The hottest Political Actors Substack posts right now

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Top U.S. Politics Topics

Trump Has Had Enough of Tucker Carlson

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1117 implied HN points • 23 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Actors
  1. Trump has privately urged Tucker Carlson to stop attacking Israel because those attacks are splitting his coalition and could hurt his chances in the midterms and the next election.
  2. Carlson has openly condemned Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks, claimed Israel has outsized influence on U.S. policy, and even suggested a nuclear-armed Iran might stabilize the region, which has alienated many pro-Israel conservatives.
  3. A recent three-hour interview with Mike Huckabee, which some hoped would be a truce, instead opened a new front and deepened the rift between Carlson and pro-Israel MAGA influencers, worrying people close to Trump.

In the Time of the Mad King.

Breaking the News • 3719 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Actors
  1. A president who can’t tell fact from fiction is proposing reckless, unnecessary actions—like trying to seize Greenland—that would offend allies and add burdens the country doesn’t need.
  2. Powerful aides and politicians are keeping him in place by lying, manipulating, or becoming true believers, which lets destructive and self-serving policies spread.
  3. This mix of a disintegrating leader and enabling henchmen raises the real risk of institutional breakdown, including split loyalties in the military and harsher enforcement at home, with dangerous consequences for everyone.

Awesome Weekend Reading

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 942 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Actors
  1. THB Insider is back with a new roundup that curates a wide range of recent policy and research items.
  2. Policymakers on both sides of the aisle publicly cited the newsletter’s coverage of a major Nature retraction, showing it has real influence in policy discussions.
  3. Full access is gated behind a subscription, though a free post is offered to let readers continue reading.

The Man Behind Trump’s Attack on the Fed

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 245 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Actors
  1. Bill Pulte runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a little-known agency he has turned into a combative and influential force in Washington and on Wall Street.
  2. He has actively attacked Federal Reserve officials: he’s been tied to subpoenas in a probe of Chair Jerome Powell, mocked up a “wanted” poster of Powell, and even traveled with Trump, while denying knowledge of the probe.
  3. Pulte has used the FHFA to refer alleged criminal cases against Fed officials (for example, against governor Lisa Cook) to the Justice Department, fueling legal and political battles over the Fed’s independence and presidential authority.

Elections Matter

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 01 Nov 20
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Actors
  1. Elections change who is in power, which means new people in Congress will have different ideas and priorities for what laws to push. This can lead to big shifts in policy.
  2. When an election ends, politicians often feel freer to make bold decisions since they don't have to worry about upcoming votes. This can lead to unexpected changes during the months after the election.
  3. The results of an election send strong signals to everyone involved in politics about what issues might work well or not. This affects not just elected officials, but also interest groups and lobbyists who will adjust their strategies based on the election outcome.
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