Columnist for MSNOW, Public Notice. Formerly: Washington Post, The Week, American Prospect. Subscribe to my newsletter! The Cross Section: paulwaldman.substack.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtwccjfn5c2xWhat Trump’s latest idiotic trade war with Canada and his disastrous war with Iran have in common: He wants to dominate, and he winds up looking like a loser. The latest at my newsletter: https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/trumps-obsession-with-dominance-has25 Aug 2026 17:02 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtwccjfn5c2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtuumgwkhk2wI understand the confidence about how this will all end, but I'm still livid at the Postmaster General for having the gall to say the USPS has the right to decide who gets to vote, when the USPS's actual job is to DELIVER THE GODDAMN MAIL, including every ballot, whether Donald Trump likes it or not [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Aug 2026 03:24 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtuumgwkhk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtmk2w2hrk2lWe had some technical difficulties that kept me out of this video for the first 11 minutes, but Aaron stepped up and drove the train by himself until I could get in, then we cooked together for the rest of the hour: https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/magas-natalie-harp-meltdown21 Aug 2026 19:54 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmk2w2hrk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtmjkphugk2lImportant to note that what got Hegseth angry wasn't anything "woke" but reporting that highlighted issues like housing affordability around military bases. In other words, Stars and Stripes has been genuinely serving the troops, and the Trump administration won't allow that. [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Aug 2026 19:45 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmjkphugk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtmcx24zyk22Recommendation: "Etna" by Paul Yoon is terrific. Admittedly, I'm a sucker for terribly sad novels about/written from the perspective of animals. @bbolander.bsky.social's "The Only Harmless Great Thing" is one of my favorite books of all time - just devastating. Anyhow, "Etna" is great.21 Aug 2026 17:47 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmcx24zyk22https://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtmailrmjk2tThe Michael Cohen reemergence is a reminder of Trump's ascent. When he joined Trump, he was the kind of lawyer Trump had: dipshit from the country's worst law school eager to cosplay as a mobster and do crimes. Now Trump's lawyers are from white-shoe firms. They also do crimes, but classier ones.21 Aug 2026 17:03 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmailrmjk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtlyfvrfss2tI try to be cool about celebrity encounters but once I made a reference in a column to Bill and Opus' presidential campaign ("This time, why not the worst?"), Berke Breathed sent me an email complimenting me, and I was high on that FOR DAYS. Couldn't stop smiling. All-time career highlight. [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Aug 2026 14:38 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtlyfvrfss2thttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtlw7m4efk2tNice insight here. This is a key part of referential and ironic humor as well (h/t @dannagal.bsky.social) - the pleasure comes partly from realizing you've decoded the joke. The little bit of mystery in Ossoff's remark helped propel it forward. [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Aug 2026 13:59 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtlw7m4efk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtjvy62drk2eWake up babe20 Aug 2026 18:49 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjvy62drk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtjpov6ya22fIncludes a brief discussion of ICHRAs, a fun new way for your employer to give you crappier health coverage you have to pay more for. Innovative! [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Aug 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjpov6ya22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtjph75h422f“What’s the optimal health care system?” and “What should Democrats advocate NEXT?” are different questions. Which is why campaigning on a Medicare buy-in is the best option in 2028. The latest at my newsletter: https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/how-democrats-can-avoid-screwing20 Aug 2026 16:53 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjph75h422fhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtjf4odlqc2fGlad to see others are exploring the dynamic @schaller67.bsky.social and l discussed in White Rural Rage, that the Republicans who control every lever of power in rural America make their constituents' lives worse, then successfully blame Democrats for the results. Not only that... [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Aug 2026 13:48 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjf4odlqc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtjejt5fss2fYay financial "innovation," America is back [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Aug 2026 13:37 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjejt5fss2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mti6kgzses2yNot a problem, everyone in this administration is super-professional and totally locked down when it comes to opsec, it's not like DoD and NSC leadership are gabbing about war plans on Signal chats without knowing who's listening or anything dumb like that [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Aug 2026 02:17 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mti6kgzses2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mthjqxfey22s"This guy worked a blue-collar job for a mere 40 years and saved enough money to retire, what madness is this???" https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/the-journal/he-been-a-costco-cashier-for-40-years-now-hes-a-millionaire/69148408-0a18-44e3-84d0-4b574b86ce5f19 Aug 2026 20:05 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mthjqxfey22shttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mthfmmprec2sComing up on MS NOW at 3 pm, tune in if you dare19 Aug 2026 18:51 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mthfmmprec2shttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mth6s23gjk2jSame with Carville: 34 years later his opinions are still treated as worthy of attention because he happened to spend a year working for the most gifted politician of the Baby Boom generation [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Aug 2026 16:49 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mth6s23gjk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mth6jakv3k2j"distracted and detracted from the power of the message" - the only way to understand this is that "the message" is "something one might deliver to a focus group in a controlled setting to evaluate their reaction." But that's not the real world! The real world arrives through the media. Just how... [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Aug 2026 16:44 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mth6jakv3k2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtgswsh4us22This is curious, given that this is a deep-blue district and Richie Neal is just the kind of been-around-forever, corporate-certified, unconcerned-with-the-little-people Dem who has been targeted by the left this year. He's got a lefty challenger but the race has gotten no attention. [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Aug 2026 13:17 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgswsh4us22https://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtgr6qnwyc25This story is proof that we've gone too far in allowing white people entry into the journalism industry, and there's a long-overdue discussion about whether undeserving white people have been promoted over more qualified minorities that we need to have. Right? https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/08/18/random-house-suspends-sales-ross-barkan-book-after-plagiarism-investigation/19 Aug 2026 12:46 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgr6qnwyc25https://bsky.app/profile/paulwaldman.bsky.social/post/3mtfnpowxjs2qNow it's getting good: the Trump aides who have had it in for Harp are going to reporters to dish the dirt [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Aug 2026 02:11 +0000at://did:plc:qlnirjwff4ibiw3wchmleszo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtfnpowxjs2q