormick potentially headed toward a recount. Could Donald Trump's endorsement have been the deciding factor? Plus, Pennsylvania Republicans nominate Doug Mastriano for Governor, while progressive candidates surge, and Rep. Madison Cawthorn loses after becoming plagued by scandal.


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HOSTED BY

Editor, editorial page, The Wall Street Journal

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Paul Gigot is the editorial page editor and vice president of The Wall Street Journal, a position he has held since 2001. He is responsible for the newspaper's editorials, op-ed articles and Leisure & Arts criticism and directs the editorial pages of the Journal's Asian and European editions and the OpinionJournal.com Web site. He is also the host of the weekly half-hour news program, the Journal Editorial Report, on the Fox News Channel.

Mr. Gigot joined the Journal in 1980 as a reporter in Chicago, and in 1982 he became the Journal's Asia correspondent, based in Hong Kong. He won an Overseas Press Club award for his reporting on the Philippines. In 1984, he was named the first editorial page editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal, based in Hong Kong. In 1987, he was assigned to Washington, where he contributed editorials and a weekly column on politics, "Potomac Watch," which won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for commentary.

Mr. Gigot is a summa cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, where he was chairman of the daily student newspaper.

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