LightNews
stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt
@stephenwalt.bsky.social
3.5K followers 210 following 220 posts

Harvard professor, realist, FP columnist. Tennis enthusiast, amateur musician, pBute dad, & grateful husband. Troubled by the state of the world & looking for solutions. For speaking engagements contact John Bute at [email protected] .. more

Videos

Stephen Martin Walt is an American political scientist serving as the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of international relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. A member of the realist school of international relations, Walt has made important contributions to the theory of neorealism and has authored the balance of threat theory. Books that he has authored or coauthored include Origins of Alliances, Revolution and War, and The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. .. more

Political science 72%
Sociology 17%
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

nbcnews.com
NBC News @nbcnews.com · 19h
The U.S. says that it stands by its Philippine ally and emphasized their mutual defense treaty after vessels from China and the Philippines clashed amid heightened tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
U.S. backs Philippine ally after China warns over vessel clash
Earlier, Beijing urged Manila not to challenge its efforts to “safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests” after Sunday’s incident in the Spratly Islands.
nbcnews.to
1 15 36

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

aubreygilleran.bsky.social
Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 1d
Just absolutely ridiculous that in all likelihood, my state will have had different congressional maps in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2026, due to a combination of court orders and mid-cycle redistricting.
4 9 71

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Jonathan A. Eisen, John R. Hutchinson

gtconway.bsky.social
George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 1d
Find an event near you at nokings.org/#map.
24 390 1.2K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan , and 4 more

nickkristof.bsky.social
Nick Kristof @nickkristof.bsky.social · 1d
In Portland, an ambulance was summoned to the ICE office to treat an injured protester (not clear how he was injured). But when the patient was loaded inside, ICE officers refused to let the ambulance leave and threatened to shoot the ambulance driver: www.wweek.com/news/2025/10...
Documents Allege a Federal Agent at Portland ICE Threatened to Shoot an Ambulance Driver
Feds delayed medics who had come to pick up an injured protester. Then, according to confidential incident reports, the agents became aggressive.
www.wweek.com
210 1.9K 3.2K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Norbert Schwarz, Kate Starbird

simsjames.bsky.social
James Sims @simsjames.bsky.social · 2d
“We must be steadfast in opposition to extortion under the guise of dealmaking, and we must create alliances rooted in a common devotion to freedom of inquiry…We have rejected tyranny before, and we can do it again.” — Wesleyan University President @msroth.bsky.social in @thebulwark.com #HigherEd
What’s a College President to Do in the Trump Era?
Not going on bended knee to Washington would be a good start.
open.substack.com
33 91

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Jane E. Fountain, Sanford F. Schram , and 5 more

jessemermell.bsky.social
Jesse Mermell @jessemermell.bsky.social · 2d
He is 13. A 7th grader w/ a pending asylum case. Being held more than 500 miles from home & housed w/ adults. He called his mom crying, & reported that he’s sleeping on concrete w/ an aluminum blanket.

How is this anything other than sick & shameful? www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...
Everett 13-year-old arrested by ICE and sent to Virginia detention facility - The Boston Globe
The boy’s mother, Josiele Berto, was called to pick her son up from the Everett Police Department on Thursday, the day he was arrested.
www.bostonglobe.com
50 620 1K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Steve Peers

lincolnproject.us
The Lincoln Project @lincolnproject.us · 3d
Trump's approval rating is now -16%. If you're dissatisfied, you're not alone.
https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker
Donald Trump’s approval rating
Follow our presidential approval rating poll tracker to see how favourably Americans view Mr Trump
www.economist.com
120 540 2K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Philip Nel

jfallows.bsky.social
James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 3d
It's official:

-2025 is now a more threatening year for the survival of the republic than 1968.

-John Roberts will now go down in history as a worse chief justice than Roger "Dred Scott" Taney.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders
www.nytimes.com
29 260 720

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 3d
In Opinion | If President Trump wanted to help Portland, “there are many ways he could do so with the $10 million that was the estimated cost of his deployment of the Oregon National Guard,” our columnist Nicholas Kristof writes.
Opinion | Our Beautiful Portland Hellscape
With the millions being used to deploy troops to Portland, Trump could help with treatment for substance use, with emergency housing, with education.
nyti.ms
32 57 280

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Kim L. Scheppele, David C. Kimball , and 2 more

jfallows.bsky.social
James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 3d
Re-upping:

Excellent assessment of John "Roger Taney" Roberts.

In @harvardmagazine.bsky.social , by Lincoln Caplan.

As careful, legally informed, judicious-minded writer as you're going to find. With an unsparing judgment.

www.harvardmagazine.com/legal/suprem...
What Trump Means for John Roberts's Legacy | Harvard Magazine
Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.
www.harvardmagazine.com
35 190 450

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 3d
Thank you @jfallows.bsky.social for pointing out this utter garbage in the NYT. Shame on them!
jfallows.bsky.social
James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 3d
'Irresponsible both-sidesism' can become motto for US politics coverage.

'All the news that's fit to print' elsewhere.

