CFR fellow, WaPo columnist. Pulitzer finalist for biography. REAGAN: HIS LIFE AND LEGEND: NYT bestseller & NYT 10 best books of 2024. Writing John McCain bio.
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This is why I resist saying that Trump has switched sides in the war or that there is some conspiratorial link between Putin and him. He is easily duped by Putin, but he is also so mercurial that he can seem to support Russia one day and Ukraine the next. As I noted in @PostOpinions: wapo.st/47o44SX
A perfect metaphor for how Hegseth is damaging the military legacy he inherited. washingtonpost.com/national-…
Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 retweeted
Trump: "I alone could secure a prisoner release from Russia without giving anything in return"
Trump literally ten minutes later: "Now you idiots know why I had to waive sanctions on Russia, no shot I got that prisoner release otherwise"
Robert Rubin: Many Americans continue to underestimate one particular potential threat to our economic future: President Trump’s clearly expressed desire to interfere with and even usurp the midterm elections. Nov. 3 could be a defining test for the rule of law in this country, and both our democracy and our prosperity are on the line.
nytimes.com/2026/10/21/opini…
.@Belton: The Kremlin is counting the Trump administration’s latest turn against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a major triumph and, coupled with political upheaval in Europe, a sign that Western support for Ukraine is finally crumbling. washingtonpost.com/world/202…
This is appalling and infuriating. Withholding Patriots = killing Ukrainian civilians.
Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 retweeted
I have long since given up believing in conspiratorial explanations of the Trump-Putin relationship. If evidence for some nefarious tie existed, it would’ve been uncovered by now, especially after four years of Democratic control of the executive branch. Zelensky had a more compelling theory when he said that Trump simply has a fondness for autocrats and the uber-wealthy—and Putin is both. wapo.st/47o44SX
Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 retweeted
It hadn’t occurred to me that Trump views Putin as a fellow billionaire, but it’s true. Putin’s net worth has been estimated at $70 billion to $200 billion. Trump, who made more than $2 billion last year, no doubt respects anyone who manages to make so much money in office and to cling to power for so long. wapo.st/47o44SX
Like I said today in @PostOpinions, Trump’s willingness to do the bidding of a murderous despot is despicable and dangerous. wapo.st/47o44SX
Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 retweeted
This is the most probable explanation why President Trump has so much love for Putin. No conspiracy. Just genuine admiration for rich, powerful, uncontrolled.
I have long since given up believing in conspiratorial explanations of the Trump-Putin relationship. If evidence for some nefarious tie existed, it would’ve been uncovered by now, especially after four years of Democratic control of the executive branch. Zelensky had a more compelling theory when he said that Trump simply has a fondness for autocrats and the uber-wealthy—and Putin is both. wapo.st/47o44SX
I have long since given up believing in conspiratorial explanations of the Trump-Putin relationship. If evidence for some nefarious tie existed, it would’ve been uncovered by now, especially after four years of Democratic control of the executive branch. Zelensky had a more compelling theory when he said that Trump simply has a fondness for autocrats and the uber-wealthy—and Putin is both. wapo.st/47o44SX
Not for the first time, it seems the wily Putin has manipulated a credulous Trump. The U.S. president is now blaming Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for the soaring oil prices that are exacerbating his political woes. Never mind that his war in Iran is the actual culprit. If Republicans lose the midterms, Trump has a ready-made scapegoat. wapo.st/47o44SX
It hadn’t occurred to me that Trump views Putin as a fellow billionaire, but it’s true. Putin’s net worth has been estimated at $70 billion to $200 billion. Trump, who made more than $2 billion last year, no doubt respects anyone who manages to make so much money in office and to cling to power for so long. wapo.st/47o44SX
Trump’s willingness to do the bidding of a murderous despot is despicable and dangerous. Luckily, Ukraine has become less dependent on U.S. support. That means Trump has less leverage to force Zelensky into a bad deal with Russia. You might say Trump doesn’t hold the cards anymore. Yet by cutting off Starlink service and intelligence sharing, he can ensure that many more Ukrainians will die in their fight against Russian aggression. wapo.st/47o44SX
Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 retweeted
Such a phenomenal douche. Our allies fought and died next to us. I spent a butt load of time in Afghanistan (in far worse circumstances than this performative clown) and the only comment to our allies is “thank you.” That’s it. Heartfelt. Thank you. Also, he’s addressing ROTC students with this horseshit. That is just plain dangerous. Our next generation cannot be taught such BS.
Hegseth on Afghanistan:
I was a captain in Afghanistan, and we would go to the headquarters in Kabul, and there would be 50 flags at the headquarters.
It was a beautiful thing to see 50 different countries contributing to the NATO alliance and the ISAF mission there.
Except there were like maybe five that contributed. It was actually closer to one or two that, by the end, were actually involved in kinetic operations.
In fact, the ISAF patch, we would joke that it meant "I Saw Americans Fighting."
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Over 1100 non-American soldiers from 31 US-allied countries were killed fighting in Afghanistan, approximately 1/3 of the total combat deaths.
t.co/x4tGhxJiFG
Good.
Ukraine carried out its largest-ever drone attack on St Petersburg on Sunday, defying US demands to halt strikes against Russian energy infrastructure. Fires broke out at the oil terminal in St Petersburg’s port. Airports in Moscow and St Petersburg were closed for several hours during the attack.
@maxseddon @fabrice_deprez
ft.com/content/734dad42-2eef…
Last week I wrote that Trump’s “dollar diplomacy” doesn’t work because dictators won’t make big concessions in return for business deals: wapo.st/47gE6Rf. But Witkoff and Kushner are still at it, floating the idea of Europe buying gas again from Russia to convince Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine. This won’t work either. nytimes.com/2026/10/17/us/po…
I’m grateful to former governor and senator Lamar Alexander for moderating a discussion about my book “Reagan: His Life and Legend” at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. @LiverightPub
