Is American Democracy Safe? | Martin Wolf on the US Midterms

Oct 17, 2026 | As Americans prepare to vote in the November 3 midterm elections, FT chief economics commentator Martin Wolf asks what the result will mean for Donald Trump, the future of US democracy and America's place in the world.

In the first of a six-part series of interviews with leading historians and political analysts, Martin speaks to the scholar and former Republican adviser Robert Kagan, who has spent a decade warning about Trump's authoritarian ambitions.

They discuss how Trump has accumulated so much power, whether America's democratic institutions can still constrain him, and what might happen if Republicans lose control of Congress.

Could these elections mark a turning point for American democracy or has the country already gone too far down the road towards authoritarianism?

Zelenskyy Says Ukraine 'Will Not Prevail’ if U.S. Takes Russia's Side: Full Interview

Oct 18, 2026 | In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shares why he believes it would be a “historic mistake” if the U.S. government decided to support Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I have the greatest respect for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's a courageous man. A hero. Trump, by contrast, is a treasonours clown. I have absolutely no respect for the man. Americans, if they are good and sensible people, will ditch Trump at the very earliest convenience. — © Mark Alexander

Trump ‘Doesn’t Understand What Is at Stake in Ukraine’ | John Bolton

Oct 18, 2026 | “He’s in deep trouble.”

Recently, President Donald Trump has been focused on domestic American politics rather than geopolitics as Americans are “unhappy”, but he doesn’t know “what is at stake” in Ukraine, says former US national security advisor John Bolton.


The sooner Americans rid themselves of Trump, the better for all of us. — © Mark Alexander

EXPOSED: How Trump’s Russian Sanctions Waiver Betrays Ukraine

Oct 18, 2026 | For years, defenders of Donald Trump dismissed allegations of his covert ties to Moscow as pure political theater. Yet policy decisions ultimately strip away campaign rhetoric to reveal cold, operational facts. With a single signature on an executive order, President Trump dismantled a decade of Western economic leverage over Moscow, waiving sweeping bipartisan sanctions explicitly crafted to cripple the Russian war machine. By gutting the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, bankrolling Moscow through direct fuel deals, and actively hamstringing Ukraine’s defense, Trump has dropped the pretense. He is not merely acting as a rogue isolationist; he is operating as Vladimir Putin’s most effective strategic asset.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »

A is for A***hole
B is for Betrayer
C is for Crude
D is for Dork
E is for Eejit
F is for Fathead
G is for Gobshite
H is for Halfwit
I is for Idiot
J is for Jerk
K is for Knucklehead
L is for Lunatic
M is for Mother f***** and Malefactor
N is for Nincompoop
O is for Oaf
P is for Prat
Q is for Quisling
R is for Renegade
S is for Saboteur
T is for Trash, Traitor and Twerp
U is for Unscrupulous
V is for Vulgar and Villain
W is for Wanker
X is for Xenocrat and Xenocracy
Y is for Yellowbelly
Z is for Zany and Zealot

© Mark Alexander

God’s Way…

and Trump’s way.
Donald Trump’s presidency has been a disaster for America, Americans, the West, and the world. Someone needs to find that man an old folks’ home asap, before he does any more damage to America and the world. — © Mark Alexander

Trump’s Pause on Russia Sanctions Is ‘Reward’ for Putin, Zelenskyy Says

THE GUARDIAN: Ukrainian president warns it will embolden Russian leader and intensify war as Moscow hits country’s power plants

The lifting of sanctions will continue, and I believe that the “diesel deal” is the first step,’ said Zelenskyy. Photograph: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described Donald Trump’s decision to roll back sanctions on Russia as a “reward” for Vladimir Putin and warned it will embolden the Russian leader and intensify the Kremlin’s war, as Moscow launched one of its worst strikes yet on Ukraine’s power plants in an attempt to black out the country’s cities before winter.

