Nicholas Thompson
@nxthompson.bsky.social
CEO of The Atlantic. Going out of business soon, since 1857.
Author of “The Running Ground: A father, a son, and the simplest of sports.”
Author of “The Running Ground: A father, a son, and the simplest of sports.”
"I don’t think Americans will be any happier if another authoritarian is installed in Venezuela either. Most Americans still do want their country to stand for something other than greed." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Trump’s ‘American Dominance’ May Leave Us With Nothing
The president’s moves in Venezuela foretell a new global system.
www.theatlantic.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:37 PM
"I don’t think Americans will be any happier if another authoritarian is installed in Venezuela either. Most Americans still do want their country to stand for something other than greed." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
It's not the "Donroe Doctrine" and there is no grand strategy. The best way to describe Trump's foreign policy is simply the "FAFO Doctrine." www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
January 5, 2026 at 4:30 PM
It's not the "Donroe Doctrine" and there is no grand strategy. The best way to describe Trump's foreign policy is simply the "FAFO Doctrine." www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
In a conversation with The Atlantic, Trump has some harsh words for Venezuela’s new acting president, and for Greenland too. www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
January 5, 2026 at 1:46 AM
In a conversation with The Atlantic, Trump has some harsh words for Venezuela’s new acting president, and for Greenland too. www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
"When literature was considered transgressive, moralists couldn’t get people to stop buying and reading dangerous books. Now that books are considered virtuous and edifying, moralists can’t persuade anyone to pick one up." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Reading Is a Vice
Being a reader means cultivating a relationship with the world that, by most standards, can seem pointless and counterproductive.
www.theatlantic.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:12 PM
"When literature was considered transgressive, moralists couldn’t get people to stop buying and reading dangerous books. Now that books are considered virtuous and edifying, moralists can’t persuade anyone to pick one up." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
This can't be about drugs. Trump just pardoned Hernandez.
It can't be about democracy. Trump is often all for autocrats.
But we do know some things: it worked; it's surely illegal; and it doesn't seem like there's much of a plan for tomorrow. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
It can't be about democracy. Trump is often all for autocrats.
But we do know some things: it worked; it's surely illegal; and it doesn't seem like there's much of a plan for tomorrow. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Making Sense of the Venezuela Attack
All actions have consequences—even arbitrary and inscrutable ones.
www.theatlantic.com
January 4, 2026 at 3:38 AM
This can't be about drugs. Trump just pardoned Hernandez.
It can't be about democracy. Trump is often all for autocrats.
But we do know some things: it worked; it's surely illegal; and it doesn't seem like there's much of a plan for tomorrow. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
It can't be about democracy. Trump is often all for autocrats.
But we do know some things: it worked; it's surely illegal; and it doesn't seem like there's much of a plan for tomorrow. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Reposted by Nicholas Thompson
At least 4 pieces, including mine, are up about the VZ thing at The Atlantic website:
www.theatlantic.com
www.theatlantic.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:52 PM
At least 4 pieces, including mine, are up about the VZ thing at The Atlantic website:
www.theatlantic.com
www.theatlantic.com
"The military operation in Venezuela is a warning that Trump’s imperial ambitions are growing. He’s building himself a triumphal arch in Washington. He craves gaudy acts to justify his monument to himself." www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Trump’s Critics Are Falling Into an Obvious Trap
Nicolás Maduro’s capture is setting off a predictable reaction.
www.theatlantic.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:14 PM
"The military operation in Venezuela is a warning that Trump’s imperial ambitions are growing. He’s building himself a triumphal arch in Washington. He craves gaudy acts to justify his monument to himself." www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
"In 2026, as ever, only Congress can stop endless wars of choice. And if Trump faces no consequences for this one, he may well start another." www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Trump’s Risky War in Venezuela
By going around Congress, the president is showing contempt for the will of the public.
www.theatlantic.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:16 PM
"In 2026, as ever, only Congress can stop endless wars of choice. And if Trump faces no consequences for this one, he may well start another." www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
"The real question isn’t whether this action was legal; it is what to do about its illegality. Ignoring the law and the people’s will in this fashion is a high crime." www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Trump’s Risky War in Venezuela
By going around Congress, the president is showing contempt for the will of the public.
www.theatlantic.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:25 PM
"The real question isn’t whether this action was legal; it is what to do about its illegality. Ignoring the law and the people’s will in this fashion is a high crime." www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Wow. What a lede by @radiofreetom.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
January 2, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Wow. What a lede by @radiofreetom.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
“The comic aspect of the Kennedy Center threat is that Trump has little leverage over artists. He can fire a general who refuses to organize a parade for him, but he can’t make Lin-Manuel Miranda put Hamilton in the Kennedy Center.” www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Show Won’t Go On
President Trump’s threats against artists who decline to perform at the renamed Kennedy Center are ultimately hollow.
www.theatlantic.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:44 PM
“The comic aspect of the Kennedy Center threat is that Trump has little leverage over artists. He can fire a general who refuses to organize a parade for him, but he can’t make Lin-Manuel Miranda put Hamilton in the Kennedy Center.” www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
A cartoon for today: www.newyorker.com/gallery/new-...
