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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

President Donald Trump speaks about Iran from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. Trump says Iran is not living up to the "spirit" of the nuclear deal that it signed in 2015, and announced a new strategy in the speech. He says the administration will impose additional sanctions on the regime to block its financing of terrorism. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Inside the Beltway: Trump visits the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday

Do politics and other complicated matters belong in sports? Maybe not. A major national poll from CBS reveals that only 26 percent of the nation is "comfortable" having discussions about politics, race or religion come up in the middle of a sports broadcast — or during those splashy awards shows where film and TV stars often speak out for personal causes. The wide-ranging CBS "Nation Tracker" poll found that only 16 percent of Republicans, 27 percent of independents and 38 percent of Democrats are at ease when sports, entertainment and politics are tumbled together with "complex issues."

October 16, 2017
Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivers his State of the State address at the Sandusky State Theatre, Tuesday, April 4, 2017, in Sandusky, Ohio. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane) ** FILE **

John Kasich teams up with Joe Biden to bridge ‘political and partisan divides’

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is teaming up with former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, who has been a very vocal critic of President Trump in recent days. The pair will appear at the University of Delaware, Mr. Biden's alma mater, prepared to discuss "how to bridge the many political and partisan divides that exist in Washington, D.C., today."

October 16, 2017
A calm White House chief of staff John Kelly wrangles the press corps on Thursday afternoon. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Inside the Beltway: Voters agree that the media mistreats Donald Trump

President Trump has been in office for 266 days. He never got that traditional press honeymoon. The nonstop coverage instead is filled with fake news, tweaked polls, false narratives, weaponized talking points, personal insults and incendiary language. Throughout it all, Mr. Trump has perfected the art of the nimble pushback. But he's not alone in this ongoing battle. Voters themselves disapprove of the ongoing press antics, while stalwart White House staffers continue to keep the media at bay.

October 12, 2017
President Trump has confirmed he will appear at the Values Voter Summit on Friday, along with White House adviser Kellyanne Conway. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Donald Trump to appear at Values Voter Summit

President Trump remains faithful to the faith-minded, values-attuned voters who showed up by the millions to elect him in 2016 — a 60 million-member voting bloc, according to some studies. They are loyal. Multiple surveys from the Pew Research Center and other pollsters reveal that up to 81 percent of values voters staunchly stand by the president and continue to pray for him.

October 11, 2017
C-SPAN host Pedro Echevarria listens intently to a caller on"Washington Journal." C-SPAN marks 20th anniversary on the radio this week. (C-Span)

Inside the Beltway: ‘Thank you for C-SPAN’

"Thank you for C-SPAN." That four-word phrase is the mantra of many loyal C-SPAN fans who tune in — and call in — to the public affairs network for its daily talk shows, public forums, analysis and agenda-free coverage of Congress, the White House and key political and historical fare. The intrepid C-SPAN will celebrate its 40th anniversary before the next presidential election. This week, however, the network is marking the 20th year for C-SPAN Radio, which went on the air Oct. 9, 1997, and continues to provide 24-hour, commercial-free programming.

October 10, 2017
"So I give Trump and Pence credit for at least pushing back," said radio host Rush Limbaugh regarding Vice President Mike Pence's walk out. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Donald Trump and Mike Pence: Power of the pushback

There is still media hubbub over the moment some 48 hours ago when Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence walked out of an Indiana Colts game when team players took a knee and refused to stand for the national anthem. Critics called the brisk departure "a political stunt" and speculation was rampant. But some say the couple's exit was a defining moment that launched a jolt of cultural change, which now is gaining momentum.

October 9, 2017
In this Sept. 16, 2015, file photo, Howard Stern attends the "America's Got Talent" finale post-show red carpet in New York. (Photo by Ben Hider/Invision/AP, File)

Howard Stern is ‘world’s highest paid radio host’ at $90 million a year

Who makes the most money in talk radio? Talk is not cheap. In a new report, Forbes magazine reveals the salaries of "the world's highest paid radio personalities" -- the talented few who have challenging often exhaustive jobs, but are well compensated. The numbers are "estimated," based on a variety of industry sources, says Forbes analyst Hayley C. Cuccinello.

October 9, 2017
President Trump recognizes Monday as Columbus Day — and also Leif Erikson Day, honoring Americans with Nordic heritage. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Donald Trump chooses to honor Christopher Columbus, ‘man of faith’

There will be considerable talk about the fate of Columbus Day on Monday as a growing number of states and cities choose to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day instead. Minnesota, Vermont, Alaska and South Dakota opt for the latter according to a Time magazine study — along with 54 cities in those states, plus 19 others. President Trump is definitely in the Columbus Day corner however, recalling Christopher Columbus in his official proclamation for the day, which was authorized by Congress in 1934.

October 8, 2017
CBS Late Show host Stephen Colbert (CBS) ** FILE **

Inside the Beltway: Why late night TV got grim and political

The late night TV realm used to be funny. Opening monologues and snappy sketches, however, have taken a back seat to hosts who offer grim political opinions, mostly directed against President Trump, Republicans and those who support the Second Amendment. But wait. Some suggest it's one way to garner audience ratings in a waning business.

October 5, 2017
National Space Council will meet Thursday. Government officials and entrepreneurs will be in attendance. The event will be livestreamed. NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, in the middle of a Christmas Eve space walk, outside the International Space Station in 2013. (NASA)

Inside the Beltway: Lift-off: Trump’s space council vows America ‘will hold the high ground again’

The White House is making a leap toward the final frontier, and they are doing it right. Thursday marks the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council, and as far as power and policy goes, this is a star-studded, innovative event with potential. President Trump's critics would be wise not to squawk about it; the public remains fascinated, receptive and even patriotic toward space exploration, and this effort emphasizes a trio of unapologetically noble themes: "We will lead again, we will inspire again, we will hold the high ground again."

October 4, 2017
Performer Wayne Newton had some promising words for President Trump's visit to Las Vegas in an interview with Fox Business Network. (Fox Business Network)

Inside the Beltway: Wayne Newton welcomes Donald Trump to Las Vegas

Veteran performer Wayne Newton — also known as "Mr. Las Vegas" — is horrified over the mass shooting in his town. Nevertheless, Mr. Newton was back on the stage at Bally's on Tuesday night and says his fellow Vegas megastars will organize a tribute concert to raise money for the victims, as they did following 9/11.

October 3, 2017
President Donald Trump speaks to the National Association of Manufactures at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ** FILE **

Donald Trump the ‘least regulatory president’ since Reagan, study finds

"President Trump is the least regulatory president since Ronald Reagan. His administration has only proposed 1,241 rules, 13 percent less than Barack Obama's first year, 42 percent lower than George W. Bush's, and 72 percent lower than Bill Clinton's," reports a new analysis by Wayne Crews, vice president of policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

October 3, 2017
"Today is a day for consoling the survivors and mourning those we lost," said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway: Bias: Just 11% of Trump coverage is positive

Yet another meticulous analysis reveals that the news media is biased against President Trump and his administration. This time, the report comes from the Pew Research Center, which based its analysis on 3,000 news stories from 24 different print, digital and broadcast media sources from January through the end of April.

October 2, 2017