The Ukrainian president also said he expected the Trump administration to lift more sanctions against Russia in the future and called for Europe to establish its own negotiations with Moscow as the US has sought better ties and business deals with the Kremlin.

“Unfortunately, the lifting of sanctions will continue, and I believe that the ‘diesel deal’ is the first step,” said Zelenskyy on Saturday. “Unfortunately, it seems to me that this cannot stop Putin; on the contrary, he feels joy and happiness that he has such support.”

In a social media message earlier, Zelenskyy wrote: “A US ⁠sanctions blackout, easing pressure on the aggressor, financial rewards for Putin – all of this only encourages him to keep attacking. We must not give up ground.

“We must keep trying to end the war. To end it, not give Putin every reason to continue it indefinitely.” » | Andrew Roth in Kyiv | Saturday, October 17, 2026

Donald Trump is a turncoat and a traitor. He is turning his back on his western allies to cosy up to Vlad, his ‘bromantic’ chum and marionettist. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by contrast, is a patriotic, determined, and noble warrior for his country. He knows the enemy well and behaves and plans strategically and wisely using this knowledge. It should not be overlooked that Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his brave and long-suffering compatriots are fighting not only for the continued existence of their own country, but also for the continued existence of Europe as a whole, too. He knows that if Ukraine were to fall to the enemy, another European nation will be next on the line. Other European nations will then be in grave danger of falling, one by one, until Putin has satisfied and achieved his goals and objectives. Our support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians must continue to be unwavering. Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine!) — © Mark Alexander

Trump’s Deals with Putin Have Left Us in ‘Incredible Danger’ | Emily Sheffield

Oct 17, 2026 | “By giving strength to Putin, I am genuinely worried … they are going to trigger NATO Article 22, and we might fall into a war.”

Trump has left us in “incredible danger” by making deals with Putin while trying to blame Zelensky for the oil crisis, says journalist and commentator Emily Sheffield.

Anne Applebaum on the Contradiction of Trump’s Support of Russia

Oct 16, 2026 | Why is Putin pushing Trump to stop Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries? Historian and journalist Anne Applebaum argues that these attacks are putting real pressure on Moscow — and that Trump’s approach risks giving Russia more time to continue its war against Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with Applebaum about Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, U.S. pressure on Kyiv to concede territory, and why the administration’s peace envoys misunderstand the motivations behind Russia’s invasion.

The Conditions of a Third World War Have Already Been Met | Volodymyr Yelchenko

Oct 16, 2026 | “I'm trying to put it correctly, we are already living, under conditions of the Third World War. It is simply very different from the second and the first.”

Donald Trump doesn’t realise the “full extent” of the damage he could cause if he continues with his current stance on Ukraine, says former Ukrainian ambassador to the US and Russia Volodymyr Yelchenko.

Trump Signs Order Exempting Russia From Sanctions Law

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The sanctions were part of a measure that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July.

President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia last year in Alaska. Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
President Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.

The sanctions were intended to target Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions, and were part of a law that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July after spending more than a year building support for the measure.

The law, which is intended to squeeze the financial lifelines sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine, also provided Mr. Trump with additional tariff authority that he could use to punish countries that continue to trade with Russia.

The White House has broad authority to issue sanctions exemptions or waivers, and the new law requires Mr. Trump to notify Congress only if he opts against imposing the economic restrictions on Russia. Two days before the law is set to take effect, Mr. Trump exercised that power.

“I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Graham Act,” Mr. Trump said in the order. “I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.”

The order does not explain why waiving the sanctions is in the interests of the United States or what rationale Mr. Trump is providing to Congress for the waivers. » | Alan Rappeport | Reporting from Washington | Published: Friday, October 16, 2026. Updated: Saturday, October 17, 2026

This bromance is heating up apace! We can now be in no doubt where Trump’s affections lie! We can also no longer be in any doubt about the direction Trump is taking America. Trump is now one step closer to turning America’s back on its traditional allies and, instead, is pivoting America over to the other side. The Western alliance is now all but dead in its current form. From now on, America will grow ever closer with Moscow, the Kremlin, and his very close buddy, Vladimir.

