Alex Shephard
@alexshephard.bsky.social
senior editor at the new republic
Pinned
Alex Shephard
@alexshephard.bsky.social
· Aug 11
the best animal character in all of literature is Mouse the horse in Lonesome Dove
Reposted by Alex Shephard
"The last era of imperial fights over 'spheres of influence,' scramble for resources, and control of the seas and colonies led directly to two world wars and the Great Depression. Now Trump is doing his part to revive that era without any awareness, or care, for the catastrophes that followed." ⬇️🗃️
New from me in @newrepublic.com newrepublic.com/article/2048...
Trump Is Reviving a Disastrous, Forgotten Era in U.S. Foreign Policy
His invasion of Venezuela and abduction of Nicolas Maduro recalls the U.S. imperialism of the early twentieth century—and it may similarly lead to global catastrophe.
newrepublic.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:28 PM
"The last era of imperial fights over 'spheres of influence,' scramble for resources, and control of the seas and colonies led directly to two world wars and the Great Depression. Now Trump is doing his part to revive that era without any awareness, or care, for the catastrophes that followed." ⬇️🗃️
This place is morally superior to Twitter for reasons that don't need to be explained on here. But I think the sense that being here is a moral act in and of itself (it's not) gives a lot of people permission to lecture strangers about things that are dumb and also frankly none of their business
January 5, 2026 at 7:13 PM
This place is morally superior to Twitter for reasons that don't need to be explained on here. But I think the sense that being here is a moral act in and of itself (it's not) gives a lot of people permission to lecture strangers about things that are dumb and also frankly none of their business
the best metaphor for the United States (2013-present) unfortunately remains Manchester United
January 5, 2026 at 2:40 PM
the best metaphor for the United States (2013-present) unfortunately remains Manchester United
good piece newrepublic.com/article/2048...
Trump Is Reviving a Disastrous, Forgotten Era in U.S. Foreign Policy
His invasion of Venezuela and abduction of Nicolas Maduro recalls the U.S. imperialism of the early twentieth century—and it may similarly lead to global catastrophe.
newrepublic.com
January 5, 2026 at 2:38 PM
good piece newrepublic.com/article/2048...
This is one of those things that tells you a lot and a little. Sure, if this was theoretically possible than Machado probably would be running the show. It’s not and she’s not but I’m also sure Trump isn’t aware that refusing to accept the Nobel doesnt… really do anything
January 5, 2026 at 5:28 AM
This is one of those things that tells you a lot and a little. Sure, if this was theoretically possible than Machado probably would be running the show. It’s not and she’s not but I’m also sure Trump isn’t aware that refusing to accept the Nobel doesnt… really do anything
Reposted by Alex Shephard
The death toll from the attack on Venezuela is now at 80, per Venezuelan officials. That includes civilians. Every article about the attack, or how the US somehow claims it will run the country, should mention the fact that, you know, people died, including civilians. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Live Updates: As Venezuela Projects Defiance, Rubio Says U.S. Will Use ‘Leverage’ to Advance Its Interests
www.nytimes.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:51 PM
The death toll from the attack on Venezuela is now at 80, per Venezuelan officials. That includes civilians. Every article about the attack, or how the US somehow claims it will run the country, should mention the fact that, you know, people died, including civilians. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Reposted by Alex Shephard
My latest with @ichotiner.bsky.social.
January 4, 2026 at 1:14 AM
My latest with @ichotiner.bsky.social.
Reposted by Alex Shephard
what’s way more egregious imo is every major news outlet in the country putting out blatant propaganda about the success of the “surprise” operation
the story makes it clear that the administration leaked it
Imagine being the person brave enough to leak this in the hopes that media attention could stop it and then the media just……buries it.
January 4, 2026 at 6:32 AM
what’s way more egregious imo is every major news outlet in the country putting out blatant propaganda about the success of the “surprise” operation
the story makes it clear that the administration leaked it
Imagine being the person brave enough to leak this in the hopes that media attention could stop it and then the media just……buries it.
NEW: Plans for secret U.S. raid to capture Maduro leaked to the Washington Post and New York Times before it happened, but both decided not to publish to protect U.S. troops - Semafor
January 4, 2026 at 5:40 AM
the story makes it clear that the administration leaked it
Reposted by Alex Shephard
Whether or not they call themselves that, it’s what everyone else thinks about it.
A CBS News staffer told me this after Tony Dokoupil kicked off his CBS Evening News tenure tonight with a lengthy Pete Hegseth interview:
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
January 4, 2026 at 2:01 AM
Whether or not they call themselves that, it’s what everyone else thinks about it.
Reposted by Alex Shephard
Trump is trying to strongarm the oil industry into supporting his war and they're like this deal sucks
it's exactly the other way around from the "war for oil" theory lol
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
it's exactly the other way around from the "war for oil" theory lol
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
January 3, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Trump is trying to strongarm the oil industry into supporting his war and they're like this deal sucks
it's exactly the other way around from the "war for oil" theory lol
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
it's exactly the other way around from the "war for oil" theory lol
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
I get that this has to be the line but what did Schumer think they were doing when they spent a month building up a massive naval force in the south Caribbean?