January 2, 2026 at 2:44 PM
A cartoon for today: www.newyorker.com/gallery/new-...
Words to live by today—and every day.
January 1, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Words to live by today—and every day.
The judge who dismissed the DOJ's classified docs case against Trump could soon oversee trials of people the president has targeted ...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Get Ready to Start Hearing About Aileen Cannon Again
The Florida-based judge is likely to once again play a central role in politics in the new year.
www.theatlantic.com
December 27, 2025 at 3:16 PM
The judge who dismissed the DOJ's classified docs case against Trump could soon oversee trials of people the president has targeted ...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Such an important point about how political discourse works today. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
December 26, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Such an important point about how political discourse works today. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
A classic cartoon: www.newyorker.com/gallery/sant...
December 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
A classic cartoon: www.newyorker.com/gallery/sant...
Yikes. This quote is brutal. “'The reason he’s hanging on is because Trump wants a weak speaker,' a House Republican told us. 'He wants a speaker that essentially functions like a staff member, which is what Mike Johnson does.'”
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
House Republicans Aren’t Having Any Fun
They’re blaming their leader, House Speaker Mike Johnson.
www.theatlantic.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Yikes. This quote is brutal. “'The reason he’s hanging on is because Trump wants a weak speaker,' a House Republican told us. 'He wants a speaker that essentially functions like a staff member, which is what Mike Johnson does.'”
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
It looks like Trump has a tell when he's lying. If he says something is 92%, it’s probably a fib. www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
December 24, 2025 at 2:21 PM
It looks like Trump has a tell when he's lying. If he says something is 92%, it’s probably a fib. www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
Trump looks a lot weaker than he did a few months ago. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
December 24, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Trump looks a lot weaker than he did a few months ago. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
"If even a fraction of the allegations are true, the U.S. is complicit in sadistic acts that our own laws forbid."
One thing for certain: what the Venezuelans went through at CECOT was horrific. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
One thing for certain: what the Venezuelans went through at CECOT was horrific. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
What the Deported Venezuelans Went Through in El Salvador
Forty men sent to El Salvador by the Trump administration have shared disturbing accounts of abuse by a regime that America paid to imprison them.
www.theatlantic.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:28 AM
"If even a fraction of the allegations are true, the U.S. is complicit in sadistic acts that our own laws forbid."
One thing for certain: what the Venezuelans went through at CECOT was horrific. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
One thing for certain: what the Venezuelans went through at CECOT was horrific. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
"When presented with the simplest moral test, Vance failed." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
J. D. Vance Fails a Simple Moral Test
The vice president welcomes anti-Semites into the Republican coalition.
www.theatlantic.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:44 PM
"When presented with the simplest moral test, Vance failed." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Nicholas Thompson
My last story of the year: an update on the woman who fell in love with ChatGPT.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/t...
December 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM
My last story of the year: an update on the woman who fell in love with ChatGPT.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/t...
"The reason so many of yesterday’s free-speech champions transitioned so easily into today’s pro-Trump censors is that their definition of free speech never included the right of others to talk back." @adamserwer.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Triumph of Free-Speech Hypocrisy
What the 60 Minutes scandal reveals
www.theatlantic.com
December 23, 2025 at 5:01 PM
"The reason so many of yesterday’s free-speech champions transitioned so easily into today’s pro-Trump censors is that their definition of free speech never included the right of others to talk back." @adamserwer.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
"The crisis of democracy is a crisis of information—citizens make bad decisions, in part, because they are starved of the facts. And it can get worse."
The world is not outraged enough that Trump is using his power to force CBS and CNN to mold to his views. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The world is not outraged enough that Trump is using his power to force CBS and CNN to mold to his views. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
CBS and CNN Are Being Sacrificed to Trump
Media conglomerates want the president’s permission for mergers—and control of news outlets is at stake.
www.theatlantic.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:45 PM
"The crisis of democracy is a crisis of information—citizens make bad decisions, in part, because they are starved of the facts. And it can get worse."
The world is not outraged enough that Trump is using his power to force CBS and CNN to mold to his views. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The world is not outraged enough that Trump is using his power to force CBS and CNN to mold to his views. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
"'I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight,' she wrote." www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...
‘60 Minutes’ Pulled a Segment. A Correspondent Calls It ‘Political.’
www.nytimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 12:54 PM
"'I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight,' she wrote." www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...