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
Reposted by Max Boot
As Trump focuses on hunting down undocumented immigrants, DHS agents have been diverted from investigating sex crimes against children, human smuggling and Iranian black market oil sales used to fund terrorism, @nytimes.com investigation finds. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
The Department of Deportation
www.nytimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 2:07 PM
As Trump focuses on hunting down undocumented immigrants, DHS agents have been diverted from investigating sex crimes against children, human smuggling and Iranian black market oil sales used to fund terrorism, @nytimes.com investigation finds. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
Reposted by Max Boot
Just in the past 3 days, I happened to speak to an academic, a US politician and a former Biden official who had all received death threats and severe harassment from the MAGA movement. It's now a common experience. I am sorry MTG has to live through the same thing, but she can't be surprised
MTG: “.. “I am now being contacted by private security firms with warnings for my safety as a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world. .. The man I supported and helped get elected.”
@mediaite.com #GA14
www.mediaite.com/media/news/m...
@mediaite.com #GA14
www.mediaite.com/media/news/m...
November 15, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Just in the past 3 days, I happened to speak to an academic, a US politician and a former Biden official who had all received death threats and severe harassment from the MAGA movement. It's now a common experience. I am sorry MTG has to live through the same thing, but she can't be surprised
Trump’s bid Friday to soothe consumers by dropping tariffs on a wide array of groceries — contradicting his repeated claims that the levies were not affecting retail prices — shows he is on the defensive over his signature policy initiative. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Trump plays defense on tariffs as Americans face rising food prices
The rollback of import taxes on coffee, bananas and many other foods is the latest sign that the administration could be forced to shift course.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Trump’s bid Friday to soothe consumers by dropping tariffs on a wide array of groceries — contradicting his repeated claims that the levies were not affecting retail prices — shows he is on the defensive over his signature policy initiative. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Trump keeps criticizing electromagnetic catapults. Yet that is precisely the technology that China is using in its latest aircraft carrier to speed up aircraft launches. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
China’s new aircraft supercarrier challenges U.S. dominance in Pacific
The Fujian and its strike group represent a strategic game changer that will bring Beijing closer to its goal of eroding U.S. maritime primacy in its backyard.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Trump keeps criticizing electromagnetic catapults. Yet that is precisely the technology that China is using in its latest aircraft carrier to speed up aircraft launches. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Reposted by Max Boot
MAGA loyalists will go wherever Trump leads, and a lot of them actually seem to appreciate the discordant combination of Trump mediating conflicts while simultaneously saber-rattling, writes @maxboot.bsky.social.
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:13 PM
MAGA loyalists will go wherever Trump leads, and a lot of them actually seem to appreciate the discordant combination of Trump mediating conflicts while simultaneously saber-rattling, writes @maxboot.bsky.social.
The opinion states that drug cartels are selling drugs to finance a campaign of violence and extortion, according to four people. That assertion… runs counter to the conventional wisdom that traffickers use violence to protect their drug business. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
U.S. troops not liable in boat strikes, classified Justice Dept. memo says
In a classified memo, the Trump administration’s Office of Legal Counsel said that U.S. troops would not be liable for participating in boat strikes on alleged narco-traffickers.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:08 PM
The opinion states that drug cartels are selling drugs to finance a campaign of violence and extortion, according to four people. That assertion… runs counter to the conventional wisdom that traffickers use violence to protect their drug business. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Giving a nation’s leader legal immunity is a sign of democratic corrosion. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
Pakistan’s Army Chief Gets Expanded Powers and Lifelong Immunity
www.nytimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Giving a nation’s leader legal immunity is a sign of democratic corrosion. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
Wonder what JD Vance thinks of this?
Hegseth: "We don't need to be a military of beardos anymore. Do you know how many troops claim to be Nordic Pagan? No, suddenly it's become this real fake religious affiliation inside the Pentagon where troops came to be Nordic Pagan so they can grow a beard and nobody challenges them on it."
November 12, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Wonder what JD Vance thinks of this?
