Jim Goldgeier
@jimgoldgeier.bsky.social
Prof/ex-dean, American University School of International Service; senior advisor, Bridging the Gap; Research Affiliate, Stanford; Non-resident fellow, Kennan Institute. Views are my own. www.jamesgoldgeier.com.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
November 25, 2025 at 6:03 PM
“It’s a house. It’s not a hotel. It’s not a club.” www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...
What’s going on with Trump’s gold ‘Oval Office’ sign?
We asked design experts to read the writing on the White House wall and tell us what they see.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:06 PM
“It’s a house. It’s not a hotel. It’s not a club.” www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
“Ukraine does not need more plans. It needs partners who understand the enemy we are fighting and who understand that real peace comes only when aggression is defeated, not rewarded.”
londonlovesbusiness.com/the-28-point...
londonlovesbusiness.com/the-28-point...
The 28-point 'Peace Plan': A crisis of trust, influence and strategic delusion - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
Explore the implications of The 28-point 'Peace Plan' and its links to Russian proposals amid a political earthquake.
londonlovesbusiness.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:40 PM
“Ukraine does not need more plans. It needs partners who understand the enemy we are fighting and who understand that real peace comes only when aggression is defeated, not rewarded.”
londonlovesbusiness.com/the-28-point...
londonlovesbusiness.com/the-28-point...
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
“‘You tell him,“‘I’m going to try to get a deal.“ He will say, “Great, go see what you can do.“ And that’s the level of detail he has,’ the official said, later adding, ‘It’s been absolute chaos all day because even different parts of the White House don’t know what’s going on. It’s embarrassing.’”
Hard to know what’s going on with respect to these discussions but the sentence that rings most true in this piece is “It’s embarrassing.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
U.S., Ukraine agree to change draft of peace plan that appeased Russia
Negotiators had been working off an early proposal that bipartisan lawmakers say would further destabilize global security and reward Russia after its 2022 invasion.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:31 PM
“‘You tell him,“‘I’m going to try to get a deal.“ He will say, “Great, go see what you can do.“ And that’s the level of detail he has,’ the official said, later adding, ‘It’s been absolute chaos all day because even different parts of the White House don’t know what’s going on. It’s embarrassing.’”
Hard to know what’s going on with respect to these discussions but the sentence that rings most true in this piece is “It’s embarrassing.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
U.S., Ukraine agree to change draft of peace plan that appeased Russia
Negotiators had been working off an early proposal that bipartisan lawmakers say would further destabilize global security and reward Russia after its 2022 invasion.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Hard to know what’s going on with respect to these discussions but the sentence that rings most true in this piece is “It’s embarrassing.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
House Dem Rep Jason Crow on CBS:
"It's also so telling that when members of Congress simply remind service members of the Constitution and their duty to obey the law that he cannot handle that and he resorts to threats of violence and arrest and execution. That tells you everything you need to know"
"It's also so telling that when members of Congress simply remind service members of the Constitution and their duty to obey the law that he cannot handle that and he resorts to threats of violence and arrest and execution. That tells you everything you need to know"
November 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
House Dem Rep Jason Crow on CBS:
"It's also so telling that when members of Congress simply remind service members of the Constitution and their duty to obey the law that he cannot handle that and he resorts to threats of violence and arrest and execution. That tells you everything you need to know"
"It's also so telling that when members of Congress simply remind service members of the Constitution and their duty to obey the law that he cannot handle that and he resorts to threats of violence and arrest and execution. That tells you everything you need to know"
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
These accounts are likely “digital marketing” assets (common business in countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines) but someone else is paying for those accounts. It’s nearly impossible to trace.
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
November 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM
These accounts are likely “digital marketing” assets (common business in countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines) but someone else is paying for those accounts. It’s nearly impossible to trace.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
Russian military reportedly executes 5 Ukrainian POWs #Ukraine
Russian military reportedly executes 5 Ukrainian POWs
kyivindependent.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Russian military reportedly executes 5 Ukrainian POWs #Ukraine
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
CASSIDY: I know it's titillating, but I think we need to move beyond the titillation
TAPPER: This isn't about titillation. This is about the fact that you are the chairman of the health committee and you voted to confirm somebody that by all accounts is actually making America less healthy
TAPPER: This isn't about titillation. This is about the fact that you are the chairman of the health committee and you voted to confirm somebody that by all accounts is actually making America less healthy
November 23, 2025 at 2:42 PM
CASSIDY: I know it's titillating, but I think we need to move beyond the titillation
TAPPER: This isn't about titillation. This is about the fact that you are the chairman of the health committee and you voted to confirm somebody that by all accounts is actually making America less healthy
TAPPER: This isn't about titillation. This is about the fact that you are the chairman of the health committee and you voted to confirm somebody that by all accounts is actually making America less healthy
The level of incompetence is stunning.
