Ward Carroll

James Dean GIF ALT: James Dean GIF

Unpopular opinion: James Dean was really bad at acting.

The most important question around Double Tap Gate is what SECDEF did (or didn’t do) to set a tone that would maximize the potential that commanders in the field would make the most just and clear-eyed calls. “Kill everyone” is a sub-optimum starting point.

YouTube video by Ward Carroll Hegseth Throwing SEAL Admiral Under the Bus for "Double Tap"

Latest episode:

Ask Trump what a Zero Unit is next time he says Afghan refugees are horrible people.

When Secretary of “War” Hegseth tells the troops, “We will always have your backs,” what he means is, “we will be quick to throw you under the bus at the earliest opportunity.”

It makes no sense to me either. But we must trust that Trump always has a plan. There is no Trump but Trump and Don Jr is his messenger.

Never had to sign an NDA during strike planning and never felt the need to consult a JAG after reading an air tasking order.

If your matrix is war crime or murder, let’s just say you’ve ceded the moral high ground.

YouTube video by Ward Carroll "Seditious Six" Video Leads to Possible Court Martial of Senator Mark Kelly

Latest episode just posted:

Yep.

“It will take five years.”

They’re upping weapons production in parallel to buying American gear for the time being.

YouTube video by Ward Carroll Ukraine and NATO Reject Trump's Latest Peace Plan

Latest episode just posted (featuring @justin-br0nk.bsky.social):

NEW: All available reporting continues to indicate that the stipulations of the reported 28-point Russia-US peace plan amount to Ukraine’s full capitulation to Russia’s original war demands. 🧵(1/6)

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, Nov. 20, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar112025

#NotAGrift

I’m old enough to remember when cabinet members wouldn’t say the quiet part out loud.

A poster child for feckless/fearful military leadership in the era of Trump/Hegseth/Noem.

TLDR version of Trump’s new Ukraine peace plan: Surrender to your invaders to stop the fighting. And make your military smaller as punishment for being invaded.

Here’s Trump turning down the temperature on political violence because his sorrow about the death of Charlie Kirk is overwhelming.

“We’re all for exposing the bad guys who did bad things” except one bad guy in particular who owns our political futures.

YouTube video by Ward Carroll F-14 RIO's Quick Thinking Prevents Disaster Over a War Zone

New episode just posted:

The MAGAverse is learning the limits of the ends justifying the means.

Trying daily. Thanks.

Then I shan’t be highlighting you.

I don’t know what this means.

“Implies in practice”? 😐

Kash Patel’s Girlfriend Is Driving MAGA Nuts She’s litigious. They’re sexist. It’s a miasma of loathing.

If we said "Alexis Wilkins is suing right-wing commentators who've accused her of being a Mossad agent sent by Israel to stop Kash Patel from releasing the Epstein files," we'd sound nuts. We'd also be reporting straight news. ICYMI @willsommer.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/kash-patel...

Meeting good people at Purdue this week intensified my sense that this political landscape has forced too many of us into a binary matrix that is toxic, corrosive, and narrow-minded. I choose to use my platforms to highlight good people without concern for what that might yield at the extremes.

Bob Newhart remains the best.

We inherited” is the new “but her emails.” They take responsibility for nothing. Who deported workers in the food production industry? Who imposed massive tariffs on finished goods, agricultural products. and raw materials? Who promised to lower prices “on day one”?

Thanks for the shout out!