The hottest U.S. Politics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top U.S. Politics Topics

The Use of Free Labor

David Friedman’s Substack • 377 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal system Economic Implications Public Policy
  1. Jury duty often feels like free labor because jurors aren't paid much and can spend a lot of time waiting around. This makes people question if their time is valued in the process.
  2. The jury selection process is complicated and mandatory, leaving many jurors feeling like they have no say in the matter. They are told how important their role is, even though they didn't choose to be there.
  3. During jury duty, jurors are often given a lot of information about the system, but it's hard to ignore their pre-existing beliefs and experiences when making decisions. This makes the idea of being an impartial juror a bit more complicated.

Mistakes at ‘The New York Times’ Only Go in One Direction

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1391 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism Media Israel Gaza Public Opinion
  1. The New York Times published a story about hunger in Gaza that gained significant attention but later needed a correction. This shows how quickly misinformation can spread.
  2. The original article used information from the Gaza Ministry of Health, which has a history of reporting inaccuracies. This puts the reliability of sources into question.
  3. Even after the correction, the initial message still affected public opinion and led to calls for action against Israel. It highlights how impactful stories can shape perceptions, even if later corrected.

Implications of Academic Dishonesty

David Friedman’s Substack • 359 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legislation Transparency Political Ethics Academic Integrity Public Policy
  1. Some politicians believe that being dishonest can help get important laws passed. They might think that a little deceit is okay if it leads to a good outcome.
  2. Academics sometimes choose not to share certain facts because they believe it could hurt public support for funding. This can lead to a loss of trust in their work.
  3. If experts twist the truth a bit to push their views, it could result in incorrect conclusions in major areas like climate science. This might harm the credibility of the scientific community.
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TGIF: Welcome to America, Greenland

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 4511 implied HN points • 27 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political News Elections Government Legislation Political Commentary
  1. Trump is reportedly serious about acquiring new territories like Greenland and the Panama Canal, marking a shift in America's approach to territory expansion.
  2. A Republican congresswoman has been found living in a senior care facility, raising questions about the effectiveness of political leadership in D.C.
  3. There is a clash within the MAGA movement as traditional conservatives and tech advocates clash over policy decisions, highlighting divisions in the party.

Why a MAGA influencer turned on Trump

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 3971 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Influence Social media Elections Youth Politics Political trends
  1. A MAGA influencer named Clarkson Lawson changed his political views and voted for Kamala Harris, surprising many of his fans. His journey shows how influencers can evolve and reshape their beliefs over time.
  2. There's a legal battle between major talent agencies in Hollywood, with one agency accusing another of violating industry rules. This conflict highlights the competitive nature of the entertainment business.
  3. Zyn nicotine pouches have become very popular among younger people, especially for managing long workdays and social nights. Their rise reflects a trend in how individuals are seeking new ways to cope with modern stress.

Are Things Falling Apart?

Nonzero Newsletter • 496 implied HN points • 14 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political issues International relations Political Commentary Social Commentary History
  1. Many people feel like the world is chaotic and out of control, similar to the feelings expressed in W.B. Yeats' poem about things falling apart.
  2. In some regions, like Qatar, people are feeling more optimistic about the future despite global tensions, suggesting that the sense of chaos isn't universal.
  3. The fear of disorder can lead to authoritarianism, as people might turn to strong leaders for security when they feel things are falling apart.

Concentration Camp Labor

Thinking about... • 1585 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Immigration Labor Human Rights Government Policy Social justice
  1. Concentration camps can become places for exploitative labor, similar to practices seen in history. It's important to be aware of how such systems can benefit companies financially.
  2. Individuals and companies should actively refuse to use or support labor from concentration camps to prevent normalization of such practices. Simple pledges can make a strong statement against this exploitation.
  3. The choices we make today, like where to shop or invest, can help fight against the rise of concentration camps and protect vulnerable populations. Every small action contributes to a larger movement against injustice.

ATW Livestream Today at 4 PM ET/3 PM CT

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 1899 implied HN points • 16 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Elections Policy Media Literature
  1. There's a livestream called ATW happening today at 4 PM ET/3 PM CT. It's a great way to catch up on recent events.
  2. Walter and Matt will host the show and discuss their book club choice, Orwell's _1984_. It's a chance to dive deeper into that classic book.
  3. You can watch the livestream on the Substack app, Rumble, or YouTube. Don't miss it if you're interested!

