Kurt Taylor Gaubatz
@kurttg.bsky.social
Independent scholar & analyst-Washington DC. Previously Old Dominion, Oxford, & Stanford Universities. Democracy & foreign policy, int'l law, research methods, & political philosophy. Some work now on econ forecasting, philosophy & the equality of women.
It took me years to convince my aging father not to send every outrage he saw on the internet on to all of his contacts without a little investigation and the application of some common sense. I understand Trump lacks the latter, but surely he has instant investigative resources at his fingertips!
With a “WOW!,” President Trump posts a claim about DOGE and “royalties linked to Obamacare” that originated on a satirical website. That site’s own About section reads: “Everything on this website is fiction… If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined.”
November 9, 2025 at 9:32 PM
It took me years to convince my aging father not to send every outrage he saw on the internet on to all of his contacts without a little investigation and the application of some common sense. I understand Trump lacks the latter, but surely he has instant investigative resources at his fingertips!
Alas, I'm not seeing this at not even one year in...
"And now, with the end of Trump’s presidency coming into view,"
Cruelty, Bigotry and Rage. What’s Not to Like? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/o...
"And now, with the end of Trump’s presidency coming into view,"
Cruelty, Bigotry and Rage. What’s Not to Like? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/o...
Opinion | Cruelty, Bigotry and Rage. What’s Not to Like?
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Alas, I'm not seeing this at not even one year in...
"And now, with the end of Trump’s presidency coming into view,"
Cruelty, Bigotry and Rage. What’s Not to Like? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/o...
"And now, with the end of Trump’s presidency coming into view,"
Cruelty, Bigotry and Rage. What’s Not to Like? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/o...
What have we become?
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 11:22 PM
What have we become?
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
What have we become?
Two panels commemorating the contribution of Black American soldiers towards the liberation of the Netherlands in World War Two have been quietly removed from a cemetery in Limburg. It follows a complaint by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
November 8, 2025 at 10:35 PM
What have we become?
What have we become?
November 8, 2025 at 10:35 PM
What have we become?
What have we become?
Trump "has expressed such outrage at attacks on Christians in Nigeria that he has threatened military intervention there... but here’s the awkwardness: Trump’s aid cuts are killing far more Nigerian Christians than Islamic terrorists are." @nickkristof.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/o...
Opinion | Trump Aid Cuts Kill More Christians Than Jihadists Do
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:34 PM
What have we become?
What have we become?
"When I picked up my granddaughter from the federal agents, she had a dirty diaper, a bruise on her face, and was developing a rash. She was exhausted and cried… My heart aches knowing this could happen to others, to my kids, or even me, despite being U.S. citizens.”
November 8, 2025 at 10:34 PM
What have we become?
Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz
"From where I’m sitting, that’s why Justice Jackson...ruled herself here—rather than allowing the full Court to overrule her. It drastically increases the odds of the full Supreme Court resolving this issue by the end of next week—one way or the other."
November 8, 2025 at 4:10 AM
"From where I’m sitting, that’s why Justice Jackson...ruled herself here—rather than allowing the full Court to overrule her. It drastically increases the odds of the full Supreme Court resolving this issue by the end of next week—one way or the other."
Kennedy Center ticket sales are down catastrophically. Does that make this a rare moment of Trumpian self-awareness?
“Come see for yourself ... I am doing the same thing to the United States of America, but only on a ‘slightly’ larger scale!”
“Come see for yourself ... I am doing the same thing to the United States of America, but only on a ‘slightly’ larger scale!”
The Kennedy Center Crackup
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Kennedy Center ticket sales are down catastrophically. Does that make this a rare moment of Trumpian self-awareness?
“Come see for yourself ... I am doing the same thing to the United States of America, but only on a ‘slightly’ larger scale!”
“Come see for yourself ... I am doing the same thing to the United States of America, but only on a ‘slightly’ larger scale!”
Hegemonic Suicide Watch:
Goddard spacecraft engineer: "I think it just kind of speaks to the atmosphere of the agency and the nation, where people are like, 'Well, laws don't matter for the people at the top anymore.'"
NASA is sinking its flagship science center during the government shutdown — and may be breaking the law in the process, critics say
"There is just a general acknowledgement that a lot of what is happening is illegal…"
www.space.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Hegemonic Suicide Watch:
Ready to give up on the Post, but this was a terrific series showing the critical importance of history and historians in our collective understanding of America at this critical moment:
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
The secret history of how Jefferson’s words were doctored inside his memorial
Eight decades ago, a presidential commission guided by Jefferson’s great-great-grandson selectively edited the Founding Father’s words to present him as an abolitionist without mentioning he had ensla...
www.washingtonpost.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Ready to give up on the Post, but this was a terrific series showing the critical importance of history and historians in our collective understanding of America at this critical moment:
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz
By this time next week, the estimated deaths due to the illegal destruction of USAID and the shuttering of its aid efforts will breach 400,000.
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
Tracking Anticipated Deaths from USAID Funding Cuts
Brooke Nichols has launched online tracking tools that capture estimated increases in mortality and disease spread for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases as a result of the near-total...
www.bu.edu
November 5, 2025 at 10:28 PM
By this time next week, the estimated deaths due to the illegal destruction of USAID and the shuttering of its aid efforts will breach 400,000.
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
This is slightly better connected to reality than usual. And is much better than the usual blather about cheaters and rigged elections.
November 5, 2025 at 3:51 PM
This is slightly better connected to reality than usual. And is much better than the usual blather about cheaters and rigged elections.
Well, yes. But I remember a time not so long ago when the horrors of Trump2 were fairly predictable and the voters couldn't see it. It will take a while to get over that trauma.
real sense in which last night was fairly predictable. real question is why our pundits and the elites who listen to them couldn’t see it. (gift link)
Opinion | Trump Is an Albatross
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Well, yes. But I remember a time not so long ago when the horrors of Trump2 were fairly predictable and the voters couldn't see it. It will take a while to get over that trauma.
Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz
Trump has enormously accelerated the debt growth of the US largely by slashing the tax rate for the wealthiest 0.1% of Americans
November 4, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Trump has enormously accelerated the debt growth of the US largely by slashing the tax rate for the wealthiest 0.1% of Americans
Canada "interfering" in our domestic politics with TV ads reminding us that Reagan was against tariffs is an abomination, but American meddling in foreign court cases is A-Okay.
Trump on Netanyahu: "I don't think they treat him very well. He's under trial for some things. We'll be involved in that to help him out a little bit because I think it's very unfair."
November 4, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Canada "interfering" in our domestic politics with TV ads reminding us that Reagan was against tariffs is an abomination, but American meddling in foreign court cases is A-Okay.
Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz
it's time for journos to start asking Johnson meta questions
"Speaker, on 5 occasions last week you said 'I haven't seen it' when asked about news events w/big implications for public policy. Do you ever read the news, and do you agree it's problematic for the Speaker to be so woefully uninformed?"
"Speaker, on 5 occasions last week you said 'I haven't seen it' when asked about news events w/big implications for public policy. Do you ever read the news, and do you agree it's problematic for the Speaker to be so woefully uninformed?"
November 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
it's time for journos to start asking Johnson meta questions
"Speaker, on 5 occasions last week you said 'I haven't seen it' when asked about news events w/big implications for public policy. Do you ever read the news, and do you agree it's problematic for the Speaker to be so woefully uninformed?"
"Speaker, on 5 occasions last week you said 'I haven't seen it' when asked about news events w/big implications for public policy. Do you ever read the news, and do you agree it's problematic for the Speaker to be so woefully uninformed?"
NYT suggestion
Find and Replace: Change "Fact-Checking Trump's Claim About..." to "As Usual, Trump Makes Things up About..."
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claim About SNAP and Partisanship www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
Find and Replace: Change "Fact-Checking Trump's Claim About..." to "As Usual, Trump Makes Things up About..."
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claim About SNAP and Partisanship www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claim About SNAP and Partisanship
www.nytimes.com
November 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM
NYT suggestion
Find and Replace: Change "Fact-Checking Trump's Claim About..." to "As Usual, Trump Makes Things up About..."
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claim About SNAP and Partisanship www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
Find and Replace: Change "Fact-Checking Trump's Claim About..." to "As Usual, Trump Makes Things up About..."
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claim About SNAP and Partisanship www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz
Out: Voice of America broadcasts the words of Ronald Reagan to puncture the propaganda of foreign authoritarians.
In: A neighboring democracy apologizes to America’s authoritarian president for puncturing his propaganda by broadcasting the words of Ronald Reagan. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/w...
In: A neighboring democracy apologizes to America’s authoritarian president for puncturing his propaganda by broadcasting the words of Ronald Reagan. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/w...
