John Stoehr
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Articles by John Stoehr
Elon Musk just crossed a dangerous line | Opinion
John Stoehr The Wall Street Journal and CBS News confirmed that Elon Musk was involved in the decision to stall out Starshield, the military version of Starlink, when Ukraine needed it most. As Russia launched its biggest attack since the invasion, Musk “capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite-based network, the people said, rendering some offensive drones and interceptor drones virtually useless,” the Journal said It's unlikely Musk acted alone.
Power brokers exploit Trump’s dwindling attention span behind closed doors
The president is demented. It's why he lashed out at a reporter today in the Oval Office. Donald Trump said: "Quiet. Quiet! What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person?" It's also why he acts like there is no future. With the prospect looming over him of a US Congress controlled by the Democrats, Donald Trump is behaving like time is running out. In the last week, he has lifted sanctions on Russian oil, sabotaged Ukraine, and "waived" news laws designed to punish Vladimir Putin.
The trigger that finally cracked Trump's base
US President Donald Trump kisses first lady Melania Trump after signing an executive order on women's health, spearheaded by first lady Melania Trump, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, US, October 19, 2026. During the president's first term, it was impossible to get his supporters to accept that the Russians really did help him defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016, and that the late Robert Mueller's investigation proved it.
Trump's latest Ukraine move has experts whispering impeachment | Opinion
I think we are seeing the makings of another impeachment scenario involving Ukraine. The last one (which, as you know, was Donald Trump's first of two) was about him asking that country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to help him cheat to defeat Joe Biden. If there is another, it may concentrate on Trump's interference of Ukraine's sovereign right to exist. Namely, that it looks like he sabotaged Zelenskyy's war of survival.
Trump's latest Ukraine move has experts whispering impeachment | Opinion
I think we are seeing the makings of another impeachment scenario involving Ukraine. The last one (which, as you know, was Donald Trump's first of two) was about him asking that country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to help him cheat to defeat Joe Biden. If there is another, it may concentrate on Trump's interference of Ukraine's sovereign right to exist. Namely, that it looks like he sabotaged Zelenskyy's war of survival.
Trump's latest Ukraine move has experts whispering impeachment | Opinion
John Stoehr I think we are seeing the makings of another impeachment scenario involving Ukraine. The last one (which, as you know, was Donald Trump's first of two) was about him asking that country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to help him cheat to defeat Joe Biden. If there is another, it may concentrate on Trump's interference of Ukraine's sovereign right to exist. Namely, that it looks like he sabotaged Zelenskyy's war of survival.
Trump’s latest Ukraine move has experts whispering ‘impeachment’
I think we are seeing the makings of another impeachment scenario involving Ukraine. The last one (which, as you know, was Donald Trump's first of two) was about him asking that country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to help him cheat to defeat Joe Biden. If there is another, it may concentrate on Trump's interference of Ukraine's sovereign right to exist. Namely, that it looks like he sabotaged Zelenskyy's war of survival.
Did Trump unplug Starshield because Putin asked him to?
I think we are seeing the makings of another impeachment scenario involving Ukraine. The last one (which, as you know, was Donald Trump's first of two) was about him asking that country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to help him cheat to defeat Joe Biden. If there is another, it may concentrate on Trump's interference of Ukraine's sovereign right to exist. Namely, that it looks like he sabotaged Zelenskyy's war of survival.
Sleeping giant awakens as Trump drops thousands on dubious light show
John Stoehr Some days feel like we're all living in the pages of a novel set in the Gilded Age, a time when the merely rich transformed into the very obscenely rich while everyone else struggled. Yesterday, the Washington Sun reported that the president had four golden chandeliers installed in the West Wing in celebration of his June birthday. The White House scrapped normal procedure. A small firm was given a $50,000 no-bid contract to get the job done fast.
Bidenomics was working. Crisis began when Trump ended it
The new Consumer Price Index was released. You will never guess what it showed – the biggest increase in five months, the Times said. Prices were 3.7 percent higher than last year. Why? You know. "In September, the primary driver of price pressures was energy prices, which on the whole rose 5.2 percent for the month, or 20.4 percent over the past year," according to the Times.
The beginning of the end of the 'religious right' | Opinion
I'm late to this, but there's still time for a word on James Talarico's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's show. It's important, because I don't think most people on the left appreciate how threatening he is. He has a shot at becoming the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from Texas in decades. He presents a chance to reclaim policies favorable to Donald Trump. But that's not what scares the Republicans.
The beginning of the end of the 'religious right'
Now Good morning. The pope has lung cancer, the Vatican said. Joni Mitchell is now an American citizen. And there’s more news below, including an accounting of how you get your bananas. Let’s start, though, with Russia’s war on Ukraine. America first With winter bearing down, Russia is trying to destroy …
The beginning of the end of the 'religious right'
Attendees participate in Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving on the National Mall, May 17, 2026 I'm late to this, but there's still time for a word on James Talarico's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's show. It's important, because I don't think most people on the left appreciate how threatening he is. He has a shot at becoming the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from Texas in decades. He presents a chance to reclaim policies favorable to Donald Trump.
Why do the Republicans fear James Talarico? He quotes scripture with authority
— 5 min read Courtesy of ABC. I'm late to this, but there's still time for a word on James Talarico's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's show. It's important, because I don't think most people on the left appreciate how threatening he is. He has a shot at becoming the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from Texas in decades. He presents a chance to reclaim policies favorable to Donald Trump. But that's not what scares the Republicans.
The 'broken brain' taboo is finally fading
I think the president of the United States really believes "there's never been anybody" who deserves the Nobel Peace Prize more than he does. He really believes he "settled eight wars." He really believes he stopped "the total obliteration of the world" by going to war with Iran. And I think he will try to punish anyone who does not share his beliefs. As president, Donald Trump has vast powers at his disposal. "I can do whatever I want," he told reporters on Wednesday.
The real Epstein files secret isn’t what you think it is
Donald Trump reacts next to Melania Trump during a rally at Madison Square Garden, in New York, U.S., October 27, 2024. The AP ran a headline that said it all. "Can $1 billion buy victory in the midterm elections? Some Republicans fear the answer is no," read the topline item from yesterday's "Morning Wire." However, that was apparently too on the nose for some GOP readers.
How to de-shittify America
During my occasional bouts of hopelessness, I find myself thinking about Cory Doctorow's theory of technological regression. When big platforms like Google and Facebook make themselves worse in pursuit of greater profits, Doctorow said, they enshittify themselves. I think that's what America did.
The ghost of 1932 —and the reckoning threatening to kill the GOP
I have been thinking about why Donald Trump is so unpopular. The conventional wisdom is that it's because he broke his promises – to bring down costs, to stay out of wars, to release the Epstein files. But I think it's important to focus on what's beneath that and bring it forward, and it's this: Trump lies and those who still believe his lies are increasingly few. Consider groceries. The president has been concocting a fantasy about the cost of food going down since his return to the White House.
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I started the Editorial Board eight years ago. It was the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections, and I had a lot to say that I could not say through regular means. Things began slowly, but by the spring of the following year, I was earning enough to have confidence that this venture might actually work. By the fall of 2019, even as the specter of covid was on the horizon, the dream was coming true: I was an independent writer making a living at writing! Since then, a lot has changed.
Today's affordability crisis is rooted in Trump's insurrection
The US economy — 5 min read I ended yesterday's edition by saying there's a straight line between the J6 insurrection and the affordability crisis we are all facing. The corruption that went into Donald Trump's failed paramilitary takeover of the US government rolled into his second term, with the most recent results being persistent inflation, stagnant job growth and a war with no end in sight. Not long after I made that point, the president illustrated it.
Don't let the laughs fool you: Schmitt's debacle is hiding a darker truth
Don't let the laughs fool you: Schmitt's debacle is hiding a darker truth
From J6 insurrection to Schmitt's humiliation, a straight line
Let's not say goodbye to Eric Schmitt just yet. His story is about more than a power-mad senator falling on his face. It's part of a larger story about the Republicans defending the leader of an insurrection against an investigation that, as Jack Smith said Tuesday, "developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation." Schmitt's story is part of a broader attempt by the Republicans to punish Jack Smith for prosecuting Donald Trump's treason.
Trump and the death of shame: How America's reality was annihilated today | Opinion
Eric Schmitt humiliated himself on live TV today. It was during testimony by Jack Smith, the special prosecutor who charged Donald Trump. The Missouri senator's self-own was so spectacular that it overshadowed Smith's opening statement in which he said he found "proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation." Maybe that was the goal. If so, it backfired.
Donald Trump is the weakest strongman ever
Yes, the White House is calling them "public-service announcements." They are not. A public-service announcement promotes policy, like anti-drunk driving laws. What the president is doing is using tax dollars to air commercials created for his 2024 presidential campaign. With them, Donald Trump hopes to move voters against the Democrats in advance of the midterms. They are illegal. They use public money for partisan gain. That said, the president's ads may end up serving the public in unintended ways.