(Reminder: Stories themselves are usually clear-eyed. But most people see only the headline and subhead—'hed and dek' in the parlance—and hed and dek are too often like this.)
davidcorn.bsky.social
David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 3d
A classic case of irresponsible both-sidesism from the NYT. The story is that Trump and MAGA propagandists are lying about Portland to incite a conflict, not that there are different views of the matter.
2 5

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Steve Peers, Frank C. Thames , and 1 more

70sbachchan.bsky.social
Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 3d
Argentina edition of Libertarian bible
24 530 2.2K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Cas Mudde, Richard S.J. Tol , and 17 more

robertscotthorton.bsky.social
Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 4d
Trump said he deserved a cut for brokering the TikTok deal, and at once there was agreement that his son Baron would have a top executive slot... though he hasn't asked for it, and has no apparent qualifications to hold it. This is how Trump 2.0 works. www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...
Barron Trump tipped for top TikTok job
US president’s 19-year-old son could be appointed to the app’s board
www.telegraph.co.uk
480 1.1K 2.5K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

jinglespigtails.bsky.social
Seann with two Ns @jinglespigtails.bsky.social · 4d
went out on my patio to document the hellscape
50 130 830

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Stephen M. Walt, Steven Heydemann , and 12 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d
Trump: "Portland, I mean -- every time I look at that place it's burning down. There are fires all over the place. When a store -- there are very few of them left -- but when a store owner rebuilds a store they build it out of plywood. They don't put up storefronts anymore. They just put wood up."
1.4K 490 2.4K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

owillis.bsky.social
Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 4d
Opposing a power mad despot is literally the most American thing an American can do. These guys got a lot wrong but they nailed that one. It is fundamental to the core of this country.
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
10 140 450

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

pavisuri.bsky.social
Pavithra Suryanarayan @pavisuri.bsky.social · 4d
Lots of ways to understand the contemporary moment but one is the role of owners of immobile assets - oil, gas, coal and land- who want to ensure they can continue to extract rents (and pollute) and who prefer an authoritarian set up to do so. Their threat perception rises with every new eco tech
joshchafetz.bsky.social
Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 4d
This is a hell of a contrast to news that BLM has canceled a solar project in Nevada that would have delivered 6.2 GW of power. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/b...
Why China Built 162 Square Miles of Solar Panels on the World’s Highest Plateau
www.nytimes.com
14 110 340

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

djpressman.bsky.social
Jeremy Pressman @djpressman.bsky.social · 4d
MIT to US Dept of Education:
"Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education."

Well done. United we stand, divided we fall.
2 78 380

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

ryanenos.bsky.social
Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 4d
This is a lie. This "compact" punishes the criticism of conservative ideas and imposes ideological tests on faculty and students. If you can't defend your proposals on an honest basis, then your proposals are bad.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...
11 32

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Jan W. Mueller, John Quiggin , and 6 more

filipecampante.bsky.social
Filipe Campante @filipecampante.bsky.social · 4d
It might be hard to convey to people outside economics just how seismic this is. The Trump effect has most certainly arrived to US academia.
florianscheuer.bsky.social
Florian Scheuer @florianscheuer.bsky.social · 5d
I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

🧵 1/7
9 130 450

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

alonpinkas.bsky.social
Alon Pinkas @alonpinkas.bsky.social · 4d
newrepublic.com/maz/article/...
@newrepublic.com
@mjtoma.bsky.social
“For years, Netanyahu manipulated American Presidents. He tricked Bill Clinton; he swindled Obama; he took Biden for a ride. Now he is trying to con you on Gaza, President Trump.”
newrepublic.com
1 2 1

Reposted by Dani Rodrik, Stephen M. Walt, Cas Mudde , and 51 more

florianscheuer.bsky.social
Florian Scheuer @florianscheuer.bsky.social · 5d
I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

🧵 1/7
25 190 980

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Melissa Johnson, Gerald Friedman , and 2 more

thetnholler.bsky.social
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 5d
🤷🏼
950 2.8K 11K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Lisa W. Fazio, Margaret Mitchell , and 25 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d
RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."
2.1K 2K 6.7K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Christopher Wright, Stacy D. VanDeveer

ryanenos.bsky.social
Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 5d
Call me old school, but I don't think a person illegally blowing up boats and unleashing masked goons on his citizens would be a serious candidate for a peace prize.
130 800 3.8K

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Matthew P. McAllister, Sheila R. Foster , and 1 more

npr.org
NPR @npr.org · 5d
For the first time on record, renewable energy generated more electricity for the planet than coal, a new report says. n.pr/47hcegr
Renewable energy outpaces coal for electricity generation in historic first, report says
For the first time on record, renewable energy generated more electricity for the planet than coal, a new report says.
n.pr
81 1.2K 3.2K

Reposted by Dani Rodrik, Stephen M. Walt, Scott L. Greer , and 3 more

ryanenos.bsky.social
Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 6d
Harvard (and all universities) must take a stand against Trump's extorionary "compact". Enos and Levitsky.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
Harvard Must Take a Stand Against Trump’s Compact | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson
Harvard, rather than quietly pursuing its own appeasement strategy, should lead the way to preserve academic freedom and democracy.
www.thecrimson.com
6 83 260

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Bessma Momani

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 6d
Siva Vaidhyanathan on the Trump admin’s proposed “compact” for universities (to give up academic freedom in exchange for favorable treatment by the Trump government): “This ‘compact’ is more like an invitation to borrow money from the mob, with substantial control and future penalties assured.”
sivav.bsky.social
Siva @sivav.bsky.social · 6d
And from me:

newrepublic.com/article/2013...
Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down
How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education
newrepublic.com
2 26 86

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

nytpitchbot.bsky.social
NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 6d
Since taking office, President Trump has used his cryptocurrency to accept billions of dollars from foreign entities. Here's our bombshell exposé of a land deal that Hunter Biden pursued in Romania in 2017.
7 100 720

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

georgetakei.bsky.social
George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 6d
This you, Kristi?
A screenshot of a post from X (formerly Twitter). The top tweet is from user @covie_93 with the caption: “This tweet aged like Stephen Miller…..”. Below it is a tweet from Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) that reads: “If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on states' rights. Over the last several years, we've seen Democrats try to take away our Freedoms of religion, assembly, and speech. We can't let them take away our right to defend ourselves, too. South Dakota defends the Constitution.”
96 1K 3.3K