The implications of this shift are GARGANTUAN. Naturally, it shifts power. And in a colossal way. But it is also indicative of what is going to happen to Americans’ human rights. If this continues, gay rights, for example, will be severely diminished. Just take a look at the lamentable circumstances of gays in Russia. Trump will surely wish to follow Vlad now. After all, Vlad is the puppeteer and Trump, the marionette. In common parlance, Vlad is pulling the strings.

However, the greatest change henceforward will be felt in the American political set-up itself. America has never been a true democracy, but it had tried to play that part out. It played a good game.

Just for those doubting my words… There has always been far too much money in American politics for it to be a true democracy. A true democracy is based on the wishes of all the people, regardless of financial means. Not just the wishes of the rich. Further, there is far too much corporate wealth in American politics for it ever to be a proper democracy. If you want to see true democracy in action, look to Switzerland, not the USA.

But all that will now fade into the past. Donald J Trump is taking America on a journey to autocratic rule. To dictatorship, if you will. The world’s dictators are Trump’s role models. He is determined and intent on emulating them and their way of doing business and conducting affairs.

The America the world once knew and loved is being inhumed; it is being laid to rest. Put another way, it is being consigned to the dustbin of history.

Sad indeed, and extremely disturbing! — © Mark Alexander

Katie Zacharia Is Ousted After 5 Days as White House Press Secretary

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The ouster came as Ms. Zacharia was shadowed by questions about how she had presented her legal career and handled her first press briefing.

Katie Zacharia during her first briefing at the White House on Tuesday. She was fired on Friday. Credit: Kenny Holston/The New York Times
President Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, was fired Friday, after less than a week on the job, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the decision, which was not yet announced. Neither the White House nor Ms. Zacharia responded to requests for comment. But Mr. Trump told reporters on Friday that he had encouraged Ms. Zacharia to “reconsider” the job.

“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” he told reporters, recounting his conversation with his press secretary. He said he added: “Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this.” He said Ms. Zacharia might continue to work for him “in some form, but maybe a more pleasant form.”

Ms. Zacharia had gotten off to a bumpy start with her first and final press briefing on Tuesday, in which she largely read off a script and ended questioning after just three queries. That was followed by an onslaught of headlines about whether she had misrepresented herself as a lawyer — the president called her “an attorney” — despite failing her bar exam. » | Shawn McCreesh, Tyler Pager and Hamed Aleaziz | Friday, October 16, 2026

Leer en español aquí »

Michael Lambert: Trump Says He Is a Genius - AI Disagrees

Oct 16, 2026 | Donald Trump claims he has an extremely high IQ — but what happens when you put his speeches to AI?

In this video I look at Trump's boast of an IQ over 200, what five different AI models rated him when asked to review recent speeches and his language.

Why would the President of the United States post a video on Truth Social, his own social media channel, showing a man in Yorkshire being mauled by a tiger followed by two more of people being killed by lions and a final AI generated video of his wrestling with a tiger and making friends with it.

I also cover why this matters beyond the weirdness: the Nobel Peace Prize grievance, the diesel deal with Russia and withdrawal of support for Ukraine, and my real worry about the midterms — will he cry fraud, pressure officials, or try to contrive a national emergency if the results go against him? … How far will he go to hold on?


Great synopsis. I totally agree with Mr Lambert. I would say that Trump is an average-IQ sort of person, for what it's worth. The man belongs in the circus, not the White House! — © Mark Alexander

Starshield Warfare: How Trump and Musk Left Ukraine Defenceless

Oct 16, 2026 | A sudden unilateral "energy ceasefire" announced on social media, technical sabotage on the frontline, and a shifting geopolitical alliance have left Washington outmanoeuvered by Moscow and an ally fighting in the dark.

