Clay Copper
@claycopper.bsky.social
Fed defense university faculty, Security Cooperation pro, international relations, diplomacy, diverse democracy enjoyer, some boardgames, human
I sell this all day to skeptical conservatives who think USAID is staffed by crunchy, Birkenstocked do-gooders - the Democratic Party can sell it to the American public like Kennedy did.
November 11, 2025 at 3:34 PM
I sell this all day to skeptical conservatives who think USAID is staffed by crunchy, Birkenstocked do-gooders - the Democratic Party can sell it to the American public like Kennedy did.
So fuck Elon is what I guess I'm saying, and fuck spineless, soulless energy vampires like Marco Rubio.
A better world is possible and we should demand our leaders rebuild these critical national capabilities for the future. So squishing out when folks start calling for USAID to be restored.
A better world is possible and we should demand our leaders rebuild these critical national capabilities for the future. So squishing out when folks start calling for USAID to be restored.
November 11, 2025 at 3:34 PM
So fuck Elon is what I guess I'm saying, and fuck spineless, soulless energy vampires like Marco Rubio.
A better world is possible and we should demand our leaders rebuild these critical national capabilities for the future. So squishing out when folks start calling for USAID to be restored.
A better world is possible and we should demand our leaders rebuild these critical national capabilities for the future. So squishing out when folks start calling for USAID to be restored.
And its staff were certified badasses. They knew how to work with US and foreign militaries, they knew how to tread lightly to overcome sensitivities, they were as comfortable (often more) operating in austere, dangerous places than mil. Those capabilities would've been leveraged in big boy war too.
November 11, 2025 at 3:28 PM
And its staff were certified badasses. They knew how to work with US and foreign militaries, they knew how to tread lightly to overcome sensitivities, they were as comfortable (often more) operating in austere, dangerous places than mil. Those capabilities would've been leveraged in big boy war too.
DoD was generally only requested to support at most 10% of validated foreign disaster response missions annually, just to give a sense of how massive the USAID effort was. It leveraged domestic and int'l partners, brought private industry in, provided technical expertise to impacted countries.
November 11, 2025 at 3:23 PM
DoD was generally only requested to support at most 10% of validated foreign disaster response missions annually, just to give a sense of how massive the USAID effort was. It leveraged domestic and int'l partners, brought private industry in, provided technical expertise to impacted countries.
Even the foreign disaster assistance process hasn't been put back together yet since all those dipshits stood by and let Elon gleefully nuke the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. All those experts, all the contacts with US domestic capabilities, the civ-mil cord system that helped DoD get involved
November 11, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Even the foreign disaster assistance process hasn't been put back together yet since all those dipshits stood by and let Elon gleefully nuke the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. All those experts, all the contacts with US domestic capabilities, the civ-mil cord system that helped DoD get involved
Of course the admin did eventually have a minor panic attack bc we had kneecapped our foreign disaster response and critical program capabilities, and tried to retain some parts at State, but we're nowhere near the capabilities pre-USAID. Civ-mil coordination specialists at the CCMDs are all gone.
November 11, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Of course the admin did eventually have a minor panic attack bc we had kneecapped our foreign disaster response and critical program capabilities, and tried to retain some parts at State, but we're nowhere near the capabilities pre-USAID. Civ-mil coordination specialists at the CCMDs are all gone.
The Internet was made for hilarious takes like this. It's just sad we can't have them without the vitriol.
November 10, 2025 at 9:29 PM
The Internet was made for hilarious takes like this. It's just sad we can't have them without the vitriol.
Senate Dems can't sustain that. Feds can sustain that.
I think they like their hand and they ride this into the midterms hoping against hope that Trump never figures out how to pay everyone $2k in Trump Tariff Bucks a week before the election.
I think they like their hand and they ride this into the midterms hoping against hope that Trump never figures out how to pay everyone $2k in Trump Tariff Bucks a week before the election.
November 10, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Senate Dems can't sustain that. Feds can sustain that.
I think they like their hand and they ride this into the midterms hoping against hope that Trump never figures out how to pay everyone $2k in Trump Tariff Bucks a week before the election.
I think they like their hand and they ride this into the midterms hoping against hope that Trump never figures out how to pay everyone $2k in Trump Tariff Bucks a week before the election.
The theory is that in a year Angus King is going to be on the board of WelcomePAC, an organization formed in 2022 to convince everyone it's 1992.
November 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The theory is that in a year Angus King is going to be on the board of WelcomePAC, an organization formed in 2022 to convince everyone it's 1992.
I believe there was a way to end the shutdown in a way that didn't result in Indivisible and all the 50501 accounts Sephiroth posting.
November 10, 2025 at 1:38 PM
I believe there was a way to end the shutdown in a way that didn't result in Indivisible and all the 50501 accounts Sephiroth posting.
