Sophia Cai is a White House reporter at Politico and co-author of West Wing Playbook, a daily newsletter covering Donald Trump’s unprecedented overhaul of the federal government. Before joining Politico, she covered the 2024 presidential campaign for Axios, traveling the country to report on Trump’s bid for re-election and the broader GOP primary field. She filed dispatches from Butler, Pennsylvania during the Trump assassination attempt and broke news about his interest in Doug Burgum as a potential running mate.

Previously, she covered the White House and Congress for Bloomberg News, where she was part of the team reporting on Trump’s last-minute airlift to Walter Reed, the 2020 election and the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection.

In addition to reporting, Sophia is a frequent guest on CNN, CBS, and MSNBC, providing analysis on the latest political developments. A New Jersey native, she graduated from Princeton University, where she studied politics and was a member of the lightweight crew team.

Cai briefed National Press Foundation fellows in February 2025: Sourcing Tips for Reporters.