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“Die Hard” Sen. John McCain (not shown here) may be what it takes to keep President-elect Donald Trump in line, Matt K. Lewis writes. (Courtesy 20th Century Fox)

‘Die Hard’ John McCain: Trump’s ‘Fly in the Ointment’

By Matt Lewis
Posted December 13, 2016 at 5:00am
Some reporters travel with their own security when they cover Trump. (Al Drago/Roll Call)

Trump and Reagan: Walking a Different Walk

By Matt Lewis
Posted December 6, 2016 at 5:00am
The selection of Elaine Chao, seen here with her husband Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in January,, seems to undermine Donald Trump’s “Drain the swamp” mantra, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Elaine Chao’s Appointment: Sign of Diversity or Nepotism?

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 30, 2016 at 5:00am
Donald Trump could unify people around the idea of giving poor kids a chance to get out of failing schools, Matt Lewis writes. (CQ Roll Call file photo)

Could Trump Lead Conservatives to Their Promised Land?

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 25, 2016 at 10:25am
Were it not for Twitter and 24-hour cable news, Donald Trump’s nomination and election would not have been possible, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Trump and Twitter: A Latter-Day ‘Fireside Chat’

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 21, 2016 at 1:19pm
If traditional conservatives with actual experience weren't willing to ally themselves with candidate Donald Trump, there would be no such individuals whispering in his ear during the transition, writes Matt Lewis. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Will the Deal-Making Pragmatist in Trump Surface in the White House?

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 14, 2016 at 12:59pm
With Donald Trump's election, the Republican Party it set to become a more nationalist, populist, and nativist party, writes Matt Lewis. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

How the GOP Becomes the Party of Trump

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 9, 2016 at 6:00pm
Despite playing defense recently over the FBI inquiry into newly discovered emails, Clinton is still the favorite to win Tuesday, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Hoping for a Clear-Cut Winner

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 7, 2016 at 9:22pm

Ep. 30: Trump Effect Could Be Felt Long After Election Day

By Adriel Bettelheim, CQ Staff, Matt Lewis and Patricia Murphy
Posted November 7, 2016 at 5:34pm
FBI Director James Comey’s revelations about emails linked to Hillary Clinton could help Republicans retain control of the Senate and be a gift for Clinton, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Comey’s Revelation a Gift for Hillary Clinton

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 3, 2016 at 5:00am
FBI Director James B. Comey should expedite his agency's review of Hillary Clinton's emails and let the American people know if there's anything "there" there before Election Day, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

7 Reasons to Give Comey the Benefit of the Doubt

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 1, 2016 at 12:01am
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is concerned about the reliability of voting machines in certain Texas counties. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The Conservative Elites Who Gave Us Donald Trump

By Matt Lewis
Posted October 27, 2016 at 11:23am
Donald Trump's presidential bid has revealed a yawning chasm between elites and most working-class whites, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Understanding the Friction Between Trump and Journalists

By Matt Lewis
Posted October 26, 2016 at 5:00am
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton squares off with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during the third presidential debate in Las Vegas. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Debate Failed to Move the Needle in Trump’s Favor

By Matt Lewis
Posted October 20, 2016 at 12:23am
House Speaker Paul Ryan speaks at a May news conference following a meeting with Donald Trump. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call file photo)

For Trump, Getting Even Is More Important Than Getting Ahead

By Matt Lewis
Posted October 13, 2016 at 5:00am
GOP presidential nominee Donald J. Trump is well-positioned to win Iowa's six electoral votes on Tuesday, Nathan Gonzales writes. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Donald Trump as Harry Houdini

By Matt Lewis
Posted October 10, 2016 at 12:08am
Donald Trump is still not saying whether he will accept election results as legitimate. (Win McNamee/Getty Images file photo)

Can Donald Trump Feel Your Pain?

By Matt Lewis
Posted October 6, 2016 at 5:00am
Potential voters watch the first presidential debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump at a bar in Philadelphia Monday night. The 90-minute televised debate comes six weeks before the general election. (Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images)

Somebody Had to Win. This Time It Was Clinton

By Matt Lewis
Posted September 27, 2016 at 12:32am
Donald Trump's decades in the public eye have created an indelible brand that seems to inoculate him from attacks, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Is Trump the Only Republican Who Can Handle the Media Onslaught?

