Autocrats and dictators demand loyalty as a one-way obligation. They insist on personal fealty from aides, allies, and supporters, but they almost never return it. In authoritarian systems, loyalty flows upward, while blame flows downward. When events go wrong, the autocrat survives by sacrificing those beneath him. When the autocrat thinks the wolves get too […]
The Steady State takes the opportunity to re-publish this essay that continues to be very timely. The Trump Administration’s cascading lawlessness has now made us easy prey to “news fatigue” and its dangerous corollary – considering outrageous behavior as somehow normal or acceptable. This is one reason the national outpouring on October 18 of the […]
The Steady State FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, D.C. — January 26, 2026 The Steady State, an organization of more than 380 former senior U.S. national-security, intelligence, diplomatic, defense, and law-enforcement officials, today sent a formal demand letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) concerning public statements by a senior DHS official threatening “consequences” for […]
In the latest episode of the Sentinel podcast, The Steady State Chair and seasoned diplomat Jim O’Brien denounces one-man rule and transactional foreign policy decisions in conversations with host Peter Mina, criticizing the Trump-created environment of cruelty that shadows our nation. Listen on Apple Podcasts or your preferred platform. New episodes every Tuesday, special features […]
DATE-TIME GROUP: 261800ZJANUARY26 FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C. TO: MFA NAGADOCHES CLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLY SUBJECT: SITREP 023 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” – OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS 17 JANUARY 2026 SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS […]
Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 360 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of State, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security. Drawing on deep expertise across national security disciplines, including intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs, and law, […]
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I served as a Senate staffer in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and was part of the effort that ultimately resulted in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. In the days and months after the attacks, Washington was shaken in a way that is difficult to convey to those who did not […]
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Statement on the January 24, 2026, Minneapolis Shooting For Immediate Release January 24, 2026 The Steady State unequivocally condemns the fatal shooting earlier today in Minneapolis by ICE paramilitary officers, in which a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident was shot and killed at the intersection of 26th Street West and Nicollet Avenue. This incident constitutes another lethal […]