Odds of Venezuela getting bombed just went up. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
House Democrats release Epstein email that claimed Trump ‘spent hours’ with victim
In the 2011 email, the disgraced financier wrote to Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump had “spent hours at my house” with one of Epstein’s victims and that encounter “has never once been mentioned” by polic...
www.washingtonpost.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Odds of Venezuela getting bombed just went up. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
“It is academically rigorous while still being highly readable and engaging, capturing the many complexities and contradictions of the late president.”
One historian's reaction to my Reagan biography. Read the whole thing at H-Diplo. networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
One historian's reaction to my Reagan biography. Read the whole thing at H-Diplo. networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
H-Diplo|Jervis Forum Roundtable 17-15 on Boot, _Reagan_ | H-Net
The Jervis ForumH-Diplo | Robert Jervis International Security Studies ForumRoundtable Review 17-15Max Boot, Reagan: His Life and Legacy. W.W. Norton & Company, 2024. ISBN: 9780871409447.
networks.h-net.org
November 12, 2025 at 3:17 PM
“It is academically rigorous while still being highly readable and engaging, capturing the many complexities and contradictions of the late president.”
One historian's reaction to my Reagan biography. Read the whole thing at H-Diplo. networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
One historian's reaction to my Reagan biography. Read the whole thing at H-Diplo. networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
“I’ve talked to a number of my colleagues who said, ‘I’m so glad you did that, but I’m not I’m not going to vote with you,’” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) told The Washington Post’s Theodoric Meyer and a small group of reporters in a Monday interview. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Column | ‘Not an easy call’: The Democrats who struggled with their shutdown vote
A significant bloc of Senate Democrats opposed the controversial vote but are glad the stalemate has ended.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:53 PM
“I’ve talked to a number of my colleagues who said, ‘I’m so glad you did that, but I’m not I’m not going to vote with you,’” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) told The Washington Post’s Theodoric Meyer and a small group of reporters in a Monday interview. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Max Boot
It's bizarre for a president who brags about all the wars he’s ended to suggest going “guns-a-blazing” into Nigeria. Or, potentially, into Venezuela: Trump has now assembled the largest U.S. naval armada in the Caribbean since 1962, and he is blustering about toppling Maduro. wapo.st/49bKyew
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 12:31 PM
It's bizarre for a president who brags about all the wars he’s ended to suggest going “guns-a-blazing” into Nigeria. Or, potentially, into Venezuela: Trump has now assembled the largest U.S. naval armada in the Caribbean since 1962, and he is blustering about toppling Maduro. wapo.st/49bKyew
In a significant blow to the Trump administration’s anti-narcotics operations in the region, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday he was revoking intelligence sharing with the United States while the boat strikes continued. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Venezuela orders massive mobilization as U.S. aircraft carrier approaches
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said that Venezuela would put the entire country’s military arsenal at the ready, including its militia and almost 200,000 soldiers.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:39 AM
In a significant blow to the Trump administration’s anti-narcotics operations in the region, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday he was revoking intelligence sharing with the United States while the boat strikes continued. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Max Boot
The great @maxboot is absolutely right. Trump’s foreign policy is erratic, unprincipled, amd completely devoid of any strategic vision.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The great @maxboot is absolutely right. Trump’s foreign policy is erratic, unprincipled, amd completely devoid of any strategic vision.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Reposted by Max Boot
Trump’s pronouncements are so often unexpected and disconnected from reality that they leave foreign policy scholars, and foreign leaders, bewildered. wapo.st/49bKyew
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Trump’s pronouncements are so often unexpected and disconnected from reality that they leave foreign policy scholars, and foreign leaders, bewildered. wapo.st/49bKyew
Reposted by Max Boot
NEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
Exclusive: UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break | CNN Politics
The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes ...
edition.cnn.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:06 PM
NEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
“We are not at war” with Russia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said recently, “but we are no longer at peace either.” www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Europe Is in a Gray Zone Between War and Peace
The continent’s leaders suspect Russia of being behind an intensifying barrage of increasingly disruptive attacks.
www.wsj.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:52 PM
“We are not at war” with Russia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said recently, “but we are no longer at peace either.” www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Ramesh Ponnuru: Congress and the president could decommission this useless but harmful weapon by agreeing on legislation to keep the government funded even when the parties can’t agree on spending bills. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Once again, a pointless shutdown. Shut ’em down permanently.
