Abe Newman
@abenewman.bsky.social
W/Henry Farrell, Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy (Holt 2023/Penguin); Georgetown; This is a private account.
There is a backstory. kinds of complicated.
February 4, 2026 at 3:23 PM
There is a backstory. kinds of complicated.
‘Neoroyalism’ and What It Says About Trump by @patcohen.bsky.social in @nytimes.com
"Experts are reaching to divine the president’s approach to global policy and economics, with one theory seeing antecedents in centuries-old dynastic rule."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
"Experts are reaching to divine the president’s approach to global policy and economics, with one theory seeing antecedents in centuries-old dynastic rule."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
‘Neoroyalism’ and What It Says About Trump
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:34 PM
‘Neoroyalism’ and What It Says About Trump by @patcohen.bsky.social in @nytimes.com
"Experts are reaching to divine the president’s approach to global policy and economics, with one theory seeing antecedents in centuries-old dynastic rule."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
"Experts are reaching to divine the president’s approach to global policy and economics, with one theory seeing antecedents in centuries-old dynastic rule."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
New Transatlantic Tremors: EU-India Trade Deal, Proofing Future Ceasefires in Ukraine, and France Passing its Budget.
open.substack.com/pub/transatl...
open.substack.com/pub/transatl...
02/03 EU-India Trade Deal, Proofing Future Ceasefires in Ukraine, and France Passing its Budget
photo by Manish Patel on Unsplash
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:29 PM
New Transatlantic Tremors: EU-India Trade Deal, Proofing Future Ceasefires in Ukraine, and France Passing its Budget.
open.substack.com/pub/transatl...
open.substack.com/pub/transatl...
Reposted by Abe Newman
Trump’s approach to foreign policy is not just chaos or an updated version of 19th-century great-power competition, write @segoddard.bsky.social and @abenewman.bsky.social . “He is pursuing something more out of the 16th-century, what we call neoroyalist international politics."
Opinion | Trump’s Foreign Policy Is Stuck in the 16th Century
The president’s approach is not just chaos or an updated version of 19th-century great-power competition.
nyti.ms
February 3, 2026 at 5:20 PM
Trump’s approach to foreign policy is not just chaos or an updated version of 19th-century great-power competition, write @segoddard.bsky.social and @abenewman.bsky.social . “He is pursuing something more out of the 16th-century, what we call neoroyalist international politics."
For those interested in the book, Underground Empire, it makes a great Valentine!
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
www.amazon.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:04 PM
For those interested in the book, Underground Empire, it makes a great Valentine!
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
www.amazon.com/Underground-...
"Underground Empire was possibly the most prescient book published in 2023. Written by two prominent political scientists, it explained how the US had weaponised global economic infrastructure". Great review of the book by John Naughton
open.substack.com/pub/johnnaug...
open.substack.com/pub/johnnaug...
Monday 2 February, 2026
French dressing
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:59 PM
"Underground Empire was possibly the most prescient book published in 2023. Written by two prominent political scientists, it explained how the US had weaponised global economic infrastructure". Great review of the book by John Naughton
open.substack.com/pub/johnnaug...
open.substack.com/pub/johnnaug...
2/And here is the piece in LeGrand Continent on Trump and the emerging neo-royalist international system in spanish.
legrandcontinent.eu/es/2026/02/0...
legrandcontinent.eu/es/2026/02/0...
Neorrealismo: el nuevo orden mundial de Donald J. Trump - El Grand Continent
Dos de los más importantes teóricos estadounidenses de las relaciones internacionales proponen la clave para comprender el imperio clánico de Donald Trump. Una pieza de doctrina firmada por Stacie Go...
legrandcontinent.eu
February 3, 2026 at 1:55 PM
2/And here is the piece in LeGrand Continent on Trump and the emerging neo-royalist international system in spanish.
legrandcontinent.eu/es/2026/02/0...
legrandcontinent.eu/es/2026/02/0...
1/New piece w/ @segoddard.bsky.social in LeGrand Continent on Trump and the emerging neo-royalist international system.
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2026/02/0...
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2026/02/0...