A somewhat urgent message
I started the Editorial Board eight years ago. It was the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections, and I had a lot to say that I could not say through regular means. Things began slowly, but by the spring of the following year, I was earning enough to have confidence that this venture might actually work. By the fall of 2019, even as the specter of covid was on the horizon, the dream was coming true: I was an independent writer making a living at writing! Since then, a lot has changed.
'The wheels are coming off': How this week changed everything for the GOP | Opinion
The Washington Sun called it " panic week ." During the last five days, Republicans across-the-board seemed to wake up to the fact that things are not going to get better from now until the congressional elections. This was the week in which Republicans everywhere realized, all at once, that the light at the end of the tunnel may be from an oncoming train.
The suicide mission against the most powerful force in America
The thing about Donald Trump is that he's bad at being president. I don't mean tyrannical or fascist or criminal or corrupt. Those adjectives obviously apply, but I mean just plain bad. The basic job of being president is reflecting the will of the majority of the American people as faithfully as possible. When you run afoul of public opinion, you change course quick. Trump doesn't do that. No one around him does that.
The power dynamic is shifting against Trump. Thank his binky
I suppose we have Natalie Harp to thank. The president had been growing increasingly frustrated by negative news coverage of his many failures. Then last Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal, "as his frustrations reached a fever pitch," Harp showed him clips of MS NOW anchors criticizing him. That was the last straw, apparently. Donald Trump banned MS Now, along with CNN and Politico.
A single number threatens a bloodbath for the GOP
In American politics, the simplest explanation is probably the best. Why are some Republicans suddenly and conspicuously breaking from Donald Trump? Not just any Republicans, but ruby-red Republicans, in ruby-red states, in the span of days? The answer is probably diesel. The price reached $6 a gallon two Fridays ago for the first time. Since then, every new day has smashed the previous day's record. I checked this morning. AAA says the national average was $5.57 this time last month.
Diesel is the new covid
— 5 min read Courtesy of CNN. In American politics, the simplest explanation is probably the best. Why are some Republicans suddenly and conspicuously breaking from Donald Trump? Not just any Republicans, but ruby-red Republicans, in ruby-red states, in the span of days? The answer is probably diesel. The price reached $6 a gallon two Fridays ago for the first time. Since then, every new day has smashed the previous day's record. I checked this morning.
The GOP faces a reckoning for letting MAGA take the reins
Historical analogies are always dicey but hoo boy, with the state of the economy, the price of oil, and a new round of polling, Donald Trump is giving off serious Jimmy Carter vibes. I think Carter was a good president, but too many variables were out of his control, especially inflation. By the end of his term, it was over 10 percent. (It peaked at 13 percent in 1979.) Right or wrong, fair or not, he became known for inflation, or rather, for his inability to control it.
Brace yourselves: The midterms are about to go thermonuclear | Opinion
John Stoehr The debate over the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump is getting hot right now but wait until November's congressional elections. It's going to get thermonuclear. Before we get there, however, I think we all should remember that nothing in our system of government – not the Constitution, not the law, not the institutions of justice – was originally designed to handle the God-tier level of cheating and impunity we are seeing. It's not that impeachment and removal are inadequate.
Brace yourselves: The midterms are about to go thermonuclear
The debate over the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump is getting hot right now but wait until November's congressional elections. It's going to get thermonuclear. Before we get there, however, I think we all should remember that nothing in our system of government – not the Constitution, not the law, not the institutions of justice – was originally designed to handle the God-tier level of cheating and impunity we are seeing. It's not that impeachment and removal are inadequate.
A Hispanic Republican in Florida is facing her FAFO moment
— 3 min read Courtesy of the office of María Elvira Salazar. Florida Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, a Republican who represents Miami, made news yesterday when she posted an ad condemning Donald Trump's immigration purge. "Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far," she said, adding: "the same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed.” "Feel betrayed" is one way of putting it. Another is FAFO. Especially for Salazar.
Ask me anything
Good morning, ask me anything and I’ll answer as best I can.
Trump is 'worse than Carter'
— 5 min read Images courtesy of the AP. Historical analogies are always dicey but hoo boy, with the state of the economy, the price of oil, and a new round of polling, Donald Trump is giving off serious Jimmy Carter vibes. I think Carter was a good president, but too many variables were out of his control, especially inflation. By the end of his term, it was over 10 percent.
Illegal war, illegal deportations, illegal taxes: Impeach Donald Trump on economic grounds?
The debate over the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump is getting hot right now but wait until November's congressional elections. It's going to get thermonuclear. Before we get there, however, I think we all should remember that nothing in our system of government – not the Constitution, not the law, not the institutions of justice – was originally designed to handle the God-tier level of cheating and impunity we are seeing. It's not that impeachment and removal are inadequate.
