iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Are Trump and Xi really friends? Does Xi actually have friends? Clip from this week's interview with Ryan Hass, former White House official under Obama. Full interview link in replies.

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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Congress has just gone out of session to avoid impeaching Pete Hegseth. The Republican Party has caved. The lower courts continue to be the bulwark. Ultimately, SCOTUS, responsible for creating this monster, will have to tell him no & make it stick. joycevance.substack.com/p/another-lo...

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This is the year universities are finally tackling the AI problem in earnest. But there is no consensus across schools, or even among departments within schools, about best practices. Six things I've learned in watching this conversation evolve:

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Frances Lee is one of my favorite people in my department, in addition to being one of the country’s leading scholars of Congress. She’s also a firm believer in American democratic resilience and the strength of our institutions. Full interview here: open.spotify.com/episode/4MIF...

open.spotify.com

An Optimistic Take on American Democracy | Frances Lee (Princeton)

Civic Forum · Episode

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Live event on Thursday with the great Frances Lee to talk all things Congress and the state of American democracy. Link here: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

open.substack.com

LIVE SOON: Everything You Didn't Know About Congress

Starting Aug 13 at 1:00 PM EDT

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

New pod out! The US pro-democracy movement has much to learn from Hungary, where the people just toppled their own corrupt right-wing populist autocrat through a peaceful electoral movement. Clip below, full episode at www.thecivicforum.com or anywhere you get your pods.

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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

This is a superb conversation about Chinese politics w/ @rorytruex.bsky.social & @marceldirsus.com

podcasts.apple.com

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Going live Thursday to talk all things Hungary with @kimlanelaw.bsky.social and Peter Dosa. How do democracies heal after a period of authoritarianism? What can Americans learn from the Hungarian case? Link in replies.

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Going live shortly with two greats in the activism space, @jesscraven101.bsky.social and @msifry.bsky.social. We'll discuss the state of the pro-democracy movement and the most effective things people can do to make a difference. Link here: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

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Nick Carnes @carnes.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

. @noamlupu.bsky.social and I talked to @rorytruex.bsky.social about our new book, Keeping Workers Off the Ballot (out this October with @princetonupress.bsky.social) substack.com/@rorytruex/n...

substack.com

Why Is Working Class Representation So Low?

Interview with Nick Carnes and Noam Lupu

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Join me on Thursday at 1PM ET for a live session with Nick Carnes and Noam Lupu to find out why working class representation is so low, why that matters, and what can be done to get more workers on the ballot. Link in replies:

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Starting a new initiative this summer, weekly live events on Substack about the core issues facing our democracy, featuring great speakers. This Thursday, 1PM ET, an hour with the great @jasmine.bsky.social on all things work, AI, and the emerging populist backlash. Event link in replies.

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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

If you credulously do a segment about the vote in California in which you don’t say the president is lying, you’re spreading disinformation to your listeners.

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Universities run on what we might call "integrity tasks"—little pieces of work that are expected to be done honestly, by a person, but with minimal policing and oversight.

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Thomas Massie has more than half a year left in Congress. I'm looking forward to what he can accomplish.

Screenshot of a post from @RoKhanna (Rep. Ro Khanna) on X, posted 7 hours ago, reacting to Rep. Thomas Massie's election loss. Khanna praises Massie for standing up to what he calls the "Epstein class" and against the war, notes that Massie won voters under 45 by 30 points, and invites voters who feel rejected by Trump to join a coalition standing for the working class. He closes by vowing to build a movement for "Team America." Below is a video still of Khanna speaking outdoors in front of a building, wearing a navy suit.

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

This was one of my all time favorite episodes-- an hour talking about AI and its implications for authoritarianism, in China and elsewhere, with two of my academic heroes. Links in replies.

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Enjoyed going on Marcel's new pod to talk about how China has changed under Xi Jinping, and what the coming years might look like as he ages.

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Marcel Dirsus @marceldirsus.com · 14/04/2026

🚨 We've got a new episode with @rorytruex.bsky.social! We discuss Xi Jinping's grip on power, Taiwan, Iran and a lot of other things. Watch the full conversation here: youtu.be/zXVjmch-4AE

youtu.be

Xi Jinping: The Dictator the West Doesn’t Get | Rory Truex

YouTube video by Dr Marcel Dirsus

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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

CBS turned their news operation into propaganda, kicked Colbert off the air for making too much trouble, and all that just to have Charles Barkley go on the air on one of their most-watched telecasts of the year and say this lmao

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Yesterday I recorded an ep with @danieltavana.bsky.social, one of the few political scientists with an active research agenda on Iran. We spoke at length about the regime, divisions in Iranian society, the prospects for democracy in Iran. One of my best episodes to date. Link in replies.

