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kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake
@kschake.bsky.social
32K followers 900 following 860 posts

Leads AEI’s foreign and defense team, author of The State and the Soldier, contributing writer at The Atlantic. 2025-2026 Kissinger Chair at the Library of Congress. Californian. https://www.aei.org/profile/kori-schake/

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Kori N. Schake is an American international relations scholar currently serving as Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute. She has held several high-level positions in the U.S. Defense and State Departments and on the National Security Council. She was a foreign policy adviser to the McCain-Palin 2008 presidential campaign. Schake is a contributing writer at The Atlantic. She serves on the board of advisors of Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Alexander Hamilton Society. Schake is a member of the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee. .. more

Political science 84%
Economics 10%
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kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · Aug 27
I just received my first copy of the book!

kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 2h
Elliot Ackerman: "it’s extremely risky to base a foreign policy around these types of operations. You can’t keep stepping up to the craps table and never expect to throw a losing roll.”
A Close Call for U.S. Commandos and an Emboldened Trump
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Kori Schake

maripuerta.com
Maria I. Puerta Riera 🌻 @maripuerta.com · 4h
In our piece with Prof. @vasabjit.bsky.social, we argue that the problems with the armed forces predate Maduro and even Chávez; no one should count on the Venezuelan Military surrendering its privileges easily
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/07/v...
Venezuela’s Military Won’t Surrender Its Privileges Easily
Problems with the armed forces pre-date Maduro and even Chávez.
foreignpolicy.com

Reposted by Kori Schake

philklay.bsky.social
Phil Klay @philklay.bsky.social · 6h
At 19, I thought, “the Iraqi people were suffering under a brutal dictator…in the worst-case scenario, removing him would be a net good. What followed was civil war, mass death, swelling ranks of terror groups, genocide, mass rape, and slavery. “

I wrote about Venezuela

reason.com/2026/01/07/i...
I once supported regime change in Iraq. That’s why Venezuela worries me.
When we use our military and roll the dice with the fate of nations, the consequences play out in a much longer time frame than social media trends.
reason.com

Reposted by Kori Schake, Caroline T. Schroeder, David Darmofal

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h
Hegseth takes the mic and starts denigrating a CNN reporter for asking a "disingenuous question," adding, "you're trying to find any angle possible to undermine the success of one of the most historic military missions the world has ever seen"

Reposted by Kori Schake

aphclarkson.bsky.social
Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 13h
Perhaps the greatest irony of Putin's strategy of disrupting the rules-based global order to restore Russian greatness is that his successors are likely to discover that the disappearance of those rules leaves Russia more exposed to the opportunistic ambitions of stronger powers

Reposted by Kori Schake, Steve Peers, David Darmofal

peterbakernyt.bsky.social
Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 14h
Trump's Greenland threats undermine his own efforts to secure a peace deal in Ukraine. Any US security guarantee included in such a deal would be hard to take seriously if he is willing to ignore the security guarantee the US already has with Denmark.

kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 14h
The Netherlands and some Nordics have restricted US access because they were finding intel on Russia they’d shared with the US turning up in Russia.
Netherlands curtails intelligence-sharing with US over ‘human rights’
Dutch spy chiefs cite concerns about Trump administration’s ‘politicisation’ of services
www.ft.com

Reposted by Kori Schake

jimambuske.bsky.social
Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 1d
"By which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarchy, that in America the law is king."

@lmchervinsky.bsky.social and I dive into the origins and meanings of Thomas Paine's Common Sense at 250 for @inpursuitusa.bsky.social

Watch Now: youtu.be/6cB7BljBWJw?...

Reposted by Kori Schake, Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan , and 9 more

kairyssdal.bsky.social
Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 1d
The number of ways this is unconstitutional lunacy
is…a lot

Reposted by Kori Schake, Robert C. Richards, David R. Miller , and 4 more

shipwreck75.bsky.social
Shipwreck @shipwreck75.bsky.social · 1d
Trump on Venezuela oil:

Reposted by Kori Schake

liberalcurrents.com
Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 1d
"An Army Is a Dangerous Thing to Play With": @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com with @kschake.bsky.social, on our Neon Liberalism podcast www.liberalcurrents.com/neon-liberal...
Neon Liberalism #54: An Army Is a Dangerous Thing to Play With
Join Samantha and guest Kori Schake, author of The State and the Soldier, as they discuss the history of civil-military relations in America—and how that relationship is being pushed to the breaking p...
www.liberalcurrents.com

kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 1d
I believe Jim Mattis had a letter of reprimand in his USMC file at nearly every rank he held. I expect Hegseth’s letter of reprimand to be a similar credit to Senator Kelley’s record. It’s still terrible for SecDef attempting to penalize obviously protected political speech.

