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# The Steady State

Defending the Constitution, upholding democracy, protecting national security.

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## Posts

- [Latest writing](https://thesteadystate.org/latest-writing/) - Archive of everything published by the Steady State
- [The Cascade](https://thesteadystate.org/the-cascade/) - The Steady State follows America’s cascade to authoritarianism. Reversing it begins with restoring what authoritarianism erodes: truth, expertise, due process, institutional independence, historical memory, public trust, and the active citizenship that makes democracy possible.What we have witnessed: The leader demands loyalty and independent expertise becomes disloyalty; institutions become targets; history becomes malleable; dissent becomes betrayal;
- [So You Want to Fight Canada?](https://thesteadystate.org/so-you-want-to-fight-canada/) - Canadians can be extraordinarily gracious. But behind the courtesy is a country with formidable national pride, military history and strategic importance. Geography, history, economics and national security all point to the same conclusion: antagonizing Canada is not a display of American strength. It is an exercise in strategic stupidity.It is difficult to impossible to understand
- [The Steady State Files Hatch Act Complaint Against Attorney General Blanche and FBI Director Patel Over Long Island Campaign-Style Event](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-files-hatch-act-complaint-against-attorney-general-blanche-and-fbi-director-patel-over-long-island-campaign-style-event/) - PDF AVAILABLE HEREFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 4, 2026Washington, D.C. — The Steady State, a nonpartisan organization of more than 430 former national security officials, today asked the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate whether Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel violated the Hatch Act by appearing, under their official titles,
- [You Can’t Rename Your Way to Respect](https://thesteadystate.org/you-cant-rename-your-way-to-respect/) - Renaming a Great Lake by executive order may change a label on some American maps. It cannot change history, geography, or the diplomatic damage caused by turning a place name into a political taunt.The naming, and especially renaming, of geographic features typically follows a deliberative process, taking into account history, indigenous peoples, and the views
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES SEVEN CANDIDATES IN NEW JERSEY FOR THE 2026 MIDTERMS](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-seven-candidates-in-new-jersey-for-the-2026-midterms/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES SEVEN CANDIDATES IN NEW JERSEY FOR THE 2026 MIDTERMSWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, is today announcing seven endorsements for candidates running for Congress in New Jersey.The Steady State today is announcing the endorsement
- [OSC Produced No Records Supporting Closure of Hegseth Hatch Act Complaint; The Steady State Appeals](https://thesteadystate.org/osc-produced-no-records-supporting-closure-of-hegseth-hatch-act-complaint-the-steady-state-appeals/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 2, 2026PDF AVAILABLE HEREWashington, D.C. — The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) closed a Hatch Act complaint against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just one day after receiving it, and a subsequent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request has produced no records showing how OSC reached that decision. The complaint was
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES KWEISI MFUME FOR MARYLAND’S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-kweisi-mfume-for-marylands-7th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES KWEISI MFUME FOR MARYLAND’S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Kweisi Mfume for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District.Kweisi Mfume represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District and has dedicated his career to civil
- [Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot - How to Tell if a Candidate Respects the Rule of Law](https://thesteadystate.org/hold-fast-navigating-the-ballot-how-to-tell-if-a-candidate-respects-the-rule-of-law/) - Robert H. Jackson, at Nuremberg“Procedural fairness and regularity are of the indispensable essence of liberty.”—Robert H. Jackson, U.S. Attorney General, Supreme Court Justice and Chief U.S. Prosecutor at NurembergDemocracy is not tested when the process gives us what we want. It is tested when it doesn’t. As voters evaluate candidates this fall, watch how they
- [Some Honors Should be Bigger Than a President](https://thesteadystate.org/some-honors-should-be-bigger-than-a-president/) - There are moments when proposed government action tells us something larger than the action itself. Reports that the Navy is considering removing the name of Doris “Dorie” Miller from the future aircraft carrier CVN-81, with President Donald Trump reportedly among the possible replacement names, is one of those moments. To be precise, the Navy and
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES ZACH DEMBO FOR KENTUCKY’S 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-zach-dembo-for-kentuckys-6th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES ZACH DEMBO FOR KENTUCKY’S 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Zach Dembo for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District.Zach Dembo is running to represent Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District after a career in
- [A Million-Dollar Lawsuit and the State of American Intelligence](https://thesteadystate.org/a-million-dollar-lawsuit-and-the-state-of-american-intelligence/) - Host Jim Lawler sits down with Jeff Stein, the founding editor-in-chief of Spy Talk and a veteran journalist who has covered the intelligence community for over 40 years — and who earlier this year beat back a $1 million defamation suit brought by a Trump administration official. Stein shares his visceral reaction to being served
- [Transcript Episode 42: A Million-Dollar Lawsuit and the State of American Intelligence](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e42/)
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JESSICA KILLIN FOR COLORADO’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-jessica-killin-for-colorados-5th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JESSICA KILLIN FOR COLORADO’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Jessica Killin for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.Jessica Killin is running to represent Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District after a career spanning
- [She Wasn’t Crazy. She Was Convinced.](https://thesteadystate.org/she-wasnt-crazy-she-was-convinced/) - Paul Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda (1933-1945)The most disturbing thing about the elderly German woman I met wasn’t that she admired Hitler. It was that she otherwise seemed perfectly ordinary. Educated. Articulate. Rational. Her devotion was a reminder that authoritarianism doesn’t require irrational people. It requires people who have been persuaded that their leader
- [THE WORK OF STAYING FREE](https://thesteadystate.org/the-work-of-staying-free/) - Freedom isn’t self-sustaining. It requires institutions with integrity, public servants with courage, voters with skepticism, and citizens willing to do the unglamorous work of holding power to account.The Steady State has been busy again this week; essays, political endorsements and legal action. We maintain that democratic erosion begins when power is no longer held accountable
- [The signal you send is the policy you make](https://thesteadystate.org/the-signal-you-send-is-the-policy-you-make/) - For decades, U.S.-South Korean exercises have communicated readiness, resolve, and mutual commitment. Abruptly weakening them—without clear strategy or allied consultation—risks telling North Korea, South Korea, and China something Washington may not intend: that American reliability is conditional.The United States has provided South Korea with extended deterrence for decades, since the two countries signed the U.S.-Republic
- [STEADY STATE FILES CRIMINAL REFERRAL OVER ALTERNED IRAN WAR CASUALTY COUNT](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-files-criminal-referral-over-alterned-iran-war-casualty-count/) - PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HEREFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 28, 2026WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 430 former national security officials, today transmitted a formal criminal referral to the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI FOR MARYLAND’S 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-johnny-olszewski-for-marylands-2nd-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI FOR MARYLAND’S 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed the Hon. Johnny Olszewski for Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District.Johnny Olszewski represents Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District, covering much of Baltimore and
- [“Maybe” Is Not A Strategy](https://thesteadystate.org/maybe-is-not-a-strategy/) - Iran has survived the initial campaign, negotiations remain stalled, and American military power has yet to produce a clearly defined political outcome. “Perhaps” is hope. Strategy requires something more.President Donald Trump offered an extraordinary assessment of the war with Iran this week. Asked whether the United States might return to negotiations with Tehran, he responded,
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES TOM PERRIELLO FOR VIRGINIA’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-tom-perriello-for-virginias-5th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES TOM PERRIELLO FOR VIRGINIA’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Tom Perriello for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.Tom Perriello is running to represent Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District after a career
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES CHRIS BACKEMEYER FOR NEBRASKA’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-chris-backemeyer-for-nebraskas-1st-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES CHRIS BACKEMEYER FOR NEBRASKA’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Chris Backemeyer for Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District.Chris Backemeyer is running to represent Nebraska’s First Congressional District after a career in
- [Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot -What Voters Should Listen For](https://thesteadystate.org/hold-fast-navigating-the-ballot-what-voters-should-listen-for/) - What Voters Should Listen For in Candidate SpeechesCampaign speeches are supposed to tell you two things: what a candidate wants to do, and why they are the right person to do it. The “what” is the policy. The important “why” goes beyond résumé, it is the candidate’s reasoning, values, and the story that explains why
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES NANCY LACORE FOR SOUTH CAROLINA’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-nancy-lacore-for-south-carolinas-1st-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES NANCY LACORE FOR SOUTH CAROLINA’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.Nancy Lacore is running to represent South Carolina’s First Congressional
- [Transcript Episode 41: The Autocrats' Worst Enemy: Why Despots Fear Mayors](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e41/)
- [The Autocrats' Worst Enemy: Why Despots Fear Mayors](https://thesteadystate.org/the-autocrats-worst-enemy-why-despots-fear-mayors/) - Host Lauren Anderson sits down with Ambassador Nina Hachigian, founder and CEO of the Alliance for Local Leaders International, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and connecting mayors and governors globally to solve shared challenges. Drawing from her recent Foreign Affairs article, “The Autocrats’ Worst Enemy,” Hachigian explains why mayors are the most trusted level of
- [Purged by Tweet](https://thesteadystate.org/purged-by-tweet/) - I spent 41 years serving the Intelligence Community. One year ago, my security clearance was revoked by an X post. I received no warning, no interview, no specific allegation and no explanation. I still don’t know what I supposedly did wrong. But I now understand what the purge was designed to accomplish: not simply to
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES MARK WARNER FOR SENATE](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-mark-warner-for-senate/) - The Steady StateTHE STEADY STATE ENDORSES MARK WARNER FOR SENATEWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Sen. Mark Warner for Senate.Mark Warner represents Virginia in the United States Senate and has built one of the strongest intelligence-oversight
- [Democracy is a Contact Sport](https://thesteadystate.org/democracy-is-a-contact-sport/) - America’s strength depends on more than presidents and military power. It depends on expertise, institutions, alliances, oversight, elections, and citizens willing to defend them. Civic courage becomes a form of national defense.The Steady State continues to focus this week on the deliberate conversion of American strength into political power for the few by intentionally eroding
- [CRIMINAL REFERRAL ASKS DOJ, FBI, AND SEC TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP MEDIA'S SALE OF EARLY ACCESS TO PRESIDENTIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS](https://thesteadystate.org/criminal-referral-asks-doj-fbi-and-sec-to-investigate-trump-medias-sale-of-early-access-to-presidential-announcements/) - PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HEREFor Immediate Release: August 22, 2026WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials on August 21 transmitted a formal criminal referral to the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of
- [Honor](https://thesteadystate.org/honor/) - The United Nations headquarters in Baghdad Aug. 19, 2003, - by TOPSHOTThe American military’s extraordinary public trust rests on a simple promise: allegiance to the Constitution. But what happens when professional loyalty, institutional interests, and political pressure collide with what an officer knows to be true? I learned the cost of that question in Baghdad.A
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES CARMELA CONROY FOR WASHINGTON’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-carmela-conroy-for-washingtons-5th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES CARMELA CONROY FOR WASHINGTON’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Carmela Conroy for Washington’s 5th Congressional District.Carmela Conroy is running to represent Washington’s Fifth Congressional District after a 25-year career
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JIM HIMES FOR CONNECTICUT’S 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-jim-himes-for-connecticuts-4th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JIM HIMES FOR CONNECTICUT’S 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Jim Himes for Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District.Jim Himes represents Connecticut’s Fourth Congressional District and has built a senior intelligence-oversight
- [Make America Yesterday Again](https://thesteadystate.org/make-america-yesterday-again/) - Trump promises to restore an America that no longer exists. But the America he wants to recover was built for a different economy, a different technology, a different world, and a different strategic environment. Trying to resurrect it means dismantling institutions designed for the world we actually inhabit.Donald Trump is fighting a war against the
- [Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot - Why Alliances Matter](https://thesteadystate.org/hold-fast-navigating-the-ballot-why-alliances-matter/) - Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot is a voter guide series built for Americans who want clear, practical context about power, democracy, institutions, and America’s place in the world, from a national security perspective. Each installment will take on one consequential aspect of national security and the part it plays in the heath and resilience of
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES DEREK TRAN FOR CALIFORNIA 45TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-derek-tran-for-california-45th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES DEREK TRAN FOR CALIFORNIA 45TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Derek Tran for California 45th congressional district.Derek Tran represents California’s Forty-Fifth Congressional District and currently serves in the U.S.
- [The Era of Asking Is Over](https://thesteadystate.org/the-era-of-asking-is-over/) - By Steven A. Cash Photo: www.taylortailored.co.ukFor decades, congressional oversight of national security relied on accommodation and trust. If the Executive no longer honors either, Congress must stop asking for access and start exercising the constitutional authority it already possesses.Fifteen years ago, former U.S. Naval Academy professor and General Counsel for the Senate Select Committee on
- [Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot](https://thesteadystate.org/hold-fast-navigating-the-ballot/) - National security is about far more than war. It is the strength of the institutions, laws, alliances, expertise, technology, and democratic norms that protect Americans—and voters should know how to judge whether the people seeking power understand that.This election season, the choices on the ballot will shape how America protects its democracy, confronts threats at
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES BRAD SHERMAN FOR CALIFORNIA’S 32ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-brad-sherman-for-californias-32nd-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES BRAD SHERMAN FOR CALIFORNIA’S 32ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Brad Sherman for California’s 32nd Congressional District.Brad Sherman represents California’s 32nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives,
- [Strategic Business Risk Assessment: Growing Authoritarianism and American Business](https://thesteadystate.org/strategic-business-risk-assessment-growing-authoritarianism-and-american-business/) - Executive Summary We assess with high confidence that accelerating authoritarian dynamics in the United States are already generating direct and growing risks to American businesses, both abroad and at home. This risk environment is defined less by episodic shocks than by a structural shift away from rules-based governance toward personalized, discretionary power, in w hich
- [Cornucopia of Vectors of Theft: How China Is Stealing America's Economic Future](https://thesteadystate.org/cornucopia-of-vectors-of-theft-how-china-is-stealing-americas-economic-future/) - Host John Sipher sits down with his former CIA colleague Glenn Chafetz, now Director of the 2430 Group, a nonprofit focused on state-sponsored espionage against the economy. Chafetz explains how technology has transformed espionage — from the days of clandestine meetings in parking garages where “if you didn’t get caught red-handed, you didn’t get caught,”
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES TED LIEU FOR CALIFORNIA 36TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-ted-lieu-for-california-36th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES TED LIEU FOR CALIFORNIA 36TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Ted Lieu for California 36th congressional district.Ted Lieu represents California’s Thirty-Sixth Congressional District and is currently serving his sixth term
- [FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 28: KENTUCKY SENATOR, OPHTHALMOLOGIST AND ANTI-VAXXER CALLS OUT DR. FAUCI](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-28-kentucky-senator-ophthalmologist-and-anti-vaxxer-calls-out-dr-fauci/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 161800ZAUG26.FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHES CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLY SUBJECT: SITREP 28: THE FREDONIA PROJECT - PROMINENT KENTUCKY SENATOR, OPHTHALMOLOGIST AND ANTI-VAXXER CALLS OUT ANTHONY FAUCISUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE
- [Transcript Episode 40: Cornucopia of Vectors of Theft: How China Is Stealing America's Economic Future](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e40/)
- [The Strength Beneath the Surface](https://thesteadystate.org/the-strength-beneath-the-surface/) - America does not become stronger by looking stronger. Its power rests on the less visible things that make democracy work: independent judgment, competent institutions, trusted alliances, constitutional limits, and citizens willing to pay attention.The Steady State focuses this week on the distinction between the appearance of strength and the structures that actually create strength. America’s
- [The Veneer of Strength](https://thesteadystate.org/the-veneer-of-strength/) - America cannot build lasting strength by making everything look stronger. From the Reflecting Pool to the proposed Golden Fleet, the Trump administration repeatedly chooses spectacle over substance—investing in what can be seen today while neglecting the infrastructure, expertise, science and institutions that determine whether America remains powerful tomorrow.The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the most
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES DINA TITUS FOR NEVADA’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-dina-titus-for-nevadas-1st-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES DINA TITUS FOR NEVADA’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Dina Titus for Nevada’s 1st Congressional District.Dina Titus is a Democratic congresswoman representing Nevada’s 1st Congressional District, which includes
- [Civic Witness Series: Questions from the Attic](https://thesteadystate.org/civic-witness-series-questions-from-the-attic/) - “The Civic Witness Series: Questions from the Attic,” is founded on a simple premise: the people living through democratic erosion have questions the ‘experts’ aren’t addressing; it is inspired by and in honor of Adia in the Attic . These questions matter because they provide an opportunity for sharing and documenting what democratic erosion feels
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE FOR CALIFORNIA’S 37TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-sydney-kamlager-dove-for-californias-37th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE FOR CALIFORNIA’S 37TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Sydney Kamlager-Dove for California’s 37th Congressional District.Sydney Kamlager-Dove represents California’s 37th Congressional District and comes from a background rooted
- [What We’re Fighting For Is the Right to Fight](https://thesteadystate.org/what-were-fighting-for-is-the-right-to-fight/) - By Steven A. Cashphoto: Democracy Funders NetworkWe aren't united by what we think America should do about Gaza, climate, abortion, immigration, or taxes. We're united by the conviction that Americans must remain free to fight those battles themselves.We don’t write about Gaza, climate change, or almost any other of the great issues confronting the country.
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES SARA JACOBS FOR CALIFORNIA’S 51ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-sara-jacobs-for-californias-51st-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES SARA JACOBS FOR CALIFORNIA’S 51ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Sara Jacobs for California’s 51st Congressional District.Sara Jacobs represents California’s Fifty-First Congressional District, which includes much of San Diego
- [The Steady State Civic Witness Series: Questions from the Attic](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-civic-witness-series-questions-from-the-attic/) - The Steady State introduces “The Civic Witness Series: Questions from the Attic,” inspired by and in whose honor we entitle the series. Adia in the Attic pointed out that she and others living through democratic erosion had questions that were not being answered by “experts.” In her post, “I Apparently Took ‘Participate in Democracy’ Too
- [America’s Allies Are Making Other Plans](https://thesteadystate.org/americas-allies-are-making-other-plans/) - Guest Author’s Name Withheld Perspectives of its members who are living abroad, including former and diplomatic officials, academic experts, and citizens across allied nations.Across Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the wider Western alliance, governments are beginning to prepare for an America that may no longer be the reliable partner it once was. The result is a
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JIMMY GOMEZ FOR CALIFORNIA’S 34TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-jimmy-gomez-for-californias-34th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JIMMY GOMEZ FOR CALIFORNIA’S 34TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Jimmy Gomez for California’s 34th Congressional District.Jimmy Gomez represents California’s Thirty-Fourth Congressional District, one of the country’s most diverse
- [The Intelligence You Don't See: A Career Analyst Warns about Systemic Weaponization of the Intelligence Community](https://thesteadystate.org/the-intelligence-you-dont-see-a-career-analyst-warns-about-systemic-weaponization-of-the-intelligence-community/) - A former CIA analyst and NSC director on the weaponization of the DNI, the decapitation of the NSC, and why dissent is no longer tolerated.Host Bree Fram, a retired Space Force colonel, sits down with Julia Curlee, a former CIA analyst with 25 years of experience who served as an National Security Council (NSC) director
- [Transcript Episode 39: The Intelligence You Don't See: A Career Analyst Warns about Systemic Weaponization of the Intelligence Community](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e39/)
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JIM COSTA FOR CALIFORNIA’S 21ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-jim-costa-for-californias-21st-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JIM COSTA FOR CALIFORNIA’S 21ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Jim Costa for California’s 21st Congressional District.Jim Costa represents California’s Twenty-First Congressional District, which includes parts of Fresno and
- [America First = Trump First, America Last](https://thesteadystate.org/america-first-trump-first-america-last/) - Behind the slogans lies a consistent strategy: create an enemy, discredit independent institutions, suppress dissent, concentrate authority in one office. The debate is ultimately over whether constitutional limits still matter.The political landscape in the United States has always been marked by diverse ideologies and philosophies. In recent years, the rise of the Make America Great
- [What Are We Prepared to Do?](https://thesteadystate.org/what-are-we-prepared-to-do/) - It is easy to catalogue what is going wrong. It is harder—and more important—to decide what we will do about it. This week The Steady State moves from political exhaustion and attacks on expertise to elections, public service, and the enduring responsibility of citizens to defend constitutional government.Democracy survives not because its institutions are self-protecting,
- [Gen Z: It’s not Apathy; It’s Exhaustion.](https://thesteadystate.org/gen-z-its-not-apathy-its-exhaustion/) - By: Author’s Name WithheldFrom school shootings to climate change, racial justice, and reproductive rights, Gen Z has repeatedly answered the call. The real challenge today isn’t motivating a generation to engage; it’s giving them a reason to believe engagement still matters.There is a different kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with a lack
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES CORY BOOKER FOR SENATE](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-cory-booker-for-senate/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES CORY BOOKER FOR SENATEWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Sen. Cory Booker for Senate.Cory Booker represents New Jersey in the United States Senate and has served since winning a special election in
- [When Intelligence Becomes an Election Weapon](https://thesteadystate.org/when-intelligence-becomes-an-election-weapon/) - Address to the Nation, July 16, 2026The Trump Administration is not simply arguing for tougher election rules. It is constructing a national security rationale for federal control over election administration—using intelligence products that appear to have bypassed the professional analytical process designed to prevent politicization.Three weeks after President Trump’s July 16 address on election security,
- [FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 28: TESTOSTERONE; THE FIX YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-28-testosterone-the-fix-you-didnt-know-you-needed/) - CABLE ID: 2026-0805-FRED/WASH/SITREP-028DATE-TIME GROUP: 061800ZAUGUST2026.FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 28 : FREDONIA PROJECT” - OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS AUGUST 6 2026SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES LOU CORREA FOR CALIFORNIA’S 46TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-lou-correa-for-californias-46th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES LOU CORREA FOR CALIFORNIA’S 46TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Lou Correa for California’s 46th Congressional District.Lou Correa represents California’s 46th Congressional District, including Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange, and Garden
- [Madison’s Lesson for America: Capture the Congress](https://thesteadystate.org/madisons-lesson-for-america-capture-the-congress/) - History offers a hard lesson: public outrage without electoral victory rarely changes governments. Madison and Hamilton understood that lasting reform requires winning the institutions where constitutional power actually resides.“We The People” are without the power of government. The crises are different from those of our founding, but the political mechanics are strikingly similar. Hamilton and
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JON OSSOFF FOR SENATE](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-jon-ossoff-for-senate/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JON OSSOFF FOR SENATEWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Sen. Jon Ossoff for Senate.Jon Ossoff represents Georgia in the United States Senate and is currently serving his first term. He previously led
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES FRED WELLMAN FOR MISSOURI’S SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-fred-wellman-for-missouris-second-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES FRED WELLMAN FOR MISSOURI’S SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Fred Wellman for Missouri’s Second Congressional District.Fred Wellman is running to represent Missouri’s Second Congressional District after a career spanning
- [When Trump Buys a Piece of America](https://thesteadystate.org/when-trump-buys-a-piece-of-america/) - The Trump administration says taxpayers deserve a return on their investments. But when Washington subsidizes companies, regulates them, awards their contracts, and then takes an ownership stake, the government stops being a referee and starts becoming a player. That is not communism. It is something potentially more familiar and more dangerous: state capitalism shaped by
- [The 51 Were Warning. Trump Calls It a Lie.](https://thesteadystate.org/the-51-were-warning-trump-calls-it-a-lie/) - Pool Photo By Saul Loeb, AFP Via Getty Images and USA TodayThe “Letter of 51” did not declare the Hunter Biden laptop Russian disinformation. It warned that its emergence bore the “hallmarks” of a Russian information operation. That is an intelligence assessment; not a claim of certainty. The question is whether professionals should be condemned
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JEFF MERKLEY FOR SENATE](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-jeff-merkley-for-senate/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JEFF MERKLEY FOR SENATEWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Sen. Jeff Merkley for Senate.Jeff Merkley represents Oregon in the United States Senate and is currently serving his third term. He worked on
- [The Iran You Don't See: The Regime, the People, and What America Gets Wrong](https://thesteadystate.org/the-iran-you-dont-see-the-regime-the-people-and-what-america-gets-wrong/) - Host Jim Lawler sits down for the latest Sentinel podcast with his former CIA colleague Mark Fowler, a decorated case officer and one of the most experienced Iran operations officers of his generation.Fowler explains what makes Iran such a uniquely demanding target — not because Iranians are hard to recruit, but because the U.S. has
- [Transcript Episode 38: The Iran You Don't See: The Regime, the People, and What America Gets Wrong](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e38/)
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES AMI BERA FOR CALIFORNIA’S 3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-ami-bera-for-californias-3rd-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES AMI BERA FOR CALIFORNIA’S 3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. Ami Bera for California’s 3rd Congressional District.Ami Bera represents California’s Sixth Congressional District and has served in Congress since
- [We Took an Oath. It Has No Expiration Date](https://thesteadystate.org/we-took-an-oath-it-has-no-expiration-date/) - We took an oath to defend the Constitution—not to serve a president, a political party, or a personal agenda. That promise did not end when we left the government. Today, more than 430 former national security professionals are speaking out because we believe that protecting America’s democracy, institutions, and rule of law remains a lifelong
- [The Day the Institutions Stop Saying No](https://thesteadystate.org/the-day-the-institutions-stop-saying-no/) - Photo with thanks to Independent.coThe true test of democratic institutions is not whether they obey those in power, but whether they can tell them no. The erosion of professional independence risks turning America's most important institutions from guardians of the public interest into instruments of political will.The Steady State asks this question: What happens when
- [The Return of War as Plunder](https://thesteadystate.org/the-return-of-war-as-plunder/) - By Steven A. Cash When war becomes a means of acquisition, sovereignty becomes a privilege of the strong. Trump’s transactional foreign policy risks taking America—and the world—back toward the age of conquest and plunder.For more than a millennium, Western political thought has insisted that war requires a cause—a casus belli. The tradition stretches from Augustine
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 13 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-13-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP:021800ZAUGUST25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE//FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 13: “ THE FREDONIA PROJECT” OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS AUGUST 02 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 11 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-11-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 211800ZJULY25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 11: ‘THE FREDONIA PROJECT” OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS JULY 13-20SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 12 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-12-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP:221800ZJULY25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE//FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 12: “ THE FREDONIA PROJECT” OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS JULY 22 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 9 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-9-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 091800ZJULY25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 9: “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” – OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS JULY 1-9 2025 SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 10 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-10-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 131800ZJULY25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 10: “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” – OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS JULY 7-13 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES,
- [REPUBLIC OF FREDONIA](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-1-launch/) - REPUBLIC OF FREDONIAMINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA)CABLE ID: 2025-0517-FRED/WASH/SITREP-001DATE-TIME GROUP: 183045ZMAY17FROM: FREDONIAN EMBASSY, WASHINGTON D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: LAUNCH OF “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” – OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISES1. SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 8 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-8-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 301800ZJUNE25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS (23-29 JUNE 2025)SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA PROJECT,” WILL BE CIRCULATED UNDER
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 14 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-14-us-domestic/) - FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE//FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 14: “ THE FREDONIA PROJECT” OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS AUGUST 13 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA PROJECT,”
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 6 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-6-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 16061800ZJUN25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS (24-31 MAY 2025)SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA PROJECT,” WILL BE CIRCULATED UNDER
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 009 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-009-us-domestic/) - FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 007: U.S. DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY 16-21 JUNE 2025CABLE ID: 2025-0621-FRED/WASH/SITREP-007DATE-TIME GROUP: 211800ZJUN25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS (16-21 JUNE 2025)SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS
- [Fredonia Sitrep 005 Us Policy Developments](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-sitrep-005-us-policy-developments/) - CABLE ID: 2025-0608-FRED/WASH/SITREP-005DATE-TIME GROUP: 081300ZJUNE25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS (31May-8June 2025)1. SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA PROJECT,” WILL BE
- [Fredonia Project Emergency Sitrep](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-emergency-sitrep/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 201200ZJUN25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: UR-SITREP: U.S. DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY UPHEAVAL 6-10 JUNE 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-2, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A SPECIAL REPORTING DISPATCH TO COVER SIGNIFICANT SUDDEN EVENTS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE UR-FREDONIA PAPERS,” WILL BE
- [Project Fredonia Sitrep 4 Us Policy](https://thesteadystate.org/project-fredonia-sitrep-4-us-policy/) - CABLE ID: 2025-0531-FRED/WASH/SITREP-004DATE-TIME GROUP: 311800ZMAY25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS (24-31 MAY 2025)1. SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA PROJECT,” WILL
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 2 Us Policy](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-2-us-policy/) - REPUBLIC OF FREDONIA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA)CABLE ID: 2025-0516-FRED/WASH/SITREP-002DATE-TIME GROUP: 161800ZMAY25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS (9–16 MAY 2025)SUMMARY:FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS MISSION, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACTIONS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD RAISED SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS REGARDING REGIONAL STABILITY, HUMANITARIAN STANDARDS, AND THE CREDIBILITY OF
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 003](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-003/) - REPUBLIC OF FREDONIA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA)CABLE ID: 2025-0525-FRED/WASH/SITREP-003DATE-TIME GROUP: 251649ZMAY25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS (17–24 MAY 2025)SUMMARY:PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACTIONS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD CONTINUED A PATTERN OF UNILATERAL POLICYMAKING THAT STRAINED RELATIONS WITH SMALL AND LARGE DEMOCRATIC ALLIES THROUGH TRADE RESTRICTIONS,
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 15 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-15-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 171800ZAUGUST25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE//FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 15: “ THE FREDONIA PROJECT” OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS AUGUST 17 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 17 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-17-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 111800ZSEPTEMBER25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 17 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” – OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS SEPTEMBER 1-11 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES,
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 18 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-18-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 301800ZSEPTEMBER25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 18 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” – OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS SEPTEMBER 12-30 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES,
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 19 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-19-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 31 1800ZOCTOBER25 FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 019 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” - OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS 1-31 OCTOBER 2025SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES.
- [Subject Sitrep 019 The Fredonia Project](https://thesteadystate.org/subject-sitrep-019-the-fredonia-project/) - Welcome to “The Steady State Deep Dive,” a Podcast series addressing vital domestic, regional and global security issues including rule of law, free and fair elections, political civility and transparent policy-making based on facts and sound analysis.This AI -generated Podcast is based on the following post published by the Steady State on October 31, 2025Founded
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 20 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-20-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 071800ZDECEMBER25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 020 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” - OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS 1-07 DECEMBER 2025SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 21 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-21-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 271800ZDECEMBER25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 021 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” - OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS 8-26 DECEMBER 2025SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 22 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-22-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP 061800JANUARY 26FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 022 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” - OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS 3-7 JANUARY 2026SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE
- [FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 23: US DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY - 6-26 January 2026](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-23-us-domestic-and-national-security-6-26-january-2026/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 261800ZJANUARY26FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 023 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” - OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS 17 JANUARY 2026SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES,
- [Fredonia Project Sitrep 16 Us Domestic](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-16-us-domestic/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 311800ZAUGUST25FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE//FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 16: “ THE FREDONIA PROJECT” OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA IN CRISIS AUGUST 31 2025SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED
- [FREDONIA PROJECT SITREP 24: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS (27 Jan - 16 Apr 2026)](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-24-u-s-policy-developments-27-jan-16-apr-2026/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 04160800ZAPRIL26FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: “ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL YEAR” – TRUMP’S SECOND‑TERM DOMESTIC AGENDA, TARIFFS, AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATESUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED
- [FREDONIA PROJECT SITREP 25: U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENTS 28 Feb - 29 Apr 2026](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-25-u-s-policy-developments-28-feb-29-apr-2026/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 0416000ZAPRIL26FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: Iran War, Ceasefire Fragility, and Regional EscalationSUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE IRAN WAR AND ITS BROADER REGIONAL IMPACTS. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA PROJECT,”
- [FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 26: US DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY - U.S. CELEBRATES ITS 250TH YEAR](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-26-us-domestic-and-national-security-u-s-celebrates-its-250th-year/) - DATE-TIME GROUP 0707JULY26FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP 022 “THE FREDONIA PROJECT” - OBSERVATIONAL DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA: THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES PRESENTED BY US PRESIDENT SUMMARY:IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES
- [FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 27: CHANGES IN PRESIDENT TRUMP, AS OBSERVED, NOT DIAGNOSED, 1 APRIL THROUGH 30 JULY 2026](https://thesteadystate.org/fredonia-project-sitrep-27-changes-in-president-trump-as-observed-not-diagnosed-1-april-through-30-july-2026/) - DATE-TIME GROUP: 301800ZJULY2026.FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.TO: MFA NAGADOCHESCLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLYSUBJECT: SITREP: OBSERVED CHANGES IN PRESIDENT TRUMP (1 APRIL - 30 JULY 2026)SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES MADELEINE DEAN FOR PENNSYLVANIA’S 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-madeleine-dean-for-pennsylvanias-4th-congressional-district/) - THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES MADELEINE DEAN FOR PENNSYLVANIA’S 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTWASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Madeleine Dean for Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District.Madeleine Dean represents Pennsylvania’s Fourth Congressional District and is currently serving her fourth
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES TROY CARTER FOR LOUISIANA’S SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-troy-carter-for-louisianas-second-congressional-district/) - WASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Troy Carter for Louisiana’s Second Congressional District.Troy A. Carter represents Louisiana’s Second Congressional District, and is a longtime public servant of the state of Louisiana. A graduate of Xavier University
- [You Live Differently When the Soldiers Arrive](https://thesteadystate.org/you-live-differently-when-the-soldiers-arrive/) - The presence of armed troops changes behavior—even when they do nothing. In Washington, an unnecessary and open-ended deployment is bad on operational grounds, and is making ordinary freedom of movement, speech, and assembly feel less ordinary.A young friend in Washington, DC, described to me how, on any given Saturday, she and her husband relax after
- [The FBI Is Not Yours, Kash Patel](https://thesteadystate.org/the-fbi-is-not-yours-kash-patel/) - Leading the FBI is a position of extraordinary power and responsibility. The director’s obligation is not to personal ambition, political loyalty, or convenience, but to the mission, the institution, and the American people. That is the meaning of stewardship—and the standard by which every director should be judged.My earliest lessons about public service and respect
- [Next On the Chopping Block: Civil Service Protections?](https://thesteadystate.org/next-on-the-chopping-block-civil-service-protections/) - For more than 140 years, America has relied on a professional civil service protected from arbitrary political retaliation. The Roberts Court’s expanding vision of the Unitary Executive threatens to put that protection on the chopping block.Occasionally it happens that the name of a case decided by the Supreme Court reflects the significance of the case.
