A lot has happened since my last post in the wee hours of election eve. The 45th President is now the 47th President, propelled by a broad, diverse coalition, and legitimized by a convincing victory that swept Republicans into full control of the federal government. With a popular mandate, unified control, and a demoralized opposition, he has wasted no time—wielding executive power, enacting a multi-trillion-dollar tax law, and reshaping America’s approach to global trade, flouting norms and defying expectations at every turn.
The upshot of the last seven months is that DC has changed, unmistakably and irrevocably. The shift began long ago—and I’d argue that Trump is as much a byproduct as he is a driver of these forces—but until last November it was possible to squint and imagine going back to some semblance of How Things Were.
That illusion is gone now. The question for anyone who works in, around, or at the mercy of Washington is what to do about it.
For some, the answer has been to stay the course and hope for the best. If you keep your head down and your nose clean, maybe you get through the next three years unscathed.
For others, it’s enlisting one of a growing handful of well-connected power players with ties to the Trump orbit. And despite the Beltway rag interest in the rise of the MAGA mega-firm, this is ultimately the same model that has existed from the beginning, albeit with a different cast of characters.
For me, it’s a paradigm shift. An evolved thesis of how to win in Washington.
After 20 years at the intersection of politics, policy, and media—the last 15 of them lobbying Congress and the Administration—I’ve come to a few conclusions about the state of the trade:
Disruption creates space. But only if you’re ready.
The risk is obvious. Most companies are responding by hunkering down, keeping quiet, and hoping not to get noticed. But this Administration is keenly aware that it’s on the clock. With unified control and a bias toward action, it’s moving fast and brushing off the usual constraints. That creates space to shape outcomes, for those who are ready. The opportunity won’t last. If you want a say in what comes next, now is the time to show up with a plan.
It’s still necessary. It’s just not sufficient.
You can have the consultants, the data, the talking points, and billions of dollars in investment flowing to the districts and states of key decision-makers. But all the sign-on letters, fly-ins, and CEO calls in the world won’t save you if you’re out of step with the political moment. What looks like leverage on paper means little if it doesn’t align with the incentives of the people in power.
With leadership comes alignment.
Advocacy can’t succeed in a silo; it has to be recognized as an enterprise-wide strategic imperative and resourced accordingly. That means senior-level engagement, clear objectives, and a shared understanding of how public policy intersects with the business model. Whether the goal is securing incentives, shaping legislation, or avoiding costly regulation, success depends on legal, policy, comms, and business leads working toward the same end. That kind of alignment doesn’t happen by accident; it starts with the C-suite.
Old gatekeepers are out. Partner with those who have credibility.
Legacy validators—mainstream media outlets, blue-chip think tanks, establishment pundits—don’t carry the same weight they used to. In their place is a new network of players with real influence in today’s Washington: insurgent institutions, niche media, ideologically aligned influencers. These are the voices this Administration listens to and the signals they trust. If you want credibility in this environment, you need to show up through the right messengers, in the right venues, speaking a language that resonates.
The moment will pass. Your choices will linger.
The pressure to over-index on the current moment is real. But when companies anchor themselves too closely to the politics of now—whether that's single-party rule, elite consensus, or the prevailing narrative—they often alienate the audiences they’ll need later. Soon enough the cycle shifts, and they’re exposed. The goal isn’t to survive the moment or pass some fleeting political litmus test. It’s to build a durable strategy, rooted in credibility and grounded in judgment, that lets you operate effectively no matter who’s in charge.
And now for the buried lede.
Earlier this summer, I joined Targeted Victory as President of the firm’s newly launched Risk and Reputation unit, where I’m working with Fortune 500 companies and executives to put these principles into practice.
Make no mistake, Washington is still a company town. Influence remains the name of the game, and advocacy is more important than ever. It’s the tools and tactics that necessarily change, and I’m convinced we’re witnessing that transition in real time.
If any of this sounds interesting to you, drop me a line. (If you have a quibble, meet me in the comments.)
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