Ayesha Rascoe

Ayesha Rascoe is a White House reporter for NPR. In her current role, she covers breaking news and policy developments from the White House. Rascoe also travels and reports on many of President Trump's foreign trips, including his 2019 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, and his 2018 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland. As a part of the White House team, she's also a regular on the NPR Politics Podcast.

Prior to joining NPR, Rascoe covered the White House for Reuters, chronicling President Barack Obama's final year in office and the beginning days of the Trump administration. Rascoe began her reporting career at Reuters, covering energy and environmental policy news, such as the 2010 BP oil spill and the U.S. response to the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011. She also spent a year covering energy legal issues and court cases.

She graduated from Howard University in 2007 with a B.A. in journalism.

Trump, Erdogan Have 'Frank' Discussion About Syria

By • Nov 13, 2019

Updated at 5:15 p.m. ET

President Trump had what he called a "wonderful and very productive" meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, at the same time as House impeachment hearings got underway on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Who Was On The Trump-Ukraine Call?

By • Nov 7, 2019

It's the call that spurred an impeachment inquiry. On July 25, President Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The phone call would become the foundation of a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump held up military aid for Ukraine to pressure Zelenskiy to investigate Trump's political rivals.

White House Officials Decline To Appear For Closed-Door Trump Impeachment Inquiry

By & • Nov 4, 2019

Updated at 12 p.m. ET

The impeachment inquiry into President Trump turned its spotlight on Monday on four top White House officials, asking them to testify behind closed doors as Democrats probe whether Trump held up military aid as leverage to get Ukraine to investigate his political rivals.

But none of them showed up, citing legal advice.

Touting Law To Help Prisoners, Trump Says Knows What It's Like To Be Treated Unfairly

By • Oct 25, 2019

President Trump said on Friday that he knows what it's like to be treated unfairly, comparing his own experience with an impeachment inquiry in Congress to inequities in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Trump was speaking at the Second Step Presidential Justice Forum held at the historically black Benedict College in South Carolina. The forum also featured Democrats vying for the presidential nomination, and was focused on the future of criminal justice policies.

Pence Chides NBA, Nike For 'Losing Their Voices' On China

By • Oct 24, 2019

Vice President Mike Pence scolded the NBA and Nike on Thursday for backing down from support for Hong Kong protesters after China complained.

"Some of the NBA's biggest players and owners, who routinely exercise their freedom to criticize this country, lose their voices when it comes to the freedom and rights of the people of China," Pence said in a speech about the Trump administration's China policy in Washington.

Trump Calls Syria Cease-Fire 'Permanent,' Lifts Sanctions on Turkey

By • Oct 23, 2019

Updated at 2:45 p.m. ET

President Trump says he is lifting sanctions on Turkey after the country agreed to what he called a permanent cease-fire in northern Syria, ending Turkey's military offensive that began after the U.S. pulled troops from the area.

Trump argued that his decision to remove U.S. forces — criticized by U.S. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike — helped to bring the deal to fruition.

Twitter Analysis Shows How Trump Tweets Differently About Nonwhite Lawmakers

By • Oct 10, 2019

President Trump uses his Twitter feed the way past presidents used the White House briefing room. It's the place where he announces policy and delivers his message to the American people. And it's also the place where he, often gleefully, tries to skewer his political opponents.

As the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry continues and Trump's own reelection efforts gather speed, an NPR analysis shows that Trump's broadsides against Democrats in Congress have intensified since July. And his language about nonwhite lawmakers has also grown more heated.

Trump Says He's Concerned About Corruption, But Advocates Say His Record Is Weak

By • Oct 9, 2019

President Trump says his request for Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden was driven by his concerns about corruption.

"This is not about politics, this is about corruption," Trump said last week. "If you look and you read our Constitution and many other things, I have an obligation to look at corruption."

But anti-corruption advocates say his administration's record of fighting corruption is weak and not in line with Trump's rhetoric.

Trump Holds Press Conference As Impeachment Inquiry Builds

By • Oct 2, 2019

Updated at 4:35 p.m. ET

President Trump held a press conference Wednesday with visiting Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, as the impeachment probe into Trump's conduct intensifies.

Trump faced questions about the House inquiry that was sparked by a whistleblower complaint that accuses Trump of pressuring Ukraine's president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

Ousted National Security Adviser Bolton Slams Trump's Approach To North Korea

By • Sep 30, 2019

It's no secret that former national security adviser John Bolton did not see eye to eye with President Trump on a whole range of subjects.

But in his first public remarks since his ouster earlier this month, Bolton made clear just how deeply disconnected he was from his former boss on how to handle North Korea.

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