- [Assessment: Origin of the “Sensitive PRC Reporting 2018–2020” Note](https://thesteadystate.org/assessment-origin-of-the-sensitive-prc-reporting-2018-2020-note/) - (PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HERE WITH LETTER AND CIA NOTES)BOTTOM LINE UP FRONTThe note is probably a cherry-picked compilation based on genuine CIA raw-reporting streams, probably assembled at White House direction for the President’s speech. Agency leadership most likely routed the China interference product around CIA’s analytic directorate and tasked Directorate of Operations personnel to draft
- [Documents Released in Conjunction with President Trump’s Speech](https://thesteadystate.org/documents-released-in-conjunction-with-president-trumps-speech/) - The Steady State(PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HERE)July 28, 2026The Honorable Tom Cotton, ChairThe Honorable Mark Warner, Vice ChairSenate Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States SenateWashington, D.C. 20510The Honorable Rick Crawford, ChairThe Honorable James Himes, Ranking MemberHouse Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States House of RepresentativesWashington, D.C. 20515The Honorable Christopher FoxInspector GeneralUnited States Intelligence CommunityLiberty Crossing, Washington, D.C.
- [America's Nuclear Guardians: A Conversation on Security, Espionage, and Speaking Truth to Power](https://thesteadystate.org/americas-nuclear-guardians-a-conversation-on-security-espionage-and-speaking-truth-to-power/) - Host Jim Lawler sits down with his former CIA colleague Bruce Held, who served as Chief of Station on three continents, Special Assistant to two National Security Council principals, Director of DOE’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, and ultimately acting Under Secretary for Nuclear Security.Held describes DOE’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence unique mission —
- [Transcript Episode 37: America's Nuclear Guardians: A Conversation on Security, Espionage, and Speaking Truth to Power](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e37/)
- [Jay Clayton DNI Nomination - The Steady State Opposition letter](https://thesteadystate.org/jay-clayton-dni-nomination-the-steady-state-opposition-letter/) - The Steady State(PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HERE)July 22, 2026The Honorable John ThuneMajority LeaderUnited States Senate511 Dirksen Senate OfficeWashington, DC 20510The Honorable Chuck SchumerMinority LeaderUnited States Senate322 Hart Senate OfficeWashington, DC 20510The Honorable Tom CottonChairmanSenate Committee on IntelligenceUnited States Senate326 Russell Senate OfficeWashington, DC 20510The Honorable Mark R. WarnerVice ChairmanSenate Committee on IntelligenceUnited States Senate703 Hart Senate
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES THREE CANDIDATES IN ILLINOIS FOR THE 2026 MIDTERMS](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-three-candidates-in-illinois-for-the-2026-midterms/) - WASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, is today announcing three endorsements.The Steady State today is announcing the endorsement of the Hon. Jonathan Jackson for Illinois’s 1st District, Hon. Delia Ramirez for Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District, and Hon. Brad
- [He Signed the Case Against Himself](https://thesteadystate.org/he-signed-the-case-against-himself/) - President Trump says Russia’s role in American elections was a hoax. Yet the intelligence assessment he personally declassified reveals Russian actors sought to favor him in the 2020 election and promoted narratives about fraud tied to mail-in voting—the same narrative Trump invokes while urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.For nearly a decade, President
- [THE INSTITUTIONS BETWEEN US AND CHAOS](https://thesteadystate.org/the-institutions-between-us-and-chaos/) - Read MoreDemocracies weaken when expertise is dismissed, facts become political, extraordinary powers are normalized, legal safeguards are tested, and impulse replaces strategy. Examine the people and institutions standing in that breach—and why defending them is everyone's responsibility. The Steady State traces a common pattern: individual courage can break entrenched barriers, dormant government powers can become
- [When Impulse becomes Strategy](https://thesteadystate.org/when-impulse-becomes-strategy/) - Strategy requires patience, discipline, and a clear understanding of consequences. Trump’s approach to Iran has demonstrated the opposite: impulsive decisions, shifting objectives, discarded diplomacy, and faith in optimistic assumptions that war itself cannot make true.I have been a student of military history nearly all my adult life. I spent 26 years in a US military
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES ANDRE CARSON FOR INDIANA’S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-andre-carson-for-indianas-7th-congressional-district/) - WASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed Hon. André Carson for Indiana’s 7th Congressional District.André D. Carson represents Indiana’s Seventh Congressional District and is a longtime public servant from Indianapolis. He previously worked in law enforcement, intelligence,
- [THE STEADY STATE FILES AMICUS BRIEF WARNING THAT RETALIATORY PROSECUTION OF INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS THREATENS OUR DEMOCRACY](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-files-amicus-brief-warning-that-retaliatory-prosecution-of-intelligence-officers-threatens-our-democracy/) - WASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the case of former CIA Director John O. Brennan, who is challenging a politically retaliatory Department
- [THE GUARDIANS OF NOVEMBER](https://thesteadystate.org/the-guardians-of-november/) - The survival of democratic legitimacy depends not only on voters but on courageous election officials, an informed public, and military leaders who refuse to let the armed forces become instruments of election interference. Democracy survives only when those entrusted with public power know where their authority ends, and have the courage to stop there.Here are
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES DON DAVIS FOR NORTH CAROLINA 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-don-davis-for-north-carolina-1st-congressional-district/) - WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed the Hon. Don Davis for North Carolina 1st Congressional District.Born in Snow Hill, NC, Don Davis attended the United States Air Force Academy, and was commissioned into the Air
- [The President’s Most Dangerous Enemy Isn’t “Godless Communists”](https://thesteadystate.org/the-presidents-most-dangerous-enemy-isnt-godless-communists/) - Trump’s campaign rhetoric echoes an old pattern in American history. The real danger is not partisan hyperbole itself, but the politicization of an intelligence community that was created after Pearl Harbor to guard against political blindness.President Donald Trump has been messaging repeatedly that this November’s congressional elections will pit “freedom-loving” MAGA Republicans who love America
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES JOAQUIN CASTRO FOR TEXAS’S 20TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-joaquin-castro-for-texass-20th-congressional-district/) - WASHINGTON — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed the Hon. Joaquin Castro for Texas 20th Congressional District.Joaquin Castro represents Texas’s 20th Congressional District, which includes much of San Antonio and Bexar County. A graduate of Stanford University and
- [The Terrorism Court That Sat Empty for 30 Years](https://thesteadystate.org/the-terrorism-court-that-sat-empty-for-30-years/) - A court created three decades ago to handle the most sensitive terrorism-related immigration cases has never heard a case—until now. Its sudden revival, amid an expanding campaign that increasingly blurs the line between terrorism, political dissent, and national security, raises questions that go far beyond immigration enforcement.Last week, the government filed an application before the
- [THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES BENNIE THOMPSON FOR MISSISSIPPI’S 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-bennie-thompson-for-mississippis-2nd-congressional-district/) - WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today endorsed the Hon. Bennie G. Thompson for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District.Bennie G. Thompson represents Mississippi’s Second Congressional District and was first elected to Congress in a special election in 1993.
- [THE STEADY STATE: ENDORSING CANDIDATES IN THE 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorsing-candidates-in-the-2026-midterm-elections/) - PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HEREFor Immediate Release: July 17th 2026WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 420 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials–whose careers traditionally required political neutrality–will be announcing endorsements in the upcoming November midterm elections.“In normal times members of the national security community would
- [Breaking the Cockpit Barrier: One Pilot's Fight to Engineer Inclusion into the Military](https://thesteadystate.org/breaking-the-cockpit-barrier-one-pilots-fight-to-engineer-inclusion-into-the-military/) - In her debut as co-host of the Steady State Sentinel, retired Space Force Colonel Bree Fram joins Lauren Anderson to interview retired Lieutenant Colonel Jessica Ruttenber, a senior pilot with over 3,000 flight hours. Their conversation explores the effects on combat readiness of hidden barriers, the importance of data over anecdotes, the chilling effect of
- [Transcript Episode 36: Breaking the Cockpit Barrier: One Pilot's Fight to Engineer Inclusion into the Military](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e36/)
- [The Bill Is Coming Due](https://thesteadystate.org/the-bill-is-coming-due/) - The erosion of democratic institutions is not just a government story. As expertise yields to loyalty, constitutional checks weaken, and public trust declines, the consequences ripple through national security, diplomacy, business, and the economy—and we ignore the costs at our peril. The Steady State warns of the present and projected consequences of the steady erosion
- [An Obsession With Article II](https://thesteadystate.org/an-obsession-with-article-ii/) - The U.S. Constitution according to Trump: “There’s this thing called Article II.” (Art by Charles A. Ray)Long before Project 2025, immunity rulings, and sweeping executive orders, Donald Trump claimed Article II gave him powers “at a level nobody has ever seen before.” That wasn’t a stray remark—it was an early blueprint for the presidency he
- [The Cowardice of Congress](https://thesteadystate.org/the-cowardice-of-congress/) - Congress was created to check presidential power. Instead, it is quietly surrendering its own. Photo with thanks to Medium, March 2026 The most dangerous constitutional failure in America today is not simply an increasingly powerful presidency. It is a Congress that has abandoned the oversight, independence, and institutional courage the Framers expected from the first
- [From Fighting Corruption Abroad to Fighting It at Home](https://thesteadystate.org/from-fighting-corruption-abroad-to-fighting-it-at-home/) - Fighting corruption overseas has been a long-standing and integral piece of American diplomacy. Beyond advocating for important American values, fighting corruption globally advances stability, helps American companies and U.S. goods and services compete successfully around the world, and increases American prosperity. My experience fighting corruption abroad leads me to worry even more about patterns that
- [The Influence Machine](https://thesteadystate.org/the-influence-machine/) - The pardon of Honduras’ former president is more than an isolated act of clemency. It reveals how twenty-first-century influence increasingly flows through interconnected networks of investors, political operatives, think tanks, and presidential authority—raising difficult questions about whose interests American foreign policy ultimately serves.For many Americans, Honduras rarely occupies a prominent place in U.S. foreign policy.
- [The Red Menace Returns! Or So We’re Told.](https://thesteadystate.org/the-red-menace-returns-or-so-were-told/) - By Adam WassermanCommunism no longer poses the kind of global ideological threat it did during the twentieth century. Yet by resurrecting the rhetoric of the Red Scare, Trump is breathing new life into one of American politics’ oldest tactics: using fear of an exaggerated enemy to justify extraordinary political power.The Red Menace is back! In
- [The Recruiter's Recruiter: Trust, Treason, and the Human Elements of Espionage with Jim Lawler](https://thesteadystate.org/the-recruiters-recruiter-trust-treason-and-the-human-elements-of-espionage-with-jim-lawler/) - In this episode, host Lauren Anderson turns the tables on co-host Jim Lawler, a 25-year veteran of the CIA’s clandestine service and the officer who led the takedown of the A.Q. Khan nuclear smuggling network, an operation that former deputy CIA Director John McLaughlin called “the closest thing to a perfect intelligence operation.”Lawler shares how
- [How the Secretary of State Degraded his Own Intelligence Agency](https://thesteadystate.org/how-the-secretary-of-state-degraded-his-own-intelligence-agency/) - By David Abramson The Department of State, Washington, D.C.On July 11, 2025, the State Department dismissed some of its most experienced intelligence analysts merely to appease the Trump Administration’s demands for cuts. I left soon afterward—not because I had stopped believing in the mission, but because I believed the institution had stopped defending the analytical
- [The American Balance Sheet](https://thesteadystate.org/the-american-balance-sheet/) - The Steady State examines America's democratic balance sheet—from national security and the rule of law to economic power and civic engagement. We ask a simple question: Are we investing in the institutions that sustain self-government, or spending down the reserves that generations before us built? The Steady State examines America’s democratic balance sheet—from national security
- [Transcript Episode 35: The Recruiter's Recruiter: Trust, Treason, and the Human Elements of Espionage with Jim Lawler](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e35/)
- [The Spies America Is Losing](https://thesteadystate.org/the-spies-america-is-losing/) - unsplash America’s intelligence edge has never depended solely on satellites, AI, or intercepted communications. It has depended on courageous people who believed the United States stood for something worth risking their lives for. When our leaders erode those ideals, they don’t just damage America’s reputation; they make it harder to recruit the human sources who
- [The Forgotten Parties of January 6](https://thesteadystate.org/the-forgotten-parties-of-january-6/) - By Steven A. CashCapitol Police Holding the Line on January 6 2021 Much of the recent public discussion surrounding January 6 has focused on defendants: their prosecutions, convictions, pardons, clemency, and efforts to revisit or dismiss prior proceedings. Far less attention has been paid to another group with legally recognized interests in those cases: the
- [Common Sense Take 2 - Good Grief](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-2-good-grief/) - 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 on the institutional,
- [America Doesn’t Have Kings. It Has Billionaires.](https://thesteadystate.org/america-doesnt-have-kings-it-has-billionaires/) - Citizens still cast ballots, but the largest political investments increasingly come from concentrated wealth. The resulting trend, accelerated by the Trump administration, is a democracy whose rules increasingly favor those who can afford to shape them.Two years ago, I was asked to make the keynote address at a conference held at the London School of
- [Having “The Conversation” About Threats to Democracy - Lessons Learned](https://thesteadystate.org/having-the-conversation-about-threats-to-democracy-lessons-learned/) - Here are seven lessons I’ve learned about informing and persuading people without feeding fear, outrage, or exhaustion.The midterms are approaching and, regardless of our political persuasion, we all need to have ‘the conversation’ with others, family, co-workers, or friends. If every political conversation feels like shouting into the wind, it may be how you’re delivering
- [Complaint and Request for Investigation into Partisan Political Activities by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Violation of the Hatch Act and Department of Defense Hatch Act Policy](https://thesteadystate.org/complaint-and-request-for-investigation-into-partisan-political-activities-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-in-violation-of-the-hatch-act-and-department-of-defense-hatch-act-policy/) - On May 18, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared and spoke before a campaign rally in support of Republican candidate Ed Gallrein in Hebron, Kentucky. Secretary Hegseth’s appearance violated the Hatch Act as applied by clear, unambiguous and long-standing Department of Defense (DoD) policy prohibiting such political activity by DoD Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed (PAS) officials. The
- [Common Sense Take II: States, Schools, and Communities - Part 3](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-ii-states-schools-and-communities-part-3/) - A 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
- [Trump Unleashed: Leadership Patterns and Implications in the Second Term](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-unleashed-leadership-patterns-and-implications-in-the-second-term/) - PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HEREWe assess that Donald Trump’s second presidential term exhibits increasingly personalized, dominance-oriented leadership, shaped by strong partisan control, expanded executive authority, and a staff culture emphasizing loyalty over moderation. His governing style prioritizes image, legacy, and symbolic strength over institutional process, contributing to policy volatility and making long-term forecasting difficult, even as
- [Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics](https://thesteadystate.org/accelerating-authoritarian-dynamics/) - View the most recent update here. PDF VERSIONEXECUTIVE SUMMARYThis assessment, Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline, authored by members of The Steady State, all of whom are former U.S. Intelligence Community officers with analytic responsibilities,[1] applies the analytic tradecraft of the U.S. Intelligence Community to conditions inside the United States. It concludes—with moderate to
- [Democracy SITREP - Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline - A Periodic Update](https://thesteadystate.org/democracy-sitrep-accelerating-authoritarian-dynamics-assessment-of-democratic-decline-a-periodic-update/) - PDF AVAILABLE HEREWe assess with high confidence that the cumulative effect of the Trump Administration’s ongoing actions indicates that democratic backsliding continues. While some institutional resistance exists and may be growing, the trajectory poses both immediate and long-term risks to constitutional order and national security.The period from October 1, 2025—January 18, 2026 saw renewed efforts
- [Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline A Periodic Update](https://thesteadystate.org/accelerating-authoritarian-dynamics-assessment-of-democratic-decline-a-periodic-update/) - PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HEREWe assess that the main driver of increasing authoritarianism in America remains executive overreach, compounded by a renewed presidential focus on securing a legacy through any means, but especially through President Trump’s pursuit of vanity projects—including not only his war in Iran but various events linked to America’s 250th birthday. Trump this
- [Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline - Periodic Update](https://thesteadystate.org/accelerating-authoritarian-dynamics-assessment-of-democratic-decline-periodic-update/) - PDFWe assess that President Trump’s chronic need to reward loyalists and appease dictators is a primary driver of America’s path toward authoritarianism. Trump’s creation of a $1.776 billion slush fund to reward anyone claiming they were “persecuted” by the Biden Administration suggests he may see a need to remind people who have proven willing to
- [An Open Letter To The Serving And](https://thesteadystate.org/an-open-letter-to-the-serving-and/) - THE STEADY STATEAn Open Letter to the Serving and Former Flag Officers of the U.S. MilitaryWe are The Steady State — a network of more than 350 former senior officials from the U.S. national security community, including veterans of intelligence, defense, diplomacy, law enforcement, and congressional oversight. Many of us spent our careers planning, collecting,
- [The Steady State: Letter in Opposition to the Nomination of Todd Blanche to Serve as Attorney General of the United States](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-letter-in-opposition-to-the-nomination-of-todd-blanche-to-serve-as-attorney-general-of-the-united-states/) - July 1, 2026 The Honorable Chuck Grassley Chairman Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate 135 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Dick Durbin Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate 711 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Subject: Opposition to the Nomination of Todd Blanche to Serve as
- [Former Intelligence Officials Warn](https://thesteadystate.org/former-intelligence-officials-warn/) - Steven Cash, who formerly served as senior advisor to the undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence & Analysis, talks about his group’s “Assessment of U.S. Democracy,” which warns the Trump administration’s consolidation of executive power, weakening of institutional checks and balances, politicization of justice and intelligence, and deliberate erosion of civil
- [The Steady State Files Amicus Curiae](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-files-amicus-curiae/) - Washington, D.C. — October 10, 2025 The Steady State, an organization of more than 330 former senior national security officials, today filed an Amicus Curiae brief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia supporting the District’s opposition to the administration’s motion to dismiss in District of Columbia v. Donald J. Trump,
- [Statement From The Steady State On](https://thesteadystate.org/statement-from-the-steady-state-on/) - Washington, D.C. — July 13, 2025 — The Steady State, a non-profit, non-partisan, advocacy group of more than 300 former national security officials, issued the following statement in the wake of the July 11, 2025 purge of State Department staff.Friday’s mass termination of career Foreign Service Officers and Civil Servants at the U.S. Department of
- [The Steady State Responds To Russia](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-responds-to-russia/) - In a PBS interview on August 6 2025 Interview, the Executive Director of The Steady State, Steve Cash, identified the red flag most notable in the Trump Administration/Bondi investigation: “Turning our security services and our law enforcement services inward, focusing on what appears to be the enemies of the president to accomplish the personal goals
- [The Steady State Opposition to the Appointment of Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-opposition-to-the-appointment-of-bill-pulte-as-acting-director-of-national-intelligence/) - [PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HERE]WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 400 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, opposes President Trump’s selection of Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence.The appointment of unqualified political loyalists to oversee security and intelligence services is the kind of
- [The Steady State Files Amicus Brief](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-files-amicus-brief/) - WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 19, 2025 – The Steady State, a nonpartisan association of more than 325 former senior U.S. government officials, today filed an amicus curiae brief in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in support of Governor Gavin Newsom and the State of California in their challenge to
- [Steady State Calls For Congressional](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-calls-for-congressional/) - Washington, D.C. — September 5, 2025 — The Steady State today announced that it has sent a formal letter to the leadership of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), raising grave concerns about activist Laura Loomer’s apparent influence over sensitive national security matters.In the letter,
- [Steady State Letter To Congress Request](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-letter-to-congress-request/) - FULL DOCUMENT HEREOctober 30, 2025Subject: Request for a Government Accountability Office Assessment Addressing Key Questions regarding U.S. Democratic ResilienceDear Congressional Leaders and Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives,As Congress fulfills its constitutional responsibility to safeguard the nation’s security and governance, it must be informed by rigorous, objective analysis. Under the National Security
- [Steady State Letter To Congress Reports](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-letter-to-congress-reports/) - PDF LETTER AVAILABLE AT LINKDear Chairpersons, Vice Chairman and Ranking Members:I write on behalf of The Steady State[1], to express deep concern regarding recent reporting that suggests the existence of an “Interagency Weaponization Working Group” (“IWWG”), composed of officials from across the federal government—including elements of the Intelligence Community—and apparently tasked with pursuing retributive actions
- [The Steady State Urges Republican](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-urges-republican/) - July 21, 2025 (reposted November 30, 2025)To the Republican Members of the United States Senate:I write on behalf of The Steady State, a nonpartisan organization of more than 300 former senior national security professionals who have collectively served every President of the United States–Republican and Democrat–over decades. Our members include former Ambassadors, CIA Chiefs of
- [Steady State Letter To House Committee](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-letter-to-house-committee/) - ORIGINAL LETTER LINKDecember 30, 2025The Honorable Andrew GarbarinoChair, Committee on Homeland SecurityUnited States House of RepresentativesWashington, DC 20515The Honorable Bennie ThompsonRanking Member, House Committee on Homeland SecurityUnited States House of RepresentativesWashington, DC 20515Subject: DHS Handling of an Unfavorable Polygraph Involving the Acting CISA DirectorDear Chairman Garbarino and Ranking Member Thompson:I write on behalf of The
- [Steady State Letter to Homeland Security Committee opposing nomination of Senator Markwayne Mullin for Secretary of Homeland Security](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-letter-to-homeland-security-committee-opposing-nomination-of-senator-markwayne-mullin-for-secretary-of-homeland-security/) - [PDF OF ORIGINAL LETTER AVAILABLE HERE]March 19, 2026The Honorable Rand PaulChairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsUnited States Senate167 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510The Honorable Gary C. PetersRanking Member, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsUnited States Senate724 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510 Subject: Opposition to the Nomination of Senator Mullin for
- [The Steady State Raises Alarm Over](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-raises-alarm-over/) - Today The Steady State, a coalition of more than 250 former national security, intelligence, and diplomatic professionals, released a letter to congressional leadership expressing grave concern over the Administration’s decision to appoint the sitting Secretary of the Army to concurrently serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).Thanks for reading!
- [What We Can Do](https://thesteadystate.org/what-we-can-do/) - 2025 is certainly not the first time the United States has been hit, with a potentially nation-ending social upheaval. The civil rights battles certainly revolved around a continuing effort to restrict democracy for and dehumanize an entire group of our people. The Vietnam War resulted in almost 60,000 dead, many, many thousands of wounded American
- [Letter To Congress Exercise Of Congressional](https://thesteadystate.org/letter-to-congress-exercise-of-congressional/) - Steady State Press ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2025Letter to Congress: Exercise of Congressional War Powers Authority290 Senior National Security Veterans Call on CongressWASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, a nonpartisan network of more than 290 national security professionals, today transmitted a letter to Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voicing strong
- [The Steady State Statement Regarding](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-statement-regarding/) - The Steady StateFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2025Washington, D.C. — The Steady State, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 280 former national security professionals, today condemned the inappropriate and incendiary actions of President Donald Trump and the inflammatory statements of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth regarding the deployment of military forces in Los Angeles.Neither the
- [The Steady State](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state/) - The Steady State Statement Following U.S. Bombing of IranFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2025The Steady State views with grave concern the recent decision by the Trump administration to bomb targets in Iran in response to escalating tensions with Iran and its proxies. This moment demands clarity not only about the action itself but about the
- [The Steady State Endorses Abigail](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-abigail/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 4, 2025THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES ABIGAIL SPANBERGER FOR GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIAThe 300+ members of The Steady State are former national security officials who remain committed to their oaths to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” We continue to promote democracy, the rule of law, and national security based
- [The Steady State Endorses Rear Admiral](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-rear-admiral/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6, 2025THE STEADY STATE ENDORSES REAR ADMIRAL EILEEN LAUBACHER FOR CONGRESSThe 300+ members of The Steady State are former national security officials who remain committed to their oaths to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” We continue to promote democracy, the rule of law, and national security based
- [The Steady State Endorses Rep Eugene](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-endorses-rep-eugene/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2025The 300+ members of The Steady State are former senior national security officials who remain committed to their oaths to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” We continue to promote democracy, the rule of law, and national security based on the values shared by most Americans. Steady
- [The Steady State Files Supreme Court](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-files-supreme-court/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 20, 2025The Steady State Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief Opposing Chicago National Guard DeploymentWashington, D.C. — The Steady State, a network of more than 340 former senior U.S. national security, diplomatic, intelligence, and defense officials, today announced the filing of an amicus curiae brief in the United States Supreme Court opposing
- [Statement on the January 24, 2026, Minneapolis Shooting](https://thesteadystate.org/statement-on-the-january-24-2026-minneapolis-shooting/) - Statement on the January 24, 2026, Minneapolis ShootingFor Immediate Release January 24, 2026The 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 use of
- [Steady State Letter To Ssci Regarding](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-letter-to-ssci-regarding/) - The Steady StateFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2025Washington, D.C. — The Steady State, a nonpartisan coalition of over 280 former national security professionals, today released a letter addressed to Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) Chairman Tom Cotton and Vice Chairman Mark Warner expressing strong opposition to the nomination of Joe Kent as Director of
- [The Steady State Sends Demand Letter to Department of Homeland Security Over Threats to Protected Speech](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sends-demand-letter-to-department-of-homeland-security-over-threats-to-protected-speech/) - The Steady StateFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWashington, D.C. — January 26, 2026The 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 individuals engaging in
- [The Steady State Announces Partnership with “No Kings” Movement to Defend Democracy](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-announces-partnership-with-no-kings-movement-to-defend-democracy/) - For immediate release: March 26, 2026WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 400 former senior national security officials, is excited to announce its participation in the March 28 nationwide “No Kings” movement and call upon Americans in every state to join a local event. Steady State’s participation brings together experts in
- [National Poll Shows Belief in Democracy is Strong, Silent Majority Fear Expressing Views, Rising Authoritarianism](https://thesteadystate.org/national-poll-shows-belief-in-democracy-is-strong-silent-majority-fear-expressing-views-rising-authoritarianism/) - On the cusp of America 250, the machinery of democracy appears functional, but democratic discourse is rapidly cooling and there’s growing concern about the rise of authoritarianism. for immediate release: May 20, 2026 WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new national poll on the health of democracy released today reveals a participation enigma. While a plurality of
- [Lawsuit Seeks DHS Records on Tracking of Americans’ First Amendment Activity](https://thesteadystate.org/lawsuit-seeks-dhs-records-on-tracking-of-americans-first-amendment-activity/) - For immediate release: June 25, 2026 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Steady State, an organization of more than 415 former national security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law enforcement, and homeland security officials, today filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for failing to release records about the agency’s monitoring of citizens engaged in
- [Due Process, Deferred](https://thesteadystate.org/due-process-deferred/) - Trump administration explosive expansion of nation’s immigration detention system / KSAT The Court’s decision allows the government to strip legal protections from hundreds of thousands of people with minimal judicial oversight, raising profound questions about the future of constitutional due process.The Roberts Majority Re-energizes The ICE GulagSeveral months ago, The Steady State published a series
- [The Weakest Link: Why Exquisite Weapons Won't Save the U.S. from China](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weakest-link-why-exquisite-weapons-wont-save-the-u-s-from-china/) - In the latest episode of the Steady State Sentinel, Phillips O’Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews and one of the sharpest contemporary writers on war and strategy joins host John Sipher to argue the Iran War revealed two devastating truths:The U.S. government is strategically incoherent — it went to war
- [Transcript Episode 34: Phillips O'Brien on America's Strategic Collapse](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e34/)
- [The Missing Institution in America’s Democratic Crisis](https://thesteadystate.org/the-missing-institution-in-americas-democratic-crisis/) - Rebuilding democracy requires rebuilding the parties that make democratic competition possible.America’s democratic crisis is not only about polarization or personalities. It is also about the slow deterioration of its political parties. Unlimited money, technological disruption, populism, and declining public trust have hollowed out the institutions that translate citizens’ voices into effective governance. GOP and Democratic
- [The Republic Still Belongs to Us; Can We Keep it?](https://thesteadystate.org/the-republic-still-belongs-to-us-can-we-keep-it/) - The Constitution was never intended to preserve itself. Its survival has always depended upon the character of the people entrusted with it. That remains as true on this Fourth of July as it was in 1776. This week The Steady State remained dual focused: On the very real nature of America’s continuing democratic decline AND
- [I've Seen Elections Stolen Before. I Never Expected to Worry About America.](https://thesteadystate.org/ive-seen-elections-stolen-before-i-never-expected-to-worry-about-america/) - I’ve spent 30 years watching democracies struggle to hold free elections. The warning signs I once saw overseas are becoming visible in the United States—and protecting the vote now requires ordinary citizens to act before Election Day. .Imagine a regime so paranoid about what it would face from opposition scrutiny that it begins to strip
- [The Flag Is Not a Prop](https://thesteadystate.org/the-flag-is-not-a-prop/) - A burial of a fallen soldier in the quiet of Arlington Cemetery As America celebrates 250 years of independence, the greatest act of patriotism isn’t waving the flag—it’s defending the Constitution, honoring those who sacrificed for it, and remembering that loyalty belongs to the republic, not to any political leader.Our country celebrates 250 years of
- [Common Sense Take II: States, Schools, and the Generational Roadmap - Part Two](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-ii-states-schools-and-the-generational-roadmap-part-two/) - By Max Estevao A 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,
- [A Declaration of Independence for our Time](https://thesteadystate.org/a-declaration-of-independence-for-our-time/) - As America celebrates its 250th birthday, the greatest threat to liberty does not come from a distant king but from the growing acceptance of authoritarianism at home. Fidelity to constitutional democracy—not loyalty to any individual—is the true test of patriotism in our time.With attribution and apologies to Thomas JeffersonWHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS
- [The Robber Barons Never Left](https://thesteadystate.org/the-robber-barons-never-left/) - America’s original robber barons were not defeated—they evolved. Today’s technology oligarchs wield economic and political power on a scale their predecessors could scarcely imagine, aided by a government and judiciary increasingly willing to accommodate concentrated wealth rather than restrain it.A broad historical pattern emerges when we look at the disruptive, in ways both good and
- [Common Sense, Take 2: States, Schools, and the Generational Roadmap](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-2-states-schools-and-the-generational-roadmap/) - By Adam WassermanA 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
- [How America Lost Canada - A Canadian Perspective](https://thesteadystate.org/how-america-lost-canada-a-canadian-perspective/) - The Canadian Guest Author’s Name is Withheld The Peace ArchTariffs, annexation rhetoric, and uncertainty about NATO have done what decades of geopolitical rivalry never could: convince many Canadians that the United States itself has become their greatest strategic concern.The Canadian ReactionCanadians have become disenchanted with the United States, not with Americans per se, but with
- [An Open Letter to Current Federal National Security Employees Regarding Classification](https://thesteadystate.org/an-open-letter-to-current-federal-national-security-employees-regarding-classification/) - June 30, 2026Many federal employees understand that they have a duty to protect properly classified information. Fewer understand that they also have a duty to challenge information that is improperly classified.Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 420 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials
- [🎧 The Making of a Public Servant: Lauren C. Anderson's Journey to the Senior Ranks of the FBI](https://thesteadystate.org/🎧-the-making-of-a-public-servant-lauren-c-andersons-journey-to-the-senior-ranks-of-the-fbi/) - In a format shift, host Peter Mina turns the microphone over to co-host Lauren C. Anderson to explore her origin story — from a childhood visit to the FBI where a tour guide told her girls can’t be agents because “...they paint their fingernails,” to serving as a senior executive in the FBI across nearly
- [She Posted that an ICE Agent Should Be Indicted. Federal Agents Came Knocking](https://thesteadystate.org/she-posted-that-an-ice-agent-should-be-indicted-federal-agents-came-knocking/) - Author’s Name WithheldAs America approaches its 250th anniversary, we should be asking whether we are becoming what the founders risked everything to reject: a country where executive power and federal agents are used to intimidate dissent.“I think today would be a good day for Jonathan to be indicted.”That single sentence—an opinion about whether a federal
- [Transcript Episode 33: The Making of a Public Servant: Lauren Anderson's Journey to the Senior Ranks of the FBI](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e33/)
- [The Weekly: The Republic Doesn’t Save Itself](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-the-republic-doesnt-save-itself/) - The Constitution of the United States; The U.S. National ArchivesThe future of the American Republic will be determined only by the cumulative choices of citizens, public servants, journalists, judges, and legislators to defend—or abandon—the constitutional principles that have sustained the nation for nearly 250 years.The Steady State offered readers this week a message both cautionary
- [Birthright Is America’s Strategic Advantage](https://thesteadystate.org/birthright-is-americas-strategic-advantage/) - Compliments of Scientific AmericanTrump’s effort to end birthright citizenship now before the Supreme Court isn’t merely unconstitutional—it rests on false premises. Across the Western Hemisphere, birthright citizenship is the democratic norm, and abandoning it would weaken America’s credibility, strain vital regional relationships, and undermine U.S. national security.Birthright citizenship is the simple and democratic rule enacted
- [Tulsi’s Final Intelligence Failure](https://thesteadystate.org/tulsis-final-intelligence-failure/) - As she was being pushed out the door by her temporary replacement, the eminently unqualified William Pulte, Tulsi Gabbard rescinded a flawed intelligence product that had turned a blind eye to Russian attacks on US government officials, then pivoted to resurrect a Russian information operation that falsely claimed the US was supporting the development of
- [The Termites of Authoritarianism](https://thesteadystate.org/the-termites-of-authoritarianism/) - While Americans focus on wars, executive overreach, and constitutional crises, a quieter campaign is steadily weakening democracy’s foundations. By undermining science, expertise, education, and evidence-based reasoning, the administration is creating a society where facts become negotiable, confusion becomes permanent, and authoritarianism no longer needs to win arguments—it only needs to make truth impossible to find.There
- [When Questions Become Enemies](https://thesteadystate.org/when-questions-become-enemies/) - Yamiche Alcindor | VogueThe danger is not merely that politicians insult reporters. It is that millions of citizens have become accustomed to it. Authoritarianism thrives when people lose confidence in the distinction between truth and falsehood—and attacks on the press are often where that process begins.Every administration experiences tension with journalists. The relationship itself is
- [Common Sense, Take 2: Congress as the Hinge- Institutions That Must Work Again](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-2-congress-as-the-hinge-institutions-that-must-work-again/) - A 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 Uncrowned King: Ambassador Charles A. Ray on America’s Authoritarian Turn](https://thesteadystate.org/the-uncrowned-king-ambassador-charles-a-ray-on-americas-authoritarian-turn/) - Host Jim Lawler, a former senior CIA operations officer, sits down with Ambassador Charles A. Ray, a rare polymath who served 20 years in the U.S. Army (including two combat tours in Vietnam) followed by 30 years in the Foreign Service, as Ambassador to Cambodia and Zimbabwe, and as the first U.S. Consul General in
- [Transcript Episode 32: The Uncrowned King: Ambassador Charles A. Ray on America’s Authoritarian Turn](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e32/)
- [Trust Me. I’m Lying](https://thesteadystate.org/trust-me-im-lying/) - The 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. They lie
- ["The Bob Mueller Standard"](https://thesteadystate.org/the-bob-mueller-standard/) - The 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](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-the-autocracy-starter-kit/) - 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
- [Facism Is as Fascism Does](https://thesteadystate.org/facism-is-as-fascism-does/) - Benito Mussolini and FamilyFascism 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 bipartisan disapproval.