The party that shuts down the government rarely wins anything. This time, it’s the Democrats’ turn.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Ramesh Ponnuru: Congress and the president could decommission this useless but harmful weapon by agreeing on legislation to keep the government funded even when the parties can’t agree on spending bills. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
When conservatives shut down the government in 2013 over a foolhardy attempt to defund Obamacare, many Republicans who knew better went along because they were scared of angry activists. The exact same thing just happened to Dems, and it’s ending the same way. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | The shutdown was always going to end like this
Eight Democratic senators deserve credit for breaking ranks.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:40 PM
When conservatives shut down the government in 2013 over a foolhardy attempt to defund Obamacare, many Republicans who knew better went along because they were scared of angry activists. The exact same thing just happened to Dems, and it’s ending the same way. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Reposted by Max Boot
A president who is cutting foreign aid to the world’s poorest countries is committing $20 billion to rescue Argentina from its fiscal irresponsibility. This looks like an Argentina First foreign policy and it isn’t motivated by US national security interests. wapo.st/49bKyew
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 10:35 PM
A president who is cutting foreign aid to the world’s poorest countries is committing $20 billion to rescue Argentina from its fiscal irresponsibility. This looks like an Argentina First foreign policy and it isn’t motivated by US national security interests. wapo.st/49bKyew
A president who is cutting foreign aid to the world’s poorest countries is committing $20 billion to rescue Argentina from its fiscal irresponsibility. This looks like an Argentina First foreign policy and it isn’t motivated by US national security interests. wapo.st/49bKyew
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 10:35 PM
A president who is cutting foreign aid to the world’s poorest countries is committing $20 billion to rescue Argentina from its fiscal irresponsibility. This looks like an Argentina First foreign policy and it isn’t motivated by US national security interests. wapo.st/49bKyew
Reposted by Max Boot
now they've done it www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Italian Pasta Is Poised to Disappear From American Grocery Shelves
The Trump administration is set to impose duties of 107% on Italian pasta imports, among most punitive of the tariffs it has levied.
www.wsj.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:51 PM
now they've done it www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Trump’s pronouncements are so often unexpected and disconnected from reality that they leave foreign policy scholars, and foreign leaders, bewildered. wapo.st/49bKyew
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Trump’s pronouncements are so often unexpected and disconnected from reality that they leave foreign policy scholars, and foreign leaders, bewildered. wapo.st/49bKyew
Reposted by Max Boot
"Trump’s pronouncements are so often unexpected and disconnected from reality that they leave foreign policy scholars, and foreign leaders, bewildered," @maxboot.bsky.social writes. https://wapo.st/4p3JrlQ
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 7:45 PM
"Trump’s pronouncements are so often unexpected and disconnected from reality that they leave foreign policy scholars, and foreign leaders, bewildered," @maxboot.bsky.social writes. https://wapo.st/4p3JrlQ
Reposted by Max Boot
Why threaten to attack Venezuela or Nigeria? Why vow to test nuclear weapons? Why bail out Argentina? It makes little sense, but the incoherence of Trump’s approach also doesn’t much matter, certainly not to most of his followers. wapo.st/49bKyew
Opinion | Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation
Many MAGA loyalists don’t bat an eye as Trump mediates conflicts while also saber-rattling.
wapo.st
November 10, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Why threaten to attack Venezuela or Nigeria? Why vow to test nuclear weapons? Why bail out Argentina? It makes little sense, but the incoherence of Trump’s approach also doesn’t much matter, certainly not to most of his followers. wapo.st/49bKyew