I Was Fired for Supporting Women’s Sex-Based Rights. Now I’m Suing.

Reality's Last Stand • 3066 implied HN points • 22 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Civil Rights Feminism Discrimination Gender identity Workplace Issues
  1. Women's rights are in jeopardy when the ability to name ourselves and our sex-based rights is taken away.
  2. It is important to fight against discrimination and silencing of women in the workplace.
  3. Advocating for sex-based rights and standing up for one's beliefs is crucial for maintaining equality and basic human rights.

Cheerleading is Dumb Energy Policy

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 1668 implied HN points • 01 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Energy Policy Public Opinion Climate Issues Political Debate
  1. Most Americans care more about energy costs and availability than cheerleading for specific energy types. They prefer practical approaches to energy policy.
  2. A majority of Americans support an 'all of the above' energy strategy. This means they want a mix of energy sources instead of choosing only one type.
  3. Solar energy is the most popular among energy sources, but people have mixed feelings about coal, wind, and nuclear. There’s strong bipartisan support for a balanced energy policy.

Be the elite you wish to see

Jeff Giesea • 1317 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Populism Leadership Political theory Society
  1. Populism often focuses on complaining about elites rather than solving problems. It can lead to a mindset that values grievances over constructive actions.
  2. Elitism can be redefined as a positive force for leadership and excellence. Society needs leaders who can guide people and address real challenges instead of just gaining power.
  3. If you see problems in the world, you should step up and take action. You have the ability to be a leader in your own way and make a difference where you are.

On Don Lemon

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 10768 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Free speech Elon Musk
  1. Don Lemon sought a significant financial package, including an upfront payment, salary, equity stake, and extravagant perks like a Tesla Cybertruck and a private jet to Las Vegas.
  2. Despite past critiques, mainstream media are now portraying Lemon as a free speech hero due to his interactions involving Elon Musk.
  3. To access the full post and archives on Don Lemon, readers are encouraged to subscribe to Racket News for a 7-day free trial.

Trump Laid a Trap and Democrats Went Into It Genitals-First

I Might Be Wrong • 26 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Parties Strategy Public Opinion Legislature Presidency Messaging
  1. Democrats failed to visibly stand up for American voters during the State of the Union, which handed Republicans a potent attack line and forced months of damage control.
  2. A hard left shift is risky because Democratic voters are heavily concentrated in fewer states, making it hard to win the Senate and other national contests without appealing in swing and red-leaning states.
  3. Political psychology favors in-group loyalty to right-wing figures, while extreme left positions are often seen as siding with outsiders, so moving far left can alienate the broader electorate.

Is the Electoral Fix Already In?

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 12088 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Campaign Government Legal Democracy
  1. The 2024 presidential race might be influenced more by lawyers than voters as plans for potential lawfare tactics are being revealed.
  2. There have been past efforts and discussions about potential strategies that involve legal actions, lawsuits, and political maneuvering that may impact election outcomes.
  3. Both sides seem to be preparing for possible norm-breaking actions before the election, raising questions about the integrity and fairness of the democratic process.

Susan Rice: The Unelected General's Permanent War Against the American People

Who is Robert Malone • 29 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Domestic Policy Intelligence Federal Government Media influence Elections Foreign Policy Civil Liberties
  1. Susan Rice is portrayed as an unelected, permanent power who controls foreign policy, intelligence, domestic agendas, and media influence across administrations.
  2. She is said to have made 'equity' an operating principle of government, forcing agencies to adopt equity assessments, action plans, and procurement rules that reshape policy toward identity-based outcomes.
  3. The piece argues she and her circle use intelligence, media, and corporate ties to punish dissent and threaten companies that work with political opponents, promising an 'accountability' agenda of subpoenas and investigations.

Dean Phillips: Political Violence Just Came for My Friends in Minneapolis

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1887 implied HN points • 15 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political violence Election Issues Civil Rights Public Safety Gun Control
  1. Political violence can affect anyone, and it's devastating when it strikes close to home.
  2. A recent tragedy involved the murder of a couple and an attack on their friends, seemingly due to their political beliefs.
  3. This situation highlights the dangers of using tragedy for political gain rather than focusing on the human impact.