- [🎧 The Bob Mueller Standard: Justice, Integrity, and Public Service](https://thesteadystate.org/🎧-the-bob-mueller-standard-justice-integrity-and-public-service/) - What 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
- [BARRELS, BALLOTS, AND NOW BULLETS](https://thesteadystate.org/barrels-ballots-and-now-bullets/) - Venezuelan Oil Extraction Industrial CenterThe 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 United States
- [Happening Now - Watch Live: Defending American Democracy with Steven Cash](https://thesteadystate.org/happening-now-watch-live-defending-american-democracy-with-steven-cash/) - A 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, consider
- [The Price of Pride](https://thesteadystate.org/the-price-of-pride/) - For 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 in
- [Common Sense, Take 2: The Why Before the How- Equality of Opportunity](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-2-the-why-before-the-how-equality-of-opportunity/) - A 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](https://thesteadystate.org/the-intelligence-community-has-a-consumer-problem/) - President 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 now-withdrawn
- [Is Putin Winning Without Firing a Shot?](https://thesteadystate.org/is-putin-winning-without-firing-a-shot/) - For decades, conservatives saw Russia as a threat to freedom. Today, many admire the very qualities that once made Moscow dangerous: strongman rule, contempt for institutions, and politics driven by grievance and loyalty. Putin’s greatest success may not be abroad—it may be here.Is Russia Now America’s Ally? For nearly eighty years, the answer would have
- [Transcript Episode 31: The Bob Mueller Standard: Justice, Integrity, and Public Service](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e31/)
- [The Weekly: Death By A Thousand Small Surrenders](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-death-by-a-thousand-small-surrenders/) - America is under strain, but the story is not yet one of collapse. It is a story about whether democratic institutions can endure long enough for citizens to defend them.This week the Steady State doubled down on the fact that the greatest threat to American democracy is not a sudden coup or dramatic crisis, but
- [It’s a Free Country … Isn’t It?](https://thesteadystate.org/its-a-free-country-isnt-it/) - By Annie Phorzheimer and Yulia AlmazovaFreedom is not lost only through laws, arrests, or censorship. It also erodes when citizens begin to censor themselves, avoid dissent, and accept fear as a normal part of public life, surrendering freedoms long before they realize they are disappearing.Annie: I was born and raised in the United States and
- [Common Sense, Take 2: Democracy as a Patient, Part II](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-2-democracy-as-a-patient-part-ii/) - A 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
- [Democracy Dies the Death of a Thousand Cuts](https://thesteadystate.org/democracy-dies-the-death-of-a-thousand-cuts/) - The death of democracy is rarely announced with a loud and dramatic blow. Instead, it often arrives through quiet normalization: a rule bent here, an institution weakened there. It descends upon a public so overwhelmed by spectacle that it misses the quiet activities that have undermined the democratic structure, as termites eat away the foundation
- [Common Sense Take 2: Democracy as a Patient](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-2-democracy-as-a-patient/) - A 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
- [Iran Defeats America](https://thesteadystate.org/iran-defeats-america/) - Oil Tankers Anchored in the Strait of HormuzTrump promised to reshape the Middle East and break Iran’s power. Instead, the war risks producing the opposite outcome: an Iran that retains strategic leverage, a China poised to exploit American missteps, and a United States struggling to preserve the maritime order that has anchored its prosperity and
- [Normalization of Deviance](https://thesteadystate.org/normalization-of-deviance/) - STS-107 Crew Photo, taken aboard ColumbiaThe greatest threat to a democracy is not necessarily a dramatic rupture. It can be the slow, steady acceptance of behavior that previous generations would have immediately recognized as unacceptable.On January 28th 1986 the world watched in horror as NASA’s space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff. A leaking booster
- [Inside the Situation Room: Larry Pfeiffer on the Politicization of Intelligence, Professional Integrity, and the Cost of Truth](https://thesteadystate.org/inside-the-situation-room-larry-pfeiffer-on-the-politicization-of-intelligence-professional-integrity-and-the-cost-of-truth/) - Former senior CIA operations officer Jim Lawler sits down with Larry Pfeiffer, former senior director of the White House Situation Room and chief of staff to CIA Director Michael Hayden, who describes the rigors of working in the Situation Room, crisis decision-making, and what it takes to deliver accurate information when seconds matter. He describes
- [Transcript Episode 30: Inside the Situation Room: Larry Pfeiffer on the Politicization of Intelligence, Professional Integrity, and the Cost of Truth](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e30/)
- [Under Attack, Still Standing](https://thesteadystate.org/under-attack-still-standing/) - “…a government of laws and not men.” John AdamsThe federal judiciary has become a key target of presidential anger precisely because it remains one of the few institutions still capable of constraining executive misconduct.There has never been a US chief executive who hates judges and the law the way this one does. Because he has
- [The Weekly: Connecting the Dots - A Democracy Under Stress](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-connecting-the-dots-a-democracy-under-stress/) - Democratic guardrails are tested, institutions are pressured; citizens must decide whether constitutional principles still matter.The Steady State took a deep dive this week into the growing strain on the institutions that sustain American democracy, all of which are subject to a gradual but real erosion of democratic norms and an ever increasing slide towards autocracy
- [210 Days to Break an Intelligence Community](https://thesteadystate.org/210-days-to-break-an-intelligence-community/) - William Pulte’s temporary appointment as Acting DNI will have effects that outlast his tenure: retribution, politicized intelligence access, personnel purges, and reduced confidence in the legal certifications that support key intelligence surveillance operations.You can destroy a lot of stuff in 210 days. You can also ensure long-lasting damage to the entire Intelligence Community if all
- [From Watchdog to Lapdog?](https://thesteadystate.org/from-watchdog-to-lapdog/) - The campaign against 60 Minutes was never really about one interview or one lawsuit. It is about neutralizing one of the few remaining institutions capable of holding presidents accountable before a mass audience.There has been, understandably, a lot of coverage of the death of 60 Minutes. As many people and outlets as possible should cover
- [Follow The Money:  A Slush Fund Presidency?](https://thesteadystate.org/follow-the-money-a-slush-fund-presidency/) - The controversy over Trump’s anti-weaponization fund is not an isolated case. It is part of a broader pattern in which money connected to presidential power is being raised, controlled, and spent through structures that operate outside traditional mechanisms of public oversight.Trump’s $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund has drawn outrage for good reason. Acting Attorney General Todd
- [“Common Sense Take 2” : Change is up to Us](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-take-2-change-is-up-to-us/) - A 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, focuses on the
- [Gold Leaf and Gravestones](https://thesteadystate.org/gold-leaf-and-gravestones/) - The dignity of Arlington stands in stark contrast to proposals that confuse remembrance with self-promotion. As I have on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend for the last nine years, last Sunday, May 24, 2026, I went to Arlington Cemetery to visit my parents’ grave. I actually go to the cemetery fairly frequently; it’s a
- [Common Sense for a Democracy in Crisis](https://thesteadystate.org/common-sense-for-a-democracy-in-crisis/) - In this episode of The Steady State Sentinel, John Sipher speaks with veteran intelligence and counterterrorism official Russ Travers about the state of American democracy, the national security system, and his forthcoming book, Common Sense Take 2. Travers reflects on his 45-year career across the intelligence community, from warning about systemic intelligence failures before 9/11
- [Introducing Common Sense: Take 2](https://thesteadystate.org/introducing-common-sense-take-2/) - Most Americans know something is wrong with our democracy.Fewer understand how much is failing, why it is happening, or what ordinary citizens can do about it.That is why Steady State’s Russ Travers wrote Common Sense: Take 2.This week, we begin a five-week series walking through this book’s central themes. We we will focus on a
- [America First? History Says Otherwise.](https://thesteadystate.org/america-first-history-says-otherwise/) - The United States did not fight, finance, or win the Revolution alone. As modern alliances come under strain, the nation’s founding story deserves a fuller—and humbler—telling.President Trump has made abundantly clear his attitude towards alliances, especially NATO. At best, his approach is transactional. More often, it is dismissive or even contemptuous. Leaving NATO would require
- [The Weekly: Democracy Beyond the Ballot](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-democracy-beyond-the-ballot/) - This week The Steady State focused on the country’s internal polarization and the underlying challenges involving democratic culture, institutional resilience, and the continuing concentration and personalization of political power at a time that the country is facing international instability and strategic risk. We maintain that democracy’s survival depends not only on elections or constitutions, but
- [Common Sense for a Democracy in Crisis](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e29/)
- [Will “Nice” Still Play in Peoria?](https://thesteadystate.org/will-nice-still-play-in-peoria/) - Peoria once symbolized an America where political opponents still shared democratic values and basic decency. The disappearance of “Peoria Nice” reveals how profoundly American politics—and the Republican Party—have changed.“Will this play in Peoria?” American presidents were famously known to ask this in the mid-20th century. Peoria, a small central Illinois city between Chicago and St.
- [Hunting Weapons of Mass Destruction with Andy Weber - A Joint Podcast Episode with Mission Implausible](https://thesteadystate.org/hunting-weapons-of-mass-destruction-with-andy-weber-a-joint-podcast-episode-with-mission-implausible/) - Nuclear weapons-usable uranium, biolabs for biological warfare, secret chemical facilities -- In Operation Sapphire, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Andy Weber found and disposed of them. Where are the current threats? What does Iran still have? Biological threats may ultimately prove even more dangerous than nuclear ones. How do we control them?This special joint episode
- [Consensus Lost](https://thesteadystate.org/consensus-lost/) - Missile Silo at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Visitor Center in South DakotaThe collapse of the latest Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference was not an isolated diplomatic disappointment. It reflected a deeper breakdown in great-power relations, American diplomatic capacity, and the unresolved regional conflicts that increasingly overwhelm nuclear diplomacy.The inability of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
- [Meet the Moment](https://thesteadystate.org/meet-the-moment/) - Normalization of the Presence of Uniformed Military on our City StreetsThe decisive question is no longer whether Trump tests constitutional limits, but whether those around him will resist or accommodate expanding executive power.The country is well launched on the road to autocracy, and the President is leading the MAGA faithful and the rest of us
- [Transcript Episode 28: Hunting Weapons of Mass Destruction (with Andy Weber)](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e28/)
- [The Republic and the Ballroom](https://thesteadystate.org/the-republic-and-the-ballroom/) - The debate is not fundamentally about architecture or design. It is a debate about whether public institutions reflect democratic values—or increasingly reflect the image and tastes of a single leader.The current controversy surrounding the proposed White House ballroom, the “Trump Arch,” and now the repainting of the Old Executive Office Building has generated intense debate.
- [Afraid to Speak, Afraid for Democracy: New Poll Finds Widespread Concern About Rising Authoritarianism](https://thesteadystate.org/afraid-to-speak-afraid-for-democracy-new-poll-finds-widespread-concern-about-rising-authoritarianism/) - Host Lauren C. Anderson, former senior FBI executive, sits down with pollster Stefan Hankin of Lincoln Park Strategies and journalist Joel Anderson of The Ringer and Slate to unpack a national poll released in May 2026.Key findings: 54% of Americans say they hesitate to express political views at work, online, or in their communities because
- [Memorial Day Reflection](https://thesteadystate.org/memorial-day-reflection/) - Today we remember the Americans who gave their lives in service to this country.The best way to honor them is not only with gratitude, but with responsibility. We owe them a republic worthy of their sacrifice: one grounded in truth, accountable government, equal justice, and the steady defense of democracy itself.Memorial Day asks us to
- [A Memorial Day Reflection](https://thesteadystate.org/a-memorial-day-reflection/) - Today we remember the Americans who gave their lives in service to this country.The best way to honor them is not only with gratitude, but with responsibility. We owe them a republic worthy of their sacrifice: one grounded in truth, accountable government, equal justice, and the steady defense of democracy itself.Memorial Day asks us to
- [The Weekly: A Gathering Storm](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-a-gathering-storm/) - The Steady State provides both a warning and a call to action: The greatest threat to the United States is not a sudden collapse of democracy but the gradual normalization of intimidation, institutional erosion, unchecked executive power, and public disengagement. We contend that democratic resilience ultimately depends not only on institutions, but on citizens willing
- [They Can Cancel the Show, Not the Audience](https://thesteadystate.org/they-can-cancel-the-show-not-the-audience/) - Stephen Colbert mattered because he challenged power without cruelty. If corporations now silence or sideline voices that criticize Trump, citizens still possess leverage of their own: boycott and civic resistance. I stayed up late last night, 21 May 2026, to watch the final episode of Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. I am nowhere close
- [Transcript Episode 27: Afraid to Speak, Afraid for Democracy: New Poll Finds Widespread Concern About Rising Authoritarianism](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e27/)
- [Has America Lost Europe?](https://thesteadystate.org/has-america-lost-europe/) - Because my current residence is in Italy, I often watch internationally oriented news broadcasts produced in Europe. There may only be a few democratically minded European Union leaders who do not despair over the continuing absurd, nonsensical, self-serving, and ultimately hazardous decisions made by Mr. Trump. Most seem to consider the man clownish—but clowns are
- [ICYMI: “He’s Trying to Destroy the First Amendment” – Bob Drogin on Trump’s War on the Press](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-hes-trying-to-destroy-the-first-amendment-bob-drogin-on-trumps-war-on-the-press/) - In the latest episode of The Steady State Sentinel, Margaret Henoch (former senior CIA Operations Officer) sits down with Bob Drogin– a 38‑year veteran of the Los Angeles Times who served as a national correspondent, foreign correspondent, and ultimately White House editor during the first Trump administration. Drogin covered intelligence and national security for years,
- [Lies + More Lies= $1.8 Billion](https://thesteadystate.org/lies-more-lies-1-8-billion/) - The DOJ’s “anti-weaponization fund: a federally sanctioned mechanism for settling political scores at taxpayer expense.The recent announcement by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that he has established an “anti-weaponization fund” in exchange for the Trump family dropping its collective lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is a horrible misuse of authority in its own
- [The Steady State Auxiliary: A Deeper Way to Engage](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-auxiliary-a-deeper-way-to-engage/) - Read more Powered by WPeMatico
- [The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself](https://thesteadystate.org/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself/) - “Those in line can vote” photo with thanks to PBS The threat of armed federal personnel near polling places is meant to intimidate, not protect democracy. Americans must reject fear, defend the rule of law, and vote.The prospect of armed federal personnel appearing at or near polling places should alarm every American, regardless of party.
- [The War on the Press: How Trump Attacks the First Amendment](https://thesteadystate.org/the-war-on-the-press-how-trump-attacks-the-first-amendment/) - In the latest episode of the Sentinel podcast, former CIA Operations Officer Margaret Henoch interviews Bob Drogin, a 38-year veteran of the Los Angeles Times. Drogin describes what he assesses as the Trump administration’s unprecedented assault on the First Amendment: cutting NPR and PBS funding, banning reporters from the White House and taking over the
- [Transcript Episode 26: The War on the Press: How Trump Attacks the First Amendment](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e26/)
- [Just…Because He Can?](https://thesteadystate.org/justbecause-he-can/) - The danger is not merely unjust war, but the normalization of military force without rigorous moral or constitutional examination. Recent U.S. operations suggest that threshold is eroding.The Just War Theory is a moral framework for judging when the use of military force is morally justified, and how it should be ethically executed. It begins by
- [Who Will Stand for the Republic?](https://thesteadystate.org/who-will-stand-for-the-republic/) - Photo: With appreciation to Roll CallRepublics Do Not Survive AutomaticallyThe Steady State sounds the warning bell that republics collapse when citizens, leaders, and institutions decide preserving comfort matters more than defending constitutional principle. Constitutional democracy endures only when citizens, public servants, military officers, and political leaders are willing to defend law and democratic principles even
- [The Constitution or Commander-in-Chief?](https://thesteadystate.org/the-constitution-or-commander-in-chief/) - The lesson of Nuremberg still matters: “I was only following orders” is not a defense when legality, morality, and constitutional duty collide.I served first as an Army sergeant in my youth, and later as an officer in both Military Intelligence and Special Forces for nearly twenty-six years. I retired from active military service in 1997.
- [“The Thin Red Line” - An Open Letter to Non-MAGA Republicans](https://thesteadystate.org/the-thin-red-line-an-open-letter-to-non-maga-republicans/) - As Trump’s personality cult, attacks on institutions, and consolidation of power intensify, a small number of principled Republicans may determine whether the United States remains a constitutional democracy or slides further toward authoritarian rule.It could not be clearer: the country is well along the road to authoritarianism and autocracy, and the coming six months will
- [ICYMI: Birds, Ducks, and the Surveillance State – A FISA Deep Dive with Former CIA Lawyer James Petrila](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-birds-ducks-and-the-surveillance-state-a-fisa-deep-dive-with-former-cia-lawyer-james-petrila/) - The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was supposed to balance national security and civil liberties. Then technology changed everything. Birds became ducks. Satellites gave way to fiber optics. And the government found itself collecting communications involving U.S. persons without individualized warrants or routine notice.In this episode, former CIA Office of General Counsel attorney, James Petrila,
- [How Our Republic Dies](https://thesteadystate.org/how-our-republic-dies/) - “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address 1838America’s perpetual wars are not signs of strength, but symptoms of a republic drifting away from constitutional restraint, accountability, and moral clarity.In the beginningI was
- [🎧 The Most Powerful Intelligence Tool You’ve Never Heard Of: A Former CIA Lawyer Explains Section 702](https://thesteadystate.org/🎧-the-most-powerful-intelligence-tool-youve-never-heard-of-a-former-cia-lawyer-explains-section-702/) - Former CIA General Counsel Jim Petrila joins Peter Mina to break down the evolution of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the controversies surrounding Section 702, and the growing tension between national security surveillance and civil liberties. Petrila explains how technological shifts after the Cold War and 9/11 transformed intelligence collection, leading to major legal
- [The Gateway Drug to War in Iran: How America's "War on Narco-Terrorism" Became a War on Law Itself](https://thesteadystate.org/the-gateway-drug-to-war-in-iran-how-americas-war-on-narco-terrorism-became-a-war-on-law-itself/) - Under the banner of “narco-terrorism,” the U.S. has embraced a doctrine of extrajudicial violence that weakens both the rule of law abroad and constitutional restraints at home.Every week or so, brief new blurbs appear in print and cable news shows – such as “US strikes alleged drug boat in the Pacific, kills two” – and
- [Transcript Episode 25: Section 702 Explained: Surveillance, Security, and Civil Liberties](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e25/)
- [The Slow Unraveling](https://thesteadystate.org/the-slow-unraveling/) - What Happens When Democracy’s Guardrails Fail?The Steady State focused this week on the growing erosion of democratic institutions in the United States and the broader West. Politicized intelligence, weakened diplomacy, judicial overreach, corruption, hybrid warfare, and fear-driven politics reveal a common thread: the replacement of expertise and truth with loyalty, ideology and personal power. Corruption,
- [The Actual Threat](https://thesteadystate.org/the-actual-threat/) - THE EXTREMISTSAmerica’s most dangerous extremist threat is not ANTIFA but the far-right fringe of the MAGA movement, where racism, religious nationalism, and contempt for constitutional democracy increasingly converge to justify violence and authoritarianism.Extremists of all stripes claim to right great wrongs; to represent that which is self-sacrificing and noble; to lead the uninformed masses either
- [The "Long Con" -  Trump’s Billion Dollar Ballroom](https://thesteadystate.org/the-long-con-trumps-billion-dollar-ballroom/) - Trump’s East Wing ballroom may become the ultimate political “long con” —a project sold as privately financed that gradually conditions the public to accept ever-expanding taxpayer commitments as inevitable and necessary.When Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025, he kicked off with a barrage of executive orders, ‘flooding the zone’ with more than the normal
- [Sabotage in the Baltic Sea, Implications for European Security, and Lessons for the Indo-Pacific](https://thesteadystate.org/sabotage-in-the-baltic-sea-implications-for-european-security-and-lessons-for-the-indo-pacific/) - The Chairman of the Board of The Steady State, Jim C. O’Brien, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 30 2026. His Opening Comments: “Thank you to the Committee for highlighting the importance of the Baltic Sea and the infrastructure under its surface. The Committee – and my fellow witness, Dr. Schmitt –
- [ICYMI: “Which Side Are You On?” – Ambassador Eric Rubin on the Dismantling of American Diplomacy](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-which-side-are-you-on-ambassador-eric-rubin-on-the-dismantling-of-american-diplomacy/) - The State Department has been hollowed out. Career diplomats are afraid to speak. Unions have been derecognized. And a Heritage Foundation‑affiliated organization, the Benjamin Franklin Fellowship, now functions like the Communist Party in the Soviet Union: you don’t have to join, but you won’t get ahead if you don’t. In this episode, former Ambassador Eric
- ["1776 Is Not for Sale"--The Revolution’s Lessons Stand in Stark Contrast to Today’s Politics of Isolation and Arrogance.](https://thesteadystate.org/1776-is-not-for-sale-the-revolutions-lessons-stand-in-stark-contrast-to-todays-politics-of-isolation-and-arrogance/) - The Revolution was won through alliances, humility about power, and relentless resolve—not bluster or unilateralism. As the nation marks 250 years, it falls to citizens—not politicians—to reclaim those truths and apply them to the present moment.In two months, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The signing of the
- [The Court That Erased a People—Again](https://thesteadystate.org/the-court-that-erased-a-people-again/) - The Supreme Court’s latest voting rights decision echoes its most infamous precedents, effectively removing Black Americans from meaningful political participation in multiple states and raising profound questions about the Court’s democratic legitimacy.In the aftermath of the Civil War and the disastrous presidency of Andrew Johnson, Congress in 1868 passed the 14th Amendment, which guaranteed birthright
- [🎧 Saving My Life's Work: Eric Rubin on the Dismantling of American Diplomacy](https://thesteadystate.org/🎧-saving-my-lifes-work-eric-rubin-on-the-dismantling-of-american-diplomacy/) - In the latest episode of the Sentinel, Peter Mina interviews Ambassador Eric Rubin, a 38‑year Foreign Service veteran, former president of American Foreign Service Association and current Steady State board member. Rubin describes how the Trump administration has dismantled the nonpartisan career foreign service, destroyed employee associations and affinity groups, and replaced them with a
- [Transcript Episode 24: Saving My Life's Work: Eric Rubin on the Dismantling of American Diplomacy](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e24/)
- [When Intelligence Bows to Power](https://thesteadystate.org/when-intelligence-bows-to-power/) - The U.S. intelligence system was built to deliver hard truths to presidents, not affirm their instincts. Donald Trump is eroding the very foundation that makes American intelligence effective—and trustworthy.Speaking truth to power, providing U.S. presidents with non-partisan, deeply researched intelligence analyses, is America’s original contribution to intelligence. As former CIA historian Donald Steury noted in
- [The Weekly: The New Rules Are No Rules](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-the-new-rules-are-no-rules/) - This week The Steady State reveals the gradual but consistent nature of the autocratic decline we are experiencing: not in sudden crisis but in steady transformation, where democratic institutions are increasingly bent toward political ends rather than breaking outright.Law enforcement and national security tools show signs of being used for retribution, while whistleblowers and accountability
- [What is Engaged Pluralism?](https://thesteadystate.org/what-is-engaged-pluralism/) - In this podcast episode of “What is Engaged Pluralism Podcast,” Kimberly Williams Brown of Vassar College Executive Director of The Steady State, Steven Cash, as he discusses an earlier disrupted talk at the college. Cash urges civic engagement, dialogue, and constitutional literacy as he warns that rising political polarization and attempts to control speech, whether
- [A Purge Problem?](https://thesteadystate.org/a-purge-problem/) - While China’s military purge reflects its authoritarian system, the United States is choosing a similar path—trading competence for loyalty and risking long-term strategic consequences.Secretary of Defense Hegseth has ironically expanded US military competition with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – not to improve our position vis-a-vis China, but through a politically driven purge of the
- [The Scenario Is the Warning](https://thesteadystate.org/the-scenario-is-the-warning/) - An abridged version of the author’s “Emergency Planning: The president is Preparing to Challenge 2026 Midterms. The Country Can Still Act to Protect Them,.” Published by The Washington SpectatorYou don’t need certainty about how a crisis unfolds to know preparation is essential.Most Americans have never heard of Presidential Emergency Action Documents.Known as PEADs, they are
- [Trump Bawls for his Ballroom](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-bawls-for-his-ballroom/) - The fixation on a ballroom over a breach is not just tone-deaf—it’s evidence of a governing culture hollowed out by loyalty tests and detached from its most basic responsibilities.The annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, on April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, was interrupted when shots were fired near the main
- [ICYMI: “Let’s Kill All the Lawyers” – Mark Zaid on Whistleblowers, Clearance Wars, and the Rule of Law Under Fire](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-lets-kill-all-the-lawyers-mark-zaid-on-whistleblowers-clearance-wars-and-the-rule-of-law-under-fire/) - What happens when the executive branch starts stripping security clearances from private attorneys who represent whistleblowers? Mark Zaid knows firsthand, because Donald Trump put him on a list with Kamala Harris, Liz Cheney, and Joe Biden (among others). In this episode, two former intelligence officers sit down with one of Washington’s most fearless national security
- [Juggling Toward Collapse](https://thesteadystate.org/juggling-toward-collapse/) - Graphic: https://stablediffusionweb.comAs autocrats dismantle institutional constraints, they inherit the impossible task of managing everything themselves—creating an opening for resistance that compounds pressure across multiple fronts.The question is always asked: What do we do about a rising authoritarian?Those of us at The Steady State have spent decades studying this problem abroad, often in places where the
- [🎧 The Fragile Glue: Mark Zaid on Whistleblowers, Retaliation, and the Rule of Law](https://thesteadystate.org/🎧-the-fragile-glue-mark-zaid-on-whistleblowers-retaliation-and-the-rule-of-law/) - Former CIA officer Jim Lawler and former FBI senior executive Lauren C. Anderson host Mark Zaid, a renowned national security attorney who has represented whistleblowers, been personally targeted by a presidential clearance revocation, and fought for government transparency for nearly three decades. They discuss the real difference between a whistleblower and a leaker (using Edward
- [Transcript Episode 23: The Fragile Glue: Mark Zaid on Whistleblowers, Retaliation, and the Rule of Law](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e23/) - Sentinel podcast, The Fragile Glue: Mark Zaid on Whistleblowers, Retaliation, and the Rule of Law - Government Transparency and the Future of American Democracy
- [All Aboard the Retribution Train](https://thesteadystate.org/all-aboard-the-retribution-train/) - Graphic Generated by AI President Trump is escalating his efforts to use the DOJ as an instrument of vengeance, using loyal appointees and dubious legal maneuvers to tilt the system—undermining the courts and the rule of law.The recent announcement that octogenarian Joe diGenova has been called out of obscurity to lead the South Florida-based legal
- [The Weekly: The Erosion Is the Event](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-the-erosion-is-the-event/) - This week the Steady State zeroes in the misperception that what looks like political turbulence is in fact a structural drift; the repeated normalization of institutional overreach, manipulation of truth, and declining restraint across government and civic life is gradually hollowing out the guardrails of American democracy.Read more...THE ESSENTIALS TRENDINGIf paying an informant inside a
- [The Death of Restraint](https://thesteadystate.org/the-death-of-restraint/) - Civility is the discipline that keeps conflict from becoming chaos; without it, polarization deepens, institutions erode, and leadership drifts toward instability.A quiet erosion is underway in American public life. It does not appear in GDP reports or polling averages, but it is unmistakable in tone, in trust, and in the fraying fabric of civic interaction.
