Renew Democracy Initiative

I Met Hamas’s Founders. The Palestinian Terror Group Can’t Surrender in Gaza. Hamas accepted Trump's Gaza ceasefire out of necessity, not conviction. Here's what the group's position means for the future of Palestine.

A ceasefire may be brokered, but Hamas is still alive—and so too are its ambitions. 

Ksenia Svetlova writes for RDI’s The Next Move on Hamas’s position and what it means for the future of Gaza. 

Comey Indictment: It’s Mafia Politics and Trump Is the Don Pam Bondi and Kash Patel are on their way to becoming the president's "made men."

“Losing power will soon become riskier than continuing to bend the law to Trump’s demands. Surrendering their position will mean exposure to consequences.”

RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social on Bondi, Patel, and mafia politics with Trump as the Don.

A Foreign Plot. A Test of American Freedom. Iran tried to murder activist Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn. Her case should rally Americans around our First Amendment freedoms.

Iran tried to murder RDI Frontline Fellow Masih Alinejad at her Brooklyn home.

When foreign powers silence dissenters from across the sea, they attack the promise of America itself.

Masih and RDI CEO @urielepshtein.bsky.social call on Americans to stand united for our core freedoms.

‘Dead Woman Walking—and Talking’ Two men hired to kill Masih Alinejad, the activist from Iran, are sentenced to prison.

Inside a courtroom on Wednesday, RDI Frontline Fellow Masih Alinejad stood just feet from her would-be assassins as a judge sentenced them to 25 years each.

RDI Senior Fellow @jaynordlinger.bsky.social ’s piece offers a powerful portrait of the moment—and the woman whose work inspires us all.

Is Trump The Kind of Guy Who Eats Last? On Hegseth and Trump’s speeches to the top brass and the idea of servant leadership.

Servant leadership requires humility & responsibility to others. With a president obsessed with spectacle & ego, can America’s troops still count on servant leadership from their Commander-in-Chief? 

RDI CEO @urielepshtein.bsky.social asks: Is Trump the kind of guy who eats last?

Is World War III Already Underway? Confronting the new Axis now might save a lot of lives later.

Threats of nuclear tests resuming and a global authoritarian axis on the rise. Is the world edging close to a global conflict—or is it already here? 

@garrykasparov.bsky.social traces the growing alignment of authoritarian powers and the urgent need to put the fire out now.

The Mamdani Effect Principled liberals should not be afraid of a thirty-something political liability. A clean break from far-left fanaticism is a moral imperative and a strategic necessity.

@garrykasparov.bsky.social’s message to the left: “Your extremists” are still extremists.

RDI Chairman Garry Kasparov examines how the Mamdani Effect is reshaping the party and why Democrats must cut ties with far-left fanaticism.

Facing My Would-Be Assassins Iranian dissident and RDI Frontline Fellow Masih Alinejad: The men hired to murder me were convicted. Now the US should stand up to the regime that sent them.

Iran sent assassins to kill RDI Frontline Fellow Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn. Yesterday she faced them in court.

With her would-be killers sentenced, revisit her reflection on a fearless stand against dictatorship—and a warning of what happens when terror takes root in the US.

Composer vs. Tyranny Arvo Pärt, the Estonian master who has just turned 90, went his own way musically and has always stood up for the oppressed.

“Arvo Pärt has stood for everything that the Soviet Union was not, and that other authoritarian states are not.”

RDI Senior Fellow @jaynordlinger.bsky.social on an Estonian dissident-composer’s transcendent art and defiance against cruelty.

The Mamdani Effect Principled liberals should not be afraid of a thirty-something political liability. A clean break from far-left fanaticism is a moral imperative and a strategic necessity.

@garrykasparov.bsky.social: “Principled liberals should not be afraid of a thirty-something political liability. A clean break from far-left fanaticism is a moral imperative and a strategic necessity.”

Read RDI’s Garry Kasparov on the Mamdani Effect.

The Next Move | Garry Kasparov | Substack In-depth analysis of the shifting frontlines in the battle against authoritarianism and strategic insights on what to do next. Click to read The Next Move, a Substack publication with tens of thousand...

⏳ Only 5 days left! Check out The Next Move by Friday, October 31 and learn how you can win a chess set signed by @garrykasparov.bsky.social .

Don’t miss your chance: www.thenextmove.org

We Need Free-Speech Consistency What you want for yourself, you have to grant to the other guy.

Free speech isn’t free if it’s selective. You have to want it for the other guy too.

RDI Senior Fellow @jaynordlinger.bsky.social exposes double standards and why consistency is essential to liberty.

Political Violence Is a National Security Problem America’s enemies have a history of exploiting our domestic dysfunction.

“When blood is spilled in our streets, unfriendly powers take notice.”

Violence at home endangers our democracy and empowers our enemies abroad. Jack Tomaricho on how political violence is a national security threat:

One Week Left to Win An Autographed Kasparov Chess Set Introducing Moves That Matter, a new weekly roundup to give you a strategic view on the news.

ICYMI: Moves That Matter is here—your weekly round up of the biggest stories shaping democracy’s frontlines.

We’re cutting through the chaos and keeping you one move ahead. Subscribe now.

Trump’s March on Chicago Trump used a thin pretext to invade LA. Now he aims to send the National Guard into Chicago and Portland—just because he can.

“There are waypoints on the road to democratic oblivion. Each one you pass makes it harder to turn around.”

