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
Sen. Kevin Cramer was fuming after watching a video of Trump’s insults. Trying to defend him, Cramer insisted, “Christians in Nigeria are feeling good about Trump.” A few minutes later came the first question: “I’m a Christian from Nigeria, and I’m not feeling good about Trump.” wapo.st/4oZH3wz
Opinion | America has become a rogue nation. U.S. allies are looking elsewhere.
Europeans and Canadians are talking about making their own security arrangements.
wapo.st
November 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Sen. Kevin Cramer was fuming after watching a video of Trump’s insults. Trying to defend him, Cramer insisted, “Christians in Nigeria are feeling good about Trump.” A few minutes later came the first question: “I’m a Christian from Nigeria, and I’m not feeling good about Trump.” wapo.st/4oZH3wz
For many allies, the uncertainty over U.S. support for Ukraine merely confirmed what has already become obvious: The United States is no longer a reliable partner. The post-American world predicted by Fareed Zakaria in a 2008 book is finally dawning. wapo.st/4oZH3wz
Opinion | America has become a rogue nation. U.S. allies are looking elsewhere.
Europeans and Canadians are talking about making their own security arrangements.
wapo.st
November 25, 2025 at 12:20 PM
For many allies, the uncertainty over U.S. support for Ukraine merely confirmed what has already become obvious: The United States is no longer a reliable partner. The post-American world predicted by Fareed Zakaria in a 2008 book is finally dawning. wapo.st/4oZH3wz
During Trump’s first term, many allies comforted themselves that an America First foreign policy was a fleeting aberration and that normality would soon be restored. Few think that anymore. wapo.st/4oZH3wz
Opinion | America has become a rogue nation. U.S. allies are looking elsewhere.
Europeans and Canadians are talking about making their own security arrangements.
wapo.st
November 25, 2025 at 12:20 PM
During Trump’s first term, many allies comforted themselves that an America First foreign policy was a fleeting aberration and that normality would soon be restored. Few think that anymore. wapo.st/4oZH3wz
U.S.-Canadian relations have been more strained than at any time since the 19th century after Trump’s tariffs. U.S.-European relations reached a new crisis point on Friday when the Trump administration presented Ukraine with an ultimatum to accept a pro-Russian “peace plan.” wapo.st/4oZH3wz
Opinion | America has become a rogue nation. U.S. allies are looking elsewhere.
Europeans and Canadians are talking about making their own security arrangements.
wapo.st
November 25, 2025 at 12:19 PM
U.S.-Canadian relations have been more strained than at any time since the 19th century after Trump’s tariffs. U.S.-European relations reached a new crisis point on Friday when the Trump administration presented Ukraine with an ultimatum to accept a pro-Russian “peace plan.” wapo.st/4oZH3wz
Strengthening "strategic cooperation among the world’s democracies" was not hard to do in 2009. It has become nearly impossible now that the world’s most powerful democracy has turned into a rogue nation led by a president who is more sympathetic to dictators than democrats. wapo.st/4oZH3wz
Opinion | America has become a rogue nation. U.S. allies are looking elsewhere.
Europeans and Canadians are talking about making their own security arrangements.
wapo.st
November 25, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Strengthening "strategic cooperation among the world’s democracies" was not hard to do in 2009. It has become nearly impossible now that the world’s most powerful democracy has turned into a rogue nation led by a president who is more sympathetic to dictators than democrats. wapo.st/4oZH3wz
Trump’s claim is not even close to accurate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed gratitude to the United States on dozens of occasions – 78 examples are listed below – since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of his country in early 2022. www.cnn.com/2025/11/24/p...
Fact check: 78 times Zelensky has expressed gratitude to the US | CNN Politics
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed gratitude to the United States on dozens of occasions – 78 examples are listed below – since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of his country...
www.cnn.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Trump’s claim is not even close to accurate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed gratitude to the United States on dozens of occasions – 78 examples are listed below – since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of his country in early 2022. www.cnn.com/2025/11/24/p...
Reposted by Max Boot
"If the President orders soldiers to do it, it's not illegal."
From the Nixon Chapter of the TrumpLaw Code of Military Justice.
From the Nixon Chapter of the TrumpLaw Code of Military Justice.
Leavitt: "Not a single order this president or administration has given to our military has ever been illegal, nor will it ever be. This administration respects and abides by the law."
November 24, 2025 at 8:36 PM
"If the President orders soldiers to do it, it's not illegal."
From the Nixon Chapter of the TrumpLaw Code of Military Justice.
From the Nixon Chapter of the TrumpLaw Code of Military Justice.
Reposted by Max Boot
He literally tweeted this out.
“SHOULD ORDERS AND THE LAW EVER CONFLICT, OUR OFFICERS MUST OBEY THE LAW.”
