Anna Palmer
Widely respected for her unparalleled insights and analysis from the forefront of American politics, Anna Palmer is a trusted voice on the latest — and most accurate — news on congressional leadership, the lobbying industry, presidential campaigns, and the politics of governing for more than 15 years. She is the co-founder and CEO of Punchbowl News, a news community focused on power, people, and politics in Washington. Named after the Secret Service’s nickname for the Capitol, the company covers congressional leadership and the White House, and tracks the industries and companies trying to influence them.
Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Palmer offers forthright, nonpartisan analysis filled with colorful anecdotes about the powers at play when it comes to politics and policy from inside the nation’s capital. Her unique insights come from close to two decades covering Congress, political campaigns, and the White House, and being a perennial presence in the Washington press corp. With her ear to the ground on what’s going on in Washington, Palmer possesses strong connections and access to the highest offices in the nation and is an expert on the policies, players, and personalities shaping politics today.
From 2016 to 2020, Palmer worked alongside fellow Punchbowl News co-founder Jake Sherman to co-author the top-rated POLITICO Playbook franchise. Together, they chronicled President Donald Trump’s first term and his relationship with top Congressional leaders. Under their leadership, the platform more than doubled in revenue and tripled its readership. They also created a widely acclaimed daily podcast, afternoon newsletter, and event series featuring interviews with movers and shakers in business and politics from across the country about pressing issues of the day. Palmer joined POLITICO in 2011 and was the publication’s senior Washington correspondent. She also led Women Rule, POLITICO’s nation-leading platform aimed at expanding leadership opportunities for women, and hosted the critically acclaimed “Women Rule” podcast. Prior to POLITICO, Palmer covered House leadership and lobbying as a staff writer for Roll Call, and got her start in Washington journalism as a lobbying business reporter for the industry newsletter Influence. She has also worked at Legal Times, where she covered the intersection of money and politics for the legal and lobbying industry, first as a staff writer and then as an editor.
In 2019, Palmer and Sherman authored The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the future of Trump’s America, which told the inside story of Congress in the first two years of the Trump Administration and was an instant New York Times and national bestseller. Trevor Noah, the former host of The Daily Show, said the book turned “Congress into a Game of Thrones book.” In addition to being a high-profile reporter and bestselling author, Palmer has spoken and moderated conversations at the World Economic Forum, the Milken Institute Global Forum, UN General Assembly, Aspen Ideas Festival, Texas Tribune Festival, and SXSW, and is a frequent political commentator on CNN, Fox News, NBC, and MSNBC.