- [Who’s Really Deranged? Trump’s Favorite Insult Reveals More About its Author Than its Targets](https://thesteadystate.org/whos-really-deranged-trumps-favorite-insult-reveals-more-about-its-author-than-its-targets/) - The real “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is not found among his critics, but in the persistent denial of reality, normalization of falsehoods, and cult-like behavior surrounding the former president and his movement.These are tumultuous times, even a time of war. Sorting truth from falsehood, fact from fiction, is a daily challenge. This is particularly true as
- [Transcript Episode 22: The MAGA Crack-Up: David Corn on Iran, the FBI, and a Democracy Under Siege](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e22/) - Sentinel Podcast: The MAGA Crack-Up: David Corn on Iran, the FBI, and a Democracy Under Siege. Conspiracy Narratives, Media Challenges, and Russian Influence
- [ICYMI: The MAGA Crack‑Up: David Corn on Schisms, Spies, and the Burning of the FBI](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-the-maga-crack-up-david-corn-on-schisms-spies-and-the-burning-of-the-fbi/) - Unpacking this week’s Sentinel podcast: Here’s what you need to know from a conversation that ranges from the battlefields of the MAGA media wars to the paralyzed hallways of the FBI.In the latest episode of The Steady State Sentinel, John Sipher welcomes David Corn, Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones, MSNBC analyst, and one of
- [What We Don’t Know About Government Can Hurt Us](https://thesteadystate.org/what-we-dont-know-about-government-can-hurt-us/) - AI Generated GraphicA poorly informed electorate makes it easier to vilify public servants, dismantle expertise, and replace governance with self-serving power.The tumult of recent years has illuminated how little the average citizen knows about the United States government and the people who perform its functions. As politicians continue to slash civil service jobs and programs
- [As We Argue About Red and Blue, the Guardrails Are Disappearing](https://thesteadystate.org/as-we-argue-about-red-and-blue-the-guardrails-are-disappearing/) - AI Generated Graphic The focus on partisanship is distracting from a more serious threat: the weakening of democratic checks and balances.I have published multiple negative essays and commentaries regarding our current president and the damage done by both him and his appointed band of sycophant grifters, especially in his second incarnation. Those many pieces ended
- [The MAGA Crack-Up: 🎙️ David Corn on Iran, the FBI, and a Democracy Under Siege](https://thesteadystate.org/the-maga-crack-up-🎙️-david-corn-on-iran-the-fbi-and-a-democracy-under-siege/) - Former CIA officer John Sipher sits down for the latest Sentinel podcast with David Corn, Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones and one of the nation’s most respected political journalists. They dive deep into the explosive schisms within MAGA world triggered by the Iran war, from Tucker Carlson accusing Trump of being the anti‑Christ to
- [Important Stuff to Know About: The Laws of War Still Apply](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-the-laws-of-war-still-apply/) - War does not suspend the law—the principles of distinction, necessity, proportionality, and humanity are not optional, and abandoning them carries real strategic and moral consequences.In the several weeks since the United States and Israel attacked Iran, the President and Secretary of Defense have announced on a number of occasions that we are winning the war
- [The Weekly: Anatomy of a Breakdown](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-anatomy-of-a-breakdown/) - This week lays bare the consequences of improvised and personality-driven statecraft: The loss of coherence and credibility. As expertise is sidelined, and negotiation gives way to coercion and spectacle, foreign policy becomes less predictable and more prone to miscalculation. Read more...The Essentials Quoted “The Steady State, an organization of retired national security officials dedicated to
- [Papers, Please, America](https://thesteadystate.org/papers-please-america/) - By Guest Author (Name Withheld) When a country starts treating belonging as conditional and dissent as dangerous, it’s no longer deciding who gets to stay, but whether democracy itself will endure.I came to America in the summer of 2016. I was twelve years old. My family and I landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, and
- [ICYMI: Sentinel Podcast - Protecting Liberty in the Age of Surveillance](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-sentinel-podcast-protecting-liberty-in-the-age-of-surveillance/) - The United States can—and must—protect national security without sacrificing civil liberties, but doing so requires strict adherence to legal constraints like the Privacy Act of 1974, robust oversight, and greater transparency; without these guardrails, the expanding power of government data risks being turned inward on citizens, undermining both public trust and the foundations of democratic
- [This is How Diplomacy Dies](https://thesteadystate.org/this-is-how-diplomacy-dies/) - Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers and author of the Declaration of Independence, was also the first Secretary of State. Like George Washington, he wanted to avoid ‘entangling alliances,’ but also wanted to stress foreign commerce.Through forced exits, ideological enforcement, and institutional neglect, the State Department is being transformed into a tool of loyalty
- [More Burden than Privilege](https://thesteadystate.org/more-burden-than-privilege/) - From the Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection When leaders face no consequences, democracy depends on voters—and the window to enforce accountability is closing.When I saw the video of Kash Patel splashing beer around an Olympic locker room, two things struck me: I’m so thankful I’m no longer serving in the FBI, and Julius Caesar was
- [A View from An Iranian Observer: Strategic Pressure or Dangerous Precedent?](https://thesteadystate.org/a-view-from-an-iranian-observer-strategic-pressure-or-dangerous-precedent/) - By Guest Author: H.E. Emmett ImaniWhen pressure sounds like permission to target civilian lifelines, it stops deterring adversaries and starts inviting escalation—with consequences that won’t stay theoretical.The current tone surrounding Donald Trump and Iran is not simply another episode of political pressure. It is moving into a territory where language itself begins to shape outcomes.Recent
- [Putin’s Puppet](https://thesteadystate.org/putins-puppet/) - Puppet or not, Donald Trump has delivered on nearly every strategic objective Russia could hope for from an American president.Donald Trump has long appeared to be in the thrall of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In her October 2016 Presidential Campaign debate, Hillary Clinton called Trump a puppet for Putin. It struck a nerve, and an
- [🎙️ Sentinel Podcast - Protecting Liberty in the Age of Surveillance](https://thesteadystate.org/🎙️-sentinel-podcast-protecting-liberty-in-the-age-of-surveillance/) - In the latest episode of the Sentinel, American University Adjunct professor and Scholar‑in‑Residence, Alex Joel, joins host Peter Mina to unpack how democracies can fight real threats without becoming one themselves, exploring the post‑9/11 “connect the dots” mindset, the Privacy Act’s enduring role, and how data, protest, and transparency collide.Watch and listen to new Sentinel
- [The Art of No Deal](https://thesteadystate.org/the-art-of-no-deal/) - A one-day negotiation, a “final offer,” and no follow-up plan—this wasn’t serious diplomacy; it was a setup for failure with dangerous consequences.Given the inexperience, inflexibility, and overconfidence the US team brought to Islamabad for talks with Iran on April 11, it was not surprising that nothing was achieved. Heavy-handed attempts at coercion and brinksmanship were
- [🎙️ Protecting Liberty in the Age of Surveillance - Transcript Sentinel Podcast E21](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e21/) - Sentinel podcast: How a former Chief at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence thinks about privacy, protest, and the power of government data.
- [Voting Out the Autocrat](https://thesteadystate.org/voting-out-the-autocrat/) - “We have got to get Viktor Orbán reelected… what the United States and Hungary together represent… is the defense of Western civilization.” — JD VanceExporting IlliberalismWhen a sitting American vice president flies to Hungary not to conduct diplomacy, but to campaign for a foreign strongman, it is not subtle. It is a signal. The endorsement
- [Unfit to Command](https://thesteadystate.org/unfit-to-command/) - A lifetime of leadership experience leads to a stark conclusion: Donald Trump’s lack of competence and empathy is not just a personal flaw—it is a national security risk, now dangerously exposed in a war with Iran.Tragically, Donald Trump is incapable of providing effective leadership for our Armed Forces or the nation, and has proven so
- [The Weekly: Sowing the Storm](https://thesteadystate.org/the-weekly-sowing-the-storm/) - Welcome to expert analysis from former senior national security leaders—spanning intelligence, diplomacy, the military, and the law. Catch up on the week’s critical insights or dive deep into the issues defining our moment.If you feel like the guardrails are thinning, you’re not imagining it. This week’s digest exposes the widening gap between executive rhetoric and
- [Sleepwalking Into Danger](https://thesteadystate.org/sleepwalking-into-danger/) - At a moment demanding clarity, competence, and global leadership, America is instead choosing fragmentation, retreat, and strategic blindness.The global power perspective over the next several years promises to be more fragmented and therefore less predictable. There are several more power centers now, fewer strong alliances to inhibit errant behavior of individual nations, and new trade
- [A Kremlin Talking Point Becomes an American Accusation](https://thesteadystate.org/a-kremlin-talking-point-becomes-an-american-accusation/) - Labeling democratic protest a ‘Color Revolution’ doesn’t protect America—it imports a narrative designed to weaken it.If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you may have seen accusations about organizations fomenting a “color revolution” in the United States, and being amplified by conspiracy theorist influencers to their followers. That term, “color revolution,” is thrown
- [Trump: Big Talker, Pitiful Leader – What Has He Achieved?](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-big-talker-pitiful-leader-what-has-he-achieved/) - The Economist, March 21, 2026: “Operation Blind Fury”Donald Trump’s campaign against Iran has cost lives, cash, and credibility, achieved almost nothing strategic, deepened global chaos and mistrust, and exposed a presidency that reflexively prefers spectacle over a sober plan.During five weeks of war with Iran, the President of the United States and his acolytes have
- [Democracy on the Brink](https://thesteadystate.org/democracy-on-the-brink/) - Driven by a desire to retain power and avoid political consequences such as impeachment, Donald Trump is pursuing three measures that could influence the upcoming midterm elections.Late last month, the No Kings Movement conducted over three thousand large protests in all fifty states. As many as eight million concerned citizens made their voices heard, the
- [Let Me Count the Ways: How Hegseth is Harming the Military](https://thesteadystate.org/let-me-count-the-ways-how-hegseth-is-harming-the-military/) - Pete Hegseth, Quantico, Va., Addressing Flag Officers The US military has long been respected by American citizens for its professionalism, its independence from politics, and its commitment to include every American who wants to serve. These traditions are under assault. Once gone they will be hard to restore.Secretary of Defense Hegseth came on board champing
- [If the ODNI Won’t Assess Threats, Who Will?](https://thesteadystate.org/if-the-odni-wont-assess-threats-who-will/) - When intelligence stops informing power and starts deferring to it, it ceases to be intelligence at all—and becomes a liability that risks strategic blindness, policy failure, and war.In a functioning democracy, intelligence exists to illuminate reality, not to mirror power. That principle is not aspirational; it is structural. The Office of the Director of National
- [ICYMI: The Counterrevolution in the U.S. Foreign Policy, Power, Purpose, and the Burning of America’s Diplomatic Fleet](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-the-counterrevolution-in-the-u-s-foreign-policy-power-purpose-and-the-burning-of-americas-diplomatic-fleet/) - ICYMI: The United States is walking away from the alliance‑based, globally‑engaged foreign policy that defined the post‑WWII era. Ambassador Tom Shannon calls it a “counterrevolution” and it’s not an accident.In the latest episode of The Steady State Sentinel, Lauren Anderson sits down with Ambassador Tom Shannon, one of the most senior diplomats of his generation,
- [Putin’s Window in Ukraine, Courtesy of Donald Trump](https://thesteadystate.org/putins-window-in-ukraine-courtesy-of-donald-trump/) - There is good reason to think that, before the Iran war, Russia was close to the breaking point. Sanctions and low global oil prices were squeezing Russian revenues. Russian forces were making at best incremental gains on the Ukraine battlefield, at tremendous cost: well over 1000 casualties a day in 2025, according to the Center
- [The Steady State Files Formal Objection to Department of Justice Proposed Rule Undermining Independent Attorney Oversight](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-files-formal-objection-to-department-of-justice-proposed-rule-undermining-independent-attorney-oversight/) - Washington, D.C. — The Steady State today filed a formal public comment strongly opposing the U.S. Department of Justice’s proposed rule, “Review of State Bar Complaints and Allegations Against Department of Justice Attorneys,” warning that the rule would undermine the rule of law, violate federal statute, and erode a core system of independent oversight. The
- [The Counterrevolution: Tom Shannon on America’s Retreat from the World](https://thesteadystate.org/the-counterrevolution-tom-shannon-on-americas-retreat-from-the-world/) - In this edition of the Sentinel podcast, host Lauren Anderson, former senior FBI executive, sits down with Ambassador Tom Shannon, one of the most experienced diplomats of his generation. They discuss what Shannon describes as a “counterrevolution” in U.S. foreign policy – a shift away from the post-WWII alliance-based system toward a more unilateral “America
- [Autocrats and the Broken Window Effect: Global Edition](https://thesteadystate.org/autocrats-and-the-broken-window-effect-global-edition/) - Applying the “broken windows theory” to international relations seems appropriate in this moment of riotous disorder – at least to explain why the weakening of the legal and customary architecture of the system in the hands of autocrats has so profoundly impacted individuals caught up in violence that they never wanted .The broken windows theory
- [The Counterrevolution: Tom Shannon on America’s Retreat from the World - Transcript](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e20/) - Sentinel podcast. The Counterrevolution: Tom Shannon on America’s Retreat from the World. Soft Power, Hard Choices, and the Hollowing Out of U.S. Diplomacy.
- [The Cost of Gaslighting: Trump Must Now Reap What He Has Sown.](https://thesteadystate.org/the-cost-of-gaslighting-trump-must-now-reap-what-he-has-sown/) - Since the Trump administration launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, the public has been subjected to a torrent of misinformation, disinformation, and conflicting accounts regarding everything about the action, from its motives to who is responsible for what. A good term for the way information has been managed in Epic Fury is “gaslighting.”Gaslighting,
- [The Steady State Weekly Digest](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-weekly-digest/) - Photo by Engin_Akyurt Welcome to The Steady State’s Weekly Digest, a compilation of the week’s Steady State publications. Catch up on what you missed or dive deeper into the issues shaping our moment.Threatening War Crimes: Has Trump Finally Crossed the Line? by| Charles A. RayDonald Trump’s threats to “destroy” Iran’s energy structure, if carried out,
- [Why a Superpower Finds Itself Alone](https://thesteadystate.org/why-a-superpower-finds-itself-alone/) - Our allies refusal to join us in Iran is a warning. If America does not rebuild respect, credibility, and partnership, isolation will be the new normal.Our allies refusal to join the United States in its war in Iran is framed by the current Administration as a failure of allied courage or commitment. It is neither.
- [Rule of Law vs. Rule of One](https://thesteadystate.org/rule-of-law-vs-rule-of-one/) - A former FBI director, a decorated Marine, and a lifelong public servant, Robert Mueller, was publicly denounced as “a disgrace to our country” by a sitting president. This was a moment in recent American life that should give us pause, not only because it was crass personal and political rhetoric, but because it revealed a
- [ICYMI: Leaving MAGA: Finding the Off‑Ramp from Political Extremism-Identity, Propaganda, and the Hard Work of Reconciliation](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-leaving-maga-finding-the-off-ramp-from-political-extremism-identity-propaganda-and-the-hard-work-of-reconciliation/) - ICYMI: Leaving MAGA isn’t just about changing your politics. It’s about walking away from an identity.In the latest episode of The Steady State Sentinel, John Sipher sits down with Rich Logis, founder and executive director of Leaving MAGA, for a deeply personal and revealing conversation about how people fall into political extremism—and what it actually
- [Transcript E19: Leaving MAGA: Identity, Propaganda, and the Path Back](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e19-leaving-maga-identity-propaganda-and-the-path-back/) - Leaving MAGA: Identity, Propaganda, and the Path Back A conversation on identity, disinformation, and the path out of political Raw Transcript - Informed with AI JOHN SIPHER [ 00:00:20,460 ] So today I'm joined by Rich Logis, founder and executive director of Leaving MAGA. an organization that supports people who've left or are questioning
- [Transcript Episode 18: From Iran to Ukraine: Inside America’s National Security Breakdown](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e18/) - Strategic Failures, Intelligence Erosion, and the New Global Threat Landscape. Seth Hettena on the U.S. war with Iran, domestic security, and global policy.
- [DHS- ICE: The Making of a Paramilitary Force Plain Sight](https://thesteadystate.org/dhs-ice-the-making-of-a-paramilitary-force-plain-sight/) - DHS/ICE: Inside the System Producing Volatile, Unaccountable Federal AgentsPhoto by Jim Vondruska/REUTERS/PBSIf you wanted to design a hiring and training system that would produce the most psychologically volatile, constitutionally illiterate federal law enforcement officers possible, it would look almost exactly like what the Department of Homeland Security is building todayWhen I was a cop in
- [Robert Mueller: A Hero Remembered, A Presidency Revealed](https://thesteadystate.org/robert-mueller-a-hero-remembered-a-presidency-revealed/) - Robert Mueller stands out as a true American hero, a man devoted to country, public service, and the institutions that make the United States the world’s leading light.The Steady State joins a long list of other organizations and luminaries in rightly honoring Mueller and his legacy of service. In addition to his post-college decision to
- [From Caracas to Tehran: The Same Failed Playbook](https://thesteadystate.org/from-caracas-to-tehran-the-same-failed-playbook/) - Autocrats start wars for no better reason than consolidating their power at home, making follow-up incoherent. Donald Trump is no exception. In Venezuela, the unresolved ledger is substantial: no transition framework, no election timeline, a fragmented opposition, a consolidating regime, hundreds still imprisoned, and an extractive oil architecture with no democratic conditionality.By mid-March, U.S. military
- [The Ice Gulag-Power, Surveillance, and Fear Undermine Our Democracy; Push Back.](https://thesteadystate.org/the-ice-gulag-power-surveillance-and-fear-undermine-our-democracy-push-back/) - Because the structure of the “Ice Gulag” is currently supported by all three branches of the Government, opposition must target all three aspects: apprehension, detention, and removal.The Ice Gulag series centered on how the Trump Administration led by DHS has created a vertically integrated structure that relies on a massive multi-year appropriation from Congress, the
- [Leaving MAGA: Identity, Propaganda, and the Path Back](https://thesteadystate.org/leaving-maga-identity-propaganda-and-the-path-back/) - In this week’s episode of the Sentinel podcast, John Sipher speaks with Rich Logis, founder of Leaving MAGA, about his journey into—and out of—the movement. They explore how identity, belonging, and media ecosystems shape political belief, why leaving can be so difficult, and what ultimately breaks the cycle. Logis also shares insights on disinformation, “anger
- [Reckless Power: Steering America Toward a Deeper Middle East Quagmire](https://thesteadystate.org/reckless-power-steering-america-toward-a-deeper-middle-east-quagmire/) - Ours are the unequalled machines of war, a military superiority that in the hands of an unbalanced president and a hormonal defense secretary are just begging to be used. Those machines now seem to be in the lead, dragging the politicians and administration figures behind, a military machine that virtually drives policy by itself, by
- [Threatening War Crimes: Has Trump Finally Crossed the Line?](https://thesteadystate.org/threatening-war-crimes-has-trump-finally-crossed-the-line/) - (Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash)Donald Trump’s threats to “destroy” Iran’s energy structure, if carried out, is a potential war crime, implicating not only the president but all who carry out his mission. In a March 30, 2026, social media post, Donald Trump threatened that if a peace deal is not reached soon and if
- [Trump Has Created a Strategy to Make U.S. Less Secure](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-has-created-a-strategy-to-make-u-s-less-secure/) - As published below in the Pensacola News Journal Pensacola News Journal (Part of the USA Today Network) March 29 2026Making sense of the shambolic actions of the Trump administration is a daunting, full-time task for American voters, whether MAGA, Democrat, Republican or Independent. Deliberate disruption at home metastasized internationally on Feb. 28 with the launch
- [Is Trump our George III?](https://thesteadystate.org/is-trump-our-george-iii/) - Here we are, marking yet another “No Kings Day” here in our beloved America, once the world’s beacon of democracy.This “No King’s Day,” like its predecessors, is driven by growing popular concern of the Trump Administration’s authoritarianism across the range of political, economic, social, and international issues of importance to the nation.How best to assess
- [Trump’s Gold Coin Caper](https://thesteadystate.org/trumps-gold-coin-caper/) - In having his name on official currency while in office, Trump can boast that he’s the only living American president in the small but very famous company of autocrats.You can buy a Julius Caesar Getty Roman Coin online (Getty Museum: $24.00).Or a Napoleon Emperor Coin Paris Mint, for $2,309. 1812 Gold France 40 Francs.Perhaps most
- [Important Stuff to Know About: Building the Ice Gulag, Part 4: Emptying the Gulag - Removal](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-building-the-ice-gulag-part-4-emptying-the-gulag-removal/) - This is the last in the series of four articles that examines the way in which the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department (ICE) under Trump has created a vertically integrated structure that relies on a massive multi-year appropriation from Congress, its newly recruited paramilitary detention force, Roberts Court Shadow Docket decisions, and the ability to
- [Robert S. Mueller III: Servant Leader](https://thesteadystate.org/robert-s-mueller-iii-servant-leader/) - With Thanks to Wikipedia March 20, 2026, a true servant leader, Robert S. Mueller III, died. To many people, Mueller was one of his titles: FBI Director, Federal Prosecutor, Special Counsel, but to thousands of us in the FBI, he was our boss. And some of us had the privilege of working closely with him
- [Important Stuff to Know About: Building the Ice Gulag: Part 3, Detentions](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-building-the-ice-gulag-part-3-detentions/) - This is is the third in the series of four articles that examines the way in which the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department (ICE) under Trump has created a vertically integrated structure that relies on a massive multi-year appropriation from Congress, its newly recruited paramilitary detention force, Roberts Court Shadow Docket decisions, and the ability
- [Important Stuff to Know About: Building the Ice Gulag - Part 2, Apprehensions](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-building-the-ice-gulag-part-2-apprehensions/) - This is the second in the series of four articles that examines the way in which ICE has created a vertically integrated structure that relies on a massive multi-year appropriation from Congress, its newly recruited paramilitary detention force, Roberts Court Shadow Docket decisions, and the ability to operate without fear of serious legal consequences to
- [🎬 🎙️ From Iran to Ukraine: Inside America’s National Security Breakdown](https://thesteadystate.org/🎬-🎙️-from-iran-to-ukraine-inside-americas-national-security-breakdown/) - In the latest episode of the Sentinel podcast, hosts investigative journalist to discuss the U.S. war with Iran, domestic security, and global policy challenges. Domestically, they discuss the weakened state of our institutions, loss of expertise, and politicization of decision-making. Globally, they highlight strained credibility, particularly regarding Ukraine, and the declining trust in the U.S.
- [Important Stuff to Know About: Building the ICE Gulag, Part 1 - Laying The Foundation](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-building-the-ice-gulag-part-1-laying-the-foundation/) - This is the first in the series of four articles that examines the way in which the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department (ICE) under Trump has created a vertically integrated structure that relies on a massive multi-year appropriation from Congress, its newly recruited paramilitary detention force, Roberts Court Shadow Docket decisions, and the ability to
- [Conflicting Signals – Trump’s Semi-Forever War](https://thesteadystate.org/conflicting-signals-trumps-semi-forever-war/) - Anyone who is confused by Donald Trump’s most recent statements on ending the war against Iran can be forgiven. Trying to interpret what he’s saying at any given time has been like tracking one of those air-filled mannequins in front of a used car dealership on a windy day. The following are some examples of
- [Statement on the Passing of Robert S. Mueller III](https://thesteadystate.org/statement-on-the-passing-of-robert-s-mueller-iii/) - The Steady State mourns the passing of Robert S. Mueller III, a public servant whose life and career exemplified fidelity to the Constitution, the rule of law, and the highest traditions of federal service. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.Robert Mueller’s career spanned some of the most consequential chapters in
- [The War with Iran May Already be Lost](https://thesteadystate.org/the-war-with-iran-may-already-be-lost/) - If wars were won by bombastic press conferences, the White House should already be planning another military parade in our capital’s streets. In America’s latest war of choice, President Trump’s Secretary of War is emerging as the head cheerleader for our misadventure in Iran. Mr. Hegseth has already mistakenly defined what constitutes victory: the destruction
- [Hormuz 2026, Suez 1956 – Déjà Vu?](https://thesteadystate.org/hormuz-2026-suez-1956-deja-vu/) - The ongoing US and Israeli war against Iran, with the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Trump’s plea for allied help, is beginning to have echoes of the 1956 Suez Crisis. While the war is not over, it suggests that the Trump administration is finding it unable to undertake some operations in the
- [AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE STEADY STATE TO THOSE STILL ON DECK](https://thesteadystate.org/an-open-letter-from-the-steady-state-to-those-still-on-deck/) - [PDF AVAILABLE HERE]March 20, 2026The Steady State is a group of more than 400 former senior U.S. national security officials who believe that our national security institutions must remain apolitical, professional, and dedicated to upholding the Constitution and the rule of law. Our members, including former intelligence officers, diplomats, military leaders, prosecutors, and Congressional staffers,
- [“Just for Fun”- A Presidential Remark and the Law of War](https://thesteadystate.org/just-for-fun-a-presidential-remark-and-the-law-of-war/) - Pre-war Kharg Island, compliments of the European Space Agency and AFP In discussing U.S. strikes on Iran’s principal oil export terminal at Kharg Island, President Donald Trump recently made a revealing statement. After asserting that U.S. forces had already destroyed the island’s military capabilities, Trump told NBC News that the United States might “hit it
- [When War Is Just a “Short Excursion”](https://thesteadystate.org/when-war-is-just-a-short-excursion/) - In March 2026, President Donald Trump described the military conflict with Iran as a “short excursion.” At other moments, he called it a “little excursion,” something less than a war but still necessary to prevent one. The phrase drew attention not simply because of its novelty, but because wars seldom conform to the names we
- [Ask Me Anything - Live with The Steady State](https://thesteadystate.org/ask-me-anything-live-with-the-steady-state/) - Thank you , , , , , and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Get more from The Steady State in the Substack appAvailable for iOS and AndroidGet the appPowered by WPeMatico
- [ICYMI:  The Steady State: "Quick Hit:" Attack on Iran and Aftermath](https://thesteadystate.org/icymi-the-steady-state-quick-hit-attack-on-iran-and-aftermath/) - The Steady State’s “Quick Hit,” recorded March 12, 2026, is the latest in our series of live Q & A sessions open to members of the media, national security professionals and Congressional Staff, in which Steady State experts answer questions on the record. This Quick Hit” press briefing, focuses on the attack on Iran and
- [Strange Bedfellows and the Defense of Democracy – No Kings!](https://thesteadystate.org/strange-bedfellows-and-the-defense-of-democracy-no-kings/) - Signs of the TimesMarch 28, tens of thousands of people across the country will participate in demonstrations under the banner “No Kings.” The Steady State has joined that coalition of organizations supporting these protests. For an organization composed largely of former national security professionals—people who spent careers in intelligence agencies, the military, diplomacy, and law
- [The Steady State on the Resignation of NCTC Director Joe Kent](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-on-the-resignation-of-nctc-director-joe-kent/) - [PDF AVAILABLE HERE]March 17, 2026, Washington, D.C. - The Steady State is an organization of 400 former national-security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law-enforcement, and homeland-security officials. On March 17, 2026, Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned, citing his opposition to the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. In his resignation letter, Mr. Kent wrote
- [Transcript Episode 17: Allies, Intelligence and A Fraying American Center](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript-e17-allies-intelligence-and-a-fraying-american-center-2/) - Allies, Intelligence, and a Fraying American Center Transcript - assisted by AI [00:00:00] Lauren Anderson: Something is changing in our country. And most people feel it before they can explain it. [00:00:12] Lauren Anderson: Welcome to The Steady State Sentinel. I’m Lauren Anderson. I served nearly three decades in the FBI, focused on national security
- [Allies, Intelligence, and a Fraying American Center](https://thesteadystate.org/allies-intelligence-and-a-fraying-american-center/) - In this week’s Sentinel podcast episode, former FBI executive sits down with Canadian intelligence veteran , the first international guest on the Steady State Sentinel, to explore how America looks from the perspective of a close ally. Together they unpack the history and purpose of the Five Eyes partnership, the vital but often invisible fabric
- [Coming Tuesday!  The Steady State Sentinel, Episode 17 : Allies, Intelligence and A Fraying American Center](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tuesday-the-steady-state-sentinel-episode-17-allies-intelligence-and-a-fraying-american-center/) - Former FBI executive Lauren Anderson sits down with Canadian intelligence veteran Phil Gurski, the first international guest on the Steady State Sentinel!Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 390 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of State, Department of
- [Loyalty Over Competence](https://thesteadystate.org/loyalty-over-competence/) - By hollowing out the State Department and replacing expertise with loyalists and dealmakers, Donald Trump has turned American diplomacy into an echo chamber, with dangerous consequences.For most of American history, presidents have understood a basic rule of foreign policy: surround yourself with people who know more than you do.The world is too complex and the
- [Tulsi's Choice](https://thesteadystate.org/tulsis-choice/) - The recent 60 Minutes presentation and accompanying article by The Insider has brought renewed focus on the victims of the Havana Syndrome, the likely perpetrators, and the analysis by the Central Intelligence Agency that found it “very unlikely” that a foreign power was behind the attacks that have resulted in serious injury to a number
- [Cui Bono? Trump, Bibi, and the Iran ‘War’](https://thesteadystate.org/cui-bono-trump-bibi-and-the-iran-war/) - Who benefits? That is always a key question when it comes to war. The current non-war against Iran raises this in spades, given the lack of any consistent goals from the administration. The Atlantic has counted at least 10 different justifications, none of them accompanied by evidence of the imminent threat to American interests that
- [The World Just Became Less Secure: America’s Emergency Preparedness Is Not Ready for What Comes Next](https://thesteadystate.org/the-world-just-became-less-secure-americas-emergency-preparedness-is-not-ready-for-what-comes-next/) - FIFA World Cup Match ScheduleFor more than four decades, the United States has designated the Islamic Republic of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. Over that time, Iran has conducted major terrorist attacks, attempted many more (including attempts using weapons of mass destruction), and steadily expanded its proxy network, as well as its broad
- [We Ultimately Lose When We Ignore The Rules](https://thesteadystate.org/we-ultimately-lose-when-we-ignore-the-rules/) - Bombing of School, Minab, Iran 2026 (Wikipedia) When the current Secretary of Defense was a Fox News commentator, he regularly advocated for pardons of three service members who were charged with war crimes: two charged with murder, and one charged with multiple serious crimes. Hegseth’s television lobbying paid off when President Trump intervened in all
- [Failure to Adhere to the Just War Theory Threatens to Turn Epic Resolve into an Epic Failure](https://thesteadystate.org/failure-to-adhere-to-the-just-war-theory-threatens-to-turn-epic-resolve-into-an-epic-failure/) - (Photo by Adam Hornyak on Unsplash)Fog of war is an issue in every conflict, but when one or both sides ignore the Just War Theory, that fog is denser.Much has been said and written about Epic Resolve, the US-Israeli aerial bombardment of Iran, focusing on its shifting goals, legality, and similar issues. On a more
- [As He Later Acknowledged, That Evidence Was "Flawed"](https://thesteadystate.org/as-he-later-acknowledged-that-evidence-was-flawed/) - Secretary of State Colin Powell’s presentation to the United Nations on Feb. 5, 2003 claimed that Iraq was holding stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, which turned out not to exist. Mario Tama/Getty Image What follows is a story that anyone who knows me, and lots of people who don’t, have heard many times in
- [Our Constitution’s Halting Evolution Toward Equality Undermined by Authoritarianism](https://thesteadystate.org/our-constitutions-halting-evolution-toward-equality-undermined-by-authoritarianism/) - “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Declaration of IndependenceDespite reference to the “creator,” this is arguably the most revolutionary secular sentence penned to parchment in the
- [The Rise and Fall of Congressional Oversight](https://thesteadystate.org/the-rise-and-fall-of-congressional-oversight/) - Historians may well mark February 28, 2026 as an important turning point -- the day that the modern era of Congressional oversight aimed at checking executive branch overreach in foreign affairs ended. That day, President Donald Trump launched an air war against Iran. He said he was aiming at decapitating the despotic Iranian theocracy, and
- [The International Rules-Based Order is NOT “Cloud Castle Thinking”](https://thesteadystate.org/the-international-rules-based-order-is-not-cloud-castle-thinking/) - Defense Secretary Hegseth’s introductory letter to the National Defense Strategy (NDS) dismisses all past administrations, Republican and Democratic alike, for pursuing what he calls, but does not define, “cloud castle thinking” by supporting the “rules-based international order.” This is a shallow, ideologically driven misreading. The rules-based international order is not a fantasy; it is a
- [Reporting in the Crosshairs: Shane Harris on Politicized Intelligence, Press Freedom, and America’s Allies](https://thesteadystate.org/reporting-in-the-crosshairs-shane-harris-on-politicized-intelligence-press-freedom-and-americas-allies/) - John Sipher sits down with The Atlantic’s Shane Harris for a wide-ranging conversation on intelligence reporting, the unraveling of trust in American institutions, threats to press freedom, and what U.S. allies now fear most about Washington. Harris also reflects on one of the most extraordinary source relationships of his career and what it reveals about
- [Reporting in the Crosshairs with the Atlantic's Shane Harris](https://thesteadystate.org/e16_transcript_harris/) - The Steady State Sentinel podcast - summary transcript: Shane Harris on Intelligence, Journalism, and a Changing America
- [Tomorrow! Steady State Video Podcast: "Reporting in the Crosshairs" With The Atlantic's Shane Harris](https://thesteadystate.org/tomorrow-steady-state-video-podcast-reporting-in-the-crosshairs-with-the-atlantics-shane-harris/) - “The Atlantic’s” Shane Harris on Politicized Intelligence, Press Freedom, and America’s Allies!Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 390 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
- [America Corrupted](https://thesteadystate.org/america-corrupted/) - Much of my life was spent overseas in the developing world across multiple continents. No surprise, a considerable number of those countries were corrupt. I may not have seen it all, but I have experienced quite a bit, especially as corruption relates to the government—nepotism, theft, coercion, extortion, graft, political violence, and bogus claims of
- [Coming Tuesday: The Steady State Sentinel, Episode 16, "Reporting in the Crosshairs"](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tuesday-the-steady-state-sentinel-episode-16-reporting-in-the-crosshairs/) - The Atlantic’s Shane Harris sits down with Sentinel Host John Sipher!Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 390 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
- [Epic Fury: Our Own-But-Not-The-First “Pearl Harbor”: Will We Never Learn?](https://thesteadystate.org/epic-fury-our-own-but-not-the-first-pearl-harbor-will-we-never-learn/) - Epic Fury: Our Latest But-Not-Only “Pearl Harbor” Moment: Will We Never Learn?At 3:38 p.m. Eastern Time on February 27, 2026, Donald Trump gave the ‘final go order to launch Operation Epic Fury, a combined US-Israeli air campaign against Iran. The operation began at 9:45 a.m., February 28, Tehran time, as many people were having late
- [Expect More Summonses](https://thesteadystate.org/expect-more-summonses/) - A strange thing happened a few weeks ago in US-French relations. The French Foreign Minister summoned the US Ambassador for a meeting. This kind of summons happens when there is serious tension between two countries, or when the Ambassador has said or done something controversial. While not common, a summons is a normal part of
- [Judicial Constraint of President’s Security Clearance Authority Affirmed](https://thesteadystate.org/judicial-constraint-of-presidents-security-clearance-authority-affirmed/) - On Monday, the Trump administration walked away from its attempts to punish disfavored law firms when it moved to voluntarily dismiss its appeal of earlier court decisions. The attempted punishment included, in part, the suspension of “any active security clearances held by individuals at (the firms), pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent
- [Unlike George Washington, Trump Lies Easily. Which Matters How?](https://thesteadystate.org/unlike-george-washington-trump-lies-easily-which-matters-how/) - Unlike George Washington, Donald J. Trump lies. All the time. That’s supposed to be something we do not do; lying is bad. American mythology even has a story about our first president, George Washington, who, after cutting down a cherry tree, admitted that he’d done it, saying that he “couldn’t lie.” Today, plenty of people
- [Intelligence First. War Second.
