Aidan McLaughlin
@aidanmcl.bsky.social
Washington Correspondent, Vanity Fair
From my new profile of Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI director Kash Patel: A former senior FBI agent called the protective detail afforded to Alexis Wilkins "outrageous"
"There’s no justification whatsoever to provide federal resources to protect her.” www.vanityfair.com/news/story/a...
"There’s no justification whatsoever to provide federal resources to protect her.” www.vanityfair.com/news/story/a...
January 22, 2026 at 4:23 PM
From my new profile of Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI director Kash Patel: A former senior FBI agent called the protective detail afforded to Alexis Wilkins "outrageous"
"There’s no justification whatsoever to provide federal resources to protect her.” www.vanityfair.com/news/story/a...
"There’s no justification whatsoever to provide federal resources to protect her.” www.vanityfair.com/news/story/a...
Reposted by Aidan McLaughlin
Alexis Wilkins, the 27-year-old girlfriend of FBI director Kash Patel, has a security detail and a boyfriend who zips to her concerts on a government jet. But life as the first lady of the FBI isn’t always so easy, she tells Vanity Fair’s @aidanmcl.bsky.social
Meet Alexis Wilkins, The Zoomer First Lady of the FBI
The aspiring country star has her own security detail, and boyfriend Kash Patel can zip to her any time on a government jet. But MAGA life isn’t always so easy, she tells Vanity Fair.
www.vanityfair.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Alexis Wilkins, the 27-year-old girlfriend of FBI director Kash Patel, has a security detail and a boyfriend who zips to her concerts on a government jet. But life as the first lady of the FBI isn’t always so easy, she tells Vanity Fair’s @aidanmcl.bsky.social
A somewhat incensed former NSC official on Trump linking his escalating threats against Greenland to the Nobel peace prize: www.vanityfair.com/news/story/d...
January 19, 2026 at 9:42 PM
A somewhat incensed former NSC official on Trump linking his escalating threats against Greenland to the Nobel peace prize: www.vanityfair.com/news/story/d...
Just 28% of Americans think the ICE agent’s shooting of Renee Good was justified
January 13, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Just 28% of Americans think the ICE agent’s shooting of Renee Good was justified
January 12, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Helluva response to Elon Musk from this French government account
January 11, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Helluva response to Elon Musk from this French government account
“We are doomed to have another January 6 if we’re not honest with ourselves," says @ericswalwell.bsky.social, "about why it happened, who was responsible, and what we can do to make sure it never happens again.”
House Democrats are fighting Trump to preserve the truth of what happened in Jan. 6.
House Democrats are fighting Trump to preserve the truth of what happened in Jan. 6.
Five Years On, Democrats May Be Losing the Fight Over January 6
House Democrats are fighting efforts from the Trump White House to rewrite the history of the riot at the US Capitol. “It’s almost like trying to recreate 9/11 or Pearl Harbor with a positive spin,” o...
www.vanityfair.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:38 PM
“We are doomed to have another January 6 if we’re not honest with ourselves," says @ericswalwell.bsky.social, "about why it happened, who was responsible, and what we can do to make sure it never happens again.”
House Democrats are fighting Trump to preserve the truth of what happened in Jan. 6.
House Democrats are fighting Trump to preserve the truth of what happened in Jan. 6.
Good lord: Trump in his Mar-a-Lago presser said Maduro was the head of a "the vicious cartel known as Cartel de los Soles, which flooded our nation with lethal poison."
Now, his DOJ is admitting no such cartel exists — it's a slang term for officials corrupted by drug money:
Now, his DOJ is admitting no such cartel exists — it's a slang term for officials corrupted by drug money:
January 6, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Good lord: Trump in his Mar-a-Lago presser said Maduro was the head of a "the vicious cartel known as Cartel de los Soles, which flooded our nation with lethal poison."
