Christopher Preble

Sr Fellow and Dir @StimsonCenter. Co-host of Net Assessment podcast. Roots for @Orioles @MNWild @Vikings. Opinions my own.

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

Love this https://t.co/IIUFepVNEP

[Emma Ashford @EmmaMAshford]

"Don't siege Leningrad, take it immediately."

[Tommy Vietor @TVietor08]

Trump's war with Iran is illegal, immoral and a strategic disaster, but the bloodthirsty neocons will never stop demanding more death and destruction. I hope the midterms will convince Trump to finally tune these idiots out, fire Hegseth, and cut a deal.

[Steve Cortes @SteveCortes]

Former George W. Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen on the Iran War in May 2026:

"I think Donald Trump outta... campaign on it in the midterms. Point out the Democrats opposed it. By the time this is done, this is going to be a winner for Donald Trump in the midterm elections!"

[Kelly Grieco @ka_grieco]

With the midterms over, attention now turns to whether the US will restart major strikes on Iran, and if so, for how long. The forces in theater could open a campaign on Feb's scale, but the munition stocks likely couldn't sustain it, and US forces would face greater risk. A 🧵.

[Stephen Wertheim @stephenwertheim]

“Last night, the American people delivered a crystal-clear message about the mismanagement of this war.”

I thought the American people delivered a crystal-clear message against the war itself.

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

Fantastic discussion. Highly recommended. https://t.co/Rocqt2iXBJ

[Emma Ashford @EmmaMAshford]

Some tidbits from the National Election Survey are pretty helpful in understanding what's going on here.

#1: Three-quarters of respondents said that the Iran war was a critical factor in their vote. I can't remember the last time a foreign policy issue mattered like that.

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

It’s alive! Give a listen. https://t.co/qDXr41k8aI

[Tommy Vietor @TVietor08]

Great advice from Marc Thiessen. Who would've thought that the Iraq war propagandist and torture apologist would've gotten this one wrong?

[Stephen Wertheim @stephenwertheim]

What’s missing here is the concept of the “rump blob.” True, the blob now has major competition for control over U.S. foreign policy, from rising populism, Trump corruption, and heterodox thinkers within Washington’s foreign policy community itself. But the same institutions, people, and positions that @brhodes and others described during the Obama era are still going and influence the executive branch, Congress, and the mainstream media.

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

This makes no sense. US troops currently stationed overseas wouldn't simply be relocated to CONUS. Requirements would change. The force, especially the active-duty force, would shrink. Fewer troops would be needed; fewer would be recruited/retained. https://t.co/r04Gn6tp43

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

The Iran War, Eight Months On: Reassessing Costs, Consequences, and US Interests -- not too late to register, but do it now. Should be a great event! https://t.co/EjQWMGUHpo

[Jake Werner @jwdwerner]

Trump won partly bc Democrats—obsessed with looking tough—kept returning to military coercion despite repeated failure and massive unpopularity. They let Trump pose as the antiwar candidate in both his wins.

One reason for hope is most Democrats aren’t falling for it this time.

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

This is good news. Then again, $1.1 trillion for the Pentagon is still a massive misallocation of resources.

https://t.co/Ji3GgHMLX6

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

"Twelve companies received OTs to prototype Golden Dome’s Space-Based Interceptors, a third of which are prime contractors: General Dynamics Mission Systems (a business unit of General Dynamics), Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon (a business unit of RTX)."

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

Do you know what Other Transaction Authority (OTA) is? You should. @JuliaGledhill breaks it down. https://t.co/0DbQktsHhg

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

One justification, Julia notes, "is that [OTs] attract new or non-traditional companies to the defense sector," supposedly "increasing competition in a consolidated industry. [But] the Pentagon doesn’t even know what contractors are doing the work..."

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

What Is the Future of US Grand Strategy in East Asia? https://t.co/Y8ZyMxZ2p6

[Christopher Preble @RealChrisPreble]

Trump foreign policy hits voters in the pocketbook, imperiling Republicans in midterms https://t.co/4dX2iyFIRR