What Justified the U.S. Attack on Iran, and What Comes Next?](https://thesteadystate.org/intelligence-first-war-second-what-justified-the-u-s-attack-on-iran-and-what-comes-next/) - The United States is at war with Iran.American service members are dead. Iranian leaders are dead. Civilians, including Iranian schoolchildren, are dead. The region is destabilizing. Oil markets are rattled. The Strait of Hormuz is under threat. And now the President and his senior military advisors state that they are not ruling out sending in
- [The Evolution of War Powers: Congress, Presidents and Military Action](https://thesteadystate.org/the-evolution-of-war-powers-congress-presidents-and-military-action/) - As he has done frequently in both his presidencies, President Trump stretches presidential powers to great lengths without regard for the Constitution, the Congress, the American people, or our allies. Yet, he is observing the letter of the law in this naval and air attack on Iran. It is worth examining this issue.Starting with Harry
- [The Iran War: A Thumb-Nail Strategy Analysis](https://thesteadystate.org/the-iran-war-a-thumb-nail-strategy-analysis/) - President Donald J. Trump oversees Operation Epic Fury at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, FLNational-level warfighting strategies are defined by the objectives established by the commander-in-chief, in this case, Donald Trump. The end state desired, assuming the chief executive of the nation did not misspeak, appears to number three: (1) to ensure that Iran can never construct
- [The Decisions and Consequences of War](https://thesteadystate.org/the-decisions-and-consequences-of-war/) - On Saturday, 28 February 2026, President Trump declared war on Iran. He may not have been thinking about the likelihood of destabilization of that whole region. He may not have considered that attacking Iran would make oil prices, and therefore US prices for gasoline, skyrocket. He may not have wanted the attack to turn into
- [DEMOCRACY. CAN WE KEEP IT?](https://thesteadystate.org/democracy-can-we-keep-it/) - “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”“A republic…if you can keep it.” ~ Benjamin Franklin, to Elizabeth Willing Powel after the 1787 Constitutional Convention.America is celebrating 250 years of democracy in 2026 while ironically facing what may be its most serious existential challenge ever. This quarter millennium milestone should be cause
- [America After Trump: The Exhausted Majority’s Mission is to Build Back Better.](https://thesteadystate.org/america-after-trump-the-exhausted-majoritys-mission-is-to-build-back-better/) - Though bruised and battered and in a state of exhaustion and semi-shock, we have survived the first year of Trump 2.0, so now we only have to make it for three more years. If this first year is anything to go by, though, by January 2029, when Donald Trump, as he did in 2021 when
- [Might Makes Right? Michael Morell on U.S. Power, Allies, and Adversaries](https://thesteadystate.org/might-makes-right-michael-morell-on-u-s-power-allies-and-adversaries/) - Former CIA deputy director Michael Morell joins former senior CIA operations officers and to reflect on post 9/11 overcorrection towards counterterrorism. They assess the current “might makes right” approach to foreign policy and weigh the arguments for and against efforts for regime change in Iran.Mr. Morell also explores how we can strengthen U.S. intelligence, public
- [The Steady State Sentinel - "Might Makes Right" with Former CIA Deputy and Acting Director, Michael Morrell - Tomorrow, March 3 (Video)](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-might-makes-right-with-former-cia-deputy-and-acting-director-michael-morrell-tomorrow-march-3-video/) - Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 390 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,
- [Transcript - Might Makes Right? Michael Morell on U.S. Power, Allies, and Adversaries - The Steady State Sentinel Episode 15](https://thesteadystate.org/transcript_e15/)
- [The Steady State Sentinel Goes Video!   Tuesday, March 3](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-goes-video-tuesday-march-3/) - Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 390 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,
- [Has the U.S. Been Set up for a Reichstag Moment?](https://thesteadystate.org/has-the-u-s-been-set-up-for-a-reichstag-moment/) - On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag, home of the German parliament in Berlin, burned to the ground following an arson attack. Using the fire as a pretext, Hitler, then the German Chancellor, induced the German president to issue the Reichstag Fire Decree, suspending civil liberties. The suspensions led to mass arrests of political opponents and
- [Regime Change Abroad to Avoid Regime Change at Home](https://thesteadystate.org/regime-change-abroad-to-avoid-regime-change-at-home/) - It is difficult to understand why Donald Trump and his inner circle decided to go to war with Iran. Ordinarily, when the United States contemplates war, there is a process. The Constitution assigns the power to declare war to Congress. Over time, that process has been, in practice, largely replaced by other means to make
- [THE STEADY STATE Statement on U.S. Attack of Iran](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-statement-on-u-s-attack-of-iran/) - PDF AVAILABLE HERETHE STEADY STATEStatement on U.S. Attack of IranFebruary 28, 2026 - The reported U.S. attack on Iran marks one of the most consequential national security decisions in recent years. It demands sober scrutiny — not reflexive celebration, not partisan instinct, but constitutional seriousness.At the outset, we state clearly our respect for and support
- [The Steady State Sentinel - Exciting Update](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-exciting-update/) - With thanks to all of our listeners who have supported The Steady State Sentinel through our launch, we are excited to announce that we are transitioning to Video!We kick off on Tuesday, March 3 when you are warmly invited to tune in to listen to —and watch— our hosts here on Substack, Apple, YouTube or
- [Steady State Ask Me Anything 7pm ET Feb 26](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-ask-me-anything-7pm-et-feb-26/) - YouTube: Substack: https://open.substack.com/live-stream/120753?utm_source=post-publishX: Information forthcomingPowered by WPeMatico
- [Trump, Big Talker, Pitiful Leader, Playing With Fire](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-big-talker-pitiful-leader-playing-with-fire/) - Once again, the President of the United States is contemplating the use of American military might overseas and has prepared an enormous force for attack, this time on Iran. And yet once again, despite the seriousness of doing so, he has not consulted Congress, explained to the American people why such a step might be
- [Loyalty in Crisis: Civil-Military Tensions in the Second Trump Presidency](https://thesteadystate.org/loyalty-in-crisis-civil-military-tensions-in-the-second-trump-presidency/) - As the Trump administration continues to prepare for armed conflict against Iran, the following article co-authored by The Steady State member Robert Bruce Adolph and published in Small Wars Journal remains very relevant. AbstractThis article examines the growing tensions between constitutional loyalty and presidential authority in the second administration of Donald J. Trump, particularly as
- [The Steady State Sentinel Episode 14: An Apolitical FBI is Vital to National Security](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-episode-14-an-apolitical-fbi-is-vital-to-national-security/) - Episode overviewOver the past few years, many Americans have started asking whether they can still trust the FBI. Host Lauren C. Anderson frames that question as “not a partisan question” but “a democratic one,” arguing that the Bureau’s credibility depends on discipline, restraint, and staying out of politics—grounded in process, evidence, and the rule of
- [Episode Summary: Why Trust in the FBI Matters](https://thesteadystate.org/episode-summary-why-trust-in-the-fbi-matters/) - Sentinel Podcast -Inside the FBI: A Conversation on Trust, Politics, and Protecting the Rule of Law
- [Coming Tomorrow, Episode 14, The Steady State Sentinel Podcast: "Why Trust in the FBI Matters"](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tomorrow-episode-14-the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-why-trust-in-the-fbi-matters/) - Host Lauren Anderson interviews three former Senior FBI Officials about the FBI’s value to society and the damage caused by its politicization.Listen here or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts!Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 390 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former
- [Damaged Goods](https://thesteadystate.org/damaged-goods/) - “The world has entered a period of wrecking-ball politics,” began the Munich Security Report 2026, setting the stage as the world’s national security elites convened in the vibrant southern German city some 30 miles north of the Bavarian Alps. “Sweeping destruction --- rather than careful reforms and policy corrections --- is the order of the
- [Should the military be expected to have to say "no" to civilian authority?](https://thesteadystate.org/should-the-military-be-expected-to-have-to-say-no-to-civilian-authority/) - George Washington, commander of the Continental Army, was the first President of the United States.In addition to setting the tradition of two terms for the American presidency, George Washington established the norm of civilian control of the military before he even became president. On March 15, 1783, the officers under his command met to discuss
- [The Steady State Sentinel Episode 13: America’s “Strategic Self-Immolation”](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-episode-13-americas-strategic-self-immolation/) - National Security reporter and author Tim Weiner and Sentinel host Jim Lawler discuss how the Trump Administration’s politicization of our national security institutions, attacks on our constitution and rule of law, and betrayal of our allies are putting us in danger of losing our civil liberties at home and increasing our national security threats abroad.
- [The Steady State Sentinel Podcast, Episode 13 Coming Tomorrow: America's "Strategic Self-Immolation"](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-episode-13-coming-tomorrow-americas-strategic-self-immolation/) - Host Jim Lawler interviews Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author Tim Weiner about the state of U.S. national security, democracy, and the intelligence community amid unprecedented political upheaval. Listen here or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts!Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 390 former senior national
- [Jeremy Carl and the Road to Munich](https://thesteadystate.org/jeremy-carl-and-the-road-to-munich/) - The Trump administration has from the start nominated some spectacularly unqualified people for senior jobs. A few were so preposterous, like Florida Congressman and sexual predator Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, that even the MAGA Republicans in Congress vetoed them. But others who were equally bad were duly approved and still inhabit top positions, including
- [Judge Luttig’s Warning: A Constitutional Conservative Sounds the Alarm](https://thesteadystate.org/judge-luttigs-warning-a-constitutional-conservative-sounds-the-alarm/) - “These are the times that try men’s souls” is the famous opening line of The American Crisis I (often referred to as The Crisis), a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine and published on December 19, 1776. On February 17, 2026, Judge J. Michael Luttig spoke at the invitation of the New York City Bar, to
- [Standing Together, Disagreeing Later: The Logic of the “Strange Bedfellows” Strategy](https://thesteadystate.org/standing-together-disagreeing-later-the-logic-of-the-strange-bedfellows-strategy/) - The Steady State often speaks of the need for what we have come to call “Strange Bedfellows.” The phrase is intentionally plainspoken. It describes a simple but powerful idea: that the preservation of democratic institutions depends on coalitions that cut across policy preferences, demographics, geography, profession, culture, and even long-standing political disagreements. In ordinary times,
- [🎙️ A Chilling Warning of Racial Cleansing: Counter-Extremism Leaders Sound the Alarm](https://thesteadystate.org/🎙️-a-chilling-warning-of-racial-cleansing-counter-extremism-leaders-sound-the-alarm/) - Episode Summary: Host Peter Mina interviews Bill Braniff and Dexter Ingram, two renowned experts on countering extremism through prevention and who issue a red alert on the executive branch’s reallocation of resources and attention from counterterrorism to domestic paramilitary efforts against immigrants. Aggressive tactics verge on racial cleansing, using white supremacist symbolism and arguments to
- [The Steady State Sentinel Podcast: Coming Tomorrow, "Chilling Racial Cleansing"](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-coming-tomorrow-chilling-racial-cleansing/) - Host Peter Mina interviews Bill Braniff and Dexter Ingram. Mr. Braniff, the Executive Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University, previously served as Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, overseeing the federal government’s primary efforts to prevent targeted violence and domestic
- [OIL OVER DEMOCRACY: THE UNITED STATES EMBRACES A NEW AUTHORITARIAN IN VENEZUELA](https://thesteadystate.org/oil-over-democracy-the-united-states-embraces-a-new-authoritarian-in-venezuela/) - THE STEADY STATEFEB 14, 2026On the same day that Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado addressed the Munich Security Conference to plead for Venezuela’s democratic future, President Trump stood on the White House lawn and called his relationship with Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodríguez “a 10.” Machado warned that Rodríguez remains “closely linked to
- [THE GEMS THAT MADE US UNIQUE ARE ECLIPSED, BUT THERE AMONG THE LENGTHENING LIST OF FORSAKEN FRIENDS, ALLIES, TRADE AGREEMENTS AND INFLUENCE, THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF HEART, HUMANITY AND AMERICAN IDEALS](https://thesteadystate.org/the-gems-that-made-us-unique-are-eclipsed-but-there-among-the-lengthening-list-of-forsaken-friends-allies-trade-agreements-and-influence-the-core-principles-of-heart-humanity-and-american-ideals/) - Two questions plague many of us whether we come from the world of national security, philosophy, political science, clergy, journalism, commerce or anyone who reflects on the reality of what America is becoming. They are questions that should pose unsettling intrusions into our daily routines, and they will long beset our progeny if not dealt
- ["No Rules of Engagement"](https://thesteadystate.org/no-rules-of-engagement/) - Lieutenant General (ret.) Ben Hodges speaks with host John Sipher, warning against improper use of the U.S. military, its impact on U.S. defense and our allies’ growing distrust. Professional military institutions depend on the foundational pillars of constitutional loyalty, clear strategic objectives, honest internal accountability, strong alliances and the public trust. Without these foundations, readiness
- [Trauma in the Twin Cities: Effective Federal Civil Rights Oversight is Desperately Needed](https://thesteadystate.org/trauma-in-the-twin-cities-effective-federal-civil-rights-oversight-is-desperately-needed/) - Congressional shadow hearing titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Deadly Assault on Minnesota reflects a moment of reckoning for the president’s draconian immigration policies and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) assault on civil rights and liberties. The nation has seen Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s killing of Renée Good, a U.S. citizen and protestor exercising
- [Growing US Vulnerability Under Trump: Chinese and Russian Perceptions](https://thesteadystate.org/growing-us-vulnerability-under-trump-chinese-and-russian-perceptions/) - There are four classical elements of national strategic power: Military, diplomatic, economic, and informational. In all four, the US is losing ground in the second Trump administration. There is a fifth element worthy of consideration, Reputational, which I will also address. From the perspectives of our near-peer adversaries, China and Russia, the current White House
- [The Steady State Sentinel Podcast: Coming Tomorrow, "No Rules of Engagement"](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-coming-tomorrow-no-rules-of-engagement/) - In this episode, Lieutenant General (ret.) Ben Hodges speaks with host John Sipher, warning against improper use of the U.S. military, its impact on U.S. defense and our allies’ growing distrust.Available anywhere you listen to Podcasts !Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 360 former senior national security
- [Important Stuff to Know About - The Defense Strategy That Will Shape Your Future, Whether You Know it or Not](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-the-defense-strategy-that-will-shape-your-future-whether-you-know-it-or-not/) - Most Americans have never heard of the National Defense Strategy.That isn’t an accident. It’s long. It’s technical. It’s buried in government websites. And it almost never gets explained in plain English.But here’s the reality: this document will shape how safe the United States is five, ten, and twenty years from now — long after today’s
- [Coming Tomorrow: The Steady State Sentinel Podcast, "We are Living Through a Giant Civics Lesson"](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tomorrow-the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-we-are-living-through-a-giant-civics-lesson/) - In this episode, Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an NYU professor and expert in fascism and authoritarian leaders, speaks with host Jim Lawler about the threats from authoritarianism in the United States and what can be done to push back on this rising tide. Available anywhere you listen to Podcasts. Powered by WPeMatico
- [Don’t Take My America Away – Immigration and Soft Power](https://thesteadystate.org/dont-take-my-america-away-immigration-and-soft-power/) - Created by Vilkasss, PixabayThe Trump administration has undertaken a wholesale effort to gut America’s soft power, from huge budget cuts to bullying most countries around the world. One of the most insidious actions has been the brutal crack-down on immigration, including attempting to end birth-right citizenship. While these actions have major impacts domestically, a much
- [RIP CIA Factbook](https://thesteadystate.org/rip-cia-factbook/) - CIA FACTBOOK 2025-2026 ————————————————————————DJT FACTBOOK 2026-??? On February 5, 2026, the Central Intelligence Agency website announced that The World Facebook would no longer be published. (The phrase used was actually “…The World Factbook, has sunset” which could have encouraged the inference that stopping publication was a natural phenomenon, not actually something done by one of
- [A Two Minute Primer - The Organization of the Department of Homeland Security](https://thesteadystate.org/a-two-minute-primer-the-organization-of-the-department-of-homeland-security/) - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the focus of news stories, Congressional funding and shut-down negotiations. Just what are the many components and responsibilities of DHS? Steven A. Cash served as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office before joining the CIA in 1994 as Assistant General counsel and subsequently serving as an
- [The Steady State Live - with Steven Cash and Marc Cardwell at UConn](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-live-with-steven-cash-and-marc-cardwell-at-uconn/) - Thank you, , , , , and many others for tuning into the live video with ! Join us for our next live video in the app.Get more from The Steady State in the Substack appAvailable for iOS and AndroidGet the appPowered by WPeMatico
- [What Can I Do?](https://thesteadystate.org/what-can-i-do/) - The question “what can I do?” in response to Trump’s efforts to establish his autocratic rule is frequently asked these days…except by the people we deem to have the power by virtue of their jobs to enact laws and guardrails to protect our democracy; those holding elected, financial, or professional positions and the leverage to
- [The Threat to American Civil Liberties](https://thesteadystate.org/the-threat-to-american-civil-liberties/) - Frustrated Americans take to the street in opposition to the actions of the Federal government. The President casts everyday Americans as pawns of foreign interests. He deploys National Guard units and other Federal forces to quell the protests, which only further inflames the situation. Inevitably, American citizens are shot dead by those same forces.While the
- [The Most Perilous Time](https://thesteadystate.org/the-most-perilous-time/) - What happens when an astronaut who’s seen Earth from 250 miles up—and an Air Force fighter pilot who’s defended it from the ground—decides that American democracy is now in more danger than at any point in his lifetime? In this conversation, Terry Virts makes a blunt, urgent case for why he’s running for Congress, why
- [Trumping the Rules-Based International Order](https://thesteadystate.org/trumping-the-rules-based-international-order/) - An altered image that U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social features the American flag superimposed over a map that includes Canada and Greenland (Donald J. Trump via Truth Social)Masked federal agents on the streets of American cities: Snatching innocents. Trampling constitutional guarantees of due process. Defying judicial orders to cease and desist. Violent
- [Coming Tomorrow! The Steady State Sentinel “The Most Perilous Time” with Terry Virts](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tomorrow-the-steady-state-sentinel-the-most-perilous-time-with-terry-virts/) - Former pilot, astronaut and now candidate for Congress Terry Virts draws on a lifetime of service to assess the current chaos in our institutions and government. 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,
- [The Epstein files—a choice between accountability and a spectacle](https://thesteadystate.org/the-epstein-files-a-choice-between-accountability-and-a-spectacle/) - The phrase “release the Epstein files” has such rhetorical power because it promises moral clarity. It offers the public a cathartic moment, exposure, accountability, a sense that the powerful can’t hide behind the system.And in a political culture that increasingly treats outrage as both a pastime and a strategy, it can feel especially satisfying: like
- [Cron Test](https://thesteadystate.org/cron-test/)
- [Why Alliances Matter](https://thesteadystate.org/why-alliances-matter/) - Major NATO Affiliations in Europe (2025)The United States has long led the most successful, enduring alliances in modern history. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has grown from 12 states in 1949 to 32 now. Its attraction to democratic states is well shown by the fact that all former members of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact (except
- [Canada, We Hardly Knew Ye](https://thesteadystate.org/canada-we-hardly-knew-ye/) - The world’s longest land border is the over 5000 miles between the United States and Canada. It is also the world’s longest unguarded border.This may be changing. Last week Canada revealed its military is modeling a US invasion. The Canadian response would reportedly involve mimicking the Afghan mujahideen and using Canada’s size and harsh terrain
- [TikTok: Technical Issues or Platform Enforcement?](https://thesteadystate.org/tiktok-technical-issues-or-platform-enforcement/) - Availability of TikTok in the WorldOver the past weekend, like many other organizations and users, The Steady State experienced significant disruptions in our TikTok service.For nearly a full day, videos could not be loaded at all. When service appeared to resume, content that would ordinarily reach tens of thousands of viewers was registering only single
- [We’re Sitting on a Powder Keg](https://thesteadystate.org/were-sitting-on-a-powder-keg/) - Political analyst shares three red flags with The Steady State Sentinel podcast guest host , warning that Iran, attacks on the judiciary, and targeting of U.S. citizens by the government are potentially incendiary threats to U.S. democracy and national security. Listen on Apple Podcasts or your preferred platform. New episodes every Tuesday, special features on
- [No, ICE Officers, You Can’t Force Your Way Into Diplomatic Missions](https://thesteadystate.org/no-ice-officers-you-cant-force-your-way-into-diplomatic-missions/) - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel further underlined their lack of needed basic training and of competent leadership when ICE agents tried on Tuesday morning to enter the Ecuadoran Consulate in Minneapolis. Trying to do so violates one of the most basic rules of international law and practice and if the shoe were on the
- [Tulsi Gabbard Drags U.S. Intelligence into Trump’s Election Fraud Campaign](https://thesteadystate.org/tulsi-gabbard-drags-u-s-intelligence-into-trumps-election-fraud-campaign/) - “WHEN A SQUAD OF FBI AGENTS marched into a Fulton County Georgia election office on Wednesday and started seizing ballots from the 2020 election, they were accompanied by a cabinet official who almost nobody would have expected: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard…“…It’s “outrageous [and] a significant abuse of power,” said Steven Cash, a former
- [Coming Tomorrow! The Steady State Sentinel Podcast: “We’re Sitting on a Powder Keg,” with Political Analyst Jack Hopkins](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tomorrow-the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-were-sitting-on-a-powder-keg-with-political-analyst-jack-hopkins/) - Political analyst Jack Hopkins shares three red flags with The Steady State Sentinel guest host Margaret Henoch: warnings of Iran, attacks on the judiciary, and targeting of U.S. citizens by the government. And he offers advice about Americans’ response to these threats and associated stress management. Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit
- [Executive Order 12333: The Most Important Guardrail You Never Heard Of](https://thesteadystate.org/executive-order-12333-the-most-important-guardrail-you-never-heard-of/) - Executive Order 12333 is one of the publicly least well known, and most important, documents in American national security. First issued by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and last substantively updated by President Barack Obama, it is the foundational directive that governs what the United States Intelligence Community may, and may not, do. It defines
- [The Rebranding of DHS, ICE, and CBP: Are Nazi and White Supremacist Slogans Deliberate or Out of Ignorance?](https://thesteadystate.org/the-rebranding-of-dhs-ice-and-cbp-are-nazi-and-white-supremacist-slogans-deliberate-or-out-of-ignorance/) - Ice Recruitment PosterThe killing of two American citizens who were demonstrating against aggressive ICE/CBP operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in early January has generated renewed concern about the immigration function of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in particular, ICE. Everything, from ICE’s bloated budget and expansion (it is now the highest-funded federal police organization in
- [Throwing to the Wolves](https://thesteadystate.org/throwing-to-the-wolves/) - 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
- [[COPY] What Happens to People Under Autocratic Rule?](https://thesteadystate.org/copy-what-happens-to-people-under-autocratic-rule/) - 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
- [Sentinel Episode 6: A Terrible Way to Govern](https://thesteadystate.org/sentinel-episode-6-a-terrible-way-to-govern/) - 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
- [Coming Tomorrow! The Steady State Sentinel Podcast: "A Terrible Way to Govern" - Seasoned Diplomat and The Steady State Chair, Jim O'Brien](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tomorrow-the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-a-terrible-way-to-govern-seasoned-diplomat-and-the-steady-state-chair-jim-obrien/) - 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,
- [Steady State Short -- The evolution of DHS](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-short-the-evolution-of-dhs/) - Powered by WPeMatico
- [The Department of Homeland Security becomes our own Ministry of Interior.](https://thesteadystate.org/the-department-of-homeland-security-becomes-our-own-ministry-of-interior/) - 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
- [A short video in the wake of January 24, 2026 Minneapolis shooting](https://thesteadystate.org/a-short-video-in-the-wake-of-january-24-2026-minneapolis-shooting/) - Powered by WPeMatico
- [Is the U.S. approaching autocracy, or are we already there?](https://thesteadystate.org/is-the-u-s-approaching-autocracy-or-are-we-already-there/) - A question asked often these days is whether the U.S. is approaching a slide downwards toward authoritarianism.According to a report from The Steady State, an organization of over 300 former national security and intelligence professionals, we are, regrettably, not on the precipice, but moving down that slope.The report, “Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline,”
- [Ask Me Anything -- Steven Cash of The Steady State](https://thesteadystate.org/ask-me-anything-steven-cash-of-the-steady-state/) - Thank you , , , , , and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Get more from The Steady State in the Substack appAvailable for iOS and AndroidGet the appPowered by WPeMatico
- [The Country is Suffering](https://thesteadystate.org/the-country-is-suffering/) - Denver Riggleman, a former Republican member of Congress, reveals the soul-killing costs of trying to uphold the Constitution in a party that upholds Trump first. From affordability to foreign policy, he tells co-hosts Jim Lawler and John Sipher, the consequences for America are profound.Powered by WPeMatico
- [America Last: Trump’s Trade Tantrums are Weakening U.S. Influence, and the World is Moving on Without Us](https://thesteadystate.org/america-last-trumps-trade-tantrums-are-weakening-u-s-influence-and-the-world-is-moving-on-without-us/) - Contrary to the views of some in this administration, American power was never just about tanks, missiles or aircraft carriers. It was about trust. For decades, allies believed that the United States might be imperfect, sometimes frustrating, often slow but ultimately serious. That, when Washington made commitments, it meant them. That American leadership, while messy,
- [Coming Tomorrow! The Steady State Sentinel Podcast - The Country is Suffering - Former Representative Denver Riggelman](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tomorrow-the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-the-country-is-suffering-former-representative-denver-riggelman/) - 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,
- [Administration Cover-up: The Shooting of Renee Good](https://thesteadystate.org/administration-cover-up-the-shooting-of-renee-good/) - A still frame from a video taken by the ICE agent that fired at Renee Good “It is the policy of the Department of Justice to value and preserve human life.” Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Force (Adopted May 20, 2022)We all have seen and heard them. A picture is worth a
- [Open Letter to General Dan Caine, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff](https://thesteadystate.org/open-letter-to-general-dan-caine-chairman-joint-chiefs-of-staff/) - Dear General Caine:My time as an officer in the US Navy was completed well before you were born but my career as a senior official of the CIA in its later years would have corresponded with the launch of your military career. I retired from the CIA twenty years before your arrival there as Associate
- [“He Can’t Do That” Is a Hope, Not a Strategy](https://thesteadystate.org/he-cant-do-that-is-a-hope-not-a-strategy/) - When President Trump muses aloud about canceling elections, serving a third term, ignoring statutes he dislikes, or deciding who governs cities and states, many Americans respond with a reflexive reassurance: He can’t do that.If by can’t we mean cannot do so in a way that is constitutional or lawful, that response is correct. The Constitution
- [The Fourth Amendment Was Built to Stop Fear — Not Just Bad Evidence](https://thesteadystate.org/the-fourth-amendment-was-built-to-stop-fear-not-just-bad-evidence/) - The Fourth Amendment is one of the most celebrated protections in the American Constitution. It promises that the government will not subject people to unreasonable searches and seizures. Yet for most of modern American history, that promise has been enforced in a surprisingly narrow way: through the exclusionary rule. In broad strokes, when the government
- [Bring Back "Bivens"](https://thesteadystate.org/bring-back-bivens/) - In the coming days, we will learn more about whether justice demands the prosecution of the officer who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis this week. But it’s already clear that whatever the facts show, this administration intends to shield him from legal accountability. Just hours after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi
- [FOLLOW UP - Announcing: The Steady State Auxiliary](https://thesteadystate.org/follow-up-announcing-the-steady-state-auxiliary/) - Over the past several months, we have heard from many people who want to be involved in The Steady State’s work — to advocate, educate, and sound the alarm about the existential threat facing American democracy: the rise of authoritarianism led by Donald Trump, his associates, and his family. The Steady State’s core membership is,
- [Sentinel Podcast - America's Soul: Adam Kinzinger on Courage and Country](https://thesteadystate.org/sentinel-podcast-americas-soul-adam-kinzinger-on-courage-and-country/) - In Episode 4, former Congressmember Adam Kinzinger shares the human toll of standing up to the cult of Donald Trump and putting country before party. Speaking with co-hosts and former CIA experts Jim Lawler and John Sipher, Kinzinger bares all about what 10 years of Donald Trump has done to America’s soul. (recorded 12-15-2025).Powered by
- [“Trumpland”](https://thesteadystate.org/trumpland/) - As the fourth anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the Russian strongman has been suffering the consequences of his classic intelligence failure. Instead of his anticipated cakewalk, Putin has been bogged down in a bloody war of attrition --- an estimated 1.1 million Russian casualties, plus another
- [Coming Tomorrow! The Steady State Sentinel Podcast -"America's Soul: Adam Kinzinger on Courage and Country "](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-tomorrow-the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-americas-soul-adam-kinzinger-on-courage-and-country/) - 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,
- [The MAGA Threat to Europe: Broader and Deeper than the Trump National Security Strategy](https://thesteadystate.org/the-maga-threat-to-europe-broader-and-deeper-than-the-trump-national-security-strategy/) - The latest National Security Strategy (NSS) highlighted the direct threat the Trump administration poses to Europe. This threat extends beyond seizing Greenland and affects a broader array of issues and groups, including various non-government organizations. As a driving policy goal, the administration seeks to internationalize its authoritarian MAGA vision to undermine democracy, rule of law,
- [Is Trump’s Ambition Outrunning His Grasp?](https://thesteadystate.org/is-trumps-ambition-outrunning-his-grasp/) - In 1972, the late folk singer-songwriter and Chicago native Steve Goodman recorded Lincoln Park Pirates about a notorious car-towing service in Chicago, often accused of breaking the law. In the song, the owner is not satisfied with dragging away automobiles but also wants to tow the boats in the city’s marinas and planes on local
- [E03: No One Is Protected: Immigration, Institutional Trust, and Arbitrary Enforcement](https://thesteadystate.org/e03-no-one-is-protected-immigration-institutional-trust-and-arbitrary-enforcement/) - What happens when the rules stop protecting those who follow them? In the latest episode of The Steady State Sentinel podcast, Immigration attorney Amy Peck and former FBI executive Lauren Anderson examine how unpredictable enforcement erodes trust, legitimacy, and the rule of law—and why the consequences extend far beyond immigration.Listen here or subscribe on your
- [After the Capture: Six Tests the U.S. Must Pass in Venezuela](https://thesteadystate.org/after-the-capture-six-tests-the-u-s-must-pass-in-venezuela/) - PHOTO CREDIT: US President Donald Trump posted this photo of Nicolas Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima on Truth Social.Having 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.Much attention will focus on the legality of the operation,
- [How Do You Know You're Living in an Autocracy? Just Look Around You.](https://thesteadystate.org/how-do-you-know-youre-living-in-an-autocracy-just-look-around-you/) - An often-asked question since January 21, 2025, “Is America really in danger of slipping into authoritarianism?” On July 4, 2025, I wrote an essay outlining indicators of the slide toward an autocratic government, which was expanded upon in an August 8 essay. In October, it felt to me as if the authoritarianism we fear was
- [[Re-Play] Hands Off the Fed: Why Central Bank Independence Is Vital for Economic Stability and National Security](https://thesteadystate.org/re-play-hands-off-the-fed-why-central-bank-independence-is-vital-for-economic-stability-and-national-security/) - As the administration threatens criminal indictment of Federal Reserve Chairman Powell, here is a replay for those who might have this, originally published on The Steady State Substack, August 3, 2025. When President Donald Trump suggested he might fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over disagreements about interest rate policy, it wasn’t just a breach
- [America Once Knew How to Name Fascism](https://thesteadystate.org/america-once-knew-how-to-name-fascism/) - Over the past several months, the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security have become unusually active in communicating directly with the American public, particularly through social-media platforms. Much of this material shares a common aesthetic and rhetorical profile: a romanticized vision of a homogeneous American past, heavy reliance on martial symbolism, and language that frames
- [Sentinel Podcast:An Existential Threat to the Republic](https://thesteadystate.org/sentinel-podcastan-existential-threat-to-the-republic/) - The Steady State Executive Director Steven Cash draws on decades of experience watching foreign democracies fail to highlight the existential risks the United States faces under President Donald Trump. Award-winning CIA operative James Lawler conducts this provocative discussion about encroaching dictatorship in the United States.Powered by WPeMatico
- [<div>THE STEADY STATE SENTINEL PODCAST: "An Existential Threat to The Republic"</div>](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-an-existential-threat-to-the-republic/) - The Steady State Sentinel is produced by The Steady State, a community of former national security professionals who spent their careers safeguarding the United States at home and abroad. Today, we continue that mission by staying true to our oaths to defend the Constitution, uphold democracy, and protect national security. Each episode features expert hosts
- [Fearing the Stranger: The Autocratic Logic (and the Danger) of Ending Refugee Admissions](https://thesteadystate.org/fearing-the-stranger-the-autocratic-logic-and-the-danger-of-ending-refugee-admissions/) - Almost one year ago, one of the Trump Administration’s first actions on Inauguration Day was to suspend indefinitely the entry of all refugees under the US Refugee Admissions Program, a statutory body established by the 1980 Refugee Act. Refugees already approved for arrival, including Afghan allies, some of whom even had plane tickets and had
- [Putin For President A Counterfactual](https://thesteadystate.org/putin-for-president-a-counterfactual/) - After two months in office, Trump’s policy direction has become pretty clear to all of us. At least, if you define direction as “how to make bad stuff happen to as many Americans as possible.” I mean, plenty of people who voted for the guy are already whining about his actions; after all, they never
- [We Are On A Littered Road To An Unknown](https://thesteadystate.org/we-are-on-a-littered-road-to-an-unknown/) - This president of ours is engaged in an effort to break the US Government, weaken the US spiritually, commercially and industrially. He is making not the slightest effort to hide either the fact of this reality or the consequences that await us. We seem to be doomed to a darkening future, all of Trump’s sinister
- [Silencing Americas Voice To The World](https://thesteadystate.org/silencing-americas-voice-to-the-world/) - March 31, 2025Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.On March 14, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order closing the U.S. Agency for Global Media, an independent agency created by Congress in 1999. Like many of his supposed cost-cutting measures, this action may not pass the legality test.