Now, his DOJ is admitting no such cartel exists — it's a slang term for officials corrupted by drug money:
Now, his DOJ is admitting no such cartel exists — it's a slang term for officials corrupted by drug money:
MTG tells the Times that when she threatened to expose the men who abused Epstein’s victims, Trump called to scream at her.
“My friends will get hurt,” he said.
“My friends will get hurt,” he said.
Inside Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Break With Trump and MAGA
How the Georgia congresswoman went from the president’s loudest cheerleader to his loudest Republican critic.
www.nytimes.com
December 29, 2025 at 4:37 PM
MTG tells the Times that when she threatened to expose the men who abused Epstein’s victims, Trump called to scream at her.
“My friends will get hurt,” he said.
“My friends will get hurt,” he said.
Before she got dragged into the fight between Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, Bari Weiss spent weeks lobbying Kelly to participate in a town hall on feminism with Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper
Bari Weiss’s 60 Minutes Stumble Follows Private Rejection From Megyn Kelly
Before she stoked outrage by spiking a ‘60 Minutes’ segment about a notorious El Salvador prison, Weiss spent weeks lobbying Megyn Kelly to participate in a debate on feminism with ‘Call Her Daddy’ host Alex Cooper, to no avail.
www.vanityfair.com
December 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Before she got dragged into the fight between Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, Bari Weiss spent weeks lobbying Kelly to participate in a town hall on feminism with Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper
“Dismal,” “confused,” “demoralized,” “super fucked.” That, as one reporter tells Vanity Fair, is the mood inside CBS after editor Bari Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes segment that was critical of the Trump administration.
Bari Weiss’s 60 Minutes Stumble Follows Private Rejection From Megyn Kelly
Before she stoked outrage by spiking a ‘60 Minutes’ segment about a notorious El Salvador prison, Weiss spent weeks lobbying Megyn Kelly to participate in a debate on feminism with ‘Call Her Daddy’ host Alex Cooper, to no avail.
www.vanityfair.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:36 PM
“Dismal,” “confused,” “demoralized,” “super fucked.” That, as one reporter tells Vanity Fair, is the mood inside CBS after editor Bari Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes segment that was critical of the Trump administration.
I spoke with Megyn Kelly at AmericaFest, where fissures in the MAGA movement erupted into a bitter feud.
“They are making antisemites,” she said of Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss. “Tucker is not making antisemites. They are.”
“They are making antisemites,” she said of Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss. “Tucker is not making antisemites. They are.”
Megyn Kelly Talks Ben Shapiro’s “Betrayal” and the MAGA Reckoning at AmericaFest
As AmericaFest convened the likes of Erika Kirk, Tucker Carlson, Kelly, Shapiro, and other conservative stars, MAGA was anything but united.
www.vanityfair.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I spoke with Megyn Kelly at AmericaFest, where fissures in the MAGA movement erupted into a bitter feud.
“They are making antisemites,” she said of Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss. “Tucker is not making antisemites. They are.”
“They are making antisemites,” she said of Ben Shapiro and Bari Weiss. “Tucker is not making antisemites. They are.”
Trump “has an alcoholic’s personality.” Vance’s conversion to MAGA was “political.” Elon is “an avowed ketamine [user].”
Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles tells all in a series of extraordinary interviews with @vanityfair.com
Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles tells all in a series of extraordinary interviews with @vanityfair.com
Susie Wiles Talks About The First Year of Trump’s Second Term (Part 1 of 2)
In the first half of ‘Vanity Fair’’s interview with Susie Wiles, the chief of staff discusses Elon Musk’s DOGE disaster, the FBI’s “incredible job” investigating January 6, and how Trump once berated her.
www.vanityfair.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Trump “has an alcoholic’s personality.” Vance’s conversion to MAGA was “political.” Elon is “an avowed ketamine [user].”
Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles tells all in a series of extraordinary interviews with @vanityfair.com
Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles tells all in a series of extraordinary interviews with @vanityfair.com
Christ. Trump says Rob Reiner and his wife were murdered “due to the anger he caused others” through his “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME”
December 15, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Christ. Trump says Rob Reiner and his wife were murdered “due to the anger he caused others” through his “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME”
Trump: “We should take stakes in companies when people need something. I think we should take stakes in companies. Now, some people would say that doesn’t sound very American. Actually, I think it is very American.”
Exclusive | Trump Isn’t Certain His Economic Policies Will Translate to Midterm Wins
In an interview, he said his efforts to secure investments in the U.S. haven’t fully taken effect and “I cannot tell you how that’s going to equate to the voter.”
www.wsj.com
December 14, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Trump: “We should take stakes in companies when people need something. I think we should take stakes in companies. Now, some people would say that doesn’t sound very American. Actually, I think it is very American.”
“Trump 2.0 appears at the nadir of its power,” @adamwren.bsky.social writes in Playbook
December 13, 2025 at 4:19 PM
“Trump 2.0 appears at the nadir of its power,” @adamwren.bsky.social writes in Playbook
There's this strange tendency among Trump's backers where they hold his deputies to standards they would never hold him to. Of course Trump's FBI director posts own-the-libs memes on Twitter! This is what you voted for!
Tucker Carlson slams Kash Patel and Dan Bongino:
“I just don’t have a ton of confidence in the FBI and the men who run it and I’m not saying that out of ignorance.
And this dumb Twitter sh*t? Leaders of the FBI are on Twitter, what?”
“I just don’t have a ton of confidence in the FBI and the men who run it and I’m not saying that out of ignorance.
And this dumb Twitter sh*t? Leaders of the FBI are on Twitter, what?”
December 10, 2025 at 2:35 PM
There's this strange tendency among Trump's backers where they hold his deputies to standards they would never hold him to. Of course Trump's FBI director posts own-the-libs memes on Twitter! This is what you voted for!
Trump in his second term has sought more aggressively to undermine and destabilize America’s institutions, but he also craves their recognition. On Sunday night, he hosted the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors—and mused about renaming the place after himself.
At MAGA-fied Kennedy Center Honors, Trump Returns to Television Roots
At Trump’s first Kennedy Center Honors, the president played host—and hinted at renaming the venue—while business titans, right-wing media stars, and members of his embattled Cabinet guzzled Taittinge...
www.vanityfair.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Trump in his second term has sought more aggressively to undermine and destabilize America’s institutions, but he also craves their recognition. On Sunday night, he hosted the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors—and mused about renaming the place after himself.
Fox News will applaud this but can you imagine their coverage if President Biden hatched a secret plan to take over Fox News and revamp its programming to be nicer to him
New WSJ reporting: "During a December visit to Washington, David Ellison offered assurances to Trump administration officials that if he bought Warner, he'd make sweeping changes to CNN, a common target of President Trump's ire, people familiar with the matter said..."
Behind Paramount’s Relentless Campaign to Woo Warner Discovery and President Trump
David Ellison has launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Discovery, taking his case directly to shareholders after Netflix clinched a deal.
www.wsj.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Fox News will applaud this but can you imagine their coverage if President Biden hatched a secret plan to take over Fox News and revamp its programming to be nicer to him
Trump basked in two hours of adulation from his Cabinet secretaries in a televised meeting this week. Are they auditioning for 2028?
Trump, Between Apparent Snoozes, Says the GOP’s 2028 Candidate Could Be in His Cabinet
President Donald Trump has replaced his trademark campaign rallies with marathon Cabinet meetings, during which he fields praise from members of his Cabinet. Are they auditioning for 2028?
www.vanityfair.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Trump basked in two hours of adulation from his Cabinet secretaries in a televised meeting this week. Are they auditioning for 2028?
“I almost couldn't speak.”