By Matt Lewis
Posted September 22, 2016 at 5:00am
The recent media coverage of Hillary Clinton's health issues is a prime example of the double standard when it comes to covering Democrats versus Republicans, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Clinton Fainting Flap Reveals Media’s Liberal Bias

By Matt Lewis
Posted September 15, 2016 at 5:00am
Carie LeMack holds a photograph of her mother who died in the 9/11 attacks, and a copy of the 9/11 commission report, which lamented a failure of imagination to anticipate such attacks, at a 2005 press conference in Washington. (CQ Roll Call File Photo)

How Creative Thinking Could Help Prevent the Next 9/11

By Matt Lewis
Posted September 7, 2016 at 2:30pm
Many in the media are perfectly okay with enjoying Anthony Weiner's self-destruction, as long as it doesn’t accrue to Donald Trump’s benefit, writes Matt Lewis. (Douglas Graham/Roll Call via Getty Images file photo)

Weiner’s Behavior Is Unseemly, but So Is the Schadenfreude

By Matt Lewis
Posted August 31, 2016 at 5:00am
Donald Trump's back may be against the wall one month before the first presidential debate, but nothing is preordained, writes Matt Lewis. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Debate Prep: Can Trump Score a ‘Knockout’ This Fall?

By Matt Lewis
Posted August 24, 2016 at 1:41pm
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a March news conference at the construction site for the Trump International Hotel, at the Old Post Office Pavilion in downtown Washington, D.C., (CQ Roll Call)

Shocker: Donald Trump Is Wrong About D.C. Restaurants

By Matt Lewis
Posted August 17, 2016 at 10:55am
Despite a weekend of negative press, Donald Trump shows no sign of backtracking on his recent comments. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Why Blame for 2016 Outcome Matters More Than the Election (Almost)

By Matt Lewis
Posted August 11, 2016 at 5:00am
If Trumpism is eventually discredited and collapses, future Republican leaders will be needed to pick up the pieces, writes Matt Lewis. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The Case For Stickin’: Don’t Leave the GOP Just Yet

By Matt Lewis
Posted August 3, 2016 at 5:00am
Several days in Philadelphia reminded Matt Lewis how liberal the Democratic party has become since the last Clinton was nominated, in 1992 (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

A Conservative Comes to Philadelphia

By Matt Lewis
Posted July 27, 2016 at 2:46pm
Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, seen here with his wife Elizabeth Tilson in New York Tuesday, helped create a populist political environment that ultimately led to the rise of Donald Trump, writes Matt Lewis. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Will July 19 Live On in GOP Infamy?

By Matt Lewis
Posted July 20, 2016 at 8:15am
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has shown a remarkable ability to reinvent himself and stay relevant, writes Matt Lewis.

Why Trump-Newt Beats Trump-Pence

By Matt Lewis
Posted July 14, 2016 at 5:00am
Donald Trump's sympathetic remarks on former Fox News head Roger Ailes, who faces sexual harassment accusations, is "hardly out of nowhere" given his history, writes Melinda Henneberger. (Bill Clark/Roll Call file photo)

Trump Steps on the Narrative

By Matt Lewis
Posted July 7, 2016 at 5:00am
Backers of Donald Trump's view of national sovereignty shouldn't be dismissed as "rubes," writes Matt Lewis. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

In Defense of (Healthy) Nationalism

By Matt Lewis
Posted June 30, 2016 at 5:00am
As Lewis writes, the Cavaliers' recent NBA Finals victory may not be a harbinger of better things to come for the GOP when the party hosts its convention in Cleveland in July. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Fear and Loathing in Cleveland

By Matt Lewis
Posted June 22, 2016 at 5:00am
Hillary Clinton should resist trying to score partisan points by smearing the Republican brand, writes Matt Lewis. (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)

To Beat Trump, Hillary Should Avoid Attacking ‘Republicans’

By Matt Lewis
Posted June 15, 2016 at 5:00am
Demonstrators protest the arrival of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Republican National Committee in May. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)

Trump Could Do Lasting Damage to Ryan, GOP Rising Stars

By Matt Lewis
Posted June 8, 2016 at 10:20am
Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton made history Tuesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Roll Call Columnists on Tuesday’s Primaries

By Jonathan Allen, Matt Lewis, Melinda Henneberger and Patricia Murphy
Posted June 8, 2016 at 12:15am
Bill Kristol's revelation of David French as his independent conservative alternative to Donald Trump turned out to be anti-climatic, writes Matt Lewis. (File photo for Roll Call by Scott J. Ferrell.)