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Want a thoughtful perspective on Iranian politics and society? Come join me tomorrow at noon EST on Substack Live for a discussion with @danieltavana.bsky.social. We'll talk about the inner workings of the regime, divisions within Iranian society, and prospects for democracy. Session link in replies

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

"Trash-talking democracy" - a new concept every American needs to know. Budding dictators attack democratic institutions as corrupt, unresponsive, or captured by foreign interests. This provides the pretext for them to “reform” said institutions in ways that erode guardrails in the system.

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

The Civic Forum 🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 Last week I spoke with @marceldirsus.com on his perspective on American authoritarianism, why strongmen are actually weak, and the long term costs of the US-Europe breakup. Link in the replies 👇

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Marcel Dirsus @marceldirsus.com · 18/02/2026

Got invited by @rorytruex.bsky.social to discuss American democracy and US-EU relations. I told him both are in crisis because of Trump. But, as always, there's hope. Watch below: youtu.be/fOy1uuKo-vs?...

youtu.be

Can American Democracy Survive Trump? | Marcel Dirsus, The Next Best

YouTube video by Rory Truex

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

The Civic Forum 🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 This week I spoke with Stephen Cash of the @thesteadystate.org on the authoritarian threats posed by Trump, the rise of ICE, how the intelligence community has changed under Trump 2.0, and the consequences for national security and democracy. Link in the replies 👇

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National Committee on U.S.-China Relations @ncuscr.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Why does the United States need to better understand China? Rory Truex (@princeton.edu) joined us to discuss the high barriers to studying China and the consequences a lack of China expertise could have for the future of U.S. foreign policy. ▶️ Watch: www.ncuscr.org/video/china-expertise

ncuscr.org

Why the United States Needs China Expertise

Rory Truex shares barriers to studying China and the consequences a lack of China expertise could have for the future of U.S. foreign policy.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

You should read this. It is the type of detail that experts in authoritarian regimes see as telling. In this case, state agents are offered impunity from higher ups, and the legal system is rendered inoperative as a mode of accountability. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/u...

nytimes.com

Prosecutors Began Investigating Renee Good’s Killing. Washington Told Them to Stop.

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Deborah Pearlstein @debpearlstein.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

The top fraud experts in the office left. So did...a veteran in prosecuting sex crimes & child pornography cases. Calhoun-Lopez, who oversaw the major violent crimes unit, also departed. “It will take years to build the contacts in state and local law enforcement that has been lost,” Mr. Luger said.

nytimes.com

Prosecutors Began Investigating Renee Good’s Killing. Washington Told Them to Stop.

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Name them shame them

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Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox.com · 25/01/2026

The majority of organizing happening in Minnesota isn’t just peaceful, it’s INVISIBLE. Moms showing up who won’t be interviewed on TV, people whose ICE patrols don’t turn into viral video. The grocery runs, the donations, the people filming bc they happen to be there. Please remember this.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 25/01/2026

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara: "People have had enough. This is the third shooting in less than 3 weeks. The MPD went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn't shoot anyone ... this is not sustainable."

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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 24/01/2026

Just staggered by the complete moral void of not even *pretending* to wait for more information before pivoting to “the opponent of the state deserved it.” It is so insanely depraved. Soulless.

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

From Civic Forum interview with Paul Poast: "Go back to 1895, New York. Find a businessman, bring him to the present, make him president of the United States, and then ask yourself what would make sense to him and what would make no sense to him." open.spotify.com/episode/6836...

open.spotify.com

Trump and the New International (Dis)order | E21: Paul Poast, University of Chicago

Spotify video

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The Lincoln Project @lincolnproject.us · 15/01/2026

This has been the plan all along. - Foment violence and chaos in the streets of MN - Implement the Insurrection Act - Declare Martial Law - Suspend elections

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All In with Chris Hayes @allinwithchris.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

@chrislhayes.bsky.social: “A 37-year-old American citizen, the mother of a young child is dead tonight. She was shot in the face by an agent of the federal government, and that government has spent the day telling despicable lies about her.”