- [What Is Happening To The First Amendment](https://thesteadystate.org/what-is-happening-to-the-first-amendment/) - 28 March 2025Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.When I applied in 1975 to become a Central Intelligence Agency analyst, I feared that I would not obtain a security clearance because I had been active – marching, signing petitions and the like – in the anti-Vietnam War movement.
- [A Looming Apparition](https://thesteadystate.org/a-looming-apparition/) - The president’s confounding decision to dismiss General Timothy Haugh and his civilian deputy, Wendy Noble, as well as a half dozen other seniors on the National Security Council, has rightfully rattled the country’s national security experts, lawmakers, and senior military officers. Everyone is puzzled and the only working explanation is that Mr. Trump’s palace whisperer,
- [Congress Must Stop The Weaponization](https://thesteadystate.org/congress-must-stop-the-weaponization/) - https://www.justsecurity.org/108657/congress-stop-weaponization-security-clearances/Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
- [Alliances Are Not Pay To Play Schemes](https://thesteadystate.org/alliances-are-not-pay-to-play-schemes/) - Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.“As far as I can tell, no one has flagged what’s arguably the most scandalous revelation of the leak: The Trump administration saw itself as using the United States military to ‘send a message’—and Trump was pushing to extract money from Europe
- [The Us Cant Afford To Dismantle Dhss](https://thesteadystate.org/the-us-cant-afford-to-dismantle-dhss/) - https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/5242861-threats-homeland-security-weapons-mass-destruction/Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
- [Republicans Nod Approvingly While](https://thesteadystate.org/republicans-nod-approvingly-while/) - George Orwell’s famous 2+2=5 formula for deception is here and very much alive. And there is a good deal of daily, visible effort by Trump’s posse of raiders to keep it going as long as they can, not to mention the stunning silence among Senate and House Republicans to burnish it.Thanks for reading! Subscribe for
- [Trumps Whisper From Moscow Coincidence](https://thesteadystate.org/trumps-whisper-from-moscow-coincidence/) - https://tomorrowsaffairs.com/trumps-whisper-from-moscow-coincidence-or-destiny
- [Military Parades And Horseless Dictators](https://thesteadystate.org/military-parades-and-horseless-dictators/) - As former national security professionals we have watched many U.S. military parades. Many were in honor of individuals — recipients of awards, retirees, senior elected officials — but we have never seen or heard of a U.S. parade in honor of an individual ordered by that individual. This year, on June 14, the Army’s 250th
- [America First An Idea That Actually](https://thesteadystate.org/america-first-an-idea-that-actually/) - “America First”: sounds harmless enough, right? Who, after all, would argue “America Second?” Moreover, every country pursues its own interests, which includes placing high priority on taking care of its own citizens. But actually, it’s a pernicious notion that works against America’s strengths and makes life more unpredictable and dangerous for Americans.It is important to
- [Steady State Letter To Senate Judiciary](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-letter-to-senate-judiciary/)
- [The Impact Of The Signal Security](https://thesteadystate.org/the-impact-of-the-signal-security/) - https://www.npr.org/2025/03/29/nx-s1-5343464/the-impact-of-the-signal-security-breach-according-to-a-former-intelligence-officer
- [Americas Munich](https://thesteadystate.org/americas-munich/) - In September 1938, the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and France signed an agreement in Munich with Hitler and Mussolini. That has gone down in history as a synonym for ultimately catastrophic disgrace -- a counterproductive effort to appease an insatiable dictator. Less than a year later, the Second World War broke out. Beginning
- [Appeasement Cloaked As Negotiation](https://thesteadystate.org/appeasement-cloaked-as-negotiation/) - It will be an arch humiliation for the U.S. President to lend his signature to a document such as is being “negotiated” by male ingenue and envoy-in-training Steve Witkoff.Witkoff is being masterfully played in his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He seems not to have the vaguest notion of what he is being drawn
- [The Steady State Social Media Primer](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-social-media-primer/) - Internal
- [Former Cia Officials Band Together](https://thesteadystate.org/former-cia-officials-band-together/) - Wary of the consequences of taking positions in the media, former US intelligence officials have adopted a more low-key strategy. Not just to carry more weight, but also to protect themselves from reprisals.Published on 17/02/2025 at 04:00 GMT Reading time 2 minutes Raphaël RamosUS President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it
- [Former Cia Officials Band Together 751](https://thesteadystate.org/former-cia-officials-band-together-751/) - Wary of the consequences of taking positions in the media, former US intelligence officials have adopted a more low-key strategy. Not just to carry more weight, but also to protect themselves from reprisals.Published on 17/02/2025 at 04:00 GMT Reading time 2 minutes Raphaël RamosUS President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it
- [A New National And International](https://thesteadystate.org/a-new-national-and-international/) - The peaceful and prosperous decades since the Second World War – which present such a contrast to the catastrophic interwar period – testify to the wisdom of US leaders and their understanding of enlightened self-interest.Unfortunately, President Trump has quickly sought to destroy the long-established foundations of U.S. economic prosperity and leadership. In October 2024, the
- [The Steady State Protecting Constitutional](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-protecting-constitutional/) - Initially founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 270 former senior national security professionals, including former officials from the CIA, FBI, Departments of State, Defense, Justice and Homeland Security. Drawing on deep expertise across national security disciplines including intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs, and law, we advocate for
- [Trump 100 Days From Cornerstone To](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-100-days-from-cornerstone-to/) - “There’s no better way to get us into a war, perhaps a catastrophic war, than essentially poking out your eyes and numbing your brain, and you’re left with Donald Trump and a few people sitting in the White House winging it, and they’re not competent to wing it,” said Steven Cash, a former intelligence officer
- [Comment Opposing Opm Proposed Rule](https://thesteadystate.org/comment-opposing-opm-proposed-rule/) - [The below comment was formally submitted by the Steady State in response to a proposed rule, now in the public comment phase, which will create a “Schedule F” in the US Civil Service. Although ostensibly to improve “performance, accountability and responsiveness,” the actual intent is clear — to ensure that civil servants are loyal to
- [Distressing Foreign Affairs Day](https://thesteadystate.org/distressing-foreign-affairs-day/) - The Department of State billed the 60th annual Foreign Affairs Day on May 2 as a celebration of six decades of “foreign affairs excellence.” Unfortunately, this year there has been little to celebrate. Through untargeted tariffs, abolition of key agencies, threats to annex foreign territories and denigration of once-shared values, the Trump Administration has alienated
- [Milking And Managing Conflicting](https://thesteadystate.org/milking-and-managing-conflicting/) - A brief recollection of one chapter in our nation’s history tells of great wisdom. In 1861, upon entering office, Abraham Lincoln brought with him two things: one, the idea that a lot of differing ideas and preferences for governing would be useful to him in administering the government in the face of what everyone knew
- [What Possibly Could Go Wrong Drones](https://thesteadystate.org/what-possibly-could-go-wrong-drones/) - Foreign policy professionals discuss worst-case scenarios to be prepared for even unlikely eventualities, to see if there are fixes to possible security gaps. Common sense, law and custom tended to guard against extreme outcomes. But now, what was unthinkable has become our daily reality.Imagine one such situation. It’s the summer of 2025. The Supreme Court
- [The Peoples Receiver Hitlers Social](https://thesteadystate.org/the-peoples-receiver-hitlers-social/) - When I was growing up in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, you heard folks asking not infrequently, “How could Hitler have taken power and do the things he and his government did?” My mother who was born in 1928 and lived through WWII often asked this question, once in the mid-1960s seeking but not really
- [Keep Public Service Apolitical](https://thesteadystate.org/keep-public-service-apolitical/) - The “Horizons Project”, a think tank headed by two former civil servants, has produced a series of eye-opening documents warning about creeping authoritarianism in the United States; one of these documents is the “Authoritarian Playbook.” After studying systems around the world and lessons in the United States from over the past several decades, the authors
- [The War On Science](https://thesteadystate.org/the-war-on-science/) - The first 100+ days of the Trump regime have weakened both freedom in the US and also US leadership in the world. The more obvious assaults on our freedom include political kidnappings on our streets by plain clothed, masked thugs as well as the evisceration of federal agencies vital to our society. But these distract
- [The War On Dei A Disservice To America](https://thesteadystate.org/the-war-on-dei-a-disservice-to-america/) - During 36 years of service, I witnessed the critical value of accomplished, experienced, leaders—men and women—providing vital, level-headed, advice in the many complex situations they encountered..Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The unexpected February dismissal of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval
- [The Politicization Of Intelligenceand](https://thesteadystate.org/the-politicization-of-intelligenceand/) - “Never, ever...was there ever a hint that an analyst would be fired because they produced conclusions that did not fit with the administration’s policy preferences. Until Now.”I served on the National Intelligence Council (NIC) in the mid-1990’s as the Deputy to the National Intelligence Officer for East Asia under Ezra Vogel, the brilliant and universally
- [Preemptive Tinkering With The Intelligence](https://thesteadystate.org/preemptive-tinkering-with-the-intelligence/) - “ The essential qualities of integrity, dedication and grit that lie at the heart of an intelligence professional ultimately may suffer as an unintended consequence of these firings and associated acts. And our senior executives who are making the policies that impact every American’s daily life and futures will be left to fly blind and
- [Repealing The Inflation Reduction](https://thesteadystate.org/repealing-the-inflation-reduction/) - Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act will hurt Maine, by Robert Cekuta, in the Bangor Daily News, April 18, 2025.The Steady State endorses this opinion piece by Steady State member Robert Cekuta carried in the Bangor Daily News.The negative impacts of repealing the Inflation Reduction Act on Maine are being replayed in states and communities across
- [Hypocrisy Is Said To Be Vices Tribute](https://thesteadystate.org/hypocrisy-is-said-to-be-vices-tribute/)
- [Democrats Must Build A New Consensus](https://thesteadystate.org/democrats-must-build-a-new-consensus/) - It's time for the party to dig in, using all of the tools available.Democrats are mad. So are independents and even some Republicans. Bernie Sanders and AOC have drawn huge crowds.Despite demands that congressional Democrats do something, Congress seems powerless. But that isn’t the case.By being in the minority in both houses of Congress, Democrats
- [How The Trump Administration Undermined](https://thesteadystate.org/how-the-trump-administration-undermined/) - During the Cold War and its aftermath, one principle united the U.S. national security establishment across party lines: the belief that democracy promotion served both our values and our interests. Institutions like USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy were not mere tools of soft power; they embodied a strategic commitment to a world that
- [A Guide To National Security Jargon](https://thesteadystate.org/a-guide-to-national-security-jargon/) - Not much of a silver lining to the devastating actions of the Trump administration. But here is one! Americans are finding out about parts of our government, and our society, they did not know much about, or appreciated. We have learned more about our national parks, medical research, tariffs, and impoundment, since inauguration than most
- [Steady State Quick Hit Politicization](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-quick-hit-politicization/) - Summary (watch the video here)Steven Cash of the Steady State introduced a discussion on the politicization of intelligence, which Larry Pfeiffer defined as influencing assessments for preferred policies. Panelists William Piekney, Russ Travers, and Annie Pforzheimer expressed concerns about ignoring or rewriting intelligence for political agendas and the potential for a constitutional crisis. Participants discussed
- [We Are Not Sending The A Team To](https://thesteadystate.org/we-are-not-sending-the-a-team-to/) - In seeking to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran, Trump’s team is hampered by inconsistent messaging and inexperience.Special Envoy Steve Witkoff at swearing-in ceremony, May 6, 2025, White House; and Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, 2024, by Khamenei.irWe are not sending the A team to the Iran talksBy Mark FitzpatrickAs talks with Iran on
- [Putin Spurns Trump](https://thesteadystate.org/putin-spurns-trump/)
- [When Congress Disappeared](https://thesteadystate.org/when-congress-disappeared/) - Minutes after the January 20 inauguration, Executive Orders started emerging from the White House, asserting the power to dismantle, disable, and disrespect elements of government operations, starting with foreign assistance. I wondered immediately when Congress would stand up for the operations and programs it had set a budget for, year after year, most recently through
- [Get On With It America Resume Full](https://thesteadystate.org/get-on-with-it-america-resume-full/) - The horror of what Russia is doing to Ukraine is with me every single day. It’s a grinding, emotional, sorrowful watch, spiked by our national disgrace of having withdrawn indispensable weapons support in the midst of battle. It is all the worse given that the current Trump policy is a reversal of an earlier and
- [Our Federal Civil Workforce Must](https://thesteadystate.org/our-federal-civil-workforce-must/) - After 38 years in the federal workforce, I had the privilege of working alongside dedicated professionals in analytical, security, operations, policy, information technology (IT), and other critical capacities. Each person was committed to the mission of “protect and defend,” as enshrined in our Constitution. Maintaining a nonpartisan federal workforce was essential to ensuring decision-makers received
- [Questionable Hires Big Balls Really](https://thesteadystate.org/questionable-hires-big-balls-really/) - My 11+ years at CIA were the honor of my life. I wanted to serve my country, the Agency gave me that opportunity, and I remain incredibly grateful to this day. And as much as I valued the opportunities and trust I was given, I felt valued in return. For example, I once had to
- [Disrobing The Ugliness Of Bad Policy](https://thesteadystate.org/disrobing-the-ugliness-of-bad-policy/) - The deputy chief of staff to the president of the United States, Stephen Miller, seems by every measure the malicious palace barber, with mystical influence comparable to that of the infamous Rasputin, whispering in the king’s ear and fueling his excellency’s malignant obsession to eliminate every undocumented immigrant in this country. It is a ferocious
- [Giants And Pygmies](https://thesteadystate.org/giants-and-pygmies/) - June 6, 1944 D-Day: Profiles in LeadershipOn this day over 80 years ago, thousands of Allied troops, spearheaded by American forces, waded through surf raked by German fire or dropped by parachute through the flak-clogged skies of Normandy. There were countless acts of courage on that day and the days following, leading to the destruction
- [Ignorance Is Not Bliss](https://thesteadystate.org/ignorance-is-not-bliss/) - The assault by the Trump Administration on the nation’s intellectual capital undermines one of the most important, but least recognized, pillars of U.S. national security.Our universities and publicly-supported research institutions make invaluable contributions to most elements of national power, including military, economic, technological, public health, national reputation and leadership.U.S. colleges and universities attract excellent foreign
- [Are We Headed To Martial Law](https://thesteadystate.org/are-we-headed-to-martial-law/) - Hitler was appointed German chancellor on January 30, 1933. He consolidated power in a few months using legal maneuvers. After the Reichstag Fire in February 1933 and the anti-communist hysteria that followed, German President von Hindenburg signed the Enabling Act which allowed Hitler and his cabinet to enact laws without the consent of the president
- [Leave No Man Behind](https://thesteadystate.org/leave-no-man-behind/) - The heart-wrenching images of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021 are forever seared into our memories. The fall to the Taliban of province after province and finally of Kabul itself on August 15, 2021, and the deterioration into pandemonium of the evacuation effort at Hamid Karzai International Airport created scenes not
- [Closing The American Frontier In](https://thesteadystate.org/closing-the-american-frontier-in/) - “The Administration’s assault on the American science enterprise threatens the underpinnings of U.S. prosperity, security, and standing in the world.”Last week I attended a public event at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that put the Trump Administration’s actions on science in perspective. While the talk and panel discussion on “The State of
- [Tanks Parades And Tell All Displays](https://thesteadystate.org/tanks-parades-and-tell-all-displays/) - It’s a good thing the United States doesn’t have politically motivated military displays.When North Korea debuts a new missile or Russia rolls out its latest hypersonic weapon in a parade, U.S. intelligence analysts swing into action. What may appear to the public as mere pageantry is, to the trained eye, a strategic data source. Open-source
- [My Army Failed On Tuesday](https://thesteadystate.org/my-army-failed-on-tuesday/) - My Army failed on Tuesday.Not the whole Army, of course. Not even the majority of the soldiers at Fort Bragg who were present at the political rally held by President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth. But enough were active participants, in violation of principle, policy, and custom, that it constituted failure for the Army.I’ll
- [My Soldiers My Army](https://thesteadystate.org/my-soldiers-my-army/)
- [Iran Nuclear Crisis Moves To Tragedy](https://thesteadystate.org/iran-nuclear-crisis-moves-to-tragedy/) - With President Trump’s failure to persuade Prime Minister Netanyahu not to start what will likely be a long-term conflict, Israel’s multi-targeted attacks against Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes will likely push Iran into more secretive and dangerous nuclear pursuits.After at least 15 years of agitating for a kinetic attack on Iran’s nuclear programme, Israeli Prime
- [Our System Of Laws Is Not Corrupt](https://thesteadystate.org/our-system-of-laws-is-not-corrupt/) - Observations From 15 Years of Living in Authoritarian CountriesMany others have written about the dangers of one of the Trump Administration’s latest assaults on the rule of law: illegal Federal use of the California National Guard and deployment of the nation’s armed forces (in this case, several hundred Marines) to a law enforcement function. That
- [On Iran Us Restraint Could Reduce](https://thesteadystate.org/on-iran-us-restraint-could-reduce/) - On June 17, President Donald Trump issued a statement declaring that the United States knows the precise whereabouts of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, described him as “an easy target,” and noted that the United States would not “take him out (kill!)” — at least not for now. He coupled that assertion with a demand
- [Inside Cia Operatons John Siphers](https://thesteadystate.org/inside-cia-operatons-john-siphers/)
- [Project 2025 Transforming Our Constitution](https://thesteadystate.org/project-2025-transforming-our-constitution/) - Project 2025, an initiative led by the Heritage Foundation, proposed sweeping changes to the federal government—reducing bureaucratic influence, increasing executive authority, and reshaping entire agencies. While supporters herald it as a correction to inefficiencies, critics argue it represents a direct threat to constitutional balance, the rule of law, and the core ideals of American democracy.Since
- [Irrational Reactions To The Birthright](https://thesteadystate.org/irrational-reactions-to-the-birthright/) - One of Donald Trump’s early executive orders was to end birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants. This has sparked a national debate that further deepens the partisan divide, threatening the American democracy as we know it.What is birthright citizenship?The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants birthright citizenship. The concept of birthright citizenship
- [Lemures Of The Republic Or The Ghost](https://thesteadystate.org/lemures-of-the-republic-or-the-ghost/) - On the eve of the Iraq War, I sat quietly as a guest—a “plus-one”, if you will—behind Senator Dianne Feinstein, who I served as her intelligence staff. We were at a closed-door gathering of the Democratic “War Group,” a subset of the Senate Democratic caucus convened to hammer out a unified response to the Bush
- [Barging Into War Wheres The Exit](https://thesteadystate.org/barging-into-war-wheres-the-exit/) - Wars are easy to start, but hard to end. We should have learned this lesson in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Contrary to what many people seem to believe, ending a war is not a simple matter of wiping one's hands and declaring victory.The recent three-way Israel-Iran-US conflict, which might or might not be ended by
- [Searching For The Trigger](https://thesteadystate.org/searching-for-the-trigger/) - Searching for the Trigger explores how President Trump is laying the groundwork for invoking the Insurrection Act to justify deploying military force inside the United States. Following the unprecedented federalization of California’s National Guard without state consent, and with a looming interagency plan to embed military support in domestic policing due by July 27, the
- [A Red Line Has Been Crossed Navigating](https://thesteadystate.org/a-red-line-has-been-crossed-navigating/) - U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have ignited intense global debate in the media, with conflicting claims about the extent of destruction and its effect on Iran’s nuclear program. In the chaos of speculation and analysis, an unsettling narrative that the media has overlooked has emerged: the U.S. president’s cryptic remarks suggesting a possibility of
- [Whats So Bad About Immigrants](https://thesteadystate.org/whats-so-bad-about-immigrants/) - Millions of Americans have been persuaded that accepting people from other countries into American life is a bad thing. This view seems to be based mostly on emotional grounds, rather than evidentiary ones. Immigrants are thought to be – variously – criminals, under-educated, unwilling to become like “us.” They supposedly take “American” jobs, unfairly reap
- [The West Wing Was Real Life](https://thesteadystate.org/the-west-wing-was-real-life/) - I came to my affinity for “ The West Wing” (NBC 1999-2006) later than most. I only began watching after the series had ended, at the urging of a friend, who couldn’t believe I loved “Alias” (I was a CIA analyst; of course, I loved Alias!) but wouldn’t watch what he called “the best show
- [Think That Was Wrong But It Has Nothing](https://thesteadystate.org/think-that-was-wrong-but-it-has-nothing/) - (Plaque at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.)Substitute the words “undocumented immigrants” for “socialists,” and you can see where this is going.“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a
- [The National Security Act Of 1947](https://thesteadystate.org/the-national-security-act-of-1947/) - Among the most enduring lessons of World War II was the necessity of coherent, integrated, and apolitical decision-making in matters of national security. Victory in that war had required the coordination of diplomacy, military power, industrial capacity, intelligence, and public will. The architects of America’s postwar order—men like George Marshall, Dean Acheson, and Harry Truman—understood
- [Post Partisan America When The Game](https://thesteadystate.org/post-partisan-america-when-the-game/) - The word “partisan” has become a bad word. It also does not make sense anymore. It clouds our arguments, and blinds us to reality. And, if “partisan” makes no sense, then “non-partisan” and “bipartisan” begin to lose meaning. Why?Because we are in a “post-partisan” America.Originating as a military term denoting irregular forces often engaged in
- [The National Security Act Of 1947 17E](https://thesteadystate.org/the-national-security-act-of-1947-17e/) - “Among the most enduring lessons of World War II was the necessity of coherent, integrated, and apolitical decision-making in matters of national security. … The architects of America’s postwar order…understood that winning the peace required no less. The National Security Act was their answer…When functioning as intended, the system created by the 1947 Act could
- [Dismissing Our Intelligence Collection](https://thesteadystate.org/dismissing-our-intelligence-collection/) - Only those trained to assess and report capabilities are the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)During my 36-year career with the Department of Defense, I had the honor of serving under ten Directors of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). As a Combat Support Agency, the DIA has long stood at the forefront of providing specialized, critical support
- [A Big Ugly Blow Bub To Domestic Energy](https://thesteadystate.org/a-big-ugly-blow-bub-to-domestic-energy/) - Aerial shot of steaming chemical plants and oil refineries in La Marque, TexasThe Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) is going to deal a Big Ugly Blow (BUB) to the renewable energy sector which saw a boom in red states and red districts under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In West Virginia – the reddest of
- [Sliding Into Authoritarianism The](https://thesteadystate.org/sliding-into-authoritarianism-the/) - On this Independence Day, A Call to ReflectionDuring my 20-year military career, I served as an intelligence officer, where my primary mission was to analyze collected information to discern indications that revealed an adversary or target entity’s plans and/or intentions. Indicators are items of information that reflect the intention or capability of an adversary to
- [How It Happened](https://thesteadystate.org/how-it-happened/) - February 17, 1933Arztekammer HeadquartersBerlin, Nazi GermanyA father-of-four sat at his desk contemplating how his country had come to this…Months before elections, the man had warned of the danger of Hitler’s rise. Hitler’s rhetoric affected ALL Germans. Many doctors across all the sciences left before the elections. This hurt German medicine and who knows what impacts
- [Rethinking The Military Law Enforcement](https://thesteadystate.org/rethinking-the-military-law-enforcement/) - For generations, American law and public discourse have treated the use of the military in domestic law enforcement as a red line not to be crossed. This concern—rooted in the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 and in the Founders’ deep mistrust of standing armies—has shaped our legal frameworks and guided political norms. The fear is
- [America In A Changing World](https://thesteadystate.org/america-in-a-changing-world/) - As President Trump seeks to implement a new America First foreign policy, more is underway than just changes in priorities, areas of emphasis, or tone. Global actors are changing how they see their futures and how each interacts with one another to realize their own national security/foreign policy objectives. Thus, while the argument is often
- [Curtailing Foreign Student Visas](https://thesteadystate.org/curtailing-foreign-student-visas/) - A Body Blow To Education, National Security and The EconomyThe Trump Administration has created a hostile environment for foreign students wishing to study in the United States, from such measures as revoking visas, limiting the time a student can be in the United States, to the vetting of applicants’ social media posts. The administration’s crackdown
- [Militarization Of Our Streets Is](https://thesteadystate.org/militarization-of-our-streets-is/) - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Los Angeles, California, June 12, 2025Remember “The Deporter in Chief? That was President Obama, at a time when deportations far exceeded those by President Trump. Whether you supported those deportations or not, oddly enough they were completed without undue violence.Today, it's a different story. The methods being
- [July 11 2025 A Sad Day For American](https://thesteadystate.org/july-11-2025-a-sad-day-for-american/) - On July 11, over 1,100 Civil Servants and nearly 250 Foreign Service Officers were summarily fired from their domestic jobs at the State Department. Billed as an effort to combat bureaucratic bloat and radical ideology, this mass firing was designed mostly to punish elements of the department that carried out policies of the previous administration
- [The Trump Administrations Deportations](https://thesteadystate.org/the-trump-administrations-deportations/) - America is no longer welcoming to the poor and downtrodden masses (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress)The Trump Administration’s draconian deportation operations continue apace, despite public opposition. While media reports have focused primarily on actions against undocumented immigrants within the Hispanic and Latino communities, one demographic being impacted by the administration’s wholesale and at
- [A Steady State Deep Dive The Ghw](https://thesteadystate.org/a-steady-state-deep-dive-the-ghw/) - Welcome to “The Steady State Deep Dive,” a Podcast series addressing vital domestic, regional and global security issues including rule of law, free and fair elections, political civility and transparent policymaking based on facts and sound analysis. This AI-generated Podcast is based on the following post by Dr. Susan Koch, published on Substack on July
- [State Department Cuts Hurt American](https://thesteadystate.org/state-department-cuts-hurt-american/) - Damaging support for U.S. business, jobs, and exports is yet another result of the ill-considered cuts at the State Department. American consumers, workers, farmers, and entrepreneurs across the country are going to suffer as a result.Supporting U.S. exports and American businesses abroad is one of the most basic functions of our embassies and diplomats. It
- [The Dismantling Of Usaid A Major](https://thesteadystate.org/the-dismantling-of-usaid-a-major/) - Although Elon Musk joked about feeding the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) into the woodchipper back in February, it was not until this month that Secretary Rubio completed the shredding by formally dismantling USAID and absorbing the remnants into the State Department. And Congress has now approved President Trump’s request to rescind $8 billion
- [What Happened To Marco Rubio](https://thesteadystate.org/what-happened-to-marco-rubio/) - There was a time when Marco Rubio stood for a very different vision of American leadership. The son of Cuban immigrants, he rose quickly as a senator with eloquence and energy—a Republican who championed democracy promotion, strong alliances, and the moral imperative of U.S. global engagement. Today, as Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, Rubio is
- [Dezinformatsiya Meets Americas Magaphone](https://thesteadystate.org/dezinformatsiya-meets-americas-magaphone/) - KGB Headquarters, Lubyanka, MoscowWhich is more damaging to the health of America’s body politic: false information emanating from Russia that pollutes our social media ---poisoning American minds --- or our home-grown variety? Increasingly, it’s becoming more difficult to tell the difference.A fundamental history lesson that is drilled into every U.S. intelligence analyst --- if not
- [The Dni Under Tulsi Gabbard A Stark](https://thesteadystate.org/the-dni-under-tulsi-gabbard-a-stark/) - Tulsi Gabbard stands out in the lengthy list of staggeringly unqualified cabinet appointees as she corrupts the Intelligence Community she leads.She has reinvented herself so many times in her career it is hard to say who she is. She seemingly has no core values other than to ingratiate herself to the President. The latest move
- [A Steady State Deep Dive Militarization](https://thesteadystate.org/a-steady-state-deep-dive-militarization/) - Welcome to “The Steady State Deep Dive,” a Podcast series addressing vital domestic, regional and global security issues including rule of law, free and fair elections, political civility and transparent policymaking based on facts and sound analysis.This AI -generated Podcast is based on the following post by The Steady State published on Substack on July
- [The Dismantling Of Usaid A Major Ca8](https://thesteadystate.org/the-dismantling-of-usaid-a-major-ca8/) - Welcome to “The Steady State Deep Dive,” a Podcast series addressing vital domestic, regional and global security issues including rule of law, free and fair elections, political civility and transparent policy-making based on facts and sound analysis.This AI -generated Podcast is based on the following post written by Mark Goodman and published by The Steady
- [Signalgate Update If Hegseth Cant](https://thesteadystate.org/signalgate-update-if-hegseth-cant/) - According to CNN reporting, the Department of Defense Inspector General has evidence that Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth posted information taken from a document marked Secret/NOFORN to a Signal “group chat” in March. At the time of this incident, Hegseth claimed the information in the chat was unclassified.The fact that Hegseth was using Signal at
- [National Security For The Dinner](https://thesteadystate.org/national-security-for-the-dinner/) - Welcome to “National Security for the Dinner Table,” The Steady State’s new series that aims to break down complex national security issues with direct implications for our lives and wellbeing into clear, relevant facts and observations to assist American individuals and families in formulating opinions and decisions. Following the Administration’s high-level visit by a Taiwanese
- [Make Fossil Fuels Great Again Why](https://thesteadystate.org/make-fossil-fuels-great-again-why/) - It was encouraging to hear the founder and CEO of a West Virginia solar installation company tell a small group of people interested in residential and commercial solar recently that solar power has become the cheapest and fastest way to meet increased energy demand. Solar can be deployed relatively quickly to meet the anticipated increase
- [When Public Power Becomes A Racket](https://thesteadystate.org/when-public-power-becomes-a-racket/) - By Steven CashThe Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act—better known as RICO—was written for mobsters, not presidents. Passed in 1970 to dismantle organized crime, it gave prosecutors, and even private citizens, a way to take down enterprises that abused organizational power for private gain.RICO is not about who wears the wide pinstripe suit or holds