The shutdown was always about Dems fighting a rearguard action to achieve "wins" designed to pay off in a media narrative that put the issues Dems want to run on front and center while tanking Trump/GOP approval.
It just ended with a small group selling out the main force.
It just ended with a small group selling out the main force.
November 10, 2025 at 1:33 PM
The shutdown was always about Dems fighting a rearguard action to achieve "wins" designed to pay off in a media narrative that put the issues Dems want to run on front and center while tanking Trump/GOP approval.
It just ended with a small group selling out the main force.
It just ended with a small group selling out the main force.
I actually agree with Durbin here, one of the political "wins" actually was increasing issue salience and blaming the GOP for healthcare premium increases. They did that. But do it as a party and build messaging around it.
Durbin said critics of his vote “need to understand how the Senate works”
November 10, 2025 at 1:33 PM
I actually agree with Durbin here, one of the political "wins" actually was increasing issue salience and blaming the GOP for healthcare premium increases. They did that. But do it as a party and build messaging around it.
Maybe they were right? Gotta feel good to be a GOP senator this morning...
Lol, hoping Dems are the kind of maniacs who immediately hit "End Battle" instead of riding their routing enemies down in Total War games
November 10, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Maybe they were right? Gotta feel good to be a GOP senator this morning...
I know the media environment is basically adversarial. I know you have essentials zero formal political power. I know there's a wing of the party that is ride or die for "we'll come together with the GOP to fix healthcare!"
But is there really no one else who will openly challenge Chuck for leader?
But is there really no one else who will openly challenge Chuck for leader?
November 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM
I know the media environment is basically adversarial. I know you have essentials zero formal political power. I know there's a wing of the party that is ride or die for "we'll come together with the GOP to fix healthcare!"
But is there really no one else who will openly challenge Chuck for leader?
But is there really no one else who will openly challenge Chuck for leader?
One of the very interesting things here was you had two very different constituencies implicated here. Feds were asked to sacrifice for benefits (SNAP/ACA) that really don't impact them, so long as they stay Feds.
And at the end of the day, the biggest benefit Dems actually won is for Feds.
And at the end of the day, the biggest benefit Dems actually won is for Feds.
November 10, 2025 at 4:44 AM
One of the very interesting things here was you had two very different constituencies implicated here. Feds were asked to sacrifice for benefits (SNAP/ACA) that really don't impact them, so long as they stay Feds.
And at the end of the day, the biggest benefit Dems actually won is for Feds.
And at the end of the day, the biggest benefit Dems actually won is for Feds.
The Dem message needs to be, "Donald Trump and his MAGA minions are stealing from you. They could press the Good Economy button but they're too busy raiding the government and handing out fat stacks of cash to themselves and their billionaire friends. You are poorer bc they are taking your shit."
November 10, 2025 at 4:22 AM
The Dem message needs to be, "Donald Trump and his MAGA minions are stealing from you. They could press the Good Economy button but they're too busy raiding the government and handing out fat stacks of cash to themselves and their billionaire friends. You are poorer bc they are taking your shit."
Exactly, they can climb down next Sunday and be lockstep on what they achieved, what they're fighting for, what Trump and the GOP has taken from people, and what they're going to fix once the American people toss these MAGA jackasses out, and they're in a 100x better place.
November 10, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Exactly, they can climb down next Sunday and be lockstep on what they achieved, what they're fighting for, what Trump and the GOP has taken from people, and what they're going to fix once the American people toss these MAGA jackasses out, and they're in a 100x better place.
Also your base hates you and you pissed away your chance to spend one damn week feeling like winners.
November 10, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Also your base hates you and you pissed away your chance to spend one damn week feeling like winners.
But the way this all went down absolutely fucks Dems on the biggest, constant question they will get from every journo on the planet this week: "why did you shut the gov down and what did you achieve?"
You need a message and unity coming out of this and leadership absolutely screwed that up.
You need a message and unity coming out of this and leadership absolutely screwed that up.
November 10, 2025 at 4:10 AM
But the way this all went down absolutely fucks Dems on the biggest, constant question they will get from every journo on the planet this week: "why did you shut the gov down and what did you achieve?"
You need a message and unity coming out of this and leadership absolutely screwed that up.
You need a message and unity coming out of this and leadership absolutely screwed that up.
And I'm of two minds on the timing, but leaning towards the belief that the damage has already been done to Trump on SNAP and the ACA credits. One more week of eating shit in the press about fighting the states in court to prevent SNAP benefits from going out probably doesn't move the needle for '26
November 10, 2025 at 4:10 AM
And I'm of two minds on the timing, but leaning towards the belief that the damage has already been done to Trump on SNAP and the ACA credits. One more week of eating shit in the press about fighting the states in court to prevent SNAP benefits from going out probably doesn't move the needle for '26