Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 6hwashingtonspectator.org/the-plan-to-...washingtonspectator.orgThe Plan to Treat Election-Related Protests as Terrorism | Washington SpectatorAhead of midterms, the Trump administration built a counterterrorism system targeting groups, organizers, and networks supporting election abuse protests. 000
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 20/09/2026jwiner.substack.com/p/venezuela-...jwiner.substack.comVenezuela and the New Spoils SystemAccess to Oil Starts with Access to Trump 000
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 05/09/2026The Roberts SCOTUS is even more partisan than it is ideological. And when it is most partisan the Republican majority doesn't even bother signing its opinions.nytimes.comSupreme Court Sides With Republicans in TV Ad FightRepublican groups had asked the court to clear the way for political parties to pay the same low-cost ad rates as candidates, a move that could undercut a Democratic advantage in the midterms. 101
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 02/09/2026youtu.be/FRCKG0zGb54 This is an important new video in which a former senior White House official lays out the plotting that is casting a shadow on our collective national future. Watch & be forewarned. Their success is not inevitable. But we and the country will need to get through this together.youtu.bePower at Any Cost: How Trump Might Sabotage the Midterms and How You Can Fight BackYouTube video by Freedom Watch Media 021
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 18/08/2026This was a profoundly unethical & dangerous "experiment." Those behind it want to stay anonymous. Investigate domain registration & all online records and expose whomever did this. Fake Polls in Wisconsin and California Were Part of a ‘Social Experiment’ www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/p...nytimes.comPolling Firm Released Fake Data in Hong and Bass Races as a ‘Social Experiment’Median Strategies revealed that recent polls from the firm were intended to expose how easily false results can be spread. 022
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 10/08/2026washingtonspectator.org/trumps-two-o... what is Trump doing with #Venezuela oil - and the mysteries of #Freedom Fuelwashingtonspectator.orgTrump’s Two Oil Mysteries: Freedom Fuel and Venezuelan Crude | Washington SpectatorGasoline prices are rising again, adding to voter concerns about the cost of living. Yet in the Philadelphia region, a new company, Freedom Fuel, is suddenly selling gasoline substantially below its… 012
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 07/08/2026steadystate1.substack.com/p/when-intel...steadystate1.substack.comWhen Intelligence Becomes an Election WeaponHow raw intelligence, stitched together and without normal analytical safeguards, was presented as the foundation for an unprecedented claim of presidential authority over American elections. 031
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 05/08/2026First the East Wing, then the 2026 elections. washingtonspectator.org/the-wrecking...washingtonspectator.orgThe Wrecking Ball Comes For the Midterms | Washington SpectatorLast October, I wrote in The Washington Spectator that the Trump administration was constructing an integrated system to constrain voting and criminalize political opposition. Claims of election fraud... 021
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 25/07/2026This piece from Nov 2024 got it exactly right. Predicted both what Trump would do and who can counter him and how. Essential re-reading ahead of this fall. 032
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 24/07/2026Erasing the death of soldiers because Trump wants a smaller number. Absolutely Orwellian. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/u...nytimes.comNumber of U.S. Troop Deaths in Iran War Appears Lower on Pentagon WebsiteThree military officials and a Pentagon spokesman gave conflicting explanations for why the number of Americans killed in the Iran war had changed. 023
Reposted by Jonathan M. WinerReuters Legal @legal.reuters.com · 17/07/2026The U.S. tax agency’s top attorney was forced from his role in recent days after refusing White House demands to participate in tax audits, according to three people familiar with the matter.reut.rsTop US tax lawyer forced out after White House clash over tax auditsThe U.S. tax agency’s top attorney was forced from his role in recent days after refusing White House demands to participate in tax audits, according to three people familiar with the matter. 6198130
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 12/07/2026The #NYT appears to have simply accepted what its sources told them without getting any factual evidence on the actual mechanics of who is getting what from Venezuelan oil revenues. For starters, how's the $$ being held? How Marco Rubio Is Running Venezuela From Afar www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/u...nytimes.comHow Marco Rubio Is Running Venezuela From AfarThe secretary of state effectively controls Venezuela’s finances, the distribution of its natural resources and its government. His grip on the country is a vivid manifestation of American power in th... 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Important piece from Norm Ornstein offering real solutions to the radical constitutional revisionism of the Roberts court. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...open.substack.comReining in a Rogue Supreme CourtIt is up to Congress to use its legitimate Article I powers to do so. 012
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 10/07/2026www.newsweek.com/if-save-amer...newsweek.comIf 'Save America' dies, how could Trump still kill elections? | OpinionTrump is using enormous political capital, to the detriment of Republican candidates, in the cause of undermining fair elections. 021
