Jake Lahut

Politics reporter

New York, New York, United States

About

I'm a politics reporter covering the Trump White House and the 2026 midterm elections. My coverage at WIRED has focused on the intersection of the two major forces shaping policy in the administration: Silicon Valley tech barons and the nationalist-populist wing of the GOP. I previously covered the 2024 campaign and 2022 midterms for The Daily Beast, breaking impactful scoops and revealing the quirky sides of political personalities politicians often don't want the public to see. A recurring theme during my time authoring the Trail Mix campaign newsletter was the new era of online campaigning and the rise of political influencers, which I have since written about in more depth for the Columbia Journalism Review.

Experience

  • Associate editor, breaking news at Sherwood News
    Mar 2026 - Present · 5 mos

  • Contributing Writer at New York Magazine
    Dec 2025 - Present · 8 mos

    Freelance reporting profiles and feature stories for NY mag and other outlets, as well as writing scoops & analysis on my personal newsletter Straight from the Hut.

  • WIRED (1 yr 2 mos)
    • Senior Writer
      May 2025 - Nov 2025 · 7 mos

      Author of the Inner Loop newsletter, reporting on national politics with a focus on the Trump White House and the influence of Silicon Valley.

    • Contributing Writer
      Oct 2024 - May 2025 · 8 mos

      Covering the Republican Party, the second Trump administration, and the political influence of Elon Musk. Broke a series of scoops around Musk's get-out-the-vote operation and the DOGE government takeover; became the first reporter to break key stories on rifts within Trump's inner circle over Musk's role as well as the centibillionaire's pivotal relationship with Stephen and Katie Miller.

  • Columbia Journalism Review (11 mos)
    • Contributing Writer
      Aug 2024 - May 2025 · 10 mos

    • Contributor for 2024 election coverage
      Jul 2024 - Nov 2024 · 5 mos

      Covering how the 2024 election is being covered, and what it means for the future of the journalism industry.

  • Campaign Reporter at The Daily Beast
    Aug 2022 - Jul 2024 · 2 yrs

    Reporting and writing about national campaigns in the Republican Party with a focus on key races in the 2022 midterms and the 2024 GOP presidential primary, as well as the messaging of the party from the trail to conservative media.