Elise Labott
@eliselabott.bsky.social
@CFR.org Edward R Murrow Press Fellow. Founder @zivvynews, @AmericanU, @CNN.com alum, truth seeker, proud Jersey girl.
I write Cosmopolitics on Substack
https://www.cosmopolitics.news
I write Cosmopolitics on Substack
https://www.cosmopolitics.news
There's suddenly a lot of backtracking on President Trump's 28-point plan for Ukraine. Now it's being called just a "framework" for negotiations. But even as a starting point, this isn't a peace plan. It's a surrender document
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/ukraine-on...
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/ukraine-on...
Ukraine on a platter
This Thanksgiving, Putin is thankful for Trump and his plan for Ukraine's surrender.
www.cosmopolitics.news
November 24, 2025 at 5:01 PM
There's suddenly a lot of backtracking on President Trump's 28-point plan for Ukraine. Now it's being called just a "framework" for negotiations. But even as a starting point, this isn't a peace plan. It's a surrender document
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/ukraine-on...
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/ukraine-on...
The GOP is facing the same crisis with Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson that it did in the 1960s with the John Birch Society. You cannot build a coalition on extremism and expect moderation to prevail.
thepreamble.com/p/the-birche...
thepreamble.com/p/the-birche...
The Bircher Playbook
Why the John Birch Society’s playbook outlasted its critics — and how it led to the crises now shaking the right.
thepreamble.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:12 PM
The GOP is facing the same crisis with Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson that it did in the 1960s with the John Birch Society. You cannot build a coalition on extremism and expect moderation to prevail.
thepreamble.com/p/the-birche...
thepreamble.com/p/the-birche...
MBS is trading w/ China, but his deals w/ Trump are betting Sadi’s economic future on American innovation. The partnerships being announced today across AI,advanced tech,and infrastructure could define the 21st century as profoundly as oil defined the 20th
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/mbs-comes-...
The next Aramco
MBS is trading with China, but his deals with Trump are betting Saudi Arabia’s economic future on American innovation
www.cosmopolitics.news
November 18, 2025 at 8:15 PM
MBS is trading w/ China, but his deals w/ Trump are betting Sadi’s economic future on American innovation. The partnerships being announced today across AI,advanced tech,and infrastructure could define the 21st century as profoundly as oil defined the 20th
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/mbs-comes-...
Like me, have you ever waited weeks (or months!) for a doctor's appointment? This one's for you. Let me know if it resonates.
thepreamble.com/p/the-doctor...
thepreamble.com/p/the-doctor...
The Doctor Shortage We Designed
America’s two-tier system is here: concierge care for the few, crowded waiting rooms for everyone else
thepreamble.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Like me, have you ever waited weeks (or months!) for a doctor's appointment? This one's for you. Let me know if it resonates.
thepreamble.com/p/the-doctor...
thepreamble.com/p/the-doctor...
The test isn’t whether al-Sharaa’s journey from Abu Ghraib to the Oval offends our sensibilities. It’s whether this partnership advances US interests, stabilizes Syria, and constrains Iran & ISIS while preventing the humanitarian catastrophe from worsening
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/trumps-syr...
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/trumps-syr...
Trump's Syria gambit
Whether the President's Syria policy is brilliant or just plain reckless depends entirely on execution
www.cosmopolitics.news
November 11, 2025 at 12:51 AM
The test isn’t whether al-Sharaa’s journey from Abu Ghraib to the Oval offends our sensibilities. It’s whether this partnership advances US interests, stabilizes Syria, and constrains Iran & ISIS while preventing the humanitarian catastrophe from worsening
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/trumps-syr...
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/trumps-syr...
At the White House today, Netanyahu will find himself in the familiar but uncomfortable position of managing Trump's expectations, as the president who green-lit the Iran strikes now demands payment in the form of a Gaza ceasefire that could threaten the very coalition keeping Netanyahu in power.
Gaza diplomacy crashes Bibi's victory lap
Trump thinks Iran strikes created leverage for a Gaza breakthrough. He plans to use it.
www.cosmopolitics.news
July 7, 2025 at 10:02 AM
At the White House today, Netanyahu will find himself in the familiar but uncomfortable position of managing Trump's expectations, as the president who green-lit the Iran strikes now demands payment in the form of a Gaza ceasefire that could threaten the very coalition keeping Netanyahu in power.
Ukraine has become the ultimate foreign policy test case for whether Donald Trump leads his MAGA movement or follows it—and whether his personal frustration with being outmaneuvered can override his base's ideological commitments.
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
Trump’s Ukraine Rorschach test
How Trump deals with Russia will determine whether he can lead his MAGA movement or must follow it
open.substack.com
June 4, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Ukraine has become the ultimate foreign policy test case for whether Donald Trump leads his MAGA movement or follows it—and whether his personal frustration with being outmaneuvered can override his base's ideological commitments.
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
The State Department has halted ALL new student visa interviews nationwide while expanding social media vetting. When we systematically reject global talent, they don't being brilliant - they build competing companies elsewhere.
thepreamble.com/p/first-harv...
thepreamble.com/p/first-harv...
First Harvard. Then 378,000 American Jobs.
It’s not just Ivy League politics — it’s your local community
thepreamble.com
May 29, 2025 at 12:34 PM
The State Department has halted ALL new student visa interviews nationwide while expanding social media vetting. When we systematically reject global talent, they don't being brilliant - they build competing companies elsewhere.
thepreamble.com/p/first-harv...
thepreamble.com/p/first-harv...
President Trump’s deal with the Houthis couldn't more nakedly embody his America First foreign policy. The Houthis stop attacking American ships; the U.S. halts its bombing campaign. But missing from the deal? Any protections whatsoever for American allies
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/a-convenie...
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/a-convenie...
A convenient truce
US-Houthi deal embodies President Trump's "America First" foreign policy
www.cosmopolitics.news
May 8, 2025 at 3:00 PM
President Trump’s deal with the Houthis couldn't more nakedly embody his America First foreign policy. The Houthis stop attacking American ships; the U.S. halts its bombing campaign. But missing from the deal? Any protections whatsoever for American allies
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/a-convenie...
www.cosmopolitics.news/p/a-convenie...
This White House statement is really telling:
“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.”
The U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, announced tonite, gives Trump something he’s long wanted: a financial stake in Ukraine’s future. It signals to Putin that Washington, under Trump, is no longer just cutting checks — it's investing.
May 1, 2025 at 6:23 PM
This White House statement is really telling:
“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.”
Moscow Mules were sooo 1960s
Hot Tale Happy Hour TODAY at 5:30 with me and @Danielle Pletka on Substack Live
open.substack.com/live-stream/...
Hot Tale Happy Hour TODAY at 5:30 with me and @Danielle Pletka on Substack Live
open.substack.com/live-stream/...
LIVE SOON: Elise Labott on Substack
Starting May 1 at 5:30 PM EDT
open.substack.com
May 1, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Moscow Mules were sooo 1960s
Hot Tale Happy Hour TODAY at 5:30 with me and @Danielle Pletka on Substack Live
open.substack.com/live-stream/...
Hot Tale Happy Hour TODAY at 5:30 with me and @Danielle Pletka on Substack Live
open.substack.com/live-stream/...
The U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, announced tonite, gives Trump something he’s long wanted: a financial stake in Ukraine’s future. It signals to Putin that Washington, under Trump, is no longer just cutting checks — it's investing.
May 1, 2025 at 2:42 AM
The U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, announced tonite, gives Trump something he’s long wanted: a financial stake in Ukraine’s future. It signals to Putin that Washington, under Trump, is no longer just cutting checks — it's investing.
What's most striking about Rubio's State Department reorganization is political theater surrounding it.. Behind the fiery rhetoric about "draining the bloated,bureaucratic swamp" and eliminating "radical ideologues" is a plan far less apocalyptic than many feared
open.substack.com/pub/statedep...
open.substack.com/pub/statedep...
A New State Department to Meet the Challenges of a New Era
Author: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
open.substack.com
April 23, 2025 at 2:24 AM
What's most striking about Rubio's State Department reorganization is political theater surrounding it.. Behind the fiery rhetoric about "draining the bloated,bureaucratic swamp" and eliminating "radical ideologues" is a plan far less apocalyptic than many feared
open.substack.com/pub/statedep...
open.substack.com/pub/statedep...
We are watching a bizarre cycle of destruction and recreation. Trump tore up a functional, if imperfect,agreement that had Iran's nuclear program in check. Iran responded by accelerating toward weapons capability.Now, Trump must negotiate a new deal to solve the very crisis his actions helped create
Trump's revolutionary, recycled Iran deal
But Trump may succeed because he possesses what Obama lacked
open.substack.com
April 17, 2025 at 4:36 PM
We are watching a bizarre cycle of destruction and recreation. Trump tore up a functional, if imperfect,agreement that had Iran's nuclear program in check. Iran responded by accelerating toward weapons capability.Now, Trump must negotiate a new deal to solve the very crisis his actions helped create
When the world loses faith in America's financial foundation, we all pay the price. open.substack.com/pub/sharonmc...
Gold Is Soaring, Treasury Bonds Are Crashing — What Does It All Mean?
One of the safest bets in the world is no longer safe — and it’s costing you.
open.substack.com
April 15, 2025 at 4:35 PM
When the world loses faith in America's financial foundation, we all pay the price. open.substack.com/pub/sharonmc...
Tariffs are just the beginning. The Trump administration is methodically dismantling the global economic architecture the United States itself built over 75 years and rewriting the rules of international commerce, finance, and monetary policy.
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
Tariffs are just the beginning
The Trump administration wants to rewrite the global economic system
open.substack.com
April 2, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Tariffs are just the beginning. The Trump administration is methodically dismantling the global economic architecture the United States itself built over 75 years and rewriting the rules of international commerce, finance, and monetary policy.
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has become something of a political cult hero on the right as a leader who has successfully quashed liberal influences.
"We didn't just talk about defeating the progressives and liberals," he told CPAC in 2023. "We actually did it."
thepreamble.com/p/who-is-vik...
