Max Boot
@maxboot.bsky.social
CFR fellow, Washington Post columnist. Pulitzer finalist for biography. Author: REAGAN: HIS LIFE AND LEGEND, NYT bestseller and NYT 10 best books of 2024. Man of many hats. Repost ≠ endorsement. maxboot.net.
Pinned
I know Alex. A true American patriot. What a great senator he would be.
I’m Alex Vindman and I’m running for the U.S. Senate. Chaos, corruption and sky-rocketing costs are crushing ordinary people, while the billionaires and career politicians profit.
I stepped up when my country needed a soldier and now I’m stepping up again to fight for Floridians.
I stepped up when my country needed a soldier and now I’m stepping up again to fight for Floridians.
January 27, 2026 at 2:11 PM
I know Alex. A true American patriot. What a great senator he would be.
Since October, 73% taken into ICE custody had no criminal conviction and only 5% had a violent criminal conviction, according to a Cato Institute review of ICE data. www.wsj.com/opinion/mass...
Opinion | Mass Deportation by the Numbers
ICE arrests are growing but fewer have a criminal history.
www.wsj.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Since October, 73% taken into ICE custody had no criminal conviction and only 5% had a violent criminal conviction, according to a Cato Institute review of ICE data. www.wsj.com/opinion/mass...
A moving article about the Challenger disaster by a reporter who covered the launch. Bureaucratic incompetence at NASA killed the crew including the “teacher in space.” www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
40 years later, a new look at lessons from the Challenger disaster
Christa McAuliffe’s flight as the “teacher in space” lasted 73 seconds. A reporter who witnessed the tragedy returned to the story and found an engineer still trying to spread its lessons.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:51 PM
A moving article about the Challenger disaster by a reporter who covered the launch. Bureaucratic incompetence at NASA killed the crew including the “teacher in space.” www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Max Boot
In all probability, the Board of Peace will be forgotten quickly. If it is remembered at all, it will be as a testament to Trump’s tendency to make everything — even, or perhaps especially, the noble search for world peace — all about his own self-aggrandizement. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | Trump’s Board of Peace is already floundering
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 4:19 PM
In all probability, the Board of Peace will be forgotten quickly. If it is remembered at all, it will be as a testament to Trump’s tendency to make everything — even, or perhaps especially, the noble search for world peace — all about his own self-aggrandizement. wapo.st/46dUKAF
All power is concentrated in the hands of the chairman. Barring a health crisis, Trump can run the Board of Peace as long as he likes, and he is empowered to choose his own successor. This is a model closer to the Trump Org than to the collective leadership of the UN or NATO. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | Trump’s Board of Peace is already floundering
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 27, 2026 at 12:16 PM
All power is concentrated in the hands of the chairman. Barring a health crisis, Trump can run the Board of Peace as long as he likes, and he is empowered to choose his own successor. This is a model closer to the Trump Org than to the collective leadership of the UN or NATO. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Reposted by Max Boot
@maxboot.bsky.social unmasks the "Board of Peace" as a family business modeled on the Trump Organization: "The designated chairman is not whoever happens to be president of the US but Trump personally," he can run it "as long as he likes" and choose his own successor. Gift link🎁 wapo.st/3Zx5wyd
Opinion | Trump’s Board of Peace is already floundering
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 27, 2026 at 3:55 AM
@maxboot.bsky.social unmasks the "Board of Peace" as a family business modeled on the Trump Organization: "The designated chairman is not whoever happens to be president of the US but Trump personally," he can run it "as long as he likes" and choose his own successor. Gift link🎁 wapo.st/3Zx5wyd
The Washington Post has a superb corps of dedicated foreign correspondents. I rely on their work and so do countless others. May that always be the case.
January 27, 2026 at 3:08 AM
The Washington Post has a superb corps of dedicated foreign correspondents. I rely on their work and so do countless others. May that always be the case.
From my colleague David Ignatius.
January 27, 2026 at 3:06 AM
From my colleague David Ignatius.
Reposted by Max Boot
“He doesn’t think of legacy in terms of policies enacted,” a Republican operative with ties to the administration told me. “It’s buildings he can leave behind and prizes he can win”. nymag.com/intelligence...
