Kori Schake

Shameful behavior from Treasury Secretary Bessent

August 1, 2025 The big undercurrent of the Trump era What to do about the politicization of *everything*

🚨Trump just announced he is attempting to fire the BLS Commissioner because of the disappointing jobs report. This is just the latest in a much larger pattern — the politicization of *everything.*

Here’s what to do about it: www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/the-big-un...

You cannot convince me that the administration cares about competing with the PRC.

New FRUS volume just dropped on SDI and the Reagan administration's strategic modernization program, compiled by @jamesgrahamwilson.bsky.social.

history.state.gov/historicaldo...

Smithsonian removes Trump from impeachment exhibit in American History Museum A temporary placard, on display since 2021, described the president's historic impeachments. Officials said the exhibit was restored to an earlier version following a review of legacy content.

A new myth: Trump wasn't impeached.

"The National Museum of American History in July removed references to President Donald Trump’s two impeachments."

"The change came about as part of a content review...following pressure from the White House to remove an art museum director."

The Authoritarian Playbook - Protect Democracy Today’s authoritarian playbook is a process that happens piecemeal and is hard to distinguish from normal political jockeying.

Aggrandizing executive power through tactics like abusing emergency powers is part of the authoritarian playbook, with long lasting consequences for our civil liberties and democracy. Learn more about this playbook tactic: protectdemocracy.org/work/the-aut...

I had the good fortune to be accepted to Brzezinski’s seminar in grad school. We all had to write a mock decision memo on a topic of our choosing, which he would then savage. He taught us - we were on track to become NatSec staff - how to deal with “principals” and stand our ground if we were right.

Jen Easterly is a great American, GW Bush NSC alum, and both a West Point grad and former faculty. What a terrible loss for the cadets not to get to learn from her.

Something I’ve thought a lot about since 2016 is that there’s nothing a covert-action campaign by a foreign power has done or could do to damage the US intelligence community that comes close to rivaling what has irrupted from within American politics and society.

Really interesting project from @freepress.bsky.social to maintain an index of media capitulations and independence. Bloomberg and Netflix earn their highest ratings for independence.

Fact Sheet: The United States and European Union Reach Massive Trade Deal MAKING GLOBAL HISTORY: Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump announced a trade deal with the European Union (EU), fundamentally rebalancing the economic

Believe it or not, the EU-US trade deal just got messier.

The White House has published a fact-sheet about the agreement with claims that directly contradict the European Commission's version of events.

Let's take a closer look.

It is wrong to assume that Xi Jinping is the sole creator of China’s grand strategy. In this new article ‘Thinker, Lawyer, Soldier, Spy’ I introduce key individuals who have helped to shape Xi’s grand strategy. (And yes, I’m quite proud of the title too) www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Episode 105: Does the Trump Administration Have an Indo-Pacific Security Strategy? Tensions in the Indo-Pacific are testing US power and alliances. What does this mean for regional strategy and for the UK?

First, where's the evidence that Trump's 🇺🇸 would lead a balancing coalition against 🇨🇳?

As @kschake.bsky.social compellingly argued in the most recent episode of Global Security Briefing, the admin doesn't even have a China strategy, let alone a commitment to balance

www.rusi.org/podcasts/glo...

150 THAAD Ballistic Missile Interceptors Fired By U.S. During Iran's Barrages On Israel: Report Roughly 25% of all U.S. THAAD interceptors funded to date were reportedly launched in June, and SM-3s were also expended at a worrisome rate.

"The U.S. Army reportedly fired over 150 THAAD interceptors to help defend Israel during its 12-day war with Iran earlier this year. If accurate, this would represent roughly a quarter of all THAAD interceptors ordered and/or set to be ordered by the US military to date." www.twz.com/land/150-tha...

Europe spends more time speaking about and thinking of “power” than actually accruing any… we theorise it and even invent sophisticated concepts to side-step the inconvenience of its real meaning.

Fear of power.

YouTube video by The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel Tom Lehrer - The MLF Lullaby - with intro

My favorite Tom Lehrer: the MLF Lullaby, about a 1950s NATO proposal for a multilateral nuclear force. “The MLF will scare Brezezhnev / I hope he is half as scared as I.”

The Mother and Sister of the artist, by Berthe Morisot, 1870

YouTube video by The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel Tom Lehrer - Wernher von Braun

In honour of the glorious Tom Lehrer - may he rest in peace.

youtu.be/QEJ9HrZq7Ro?...

US FDA’s Biologics Center Departures Grew Before More Than 100 RIFs Exited The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research saw departures far outnumber new hires in the second and third quarters of FY 2025, before more than 100 people left July 14 after the reduction-in-for...

From Pink Sheet on continued departures from FDA’s biologics division and challenges backfilling openings. FDA biologics center reported 106 departures from Jan. 1 to June 30. These numbers don’t include the 100-150 who were part of the reduction-in-force

insights.citeline.com/pink-sheet/a...

Ukraine plans drone deals with US valued at up to $30 billion, Zelensky says The news comes as Zelensky earlier announced a "win-win" deal, under which Washington would purchase Ukrainian-made drones in exchange for Kyiv acquiring U.S. weapons.

Ukraine plans drone deals with US valued at up to $30 billion, Zelensky says kyivindependent.com/ukraine-plan...

Interesting.

Pentagon suspends participation in think tank events The move comes a week after the Defense Department pulled out of the Aspen Security Forum due to “the evil of globalism.”

The Pentagon is underestimating how much it actually needs public engagement.

Rest and recharge, good @pmskinner.bsky.social. I — and I am so sure many others — draw strength from your example.🙂

Randy Schriver is spot on here regarding U.S. economic and defense policies in Asia working at cross-purposes
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...

Trump’s Fixation With Greenland Has Ended Denmark’s Love Affair With the U.S. Only 20% of people in Denmark, until recently one of the more politically pro-American countries in Europe, say they hold a favorable opinion of the U.S.

“For me—a person who has been trusting the U.S. all these years since then—it’s very hard to experience that it doesn’t mean anything anymore that we had fought alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan, in Iraq and many other places, that suddenly we are nothing.” Tragic squandering of US power.

The dollar may be bruised since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, but the damage is not worsening—for now econ.st/3GAH3m5

Illustration: The Economist / Getty Images

Thoughts While Visiting the U.S. National World War I Memorial The other day I went and stood in front of the new section of the World War I memorial in Washington, DC and looked at it. Memorials are meant to make you feel something. I felt nothing. I felt not…

angrystaffofficer.com/2025/07/22/t...

Y'all need to read this. War memory is a tricky thing. @pptsapper.bsky.social is a treasure.

Marines to leave LA They were sent to LA during anti-ICE protests

The Pentagon says 700 U.S. Marines sent to Los Angeles by President Donald Trump during immigration protests more than a month ago will be withdrawn as soon as Tuesday. via @laist.com

The right answer is for no news outlet to participate…but you already called that right when WHCA didn’t support AP, @kairyssdal.bsky.social 🙁

The Next War: Indications Intelligence in the Early Cold War The Next War draws on recently declassified documents to reveal the hidden history of allied intelligence networks during the early Cold War.

Tim Sayle has a great new book out – published last week! – called THE NEXT WAR.

It deals with the creation of a tripartite (🇨🇦/🇬🇧/🇺🇸) indications network in the early Cold War aimed at figuring out a truly pressing matter: when general war was about to break out!

press.ucalgary.ca/books/978177...