"We didn't just talk about defeating the progressives and liberals," he told CPAC in 2023. "We actually did it."
thepreamble.com/p/who-is-vik...
Who is Viktor Orbán -- And Why Does the American Right Love Him?
When Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Mar-a-Lago last year, he posted photos with Donald Trump and Elon Musk, captioning them: "The future has begun!" Few Americans might recognize this E...
thepreamble.com
April 2, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has become something of a political cult hero on the right as a leader who has successfully quashed liberal influences.
"We didn't just talk about defeating the progressives and liberals," he told CPAC in 2023. "We actually did it."
thepreamble.com/p/who-is-vik...
"We didn't just talk about defeating the progressives and liberals," he told CPAC in 2023. "We actually did it."
thepreamble.com/p/who-is-vik...
Few Americans might recognize him, but Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has become something of a political cult hero on the right as a leader who has successfully resisted liberal influences. thepreamble.com/p/who-is-vik...
Who is Viktor Orbán -- And Why Does the American Right Love Him?
When Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Mar-a-Lago last year, he posted photos with Donald Trump and Elon Musk, captioning them: "The future has begun!" Few Americans might recognize this E...
thepreamble.com
April 2, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Few Americans might recognize him, but Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has become something of a political cult hero on the right as a leader who has successfully resisted liberal influences. thepreamble.com/p/who-is-vik...
My first Substack Live! We will talk about how China is swooping into exploit the US retreat and government cuts Hope you will tune in TOMORROW at 12:30p. Don’t forget to download the Substack app subscribe to Cosmopolitics so you get a notification when we start.
March 27, 2025 at 1:48 PM
My first Substack Live! We will talk about how China is swooping into exploit the US retreat and government cuts Hope you will tune in TOMORROW at 12:30p. Don’t forget to download the Substack app subscribe to Cosmopolitics so you get a notification when we start.
America's withdrawal has created a strategic vacuum that China is rushing to fill. The question is no longer whether America's retreat will create opportunities for China, but how quickly Beijing will seize them – and at what cost to the global order
thepreamble.com/p/like-a-lan...
thepreamble.com/p/like-a-lan...
“Like a Landlord Seeking Rent”
America was once seen as a force for moral legitimacy. The world thinks that has changed.
thepreamble.com
March 27, 2025 at 12:01 AM
America's withdrawal has created a strategic vacuum that China is rushing to fill. The question is no longer whether America's retreat will create opportunities for China, but how quickly Beijing will seize them – and at what cost to the global order
thepreamble.com/p/like-a-lan...
thepreamble.com/p/like-a-lan...
There's an unmistakable culture of casualness permeating this administration that tracesdirectly to the top. President Trump, who has made no secret of his disdain for traditional guardrails, redefined presidential technology norms from day one. x.com/eliselabott/...
Elise Labott on X: "There's an unmistakable culture of casualness permeating this administration that tracesdirectly to the top. President Trump, who has made no secret of his disdain for traditional guardrails, redefined presidential technology norms from day one. https://t.co/kJccqfDySp" / X
There's an unmistakable culture of casualness permeating this administration that tracesdirectly to the top. President Trump, who has made no secret of his disdain for traditional guardrails, redefined presidential technology norms from day one. https://t.co/kJccqfDySp
x.com
March 26, 2025 at 2:26 AM
There's an unmistakable culture of casualness permeating this administration that tracesdirectly to the top. President Trump, who has made no secret of his disdain for traditional guardrails, redefined presidential technology norms from day one. x.com/eliselabott/...
European leaders, former officials, and Russia experts—virtually everyone except President Trump—recognizes Putin's strategy: prolong negotiations while advancing militarily,exhaust Western resolve, and force Ukraine into a ceasefire that leaves it permanently vulnerable
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Russia’s Endgame
Putin wants total control of Ukraine. His recent diplomatic moves show it.
substack.com
March 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
European leaders, former officials, and Russia experts—virtually everyone except President Trump—recognizes Putin's strategy: prolong negotiations while advancing militarily,exhaust Western resolve, and force Ukraine into a ceasefire that leaves it permanently vulnerable
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Nothing says "America First" quite like pink-slipping 1,300 journalists who literally export American values for a living.
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
The muzzling of US-funded global media
Silencing America's voice to the world speaks volumes about what America is becoming.
open.substack.com
March 17, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Nothing says "America First" quite like pink-slipping 1,300 journalists who literally export American values for a living.
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
open.substack.com/pub/labott/p...
Here is what's missing from this conversation on USAID: It's a strategic instrument of American foreign policy, developed with bi-partisan support as a cost-effective way to advance our national interests without deploying troops or imposing sanctions. thepreamble.com/p/cutting-fo...
Cutting “Foreign Waste” Sounds Good. Until You See the Cost
From famine warnings to countering extremism, here’s what America is really losing by gutting USAID
thepreamble.com
March 12, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Here is what's missing from this conversation on USAID: It's a strategic instrument of American foreign policy, developed with bi-partisan support as a cost-effective way to advance our national interests without deploying troops or imposing sanctions. thepreamble.com/p/cutting-fo...