This plaque is displayed at West Point. It’s the law. Not sedition.
“SHOULD ORDERS AND THE LAW EVER CONFLICT, OUR OFFICERS MUST OBEY THE LAW.”
This plaque is displayed at West Point. It’s the law. Not sedition.
November 24, 2025 at 8:48 PM
He literally tweeted this out.
“SHOULD ORDERS AND THE LAW EVER CONFLICT, OUR OFFICERS MUST OBEY THE LAW.”
This plaque is displayed at West Point. It’s the law. Not sedition.
“SHOULD ORDERS AND THE LAW EVER CONFLICT, OUR OFFICERS MUST OBEY THE LAW.”
This plaque is displayed at West Point. It’s the law. Not sedition.
Reposted by Max Boot
I swore an oath to the Constitution in 1986. I've upheld it through 25 years of service and every day since I retired.
If Trump's trying to intimidate me, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to our country to be silenced by bullies who care more about power than the Constitution.
If Trump's trying to intimidate me, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to our country to be silenced by bullies who care more about power than the Constitution.
November 24, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I swore an oath to the Constitution in 1986. I've upheld it through 25 years of service and every day since I retired.
If Trump's trying to intimidate me, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to our country to be silenced by bullies who care more about power than the Constitution.
If Trump's trying to intimidate me, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to our country to be silenced by bullies who care more about power than the Constitution.
Chilling authoritarianism. Also absurd because this “official statement” says that service members are required to follow lawful orders, meaning that they are not required to follow unlawful orders—which is what Sen Kelly and other lawmakers said.
The Department of Defense announces it's considering "court-martial proceedings or administrative measures" against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly.
November 24, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Chilling authoritarianism. Also absurd because this “official statement” says that service members are required to follow lawful orders, meaning that they are not required to follow unlawful orders—which is what Sen Kelly and other lawmakers said.
This is an improvement but it’s not doing anything to end the war. Ukraine is negotiating with the US—not Russia. Only Putin can end this horrible war.
💥 US and Ukraine have drafted a new 19-point peace deal in Geneva, but left the most politically sensitive elements to be decided by the countries’ presidents, Kyiv negotiator Sergiy Kyslytsya tells @christopherjm.ft.com
"Very few things are left from the original version"
on.ft.com/48w8tnY
"Very few things are left from the original version"
on.ft.com/48w8tnY
US and Ukraine draft new 19-point peace plan but defer biggest decisions
[FREE TO READ] The most politically sensitive elements left for Trump and Zelenskyy to discuss
on.ft.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
This is an improvement but it’s not doing anything to end the war. Ukraine is negotiating with the US—not Russia. Only Putin can end this horrible war.
Reposted by Max Boot
This isn’t a “peace plan.” It’s a blueprint for Ukraine’s capitulation. If implemented, it would turn this pro-Western, democratic nation, which has been courageously resisting Russian aggression since 2014, into a Kremlin colony. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 22, 2025 at 9:39 PM
This isn’t a “peace plan.” It’s a blueprint for Ukraine’s capitulation. If implemented, it would turn this pro-Western, democratic nation, which has been courageously resisting Russian aggression since 2014, into a Kremlin colony. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Reposted by Max Boot
The Witkoff-Dmitriev pact is a victor’s peace, but Ukraine hasn’t been defeated. The Russian military has barely advanced since 2022, at a price of roughly a million casualties. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 23, 2025 at 12:57 PM
The Witkoff-Dmitriev pact is a victor’s peace, but Ukraine hasn’t been defeated. The Russian military has barely advanced since 2022, at a price of roughly a million casualties. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Reposted by Max Boot
This is a geopolitical five-alarm fire, with the only saving grace being that Trump could change his mind, as he has so often done in the past.
wapo.st/3XcRot6
wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 23, 2025 at 3:13 AM
This is a geopolitical five-alarm fire, with the only saving grace being that Trump could change his mind, as he has so often done in the past.
wapo.st/3XcRot6
wapo.st/3XcRot6
Reposted by Max Boot
So glad to see "Zbig" by Edward Luce named as one of the 50 Notable Non-Foction Books of the Year by the @washingtonpost. A terrific biography of one of the most important foreign policy figures of modern times. www.washingtonpost.com/books/2025/1...
50 notable works of nonfiction from 2025
The year’s best memoirs, biographies, history and more, as selected by the staff of The Washington Post’s Book World.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:37 AM
So glad to see "Zbig" by Edward Luce named as one of the 50 Notable Non-Foction Books of the Year by the @washingtonpost. A terrific biography of one of the most important foreign policy figures of modern times. www.washingtonpost.com/books/2025/1...