Stunning development: Senators now confirm the Trump admin’s 28-point “peace plan” for Ukraine wasn’t a U.S. plan at all. It was a Russian wish list. Follow along. This is crazy. 1/
November 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The level of incompetence is stunning.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
To put this more bluntly, Europe has largely outsourced its foreign policy to America since WWII. This has created the illusion within the EU that foreign policy remains a national “competency.” It’s not. So if Europe wants a bigger voice it needs to speak as Europe.
Europe has a foreign policy problem. It does need to engage in these talks and doing so as 7 or 8 leaders just doesn't work. It makes it easy to work around Europe. So the EU should pick a special envoy - perhaps the fmr Finnish president Niinisto or a Draghi type to engage on behalf of Europe.
No formal "counter-proposal" from Europeans in Geneva - whose leaders instead agreed to try to dilute or amend US-Russian draft to keep Trump onside - but a list of demands on UA territory, size of army & EU control over frozen assets & sanctions
w @christopherjm.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/9e11...
w @christopherjm.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/9e11...
November 23, 2025 at 4:46 PM
To put this more bluntly, Europe has largely outsourced its foreign policy to America since WWII. This has created the illusion within the EU that foreign policy remains a national “competency.” It’s not. So if Europe wants a bigger voice it needs to speak as Europe.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
It is good to see the pushback on Trump lead to real losses for him. But it's hard to be optimistic when he still wields the enormous power of the presidency. ICE is still rampaging, HHS is harming people, the U.S. may be about to sell out Ukraine, the boat strikes...he's still doing so much damage.
November 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM
It is good to see the pushback on Trump lead to real losses for him. But it's hard to be optimistic when he still wields the enormous power of the presidency. ICE is still rampaging, HHS is harming people, the U.S. may be about to sell out Ukraine, the boat strikes...he's still doing so much damage.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
👇🎯💯
It will take aggressive policy responses, fundamental institutional reforms, a sh*tton of public $$, & a lot of people being prosecuted & jailed for their lawless authoritarian crimes. If it takes generations, it will be the failure of government & imagination & elite accountability. Again.
It will take aggressive policy responses, fundamental institutional reforms, a sh*tton of public $$, & a lot of people being prosecuted & jailed for their lawless authoritarian crimes. If it takes generations, it will be the failure of government & imagination & elite accountability. Again.
I pushback on it’s going to take generations to undo whatever stupid thing Trump is doing analysis. It won’t if people (white people) decide they give a fuck about a functional government.
November 22, 2025 at 5:37 PM
👇🎯💯
It will take aggressive policy responses, fundamental institutional reforms, a sh*tton of public $$, & a lot of people being prosecuted & jailed for their lawless authoritarian crimes. If it takes generations, it will be the failure of government & imagination & elite accountability. Again.
It will take aggressive policy responses, fundamental institutional reforms, a sh*tton of public $$, & a lot of people being prosecuted & jailed for their lawless authoritarian crimes. If it takes generations, it will be the failure of government & imagination & elite accountability. Again.
It isn’t a peace plan. A peace plan would seek to ensure Ukrainians can live in peace.
⚡️ Sen. Lindsey Graham says parts of the US peace plan are “very problematic.”
November 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM
It isn’t a peace plan. A peace plan would seek to ensure Ukrainians can live in peace.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
If you had told me Mamdani and MTG would both be in the news today, and gave me eleventy thousand guesses as to why, I’d … still be guessing.
November 22, 2025 at 1:39 AM
If you had told me Mamdani and MTG would both be in the news today, and gave me eleventy thousand guesses as to why, I’d … still be guessing.
Children will die from preventable diseases because of him.
Breaking News: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he personally instructed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism. The move underscores his determination to challenge scientific orthodoxy — in this case, that vaccines save lives — and bend the health department to his will.
RFK Jr. Says He Instructed CDC to Change Vaccines and Autism Language on Website
In an interview, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited gaps in vaccine safety research. His critics say he is ignoring a larger point: Vaccines save lives.
nyti.ms
November 21, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Children will die from preventable diseases because of him.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
NEW: Federal prison workers are jumping ship & heading to ICE for better pay + bonuses. Already BOP lost >1400 people this year, reversing all of 2024’s staffing gains. It’s an unintended consequence of Trump’s push for mass deportations
My 1st for @propublica.org
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
My 1st for @propublica.org
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
As Federal Prisons Run Low on Food and Toilet Paper, Corrections Officers Leave in Droves for ICE
Many of the problems the agency is facing now are not new, but staff and prisoners fear an exodus of officers could make life behind bars even worse.
www.propublica.org
November 21, 2025 at 6:38 PM
NEW: Federal prison workers are jumping ship & heading to ICE for better pay + bonuses. Already BOP lost >1400 people this year, reversing all of 2024’s staffing gains. It’s an unintended consequence of Trump’s push for mass deportations
My 1st for @propublica.org
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
My 1st for @propublica.org
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
Good details here.