Néo-royalisme: le nouvel ordre mondial de Donald J. Trump | Le Grand Continent
Deux des plus importants théoriciens américains des relations internationales proposent la clef pour comprendre l’empire clanique de Donald Trump. Une pièce de doctrine signée Stacie Goddard et Abrah...
legrandcontinent.eu
February 3, 2026 at 1:53 PM
1/New piece w/ @segoddard.bsky.social in LeGrand Continent on Trump and the emerging neo-royalist international system.
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2026/02/0...
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2026/02/0...
Remember tariffs are a tool of extraction. Companies have to tithe to seek relief. Who can afford that? Apple gets an exception from the tariffs and donates to the Trump ballroom. Many smaller businesses cant keep up.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/b...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/b...
The Key to Managing Tariffs: Be Big and Have the President’s Ear
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Remember tariffs are a tool of extraction. Companies have to tithe to seek relief. Who can afford that? Apple gets an exception from the tariffs and donates to the Trump ballroom. Many smaller businesses cant keep up.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/b...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/b...
Reposted by Abe Newman
Previously I said I thought the Board of Peace was the best example for @abenewman.bsky.social and goddard’s neoroyalism theory. But as this thread makes clear, we’re witnessing wholesale rewriting of national security policy away from Nation’s interest to Trump/famil/cronies.
1/WSJ blockbuster. Key takeaway: Court interests not national interests are driving US foreign policy. In secret deal, UAE buys stake in Trump/Witkoff family crypto firm months before US does U-turn on advanced chip sales to UAE. This is what neo-royalism looks like.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company
$500 million investment for 49% of World Liberty came months before U.A.E. won access to tightly guarded American AI chips.
www.wsj.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Previously I said I thought the Board of Peace was the best example for @abenewman.bsky.social and goddard’s neoroyalism theory. But as this thread makes clear, we’re witnessing wholesale rewriting of national security policy away from Nation’s interest to Trump/famil/cronies.
8/Policy is driven not by state bureaucracies but families/insiders. Sheik Tahnoun is simultaneously brother of UAE president, Chair of G42 (the AI firm), and national security advisor. On the US side, you have the Trump/Witkoff family. Court politics goes global.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahnoun...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahnoun...
Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan (national security advisor) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
February 2, 2026 at 1:23 PM
8/Policy is driven not by state bureaucracies but families/insiders. Sheik Tahnoun is simultaneously brother of UAE president, Chair of G42 (the AI firm), and national security advisor. On the US side, you have the Trump/Witkoff family. Court politics goes global.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahnoun...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahnoun...
Reposted by Abe Newman
There's some overlap here btw the UAE, the chips, and the pardon of CZ.
1/WSJ blockbuster. Key takeaway: Court interests not national interests are driving US foreign policy. In secret deal, UAE buys stake in Trump/Witkoff family crypto firm months before US does U-turn on advanced chip sales to UAE. This is what neo-royalism looks like.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company
$500 million investment for 49% of World Liberty came months before U.A.E. won access to tightly guarded American AI chips.
www.wsj.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:05 PM
There's some overlap here btw the UAE, the chips, and the pardon of CZ.
Reposted by Abe Newman
Rupture? What Rupture? My latest with thought on why Trump is entitled to his economic victory lap, Kevin Warsh’s fairy tales, America’s embrace of neo-royalism, how to invest through regime change, and why Chinese tech is winning
Rupture? What Rupture?
Thoughts on Trump's economic victory lap, Kevin Warsh's fairy tales, America's embrace of neo-royalism, how to invest for regime change, and why Chinese tech is winning
open.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Rupture? What Rupture? My latest with thought on why Trump is entitled to his economic victory lap, Kevin Warsh’s fairy tales, America’s embrace of neo-royalism, how to invest through regime change, and why Chinese tech is winning
7/US national security is being rewired from a tool to protect the nation to one that serves as an extraction device for Trump and his insider clique.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System | International Organization | Cambridge Core
Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System - Volume 79 Issue S1
www.cambridge.org
February 2, 2026 at 12:35 PM
7/US national security is being rewired from a tool to protect the nation to one that serves as an extraction device for Trump and his insider clique.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
6/See also the shift in US chip policy towards China. Trump reverses export controls but claims a benevolence from Nvidia.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
China’s Access to Powerful Nvidia Chips Comes at ‘Critical Moment’
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:33 PM
6/See also the shift in US chip policy towards China. Trump reverses export controls but claims a benevolence from Nvidia.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/b...