- [Donald Trumps Wars](https://thesteadystate.org/donald-trumps-wars/) - The ongoing war in Sudan has displaced millions. (Photo by Safal Karki on Unsplash)During the 2024 presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump boasted that, if elected, he would bring an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war even before he took office, and on more than one occasion said that he would end it within 24 hours of
- [Today Is Not Normal](https://thesteadystate.org/today-is-not-normal/) - I retired from the federal workforce after 36 years of service, years filled with opportunity, growth, and a career that exceeded anything I could have imagined when first wondering what path my life would take. I planned for retirement, saved, and invested, hoping to spend these years enjoying the rewards of hard work—my “golden years.”I
- [Weaponized Accusations Hollow Claims](https://thesteadystate.org/weaponized-accusations-hollow-claims/) - Over the past months, Donald Trump, Tulsi Gabbard, and other government officials have escalated a new wave of misleading rhetoric—amplified by pro-Trump media figures. In public appearances and social media posts, they’ve begun describing the Russia investigation and Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) assessing Russian activities and intentions in U.S. elections not merely as a political
- [Hands Off The Fed Why Central Bank](https://thesteadystate.org/hands-off-the-fed-why-central-bank/) - When President Donald Trump suggested he might fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over disagreements about interest rate policy, it wasn’t just a breach of political decorum—it was a threat to a cornerstone of American economic stability. The Federal Reserve’s independence has long been a bipartisan norm, respected by presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to
- [Manipulating Research And Science](https://thesteadystate.org/manipulating-research-and-science/) - We’ve all seen her, the little girl covering her eyes to hide from someone. After all, if she can’t see you, how can you see her? This is the image that popped into my mind when reading about the current US administration’s latest effort to “cook the books” to justify a rollback of US commitments
- [Firepit Chats Encouraging Conversation](https://thesteadystate.org/firepit-chats-encouraging-conversation/) - Understanding the Nuclear Realm: Physics, Reactors, Weapons, and the Forces WithinFrom the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, to Iranian nuclear reactors to nuclear submarines, it may be useful to have a basic understanding of The Nuclear Realm for discussion and consideration.In a series of three articles, we will attempt to demystify the core concepts and
- [Firepit Chats Encouraging Conversation 73C](https://thesteadystate.org/firepit-chats-encouraging-conversation-73c/) - Nuclear Reactors: Controlled PowerNuclear reactors are used to generate electricity using a controlled and sustained nuclear chain reaction (fission) to create heat. That heat turns the water in a reactor core into steam; that steam spins a turbine, the turbine is attached to a generator which produces electricity. There are two types of light water
- [Indicators In Intelligence Analysis](https://thesteadystate.org/indicators-in-intelligence-analysis/) - In the practice of intelligence analysis, the term “indicators” refers to observable actions, conditions, or behaviors that signal the potential occurrence of a particular event or shift in state, especially one relevant to national security. These indicators are not predictions but evidence-based signposts, carefully selected and monitored to warn decision-makers of developing threats. The concept
- [Indicators Of Authoritarian Drift](https://thesteadystate.org/indicators-of-authoritarian-drift/) - In modern intelligence analysis, the application of indicators to assess democratic decline or authoritarian drift is an increasingly vital function in an era of rising autocracy and democratic backsliding. While traditional warning indicators focused on military threats or coup preparations, today’s analysts often monitor a different set of political, legal, and institutional developments to detect
- [An Open Letter To The Men And Women](https://thesteadystate.org/an-open-letter-to-the-men-and-women/) - We write to you as former members of the U.S. intelligence, diplomatic, defense, and national security communities—veterans of service to both Republican and Democratic administrations. We are The Steady State, a nonpartisan group of professionals who have served in the CIA, FBI, State Department, Department of Defense, NSA, DHS, and the uniformed military. Together, we
- [Firepit Chats Encouraging Conversation F1C](https://thesteadystate.org/firepit-chats-encouraging-conversation-f1c/) - From the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, to Iranian nuclear reactors to nuclear submarines, it may be useful to have a basic understanding of The Nuclear Realm for discussion and consideration.In this series of three articles, we are attempting to demystify the core concepts and components, and distinct characteristics of both, alongside critical safety considerations
- [Using Tariffs As A Natinal Security](https://thesteadystate.org/using-tariffs-as-a-natinal-security/) - A recent Washington Post article describes President Donald Trump’s ‘freewheeling use of tariffs as a tool of American power,’ or a kind of Swiss Army knife of American diplomacy, as he uses the threat of punitive tariffs, not just to redress what he sometimes describes as unfair trade practices of other countries or to reduce
- [The Politicization Of Intelligence](https://thesteadystate.org/the-politicization-of-intelligence/) - In recent months, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has joined Donald Trump, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, and others in promoting the claim that former President Barack Obama and his senior national security officials—including James Clapper and John Brennan—weaponized the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) to fabricate the so-called Russia collusion “hoax" and undermine
- [The Guarantee Clause Shield Or Sword](https://thesteadystate.org/the-guarantee-clause-shield-or-sword/) - Most Americans have never heard of the Guarantee Clause. But in the wrong hands, this obscure sentence in the U.S. Constitution could become a pretext for the most serious federal overreach in our nation’s history.The “Guarantee Clause” (Article IV, Section 4) obligates the federal government to “guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican
- [Steady State Urges Congress To Investigate](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-urges-congress-to-investigate/) - ORIGINAL LETTER Re: Concerns regarding intelligence sharing with Five Eyes PartnersDear Chairman Cotton, Vice Chairman Warner, Chairman Crawford, and Ranking Member Himes,The Steady State[1] is an association of more than 320 senior veterans from the U.S. national security, homeland security, and diplomatic communities. We have dedicated our careers to the principles of an apolitical, professional,
- [When Trust Is Lost](https://thesteadystate.org/when-trust-is-lost/) - Trust --- earning and keeping it, while treating others respectfully --- is the key to effective diplomacy, as in all human relations. When trust is damaged between countries, adverse national security consequences will inexorably follow.So, it’s of great concern that our closest trading- and security partners have reasons not to trust America’s word anymore.“Can any
- [From Lead To Clean Up](https://thesteadystate.org/from-lead-to-clean-up/) - Even before Putin arrived for an unprecedented welcome of an international tyrant on free American soil, those of us who follow the evolution of American foreign policy were apprehensive. What followed bore out our fears. We knew who Vladimir Putin is, knew of his horrid childhood of extreme poverty and abuse at the hands of
- [Americas Increasing Vulnerability](https://thesteadystate.org/americas-increasing-vulnerability/) - Russian FSB Hqs, MoscowOnly one foreign country has a nuclear arsenal so massive that it poses a “physical” existential threat, is assessed as having enough weapons to wipe out the United States and cause global destruction, and has threatened initial use against the United States: Russia.Since the end of World War II, the USSR and
- [In Another Turbulent Time A President](https://thesteadystate.org/in-another-turbulent-time-a-president/) - Mary Ann Vecchio, Kent State, May 4, 1970At this moment, the citizens of Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, California are facing National Guard troops, as well as FBI agents and other military and law enforcement officers in their streets. These officers and agents are not trained to police the streets, and they are listening, hourly,
- [A Letter To Americas Discarded Public](https://thesteadystate.org/a-letter-to-americas-discarded-public/) - Dear Colleagues,For three and a half decades as a career diplomat, I walked across the lobby of the State Department countless times—inspired by the Stars and Stripes and humbled by the names of patriots etched into our memorial wall. It was heartbreaking to see so many of you crossing that same lobby in tears following
- [Tulsi Gabbards Revocation Of The](https://thesteadystate.org/tulsi-gabbards-revocation-of-the/) - Tulsi Gabbard’s revocation of security clearances from 37 officials involved in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) is a direct attack on the professional integrity of career intelligence officers and a profound act of politicization.In her memo, Gabbard claimed that the clearance system exists to ensure integrity, objectivity, and stewardship in the protection of classified
- [Blinding Five Eyes A Self Inflicted](https://thesteadystate.org/blinding-five-eyes-a-self-inflicted/) - Since World War II, the United States has been involved in several international intelligence-sharing arrangements that were forged during the war. One of the most prominent of these is the ‘Five Eyes” alliance, which facilitates the sharing of signals intelligence among the U.S., the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The U.S. has benefited from
- [Arlington Cemetery And Us](https://thesteadystate.org/arlington-cemetery-and-us/) - Today, I’m on my way to Arlington Cemetery, to visit the grave of my parents. It is the eighth anniversary of my father's death - at age 94+, just a couple of months shy of 95. He was a World War II veteran, who was wounded by shrapnel that killed the soldier fighting next to
- [Amateur Hour Greenland Operation](https://thesteadystate.org/amateur-hour-greenland-operation/) - The diplomatic protest issued by Denmark in response to reported U.S. influence activities in Greenland is not routine, it is a formal objection to a breach of allied norms. What’s been exposed is not a covert operation gone awry, but an incompetent attempt to shape political outcomes through informal channels. It’s amateur hour, and the
- [Actions Have Consequences Why Im](https://thesteadystate.org/actions-have-consequences-why-im/) - I’m more worried about a major terrorist attack today than at any point since 9/11. And the reason is simple: the Trump administration is systematically hollowing out the very institutions designed to protect us—all in service of political loyalty.When Truth Bows to PoliticsThe administration celebrates taking a “chainsaw” to the government. But what it really
- [America First A Really Terrible Idea F0E](https://thesteadystate.org/america-first-a-really-terrible-idea-f0e/) - Welcome to “The Steady State Deep Dive,” a Podcast series addressing vital domestic, regional and global security issues including rule of law, free and fair elections, political civility and transparent policy-making based on facts and sound analysis.This AI -generated Podcast is based on the following post written by Tom Wolfson and published by the Steady
- [Trumps America First Bullying Is](https://thesteadystate.org/trumps-america-first-bullying-is/) - The U.S.-India strategic partnership, cobbled together over the past two decades and hailed as one of the success stories of post-Cold War diplomacy, is unraveling. Every American president since the Cold War’s end, including Donald Trump in his first administration, has worked hard to build what everyone hoped would be an enduring relationship. The author
- [Distorting The Human Rights Report](https://thesteadystate.org/distorting-the-human-rights-report/) - Global Rights Index 2025The Human Rights Report is not a feel-good exercise driven by unbounded idealism; when researched correctly and reported without prejudice, it serves a unique and strategic purpose of keeping the government aware of simmering dissent and regime instability.In one more act of systematic gutting of traditional and proven tools of foreign policy,
- [Judge Breyer Issues Injunction Barring](https://thesteadystate.org/judge-breyer-issues-injunction-barring/) - The Steady StateJudge Breyer Issues Injunction Barring Violations of Posse Comitatus Act – Steady State Files Amicus Curiae BriefWashington, D.C. — September 2, 2025 — Last month, The Steady State filed an Amicus Curiae brief in Newsom v. Trump, a case involving the recent deployment of National Guard troops in California. Earlier today, Judge Breyer,
- [Hands Off The Fed Why Central Bank 6Db](https://thesteadystate.org/hands-off-the-fed-why-central-bank-6db/) - Welcome to “The Steady State Deep Dive,” a Podcast series addressing vital domestic, regional and global security issues including rule of law, free and fair elections, political civility and transparent policy-making based on facts and sound analysis.This AI -generated Podcast is based on the following post written by Bruce G. Berton and published by the
- [How Not to Do Diplomacy: The 10 Keys to Failed Negotiations](https://thesteadystate.org/firepit-chats-encouraging-conversation-6fe/) - How Not to Do Diplomacy: The 10 Keys to Failed NegotiationsIf at first you don’t succeed, quitDiplomatic negotiations are the processes used by the representatives (diplomats) of various nations or organizations to discuss, deliberate, and reach mutually acceptable agreements on various issues. Negotiations involve the exchange of ideas, opinions, and interests in an effort to
- [Immigration Under Trump A Moral And](https://thesteadystate.org/immigration-under-trump-a-moral-and/) - Can we agree that the actions of the Trump Administration with regard to immigration are, at the very least, morally repugnant? I mean, masked, unidentified ICE agents arresting people at the local Home Depot? Rounding up folks with no criminal record who have been in the U.S. with their families for 20 or 30 years?
- [Americas Increasing Vulnerability 11B](https://thesteadystate.org/americas-increasing-vulnerability-11b/) - Russian FSB Hqs, MoscowWelcome to “The Steady State Deep Dive,” a Podcast series addressing vital domestic, regional and global security issues including rule of law, free and fair elections, political civility and transparent policy-making based on facts and sound analysis.This AI -generated Podcast is based on the following post published by the Steady State on
- [Donald Trump And The Concept Of Power](https://thesteadystate.org/donald-trump-and-the-concept-of-power/) - In November, 2024, American voters elevated Donald Trump to be the most powerful man in the world. Not, however, with the majority he claims (which, he insists, gave him a mandate to pursue a radical agenda). He came close, but he prevailed with only a plurality: more voters chose somebody else. But he has brushed
- [Concerning The Department Of States](https://thesteadystate.org/concerning-the-department-of-states/) - The letter below, available at LINK was sent this date.September 10, 2025Re: Concerning the Department of State’s Promotion of ReligionDear Chairs and Ranking Members:On behalf of The Steady State, a nonpartisan network of over 330 former national security professionals, I write to express grave concern over recent official communications from the Department of State that
- [Steady State Letter To Ssci And Hpsci](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-letter-to-ssci-and-hpsci/) - ORIGINAL LETTER AVAILABLE AT LINKSeptember 10, 2025The Honorable Tom Cotton, ChairThe Honorable Mark Warner, Vice ChairSenate Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States SenateWashington, D.C. 20510The Honorable Rick Crawford, ChairThe Honorable James Himes, Ranking MemberHouse Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States House of RepresentativesWashington, D.C. 20515Re: Concerns regarding need for intelligence assessment addressing Key Intelligence QuestionsDear Chairman
- [Statement On The Death Of Charlie](https://thesteadystate.org/statement-on-the-death-of-charlie/) - Washington, D.C. — September 10, 2025We are deeply saddened to learn that Charlie Kirk has died following today’s shooting. At this moment, we do not know who carried out this attack, why it was done, or what the motivation may have been. What we do know — and what must be said clearly — is
- [Discussion Of Important Stuff To](https://thesteadystate.org/discussion-of-important-stuff-to/) - How Not to Do Diplomacy: Keep Everyone GuessingWhen people talk about diplomacy and how to do it, you hear a lot about being consistent and dependable. Well, consistency is highly overrated. When you’re a superpower, you have carte blanche to ‘do it your way,’ and like a poker game, you’re in a stronger position when
- [Dangerous Rhetorica Springboard To](https://thesteadystate.org/dangerous-rhetorica-springboard-to/) - On September 10, 2025, the Federalist, an American online conservative magazine and podcast, published an article titled, "The Democrat Party is a Domestic Terrorist Organization." This political rhetoric is an alarming escalation with the potential to push American politics into profoundly dangerous territory. Although there has always been fierce partisanship in American politics, comparing a
- [How The Deep State Doesnt Work](https://thesteadystate.org/how-the-deep-state-doesnt-work/) - “Either the deep state destroys America, or we destroy the deep state,” vowed presidential candidate Donald Trump on the 2024 campaign trail. It’s a promise kept. Thousands of federal employees --- including those in some of the most sensitive national security positions in U.S. intelligence, defense, and diplomacy --- have recently been pushed out of
- [Us Attack On Venezuelan Boat Could](https://thesteadystate.org/us-attack-on-venezuelan-boat-could/) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill, May 21, in Washington. Credit: Mark Schiefelbein / AP/Bangor Daily NewsOn Sept. 2, U.S. forces performed a “precision strike” on a suspected drug boat, killing 11 people said to be members of the Tren de Aragua,
- [Our Democracy Is Not Stronger Than](https://thesteadystate.org/our-democracy-is-not-stronger-than/) - Russia openly flaunts a simulated missile strike on Polish territory as part of its large-scale joint military exercise with Belarus, known as Zapad 2025.When I served in the Army Reserves, we would line up at the shooting range under the watchful eye of the Range Control Officer. His commands were precise and steady: “Ready on
- [Trump Takes On Rampant Allegations](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-takes-on-rampant-allegations/) - Chart to describe Nuremberg Laws of 15 September 1935 and the respective regulation of 14 November 1935. The "Nuremberg Laws" established a legal basis for racial identification. Only people with four non-Jewish German grandparents (four white circles in top row left) were of "German blood".Injecting religious fear and fervor into any situation is a classic
- [The Politicization Of Intelligence C78](https://thesteadystate.org/the-politicization-of-intelligence-c78/) - M. President, I rise today out of deep concern for the future of our intelligence community and, in turn, the security of the United States.For months now, we’ve watched President Trump’s administration – led in this arena by his hand-picked Director of National Intelligence, Ms. Gabbard – systematically undermine the men and women whose only
- [Letter Steady State To Ssci And Hpsci](https://thesteadystate.org/letter-steady-state-to-ssci-and-hpsci/) - The Steady State[Original Letter Here]September 19, 2025The Honorable Tom Cotton, ChairmanThe Honorable Mark Warner, Vice ChairmanSenate Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States SenateWashington, D.C. 20510The Honorable Mike Turner, ChairmanThe Honorable Jim Himes, Ranking MemberHouse Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceU.S. House of RepresentativesWashington, D.C. 20515Re: Executive Overreach and the Misuse of Intelligence AuthoritiesDear Chairmen and Ranking Members:In
- [Important Stuff To Know About The](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-the/) - How Not to Do Diplomacy: A Manual for a Muddled MediatorIf you represent a powerful country, one of the things you’ll frequently be called upon to do is mediate disputes between or among other, often weaker countries. Just in case you haven’t been listening, mediation is a voluntary, confidential process where a neutral third party
- [Protecting Intelligence From Politics](https://thesteadystate.org/protecting-intelligence-from-politics/) - The Hayden Center at the Schar School of Policy and Government is a premier destination for thought leadership on intelligence and national security—where experts, scholars, and practitioners come together to illuminate the vital intersection of intelligence and American policy.“This is a very important and vital conversation to have…Senator Mark Warner, the Vice Chair of the
- [The Bonfire Of Relief The Cruelty](https://thesteadystate.org/the-bonfire-of-relief-the-cruelty/) - In the annals of government waste, few episodes are as staggering or as morally bankrupt as the Trump administration’s plans for incineration of lifesaving food, medication, and contraceptives. At a moment when communities across the United States face hunger and medical shortages and fragile states abroad are desperate for assistance, this administration has not only
- [Trump A Big Talker But Pitiful Leader](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-a-big-talker-but-pitiful-leader/) - Most people, when having to solve a difficult problem, figure out a way to decide what to do. Claiming particular skill at this, former President George W. Bush even called himself “the Decider.” The current President of the United States, whenever his own personal – usually either vengeful or money-making -- interests are not involved,
- [Important Stuff To Know About The Dec](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-the-dec/) - How NOT to Do Diplomacy: Talk Loud and Swing a Big Bat“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” This saying from Proverbs 15:1 might be great for Little League or a sewing circle, but in the rough and tumble of international relations, it just does not cut it.When you’re
- [Secretary Of Defense Pete Hegseth](https://thesteadystate.org/secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth/) - On January 27, shortly after Pete Hegseth was confirmed as Secretary of Defense, the “New York Times” published the following letter:“To the Editor: To those Senate Republicans who voted to confirm Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense (and Vice President JD Vance, who broke a 50-50 tie): Unfortunately, you are far from the first members
- [Important Stuff To Know About Us](https://thesteadystate.org/important-stuff-to-know-about-us/) - Americans’ safety is a top concern for every U.S. ambassador and the whole of their Missions. Critical to this are the Embassy Consular sections who handle most of the support for Americans in-country, with the assistance of other embassy offices. Every State Department Foreign Service Officer must do at least one tour of consular work.
- [The Geneva Convention And Rules Of](https://thesteadystate.org/the-geneva-convention-and-rules-of/) - In his September 30, 2025, meeting with flag rank (general and admiral) officers and senior NCOs of all the military services, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made remarks regarding ‘rules of engagement’ that, in the view of someone who spent 20 years in uniform, including two tours in Vietnam, were troubling and highly problematic.The first troubling
- [Steady State Statement Condemning](https://thesteadystate.org/steady-state-statement-condemning/) - We write on behalf of The Steady State, a group of more than 330 former senior national security and law enforcement professionals. Our members have served under every President—Republican and Democrat—for decades. We are former Ambassadors, Inspectors General, Flag Officers, CIA Chiefs of Station, FBI Special Agents, Defense and Homeland Security officials, and senior Intelligence
- [The Call Is Coming From Inside The](https://thesteadystate.org/the-call-is-coming-from-inside-the/) - “The US Intelligence Community is under attack,” warns a well-documented, sobering recent analysis from a respected intelligence authority at the London-based Royal United Services Institute (known by its acronym, RUSI) that hasn’t received the attention it deserves. “What is new is that this adversary now sits in Washington, D.C: the current administration,” the RUSI analyst’s
- [An Open Letter To The Presidents](https://thesteadystate.org/an-open-letter-to-the-presidents/) - Dear Presidents,We write on behalf of The Steady State, a group of more than 330 former senior national security and law enforcement professionals. Our members have served under every President of the United States—Republican and Democrat—over more than four decades. We are former Ambassadors, Inspectors General, Flag Officers, CIA Chiefs of Station, FBI Special Agents,
- [American Samizdat](https://thesteadystate.org/american-samizdat/) - A Free Press is as essential to a democracy as State Controlled Media is essential to a dictator. President Trump has been raging against our free press since before he became president, and has continued to rage until this day. We heard “fake news,” as a descriptor of mainstream media early on. We then heard
- [Project 2025 And The Purge Of American](https://thesteadystate.org/project-2025-and-the-purge-of-american/) - The PlaybookOver the past eight months, the U.S. Foreign Service has faced a fundamental transformation. In 2025, the Trump administration adopted and operationalized the personnel overhaul blueprint laid out in Project 2025 to dismantle the non-partisan, professional core of the State Department and to replace it with a cadre of political loyalists beholden to executive
- [It Starts With A Lie Anyone Can Make](https://thesteadystate.org/it-starts-with-a-lie-anyone-can-make/) - Authoritarian regimes are known for repeating false claims to demonize the opposition and justify seizing more power. A similar pattern emerged under President Trump. Virtually every one of his Executive Orders begins with fantastical claims about threats to America posed by his opponents. These claims are then used to justify coercive and often illegal actions
- [Why Troops On The Streets Of Our](https://thesteadystate.org/why-troops-on-the-streets-of-our/) - Armed troops patrolling an American city is not a welcome sight. (Photo by Sean Lee on Unsplash)President Donald Trump’s plan to flood Democratic-led cities with armed National Guard troops, and, according to some reports, even active duty forces, is a terrible idea on many fronts.Forget the fact that the situation in the cities he’s targeting
- [The National Security Costs Of Diverting](https://thesteadystate.org/the-national-security-costs-of-diverting/) - We all want a secure border and fair enforcement of immigration laws. But at what cost? When tens of thousands of federal and local officers and agents are diverted from their core missions to immigration enforcement, most notably the mass deportation of noncitizens from this country, regardless of whether the noncitizen has a criminal record
- [Notice To Current Federal Employees](https://thesteadystate.org/notice-to-current-federal-employees/) - In recent weeks, multiple press reports have described preparations by the Trump Administration to use the government shutdown as a pretext to terminate large numbers of federal employees—particularly those perceived as insufficiently ‘loyal.’ These reports align with increasingly explicit public statements by President Trump and his advisors.At a rally, Trump declared: “We’re cleaning out the
- [Harm Close To Home Disastrous Western](https://thesteadystate.org/harm-close-to-home-disastrous-western/) - cbsnewsstatic.comhttps://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2025/09/03/7a54c771-f6bf-477d-a1f8-a9874dcd4237/cbsn-fusion-what-we-know-about-the-deadly-us-strike-against-apparent-venezuelan-drug-carrying-boat-thumbnail.jpg?width=768Trump’s second-term cannonball into the Western Hemisphere’s community pool has roiled the neighborhood. Here are a few of his brash assertions: Canada should become the 51st state. Greenland is ours. Let’s launch missiles and deploy special forces to go after narco-cartels. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that I negotiated cheats American workers. I don’t like Brazil’s
- [Coming Thursday October 16 The Steady](https://thesteadystate.org/coming-thursday-october-16-the-steady/) - This Thursday, The Steady State will release Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline— written by former U.S. intelligence and national-security professionals, applying the same analytic tradecraft used to assess threats abroad. It was written by private citizens, and with no input from any government entities, political parties or candidates. The findings are stark: the
- [The Real Weaponization Of Justice](https://thesteadystate.org/the-real-weaponization-of-justice/) - It is one of the defining ironies of our political moment: an administration that has turned the Department of Justice into an instrument of personal and political vengeance claims to be the victim of “weaponization” by the Biden administration. This height of hypocrisy is designed to project a narrative of persecution. But to anyone paying
- [A Step Too Far The Trump Administrations](https://thesteadystate.org/a-step-too-far-the-trump-administrations/) - The Chernobyl AccidentOn May 23, 2025, President Trump signed four Executive Orders to promote the development of nuclear energy. These actions build on previous administrations’ efforts to reinvigorate the U.S. nuclear industry, but they go too far by putting safety and security at risk. According to three former NRC Chairs, taking shortcuts by circumventing the
- [The Trump Foreign Policy Hollow And](https://thesteadystate.org/the-trump-foreign-policy-hollow-and/) - Trump has been anything but shy about asserting that a Nobel Peace Prize was rightfully his. At the moment, he is basking in the glow of an important achievement in that direction: his successful intervention in the Middle East to bring about a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. Newspaper headlines and round-the-world photos add
- [How To Harm Intelligence Agencies](https://thesteadystate.org/how-to-harm-intelligence-agencies/) - What part of ‘covert’ do you not understand?Most dictionaries define ‘covert’ as ‘not openly acknowledged or displayed.’ A prime example would be covert operations against a dictatorship—even by another near-dictatorship. Once they are acknowledged or announced, by definition, they cease to be covert operations.I was dumbstruck, therefore, to open up my morning newsfeed to see
- [The Trump Administrations Politicization](https://thesteadystate.org/the-trump-administrations-politicization/) - “Is Donald Trump permanently compromising US national security? The question is worth asking in light of the overhaul of major agencies, internal purges, and the demand for absolute loyalty. Supporters of the president praise his boldness, which led him, for example, to authorize strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites in June, while ruling out a
- [The Administrations New War On Drugs](https://thesteadystate.org/the-administrations-new-war-on-drugs/) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 14, 2025 in Washington, DC, provided by MSNThe Trump administration continues to up the ante on its naval combat operations in the Caribbean against alleged drug-smuggling operations, which administration officials and the president himself claim are carrying fentanyl to the United States.Since September 2, there have been at least
- [Fighting Our Neighbors Makes Us Less](https://thesteadystate.org/fighting-our-neighbors-makes-us-less/) - Americans are among the most fortunate people on earth. Our standard of living, our quality of life, the freedoms provided by our constitution and democratic institutions are (under normal times) the envy of the world. So are our natural resources, and our geopolitical, diplomatic, and military influence are unmatched. Unlike countries I served in as
- [Trumps Ukraine Whiplash The Peril](https://thesteadystate.org/trumps-ukraine-whiplash-the-peril/) - Since the moment Donald Trump returned to the White House, the world has been watching, bewilderedly, by his abrupt swings in policy toward the Ukraine war. Most recently, after voicing confidence that Ukraine could win the war against Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Trump now says he does not believe it will. The U.S. could offer Tomahawk
- [The Dangerous Strategic Logic Of](https://thesteadystate.org/the-dangerous-strategic-logic-of/) - Argentina’s Javier Milei and Elon MuskWhy is Trump meddling in the internal affairs of neighbors and allies? Is this meddling just Trump’s support for people he likes? Or is there a strategic logic at work? To get clarity we should look back to early in the Trump presidency. Trump raised eyebrows by frequently suggesting Canada
- [The Burden Of Command Setting The](https://thesteadystate.org/the-burden-of-command-setting-the/) - Bombing of Boat in the Caribbean off the Coast of VenezuelaRodrigo Duterte was President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. His focus during his presidency was his “war on drugs,” which was characterized by extrajudicial killings of people suspected of involvement in the narcotics trade. Had he not been term-limited he might still be
- [Americans This Is Happening In Your](https://thesteadystate.org/americans-this-is-happening-in-your/) - Chicago, Illinois, October 3, 2025 The non-partisan, non-sectarian Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), which has been taking opinion surveys for sixteen years, announced October 22 a stark conclusion: “Fifty-six percent of Americans agreed with the proposition that ‘President Trump is a dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy’ (up from
- [The Day After Yesterday Is Now](https://thesteadystate.org/the-day-after-yesterday-is-now/) - The Authoritarianism we Fear is Already HereSince January 2025, there has been much written about the United States’ inexorable slide toward authoritarianism. A lot of it has been in relatively muted tones, akin to whispering as we walk past the graveyard, fearful that if we speak too loudly, we’ll make the things we fear come
- [Plutonium Giveaway Another Rash Step](https://thesteadystate.org/plutonium-giveaway-another-rash-step/) - Excess plutonium stored at the Savannah River Site in South CarolinaOn May 23, President Trump signed four Executive Orders to promote the development of nuclear energy. These actions go beyond previous efforts to reinvigorate the U.S. nuclear industry both by putting safety at risk and by rashly promoting commercial use of weapon-grade plutonium. The order
- [America Is It Too Late To Stop The](https://thesteadystate.org/america-is-it-too-late-to-stop-the/) - Well, that didn’t take long.On Jan. 20, Donald Trump took the oath as America’s 47th president, having teased on the 2024 campaign trail that, if elected, he would be “dictator,” but only for “one day.” Trump kept the first part of his promise --- but not the second. Now, some ten months into unprecedented anti-democratic
- [Is America Really In Danger Of Slipping](https://thesteadystate.org/is-america-really-in-danger-of-slipping/) - “People ask: ‘Is America really in danger of slipping into authoritarianism?’ So I brought on someone who’s spent decades inside the national security world...Steven Cash of The Steady State... and his answer is the clearest, most sobering breakdown you will hear anywhere” - Jack Hopkins, Host of the Podcast “Beyond National Security and Intelligence.” youtu.be/6Inn3GAfSlo?
