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Luckily for us, shes channelled all of that madness into a new book.
Photo: Getty Images
Vogue: The research process for this book must have been intense.
How did you begin to organize it?
They speak more candidly and can share more, and you sort of interview them in a different way.
Youre not trying to get a new story out that day.
Your opening reference to politicians seeing Congress as a bunch of clowns is so vivid.
When do you think that shift in the American imagination happened?
This was a new level of dysfunction, where they ground the House floor to a halt.
They couldnt pass any bills.
Most of what they did was fight with each othernot even fight with Democrats, but Republican-on-Republican fighting.
Struggling to do the bare minimum of keeping the lights on is basically all they did last Congress.
You devote a lot of time to Nancy Mace, who has made news lately for heranti-trans bigotry.
Whats something you feel more people should understand about her?
What I found most interesting about Nancy is how much she says the quiet part out loud.
Everyone was interested in her, and shes very attractive, so she got on TV a lot.
But she got redistricted, so her district became more red, and shes openly very ambitious.
She was like, I cant move up and be anti-Trump.
I have some really tough decisions to make.
Thats a direct quote from the book.
And just to hear someone actually say that was kind of interesting.
Shes become a real extremist.
People are mad at me that I ever fell for it, but I didnt, I dont think.
I think she really just changed completely in the hopes of staying powerful.
Trump is not doing that;sheis doing that.
Some of these members really make MAGA their own, and even take it further in some cases.
They think that if they dont talk to you, the other side will.
Everyone has an angle that they want to be the angle of your story.
I thought of your book when I saw Nancy Pelosiwearing Chloe sneakersrecently.
Do you think style is a part of her political strategy?
Pelosi has always worn stilettos.
Like, I think she has Barbie feet, because youve never seen her in flats.
She did a seven-hour filibuster once in the House in four-inch heels.
The heels are not a side pointthey are part of how she wields her power.
Shes always impeccably dressed, clicking around, never being seen without these heels.
Shes still in flats, but now shes shifted to wearing Chloe sneakers.
Her husband, Paul Pelosi, is her personal shopper.
He picks out all of her clothes.
I think it speaks volumes.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