Schumer: “I was in the SCIF on 3 different occasions … I asked them: Are you pursuing regime change? Are you intent on taking military action in Venezuela?"
“And they are assured me they are not pursuing those things”
“And they are assured me they are not pursuing those things”
January 3, 2026 at 9:22 PM
I get that this has to be the line but what did Schumer think they were doing when they spent a month building up a massive naval force in the south Caribbean?
Reposted by Alex Shephard
The kidnapping of Maduro inaugurates a highly dangerous era of U.S. empire that for perhaps the first time in an era of mass media is not pretending to be anything other than a violent, extractive enterprise of domination.
A Criminal Empire
The United States launches a conquest and occupation of Venezuela to extract its oil wealth. The neocon dream is the America First dream
www.forever-wars.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:50 PM
The kidnapping of Maduro inaugurates a highly dangerous era of U.S. empire that for perhaps the first time in an era of mass media is not pretending to be anything other than a violent, extractive enterprise of domination.
I don’t think it’s inaccurate to describe the last decade of politics as “Trump took over the GOP” but the Venezuela gets at something important about the dynamic: the old players are still there, they just have to find stupid, convoluted ways to push their priorities
January 3, 2026 at 8:42 PM
I don’t think it’s inaccurate to describe the last decade of politics as “Trump took over the GOP” but the Venezuela gets at something important about the dynamic: the old players are still there, they just have to find stupid, convoluted ways to push their priorities
Reposted by Alex Shephard
Cannot stress enough how regime change in Cuba is the sole animating issue for Rubio, he views every other horror as justified if it comes in service of that goal
Marco Rubio on Cuba during the press conference: "If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I'd be concerned ... at least a little bit"
January 3, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Cannot stress enough how regime change in Cuba is the sole animating issue for Rubio, he views every other horror as justified if it comes in service of that goal
bit of a Schrodinger’s War in that everyone in the administration is doing it for ideological reasons except for the person who’s actually in charge who was convinced by the ideologues to do it for oil
Question: Hey so about boots on the ground: do you envision US Military having a presence in Venezuela
Trump: if they're needed to protect the oil, yes
I'm furious but also it really is refreshing that he's like "yep it's about the oil"
Trump: if they're needed to protect the oil, yes
I'm furious but also it really is refreshing that he's like "yep it's about the oil"
January 3, 2026 at 5:42 PM
bit of a Schrodinger’s War in that everyone in the administration is doing it for ideological reasons except for the person who’s actually in charge who was convinced by the ideologues to do it for oil
Trump just described the assault last night on Venezuela as an “attack on sovereignty”
January 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Trump just described the assault last night on Venezuela as an “attack on sovereignty”
the “Donroe Doctorate”
January 3, 2026 at 4:57 PM
the “Donroe Doctorate”
it’s an insane digression but still relevant in its in own way. Trump has no sense whatsoever what’s going on in the world outside the bubble that he lives in and is totally dependent on what other people tell him. Which is why we’re now colonizing Venezuela
Trump is slurring and stumbling through his crazed speech announcing the takeover of Venezuela with a completely make-believe story of national security threats ended… and now he’s segued to claiming that Washington DC is for the first time in memory a place where restaurants are “again open”
January 3, 2026 at 4:52 PM
it’s an insane digression but still relevant in its in own way. Trump has no sense whatsoever what’s going on in the world outside the bubble that he lives in and is totally dependent on what other people tell him. Which is why we’re now colonizing Venezuela
Trump has never been good at delivering prepared remarks but holy fuck is this bad
January 3, 2026 at 4:50 PM
Trump has never been good at delivering prepared remarks but holy fuck is this bad
The funniest thing about Bari’s quest to remake CBS is that this is what the US media is already like:
CNN commentator just now: "You have to congratulate the administration on keeping this quiet".
The news media is a huge contributor to the rise of unlawful tyranny.
The news media is a huge contributor to the rise of unlawful tyranny.
January 3, 2026 at 4:16 PM
The funniest thing about Bari’s quest to remake CBS is that this is what the US media is already like:
This is a war for oil in exactly one sense, which is that it’s clear that people inside the administration realized that was an effective talking point to get the president on board. But it just isn’t about oil in any other meaningful way
January 3, 2026 at 4:13 PM
This is a war for oil in exactly one sense, which is that it’s clear that people inside the administration realized that was an effective talking point to get the president on board. But it just isn’t about oil in any other meaningful way
This has aged pretty well, I think newrepublic.com/article/2045...
Marco Rubio Is Not the Adult in the Room. He’s the Warmonger.
Every single senator eagerly confirmed their former colleague to be secretary of state, but he is not at all the moderating force that they thought he’d be.
newrepublic.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:15 PM
This has aged pretty well, I think newrepublic.com/article/2045...