‘The Superhuman President’
A good-faith attempt to ascertain the truth about Donald Trump’s health.
nymag.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:10 PM
“He doesn’t think of legacy in terms of policies enacted,” a Republican operative with ties to the administration told me. “It’s buildings he can leave behind and prizes he can win”. nymag.com/intelligence...
If any members do ante up $1 billion to stay on the Board of Peace for more than 3 years, Trump could have access to a massive slush fund independent of Congress’s power of the purse—much like the Qatar bank accounts set up for the proceeds of Venezuelan oil sales overseen by the US. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | Trump’s Board of Peace is already floundering
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 10:33 PM
If any members do ante up $1 billion to stay on the Board of Peace for more than 3 years, Trump could have access to a massive slush fund independent of Congress’s power of the purse—much like the Qatar bank accounts set up for the proceeds of Venezuelan oil sales overseen by the US. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Reposted by Max Boot
In this week's episode of That 70s Movie Podcast, we explore the mysteries of Robert Altman's New Hollywood landmark The Long Goodbye [DP Vilmos Zsigmond/W Leigh Brackett]
w/Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt & Mr. Sterling Hayden: open.spotify.com/episode/35mG...
In the holy trinity of #70s neo-noirs
w/Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt & Mr. Sterling Hayden: open.spotify.com/episode/35mG...
In the holy trinity of #70s neo-noirs
January 26, 2026 at 9:03 PM
In this week's episode of That 70s Movie Podcast, we explore the mysteries of Robert Altman's New Hollywood landmark The Long Goodbye [DP Vilmos Zsigmond/W Leigh Brackett]
w/Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt & Mr. Sterling Hayden: open.spotify.com/episode/35mG...
In the holy trinity of #70s neo-noirs
w/Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt & Mr. Sterling Hayden: open.spotify.com/episode/35mG...
In the holy trinity of #70s neo-noirs
Reposted by Max Boot
You can see why many invitees to the Board of Peace are keeping a wary distance: They would rather the U.S. support existing international institutions (the White House just announced it was leaving 66 of them) instead of creating a new one dominated entirely by Trump. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | Trump’s Board of Peace is already floundering
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 3:23 PM
You can see why many invitees to the Board of Peace are keeping a wary distance: They would rather the U.S. support existing international institutions (the White House just announced it was leaving 66 of them) instead of creating a new one dominated entirely by Trump. wapo.st/46dUKAF
@jonrauch.bsky.social: If historians object that Trump is not a copy of Mussolini or Hitler or Franco, the reply is yes—but so what? Trump is building something new on old principles. He is showing us in real time what 21st-century American fascism looks like. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Yes, It’s Fascism
Until recently, I thought it a term best avoided. But now, the resemblances are too many and too strong to deny.
www.theatlantic.com
January 26, 2026 at 6:43 PM
@jonrauch.bsky.social: If historians object that Trump is not a copy of Mussolini or Hitler or Franco, the reply is yes—but so what? Trump is building something new on old principles. He is showing us in real time what 21st-century American fascism looks like. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Reposted by Max Boot
The execution of Alex Pretti is playing so badly because you can look at his actions and life story - his last act was helping, boy scout, athlete, health care worker to veterans - and compare those to the men who killed him and know which you would want to be your son, brother, father, uncle.
January 26, 2026 at 4:18 PM
The execution of Alex Pretti is playing so badly because you can look at his actions and life story - his last act was helping, boy scout, athlete, health care worker to veterans - and compare those to the men who killed him and know which you would want to be your son, brother, father, uncle.
In all probability, the Board of Peace will be forgotten quickly. If it is remembered at all, it will be as a testament to Trump’s tendency to make everything — even, or perhaps especially, the noble search for world peace — all about his own self-aggrandizement. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | Trump’s Board of Peace is already floundering
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 4:19 PM
In all probability, the Board of Peace will be forgotten quickly. If it is remembered at all, it will be as a testament to Trump’s tendency to make everything — even, or perhaps especially, the noble search for world peace — all about his own self-aggrandizement. wapo.st/46dUKAF
One former president is conspicuously missing. Didn't he espouse "compassionate conservatism"?
Two former presidents felt compelled to comment publicly
January 26, 2026 at 4:16 PM
One former president is conspicuously missing. Didn't he espouse "compassionate conservatism"?