@garrykasparov.bsky.social breaks down Trump’s National Guard deployments, exposing how sending American troops into American cities blurs the line between democracy and authoritarianism.

After Zelenskyy and Putin Meetings, What is Trump's Next Move in Ukraine? Reagan admin. official: Donald Trump missed two shots at Peace through Strength with Ukraine and Russia. He doesn’t have to strike out.

With Budapest talks off and new sanctions on Moscow, is Trump finally ready to outleverage Putin?

Revisit Greg Wilson’s take on how Trump can actually flip the script and deliver for Ukraine—if he’s ready to actually take on the Russian dictator.

One Week Left to Win An Autographed Kasparov Chess Set Introducing Moves That Matter, a new weekly roundup to give you a strategic view on the news.

Introducing Moves That Matter.

Authoritarianism moves fast. But so do we. Your weekly roundup of the biggest moves shaping democracy—with analysis to help you stay ahead of the board.

Plus, a chance to win a chess set signed by @garrykasparov.bsky.social.

Democratic Credibility Dies in the Chaos Chaos—or the perception of chaos—kills Democrats' credibility while extending Trump's political longevity.

“Anyone who cares about stopping the traitors needs to understand why the losers lose.”

@garrykasparov.bsky.social ’s message to Democrats: if you want to save democracy, stop being the party of chaos.

A Cynical Game: How Belarus’s Pro-Russia Dictator Plays the West Lukashenko is getting good press and sanctions relief. A Belarusian politician explains how the dictator does it—and how the Free World can stop losing.

For more on Belarus, RDI Frontline Fellow Andrei Sannikov exposes how Belarus’s authoritarian regime represses freedom, plays the West, and serves Moscow’s agenda.

A look into Lukashenko’s cynical game.

‘Don’t Forget Belarus’: A Political Prisoner’s Wife Speaks Out Natallia Pinchuk calls her husband, Nobel peace laureate Ales Bialiatski, an ‘extraordinary individual’ and shares hope for her nation: ‘We will definitely be free.’

“Fight for everyone who stands for truth and justice.”

RDI Senior Fellow @jaynordlinger.bsky.social's latest piece tells the story of a Belarusian political prisoner through his wife’s words. A personal look into the fight for freedom.

Schumer Was Right A former Republican Congressman responds to Garry’s piece “Schumer Was Wrong”

🧵(3/3) Former Rep. Mickey Edwards argued against a shutdown:

“Schumer acted in the public's interest—and may well have saved the Democratic Party from political suicide.”

Schumer Was Wrong The high cost of playing it safe.

🧵(2/3) @garrykasparov.bsky.social argued a shutdown was a necessary tool to hold the administration to account:

“Democracy does not die from a single blow. It erodes through a thousand missed chances to stand up."

🧵 (1/3) We’re three weeks into a grinding government shutdown and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Should Democrats have allowed a shutdown? We debated it in April.

In Ukraine, Renew Democracy Initiative is Matching Words with Action We don’t just talk about supporting freedom.

As Trump wavers on Ukraine, Russia continues its assault.

But Ukrainians refuse to give up—and so do we.

Here’s how we’re supporting Ukraine and putting our money where our mouth is. Read @jjsmart.bsky.social interview with RDI’s @urielepshtein.bsky.social

Opinion | Trump’s Mideast Playbook Is Prime for Ukraine Don’t drop the strongman shtick yet, writes Garry Kasparov.

RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social in @WSJ:

“Much like Hamas, Mr. Putin needs the war to cling to power. The only way it ends is with Ukrainian victory and Russian defeat.”

I Met Hamas’s Founders. The Palestinian Terror Group Can’t Surrender in Gaza. Hamas accepted Trump's Gaza ceasefire out of necessity, not conviction. Here's what the group's position means for the future of Palestine.

“The world may be tempted to herald a new dawn, hoping Trump’s plan signals a genuine turning point for Gaza, Israel, and the Middle East. However, Hamas is still very much alive.”

Ksenia Svetlova warns: History and experience demand caution.

A Movement, Not a One-Man Show There are enough one-man shows in the world of political punditry. The Next Move represents a team.

“There are enough one-man shows in political punditry. The Next Move represents a team.”

@garrykasparov.bsky.social highlights Next Move pieces from Uriel Epshtein, Jason Jay Smart, Caitlin Forrest, Evan Gottesman, Terry Virts, Sarah Mclaughlin, Jay Nordlinger, and Fatima Abo Alasrar.

How Trump Got a Gaza Ceasefire The very qualities that make Trump dangerous domestically made him uniquely capable of delivering a win in Gaza.

Vance is in Israel to reinforce a ceasefire born out of Trump’s authoritarian style @urielepshtein.bsky.social & @evangottesman.bsky.social break it down:

“The very qualities that make Trump dangerous domestically made him uniquely capable of delivering a win in Gaza.”

RDI Chairman @garrykasparov.bsky.social joined @velshi.com on @msnbc.com : “If you look at the trend, it indicates that they are not going to give up power voluntarily. Yes, we still have elections, but I’m afraid the 2026 midterm will be free but not fair.”

October 7 Exposed an Authoritarian Axis Before the Hamas attacks on Israel, Western policymakers refused to acknowledge a problem that ran from Gaza to Yemen through Iran, Russia, and China.

October 7 revealed a growing authoritarian axis.

With Trump-Putin talks looming and the Gaza ceasefire at risk, Fatima Abo Alasrar's piece warns: October 7 showed how bad actors coordinate to undermine democracies.