Top Trump allies were stunned by the president's remarkably amiable meeting with Zohran Mamdani on Friday. A look the wild scene at the White House:
Top Trump allies were stunned by the president's remarkably amiable meeting with Zohran Mamdani on Friday. A look the wild scene at the White House:
Trump and Mamdani’s White House Lovefest Leaves Trump Allies “Shocked,” Says Source
According to one former Trump official, the president “sincerely wants NYC to succeed and that means Mamdani has to as well.”
www.vanityfair.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:56 AM
“I almost couldn't speak.”
Top Trump allies were stunned by the president's remarkably amiable meeting with Zohran Mamdani on Friday. A look the wild scene at the White House:
Top Trump allies were stunned by the president's remarkably amiable meeting with Zohran Mamdani on Friday. A look the wild scene at the White House:
"My suspicion and question is: Has stuff been destroyed? I just can’t help but ask that. And will the public ever really know?"
I spoke with Marjorie Taylor Greene about Trump, Epstein, Israel, and 2028, as tensions between Trump and his most loyal disciple exploded into a bitter public feud
I spoke with Marjorie Taylor Greene about Trump, Epstein, Israel, and 2028, as tensions between Trump and his most loyal disciple exploded into a bitter public feud
Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Are at War. What’s Her Endgame?
Over the course of a long sit-down interview in her office, the MAGA stalwart from Georgia sounds like she is on a mission to save Trump from himself, on issues from Gaza to the Epstein files to the q...
www.vanityfair.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:06 PM
"My suspicion and question is: Has stuff been destroyed? I just can’t help but ask that. And will the public ever really know?"
I spoke with Marjorie Taylor Greene about Trump, Epstein, Israel, and 2028, as tensions between Trump and his most loyal disciple exploded into a bitter public feud
I spoke with Marjorie Taylor Greene about Trump, Epstein, Israel, and 2028, as tensions between Trump and his most loyal disciple exploded into a bitter public feud
A lot of scathing quotes aimed at Pulte for the 50-year mortgage idea in this great piece, but seemingly no blame for Trump who fully bought into it after 10 minutes
‘Sold POTUS a bill of goods’: White House furious with Pulte over 50-year mortgage
The White House was blindsided by the idea and is now dealing with a furious backlash from conservative allies, business leaders and lawmakers.
www.politico.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:56 PM
A lot of scathing quotes aimed at Pulte for the 50-year mortgage idea in this great piece, but seemingly no blame for Trump who fully bought into it after 10 minutes
A data point on how much Mamdani's win in New York has resonated on the right: on Fox News, "affordability" has been mentioned 240 times since last Tuesday
November 11, 2025 at 2:02 PM
A data point on how much Mamdani's win in New York has resonated on the right: on Fox News, "affordability" has been mentioned 240 times since last Tuesday
“It’s like Vienna in 1914.”
Wrote about the memorial for Washington power broker Bob Barnett, where Dr. Fauci backslapped Jesse Watters, Amy Klobuchar comforted nervous voters, and everyone wondered if they'd see a room like this again
Wrote about the memorial for Washington power broker Bob Barnett, where Dr. Fauci backslapped Jesse Watters, Amy Klobuchar comforted nervous voters, and everyone wondered if they'd see a room like this again
“Like Vienna in 1914”: At Bob Barnett's Memorial, Washington's Power Class Peers Over the Brink
At a DC power broker’s memorial, politicos including James Carville, Jesse Watters, and Anthony Fauci gathered to eat focaccia sandwiches, swap memories, and place literal bets on the future of the co...
www.vanityfair.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:37 PM
“It’s like Vienna in 1914.”
Wrote about the memorial for Washington power broker Bob Barnett, where Dr. Fauci backslapped Jesse Watters, Amy Klobuchar comforted nervous voters, and everyone wondered if they'd see a room like this again
Wrote about the memorial for Washington power broker Bob Barnett, where Dr. Fauci backslapped Jesse Watters, Amy Klobuchar comforted nervous voters, and everyone wondered if they'd see a room like this again