5/The framing around the revelations often focus on corruption. Sure, this is mega conflict of interest. But this not just skimming off the top. The rules of global politics are being rewritten along the lines of what @segoddard.bsky.social and I call neo-royalism.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System | International Organization | Cambridge Core
Further Back to the Future: Neo-Royalism, the Trump Administration, and the Emerging International System - Volume 79 Issue S1
www.cambridge.org
February 2, 2026 at 12:32 PM
5/The framing around the revelations often focus on corruption. Sure, this is mega conflict of interest. But this not just skimming off the top. The rules of global politics are being rewritten along the lines of what @segoddard.bsky.social and I call neo-royalism.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
4/And concerns over UAE and leakage are not new. G42, the UAE company that gets access to some 500 million Nvidia chips, has long been suspected of having ties to China.
www.nytimes.com/2023/11/27/u...
www.nytimes.com/2023/11/27/u...
Inside U.S. Efforts to Untangle an A.I. Giant’s Ties to China (Published 2023)
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:28 PM
4/And concerns over UAE and leakage are not new. G42, the UAE company that gets access to some 500 million Nvidia chips, has long been suspected of having ties to China.
www.nytimes.com/2023/11/27/u...
www.nytimes.com/2023/11/27/u...
3/This is not just a financial deal but also upends years of US foreign policy that had guarded our most advanced chip tech. Why? US worried that it will leak to China and help its AI ambitions.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Trump’s UAE Chip Deal Is a National Security Risk
The United Arab Emirates has spent years seeking access to advanced US chips to help cement its position as a technology hub and fuel its AI aspirations. The Biden administration, concerned that cutti...
www.bloomberg.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:26 PM
3/This is not just a financial deal but also upends years of US foreign policy that had guarded our most advanced chip tech. Why? US worried that it will leak to China and help its AI ambitions.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
2/This builds on earlier NYT blockbuster. UAE related investments deposited 2 billion into World Liberty Financial months before chip deal.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Anatomy of Two Giant Deals: The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches.
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:25 PM
2/This builds on earlier NYT blockbuster. UAE related investments deposited 2 billion into World Liberty Financial months before chip deal.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
1/WSJ blockbuster. Key takeaway: Court interests not national interests are driving US foreign policy. In secret deal, UAE buys stake in Trump/Witkoff family crypto firm months before US does U-turn on advanced chip sales to UAE. This is what neo-royalism looks like.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company
$500 million investment for 49% of World Liberty came months before U.A.E. won access to tightly guarded American AI chips.
www.wsj.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:24 PM
1/WSJ blockbuster. Key takeaway: Court interests not national interests are driving US foreign policy. In secret deal, UAE buys stake in Trump/Witkoff family crypto firm months before US does U-turn on advanced chip sales to UAE. This is what neo-royalism looks like.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Abe Newman
Very interesting thread.
1/With $ in free fall, re-upping @himself.bsky.social and my piece on the Other Thucydides Trap. When Athens turned its economic power into a system of tributes, allies turned into subordinates and left Athens in the lurch. US is committing the same mistake.
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
The Twilight of America’s Financial Empire
Like ancient Athens, the United States risks using its financial power to alienate allies and precipitate its own downfall in the process.
www.foreignaffairs.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Very interesting thread.
Dropbox link in replies.
January 31, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Dropbox link in replies.
11/ The other Thucydides Trap in action. US hubris pushes our allies into the arms of the rising power. In other words, Athens beat itself and the US risks doing the same.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/w...
U.S. Allies Are Drawing Closer to China, but on Beijing’s Terms
www.nytimes.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:25 PM
11/ The other Thucydides Trap in action. US hubris pushes our allies into the arms of the rising power. In other words, Athens beat itself and the US risks doing the same.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/w...
2/Here is the original article on the enshittification of US power.
www.wired.com/story/enshit...
www.wired.com/story/enshit...
The Enshittification of American Power
First Google and Facebook, then the world. Under Trump 2.0, US statecraft is starting to mimic the worst tendencies of Big Tech.
www.wired.com
January 31, 2026 at 12:20 PM
2/Here is the original article on the enshittification of US power.
www.wired.com/story/enshit...
www.wired.com/story/enshit...