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 02/06/2026There isn't just one Trump #slushfund. There are at least five of them. washingtonspectator.org/government-b...washingtonspectator.orgGovernment by Slush Fund | Washington SpectatorTrump’s new $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund is a slush fund. But it is not his only one. 085
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 04/05/2026mei.edu/publication/...mei.eduFrom Hormuz to the Sahel: A Fertilizer Shock, and a Maghreb Solution - Middle East Institute 131
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 02/05/2026www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/how-war... A colossal strategic mistake - not just in the short term. Not just the medium term. But for the long term.foreignaffairs.comHow the War Saved the Iranian RegimeThe unintended consequences of the U.S.-Israeli assault. 032
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 30/04/2026open.substack.com/pub/jwiner/p...open.substack.comEmergency PlanningMy latest piece for the Washington Spectator focuses on the risk of Trump using secret presidential emergency powers - known as PEADs or Presidential Emergency Action Documents - against those he char... 011
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 01/04/2026mei.edu/publication/... Libya needs a succession plan.mei.eduLibya’s Fragile Equilibrium: Succession Risk and Energy Stability - Middle East Institute 020
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 20/03/2026open.substack.com/pub/steadyst...open.substack.com“Just for Fun”- A Presidential Remark and the Law of WarThe Steady State | by Jonathan M. Winer 020
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 06/03/2026mei.edu/publication/...mei.eduIntelligence questions as the war with Iran enters a more uncertain phase - Middle East Institute 131
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 05/03/2026open.substack.com/pub/steadyst...open.substack.comIntelligence First. War Second. What Justified the U.S. Attack on Iran, and What Comes Next?The Steady State | by Jonathan M. Winer 000
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 26/01/2026#Libya has a lot of oil and currently a lot of IOC interest. But it still needs to take steps to sustain more than exploratory investments, whatever agreements may be announced now. mei.edu/publication/...mei.eduMaking Libya investable again - Middle East Institute 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 12/01/2026washingtonspectator.org/after-the-ca...washingtonspectator.orgAfter the Capture | Washington SpectatorHaving removed Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela through military force, the United States is now the decisive external actor shaping Venezuela’s near-term political and economic trajectory. 030
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 05/01/2026open.substack.com/pub/steadyst...open.substack.comVenezuela After Maduro: Six Questions That Matter NowThe Steady State : by Jonathan M. Winer 032
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 20/12/2025washingtonspectator.org/why-are-we-i...washingtonspectator.orgWhy Are We in Venezuela? | Washington SpectatorOn December 15, 2025, Donald Trump issued the latest in a series of unprecedented executive orders, designating the narcotic drug fentanyl—used daily as an anesthetic in hospitals throughout the… 030
Reposted by Jonathan M. WinerMark Rothko @markrothko.bsky.social · 27/11/2025Black on Maroon botfrens.com/collections/25/content… 06211
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 04/12/2025“A thug and a sick man.” Breaking from House Republicans who subpoenaed Jack Smith for a private interview about Trump prosecutions, Trump said Smith should appear in public hearing. “I’d rather see him testify publicly,” Trump said of Smith, after attacking him as a “thug” & “a sick man.” 020
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 25/11/2025Market Volatility Underscores Epic Buildup of Global Risk www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/b... "Critics warn that a small group of tech companies, including Nvidia, are essentially buying and selling to each other in circular deals that inflate their actual value." (Same thing with crypto. Massively.)nytimes.comMarket Volatility Underscores Epic Buildup of Global Risk 022
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 24/11/2025# NYT reporting on #Comey indictment dismissal incorrect on analysis of statute of limitations. Because first indictment is void, not defective, statute of limitations has run & case cannot lawfully be revived no matter what DoJ may claim. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11... Case law is clear.nytimes.comTrump Administration Live Updates: Judge Tosses Criminal Charges Against James Comey and Letitia James 030
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 20/11/2025I do not see any legal basis for these operations would make them lawful. The implications if they are indeed unlawful under either domestic and international law for those involved in principle include potential legal actions by the families of the victims. www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...nbcnews.comTop military lawyer raised legal concerns about boat strikesThe lawyer at U.S. Southern Command, which oversees the operations against alleged drug-smuggling boats near Venezuela, disagreed that the strikes are legal and was overruled, according to six sources... 020
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 08/11/2025I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive... 100
