Sam Gauntt

[email protected]

Sam Gauntt is an intern for States Newsroom’s Washington bureau through the Dow Jones News Fund internship program. He is a senior journalism major at the University of Maryland and editor in chief of The Diamondback, the university’s independent student newspaper. He has contributed to several enterprise reporting projects through the Capital News Service, a student-run newswire operated through the university, covering everything from youth mental health to climate change to the impact of federal layoffs on Maryland. He previously interned with Maryland Matters, an affiliate of States Newsroom.

National

DNC approves 2028 presidential nominating cycle starting in South Carolina, Nevada

Aug 15, 2026

Sam Gauntt

The Democratic National Committee on Saturday approved by voice vote its lineup of six early primaries for the 2028 election cycle, kicking off with South Carolina and Nevada. DNC Chair Ken Martin said during Saturday’s meeting that the early lineup...

Todd Blanche still thinks he’s Trump’s lawyer, which means he can’t be our lawyer

National

Todd Blanche sworn in as attorney general after contentious Senate confirmation

Aug 10, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — Todd Blanche took the oath of office as U.S. attorney general at a brief ceremony in the Oval Office Monday, following the Senate’s narrow vote to approve his nomination as the nation’s top law enforcement official over the...

A view of mining operations at Eagle Summit Resources as seen on March 12, 2026, in Charleston, West Virginia. (Photo by James Pinsky/USDA)

National

Trump announces $180M for mining education as administration recommits to coal

Aug 07, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday the federal government will fund $180 million in grants for mining schools across the country as part of his administration’s goal of rebuilding the U.S. coal industry. The grants will include $100 million...

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a September 11th observance event in the courtyard of the Pentagon September 11, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Today marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

National

As Trump pushes for a massive $1.5T in defense spending, a few states brace for a windfall

Aug 07, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — Congress is considering a hike of hundreds of billions in dollars in defense spending, which would represent a surge in military funding not seen since World War II. Whatever the exact level of spending ultimately flows to military...

Idaho

Price tag for Trump’s DC deployment of National Guard: $1.4B more through 2029

Aug 05, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — The deployment of National Guard troops hailing from all across the country to Washington, D.C., is expected to cost taxpayers more than $1.4 billion in additional funds through 2029. Woman files $3 million claim against Idaho National Guard...

National

Price tag for Trump's DC deployment of National Guard: $1.4B more through 2029

Aug 05, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — The deployment of National Guard troops hailing from all across the country to Washington, D.C. is expected to cost taxpayers more than $1.4 billion in additional funds through 2029. The estimate from Jules Hurst III, President Donald Trump’s...

U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, speaking with attendees at the Republican Jewish Coalition's 2023 Annual Leadership Summit at the Venetian Convention & Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 28, 2023. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

National

US House Ethics starts probe of abuse allegations against Ohio Rep. Max Miller at his request

Aug 04, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Ethics Committee announced Tuesday that it will review allegations that Republican Rep. Max Miller of Ohio may have “engaged in domestic violence and abuse or illegal drug use.” The announcement came shortly after Miller said...

Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, leaves a House Republican Conference meeting on Capitol Hill on Nov. 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

National

Ohio US Sen. Moreno says former son-in-law Rep. Max Miller unfit to serve in Congress

Aug 03, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, on Sunday said Rep. Max Miller, also of Ohio and his former son-in-law, is not fit to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives as he faces allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife...

resident Donald Trump is joined by (L-R) Deputy Secretary of Transportation Steven G. Bradbury, MWAA board member Trent Morse, MWAA CEO Jack Potter, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby during an announcement to renovate Washington Dulles International Airport, in the Oval Office of the White House on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Department of Transportation plans to unveil a $22 billion plan to rebuild the federally owned airport that will include an unde

National

‘People movers’ out, more parking in: Trump announces $22.5B Washington Dulles makeover

Jul 29, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, the main long-distance gateway to the nation’s capital, is set to receive a multi-billion-dollar makeover, President Donald Trump said Wednesday. Sitting behind a large model of the airport’s new proposed design, Trump...

Maryland lawmakers continue push against USDA plan to ‘uproot’ Beltsville research center

National

USDA union leaders rally against proposed DC downsizing

Jul 24, 2026

Sam Gauntt

A group of current and former U.S. Department of Agriculture employees are calling on the Trump administration to halt the mandated relocation of more than 2,500 employees from its Washington, D.C., headquarters to five regional offices across the country. In...

The White House on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

National

Democratic panel recommends South Carolina lead 2028 presidential nominating calendar

Jul 24, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted Friday that South Carolina should hold the party’s first primary in the 2028 presidential election cycle. The recommendation came after a competitive 26-19-4 vote in South Carolina’s favor over...

A sign advertises that SNAP benefits are accepted at a Hornbacher’s in north Fargo, North Dakota, on July 7, 2026. (Photo by Ceilidh Kern/For the North Dakota Monitor)

National

Food assistance advocates ask Congress to delay GOP megabill shift of SNAP costs to states

Jul 22, 2026

Sam Gauntt

WASHINGTON — Advocates and public health experts urged Republicans in Congress on Wednesday to implement a two-year delay on requiring states to begin sharing the costs for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Provisions of the Republican-backed law that President Donald...