Same!
At least once a week, I am grateful for the world-class liberal arts education I got at U.C. Berkeley
"While other universities report that the humanities are shrinking, at Berkeley, the opposite is true. The music major is the fastest-growing major on campus. We are finding bigger classrooms because film is exploding. English is back to the numbers we saw 15 years ago. We are hiring" bit.ly/4ohKuOe
November 23, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Same!
Reposted by Max Boot
The growing threat from Putin’s despotic, expansionist regime calls for Churchillian resolution, unity and strength on the part of the transatlantic alliance. Instead, Neville Chamberlain-style irresolution and confusion reigns—particularly in Washington. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 22, 2025 at 9:40 PM
The growing threat from Putin’s despotic, expansionist regime calls for Churchillian resolution, unity and strength on the part of the transatlantic alliance. Instead, Neville Chamberlain-style irresolution and confusion reigns—particularly in Washington. wapo.st/3XcRot6
I keep hearing from people who cancelled their @washingtonpost.com subscriptions. I hope they will reconsider. As stories like this show, the WaPo is still doing great journalism and holding power to account. Please support its vital journalistic mission. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
White House blew past legal concerns in deadly strikes on drug boats
The Trump administration sidestepped skeptical lawyers across national security agencies as it pursued a military campaign against alleged narcotraffickers, officials say.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
I keep hearing from people who cancelled their @washingtonpost.com subscriptions. I hope they will reconsider. As stories like this show, the WaPo is still doing great journalism and holding power to account. Please support its vital journalistic mission. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Max Boot
That is the worst possible signal to send at a time when the Russian threat to Europe has never been clearer or more ominous. It makes a wider war with Russia more, not less, likely. Europe needs to counter Trump’s appeasement by rushing frozen Russian funds to Ukraine without delay. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 22, 2025 at 9:53 PM
That is the worst possible signal to send at a time when the Russian threat to Europe has never been clearer or more ominous. It makes a wider war with Russia more, not less, likely. Europe needs to counter Trump’s appeasement by rushing frozen Russian funds to Ukraine without delay. wapo.st/3XcRot6
The Witkoff-Dmitriev pact is a victor’s peace, but Ukraine hasn’t been defeated. The Russian military has barely advanced since 2022, at a price of roughly a million casualties. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 23, 2025 at 12:57 PM
The Witkoff-Dmitriev pact is a victor’s peace, but Ukraine hasn’t been defeated. The Russian military has barely advanced since 2022, at a price of roughly a million casualties. wapo.st/3XcRot6
This is a geopolitical five-alarm fire, with the only saving grace being that Trump could change his mind, as he has so often done in the past.
wapo.st/3XcRot6
wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 23, 2025 at 3:13 AM
This is a geopolitical five-alarm fire, with the only saving grace being that Trump could change his mind, as he has so often done in the past.
wapo.st/3XcRot6
wapo.st/3XcRot6
The “unitary executive” theory clearly does not apply to the Trump administration. Different people saying different things!
State Dept. Spokesperson now refuting GOP and Dem senators’ account of their joint briefing from Rubio - and claiming the 28 point plan IS authored by the US.
Hard to believe several senators would have fundamentally misunderstood what Rubio told them.
Breathtakingly dysfunctional government.
Hard to believe several senators would have fundamentally misunderstood what Rubio told them.
Breathtakingly dysfunctional government.
November 23, 2025 at 3:10 AM
The “unitary executive” theory clearly does not apply to the Trump administration. Different people saying different things!
That is the worst possible signal to send at a time when the Russian threat to Europe has never been clearer or more ominous. It makes a wider war with Russia more, not less, likely. Europe needs to counter Trump’s appeasement by rushing frozen Russian funds to Ukraine without delay. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 22, 2025 at 9:53 PM
That is the worst possible signal to send at a time when the Russian threat to Europe has never been clearer or more ominous. It makes a wider war with Russia more, not less, likely. Europe needs to counter Trump’s appeasement by rushing frozen Russian funds to Ukraine without delay. wapo.st/3XcRot6
The growing threat from Putin’s despotic, expansionist regime calls for Churchillian resolution, unity and strength on the part of the transatlantic alliance. Instead, Neville Chamberlain-style irresolution and confusion reigns—particularly in Washington. wapo.st/3XcRot6
Opinion | Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
With Trump seeking Kyiv’s capitulation to Russia, now is the moment for decisive European action.
wapo.st
November 22, 2025 at 9:40 PM
The growing threat from Putin’s despotic, expansionist regime calls for Churchillian resolution, unity and strength on the part of the transatlantic alliance. Instead, Neville Chamberlain-style irresolution and confusion reigns—particularly in Washington. wapo.st/3XcRot6