- [What Happens To People Under Autocratic](https://thesteadystate.org/what-happens-to-people-under-autocratic/) - What Happens to People Under Autocratic Rule?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 “No Kings” protest was so heartening. Millions of people showed
- [Are We The Baddies Funny But It Hurts](https://thesteadystate.org/are-we-the-baddies-funny-but-it-hurts/) - “We built our national security institutions to ensure we would never become what we once fought.”Earlier this week, The Steady State posted on social media a short YouTube clip on social media—a famous British comedy sketch from the 1970s titled “Are We the Baddies?” It’s a very funny skit, but also deeply unsettling. Beneath the
- [Waltzing Off To War A Dance With](https://thesteadystate.org/waltzing-off-to-war-a-dance-with/) - Dwight D. Eisenhower, architect of the Normandy Invasion and the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany, and 34th president of the United States, once said, “War settles nothing.” The Italian strategist and philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli, wrote, “Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.” Given the Trump administration’s actions in the
- [Its All A Grift](https://thesteadystate.org/its-all-a-grift/) - Donald Trump has never cared about the country, the Constitution, or the people who still believe he’s fighting for them. The only thing he has ever truly cared about is himself; his wealth, his image, and his ability to turn public office into private profit. That’s why this administration is not just corrupt, but the
- [The Theater Of Power Trump And The](https://thesteadystate.org/the-theater-of-power-trump-and-the/) - There’s a temptation to dismiss Donald Trump’s excesses—the gilded ballrooms, the golden toilets, the absurd social-media feasts of self-adulation—as simply bad taste on a spectacular scale. Or as the pure narcissism of a man who never tires of seeing himself reflected back in every mirror and camera lens.But that’s only the surface. What we are
- [Creeping Authoritarianism A Personal](https://thesteadystate.org/creeping-authoritarianism-a-personal/) - My background is largely the reason I joined the U.S. military after finishing college and why I opted to serve in the U.S. intelligence community after completing my military service.I fell in love with the United States the moment I stepped foot on US soil in January 1980. I didn’t know why. I was only
- [Summary Is American Democracy Being](https://thesteadystate.org/summary-is-american-democracy-being/) - THE STEADY STATEThe following is a summary of The Steady State’s “Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline,” published on October 16, 2025. Representing more than 340 former national security professionals — including diplomats, military officers, and intelligence officials — the Assessment is authored by former U.S. Intelligence Community analysts. Using the analytic methods they
- [He Thinks Hes The King One Year After](https://thesteadystate.org/he-thinks-hes-the-king-one-year-after/) - HELOISE KROB / FRANCEINFO / GETTY IMAGES)Since his inauguration in late January 2025, Donald Trump has made numerous actions that, according to experts, are blows to American democracy. Since returning to the White House, the American president has relentlessly sought to increase his powers and extinguish all opposition to the government, to the point of
- [What Is Behind Trumps Accusations](https://thesteadystate.org/what-is-behind-trumps-accusations/) - President Trump has settled into a groove. Every opponent, every critic, every politician with the slightest liberal leaning is a ‘socialist’, or a ‘radical leftist’, or even a ‘communist’. This abuse of language and thought has become so routine we hardly notice anymore. But we should.I know communism. I started a career at the CIA
- [Culture And Courage](https://thesteadystate.org/culture-and-courage/) - Supreme Court Justice Robert JacksonThe prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America. While the prosecutor at his best is one of the most beneficent forces in our society, when he acts from malice or other base motives, he is one of the worst.... Therein is the most
- [Inside The Walls Justice Dignity](https://thesteadystate.org/inside-the-walls-justice-dignity/) - Reflections on law, humanity, and what happens when institutions forget their purpose.Photo by Ray Graciano on Unsplash“How could you work with our governments when you know that they have no respect for the rule of law and violate human rights?”The question came from a group of lawyers and judges from the Middle East and North
- [Autocracy The Warning Signs I Saw](https://thesteadystate.org/autocracy-the-warning-signs-i-saw/) - Authoritarianism doesn’t arrive as a thunderclap. It arrives as a series of adjustments the public learns to live with.In 1989, the country where I was born, still claimed to be a democracy. Panama had elections, courts, a legislature, and a constitution. But none of those things protected us. All real power belonged to one man:
- [The Silhouette](https://thesteadystate.org/the-silhouette/) - Watching the slow march to authoritarianism in the US is triggering for many of us in the national security community who lived in authoritarian states. How can this be happening in America, when we all worked for decades against such countries that espoused ideals anathema to what our country was founded upon?My time serving for
- [When The Market Bows To Power Trumps](https://thesteadystate.org/when-the-market-bows-to-power-trumps/) - There was a time when the American state drew a sharp line between public authority and private enterprise. Government regulated, taxed, and occasionally subsidized—but it did not own. That distinction, once fundamental to both capitalism and democracy, is vanishing before our eyes.Under the Trump administration, the United States is witnessing the emergence of a hybrid
- [The Trump Administrations Crosses](https://thesteadystate.org/the-trump-administrations-crosses/)
- [While Rome Burns And What Nero Was](https://thesteadystate.org/while-rome-burns-and-what-nero-was/) - The phrase “Fiddling While Rome burns” has returned to the headlines, often used to describe the Trump Administration’s indifference—or worse, opportunism—in the face of national crisis. The expression conjures the image of Nero, the Roman emperor, blithely playing his violin while his capital city was consumed by fire. It has become a shorthand for vanity
- [The Evil Kings Evil Ministers](https://thesteadystate.org/the-evil-kings-evil-ministers/) - The phrase “the King’s evil Ministers” is older than many of the monarchies it once excused. It arose in times when the people, suffering under misrule, needed to preserve faith in the crown while explaining away tyranny. If the taxes were unjust, if wars were wasteful, if the prisons were full — it was not
- [The Sorcerers Apprentice](https://thesteadystate.org/the-sorcerers-apprentice/) - Donald Trump continues, in all his policies, all his actions, all his “alliances,” and all his statements, to demonstrate a total lack of understanding, interest in or care about the consequences of his actions, the rule of law, or the welfare of this country and its people as he desperately tries to make himself the
- [When The Purse And The Sword Collide](https://thesteadystate.org/when-the-purse-and-the-sword-collide/) - On October 11, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th. We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR
- [What Has Been Done To America Whats](https://thesteadystate.org/what-has-been-done-to-america-whats/) - Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025 reignited the intense debates about the future of democracy in America, with many observers, here and abroad, expressing concern that his actions since resuming office represent a deliberate, calculated effort to concentrate power and undermine democratic norms. Almost everything he’s done since his first day
- [Donald Trumps Path To Authoritarian](https://thesteadystate.org/donald-trumps-path-to-authoritarian/) - “Former national security official warns “Trump is moving faster than most dictators have.”“Steven Cash knows this firsthand. A former state prosecutor and senior adviser to the undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence & Analysis, he now serves as executive director of The Steady State, a pro-democracy organization of more than 360
- [Steven Cash With Larry Mantle America](https://thesteadystate.org/steven-cash-with-larry-mantle-america/)
- [Veterans Day Drama Why Trumps Oval](https://thesteadystate.org/veterans-day-drama-why-trumps-oval/) - When Donald Trump welcomed Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to the Oval Office on Veterans Day, it wasn’t just an odd diplomatic gesture, it was a tone-deaf political spectacle with serious national-security implications. On the day America honors those who served and died in uniform, the optics of rolling out the red carpet for a man
- [The Future Of Counterintelligence](https://thesteadystate.org/the-future-of-counterintelligence/) - In a 28-year career culminating in service as Director of Counterintelligence (CI) programs at the National Security Council’s Intelligence Directorate, I participated in many debates about how to improve U.S. CI operations. Should we have our own internal service akin to the British MI5, a secret CI and counterterrorism agency without arrest or other law
- [When Things Get Tough Rogues Start](https://thesteadystate.org/when-things-get-tough-rogues-start/) - U.S. military actions in Venezuela could lead to wider regional conflict. (Photo by Angelito Catolos on Unsplash)Diverting Attention from Domestic ProblemsWhile autocrats seek dominion over their nations’ people, unlike bygone dictators such as Hitler and Stalin, direct military domination is not the strategic goal for today’s aspiring authoritarian rulers. To entrench their rule, most authoritarian
- [Becoming A Ham Sandwich](https://thesteadystate.org/becoming-a-ham-sandwich/) - Judge Sol Wachtler, then Chief Judge of New York, famously quipped that a prosecutor could persuade a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich.” For decades the line has been repeated as gospel truth by journalists, critics, defense lawyers, and even prosecutors themselves — a shorthand for the notion that grand juries are rubber stamps,
- [Why President Trumps Embrace Of Crown](https://thesteadystate.org/why-president-trumps-embrace-of-crown/) - By POMED - https://www.flickr.com/photos/154085524@N02/48826783596/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92884583To mark the one-year anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder, POMED and 12 other human rights and press freedom organizations held a public event on Capitol Hill to commemorate Jamal’s life, to call for accountability, and to cast a light on the Saudi government’s repression of those who
- [The Steady State Stands With Six](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-stands-with-six/) - [PDF AVAILABLE HERE]The Steady State—representing more than 360 former senior national-security, intelligence, diplomatic, military, law-enforcement, and homeland-security officials—strongly supports the six Members of Congress, all defense or intelligence veterans who this week released a video reminding U.S. military and intelligence personnel that they must not follow unlawful orders.[i]This principle is not controversial. It is not
- [Capabilities Not Authorities The](https://thesteadystate.org/capabilities-not-authorities-the/) - For decades, when Americans worried about government overreach, they argued about authorities—laws, regulations, and formal constraints that define what federal agencies are allowed to do. That focus made sense in an era when statutes were relatively stable, when guardrails were meaningful, and when administrations of both parties tended to treat legal constraints, even when frustrating,
- [Does Donald Trump Understand What](https://thesteadystate.org/does-donald-trump-understand-what/) - (photo from The backstory of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier : NPR)Much has been written about Trump’s shoddy stewardship of American foreign policy. He is ignorant and contemptuous of the world’s complexity, he does not trouble to learn, and he does not seem to realize or care about how little he understands. He
- [The Five Eyes Are Blinking](https://thesteadystate.org/the-five-eyes-are-blinking/) - The military buildup around Venezuela has prompted allies to stop sharing some intelligence with the U.S.Illustration by Noah Hickey/The Dispatch (Photos via Getty Images)“The Trump administration’s military buildup around Venezuela has drawn condemnation and concern from allies, and the U.K. and Canada are not just speaking out: Reports indicate that their intelligence and security services
- [Trumps Ukraine Peace Plan Is A Gift](https://thesteadystate.org/trumps-ukraine-peace-plan-is-a-gift/) - By excluding Kyiv and Europe and imposing a Thanksgiving deadline, Trump is normalizing territorial conquest and undermining U.S. alliesDonald Trump’s latest “peace plan” for Ukraine, rolled out through his real-estate-developer-turned-envoy, Steven Witkoff, tells us far more about Trump’s instincts and vulnerabilities than it does about any serious diplomatic effort. The proposal, which was developed without
- [The Distance That Defines The Bureau](https://thesteadystate.org/the-distance-that-defines-the-bureau/) - Donald Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi, unveil the results of “Operation Summer Heat,” Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in the Oval Office.During the years I worked in Embassies in Europe, Africa and the Middle East for the FBI, one of the things I heard repeatedly was how lucky we were to
- [Asking Soldiers To Obey The Ucmj](https://thesteadystate.org/asking-soldiers-to-obey-the-ucmj/) - Donald Trump spent Thursday demanding the death penalty for seven Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a video reminding U.S. service members of something every recruit learns in basic training: you are obligated to refuse unlawful orders. That’s it. That was the “crime.” And in any sane era, this would be the end of the story.
- [You Be The Judge From Deportation](https://thesteadystate.org/you-be-the-judge-from-deportation/) - Language is never neutral in government and nowhere is this clearer than in the recent decision by the Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department recruiters to describe immigration adjudicators as “Deportation Judges.”Titles shape expectations. A judge’s title should signal impartiality, not a preordained outcome. By embedding the expected result—deportation—into the title itself, the government
- [When Law Becomes Optional The Dangerous](https://thesteadystate.org/when-law-becomes-optional-the-dangerous/) - Earlier this month, six Members of Congress — all with deep national-security experience and long records of oversight — released what should have been an entirely unremarkable video. Their message was simple: the United States military follows the law, and service members are obligated to refuse unlawful orders.This principle is not radical. It is not
- [Trump May Not Be A Fascist Does It](https://thesteadystate.org/trump-may-not-be-a-fascist-does-it/) - There is some confusion about the correct terminology to describe Donald Trump. Is he a fascist? An aspiring dictator? A populist authoritarian? And what about those around Trump–-are they even worse?A good place to start is to focus on which foreign leaders Trump seems to favor, and why. Many have noticed his admiration for Vladimir
- [Americas City On A Hill On A Slippery](https://thesteadystate.org/americas-city-on-a-hill-on-a-slippery/) - “Where liberty is, there is my country,” Ben Franklin reputedly said. To which Thomas Paine added, “Where liberty is not, there is my country.” Generations of American diplomats and intelligence officers have carried their core convictions with them: personifying our values, dedicated to defending the constitution and the rule of law--speaking truth to power.The 140
- [Liberal Vs Conservative Or Maga Vs](https://thesteadystate.org/liberal-vs-conservative-or-maga-vs/) - There is a Grand Canyon-sized divide between the political players in today’s United States, and none of the labels we are used to begin to describe the differences between the factions or accurately convey what those factions represent.As my sixth-grade teacher, Birdie Collins (yes, that is a real name) used to say, if you are
- [Statement On The Killing Of Survivors](https://thesteadystate.org/statement-on-the-killing-of-survivors/) - [SEE LINK FOR PDF VERSION]Statement on the Killing of Survivors of U.S. Navy attack on an unarmed civilian craft posing no danger to U.S. Forces and not engaged in combatThe Steady State condemns in the strongest possible terms the deliberate killing of unarmed men clinging to the wreckage of a vessel destroyed by the U.S.
- [Honduran President Hernandez Walks](https://thesteadystate.org/honduran-president-hernandez-walks/) - “A stereotypical bad guy’…Orlando Hernandez once boasted he would stuff cocaine right up the noses of the gringos, but the former Honduran president, convicted and sentenced to 45 years for drug trafficking, [walked] out of his Manhattan jail cell with a pardon from Donald Trump….The same US President who is currently pursuing Venezuela’s President over
- [Doge Is Officially Dead What Did](https://thesteadystate.org/doge-is-officially-dead-what-did/) - Now that Trump and Musk’s “foreign aid replacement” has been shuttered, it’s time to tally the damage.The official end of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was as abrupt as its creation. Born from a presidential signature, amplified by a Musk tweet and justified with vague claims about “saving billions,” the operation has been shut
- [At The Breaking Point The State Of](https://thesteadystate.org/at-the-breaking-point-the-state-of/) - A report prepared by the American Foreign Service Association, released December 3, 2025. “America’s global leadership depends on a strong, professional diplomatic workforce. But in 2025, the U.S. Foreign Service faces an unprecedented crisis. Personnel losses, political interference, and the erosion of America’s soft power have pushed the diplomatic corps to a breaking point—just as
- [Changing Face Of A City Moscow On](https://thesteadystate.org/changing-face-of-a-city-moscow-on/) - Soldiers in uniform on a Moscow street. ()Photo by Sergey Beschastnykh on Unsplash)Until just recently, Washington, DC was always one of my favorite places to visit. When in the nation’s capital, it was hard not to think about the concept of democracy. I mean, after all, this city is sort of the ‘cradle of democracy,’
- [Politics Driving Dod Personnel Initiatives](https://thesteadystate.org/politics-driving-dod-personnel-initiatives/) - Over the weekend of November 8-9, the New York Times published an article examining the Trump administration’s latest personnel purge, without explanation, of almost two dozen senior uniformed military officers. This represented significant negative implications for democracy, civil-military relations, and a non-political uniformed military.However, there is another negative consequence of such purges --- the risk
- [Destroying American Diplomacy Pulling](https://thesteadystate.org/destroying-american-diplomacy-pulling/) - Diplomacy as we know it is fading fast if Congress doesn’t act.During Donald Trump’s first term as president (2017-2021), he was in constant conflict with what he termed the ‘Deep State,’ one component of which was the U.S. Department of State. His ‘art of the deal,’ impulse-driven approach to foreign policy was often at odds
- [The Birthday Parks A Small Thing](https://thesteadystate.org/the-birthday-parks-a-small-thing/) - At first glance, the December 5 announcement that national parks will be “free to honor the President on his birthday” may seem trivial — a bit of political theater, perhaps, or an unserious flourish meant to provoke. It is easy to shrug and move on. We should not.In the long and saddening record of how
- [What Is This Foreign Service How](https://thesteadystate.org/what-is-this-foreign-service-how/) - My colleague Charles Ray, commenting on the dire condition of the U.S. Foreign Service reflected in the December 3 2025 report by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), rightly emphasized that the current hostile Administration’s savaging of the Service is a self-inflicted wound, damaging the United States.But what is this Foreign Service? How does it
- [Hegseth A Security Risk To The United](https://thesteadystate.org/hegseth-a-security-risk-to-the-united/) - “(T)he Secretary’s actions created a risk to operational security that could have resulted in failed U.S. mission objectives and potential harm to U.S. pilots.” As a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in charge of Security and Information Operations, I can attest to the fact that in our nation’s history, never has a more damning
- [A Dangerous Strategy That Distances](https://thesteadystate.org/a-dangerous-strategy-that-distances/) - Having led seminars on strategy at the National War College, I would have failed any student who produced President Trump’s new National Security Strategy. It is unworthy of a democracy, particularly one that has so successfully allied with other democratic states to bolster collective security and advance shared interests.Until Trump, America’s security strategy has been
- [Trumps Un American National Security](https://thesteadystate.org/trumps-un-american-national-security/) - “The [NSS] unexpectedly echoes what we have been saying for over a year: security must be shared and sovereignty respected.” Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry MedvedevThe Trump administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) dropped on December 4, 2025. The NSS is mandated by the Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986) that requires each administration to produce a public
- [For The Sake Of The Fbi And The Us](https://thesteadystate.org/for-the-sake-of-the-fbi-and-the-us/) - “Spies Like Us” Neil and Phil, are joined by former FBI agent (and member of The Steady State) to talk about “what the heck is happening at the FBI.” 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 Steady State Quick Hit Assessing](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-quick-hit-assessing/) - You are invited to listen to the following “Quick Hit” Open Press Conference held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. HERE IS THE LINK The press conference focused on the recently published Trump National Security Strategy. The press conference was hosted by Steven Cash, the Executive Director of The Steady State, with the participation of:Gail Helt
- [Letter The Steady State To Us Senate](https://thesteadystate.org/letter-the-steady-state-to-us-senate/) - ORIGINAL LETTER PDF HEREWashington, DC 20510Subject: Nomination of Ms. Lindsey Halligan for United States AttorneyDear Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Durbin:I write on behalf of The Steady State– former senior national security officials from Democratic and Republican administrations – because the potential nomination of Ms. Lindsey Halligan to serve as United States Attorney for the
- [Countering Domestic Terrorism And](https://thesteadystate.org/countering-domestic-terrorism-and/) - On December 4, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memorandum to the FBI implementing President Trump’s September 2025 directive on Domestic Terrorism (NSPM-7) that has been described as “a declaration of war on just about anyone who isn’t MAGA”.)Bondi’s memo breaks sharply with more than forty years of accepted practice, in which investigations have
- [The Steady State To Launch Podcast](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-to-launch-podcast/) - You are invited to Save The Date—January 6, 2026--and join us for the inaugural episode of The Steady State Sentinel! More To Come...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
- [Have You No Sense Of Decency](https://thesteadystate.org/have-you-no-sense-of-decency/) - Rob Reiner (March 6, 1947 – December 14, 2025)Early this morning, former President Donald Trump issued a public statement concerning the reported brutal murder of filmmaker Rob Reiner. The statement was explicit, detailed, and unambiguous. Trump wrote:“Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together
- [The Wars That Donald Trump Didnt](https://thesteadystate.org/the-wars-that-donald-trump-didnt/) - The Sudan civil war has raged for almost three years, and Trump is just now noticing. (Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash)During the 2024 presidential campaign, and frequently since his inauguration, Donald Trump has endeavored to portray himself as the ‘Peace President’, whose masterful skills as a dealmaker will end some of the world’s most
- [Awash In Unmanaged Crises And Distractions](https://thesteadystate.org/awash-in-unmanaged-crises-and-distractions/) - Kirsty Wigglesworth/ Getty Images, with thanks to PoliticoAmong the many wise leadership councils of the Western world, there is one foreign intelligence chief who has stepped out onto the global stage and shaken the remains of the now defunct American-European-Asian axis, a strategic grouping that stood for decades in opposition to the threatening, shifting alliances
- [The Steady State Sentinel Stay Tuned](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-stay-tuned/) - You are invited to join us on January 6, 2026 for the inaugural episode of The Steady State Sentinel! Meet our hosts—seasoned national-security professionals and leaders—coming together to speak plainly about the forces pulling America away from democracy.Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 360 former senior national
- [Leaving The Intelligence Community](https://thesteadystate.org/leaving-the-intelligence-community/) - I am an analyst in the US intelligence community and, for the last eleven months, I’ve found myself increasingly struggling with my individual ethical responsibility working for one of the most powerful institutions on earth. I’m not a manager or executive in my organization, but I share the weight of responsible professionalism in an increasingly
- [Where Is Trump Leading America](https://thesteadystate.org/where-is-trump-leading-america/) - MAGA adherents fear that change is passing them by. They are suspicious about globalization and resent the disruption of their lives and economic expectations it has brought. Trust that Trump can set their world to rights has not been exhausted, despite his awful behavior, broken promises, and confused and contradictory domestic and foreign policies. Trump
- [Bongino Quits Fbi](https://thesteadystate.org/bongino-quits-fbi/) - FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino (Good Dan in Italian) has told colleagues he plans to step down at the end of the year, according to MS NOW and major news outlets. He’s reportedly not returning to work. Perhaps not enough good days in his job.In February 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel selected him to serve
- [Why Are We In Venezuela The Enemy](https://thesteadystate.org/why-are-we-in-venezuela-the-enemy/) - PHOTO CREDIT: Rawpixel.comFentanyl as the New Terrorist WMD“…The Trump executive order [designating Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction] asserts that fentanyl’s lethality renders it a “chemical weapon,” and links it—without specifying any evidence—to assassinations, terrorist acts, insurgencies, and the potential for use by America’s adversaries in concentrated, large-scale terror attacks, implicitly invoking the logic
- [The New National Security Strategy](https://thesteadystate.org/the-new-national-security-strategy/) - “The first official National Security Strategy (NSS) of the second Trump administration, dated November 2025 and publicly issued in early December 2025, is a document that some will hate and some will love. But many will scratch their heads in bewilderment as they try to determine what it means for global security for the next
- [Susie Wiles Is Telling Us About Us](https://thesteadystate.org/susie-wiles-is-telling-us-about-us/) - Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff, in a recent set of Vanity Fair interviews, just told us a lot about what is going on in the White House. Vanity Fair’s reporting shows that Ms. Wiles has Trump’s trust and is managing to keep most of the ‘big personalities’ corralled and supporting Trump’s agenda. This
- [The Steady State Sentinel Podcast](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast/) - Our Steady State Sentinel Podcast Hosts! Meet them on January 6!!!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
- [Shattered Trust](https://thesteadystate.org/shattered-trust/) - The Golden Age of America begins right now,” promised President Donald Trump in his Inaugural Address on January 20 2025. “From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world.” The “crisis of trust” in American leadership that our “corrupt” elites had created was over.On December 5, a triumphant
- [The Mass Recall Of Experienced Us](https://thesteadystate.org/the-mass-recall-of-experienced-us/) - Photo of the former Ambassadorial Residence in Baku, AzerbaijanAs we consider the consequences to our national security, well being and prosperity that the Administration’s firing of 30 experienced ambassadors (replacements for whom no candidates have been nominated) has wrought, we cannot set aside the cruelty of this sudden and expedited recall of these ambassadors and
- [The Steady State Sentinel Podcast C81](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-c81/) - 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,
- [We Are Not Negotiating A Ukrainian](https://thesteadystate.org/we-are-not-negotiating-a-ukrainian/) - It is ever so difficult to watch the US sit on its hands while the heavily burdened Ukrainian President Zelensky turns himself inside out in repetitive fits of coerced reimagination to reach an agreement acceptable to the US on how the two shall approach Putin. This interminable stretch of US-driven futility is particularly hard to
- [Nspm 7 And The Constitution A Dangerous](https://thesteadystate.org/nspm-7-and-the-constitution-a-dangerous/) - On September 25, 2025, the Trump administration issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence.” The memorandum explicitly identifies anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity, extremism on migration, race, and gender, and hostility against those who hold so-called traditional American views on family, religion, and morality as indicators of domestic terrorism. Unlike
- [The Steady State Sentinel Podcast 17A](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-podcast-17a/) - Check out this teaser to our Steady Stage Sentinel Podcast coming January 6! #stillStandingWatch
- [The Alts Civil Society Digital Dissent](https://thesteadystate.org/the-alts-civil-society-digital-dissent/) - Over the past year, a quiet but notable development has taken shape across social-media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky: the growing visibility of accounts styled as “Alt” versions of government agencies — Alt DOJ, Alt State, Alt EPA, and dozens of variations beyond. These accounts are often operated by former federal officials
- [The Staffing Of Trump 20 Creating](https://thesteadystate.org/the-staffing-of-trump-20-creating/) - The oath of allegiance taken by George Washington while encamped at Valley Forge, due to a Congressional Resolve of Feb. 3, 1778, that directed ‘every officer who holds or shall hereafter hold a commission or office from Congress’ to take such oath. (National Archives 12043370)In his first administration (2017-2021), Donald Trump vowed to ‘drain the
- [Announcing The Steady State Auxiliary](https://thesteadystate.org/announcing-the-steady-state-auxiliary/) - Over the past several months, we have heard from many people who want to be involved in The Steady State’s work — to advocate, educate, and sound the alarm about the existential threat facing American democracy: the rise of authoritarianism led by Donald Trump, his associates, and his family. The Steady State’s core membership is,
- [Venezuela Shows The Danger Of Power](https://thesteadystate.org/venezuela-shows-the-danger-of-power/) - On January 2, the United States armed forces conducted a military operation which resulted in the seizure and detention of another country’s sitting president and his wife. The precise legal authority invoked for this operation remains unclear. What is apparent, however, is that the justification appears to rest on a familiar but troubling fusion: elements
- [Going To Venezuela A Policy Patchwork](https://thesteadystate.org/going-to-venezuela-a-policy-patchwork/) - The Consequences of the Action in Venezuela are unknown at this point. The purpose here is to look at several factors unique to the Trump Administration that likely went into the decision.In the coming days and weeks, we will learn a good deal more about the Trump administration’s reasoning, its expectations, and what follow-on steps
- [The Staffing Of Trump 20 Part 2 Rules](https://thesteadystate.org/the-staffing-of-trump-20-part-2-rules/) - The oath of allegiance taken by George Washington while encamped at Valley Forge, due to a Congressional Resolve of Feb. 3, 1778, that directed ‘every officer who holds or shall hereafter hold a commission or office from Congress’ to take such oath. (National Archives 12043370)In the first part of this series, we examined first-year hires
- [The Steady State Sentinel Inaugural](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-sentinel-inaugural/) - The Steady State Sentinel is produced by The Steady State, a community of former national security professionals who spent their careers safeguarding the United States at home and abroad. Today, we continue that mission by staying true to our oaths to defend the Constitution, uphold democracy, and protect national security. Each episode features expert hosts
- [Venezuela After Maduro Six Questions](https://thesteadystate.org/venezuela-after-maduro-six-questions/) - New Map of Venezuela and Gulf of AmericaThe United States’ seizure and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 has already produced a flood of contradictory claims and counterclaims. The Trump administration says it is now “running” Venezuela. But President Donald Trump has also said that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez remains in
- [Us National Security And Globalism](https://thesteadystate.org/us-national-security-and-globalism/) - The U.S. has carved out its own neighborhood, leaving Russia and China to carve out theirs, free of unhelpful western influences and able to license their authoritarian satraps to act in the narrowest of interests.The action by the US in Venezuela at the dawn of 2026 has put in place a vast and very likely
- [Too Many Of Our Leaders Are No Longer 508](https://thesteadystate.org/too-many-of-our-leaders-are-no-longer-508/) - On the anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, veteran national-security leaders and Steady State Sentinel hosts Lauren Anderson, James Lawler, Peter Mina and John Sipher break their silence. Drawing on decades of service in the CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security (DHS), they share where they were that day, what they
- [The Wrong Question About Venezuela](https://thesteadystate.org/the-wrong-question-about-venezuela/) - New York City Demonstrations in response to US operations in Venezuela - January 3, 2026Begin with the terrifying thought: “What if the people now exercising power in Washington truly intend not merely to strike Venezuela, or to coerce it, but to run it?” The President has said as much.That is the question increasingly discussed in
- [The Steady State Quick Hit The Us](https://thesteadystate.org/the-steady-state-quick-hit-the-us/) - The Steady State “Quick Hits” are biweekly meetings held between The Steady State and local/national press discussing current events in the political and intelligence communities. The U.S. attack on Venezuela represented a significant acceleration in the foreign policy realm, of Presidential unilateralism, and illustrated how an increasingly authoritarian executive branch acts outside Constitutional constraints. View
- [Its Not Sedition Its American](https://thesteadystate.org/its-not-sedition-its-american/) - Easy to overlook in the flood of news about Venezuela was the announcement by Secretary of Defense (yes, Defense) Hegseth that he had issued a Letter of Censure to retired Navy captain and Senator Mark Kelly and referred him for further possible administrative action to reduce his retired rank and pay. These actions are taken,
- [Opinion Power Dominance And The Authoritarian](https://thesteadystate.org/opinion-power-dominance-and-the-authoritarian/) - History shows that authoritarian leaders often justify power through dominance—over institutions, rivals, and entire regions. Figures such as Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and Panama’s Manuel Noriega relied on a familiar playbook: centralizing authority, sidelining independent checks, suppressing dissent, and framing coercion as necessary for national security or sovereignty. I lived under the Noriega regime.That pattern is
- [It Couldn’t Happen Here…Until it Did](https://thesteadystate.org/it-couldnt-happen-hereuntil-it-did/) - Authors’ Names Withheld Photo By Scott Carter/Medium“When Fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross.” Sinclair Lewis, 1935 Authoritarianism rarely announces itself. It arrives incrementally—one norm broken, one institution weakened, one opponent demonized, one loyalist installed at a time. The pattern is now manifest in the United States,

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## Portfolio Items

- [Steady State Short -- The evolution of DHS](https://thesteadystate.org/portfolio-item/steady-state-short-the-evolution-of-dhs/) - Powered by WPeMatico
- [Is the U.S. approaching autocracy, or are we already there?](https://thesteadystate.org/portfolio-item/is-the-u-s-approaching-autocracy-or-are-we-already-there/) - A question asked often these days is whether the U.S. is approaching a slide downwards toward authoritarianism.According to a report from The Steady State, an organization of over 300 former national security and intelligence professionals, we are, regrettably, not on the precipice, but moving down that slope.The report, “Accelerating Authoritarian Dynamics: Assessment of Democratic Decline,”
- [Statement on the January 24, 2026, Minneapolis Shooting](https://thesteadystate.org/portfolio-item/statement-on-the-january-24-2026-minneapolis-shooting/) - Statement on the January 24, 2026, Minneapolis ShootingFor Immediate Release January 24, 2026The Steady State unequivocally condemns the fatal shooting earlier today in Minneapolis by ICE (DHS) paramilitary officers, in which a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident [Alex Pretti] was shot and killed at the intersection of 26th Street West and Nicollet Avenue. This incident constitutes another
- [A short video in the wake of January 24, 2026 Minneapolis shooting](https://thesteadystate.org/portfolio-item/a-short-video-in-the-wake-of-january-24-2026-minneapolis-shooting/) - Powered by WPeMatico
- [The Department of Homeland Security becomes our own Ministry of Interior.](https://thesteadystate.org/portfolio-item/the-department-of-homeland-security-becomes-our-own-ministry-of-interior/) - 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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