The Washington Spectator

As this account from @dwickham.bsky.social reveals, Clarence Thomas lied to the leadership of the Civil Rights community to prevent them from derailing his nomination both to the Appeals Court and later to the Supreme Court.

Tariff Man Tumbles, Fumbles and Bumbles on Trade | Washington Spectator When it comes to economics, we know two things about Donald Trump. He is obsessed with the US trade deficit. And he thinks tariffs, or import taxes, will solve the trade deficit problem.

The gvt announced today that the US #tradedeficit was >$900 bil in 2025, one of the largest ever (in percentage terms). To understand why Trump's #tariff policy failed, check out my recent @washspectator.bsky.social piece. washingtonspectator.org/tariff-man-t...

Thanks to @thebradblog.bsky.social for showcasing @artl7.bsky.social's terrific behind the scenes investigation, "Inside the #MAGA Meltdown" in The Washington Spectator.

Full report here: washingtonspectator.org/inside-the-m...

Before Roe fell, notification requirements and gag rules chipped away at abortion rights, while speech claims, buffer zone rulings, and procedural narrowing whittled down clinic access. Roberts' ubiquitous role in the pre-Dobbs erosion is essential context for where we are now.

The right-wing playbook included judicial grooming, model bills, handpicked plaintiffs, stolen Court seats, misleading testimony, and a 6–3 Court tailored and captured by religious extremists.

The Roberts Court and the Attack on Reproductive Freedom in America | Washington Spectator One of the first major decisions of the Supreme Court under John Roberts’s tenure as Chief Justice came in 2007 in Gonzales v. Carhart, a landmark case that upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act…

Chief Justice John Roberts has overseen the dismantling of reproductive freedom—not just through the headline Dobbs decision, but through a decades-long legal and political strategy that Roberts helped build, conceal, and ultimately execute.

Read the full article by @thelisagraves.bsky.social

Tariff Man Tumbles, Fumbles and Bumbles on Trade | Washington Spectator When it comes to economics, we know two things about Donald Trump. He is obsessed with the US trade deficit. And he thinks tariffs, or import taxes, will solve the trade deficit problem.

Steel #tariffs make it more expensive to produce cars in the US, leading Americans to buy foreign-made cars. Tariffs on iPhones assembled in China hurt US workers more than their Chinese counterparts. The US trade deficit keeps growing.
@stevenpressman.bsky.social

Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…

Few on the right have dared to call out the Trump administration’s extensive ties to neo-Nazis. Conservatives have acted as if they were shocked to discover antisemitism within their ranks – akin to Captain Renault in Casablanca learning that there was gambling in Rick’s Café. @artl7.bsky.social

How Clarence Thomas Bamboozled His Way Onto the Supreme Court | Washington Spectator Thirty-six years ago, the NAACP had an opportunity to block Clarence Thomas’ path to the Supreme Court. But after a secret meeting between the Black Republican rising star and Althea Simmons…

This is the story of how Justice Thurgood Marshall, who helped break the back of Jim Crow and win passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, was succeeded by Clarence Thomas, the GOP political appointee devoted to unraveling the achievements of his predecessor. @dwickham.bsky.social

Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…

“The raw antisemitism of once-fringe figures such as Nick Fuentes and Myron Gaines has been mainstreamed into the heart of the Trump administration”-Inside the MAGA Meltdown @andreachalupa.bsky.social @johnfugelsang.bsky.social @melissagiragrant.com @attackerman.bsky.social @thebradblog.bsky.social

Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…

Even as Trump is using #antisemitism as a cudgel to bend American universities to his will, he is tacitly encouraging leading antisemites on the Right to stoke the passions of his base. @yair-rosenberg.bsky.social @normornstein.bsky.social @mjtoma.bsky.social @timothysnyder.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/artl... fyi @mjtoma.bsky.social we credit the great reporting in your magazine on extremism and the hypocrisy of the Trump administration's crackdown on #antisemitism in an article that I think you will find interesting with fresh reporting. washingtonspectator.org/inside-the-m...