Reposted by Jonathan M. WinerScott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 22/10/2025One of the characteristics of a totalitarian regime with a personality cult is that the leader makes no distinction between what is his privately and what belongs to the state. They are one and the same thing. 611437
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 18/10/2025washingtonspectator.org/criminalizin...washingtonspectator.orgCriminalizing the Opposition | Washington SpectatorWhen those in power bend the machinery of justice to their will, they rarely stop with their personal enemies. In 2025, Donald Trump began repurposing the powers of the federal government to hobble… 020
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 10/10/2025open.substack.com/pub/steadyst...open.substack.comProject 2025 and the Purge of American Diplomacy: The Blitzkrieg Against StateThe Steady State | by Jonathan M. Winer October 9, 2025 040
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 15/09/2025This kind of prepation of the public for how to manage what may be coming is of huge importance. The situation in Philadelphia is especially fraught because it is already so partisan. All but one GOP member of PA house earlier voted to impeach this Dem DA for not doing Philadelphia crime their way. 020
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 26/08/2025Seven deadly Sins Pride- Excessive love of oneself, the original & most serious sin. Greed-Excessive desire for wealth. Wrath - Uncontrolled hatred, rage, & fury. Envy. Lust. Gluttony. Sloth: Spiritual & physical laziness, indifference to the divine. Something to reflect on in this period. 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 26/08/2025His language is absolutist, grievance-laden, & punitive. The very existence of an authority beyond himself provokes him to try to destroy it. He will “never submit or yield,” urging his legions to find glory in rebellion and vengeance. Of course I am describing Satan in Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” 131
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 23/08/2025Everybody knows that the dice are loaded Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed Everybody knows the war is over Everybody knows the good guys lost Everybody knows the fight was fixed The poor stay poor, the rich get rich That's how it goes Everybody knows m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxd2...m.youtube.comLeonard Cohen - Everybody Knows (Official Audio)YouTube video by LeonardCohenVEVO 121
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 31/07/2025Not an accident and not a surprise but still a travesty. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/u...nytimes.comUnnoticed Whistle-Blower Document Alarms Justice Department Veterans 140
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 27/07/2025First Amendment forbids govt role in curtailing speech on basis of content. Settled law. Heritage can do whatever it wants but feds cannot lawfully follow them. When they do, up to SCOTUS to stop it. Yes, I know. 050
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 25/07/2025washingtonspectator.org/the-icemen-c...washingtonspectator.orgThe Icemen Cometh | Washington SpectatorOn July 9, 2025, the House of Representatives passed a sweeping legislative package that dramatically expanded the operational scope and funding of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)… 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 23/07/2025 E pur si muove. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/c...nytimes.comE.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 19/07/2025Working on a piece about ICE's new budget, mission, and potential capacities. It's not a pretty picture and it has implications that go well beyond what will happen to people deemed to be illegal immigrants. 111
Reposted by Jonathan M. WinerPBS News @pbsnews.org · 17/07/2025Democrats walked out of a committee vote Thursday to advance the judicial nomination of Emil Bove as Sen. Cory Booker accused the committee chairman of rushing the vote without following Senate rules. 60875263
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 08/07/2025The Gender Gap That Ate the Democrats www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/o...nytimes.comOpinion | The Gender Gap That Ate the Democrats 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 26/06/2025mei.edu/publications... #Iran #Israel #diplomacymei.eduThe alternative to regime change: Changing the regime’s behaviorAfter Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan, can we learn to deal differently with Iran? 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 24/06/2025The Presidential planning for the use of emergency powers to militarize domestic law enforcement - and not just in Los Angeles. washingtonspectator.org/searching-fo...washingtonspectator.orgSearching for the Trigger | Washington SpectatorTrump has begun planning to invoke the Insurrection Act. Here’s how he could turn America’s military into a new domestic nationwide policing force. On June 7, 2025, President Donald J. 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 18/06/2025Why restraint on rhetoric about #Iran would make us safer and why threats do not. www.mei.edu/blog/iran-us...mei.eduOn Iran, US restraint could reduce risksPresident Donald Trump threatens Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. But measured language and disciplined policy can help prevent escalation and protect American interests. 010
Jonathan M. Winer @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social · 10/06/2025washingtonspectator.org/caesar-in-ca...washingtonspectator.orgCaesar in California | Washington SpectatorThe legal confrontation between the federal government and the State of California entered a new phase on June 7, 2025, when President Donald J. Trump invoked 10 U.S.C. § 12406, a statute that allows… 000