Reposted by Max Boot
New from MN department of human services today: “New federal data release by the US Centers for Medicare/medicaid services shows the overall rate of improper payment in Minnesota’s Medicaid program is far below national averages.” 2.1% here compared to 6.1% nationally.
Tacit acknowledgement they've lost control of the narrative plus saving face via lawfare
January 26, 2026 at 2:51 PM
New from MN department of human services today: “New federal data release by the US Centers for Medicare/medicaid services shows the overall rate of improper payment in Minnesota’s Medicaid program is far below national averages.” 2.1% here compared to 6.1% nationally.
One current D.H.S. agent said that he had “always given the benefit of the doubt to the government in these situations” but said he now no longer believed “any of the statements they put out anymore.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
A Crisis of Confidence for ICE and Border Patrol as Clashes Escalate
www.nytimes.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:29 PM
One current D.H.S. agent said that he had “always given the benefit of the doubt to the government in these situations” but said he now no longer believed “any of the statements they put out anymore.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/u...
You can see why many invitees to the Board of Peace are keeping a wary distance: They would rather the U.S. support existing international institutions (the White House just announced it was leaving 66 of them) instead of creating a new one dominated entirely by Trump. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | Trump’s Board of Peace is already floundering
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 3:23 PM
You can see why many invitees to the Board of Peace are keeping a wary distance: They would rather the U.S. support existing international institutions (the White House just announced it was leaving 66 of them) instead of creating a new one dominated entirely by Trump. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Reposted by Max Boot
Trump’s contemplated annexation of Greenland and his attempt to create a Board of Peace are manifestations of the same impulse: Trump wants to do whatever he wants, wherever he wants, unconstrained by any checks or balances, and he would like to make a lot of money doing it. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | The Board of Peace is the Trump Organization, international edition
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Trump’s contemplated annexation of Greenland and his attempt to create a Board of Peace are manifestations of the same impulse: Trump wants to do whatever he wants, wherever he wants, unconstrained by any checks or balances, and he would like to make a lot of money doing it. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Ms. Rodríguez’s government has released some political prisoners, more than 200 according to rights groups, but hundreds remain behind bars. And some new prisoners have already taken the released detainees’ places, a … “revolving door” of repression. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/w...
In Venezuela, Freeing the Economy, but Nothing Else
www.nytimes.com
January 26, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Ms. Rodríguez’s government has released some political prisoners, more than 200 according to rights groups, but hundreds remain behind bars. And some new prisoners have already taken the released detainees’ places, a … “revolving door” of repression. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/w...
In all probability, the Board of Peace will be forgotten quickly. If it is remembered at all, it will be as a testament to Trump’s tendency to make everything — even, or perhaps especially, the noble search for world peace — all about his own self-aggrandizement. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | The Board of Peace is the Trump Organization, international edition
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 12:26 PM
In all probability, the Board of Peace will be forgotten quickly. If it is remembered at all, it will be as a testament to Trump’s tendency to make everything — even, or perhaps especially, the noble search for world peace — all about his own self-aggrandizement. wapo.st/46dUKAF
The best thing you can say for the Board of Peace is that it is the tribute vice pays to virtue. Just as dictators adopt the form of democracy (voting, constitutions, parliaments) but not its substance, so the Board of Peace adopts the form of multilateralism but not its substance. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | The Board of Peace is the Trump Organization, international edition
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 12:25 PM
The best thing you can say for the Board of Peace is that it is the tribute vice pays to virtue. Just as dictators adopt the form of democracy (voting, constitutions, parliaments) but not its substance, so the Board of Peace adopts the form of multilateralism but not its substance. wapo.st/46dUKAF
If any members ante up $1 billion to stay on the Board of Peace more than 3 years, Trump could have access to a massive slush fund independent of Congress’s power of the purse—much like the Qatar bank accounts set up for the proceeds of Venezuelan oil sales overseen by the US. wapo.st/46dUKAF
Opinion | The Board of Peace is the Trump Organization, international edition
Trump’s attempt to rival the U.N., with him in charge, is likely to disappear and be quickly forgotten.
wapo.st
January 26, 2026 at 12:24 PM
If any members ante up $1 billion to stay on the Board of Peace more than 3 years, Trump could have access to a massive slush fund independent of Congress’s power of the purse—much like the Qatar bank accounts set up for the proceeds of Venezuelan oil sales overseen by the US. wapo.st/46dUKAF