D.C. Sources

Former White House staffer Meghan Hays, Capitol Hill advisor Maura Gillespie, and veteran political reporter Eli Stokols break down the disastrous debut of the new White House Press Secretary and sit down with Iowa Democratic candidate Ryan Peterman.

Is the political map expanding for Democrats in rural red states? Iowa Secretary of State candidate and former Navy helicopter pilot Ryan Peterman joins DC Sources to discuss his 99-county campaign tour, rising agricultural and diesel costs, and why voters across party lines are looking for nonpartisan leadership at the ballot box. Plus, the hosts break down the chaotic first briefing from White House Press Secretary Katie Zachariah—from unvetted background claims to the brutal reality of commanding the West Wing podium.

📌 In this episode:

• What the Secretary of State actually does for election integrity and small business

• Can rising fertiliser, diesel, and living costs swing red rural districts?

• Untold campaign trail memories: Donald Trump vs. Jeb Bush at the Iowa State Fair

• White House Communications Insider View: How Karine Jean-Pierre and Jen Psaki prepped vs. the latest podium disaster

📬 Connect With Us: Email: [email protected] Socials: @DCSourcesPod #Politics #WhiteHouse #IowaPolitics #Midterms #DCSources #ElectionIntegrity

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Politico reporter and legendary former Playbook co-author Daniel Lippman joins Eli Stokols, Meghan Hays, and Maura Gillespie on D.C. Sources!

Daniel takes us behind the scenes of Washington journalism, revealing how he built a 15,000-contact network, how he spots a real scoop vs. PR spin, which political party leaks more, and what it’s really like inside the newsroom during White House press feuds.

Plus, the panel analyzes the upcoming midterms, Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton’s Texas struggles, taxpayer-funded ad controversies, and why Republicans are feeling "bad vibes" ahead of November.

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On today's episode of D.C. Sources, Maura Gillespie, Eli Stokols and Meghan Hays discuss another week in American politics.

President Xi of China visited Washington on a state visit, did it matter and what are the implications for trade tariffs with China.

5 weeks away from the midterms, are the GOP starting to panic? Is there an easy fix or is a blue wave now set in stone?

Would John Fetterman act as a tie-breaker in a Democratic senate, and would that be a problem for Democrats?

All this and more from US politics in this weeks episode of D.C. Sources.

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On today's episode of D.C. Sources, Eli Stokols, Maura Gillespie and Meghan Hays discuss the political fallout from President Trump's White House reporter ban. Journalists from CNN, Politico and MSNow have all had their passes revoked.

What does it say about the state of political media in the country, and what does it mean for the future.

The guys also discuss the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York. Did the President's speech deliver any major talking points?

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On today's episode of the D.C. Sources podcast, Meghan Hays, Eli Stokols and Maura Gillespie break down another week in American politics.

What does Donald Trump's $5,000 pledge mean for the midterm elections... is it a bribe or serious political strategy?

Should we pay heed to industry insider warnings on AI or are they, as the president puts it, an anti-American hoax?

... And as the primaries (finally!) draw to a close, will the SCOTUS ruling on mail-in ballots change November results?

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In the first ever episode of the D.C. Sources Podcast, hosts Maura Gillespie, Meghan Hays, and Eli Stokols analyze the biggest developments shaking up Washington, D.C. and the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.

From Donald Trump's controversial first-of-its-kind midterm convention in Dallas to escalations in the U.S.–Canada trade conflict and results from the New Hampshire primaries, the panel breaks down what these moves mean for everyday voters across the United States and people around the world.

Is the Dallas convention a necessary base-rallying strategy, a donor money grab, or a vanity project? The team evaluates the $2.5M price tag, security costs, and the risk for vulnerable Republicans.

Are the US and Canada enemies now? as each government refuses to back down from an escalating trade war?

And is Chris Pappas or John Sununu more likely to entice voters across New Hampshire?

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Welcome to D.C. Sources.

Introducing our hosts: Eli Stokols, who was a White House Correspondent for Politico, The LA Times and the Wall Street Journal and now a principal at Invariant; Maura Gillespie who was special advisor to Speaker John Boehner and Communications Director for Congressman Adam Kinzinger; and Meghan Hays who served in various roles under Joe Biden including as White House Director of Message Planning.

They'll follow all the build up and campaign of the mid-term elections and bring you insight into working in Washington.

Stay tuned for more episodes, dropping every week on podcast apps and on YouTube.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.