This article was first published in the On the Trail 2024 newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday mornings here.
Happy New Year, friends. I hope all got a restful, well-deserved break. We’ll dive back into the news soon — I leave next week for Iowa, and from there, we’ll be running nonstop until the party conventions in the summer — but today, I want to take a pause from the drumbeat.
The Big Idea
2023 in review
We launched this newsletter just over four months ago. Last week, we hit a big milestone: our 6,000th subscriber. We’ve covered the biggest issues in U.S. politics and interviewed some of the biggest names. It’s been a fun ride. Thank you, to all of you.
This year will be even more exciting, as we march through the primary elections and into the general. If you’ve enjoyed following along, consider forwarding this email to a friend, or passing along our sign-up link here. Think of it as a Christmas gift.
From the start, I’ve tried to cover this race differently than any other news outlet. There is plenty of horse-race coverage out there. But I’ve made a concerted, though imperfect, effort to focus on the issues that are most important to our readers. I’ve pressed Vivek Ramaswamy about his faith and pushed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on religious liberty. I dug into Ron DeSantis’ efforts to shape how race and ethnicity is taught in public schools. I explored the national network of evangelical pastors working to vet the candidates.
So, with 11 months until Election Day, here are 11 of my favorite stories we chased in 2023.
The man behind America’s most controversial high school course
AP African American Studies angered conservatives and liberals alike. One Latter-day Saint is trying to make peace — and promote truth.
Meet the 2024 presidential race’s evangelical kingmaker
Chad Connelly, CEO of Faith Wins, is training a nationwide cohort of pastors to vet GOP candidates. Read more about those pastors here.
What Jon Huntsman Jr. saw at the GOP presidential debate
I watched one of the Republican debates with the former candidate. “Let’s be honest,” he told me, before he’d even picked up the remote. “None of this matters.”
Inside Yale’s Jewish society that shaped Vivek Ramaswamy
The Republican presidential candidate has been called ‘anti-Israel.’ I spent a weekend in New Haven to understand where his views on Israel formed.
Coming to a front porch near you: Anti-Trump evangelizers
I knocked doors with pro-Nikki Haley canvassers in Des Moines, Iowa. I learned the race might be closer than the polls show.
The GOP has a young person problem
The December debate at the University of Alabama could have been a chance to engage young voters. Most college students didn’t know it was happening.
RFK Jr.’s big gamble
A sit-down interview at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s home. His independent campaign could hurt both Biden and Trump.
Vivek Ramaswamy needs to win over Iowa evangelicals. He hired 2 former Latter-day Saint missionaries to help
The Hindu presidential candidate is facing more questions about his faith, and two ex-Romney backers are helping him answer.
The philosopher-in-chief
A sit-down interview with Cornel West, the independent presidential candidate. He thinks the U.S. is in ‘spiritual decay.’
The next college activists? Retirees
Turning Point USA’s annual conference was supposed to attract high school- and college-aged activists. But AmericaFest in Phoenix was overrun by retirees.
Welcome to ‘Jewtah’! Population: 3
A fun story to finish: My Passover hangout with Gov. Spencer Cox, a rabbi and a Jewish policy wonk.
One last thing — a reminder to follow our new On the Trail 2024 Instagram account!
Have a question for the Friday mailbag? Drop me a line at onthetrail@deseretnews.com, or reply to this email.
See you on the trail.
Editor’s Note: The Deseret News is committed to covering issues of substance in the 2024 presidential race from its unique perspective and editorial values. Our team of political reporters will bring you in-depth coverage of the most relevant news and information to help you make an informed decision. Find our complete coverage of the election here.