David Rothkopf Profile picture
Proud father of J & L, lucky husband of C, CEO, The DSR Network, host, Deep State Radio; most recent book-"American Resistance"; columnist, Daily Beast.
Fellakommando Südost 🇩🇪🇪🇺🇺🇦 Profile picture Unpack the Court! Profile picture Chris Bugbee Profile picture Gregory Profile picture Barb Profile picture 425 subscribed
Jun 13, 2023 11 tweets 2 min read
I, for one, am a bit surprised at the general acceptance of the degree of deference that has been shown to Trump in this case. He was given far too much time and too many chances to return the documents he stole from the government. As the subsequent seizure of the documents revealed, they were extremely sensitive in nature and put our national security at risk every moment they were held by Trump in the insecure locations he kept them or were referred to by him in meetings with visitors and associates.
Jun 11, 2023 6 tweets 2 min read
The book on how to indict an ex-president has not been written--until now. Chapter One was by Alvin Bragg. Ch. Two was by Jack Smith, informed by Chapter One. Ch. Three, likely by Fani Willis, will be informed by the other two experiences. So by the time we get to Ch. Four... which is probably the most consequential of the cases, about how Trump led an insurrection against the US government and a systematic effort to defraud American voters, there will be quite a lot to draw on, to help get each element right.
Jun 6, 2023 13 tweets 3 min read
I regularly go through a debate in my mind about who is worse at their jobs, sports show analysts or political pundits. (You would think weather forecasters might be included in the mix, but the reality is that their predictions are vastly better than the other two groups.) With the sports analysts, the level of BS is just shameless. Day-in and day-out they speak with great conviction, some of them banging the table or shouting at their guests or audiences, asserting they know what's going to happen next in one sports event or another.
Jun 2, 2023 9 tweets 2 min read
This debt deal will rank with the most significant legislative accomplishments of Biden's first term. In a situation that should not have happened, created by his opponents, with immense stakes, he and his team produced the best possible outcome for the country. Like so many other Biden accomplishments-from the rescue package to the infra bill, from the inflation reduction act to the CHIPs act-Biden was underestimated, he achieved progress despite his opponents' obstructionism, he didn't play media games & let the work speak for itself.
May 31, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
I’m one of those crazy progressives who think supporting the most progressive president in roughly six decades is progressive, who thinks avoiding an economic disaster that would leave millions of the most vulnerable among us suffering. I’m one of the woke mind virus sufferers who thinks progressive doesn’t mean letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, who thinks maintaining power is the key to advancing progressive goals.
May 30, 2023 26 tweets 5 min read
Stealthily, without proportionate recognition, Joe Biden is not just having a good presidency, he's having one that is historic in its concrete achievements and successes. The fair & balanced types in the media won't characterize it fairly because to do so, would "feel" biased. The opposition won't cover it because it is not in their interests to tell the truth. (It's why they never do.) Editors and producers will shy away from it because positive stories don't sell like conflict does. Consequently most of the media won't present the simple facts.
May 26, 2023 17 tweets 3 min read
I worked with Henry Kissinger. In retrospect, I shouldn't have. Deep in the foreign policy establishment as I was, it seemed like a kind of validation. He was the guy we discussed around our dining room table when I was growing up. He was undoubtedly brilliant. He picked me. My parents were impressed. But we all knew that we were sweeping a lot of his history under the rug in order to celebrate my move to Kissinger Associates. While I was there, I also have to admit that Henry was generous with his time and taught me a great deal.
May 26, 2023 6 tweets 1 min read
Joe Biden is a master Congressional negotiator. Was during Obama. Is now. Especially in the face of the toughest kind of opposition. He's the Congress whisperer. That is the seeming message of the deal we're currently hearing floated. If we had heard what essentially amounts to a freeze come out of normal budget talks with a radicalized House GOP seeking to blow up all social spending, we would see it as a big win. They still could have used a gov't shutdown as leverage then.
May 23, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
I have a theory. It is premature to share it. But if I don't share it prematurely and wait a few days, it's likely to sound like conventional wisdom. So here goes: When all is said and done, the debt disaster will be averted and Biden will get major credit for how he managed it. At the same time, while McCarthy will not get anywhere near what he wanted, he too will get some credit for achieving budget cuts and avoiding disaster. (Though that fact will be due in part to how Biden chose to handle this.)
May 21, 2023 7 tweets 2 min read
I wonder why so many refer to the 14th Amendment as an option. Is it the only optional amendment to the Constitution? Its language is crystal clear: "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… In the same vein, why is the issue "testing the 14th amendment." Isn't the issue that Congressionally mandated process of "lifting the debt ceiling" is unconstitutional? @tribelaw
May 17, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
So much of the GOP's playbook relies on the press presenting their lies as "political positions" or "opinions" and their most egregious tactics as though they were normal. Two current examples are McCarthy holding the debt hostage and the spin that Durham "debunked" Trump-Russia. Neither position stands up to any scrutiny. But because the press insists on describing the debt situation as though Biden were as responsible for it as the GOP, as if it were a typical negotiation, because they both-sides it, it looks to the world like it is one.
May 11, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
Note to journalists: If you run a headline or article parroting McCarthy saying "Biden wants default" or "Biden will lead us to default" you are assisting him with his reckless extortion gambit. McCarthy is the one linking budget talks to the debt ceiling. He's the one putting the economy at risk. He's the one tying together two very different issues in a way the GOP never did under Trump. Don't just quote him or Tweet his quotes without making this clear. It actually increases the risk we face of default by strengthening his hand.
May 11, 2023 6 tweets 2 min read
The more I watch elements of last night's Trump show, the more I think critiques of @kaitlancollins are unfair. She asked the right questions & after he filibustered and blustered through a few at the outset she got tougher and tougher. Given the format, hers was a tough task. Many experienced journalists have gotten railroaded by Trump. She pushed back increasingly deftly and made efforts to fact check throughout. She should have done more early, especially on the outrageous full-term abortion lie.
May 11, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
Hard to say what was the worst part of the CNN debacle: Trump repeating the Big Lie, promising to pardon Jan 6 insurgents, further victimizing E. Jean Carroll, not promising to honor the 2024 election result, not calling Vladimir Putin a war criminal... ...or condemning his invasion of Ukraine, implying that there was equivalency between Russia and Ukraine, attacking our allies yet again, promising to double down on many of his worst policies, taking credit for the abomination that was the Dobbs decision...
May 10, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
Lindsey Graham, Tommy Tuberville, Marco Rubio all denigrated the New York jury that concluded Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E Jean Carroll. Their message, the views of these citizens doing their duty did not matter. That justice could not be done in a Blue state? It’s outrageous. And dangerous. But is that all it is? Is the implicit assertion that New Yorkers were somehow lesser Americans whose judgements did not matter something even worse?
May 9, 2023 6 tweets 1 min read
Dear MAGA World,
Ever since your buddy Elon opened the floodgates to allow you to overrun this site, we've gotten to see much more of you, understand you better. And I want to be frank, it's not a good look. It's not just that you are wrong about so much or that you're so cruel. You're just kind of dumb. You repeat the same nonsense over and over, you have no sense of history, your insults are repetitive, flat and puerile. And that's to say nothing of your support for the worst people and ideas out there in the world.
May 9, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
GOP: We need to focus on mental health instead of guns (but we support cutting funds for mental health). We must cut the deficit (but we created the deficit and oppose the measures we need to reduce the deficit.) GOP (continued): We oppose judicial activism. (But we only support judicial activists.) We opposed all Biden major initiatives (But we will gladly take credit for the benefits they bring our communities.)
May 5, 2023 9 tweets 3 min read
It used to be that Twitter was not only a good place to follow the news and perspectives on the news in real time, the dialogue with folks was often informative and stimulating and if you had a point of view, you could share it and know your followers would get it. Now, most of that utility is gone or compromised. The news feeds are junked up with trolls, bots, and fake stories. Often the stories and comments of the people you follow don't make it through to you or are delayed or buried.
Apr 27, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
Look, there are just too many Trump cases and crimes to keep them all straight. I think we need a mnemonic device to help us with this. So, I've come up with one to help you keep track of them. It's easy to remember. Just think: C-O-R-R-U-P-T P-R-E-S-I-D-E-N-T. Corporate fraud (NY State)
Obstruction
Rape
Russian collusion (Yes...)
Ukraine blackmail (1st impeachment)
Pedophilia (Epstein)
Tax fraud
Apr 27, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
A bunch of boys, trolls and nitwits have pointed out that Trump was showing signs he was too old and unfit to be president and that I wrote Biden was still fit and doing a great job as president. None read my article which addressed this directly. There is no inconsistency here. Trump was unfit. Is unfit. Biden is doing a great job. There is lots of evidence he will continue to do so.
Apr 6, 2023 6 tweets 1 min read
Watch what's happening in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Idaho & other red states that are rapidly becoming fascist dystopias--denying women, people of color, voters, retirees, families, and children their rights. This is America's nightmare now. It is much bigger than Trump. In fact, one of the problems of the national obsession with the Trump show is that it has us distracted from where the extremist wave he rode is now taking us. There are many dangerous leaders, not just one, a movement that goes beyond MAGA.