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Jennifer Harper

Jennifer Harper

jharper@washingtontimes.com

Jennifer Harper wrote the daily Inside the Beltway column for The Washington Times.

Articles by Jennifer Harper

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., right, talks to the media as he returns to the Senate chamber for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol Friday Jan 31, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Pettifogger and perfidy: Odd words at impeachment hearings spark run on dictionary

The impeachment of President Trump has an unexpected by-product. The process sparking public interest in unusual words which have have surfaced as lawmakers face one another head-on. In an official 'trend watch,' the Merriam-Webster dictionary reveals that the number of people looking up the word "perfidy" recently spiked by 25,200%.

February 3, 2020
Transhumanist, futurist, independent GOP independent presidential hopeful Zoltan Istvan says he's gotten an unexpectedly warm reception in Iowa. (Zoltan Istvan)

Inside the Beltway: Iowa smiles upon Transhumanist presidential candidate

Welcome to the premier bout of the 2020 election. The Iowa caucuses have fired up and will draw 24 hours of intense attention as Democratic hopefuls strut their stuff and Republicans nod serenely. Then there are the independent candidates, who also have news. Transhumanist, futurist, tech-centric, independent GOP presidential hopeful Zoltan Istvan - whose campaign motto is "Upgrade America" - reports that things are not quite as chilly in Iowa as he expected them to be.

February 2, 2020
Watching the Super Bowl appears to be a sport in itself. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Super Bowl Monday should be a national holiday majority of Americans say

Watching the Super Bowl appears to be a sport in itself, what with all the TV viewing, snack food eating and springing up and down from an easy chair. New research reveals that 52.4% of Americans now believe that Super Bowl Monday should be a national holiday. One in 10 Americans will miss work the day after the Super Bowl.

February 2, 2020
President Trump's reelection campaign has bought two ads to air during the Super Bowl. The ads reportedly cost $10 million to air. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Trump, Bloomberg and the billionaire Super Bowl

There is no grander or greater spot for advertising than the Super Bowl, which draws a massive audience, with TV viewer numbers soaring as high as 114 million. It is not surprising that President Trump has dropped a cool $10 million to take out not one but two slick commercial spots to air during the game. Mr. Trump's campaign released a 30-second preview of the spirited outreach titled "Stronger, Safer, More Prosperous" complete with patriotic images and uplifting footage from the president's campaign rallies.

January 30, 2020
An image from a new Trump campaign ad reflects its patriotic content. The Trump campaign has spent $10 million on two 30-second spots to appear during the Super Bowl on Sunday. (Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.)

Trump campaign drops $10 million on two patriotic Super Bowl ads

There is now grander or greater spot for advertising than the upcoming Super Bowl, which draws a massive audience, with audience numbers soaring as high as 114 million. It is not surprising that President Trump has dropped a cool $10 million to take out not one but two slick commercial spots to air on Sunday.

January 30, 2020
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has set a fundraising record for any Republican. He raised $52.35 million in 2019. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Kevin McCarthy moves in on Pelosi territory

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has made a bodacious name for himself on several fronts. The California lawmaker has now set an all-time annual fundraising record for any Republican, eclipsing a record set by former House Speaker Paul D. Ryan. Mr. McCarthy raised $52.35 million in 2019, some $8 million more than the $44 million that Mr. Ryan raised in 2017, the debut year of the Trump administration.

January 29, 2020
An unprecedented documentary arrives this week about the life of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as told in his own words. (Manifold Productions)

Inside the Beltway: Clarence Thomas: In his own words

Arriving at week's end: "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words," a significant and finely tuned documentary that accomplishes much in the era of biased media, shrill commentary and aberrant Hollywood. Michael Pack -- the independent film and TV producer behind the project -- has done a wise and compelling thing. He and his crew stepped back and allowed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to have a say about his life and the times we live in.

January 28, 2020
Some enthusiastic Trump fans say New Jersey might turn from blue to red after President Trump's rally there on Tuesday — which drew an unprecedented 100,000 requests for tickets. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: New Jersey could become the ‘East Coast version of California’

President Trump journeys to Wildwood, New Jersey, on Tuesday, site of another jumbo campaign rally with all the trimmings. And more. A record-breaking 100,000 hopeful Trump fans have asked for tickets; the faithful have been lining up with sleeping bags and lawn chairs for the event since Sunday. Some sense that the Garden State - faced with tax woes and policy disagreements - could be back in touch with Republican values.

January 27, 2020
Presidential hopefuls Sen. Bernard Sanders and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden are both offering a common man appeal to voters. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Biden and Sanders: Clash of the titans

Impeachment drama may be center stage, but Joe vs. Bernie makes for a noisy, engaging sideshow. The intense battle between Democratic presidential candidates has winnowed the field down to 12, with leading men Sen. Bernard Sanders and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden vying for the same audience with similar messages. The clash between these Democratic titans is fast and furious as the Iowa caucus approaches.

January 26, 2020