Chris Lu

Collage of Chris Lu speaking with students at a table in a library

Thank you, @chrislu44.bsky.social for speaking with our Millstone fellows about public service last week.

The United States in Retreat U.S. withdrawal from 66 international organizations marks a retreat from global leadership and an opportunity for adversaries ascend.

On Jan. 7, the U.S. withdrew from 66 international organizations.

“Whatever the modest cost-savings that are generated by this U.S. withdrawal from the multilateral system, the loss of long-term influence will be far greater,” write U.N. and White House policy experts Julian Simcock and Chris Lu

Among the #UN organizations that the Trump Admin. is withdrawing from are offices that combat sexual violence and protect children in armed conflict. Inexplicable. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Press Release: Fair Labor announces Chris Lu as board chair

📢 Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform Chris Lu has been selected to chair the FLA Board of Directors, effective November 1, 2025.

More details on our website: www.fairlabor.org/fair-labor-a...

Trump has now elected liberals in Canada, Australia, and the Vatican

Cardinal George of Chicago, of happy memory, was one of my great mentors, and he said: 'Look, until America goes into political decline, there won't be an American pope.' And his point was, if America is kind of running the world politically, culturally, economically, they don't want America running the world religiously. So, I think there's some truth to that, that we're such a superpower and so dominant, they don't wanna give us, also, control over the church.

Bishop Robert Barren to CBS yesterday:

Number of US gas stations currently selling at $1.98: zero. 🤡

www.gasbuddy.com

How is it that the only person to lose their job this week is the one who wasn’t on the Signal chat?

Finding Your Voice--and Using it Leaving the Federal Government doesn't have to mean ceasing to be a public servant

My latest: Finding my voice as a former federal employee allowed me to remain true to the values that had always compelled me to serve the American public. Using my voice showed me that serving the country does not require a badge or an official title.
open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

It is a sad day for the legal industry. Paul Weiss, didn't just bend a knee, it set a new standard for shameful capitulation. This is a stain on the firm, every one of its partners, and the entire legal profession.

Hundreds of State Dept. Officials Sign Dissent Cable Urging Rubio to Stop Killing USAID The letter, obtained by The Bulwark, is a remarkable eleventh-hour attempt to save the beleaguered agency.

More than 700 current US foreign policy officers and officials have signed a dissent cable to Marco Rubio urging him to stop the dismantling of USAID. An extraordinary step.

www.thebulwark.com/p/hundreds-s...

Tesla’s plummeting sales risk its lucrative emissions credit earnings CEO Elon Musk has angered European customers and governments, undercutting his EV brand.

63% drop in Tesla sales in France

60% drop in Germany

38% drop in Norway

One-third of Dutch owners say they have sold or are planning to sell their Teslas www.politico.eu/article/tesl...

The US faces ‘devastating’ losses for weather forecasts, federal workers say “If these cuts continue, you will feel them personally.”

This is insane.

For those of us in Florida, for example, we rely heavily on the latest hurricane info from @climate.noaa.gov…

This Trump Administration wants us to be less informed and more in danger.

www.theverge.com/news/622990/...

An important statement from the American Bar Association. www.americanbar.org/news/abanews...

Love this photo!

Never been more proud of my service as a U.S. ambassador under Pres. Biden than I am today. We stood side-by-side with an ally fighting for its survival. We built a broad coalition that provided military and financial support. And we gave hope to democracies around the world. 🇺🇦

Judge blocks Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers A federal judge ruled that the terminations at several agencies, including the Department of Defense, were likely illegal.

"A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Office of Personnel Management to rescind directives that initiated the mass firing of probationary government workers in several agencies across the government, ruling that the terminations were probably illegal" www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

Trump wants to shrink the State Department’s size, reach and focus Plans call for fewer embassies, cuts to programs to build goodwill abroad and more focus on immediate U.S. interests.

At a time when China is increasing its diplomatic presence, Trump is taking the State Dept. in the opposite direction. A former senior official says U.S. diplomacy will "return, if not to the 19th century, at least pre-World War II." (from @nahaltoosi.bsky.social ) www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Great to speak at #TogetherforDemocracy Conference along with @budzinski.house.gov @repdangoldman.bsky.social @hrc.org president & @jenblue190.bsky.social. So inspiring to hear from allies who are committed to the fight ahead.

And thanks to @democracyforward.org for helping to lead the way.

Today, the US stood with Russia and North Korea — and against our allies — in voting against a UN resolution to condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Let that sink in.

This is a betrayal of the Ukrainian people, our allies, our interests and those who aspire for freedom.

For three years under President Biden, the U.S. led a coalition of 140 countries at the UN in supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, calling out Russia as the aggressor in this unjustified war, and pushing back against Russian disinformation

Now, the U.S. votes with Russia and against Ukraine

Dear Europe,

Trump completely melts under pushback.

So push back.

Notably, even the #UN Secretary-General is willing to call out the aggressor (Russia) and the need to uphold "Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders"

Every previous U.S. president for the past 80 years would've similarly agreed.

It is absolutely not good for our national security to have 2 million federal employees email a random address revealing what they did last week, even if it’s not classified. There’s no shortage of sensitive information in these emails that our adversaries would love to see.

China May Welcome Elon Musk’s Cuts The tech mogul’s Department of Government Efficiency has targeted some of Beijing’s bugbears.

Eliminating foreign aid, cutting human rights and democracy promotion, closing cybersecurity programs, firing FBI agents

All of these DOGE cuts help one country: China foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/18/c...

NEW: A federal judge blocked Trump’s effort to stop funding grants and contracts that have DEI components, saying it is likely viewpoint discrimination and worded so vaguely that it will chill free speech.

www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Elon Musk Is Faking DOGE Results to Hide His Incompetence Elon Musk’s supposed savings aren’t entirely correct.

"DOGE published an itemized list of canceled government contracts accounting for an alleged $16 billion in spending. Almost half of those savings were attributed to a hefty $8 billion contract...there was just one problem: it was only worth $8 million, not $8 billion" newrepublic.com/post/191707/...

Rep. Jason Crow: “The purge of senior officers at DOD is deeply troubling, but purging JAG officers worries me the most.

“JAG officers interpret law for our commanders. They help determine what's lawful and constitutional.

“Replacing these military lawyers with Trump loyalists is so dangerous.”

firing for "too much DEI" is plainly firing a woman and a Black man on the presumption only white men can be qualified. this is disgusting biogtry.

Just look at these paragraphs from the AP story.

Hegseth called Brown unqualified solely because he's Black. Then they fired him... and replaced him with a white guy so indisputably unqualified that he requires a Presidential waiver.

This is what "merit" means to them.

apnews.com/article/trum...