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Congresswoman Robin Kelly @robinkelly.house.gov · 08/01/2026

I am impeaching Secretary Kristi Noem, who is an incompetent leader and a disgrace to our democracy. She wreaked havoc in the Chicagoland area and has brought her reign of terror to Minneapolis. One of her rogue ICE agents shot and killed an innocent woman today. It must come to an end.

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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

You and your wife drop your 6-year-old off at school. You just moved here. You see ICE terrorizing your new neighbors. You film them, as is your legal right. Your wife complies with orders. She is then shot in the head. You still have to pick up your child later today. This could be you.

Distraught woman says ICE killed her wife in video after deadly Minneapolis shooting
"They killed my wife," the distraught woman says, adding, "They shot her in the head."
An ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman who was driving an SUV in Minneapolis on Wednesday. / Screenshot/@Breaking911

"They killed my wife. I don't know what to do," the woman says through sobs in the footage, with a damaged SUV visible in the distance behind her. "We stopped to videotape, and they shot her in the head," the woman cries.
"We have a six-year-old at school," she says, almost unable to breathe, as a chaotic scene in which federal officers prevented at least one doctor who was on the scene from assisting the shot victim unfolds. "We're new here," the distraught woman says in despair.

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

I wrote up a Year in Review for 2025, “Our Authoritarian Year.” So much has happened, I tried to synthesize the story into chapters— The Authoritarian Onslaught, Overreach, Popular Backlash, and Defection. I am optimistic about the chapters to come in 2026. open.substack.com/pub/rorytrue...

open.substack.com

Our Authoritarian Year: 2025 in Review

I will forever remember 2025 as the year when Americans got a taste of what it is like to live under an authoritarian government.

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Rep. Joyce Beatty @repbeatty.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

The White House claims the vote to rename the Kennedy Center was “unanimous.” That is false. I was muted on the call and denied the opportunity to speak or register my opposition. That is not consensus. That is censorship.

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

My conversation with Princeton Professor Rory Truex on the American confrontation with Venezuela: where it's coming from and where it could be headed

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Will Maduro hold onto power? Why is Trump so interested in Venezeula? What are the best paths forward for the Venezuelan people? @mikealbertus.bsky.social came on The Civic Forum this week to break down all things Venezuela. Available wherever you get your pods: youtu.be/iHTnb2wO2SA

youtu.be

Trump, Maduro, and the Crisis in Venezuela | Michael Albertus, UChicago

YouTube video by The Civic Forum

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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Just when I thought I couldn't admire the man more... 🎯 🎯 🎯 💯 💯 💯 👍 👍 👍

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11/12/2025

MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported? NOEM: We haven't deported veterans MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Last week I had @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social on The Civic Forum to talk about the state of American democracy, and the role that state politics is playing in our authoritarian turn. Particularly relevant for the unfolding situation in Texas. youtu.be/tbxCMSwJ-o4

youtu.be

Is American Democracy Failing at the State Level? | Jake Grumbach, UC Berkeley

YouTube video by The Civic Forum

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Lorenzo Crippa @lorenzocrippa.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

🚨 Excited that "Making Bribery Profitable Again? The Market Effects of Suspending Accountability for Overseas Bribery" by Eddy Malesky, Lucio Picci, and me has been published in FirstView at @iojournal.bsky.social! Open Access: doi.org/10.1017/S002... 1/n

doi.org

Making Bribery Profitable Again? The Market Effects of Suspending Accountability for Overseas Bribery | International Organization | Cambridge Core

Making Bribery Profitable Again? The Market Effects of Suspending Accountability for Overseas Bribery

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Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Was on Civic Forum with @rorytruex.bsky.social talking about US democracy. We talked about political inequality & minority rule in the US, with a focus on my research on the states. But then talk about what's new in the more acute democracy crisis of 2025 www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbxC...

youtube.com

Is American Democracy Failing at the State Level? | Jake Grumbach, UC Berkeley

YouTube video by The Civic Forum

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Rory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Here's a new session of The Civic Forum with the great @debpearlstein.bsky.social on how the U.S. is "losing the law." We talk about how the courts and legal norms have changed, the implications for our democracy, and possible paths to reform. open.spotify.com/episode/4pyY...

open.spotify.com

Spotify – Web Player

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

A coalition that ranges from democratic socialists to neoconservatives, including a lot of energized liberals in between, is large and formidable. A big pro-democracy tent. A united front. Any internal disagreements can be hashed out once the authoritarian emergency is over. This really can work.

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