Reposted by Kori Schake

crampell.bsky.social
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d
Pentagon will begin review of 'effectiveness' of women in ground combat positions www.npr.org/2026/01/06/n...
Pentagon will begin review of 'effectiveness' of women in ground combat positions
The review, outlined in a Pentagon memo obtained by NPR, comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told admirals and generals in September that women must meet the "highest male standard."
www.npr.org

kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 1d
A sobering and important set of reflections from the good and great @philklay.bsky.social
philklay.bsky.social Phil Klay @philklay.bsky.social · 1d
Do I think all that will happen in Venezuela? No. I have no idea. But those spiking the football should remember that when we use our military and roll the dice with the fate of nations, the consequences play out in a much longer time frame than social media trends.

Reposted by Kori Schake

so3brocktree.bsky.social
Matthew Palmer @so3brocktree.bsky.social · 1d
Noting the current mood, I’ll re-share this piece I wrote back in February 2025 on European NATO without the USA. The points still stand firm despite developments.

crackingdefence.substack.com/p/nato-witho...
NATO without the USA?
A discussion on European defence without American power
crackingdefence.substack.com

Reposted by Kori Schake

seva.bsky.social
Seva @seva.bsky.social · 1d
some people love quoting "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must." That was Athens saying that at the height of its empire. Few of those people seem to remember what happened to Athens the very next year.

Reposted by Kori Schake

philklay.bsky.social
Phil Klay @philklay.bsky.social · 1d
Do I think all that will happen in Venezuela? No. I have no idea. But those spiking the football should remember that when we use our military and roll the dice with the fate of nations, the consequences play out in a much longer time frame than social media trends.

Reposted by Kori Schake

carnegierussia.bsky.social
Carnegie Russia Eurasia @carnegierussia.bsky.social · 1d
TOMORROW: @massdara.bsky.social, @kschake.bsky.social, and William Greenwalt discuss how the war in Ukraine is transforming defense industrial production.

Register here:
carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
Battlefield Lessons from Ukraine: Rethinking Defense Production
Dara Massicot, a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Russia and Eurasia Program, will sit down with William C. Greenwalt, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), for a discussion moderated...
carnegieendowment.org

Reposted by Kori Schake

codendahl.bsky.social
Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 1d
"America’s greatest successes after the second world war came not from extracting resources from #Europe or Japan, but from providing public goods." www.economist.com/by-invitatio...
Peace and prosperity in Venezuela will come from democracy, not oil, writes Ricardo Hausmann
Wishing otherwise, as Donald Trump does, is delusional
www.economist.com

Reposted by Kori Schake, Christian Odendahl, Will Jennings , and 4 more

nvondarza.bsky.social
Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 1d
Joint Statement of major EU/NATO countries on Greenland, together with Denmark:

Reposted by Kori Schake, David R. Miller

mclem.org
Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 2d
I’ll never forget the blackshirts who attacked our Capitol and its honorable police officers, five years ago.

Their mass pardon, as friends and collaborators, is the opposite of Conservative and will endure as a historic atrocity against American ideals.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan

kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 2d
Smart piece by @hoanssolo.bsky.social: "the raid’s very success poses a strategic danger: It reinforces a U.S. military culture excessively focused on precision strikes and special operations raids."

Reposted by Kori Schake

foreignpolicy.com
Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 2d
The Maduro raid reinforces a U.S. strategic culture favoring quick tactical fixes over long-term planning.
The Venezuela Raid Is Great TV—but Won’t Win America’s Next War
Donald Trump’s obsession with quick strikes and flashy successes is bad news for military readiness.
foreignpolicy.com

Reposted by Kori Schake

zachsdorfman.bsky.social
Zach Dorfman @zachsdorfman.bsky.social · 2d
Let’s say there was covert-action finding encouraging regime-change in Iran. If you were part of the Iranian opposition, would you trust the US to support you in any substantial way whatsoever down the road? The IRGC could just “do a deal” to gave the US access to Iranian natural resources.