Here is my read of the "peace plan" and how Kirill Dmitriev played the American media to force this thing into being -- with an incompetent White House scrambling to make it seem like this was somehow coordinated and well-planned. open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...
“He Must Have Got This From K.”
How a Russian operative used the American media to force a risible “peace deal” into existence
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Good details here.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
President Zelenskyy will be speaking today with Vice President JD Vance on this. We should all remember that JD Vance once said he doesn't really care what happens to Ukraine.
This is not a peace deal and it’s not asking anything of the Russians. It’s just the US on behalf of the Russians pressuring Ukraine to surrender www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
U.S. pushing Ukraine to sign peace deal by Thanksgiving or lose support
The U.S. is now sending “signals” that everything could be off the table if Kyiv does not quickly sign a proposal, which was drawn up by special envoy Witkoff.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:48 PM
President Zelenskyy will be speaking today with Vice President JD Vance on this. We should all remember that JD Vance once said he doesn't really care what happens to Ukraine.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
It looks like Ukraine will reach the moment it has been fearing but also probably preparing for: the end of US support.
Ukraine simply cannot agree to this surrender document. It is not losing the war (it is not winning either). It can and will fight on. Time for Europe to step up.... sigh.
Ukraine simply cannot agree to this surrender document. It is not losing the war (it is not winning either). It can and will fight on. Time for Europe to step up.... sigh.
This is not a peace deal and it’s not asking anything of the Russians. It’s just the US on behalf of the Russians pressuring Ukraine to surrender www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
U.S. pushing Ukraine to sign peace deal by Thanksgiving or lose support
The U.S. is now sending “signals” that everything could be off the table if Kyiv does not quickly sign a proposal, which was drawn up by special envoy Witkoff.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:16 PM
It looks like Ukraine will reach the moment it has been fearing but also probably preparing for: the end of US support.
Ukraine simply cannot agree to this surrender document. It is not losing the war (it is not winning either). It can and will fight on. Time for Europe to step up.... sigh.
Ukraine simply cannot agree to this surrender document. It is not losing the war (it is not winning either). It can and will fight on. Time for Europe to step up.... sigh.
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
Mark my words, teaching will be next.
The regime is targeting loans for traditionally female occupations.
The regime is targeting loans for traditionally female occupations.
I realized it was only a matter of time for other professions once I heard the professional, moral, intellectual & ethical requirements to be POTUS were completely eliminated. 🤷🏻♀️
November 21, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Mark my words, teaching will be next.
The regime is targeting loans for traditionally female occupations.
The regime is targeting loans for traditionally female occupations.
“Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room,” Leavitt said. Wait, so the reporter is a “piggy”? www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
White House defends Trump calling female reporter ‘Piggy’
The president has escalated his attacks on the press amid political blowback for his handling of files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:42 PM
“Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room,” Leavitt said. Wait, so the reporter is a “piggy”? www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Jim Goldgeier
Personnel is policy. There's a reason most civil servants sit for some sort of exam. Yes, examination and credentialing cause delays in hiring. But civil servants serve in a position of public trust and you want to make sure they are qualified. Otherwise you end up in *waves wildly at DHS*.
ESQUIRE: “ICE is hiring literally anybody, and it’s terrifying… people who flunk the exam, criminal records… yet they’re allowed to tear children from their beds at night.”
www.esquire.com/news-politic...
www.esquire.com/news-politic...
November 21, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Personnel is policy. There's a reason most civil servants sit for some sort of exam. Yes, examination and credentialing cause delays in hiring. But civil servants serve in a position of public trust and you want to make sure they are qualified. Otherwise you end up in *waves wildly at DHS*.
This is not a peace deal and it’s not asking anything of the Russians. It’s just the US on behalf of the Russians pressuring Ukraine to surrender www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
U.S. pushing Ukraine to sign peace deal by Thanksgiving or lose support
The U.S. is now sending “signals” that everything could be off the table if Kyiv does not quickly sign a proposal, which was drawn up by special envoy Witkoff.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:09 PM
This is not a peace deal and it’s not asking anything of the Russians. It’s just the US on behalf of the Russians pressuring Ukraine to surrender www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...