February 22, 2026

Letters from an American • 30 implied HN points • 23 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress Legislation Regulation Public Lands Environmental Policy Partisanship
  1. The Boundary Waters is a large, fragile wilderness that supports local recreation economies, and copper-sulfide mining nearby risks acid mine drainage that could permanently damage its waters and wildlife.
  2. Republican lawmakers are using the Congressional Review Act in an unprecedented way to try to overturn a 20-year mining moratorium and reopen federal lands to a foreign-owned mining company, a move critics say breaks norms and could set a dangerous precedent for public land protections.
  3. Prominent voices, including Theodore Roosevelt’s descendants and Minnesota leaders, strongly oppose reopening the area and are urging permanent protection, while the Senate vote is narrowly contested and hinges on a few Republican defections.

Somewhere in America...

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 5583 implied HN points • 02 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Opinion Voting behavior Political parties Electoral process Democracy
  1. People's experiences shape their political beliefs. Different backgrounds can lead individuals to align with either party based on personal stories and values.
  2. Public opinion matters in a democracy. Even if many people have extreme views, elections remind them that they are part of a larger society with diverse opinions.
  3. The process of voting and engaging in politics can feel fragmented and chaotic, but it reveals who will ultimately hold power, making it an interesting and important spectacle.

How Baltimore Assessments Accidentally Subsidize Blight—And How We Can Fix It

Progress and Poverty • 1347 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Analysis Urban Development Tax reform Economic Justice Community Engagement
  1. Baltimore's vacant lots are undervalued, leading to a loss of nearly half a billion dollars. This makes it cheaper for landowners to keep their property vacant, which encourages blight and hinders development.
  2. The current property assessment system is flawed, treating land value inconsistently. This means owners of vacant lots benefit financially while active developers face higher taxes.
  3. A better way to value land is needed, using recent sales data to create fair assessments. Improving data collection can help the city support development and make neighborhoods safer and more appealing.

Daily Show Creator Freaks Out Over Gutfeld Ratings, But Says Audience is 'Gross' Anyway.

Raheem Kassam's Substack • 3026 implied HN points • 14 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Comedy Criticism Celebrity
  1. The Daily Show creator expressed strong negative feelings towards Greg Gutfeld's ratings and his audience.
  2. The creator's remarks were filled with profanity and elitism, criticizing Gutfeld's humor and his viewers.
  3. Despite criticizing others, the creator's own dietary habits were revealed to include indulgence in unhealthy foods.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About the Immigration Mess

The Liberal Patriot • 1749 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Immigration Congress Border Asylum Legislation
  1. Immigration in the US is a complicated mess, with conflicting views between parties on how to manage it.
  2. The surge in illegal immigration has strained the country's resources and sparked a political debate.
  3. Proposals to toughen asylum criteria and reform the use of parole are being discussed in Congress, but facing challenges.

Surviving Biden's Brain Freezes

OLD GOATS with Jonathan Alter • 1454 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Strategy Political Messaging Debates Justice Department
  1. No Excuses: Biden should avoid making excuses for his mistakes and instead focus on moving forward.
  2. The Old Shoe Strategy: Embrace Biden's imperfections and increase public appearances to show his resilience.
  3. The Nikki-Nancy Defense: Biden should address concerns about his brain freezes confidently by pointing out others' mistakes and highlighting his own emotional responses.

You're Next

Doomberg • 18010 implied HN points • 04 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Political Scandal
  1. Parliamentary privilege is abused for personal gain and smearing opponents.
  2. Politicians can leverage their power to influence banks and disrupt individuals' lives.
  3. The control over financial systems by politicians poses a threat to individual rights and liberties.

Betrayal, Refusal, and the Yes that Follows

Charles Eisenstein • 12 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy National Security Presidency Protests Activism Military Policy
  1. A leader who campaigned against endless wars has instead escalated conflict, risking catastrophic violence and eroding American global influence.
  2. Traditional protests alone may not be enough; coordinated economic actions like boycotts, debt strikes, and mass financial withdrawals can quickly pressure institutions and governments, and they require organization, timing, and collective courage.
  3. Any mass refusal should reject vengeance and dehumanization and instead build a new "yes" grounded in dignity, consent, and equal human worth for all.

Sorry Centrists. Americans Want to Abolish ICE

JoeWrote • 162 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Immigration Law enforcement Civil Rights Public Opinion Political strategy Party Politics Protests
  1. Public support for abolishing ICE has surged recently, with multiple polls showing growing backing and independents trending toward abolition.
  2. Centrist think tanks are using selective polling questions and media framing to argue abolition is politically risky and to steer the conversation toward preserving existing institutions.
  3. Abolishing ICE is presented as both a moral and political opportunity that could increase feelings of public safety and shift party politics, which explains why establishment actors resist it.

Things Worth Remembering: ‘We Fell Morally Ill’

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3899 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Leadership Government Democracy History
  1. People need to speak the truth for a government to regain trust. Honest communication can help restore faith in leadership.
  2. A new leader can promise to fix past wrongs and bring back democracy. This promise often resonates with people who feel betrayed.
  3. History shows that change is possible after dark times. Just like in Czechoslovakia after communism, new beginnings can lead to hope and freedom.

Dead members of Congress can’t stop tweeting

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 1761 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media Political trends Legislation Elections Public Policy
  1. When lawmakers die, their social media accounts can keep posting, which can be confusing for followers. There aren't clear rules on what to do with these accounts after someone passes away.
  2. Some dead lawmakers have even liked posts or changed their profile pictures online, leading to strange situations where people interact with them as if they were still alive.
  3. There's a lack of official procedures for handling these social media accounts, which means staff can still post as former lawmakers. This can be a problem for constituents trying to get in touch with their representatives.

Important Announcements

The Upheaval • 1952 implied HN points • 14 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Policy International relations Political theory Public Administration
  1. A book titled 'Control: The Global Rise and Coming Fall of Managerial Tyranny' is coming soon. It will be an expanded version of previous work on managerialism.
  2. The Substack will be paused indefinitely while the author takes a senior policy role at the State Department. Subscription payments are frozen, but the content will remain accessible.
  3. The author feels it's important to take action in today's world rather than just discuss issues. They hope to return to writing in the future.

Why the Revolution Never Ends

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1432 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Ideology Radicalism History Social Issues Education
  1. Marxism hasn't gone away; it's just evolved into new forms. Nowadays, it's showing up in different movements and ideologies that focus on social and cultural issues.
  2. People who support modern interpretations of Marxism often find new pairs of groups to classify as oppressors and oppressed. This flexibility keeps the ideology alive and relevant.
  3. The struggle for power and recognition continues to adapt, creating new labels and conflicts. This keeps the conversation about oppression active and ongoing in today's society.

NOTES FROM THE ROAD

TRANSFORM with Marianne Williamson • 3026 implied HN points • 02 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Elections Government Democracy Society
  1. The American people have a history of standing up and making things right when they realize the importance of a cause.
  2. The current economic situation in America is dire, but there is hope with a shift towards fair policies and economic justice.
  3. To address the challenges facing the country, it is essential for Americans to come together and make informed decisions about the future.

The 'Let Kids be Kids' roadshow of the South Island NZ gets pushback from the usual suspects.

A B’Old Woman • 759 implied HN points • 24 Apr 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education Gender Policy Community Activism
  1. Some parents in New Zealand are worried about what kids are learning in school about gender identity and sex education. They feel that these topics are sometimes not suitable for children.
  2. The 'Let Kids be Kids' roadshow faced backlash from activists who disagreed with its message. They pressured event venues to cancel the presentations.
  3. There's a growing concern among parents about their involvement in decisions about school education. Some feel their voices are not being heard in discussions about the guidelines related to sexual education.

Please Do Not Send Me Another Half-Ass Reported Emily Kopp “Daily Caller” Story

The DisInformation Chronicle • 340 implied HN points • 25 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Journalism Government Policy Public Health Media Ethics
  1. Emily Kopp's reporting often contains factual errors, making it frustrating for others who follow news on related topics. Many feel her stories are misleading and not well-researched.
  2. There is a complicated process for creating policies on gain-of-function research, involving many government agencies. This complexity is sometimes misunderstood, leading to confusion in reported stories.
  3. Kopp's claims about individuals in the NIH and their actions have been challenged, indicating that her reporting may not accurately reflect the reality of the situation.