Bill Kristol’s ‘French’ Revolution Is French Toast

By Matt Lewis
Posted June 1, 2016 at 11:16am

Conservatives Must Reject White Identity Politics

By Matt Lewis
Posted May 25, 2016 at 5:00am
Nate Silver gave Donald Trump a five percent chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination last year, an analysis that may have lulled Trump critics into a false sense of security. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for AWXII)

Trump’s Success Exposes the Limits of Nate Silver’s Predictions

By Matt Lewis
Posted May 18, 2016 at 5:00am
Donald Trump is trying to make an issue of Bill Clinton's history with women. (Photo By Al Drago/Roll Call)

Why Trump Is Smart to Drag Bill Clinton’s Past Into the Race

By Matt Lewis
Posted May 11, 2016 at 5:00am
Ted Cruz found himself out-outsidered by someone who had never held public office. (CQ Roll Call)

Cruz Helped Create Monster That Devoured Him

By Matt Lewis
Posted May 3, 2016 at 2:19pm
Media gathered at a 2013 House Ways and Means hearing on the IRS scandal surrounding the alleged targeting of conservative groups. (CQ Roll Call)

No Bandwidth for Outrage

By Matt Lewis
Posted April 28, 2016 at 7:00am
President Gerald Ford, shakes hands with nomination foe Ronald Reagan on the closing night of the 1976 Republican National Convention.

GOP Can Prepare for Open Convention by Studying 1976

By Matt Lewis
Posted April 20, 2016 at 10:00am

At Stake in Anita Hill Movie: Joe Biden’s Legacy

By Matt Lewis
Posted April 13, 2016 at 5:00am
Dick Cheney may have helped create the phenomenon of candidate Donald Trump.

Trump’s Authoritarian Tendencies Echo Cheney

By Matt Lewis
Posted April 5, 2016 at 2:54pm
Eric Trump, son of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and his wife Lara, speak at a March campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C, (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)

Trump’s Worldview: Base and Primal

By Matt Lewis
Posted March 30, 2016 at 7:00am
Paul Ryan faces opposition within the Republican conference to his budget plans. (Photo By Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call)

Paul Ryan Can’t Be Expected to Condemn Trump

By Matt Lewis
Posted March 21, 2016 at 9:19pm
Lewis says Ronald Reagan was the greatest conservative communicator of his lifetime and Marco Rubio is second. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Rubio Ranks Only Behind Reagan as a Conservative Communicator

By Matt Lewis
Posted March 11, 2016 at 5:00pm
Former first lady Nancy Reagan is congratulated by Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., while President George W. Bush, left, and Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., look on, at a ceremony in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building to honor former president Ronald Reagan with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Does Nancy Reagan’s Death Coincide with the Death of Our Party?

By Matt Lewis
Posted March 6, 2016 at 3:08pm

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded War on the Media

By Matt Lewis
Posted March 2, 2016 at 5:00am

I’ll Take Useless Trivia for 40, Alex

By Matt Lewis
Posted February 23, 2016 at 5:00am
Trump with supporters in Spartanburg after winning the South Carolina primary. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

Did Trump Just Clinch?

By Jonathan Allen, Matt Lewis and Patricia Murphy
Posted February 20, 2016 at 9:24pm
Bush is trying to boost brother Jeb's campaign ahead of the South Carolina primary. (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)

Bush Brothers Counter Trump Narrative That South Carolina Was Wrong

By Matt Lewis
Posted February 16, 2016 at 10:33am
The biggest question in New Hampshire is who finishes second to Trump. (Meredith Dake-O'Connor/CQ Roll Call)

N.H. Forecast: Only the Snow Is a Definite

By Matt Lewis
Posted February 9, 2016 at 5:00am
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio greets supporters in Urbandale, Iowa, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016. (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)

Stayin’ Alive: Marco’s Moment?

By Matt Lewis
Posted February 4, 2016 at 5:00am

Excerpt: Matt Lewis on the ‘Dumbing Down’ of the GOP

By Matt Lewis
Posted January 26, 2016 at 4:00am

Matt Lewis: Why Donald Trump Is Popular in the South

By Matt Lewis
Posted January 19, 2016 at 4:00am

Matt Lewis: Why the ‘Stupid, Gutless’ GOP Refusal to Attack Trump?

By Matt Lewis
Posted January 17, 2016 at 11:38am
Cruz, top left, and Rubio, lower right, represent two very different political impulses, Lewis writes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Cruz and Rubio Wield Contrasting Political Weapons | Opinion

By Matt Lewis
Posted November 27, 2015 at 5:00am