Joshua Zeitz

Hoboken

Contributing Writer, POLITICO Magazine at POLITICO

Historian. Liberal Zionist. Contributing writer @Politico Magazine. NYT bestselling author. Retweets & likes = interesting, not endorsements.

Articles

Sending in the Troops Can Burnish a Presidency - or Backfire Spectacularly

2 weeks ago | politico.com | Joshua Zeitz

In several notable instances throughout American history, U.S. presidents have deployed active-duty military troops — not just National Guard or reservists — to quash unrest or enforce domestic order. The political fallout has varied from one episode to another, yet a distinct pattern stands out: When presidents intervene to restore public safety during acute civil disorder, they often enjoy public support.
What History Shows About Sending in Troops to Crush Protests

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Joshua Zeitz

President Donald Trump has long mused about his desire to send in troops to crush political protests, but his decision to deploy 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles, ostensibly to protect federal offices and employees from unruly protesters, still registered as a jolt for many. The administration had already federalized 4,000 members of the California National Guard over the express objection of both local authorities and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
These Presidential Breakups From History Have a Lesson for Elon Musk

2 weeks ago | politico.com | Joshua Zeitz

The blowup devolved into Musk saying Trump is in the Epstein files and the president’s minions calling on him to deport Musk, a South African immigrant and naturalized citizen of the United States. Not since the Bennifer breakup — the first or second one, reader’s choice — has a relationship’s demise attracted such rapturous attention, especially in politics. But we have been here before. Presidents have long enjoyed symbiotic relationships with captains of industry and media.
These Presidential Breakups From History Have a Lesson for Elon Musk

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Joshua Zeitz

This week, the vaunted political marriage between President Donald Trump and multipreneur Elon Musk blew up in spectacular fashion, as both men — once a seemingly unstoppable force — traded barbs on their respective social media platforms. “Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” Musk posted on X. “Elon was wearing thin, I asked him to leave,” Trump retorted on Truth Social.
Mike Waltz Got Too Big for His Britches. It’s Practically an American Tradition.

1 month ago | politico.com | Joshua Zeitz

Waltz wasn’t the first, nor is he likely to be the last. It’s practically a tradition in American politics: Former elected officials, accustomed to being bosses, leap at the prospect of powerful jobs in the executive branch — only to find themselves bristling at their subservience to the awesome power of the president. It’s happened again and again, going back to the Civil War. And again and again, just like with Waltz, it leads to ruin.
Mike Waltz Got Too Big for His Britches. It’s Practically an American Tradition.

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Joshua Zeitz

$1 Trillion In Economic Damage From U.S. House’s Reconciliation BillThe “One Big Beautiful Bill” moving through the United States House of Representatives is being advertised as an economic engine, but that rhetoric masks its reality. The current bill text would grind our economy to a halt by stealing 830,000 jobs by 2030, costing America more than $1 trillion in …
Mike Waltz Fell Into an Age-Old Trap in Political History

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Joshua Zeitz

In the end, it wasn’t Signalgate that toppled Mike Waltz, the former national security adviser whom President Donald Trump abruptly fired, though as a concession prize, the onetime congressman was nominated to serve as United Nations ambassador. Instead, according to the Washington Post, the president’s increasing ire at Waltz also owed to Waltz’s hawkish stance on Iran, a position that placed him out of step with the administration.
5/19/25 National Security News and Commentary

1 month ago | myemail.constantcontact.com | Patrick Tucker |Joshua Zeitz |Amy Knight |Mary Anastasia O’Grady

Quotes of the Day:“The world is full of frightened little children. Being frightened, they frighten each other. Try to understand.”– William Saroyan“The library book had been burning a hole in his rucksack; at Oklahoma City he noticed a postal box at the freight depot and, on impulse, dropped the book into it.
The IRS Has Only Pulled a University’s Tax Exemption Once. Here’s What Happened.

2 months ago | politico.com | Joshua Zeitz

It may seem like an unprecedented situation — and in a lot of ways, it is. Never before has an administration used the power of federal funding to attempt a wholesale takeover of a university. But there is some historical precedent for stripping a school of its tax-exempt status — a measure that would have crippling effects, making the university’s endowment income taxable and disallowing donors from claiming charitable exemptions on their gifts.
The IRS Has Only Pulled a University’s Tax Exemption Once. Here’s What Happened.

2 months ago | flipboard.com | Joshua Zeitz

6 hours agoThe pressure is on for Trump to deliver trade deals fast before the tariff pause endsWith little more than 70 days left before higher tariffs return for 75 trading partners, President Donald Trump and his administration are under pressure to finalize trade deals before time runs out.