Gabe Fleisher Image by Courtesy of Gabe Fleisher

One Wednesday in May after a school exam, Gabe Fleisher tripped across a Facebook event from a county Democratic Party page in Iowa that said Sioux City was the first stop on Bill de Blasio’s “Presidential announcement tour.” This was interesting — because de Blasio had not yet announced he was actually running. So Fleisher, now 18, Tweeted it.

Fleisher’s email newsletter, “Wake Up to Politics,” has 50,000 subscribers, including a contributing editor at The Atlantic, an anchor at MSNBC and the founder of Politico. Fleisher, who lives in a suburb of St. Louis, Mo., has pushed through a police canine unit to get to Jeff Sessions. He’s interviewed Nancy Pelosi. He’s covered primary debates. But in the summer, like any nice Jewish boy, he takes a break from politics and goes to camp.

Gabe Fleisher Image by Courtesy of Gabe Fleisher

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

What’s the last thing you listened to on your phone? “The West Wing Weekly” podcast

Earliest Jewish memory: My upsherin at age 3!

Hero: Ralph Carr, the late governor of Colorado who was the only elected official to oppose Japanese-American interment (and the subject of my Bar Mitzvah d’var torah)

2019 memory Being able to interview New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after scooping his presidential announcement

What is your favorite thing about being Jewish? Feeling a connection to fellow Jews all around the world, transcending nationality and culture

What app can you not live without? Twitter, for better or for worse

Weekend ritual: Sleeping in

Read more:

Gabe’s big scoop

His interview in the Forward

Gabe’s scoop in the New Yorker

Gabe’s newsletter in the New York Times

Follow Gabe Fleishman on Twitter @WakeUp2Politics and Instagram: @wakeuptopolitics

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount