Michael Kruse
@michaelkruse.bsky.social
Senior staff writer, POLITICO, POLITICO Magazine. michaelkruse.bio
To read this weekend ...
15 Scenarios That Could Stun the World in 2026
Futurists, political analysts and other forecasters on the possible “Black Swan” events of the new year.
www.politico.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:28 PM
To read this weekend ...
Read it yet?
December 29, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Read it yet?
“What am I supposed to do with $1,500 when my premium is $1,300 a month?”
The Santa Presidency
Trump is trying to fix the economy—by handing out cash.
www.theatlantic.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:34 PM
“What am I supposed to do with $1,500 when my premium is $1,300 a month?”
I should watch this show.
Column | ‘The West Wing’ was more cynical than we remember — and better for it
The beloved show is not a paean to good government so much as it is a wrenching exploration of how politics corrupts even well-meaning people.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:31 PM
I should watch this show.
“The Epstein files represent everything wrong with Washington. Rich, powerful elites doing horrible things and getting away with it. And the women are the victims.”
‘I Was Just So Naïve’: Inside Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Break With Trump
www.nytimes.com
December 29, 2025 at 4:17 PM
“The Epstein files represent everything wrong with Washington. Rich, powerful elites doing horrible things and getting away with it. And the women are the victims.”
“That has been staved off, and it has been staved off not, frankly, due to the efforts of pretty much anyone in elite institutions or political leadership but due to the efforts of regular people declining to go along with fascism,” says @leahgreenberg.bsky.social.
While Trump “has been able to do extraordinary damage that will have generational effects, he has not successfully consolidated power,” @leahgreenberg.bsky.social tells @michellegoldberg.bsky.social.
Opinion | Trump Is Getting Weaker, and the Resistance Is Getting Stronger
www.nytimes.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:38 PM
“That has been staved off, and it has been staved off not, frankly, due to the efforts of pretty much anyone in elite institutions or political leadership but due to the efforts of regular people declining to go along with fascism,” says @leahgreenberg.bsky.social.
While Trump “has been able to do extraordinary damage that will have generational effects, he has not successfully consolidated power,” @leahgreenberg.bsky.social tells @michellegoldberg.bsky.social.
Opinion | Trump Is Getting Weaker, and the Resistance Is Getting Stronger
www.nytimes.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:38 PM
While Trump “has been able to do extraordinary damage that will have generational effects, he has not successfully consolidated power,” @leahgreenberg.bsky.social tells @michellegoldberg.bsky.social.
New this morning for @politico.com.
She’s Written Bestsellers About Appalachian Struggles. She’s Running for Office. But Don’t Compare Her to JD Vance.
“Dopesick” author Beth Macy’s unlikely bid for Congress.
www.politico.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:41 PM
New this morning for @politico.com.
“Merry Christmas to all, including the Radical Left Scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our Country, but are failing badly.”
’Twas the night before Christmas at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Here’s what happened.
Visions of “clean, beautiful coal” danced in the president’s head as he took calls from children curious about Santa’s location.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 28, 2025 at 10:46 PM
“Merry Christmas to all, including the Radical Left Scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our Country, but are failing badly.”
Tony Fabrizio: “I have worked with thousands and very few show the willingness to make tough calls, take calculated risks and speak truth to power like James does.”
‘Brilliant James’: How James Blair took Washington by storm
He's running the White House's 2026 midterm strategy. The outcome will shape Trump’s final two years in office, and Blair’s reputation ahead of a potential 2028 JD Vance presidential campaign.
www.politico.com
December 28, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Tony Fabrizio: “I have worked with thousands and very few show the willingness to make tough calls, take calculated risks and speak truth to power like James does.”
The latest from @politico.com's @caldermchugh.bsky.social.
Americans Hate AI. Which Party Will Benefit?
Party insiders are divided on how to channel Americans’ growing fear of AI.
www.politico.com
December 28, 2025 at 9:33 PM
The latest from @politico.com's @caldermchugh.bsky.social.
Looking forward to it.
The 2028 Race Has Begun. Here’s Who’s Winning.
White House hopefuls in both parties are maneuvering for the post-Trump era. Here’s where they stand at the end of 2025.
www.politico.com
December 28, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Looking forward to it.
People today have been rereading this?
The Most Feared and Least Known Political Operative in America
Susie Wiles helped dismantle Ron DeSantis and salvaged Donald Trump’s campaign. Is she a MAGA hero or an enemy of democracy?
www.politico.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:07 AM
People today have been rereading this?
Steve Bannon on Brian Glenn: “I call him ‘the Helen Thomas of the current White House.’”
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s boyfriend has had a weird month
Brian Glenn is trying not to get caught in the middle of the breakup between his partner and his president.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Steve Bannon on Brian Glenn: “I call him ‘the Helen Thomas of the current White House.’”
“It’s hard because Republicans aren’t central planners.”
Republicans struggle to unite on health care as Obamacare subsidies expire
Recent weeks have showcased a free-for-all of competing GOP ideas and reinforced deep partisan divisions over the issue.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:20 PM
“It’s hard because Republicans aren’t central planners.”
“Nobody is right 100 percent of the time. I can see where he’s coming from. But he’s being screwed and doesn’t know it.”
Billionaires are spending massive sums on politics. A backlash brews.
An anti-oligarch protest in a small Indiana town shows the depth of the national backlash against the concentration of wealth and power.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:17 PM
“Nobody is right 100 percent of the time. I can see where he’s coming from. But he’s being screwed and doesn’t know it.”
Joe. Joe. Joe.
Always on My Mind: Trump’s Enduring Focus on Joe Biden
www.nytimes.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Joe. Joe. Joe.
Axelrod: “If there is one thing Joe Biden proved, it’s that you can’t jawbone people into feeling what they’re not experiencing in their lives.”
Trump Doesn’t Want to Talk About Affordability. Democrats Say That’s a Gift.
www.nytimes.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Axelrod: “If there is one thing Joe Biden proved, it’s that you can’t jawbone people into feeling what they’re not experiencing in their lives.”
“This is the thing I think conservatives should worry about. Could a future President AOC say, ‘Oh my gosh, we are at war with the fossil fuel companies. They are inflicting masses of harm on the United States. It might be cumulative, but they’re doing it on purpose.’”
Remember the Torture Memos? The Boat Strike Memos May Be Worse.
The Trump administration needs to release the legal analysis underpinning its controversial military campaign.
www.politico.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:04 PM
“This is the thing I think conservatives should worry about. Could a future President AOC say, ‘Oh my gosh, we are at war with the fossil fuel companies. They are inflicting masses of harm on the United States. It might be cumulative, but they’re doing it on purpose.’”
"He never seems to refer to the EU without referring to the fact that they blocked his golf course in Ireland."
Why Does Trump Disdain Europe?
The domestic culture war informing American foreign policy
www.politico.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:58 PM
"He never seems to refer to the EU without referring to the fact that they blocked his golf course in Ireland."
“... unfortunately I just don’t think Trump is temperamentally capable of reversing himself and saying, ‘Yes, affordability is a concern.’ He’s stubborn.”
‘Never going to be pitch perfect’: Trump loyalists see an imperfect messenger
Trump's Pennsylvania speech demonstrated that his return to the trail is a gamble: It’s just as likely to provide Democrats campaign fodder as it is to motivate his MAGA base heading into the midterm ...
www.politico.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
“... unfortunately I just don’t think Trump is temperamentally capable of reversing himself and saying, ‘Yes, affordability is a concern.’ He’s stubborn.”
“I understand the focus on ’28 and all that. But there will be a marble bust of me in Congress. I am a historic figure like any vice president of the United States ever was.”
Kamala Harris Isn’t Ready to Be Written Off
www.nytimes.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:56 PM
“I understand the focus on ’28 and all that. But there will be a marble bust of me in Congress. I am a historic figure like any vice president of the United States ever was.”
“I’m sure he’s a lovely man. His brother’s a lovely man. … Do you know his brother is serious MAGA?”
As Pope Leo’s MAGA criticism builds, Trump suggests he’d meet Catholic leader
The American pontiff has rebuked the White House over its treatment of immigrants and the potential invasion of Venezuela.
www.politico.eu
December 9, 2025 at 2:03 PM
“I’m sure he’s a lovely man. His brother’s a lovely man. … Do you know his brother is serious MAGA?”