The default Republican #antisemitism position according to JD Vance: "President Trump did not build the greatest coalition in politics by running his supporters through endless self-defeating purity tests” @willsommer.bsky.social @benlorber8.bsky.social Foer @theatlantic.com @ericlevitz.bsky.social

“Antisemitism permeates so many of the far-right ideas held by this administration.” — @cassiemiller.bsky.social @splcenter.org

Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…

Inside the #MAGA Meltdown chronicles the parade of Charlie Kirk Wannabes, Nazi Sympathizers, End Times Prognosticators, Media Grifters and Nostalgic Evangelicals scrambling for control of their imploding coalition. washingtonspectator.org/inside-the-m... @artl7.bsky.social

The piece presents new reporting and analysis on antisemitism, Christian nationalism, and factional dynamics across right-wing media and political networks. @vox.com @theatlantic.com @jewishinsider.com @newrepublic.com @thebulwark.com

Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…

New reporting from The Washington Spectator and @artl7.bsky.social examines how internal fights over antisemitism are playing out inside the MAGA movement—and what those conflicts tell us about emerging fault lines on the far right. washingtonspectator.org/inside-the-m...

We have surpassed 1,000 signatures for the Press Freedom United open letter campaign, including representation from independent news organizations across all fifty US states. Please consider signing and sharing. bit.ly/pfu2025

Press Freedom United Press Freedom United is an organization of engaged citizens, journalists, media organizations and defenders of the First Amendment and the free press in the United States and abroad.

We invite the public and members of the journalism community to join this open letter calling upon elected leaders in the U.S. govt to take immediate actions to restore press access, protect public media, respect journalistic integrity and lead on global press freedom. pressfreedom.ac-page.com/home

Why We Should Be Worried About Elon Musk | Washington Spectator Katie Couric spoke to the U.S. National Editor and columnist Edward Luce at the Financial Times about Elon Musk’s unprecedented power in the White House.

washingtonspectator.org/katie-couric...

Senator Claude Malhuret on the End of American Democracy | Washington Spectator Senator Claude Malhuret on the End of American Democracy, speaking in the French Senate, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers, my dear colleagues.

“This is a tragedy for the free world, but it is first and foremost a tragedy for the United States.“

washingtonspectator.org/senator-clau...

Combatting Putin’s War with a Vision for the West | Washington Spectator War, beyond being just a struggle for territory, is a process. Long-running wars, in particular, have the potential to transform geopolitics, and this is playing out in Putin’s war in Ukraine.

In January, 2023 we wrote:

“Putin is increasingly networked with authoritarian leaders around the world, and indeed this network is converging on the bargain typically offered by such strongmen: the promise of simple solutions to complex problems.”

washingtonspectator.org/combatting-p...

We believe that accessible journalism is the backbone of a strong democracy — and that journalism must be available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. If you agree, we invite you to join and help sustain our reporting and defend truth. washingtonspectator.org/support-our-...

Holding Trump’s Operatives Accountable | Washington Spectator Donald Trump’s recent declaration of unbounded power — “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law” — serves as his dismissive response to at least 75 separate lawsuits that have been filed…

“…If the courts rule against Trump’s Executive Orders and Musk’s implementation of them through DOGE, those who carried out unlawful actions may find themselves facing significant personal jeopardy.”

washingtonspectator.org/under-color-...

Stop Musk Now Or Face Certain Collapse | Washington Spectator The American constitutional order has been broken, and it’s not clear it can be recovered. Many are still in denial about it, and continue to report on political machinations, business as usual.

“…the United States government is being ripped apart, limb by limb, with little consideration to the future, to national security, to the welfare of the population, or the country’s role in the world.”

washingtonspectator.org/the-wide-ang...

Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy | Washington Spectator Bad Faith is a superb and unsettling documentary on the history of Christian Nationalists and their desire to convert this country to a Christian-only nation.

Of the many currents at the nexus of American religious and political life, Christian Nationalism is unquestionably the dominant force.

washingtonspectator.org/bad-faith-ch...

Marco Rubio Outmatched From The Washington...

From the Editor’s Desk:

As we stumble deeper into the Trump era, the journalism grows sharper and more discerning. This week we ran two superb pieces.

washingtonspectator.activehosted.com/index.php?ac...

The Leopard and the Mouse | Washington Spectator Among the many striking features of Trump’s appalling betrayal of Ukraine has been the gaucheness and utter naivéte of the Trump ‘team’s’ diplomacy. Perhaps Trump thinks it’s clever to break basic…

It’s usual in negotiations to get something when you give something. What did the Americans get in return? Well, nothing, though perhaps Trump will be rewarded with some real estate deal for a tacky skyscraper in Moscow—or occupied Crimea.

washingtonspectator.org/the-leopard-...

Defending Congestion Pricing | Washington Spectator So much winning. Unjammed bridges and tunnels. Speedier deliveries. On-time buses. Calmer, more inviting streets. Fewer traffic crashes. Repairmen getting to more jobs. Not Donald Trump’s kind of…

washingtonspectator.org/defending-co...