Former Under Secretary of State in Obama admin & Editor @TIME. Political analyst @MSNOW. Book: "Information Wars." + @rickstengel.bsky.social
New York, NY
Joined December 2016
- Tweets14.5K
- Following1.2K
- Followers85K
- Likes24.6K
Pinned Tweet
I always told my journalists, there aren’t two sides to a lie. Yes, you should be non-partisan, but not neutral. Journalists must be biased in favor of the truth and facts. Biased in favor of democracy itself. We protect the press so the press can protect democracy. Let’s do that
Dems won the election but still need to win the argument. Between affordability and accountability, focus relentlessly but not exclusively on the former and tie the two of them together.
Here's the question: "Mr. President you made more than $1.4 billion last year as president. That's more than you ever made in any year as a businessman. You did once lose $1 billion, in 1995, and you avoided paying taxes for most of the next decade. How is it that you enriched yourself as president more than than you ever did as a businessman?"
Here's how to shape the Democratic party's future: Don't engage in a fratricidal civil war between moderates and progressives. And don't pay attention to news stories like this one that play up that battle. It's a big country—it should be a big party. nytimes.com/2026/11/07/us/po…
Praise be to the many Republican candidates who lost and gave gracious concession speeches to their opponents, acknowledged that elected officials need to serve all their constituents, and that peaceful transfer of power is a foundation of our republic.
This is heartening. But the theme, over and over, is that the current state of politics wasn't working for them. That's why Democrats must embrace a pragmatic policy agenda that makes them feel that politics, and government, are working for them. Don't make them regret their choice. nytimes.com/2026/11/06/us/po…
One of the quandaries of representative government is that the achievements of the legislative branch are not felt by voters right away. Making laws and funding highways or agencies often take years to come to fruition. They are not part of the lived experience of most citizens. At the same time, bad executive policies, making war or tariffs, are often felt right away, as has been the case in the walk-up to the election. The political seachange that happened on Nov. 3 is wonderful. But Democratic lawmakers must think about actions that benefit voters right away, in part so that these new Democratic voters feel like they made the right choice. Show them that government can improve their lives. That is the way to set up 2028.
Whether it was the overwhelming nature of the victory, the realization at the White House that even their own voters were not with them, I don't know. But we should be grateful for the return of bi-partisan acceptance of election results and the restoration of the peaceful transfer of power in American elections. apnews.com/article/election-…
The swing toward Democrats by young voters, Hispanic voters, Black men, and moderates is a wonderful thing. Now we have to pursue policies to make sure they don't swing back the other way. Onward.
More than a corrective—this is the first step to a realignment. A realignment to values and practicality and common-sense politics. But, please, no one yet declare "America is back." We need to bring America back and that does not happen overnight. This election was a referendum on Trumpism. It was not about ideology. 2028 will be in part a referendum on Democratic leadership. Dems need to show they can make a positive difference in the lives of all Americans. That's not about vengeance, but pursuing the common good.
Trump asked Republicans to pretend he was on the ballot. Republicans didn’t, but Democrats and independents did and thoroughly repudiated him.
It's poetic that Trump's final argument was about the reflecting pool because that's how he sees politics: it's all about reflections of himself.
Vote for the return of the rule of law, the end of the culture of corruption, the restoration of America’s place in the world, and a revival of decency in American public life. #VoteBlue
The real Trump admin policy re "voter fraud" is to disnfranchise as many eligible voters as possible in pursuit of the tiny handful of ineligible voters. That is what's behind the California case. Vote!
nytimes.com/2026/11/02/us/po…
