Politics

“That’s all right, all of you know who I am,” President Obama joked last week when the presidential seal fell off his podium during a speech in Pittsburgh. Even though the incident made headlines for no discernible journalistic reason, it was noteworthy as a succinct example of Obama’s arrogance problem. Rather than make a self-deprecating … Read more

President-elect Trump and President Obama on Inauguration Day: Jan. 20, 2017. (Rob Carr / Associated Press) As the campaign enters the home stretch, President Trump’s main closing argument is that he deserves four more years because he oversaw “the greatest economy in the history of our country.” But even looking at the three years before … Read more

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) speaks during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on March 20 in Washington. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) Hello and happy Tuesday. There are 167 days left until the election and today we’re talking B6 — not the vitamin, but the viral diss. Newsletter You’re reading the L.A. Times Politics … Read more

At the Grand Food Depot in Los Angeles, a robot moves a restaurant order to the next station before it reaches the customer. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) As the U.S. economy rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are turning to greater use of automation, including robots, rather than calling back workers or hiring … Read more

Former President Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House on Wednesday. While Harris won all of California’s 54 electoral college votes, a closer look at precinct results reveals regions where Trump easily won the majority as well as competitive areas where no party had a stronghold. Explore the precinct … Read more

Neighbors walk past a home with signs showing support for president-elect Trump on November 18, 2024 in Downey, California. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) A surge of migrants at the border. President Biden’s debate performance. High interest rates. Phillip can tick off the reasons he voted for President-elect Donald Trump. But that doesn’t mean the first-generation … Read more

(Dylan Harris, Allison Hong and Dallas Steinberger) No state has had a bigger impact on the direction of the United States than California, a prolific incubator and exporter of outside-the-box policies and ideas. This occasional series examines what that has meant for the state and the country, and how far Washington is willing to go … Read more

Once strongly liberal, Pico-Robertson surged for Trump in 2024. Why? In 2020, the Jewish haven of Pico-Robertson voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump, taking its place among the large swath of liberal Westside communities. But in these politically fraught times, a lot can change in four years. A red tide washed through the neighborhood … Read more

President-elect Donald Trump walks with Elon Musk in Boca Chica, Texas, last month. (Brandon Bell / Pool via Associated Press) A week after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, Elon Musk said his political action committee would “play a significant role in primaries” in the next election. The following week, the billionaire responded to a report that … Read more

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wears a bandage on his face after falling during a luncheon on Capitol Hill. (Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press) Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell fell and sprained his wrist while walking out of a GOP luncheon on Tuesday, the latest in a series of medical incidents for him in … Read more