Endless war, energy shocks, recession: a breaking point is near, but all Trump can do is lie
Some things that are broken cannot be fixed. Let's hope the price of diesel isn't one of them. The national average hit $6 on Friday, the highest it has been. Until today, when it hit $6.23. (Diesel was $5.85 per gallon two weeks ago. It was $3.71 this time last year, according to AAA.) "Higher diesel prices mean more expensive transportation for a long list of everyday goods," the Associated Press reported on Friday. "That’s because diesel is used for many freight and delivery networks.
The chaos-inducing illusion behind Trump’s new bribe
Donald Trump said during last night's "GOP midterm convention" that he would pay every adult American $5,000 if the Republicans keep control of the US Congress in November. There are simple words for this: bribery and money laundering. The president is calling it "the Trump Dividend," as if every taxpaying citizen were an investor in a publicly traded corporation.
Criminal president offers voters a piece of the illegal tariff action
Donald Trump said during last night's "GOP midterm convention" that he would pay every adult American $5,000 if the Republicans keep control of the US Congress in November. There are simple words for this: bribery and money laundering. The president is calling it "the Trump Dividend," as if every taxpaying citizen were an investor in a publicly traded corporation.
The blistering 4-word accusation tearing down Trump's latest speech
The president of the United States said he was at ground zero in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack in New York. On Tuesday, during a memorial service in Washington to mark the 25th anniversary of that horrible day, Donald Trump gave the impression he was part of the recovery effort as well as among those who were rescued. It was a big lie, but it was more than that. It was stolen valor.
Trump's 9/11 lies are stolen valor, not 'a bit of weirdness'
— 4 min read Courtesy of Spectrum News. The president of the United States said he was at ground zero in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack in New York. On Tuesday, during a memorial service in Washington to mark the 25th anniversary of that horrible day, Donald Trump gave the impression he was part of the recovery effort as well as among those who were rescued. It was a big lie, but it was more than that. It was stolen valor. 0:00 /0:26 Via Aaron Rupar.
Reporters 'know Trump's brain is broken' — and do nothing: insider
For about a fortnight, I have been offering readers a variation on a theme of insanity. The effort is paying off. During a September 11 memorial service this morning, the president of the United States said he was at ground zero in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack. "We thought it was coming down on top of us, and two firemen, big, strong guys ...
The more he fails to dominate, the more insane Trump gets
For about a fortnight, I have been offering readers a variation on a theme of insanity. The effort is paying off. During a September 11 memorial service this morning, the president of the United States said he was at ground zero in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack. "We thought it was coming down on top of us, and two firemen, big, strong guys ...
An unlikely group is driving Trump's biggest reckoning
Regular readers know I used to talk a lot about conservatism, fascism, authoritarianism, totalitarianism – all those multi-syllabic schools of thought that attempt to explain politics in America today. But I don't talk about them in depth these days. I have come to a conclusion. Highfalutin concepts in the same breath as Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, Scott Bessent, Stephen Miller and Robert F Kennedy Jr – c'mon.
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I think it's important to show that this newsletter isn't a corporate product made with AI slop. It's made by people for the people in trying to make a difference in the world while raising a family and living our values. Long-time subscribers have seen ER Stoehr grow in her drawings. Her illustration of dancing pickles was very popular! The above axolotl is a rare species of salamander found mostly in Mexico. Climate change is its biggest threat.
The jig is up: Trump is going to take the money and run | Opinion
There are amazing sentences in this Post report from this morning about the president not spending hundreds of millions intended to support Republicans in the coming midterms. They are amazing sentences, because they exist in a mainstream news outlet owned by a billionaire who profits from his patronage of the White House, but also because they never quite land on the truth in plain sight, which is that Donald Trump is stealing the money.
The jig is up: Trump is going to take the money and run | Opinion
There are amazing sentences in this Post report from this morning about the president not spending hundreds of millions intended to support Republicans in the coming midterms. They are amazing sentences, because they exist in a mainstream news outlet owned by a billionaire who profits from his patronage of the White House, but also because they never quite land on the truth in plain sight, which is that Donald Trump is stealing the money.
Stop screaming at your TV: The genius move Dems use to beat media bias
Frustrated woman Liberals have a bad habit of putting the views and values of Republicans at the center of their attention. We do it without thinking about it, because it's normal. And it's normal, because I think we tacitly accept the argument that our views and values can't be broadly persuasive on their own. Making progress will require making better choices. One of those is pushing Republicans out of the center. They are not the arbiters of our reality. We are.
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