America’s democratic institutions are not facing one crisis, but many interconnected pressures that collectively weaken the foundations of constitutional government. This week, The Steady State examines those pressures from different angles—foreign influence, political retaliation, institutional decay, attacks on expertise, growing extremism, and the targeting of vulnerable communities—but they ultimately tell the same story. The the […]
Trust Me. I’m Lying
/in SubstackThe same deception that helps autocrats gain power eventually undermines their ability to govern. By destroying truth, the autocrat destroys trust, forfeiting the ability to lead effectively when the nation needs leadership most. One of the fundamental weaknesses of authoritarian leaders is also one of their defining characteristics: they lie. They lie about election results. […]
“The Bob Mueller Standard”
/in SubstackThe measure of Bob Mueller was not the power he held, but the duty he chose. His truest legacy may be found not in his many titles, but in the moment he chose to leave prestige behind and stand shoulder to shoulder with line prosecutors doing the hard work of justice. This letter, written by […]
The Weekly: The Autocracy Starter Kit
/in SubstackAmerica’s democratic institutions are not facing one crisis, but many interconnected pressures that collectively weaken the foundations of constitutional government. This week, The Steady State examines those pressures from different angles—foreign influence, political retaliation, institutional decay, attacks on expertise, growing extremism, and the targeting of vulnerable communities—but they ultimately tell the same story. The the […]
Facism Is as Fascism Does
/in SubstackBenito Mussolini and Family Fascism rarely arrives announcing itself. It appears first as contempt for expertise, hostility toward institutions, and demands for personal loyalty over professional competence. Bill Pulte’s appointment embodies all three. The announcement of President Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte to the position of Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) was met with […]
BARRELS, BALLOTS, AND NOW BULLETS
/in SubstackVenezuelan Oil Extraction Industrial Center The barrels are flowing. The bankers are arriving. The guns are firing. The only thing not moving in Venezuela is democracy. On June 12, the Organization of American States offered María Corina Machado its help in organizing an election. That same evening, President Trump announced on Truth Social that the […]
Happening Now – Watch Live: Defending American Democracy with Steven Cash
/in SubstackA live in-person conversation with Steven Cash — a former CIA officer and member of The Steady State — about what’s happening to American democracy and what ordinary people can do about it. Watch here and below and join in on the chat. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, […]
The Price of Pride
/in SubstackFor years, military barrier-analysis teams helped identify and remove obstacles that drove talented people away from service. Their elimination—and the broader purge of transgender personnel—has sent a different message: belonging is conditional. That message carries a readiness cost that will outlast any single administration. In June 2024, around fifty people, most in uniform, a few […]
Common Sense, Take 2: The Why Before the How- Equality of Opportunity
/in SubstackA new book, Common Sense: Take 2, A Call to Renew Democracy, contends that the United States is confronting not simply a political crisis but a deeper crisis of democratic capacity. Written by Russ Travers, a career public servant across multiple administrations who retired as Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, the book focuses […]
The Intelligence Community Has a Consumer Problem
/in SubstackPresident Trump in the Situation Room Bill Pulte’s failed nomination and Jay Clayton’s selection are not the story. They are symptoms of a deeper problem—a president who appears to place greater faith in personal instinct than professional intelligence. When policymakers stop listening, even the best intelligence in the world becomes irrelevant. The outcry over the […]
🎧 The Bob Mueller Standard: Justice, Integrity, and Public Service
/in SubstackWhat does it mean to be a federal prosecutor when the client is the United States and the measure of success is not simply winning, but doing justice and doing it the right way? In the latest Steady State Sentinel podcast, former federal prosecutor and Steady State member Steve Bunnell interviews former federal prosecutor Ken […]