Danielle Lirette / Axios
Speaking at an Axios event in Denver on Friday, Democratic governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper said that he has talked to a lot of "old friends" this summer about a potential 2020 run.
"I've done politics for 15 years...and I still feel like I'm on the steep side of the learning curve. It's been very, very useful to talk to people and say, "What are the sacrifices?", "What does it take to be successful?" We're still working on it."
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
President Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told several White House staffers he's fed specific nuggets of information to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions. "Meadows told me he was doing that," said one former White House official. "I don't know if it ever worked."
Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he's caught only one person, for a minor leak.
Lauren Boebert posing in her restaurant in Rifle, Colorado, on April 24. Photo: Emily Kask/AFP
At least 11 Republican congressional nominees have publicly supported or defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement or some of its tenets — and more aligned with the movement may still find a way onto ballots this year.
Why it matters: Their progress shows how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims and flagged as a threat by the FBI is seeking a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream.