Jennifer Goldstein

Diplomat | Lived on 4 Continents | Visited 6 | retweets not endorsements | views my own

[Jennifer Goldstein @JLGoldstein]

Hello I’m a diplomat. You may know me from my greatest hits, “No I can’t get you out of Congolese jail”, “sorry, wanting to know where to watch the super bowl overseas is not a legit call for the emergency line”, and “yes, you really do have to follow local laws”.

[Daniel W. Drezner @dandrezner]

Hi, I’m a political scientist. You might remember me from such hits as, “No, I don’t want to run for office,” “Yes, it’s in the syllabus,” and “I’d love to explain Trump to you but there’s this steel spike I need to drive into my skull.”

[Senator John Hickenlooper @SenatorHick]

On our Town Hall tonight, I laid out how dangerous the Republican CR is.

I’m a NO on cloture and the CR.

[Stacy Cay @stacycay]

“How come I never see drag queens performing to old people? Why is it only kids?”

Because everything you know about drag is from libsoftiktok, and they never post videos like this one for some reason.

[Wu Tang is for the Children @WUTangKids]

Apparently it is once again time to bring back the lesson on tariffs from Ferris Bueller

[Jennifer Goldstein @JLGoldstein]

@CopaAirlines you emailed about my refund but it hasn’t arrived - when will it arrive?

[Josh Johnson @JoshJohnson]

The Artificial Intelligence Response That Left Me Terrified. Does this scare you?

[Szabolcs Panyi @panyiszabolcs]

💥Our documentary on the enrichment of Viktor Orbán's family has already surpassed 1.5 million online viewers, triggering a panicked reaction from Hungarian government propaganda.

🙏Please share so we can reach 2 million!

[Jennifer Goldstein @JLGoldstein]

@DoorDash help - wrong food delivered - how do I contact you??

[Concerned Citizen @BGatesIsaPyscho]

“What happens when you put 200 unadopted stray kittens that were due to be euthanised in prison”

This is absolutely incredible 👏

[Jennifer Goldstein @JLGoldstein]

@AmericanAir wtf?! Trying NOT to get sick over here. No covid no cold no flu no nothing - it’s gross and annoying. Why are you like this?

[Jammer @acrossthemersey]

American Airlines has rescinded a policy protecting flight attendants from a points deduction system for missing work with COVID and will require them to provide a certificate from a healthcare provider or essentially work while infected.

[Alex Vindman 🇺🇸 @AVindman]

Statement on National Security Staff Firings

Yesterday, President Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz @michaelgwaltz , announced a sweeping directive to terminate all national security staffers loaned from other departments and agencies who serve in apolitical, non-partisan senior staff roles. Waltz framed this decision as a means to eliminate Biden-era appointees and enforce absolute alignment with Trump’s policy agenda. Notably, Waltz justified this move by referencing my role in exposing Trump’s abuse of power, which led to his first impeachment. Using my actions as a rationale, Waltz aims to purge scores of professionals from the Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, and other agencies—not because of their conduct, but due to a demand for blind allegiance to Trump. This approach sends a stark and troubling message: in a second Trump administration, only political loyalists will be permitted to serve on the NSC.

To set the record straight, I served as an apolitical detailee and a faithful Army officer implementing President Trump’s national security agenda, as outlined in the National Security Strategy he approved. My actions did not conflict with Trump’s stated national security policy. My reporting of corruption—my refusal to remain silent as Trump engaged in criminal activity, undermined free and fair elections by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, to steal the 2020 election—and my refusal to betray my oath to the U.S. Constitution are why I was fired. These are the same reasons professional staff are about to be purged, and apolitical staff will be barred from the NSC.

On the surface, it is reasonable for a president to seek a loyal and trusted teams faithful to their agenda. However, absolute loyalty should not be the exclusive qualification, overriding competence, experience, and fidelity to a constitutional oath. An NSC staffed with “team members who are 100% aligned with the president’s agenda” will not only diminish the NSC’s capabilities but also erode continuity in policy. Worse, it will create an environment where dissenting views, even those grounded in experience and ethical responsibility, are stifled.

The so-called “Vindman Rule” sets a dangerous precedent by ensuring that only political loyalists can serve on the NSC, advise the president, and interact with the president and top decision-makers. Such an approach will have a chilling effect on senior policy staff across the government. Talented professionals, wary of being dismissed for principled stances or offering objective advice, will either self-censor or forgo service altogether. This undermines the very purpose of the NSC: to provide the president with the best possible advice as well as the coordinating team to advance U.S. national security interests.

The implications of this loyalty-above-competence model are dire. By purging the NSC of apolitical, experienced professionals, Trump and Waltz are hollowing out the institutional expertise required to navigate complex global challenges. This will create a policy apparatus incapable of discerning sound policies from reckless impulses—or worse, one that actively disregards legal and ethical obligations to implement Trump’s personal whims. Consider the implications: Would Department of Defense detailees still counsel against invading Greenland or Canada or feed those foolhardy thoughts to curry favor? Would FBI detailees agree to engage in political reprisals against Trump’s enemies to serve in the NSC? These are not far-fetched concerns but real dangers inherent in the precedent Waltz establishes.

This announcement also presages broader plans by the Trump administration to fire tens of thousands of senior apolitical government officials and replace them with Trump loyalists. By prioritizing loyalty above all else, the Trump administration will significantly undermine the foundations of good governance, jeopardize U.S. national security, and weaken U.S. democracy.

[Jennifer Goldstein @JLGoldstein]

@flynnslick The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Need to rewatch but it’s been 15 years and haven’t been able to yet - still processing.

[Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald]

In the Israeli Knesset, MP Gilad Kariv -- a Rabbi and former IDF soldier -- condemns Israelis who have completely dehumanized 2.3 million Palestinians in the same ways our "worst enemies did" to us, in the process endorsing savagery, barbarism and utter disregard for human life.

[Brighton Women's Liberation Collective @SistersSalon2]

Dora Moono Nyambe was a young feminist philanthropist who rescued girls from child marriage.
She established a small village and school in Zambia, saving more than 500 girls.

Frequently accused of witchcraft, she was assassinated by men yesterday.

[Chris Murphy 🟧 @ChrisMurphyCT]

The attacker yelled at the reporter “This is Trump’s America now!” Then chased him back to this TV studio, ran the reporter down as he tried to get into the door, and strangled him until he could no longer breathe.

Not an unimportant story. https://t.co/U6Jaao4DmV

[Neal Meyer @nealmeyer]

In Mexico City, the left-wing party Morena is building community centers (UTOPIAs, an acronym) in working-class neighborhoods. They're places to work out, make art, relax, & give seniors community. Would be interesting if a NYC mayor adopted this idea. 👀 https://t.co/TazEea5WB7

[Alec MacGillis @AlecMacGillis]

https://t.co/HaiS5zytco

[Jennifer Goldstein @JLGoldstein]

@RenttheRunway take the AI off your site - it’s totally screwed your search function, and it’s a horrendous waste of water. Offensive and useless 🤦‍♀️🥴

[Sue [email protected] @inkblue01]

We lifted entire cities to put in sewage lines to stop the spread of diseases like cholera. Slum lords are trying to convince us they can't add air filtration to their heating and cooling systems. 👌
https://t.co/YEQ71z8tDW