
Isaac Arnsdorf
Isaac Arnsdorf was a reporter at ProPublica covering national politics.
Need to Get in Touch?
Isaac Arnsdorf covered national politics with ProPublica.
His reporting on President Trump's agenda for veterans won the Sidney Hillman Foundation's Sidney Award and the National Press Club's Sandy Hume Award, and was an honorable mention for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting.
Before joining ProPublica in 2017, he covered lobbying and campaign finance at Politico. He previously worked for Bloomberg News.
The Trump Administration Is Leaving the Nation’s Emergency Backup Hospital System on the Sidelines
Leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs say they are ready to answer the call to assist HHS or FEMA. But the call has not come.
by Isaac Arnsdorf,
The Defense Production Act Gives the President Power — but Not Much Funding
President Donald Trump is under pressure to use a 1950 law to command factories to manufacture badly needed medical supplies. Even with planned new funding, he’ll have only $1.2 billion.
by Isaac Arnsdorf,
Inside the Pro-Trump Facebook Group Where First Responders Call Coronavirus a Hoax
In a private Facebook group, firefighters and paramedics shared memes and conspiracy theories doubting the pandemic, raising concerns that they aren’t taking precautions to protect themselves and others.
by Isaac Arnsdorf,
House Democrats Probe Faulty Test Kits’ Role in Delaying Coronavirus Response
The House Oversight Committee cited ProPublica’s reporting in requesting documents from the Trump administration.
by Isaac Arnsdorf, Caroline Chen, Marshall Allen and Lexi Churchill,
Key Missteps at the CDC Have Set Back Its Ability to Detect the Potential Spread of Coronavirus
The CDC designed a flawed test for COVID-19, then took weeks to figure out a fix so state and local labs could use it. New York still doesn’t trust the test’s accuracy.
by Caroline Chen, Marshall Allen, Lexi Churchill and Isaac Arnsdorf,
VA Secretary Under Investigation After Complaint He Looked for Dirt on a House Staffer Who Said She’d Been Assaulted
The agency’s internal watchdog told lawmakers about the probe after ProPublica unearthed the allegations against Secretary Robert Wilkie.
by Isaac Arnsdorf,
Trump Endorsed a Risky Antidepressant for Veterans. Lawmakers Want to Know if His Mar-a-Lago Pals Had a Stake in the Drugmaker.
House Democrats requested emails and financial records as they investigate why the president told the VA to “corner the market” on a Johnson & Johnson drug.
by Isaac Arnsdorf,
Trump’s New Spy Chief Once Got $100,000 from a Group Funded by the Hungarian Government but Never Reported It
Richard Grenell’s past clients could raise concerns about his access to state secrets, according to his own office’s rules.
by Isaac Arnsdorf,
Trump’s New Spy Chief Used to Work for a Foreign Politician the U.S. Accused of Corruption
Richard Grenell did not disclose payments for advocacy work on behalf of a Moldovan politician whom the U.S. later accused of corruption. His own office’s policy says that could leave him vulnerable to blackmail.
by Isaac Arnsdorf,
VA Secretary Looked for Dirt on a House Staffer Who Reported Sexual Assault in a VA Hospital, Complaint Says
VA chief Robert Wilkie called a House policy advisor’s assault allegation “unsubstantiated” even though an independent investigation found it was not.
by Isaac Arnsdorf,