After months of concerns about potential disruption, Americans made their voices heard. Our democratic institutions proved resilient. A free, fair, peaceful—even boring—election. That's a victory for democracy.
Michael McFaul
@mcfaulmike.bsky.social
wrld.org
Professor of Political Science, Director of Freeman Spogli Institute & Hoover Senior Fellow all at Stanford University. U.S. Ambassador to Russia, 2012-2014.
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"The United States is not a dictatorship. It remains a democracy. The ability to hold free and fair elections, despite Trump and his team’s efforts to disrupt them, is overwhelming evidence of the resilience of American democratic institutions." Read more: michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/democracy-...
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Democracy in America Bent but Did Not Break
The pool of talent in the Democratic Party is deep! So many new faces won last night. So many talented orators. So many gritty life stories. The diversity of people who won, on all dimensions, including ideological ones, was also inspiring.
Yesterday was a great day for American democracy! As they taught us in Hungary, if you win big, there is little opportunity for shenanigans on Election Day.
So far, we are having boring, normal elections. Fantastic! To all the patriotic Americans involved in administering this election, thank you.
So far, the United States is holding a free and fair and peaceful election. Absolutely awesome! But Trump is not done yet. Watch this space.
Eight years on, my opinion hasn't changed. I still believe Election Day should be a holiday: www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/wan...
www.washingtonpost.com
Opinion | Want Americans to vote? Give them the day off.
Putin is not a "humanitarian." Putin is a killer. Trump's pivot to help him and abandon Ukrainians is one of the worst U.S. foreign policy decisions ever. It needs to be reversed. www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/putin... via @ForeignAffairs
www.foreignaffairs.com
Putin’s Strategy Is Working
The Kremlin has spent years courting Donald Trump. Now they're seeing the payoff. The United States of America is now helping Putin in his war against Ukraine. I find that tragic.
The root cause of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is Putin. Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 without being provoked and without any threat to Russia from Ukraine or NATO.
Thank you, @barackobama.bsky.social, for mentioning this Trump betrayal of Ukraine.
Trump's pivot to help Russia and abandon Ukraine is (1) immoral, (2) not in US national interests, and (3) wildly unpopular at home. www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/putin... via @ForeignAffairs
www.foreignaffairs.com
Putin’s Strategy Is Working
In the history of American foreign policy, has there been a more dramatic, more tragic reversal than Trump's pivot away from supporting democratic Ukraine to helping autocratic Russia? I can't think of one. I explain it here: www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/putin... via @ForeignAffairs
www.foreignaffairs.com
Putin’s Strategy Is Working
Vučić is out in Serbia. Bolsonaro's family is not returning to power in Brazil. Machado is back in Venezuela. Great day for democracy! Up next, elections in Israel this week. Elections in the US next week.
michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/trumps-cap...
michaelmcfaul.substack.com
Trump’s Capitulation to Putin Is Undermining U.S. National Security
Appeasement does not work with Putin.
Nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine at the table.
I'm puzzled by Marco Rubio's role as Secretary of State. Why are Witkoff and Kushner taking the lead on major negotiations over war and peace, rather than America's chief diplomat?
Let's be clear: Ukraine did not start this war. Russia did. What American national interest is served by helping an imperial dictator at the expense of a democracy fighting for its survival?
I'm not an expert on American electoral politics, but it's hard for me to understand how Trump's embrace of Putin— a leader who over 80% of Americans don't like—helps Republicans win more votes in November.