Reposted by Kori Schake, Kim L. Scheppele, Bessma Momani

chadbourn.bsky.social
Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 2d
So there was a deal: “Rodríguez, a canny political operator, was envisaged as head of a transitional government in secret talks that her politician brother, Jorge, led with Washington last year about a post-Maduro future.”
The woman with Donald Trump’s nod to lead Venezuela
Washington has built its transition plans around vice-president Delcy Rodríguez, a canny operator close to the oil industry
www.ft.com

kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 2d
I can’t think of a case in which DOD invoked the UCMJ against a retired officer, & there are many instances of dangerous behavior (Mike Flynn inciting violence or impugning elections) where it might be appropriate. Attempting to penalize anodyne speech by a sitting Senator is not one of those cases.
meidastouch.com MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 2d
NEW: Sen. Mark Kelly RESPONDS to Pete Hegseth for censuring him, cutting his military pension, threatening to demote his rank, and warning of possible criminal prosecution for telling soldiers to obey their oath.
Sen. Kelly statement: Over twenty-five years in the U.S. Navy, thirty-nine combat missions, and four missions to space, I risked my life for this country and to defend our Constitution – including the First Amendment rights of every American to speak out. I never expected that the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense would attack me for doing exactly that. My rank and retirement are things that I earned through my service and sacrifice for this country. I got shot at. I missed holidays and birthdays. I commanded a space shuttle mission while my wife Gabby recovered from a gunshot wound to the head– all while proudly wearing the American flag on my shoulder. Generations of servicemembers have made these same patriotic sacrifices for this country, earning the respect, appreciation, and rank they deserve. Pete Hegseth wants to send the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something he or Donald Trump doesn’t like, they will come after them the same way. It’s outrageous and it is wrong. There is nothing more un-American than that. If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country’s history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn’t get it. I will fight this with everything I’ve got — not for myself, but to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.

Reposted by Kori Schake, Victor Asal, Joseph Schafer , and 2 more

meidastouch.com
MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 2d
NEW: Sen. Mark Kelly RESPONDS to Pete Hegseth for censuring him, cutting his military pension, threatening to demote his rank, and warning of possible criminal prosecution for telling soldiers to obey their oath.
Sen. Kelly statement: Over twenty-five years in the U.S. Navy, thirty-nine combat missions, and four missions to space, I risked my life for this country and to defend our Constitution – including the First Amendment rights of every American to speak out. I never expected that the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense would attack me for doing exactly that. My rank and retirement are things that I earned through my service and sacrifice for this country. I got shot at. I missed holidays and birthdays. I commanded a space shuttle mission while my wife Gabby recovered from a gunshot wound to the head– all while proudly wearing the American flag on my shoulder. Generations of servicemembers have made these same patriotic sacrifices for this country, earning the respect, appreciation, and rank they deserve. Pete Hegseth wants to send the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something he or Donald Trump doesn’t like, they will come after them the same way. It’s outrageous and it is wrong. There is nothing more un-American than that. If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country’s history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn’t get it. I will fight this with everything I’ve got — not for myself, but to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.

Reposted by Kori Schake

mclem.org
Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 3d
The US President’s goal of invading and occupying a NATO ally will destroy NATO.

The gift to the Put*n regime is immeasurable; the harm to both Conservative and Liberal Americans will be permanent.
tbenner.bsky.social Thorsten Benner @tbenner.bsky.social · 3d
It's wild that the PM of a NATO member feels compelled to put out a statement like this vis-à-vis the US government.

kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 3d
Another smart assessment of civ-mil issues from @eustisbellusaf.bsky.social
eustisbellusaf.bsky.social Eustis Bell @eustisbellusaf.bsky.social · 3d
The US military doesn't exist to be a restraint on the civil government. The kinds of militaries that do aren't found in free societies. By starting with civilian control of the military, the onus for responsible control is always on those civilians. Those civilians must be held accountable. 14/x

Reposted by Kori Schake

eustisbellusaf.bsky.social
Eustis Bell @eustisbellusaf.bsky.social · 3d
The US military doesn't exist to be a restraint on the civil government. The kinds of militaries that do aren't found in free societies. By starting with civilian control of the military, the onus for responsible control is always on those civilians. Those civilians must be held accountable. 14/x