Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸

CFR fellow, WaPo columnist. Pulitzer finalist for biography. REAGAN: HIS LIFE AND LEGEND: NYT bestseller & NYT 10 best books of 2024. Writing John McCain bio.

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

Out in paperback October 20.

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

News to me that we had a war with Venezuela or that we won the war with Iran. Must have missed it.

[Clash Report @clashreport]

Trump on Hegseth:

Pete Hegseth won two wars: Venezuela and Iran.

[Larry Sabato @LarrySabato]

OLD GUY’S CAUTION: Since Watergate comparisons of ‘74 & ‘26 are widespread, it’s worth remembering that after ‘74 anti-Nixon landslide, it was simply assumed Dems would win White House in ‘76. Despite major D advantages (unelected R POTUS who pardoned Nixon and was nearly denied R nomination—& much more), Carter only beat Ford 50-48%—and Electoral College nearly tipped to Ford. Two years is two eternities (esp. with Trump), and nothing is ever guaranteed. Choose wisely, Dems.

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

He also intended to defeat Iran in 3-4 weeks.

[Michael R. Gordon @mgordonwsj]

“He’s not going anywhere,” said Tim Parlatore, a special adviser to Hegseth. “He intends to serve the full four years.”

With @lindsaywise and @laraseligman

https://t.co/xI68KsMptZ

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

WSJ: Through the end of October, Russian forces have gained just 46 square miles of territory in Ukraine, compared with 1,874 square miles in 2025, according to the Institute for the Study of War. And for the past two months, Russian forces have lost more land than they gained, ISW says. 

The Russians also suffered more casualties in October than in any previous month of the war, with 54,000 killed or severely wounded, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. https://t.co/Qr21pB8N1S

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

“One significant ally of Miller’s is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The two are neighbors on the military base where both now live, and their families socialize together.”
https://t.co/BJy5F7xWz7

[Washington Post Opinions @PostOpinions]

The outcome of Tuesday’s elections may have been staggering, but it’s not the first time a president or party has been upbraided at the ballot box.

@MaxBoot, @KateAndrs, @keithrichburg and @kathleenparker reflect on historical midterm waves and what lessons they have for the present: https://t.co/1KHoE9p8a2

[Ivo Daalder @IvoHDaalder]

The problem, Mr. Kushner, isn't that we don't have principles for European security. The problem is that Russia has singularly violated every one of the principles and ignored or withdrawn from every treaty and agreement that implemented them. /7

[Laura Rozen @lrozen]

comical. Hegseth minions now posting in homage to Stephen Miller.

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

On Monday I wrote at @PostOpinions: “Hegseth is still around, while Noem, Bondi and Gabbard are gone. Of course, it helps that Hegseth is a man; Trump fires women more readily.”

More evidence today: Hegseth is STILL around. But Susie Wiles is gone. https://t.co/dVknfjXEFP

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

Not a sign of bipartisanship or moderation, obviously. https://t.co/BJy5F7xWz7

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

Maybe I missed it but I'm not hearing any Republican voices on the Hill speaking out in support of Hegseth.

[Aaron Rupar @atrupar]

Comer is open to getting rid of Hegseth 👇

NN: What do you want to see done with Pete Hegseth? There's a lot of talk about impeaching him. Do you want to see somebody new?

COMER: That's gonna be a decision President Trump is going to have to make, but I can tell you that there's a lot of questions about Hegseth. We have no idea what the strategy is moving forward on Iran

[Mike Nelson @mikenelson586]

Hegseth is caught fighting a two front information/ perception war

First, he has to convince his boss not to fire him - seemingly by becoming even more adversarial to congress

Then he will have to turn around and convince those congressmen not to impeach him after spending his days telling them how much they suck

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

Hegseth is worried about his job. As well he should be.

[Haley Britzky @halbritz]

Coordinated social media campaign underway at DOD

[Julia Davis @JuliaDavisNews]

He still doesn’t know which side is invading and which one is defending itself.

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

He's at the Defense Department. The "Department of War" isn't an actual thing.

[Secretary of War Pete Hegseth @SecWar]

At the War Department:
We Stand.
We Fight.
We Defend the Republic.

[Marc Polymeropoulos @Mpolymer]

Nauseating

[Admiral James Stavridis, USN, Ret. @stavridisj]

If the administration decides to cut lose Pete Hegseth, there are some reasonable choices to come in behind him: Sen Joni Ernst, fmr Mich. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, UN Amb Mike Waltz, or Mike Pompeo come to mind. https://t.co/Zs5sKr4b75

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

For a decade, I kept waiting for voters to punish the Republican Party for turning into the orange-tinted cult of Donald J. Trump. And it never happened. Until Tuesday. My Substack on the election outcome. https://t.co/YZarS6PZu0

[Max Boot 🇺🇦🇺🇸 @MaxBoot]

Back in May 2016, then-Senator Lindsey Graham had famously tweeted: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.”

It took 10 years for his prediction to come true—far too long—but it’s finally happened. My Substack thoughts on the election: https://t.co/zqRHB6aGgL

[Jamie Smyth @JamieSmythF]

Donald Trump's diesel deal with Vladimir Putin falters as tankers divert course away from the US coast - even as American fuel stockpiles hit 20-year low https://t.co/kCPnSrS0JZ via @ft @alicemhancock