Carney Says He Apologized to Trump Over Ad Reviving Reagan’s Tariff Criticism
www.nytimes.com
November 1, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Out: Voice of America broadcasts the words of Ronald Reagan to puncture the propaganda of foreign authoritarians.
In: A neighboring democracy apologizes to America’s authoritarian president for puncturing his propaganda by broadcasting the words of Ronald Reagan. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/w...
In: A neighboring democracy apologizes to America’s authoritarian president for puncturing his propaganda by broadcasting the words of Ronald Reagan. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/w...
Hegemonic suicide watch:
A Nature poll found that 75% of U.S. researchers are considering leaving the country.
Guyz, even the *historians* are leaving or contemplating / likely to go. Including, at least 3 historians that I know of in my subfield. 😢
Guyz, even the *historians* are leaving or contemplating / likely to go. Including, at least 3 historians that I know of in my subfield. 😢
Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: 'The science world is ending'
A poll from the journal Nature found that 75% of researchers in the U.S. are considering leaving the country. That includes a man who’s been dubbed the "Mozart of Math." Stephanie Sy examines what’s b...
www.pbs.org
October 31, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Hegemonic suicide watch:
👇👇👇
The world’s despots have Trump’s number. As long as they say nothing while he brags about being the smartest boy in class, they can continue to do whatever they want.
BREAKING: Iran's Nuclear Program Far From Dead
The world’s despots have Trump’s number. As long as they say nothing while he brags about being the smartest boy in class, they can continue to do whatever they want.
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:43 PM
👇👇👇
Rideshare drivers. Going after the worst of the worst. Then again, if there are no air traffic controllers, who needs to get to the airport anyway?
NEWS: Feds made another arrest in an O’Hare parking lot that led to them tasering the guy they were trying to apprehend and a three-car crash. Mayor Brandon Johnson issued an EO barring fed enforcement from city property like ORD earlier this month. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/31/b...
Border Patrol agents use taser and arrest man following crash in O’Hare parking lot
Border Patrol agents conducting yet another raid on an O’Hare parking lot for rideshare drivers Thursday evening tasered and arrested a man whom they accused of ramming their vehicle as he tr…
www.chicagotribune.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Rideshare drivers. Going after the worst of the worst. Then again, if there are no air traffic controllers, who needs to get to the airport anyway?
Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz
Donald Trump Jr. in 2021: “Those Hunter no-show no-experience board seats didn’t come without an expected return!”
Donald Trump Jr. in 2024: Gets $2.8M in stock for joining an advisory board that didn't exist until he joined it.
New: me, for @forbes.com
1/
Donald Trump Jr. in 2024: Gets $2.8M in stock for joining an advisory board that didn't exist until he joined it.
New: me, for @forbes.com
1/
After Unusual Machines Names Donald Trump Jr. To New Advisory Board, Defense Contracts Follow
Donald Trump Jr. once mocked Hunter Biden's "no-show no-experience board seats." Now he's on his second newly activated advisory board—and that company just announced $15 million in contracts.
www.forbes.com
October 29, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Donald Trump Jr. in 2021: “Those Hunter no-show no-experience board seats didn’t come without an expected return!”
Donald Trump Jr. in 2024: Gets $2.8M in stock for joining an advisory board that didn't exist until he joined it.
New: me, for @forbes.com
1/
Donald Trump Jr. in 2024: Gets $2.8M in stock for joining an advisory board that didn't exist until he joined it.
New: me, for @forbes.com
1/
Well, OK. But you have to balance that against Trump's promise of 1000% decrease in drug costs.
The numbers don’t lie: Virginians are seeing higher premium costs because the GOP refuses to extend ACA tax credits. On average, a constituent in Wise County with an annual income of about $30K will see a net premium increase of 238 percent. I'll keep fighting to prevent this.
October 29, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Well, OK. But you have to balance that against Trump's promise of 1000% decrease in drug costs.
So much money wasted on things that will have to be removed again later.
Trump Administration Reinstalls Confederate Statue in Washington www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
Trump Administration Reinstalls Confederate Statue in Washington www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
Trump Administration Reinstalls Confederate Statue in Washington
www.nytimes.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:12 PM
So much money wasted on things that will have to be removed again later.
Trump Administration Reinstalls Confederate Statue in Washington www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
Trump Administration Reinstalls Confederate Statue in Washington www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...