The next presidential election doesn't happen for another 22 months, but the campaign is now already under way — with plenty of potential candidates making news this week.
A significant power shift begins in Washington with Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives. The incoming speaker plans votes on bills to reopen the government and new rules.
The meeting in the Situation Room comes as the effects of the partial government shutdown are growing across the country, including the closure of the National Zoo and the Smithsonian museums.
There's no end in sight for the spending standoff that has forced the shutdown of about a quarter of the federal government. The longer the shutdown continues, the more services will be affected.
From the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle to Democrats winning back control of the House, these were the biggest political stories of the year that you picked.
The president relishes speaking off the cuff but on Christmas Eve it may have led to a regretful blunder when he insinuated a boy was too old to believe Santa is real.
Brett McGurk's decision to accelerate his departure from the Trump administration comes on the heels of Secretary of Defense James Mattis' resignation earlier this week.
The Senate will take up the House-passed funding bill with money for a border wall, but Democrats who oppose the $5 billion the president demanded are expected to block it.