Jason “JB” Baker

Everything old is Melian again.

The Military Is Being Forced to Plan for an Unthinkable Betrayal Attacking an ally would be a perversion of everything the armed forces have been trained to do.

Sharing a gift link to ensure anyone and everyone can read this.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Tweet from Pete Hegseth saying, “For your Christmas wish list…” followed by an illustrated parody book cover designed to look like a children’s “Franklin the Turtle” story. The title reads, “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.” In the illustration, Franklin the Turtle is dressed in full military combat gear, holding a rifle, and leaning out of a camouflaged helicopter while firing at speedboats below. The boats, packed with crates, are crewed by men with weapons; one boat is exploding from gunfire. A tropical jungle shoreline is visible in the background. The tweet tags “U.S. Southern Command.”

A new post from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just a couple hours after President Trump said he wouldn’t have wanted a second strike on alleged narco boats and that Hegseth said he didn’t order second strikes.

One thing I have no patience for is "there is nothing to be thankful for" doomerism. If Americans were finding things to be thankful for in 1863, two and a half years into a bloody Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln formalized the Thanksgiving holiday, then I can find things to be thankful for too.

Trump’s Devastating Plan for Ukraine The White House is giving Putin permission to try again.

Trump has approved a 28-point plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. “The deeply troubling details now circulating show what Trump wants: to help the Russian president,” Phillips Payson O’Brien argues, “and to weaken Ukraine, perhaps fatally.”

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Apply by 11/30

Page One in CLT:

With Washington wanting to finally make a pivot out of the region (debatable if such a thing can or should be done) seeking to create more stable and secure partners and allies makes sense to that end. It’s been a dramatic year of change in the region, and I don’t see things slowing down. /11x

The Saudis want to sometimes drive that fancy sports car into the future, not just ride along, and they want to shape the road that leads there. In my time talking to military and government officials there, I was always led to believe they want the U.S. to remain their partner of choice. /10

And the United States needs a strong and stable partner in the region. One that stands against Iran, brings economic benefit, is able to defend itself and Arab partners, that can unite its neighbors…and doesn’t turn to China as it does so. /9

Vision 2030 can’t succeed alone. Riyadh sees the need for partners militarily, strategically, economically, technologically. /8

All of this done with a desire for a more pragmatic relationship with the U.S: One driven by what each can do for the other, setting aside anything that might get in the way of being realist partners. /7

Today’s visit reinforced that:
– Nearly $1T in planned U.S. investments
– Movement toward an F-35 sale
– Heavy focus on AI, tech, infrastructure
– Saudi insistence on a credible Palestinian path forward, however, maintaining their position as a Muslim leader and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques /6

Global Swing States and the New Great Power Competition International politics is undergoing a period of rapid, significant change. China and Russia are working together more closely and alongside Iran and N. Ko

CNAS captured this perfectly this summer in a report: Saudi Arabia is becoming a global swing state, a middle power shaping a new order. /5

www.cnas.org/publications...

The couple years, months, weeks (sometimes days largely) changed that. The Kingdom sees a region and global competition that is shifting fast and understands that staying on the sidelines carries its own risks. /4

When I returned from my year during security cooperation advising in Riyadh, I often told people Saudi Arabia is the neighbor with the incredible sports car in the garage—latest and greatest, knows exactly how powerful it is, but hasn’t wanted to risk being judged for how it drives. /3

First and foremost, there’s a big elephant in the room from the WH press spray with POTUS and MBS. For purposes of this thread (and my station in life for the next 6 months still) I’ll just say I’m not so naive as to say it can truly be set it aside, but alas, we deal with the world as it is. /2

Big day in Washington with MBS visiting the White House. Lots of noise from this Saudi trip, but a few signals & highlights to pull from the headlines and list of takes, expert opinions and punditry. /1 🧵

Contributor: Do our military leaders have the backbone to disobey illegal orders? A recently uncovered memo promises U.S. soldiers immunity for the killing of more than 80 people in boat strikes throughout the Caribbean, effectively conceding it crossed a line.

An important ringing moral condemnation for an approach that would put the military’s judgment above that of their civilian superiors, which creates a different kind of problem.

What to watch for as Trump welcomes Saudi crown prince The visit, which will include a trip to the US Capitol, is being closely watched at home and in the Gulf.

Middle East hands will be watching very closely today. I'm curious to see what the U.S. "get" will be out of F-35s, some sort of civilian nuclear agreement, and surely some sort of security guarantee that matches--or more likely exceeds--what the Qataris got.

A fascinating time.

I'm actually shocked. Good on Dana Bash for asking the question, and I genuinely would not have expected Greene to answer the way she did.

Allowing the outfit to do the extroverting is the preferred option.

If tariffs don’t make things more expensive for Americans, why will rolling back food tariffs make prices more affordable for consumers?

Throw “and why McClellan would have been a tyrant” at the end of anything and I’m going to read or listen to it.

JPM: With the shutdown “the longest on record .. we now must take more seriously the possible damage to activity. Whereas previously it had been easy to imagine that any drag would be easily reversed when the shutdown ends, the risk for more lasting damage to the economy has grown ..”

Here’s an easy way to find out how to donate to your local food bank this weekend. 🇺🇸

@feedingamerica.org
give.feedingamerica.org/a/donate

The man who has caused this will now be a trillionaire. 600.000 deaths, two thirds of them children.

Yes I want to help shape foreign policy and help do good on the international stage—but more and more; my core beliefs are shaped by a system that can produce a trillionaire, but not reliably and consistently ensure children are fed and basic needs are affordable for the average American.

#SCOTUS

ABC News released before-and-after satellite images of the White House demolition.