TMZ's Washington expansion has already produced notable coverage. The outlet published a photo of Senator Lindsey Graham at Disney World holding a wand during a government shutdown, and interviewed Representative Tim Burchett about Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show. Representative Sara Jacobs compared Congress to high school in a TMZ interview that was viewed 6 million times on X. TMZ has also covered Senators John Thune, John Barrasso, Ted Cruz, and Representatives Seth Magaziner and Robert Garcia.
The move comes amid low public approval of Congress. Gallup polling found disapproval at 86%, tying the record high. AP-NORC polling showed only 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's overall job performance, a decline of 9 percentage points since early in his second term. Three lawmakers resigned in April 2025 after allegations including sexual misconduct and fraud.
new members of our press group here
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called out TMZ as 'new members of our press group here' at a Pentagon press event. TMZ founder Harvey Levin said the outlet was moved to increase political coverage after interviewing a TSA worker going without pay during the shutdown. Levin added that TMZ has a producer and photographer circulating the Capitol for hallway interviews.