Jonathan Alter

OLD GOATS with Jonathan Alter | Substack Ruminating with friends. Click to read OLD GOATS with Jonathan Alter, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

Breaking: @NickMiroff of Atlantic has THREE sources saying the original training period of 13-16 weeks for ICE recruits was originally reduced to 47 days because Trump is the 47th president. This is worse than Caligula making his horse the consul of Rome. Oldgoats.substack.com

Greenland and the Benjamins There’s a method behind Trump’s madness and it’s colored green.

The REAL story behind Trump’s unhinged take on Greenland share.google/raTjLN42KPno...

How the Murder of Good Changes the Stakes for Good ICE won’t melt, but traumatic events of this kind create their own force fields that bring change

The Renee Good case in historical perspective. oldgoats.substack.com/p/how-the-mu...

If this happened to a conservative organizer, Republicans would make her a hero, a household name and a congressional candidate.

Elected Democrats just pretend it isn't happening.

Thanks, @patti4040.bsky.social !!

"No Kings is brilliant because it's so capacious":

You need only believe in ​A​merica's founding principles​ to be a part of it.

— Historian @jonathanalter.bsky.social, discussing #NoKings with @jenrubin.bsky.social and @normeisen.bsky.social of @contrariannews.org

Nicholas Rockefeller's 40-Year Con: Part III Beneath the “wonderful man” described by a Yale Law School classmate lurked a dark, abusive Mr. Hyde.

Here’s the final chapter of the wildest story I’ve ever written. “Nick Rockefeller,” who died with his secret intact, may be the most successful imposter in US history. share.google/K0qYhyU1HbbM...

Hey, @susanchumsky.bsky.social you may be right! But my people were in the Pale of Settlement then.

Nicholas Rockefeller's 40-Year Con: Part II After faking his way into Harvard Law School—twice—Spiro Pavlovich turns up at Yale Law School with a new name: Nicholas Rockefeller.

Here's Part II of the most bizarre story I've ever written.
airmail.news/issues/2025-...

I'm so saddened by the death of Bob Barnett, who represented me (for 27 years) and so many others on both sides in politics and journalism. It's cool to deride "insiders" and "elitists" and they have their faults. But they (we) have brought continuity and decency to the system. RIP, Bob.

Chicagoans Avoided Their ‘Filthy’ River for Years. On Sunday, They Swam in It. Decades of work to clean the Chicago River culminated with the first swim in almost 100 years. It was the latest sign of how the city’s relationship with its river has changed.

They're swimming in the Chicago River! This is the fulfillment of the vision of my late mother, Joanne Alter, who in 1972 was elected to the Sanitary District on a "Clean Water" platform. Thanks to all who helped her. www.nytimes.com/card/2025/09...

Bill Pulte, wo has been sliming the Fed's Lisa Cook, should look inside his own family. His parents have committed what he calls "mortgage fraud." www.reuters.com/world/us/bil...

Can Spencer Cox Prevent a Civil War? Amid all the hypocrisy and projection, focusing on social media might help us avoid becoming the Donner Party

Vance lied. The very conservative Cato Institute reports that since 1975 (excluding 9/11), 10 percent of political murders have been from the left, 23 percent from Islamicists, and 63 percent from the right.
My latest Old Goats. Please subscribe--free or paid. oldgoats.substack.com/p/can-spence...

Opinion | Clinton-Era Lessons for Democrats Confronting Trump

My take on shutdown: Clinton-Era Lessons for Democrats Confronting Trump www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/o...

Just out of curiosity—why?

Please read @marcelias.bsky.social here for a fuller understanding of the
thugs, creeps and liars now running our government.

Then and Now: Right-Wing Conspiracy Politics Julian Zelizer and I discuss the John Birch Society calling Ike a commie and Trump’s conspiracies boomeranging.

Then and Now: Right-Wing Conspiracy Politics
We discuss the John Birch Society, Dr. Strangelove and how much worse and more mainstream conspiracy theories are today. Five minutes only! Please subscribe to Old Goats, free or paid.
open.substack.com/pub/oldgoats...

As Congress gets set to approve THE BIG UGLY BILL, it's essential that it be called that in EVERY reference to it--over and over again through the midterms. Americans are already overwhelmingly against THE BIG UGLY BILL, but need to call it by one name so the stigma sticks.

The Police State is the Point We’re rapidly moving toward one. Believe it.

The Police State is the Point.
We're headed for one. Believe it. open.substack.com/pub/oldgoats...

Shari Redstone Might Be Headed for Jail If Paramount's heiress chief settles with Trump, it will be seen as extortion and bribery. Plus: A new "Past and Presidency" video on Elon Musk and Joe McCarthy.

CBS Prez George Cheeks can resign and be an American hero—or be condemned by history. What’ll it be, George?

Watch “Past and Presidency” with me and Prof. Julian Zelizer today at 11 am est. We’ll discuss the Big Ugly Bill.

@jonathanalter.bsky.social a 21 year survivor of a stage 4 cancer, says Biden’s cancer prognosis is 30% at 5 years. He says “someone has to be in the good percentages It might as well be Joe Biden. He’s a man of great decency & integrity & an awful lot of people in this country are rooting for him”❤️

Seth Abramson on X: "RETWEET https://t.co/FPkrnlXIeT" / X RETWEET https://t.co/FPkrnlXIeT

Tank vs. Tesla x.com/SethAbramson...

Past and Presidency with Jonathan Alter and Julian Zelizer A recording from Jonathan Alter and Julian Zelizer's live video

Our new show debuts: Past and Presidency with Jonathan Alter and Julian Zelizer open.substack.com/pub/oldgoats...

Good News! Bezos Screws Trump Even though he backed off on breaking out the Trump Tariff on Amazon products, the cat is out of the bag

Good news! Bezos backed off his idea to break out tariffs on Amazon products but the cat is out of the bag. When the toys parents buy (almost all from China) are more than twice as expensive, they will know to blame Trump open.substack.com/pub/oldgoats...

FDR calmed and unified the country; Trump has terrified and further divided us

Not sure what you mean, @jabbanobadda.bsky.social

Hey, TV, Don’t Bend the Knee! The producer of 60 Minutes and the Evening News resigned today because he wouldn’t apologize for an accurate story.

open.substack.com/pub/oldgoats...

Why’s that @gastropoda.bsky.social ? There’s a lot of new stuff in my book after the Reagan victory—including his entire post -presidency.

No, literally—to ADM.