John Wagner

Washington, D.C.

National reporter on The Post's breaking political news team

Education: Stanford University, BA in Political Science

John Wagner is a national reporter on The Post's new breaking political news team. He previously covered the Trump White House. During the 2016 presidential election, Wagner focused on the Democratic campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley. He earlier chronicled Maryland government for more than a decade, a stretch that included O’Malley’s eight years as governor and part of the tenure of his Republican predecessor, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. He came to The Post from the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., where he served as the paper’s Washington correspondent, covering t
Latest from John Wagner

Comer cancels Wray contempt hearing after reaching agreement on document

At issue is a document containing unverified allegations from a confidential informant about President Biden and his family.

June 7, 2023

Who is Russell Vought, the former Trump aide advising hard-right Republicans?

Russell Vought had advised members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and other GOP members wary of Speaker Kevin McCarthy to extract concessions in exchange for supporting his speakership in the closely divided chamber.

June 7, 2023

McCarthy rebuffs Senate plan to boost Ukraine aid, other military spending

The House speaker said he has no plans to take up legislation boosting aid to Ukraine above levels allowed in a bill signed last week by President Biden.

June 6, 2023

Scholar Cornel West announces a minor-party presidential bid

West is running under the banner of the People’s Party. His platform includes universal health care and ending U.S. military involvement globally.

June 5, 2023

Biden says bipartisan debt ceiling bill averted ‘economic collapse’

The president plans to address the nation at 7 p.m. Eastern about legislation that will avert an unprecedented default on U.S. debt.

June 2, 2023

Senate passes debt ceiling bill, sending it to Biden to sign into law

The 99-page debt ceiling legislation brokered by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Biden cleared the House on Wednesday.

June 1, 2023

Trump and other GOP presidential hopefuls pan debt ceiling deal

On Wednesday, former president Donald Trump added to the criticism from White House hopefuls of a deal brokered by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

May 31, 2023

Tuberville adviser resigns after report on role in stalling military promotions

Morgan Murphy left his position following a Washington Post report last week that he presented the senator with a stalling tactic designed to get the Pentagon to reevaluate an abortion policy.

May 31, 2023

Sen. Mitt Romney draws a Republican primary challenger in Utah

Trent Staggs, mayor of Riverton, Utah, a municipality of about 45,000 people near Salt Lake City, assails Sen. Mitt Romney for compromising with Democrats.

May 24, 2023

Michigan Senate field grows with entrance of state education board leader

Pugh joined a field that already includes three-term Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and three lesser-known Democrats.

May 24, 2023