When Donald Trump declared an immediate truce between Russia and Ukraine, he promised a masterclass in swift diplomacy. Instead, without direct coordination with either Volodymyr Zelenskyy or Vladimir Putin, the uncommunicated deal collapsed in hours as Russia launched a massive, record-breaking wave of over 850 Shahed combat drones and ballistic missiles against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

Rather than holding Moscow accountable, the White House turned its pressure on Kyiv—demanding leadership changes while the U.S. military severely restricted Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s military-grade Starshield satellite network.


ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »

La nouvelle porte-parole de la Maison-Blanche, Katie Zacharia, reconnaît avoir échoué à l’examen du barreau

LE FIGARO : Fraîchement nommée par Donald Trump et déjà fragilisée, Katie Zacharia se présente régulièrement comme avocate, notamment sur les réseaux sociaux et sur la chaîne Fox News, où elle a été consultante.

La nouvelle porte-parole de la Maison-Blanche, Katie Zacharia, soupçonnée d'avoir embelli son CV, a admis jeudi soir avoir échoué à l'examen du barreau, nécessaire aux États-Unis pour exercer la profession d'avocat. Fraîchement nommée par Donald Trump et déjà fragilisée, Katie Zacharia se présente régulièrement comme avocate, notamment sur les réseaux sociaux et sur la chaîne Fox News, où elle a été consultante.

Mais les médias américains ont mis en doute cette qualification, faute d'éléments concrets attestant de son admission au barreau après son diplôme en droit de l'université Pepperdine en Californie. La porte-parole âgée de 41 ans a explicitement admis son échec dans une interview accordée jeudi soir à Fox News, au terme de plusieurs jours d'une controverse renforcée par des critiques sur sa première prestation publique, jugée médiocre par la presse. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 16 octobre 2026

Trump’s Deal With Russia Inflames War He Vowed to Swiftly End

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Ukrainian president’s defiant decision to continue attacking Russian refineries underscores President Trump’s inability to end a war he had promised to resolve.

President Trump during a campaign stop in Alaska on Tuesday. He has not delivered on his promises to end the war in Ukraine, or to lower prices, and recent deals with Russia could complicate both issues. Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
On the campaign trail in 2024, President Trump promised lower prices and a swift end to the war in Ukraine.

Two years on, neither has been accomplished. And in his scramble to ease fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections, Mr. Trump has wreaked further havoc in his efforts to make peace in Ukraine.

Mr. Trump’s relationship with President Volodymyr Zelensky, already strained after last week’s U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel, hit new headwinds on Thursday when the Ukrainian leader declared he would not abide by the U.S. plea not to attack Russian refineries. And with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia refusing Mr. Trump’s demand for a cease-fire, an end to the war appeared to recede even further.

The spat with Mr. Zelensky and the escalating conflict have combined to create a new liability for the White House, highlighting Mr. Trump’s remarkable friendliness toward Russia and his inability to end Europe’s biggest war in generations.

Russia is not known to have made any concession in exchange for Mr. Trump’s decision to lift diesel sanctions, and the move has not yet eased the pain at the pump. The average U.S. diesel price was around $6.32 a gallon on Thursday, compared to $6.29 a week earlier, according to the AAA. » | Anton Troianovski and Luke Broadwater | Reporting from Washington | Thursday, October 15, 2026

As I have written once today already, Trump is manifestly not up to the job of POTUS. So, if he were an honourable man, he’d resign posthaste.

Trump should have stuck with ‘reality TV’. He was well-suited to that work. Being POTUS requires more than just a modicum of intelligence; on the contrary, it requires a great abundance of it.

Another prerequisite for that position is a thorough and profound understanding of world geopolitics. Alas, Trump has neither an abundance of intelligence nor a good grasp of geopolitics. As a result, with Trump at the helm, world politics is spiralling out of control. We are now closer to World War III than ever before in my lifetime. — © Mark Alexander

Trump: Zelensky Is Destroying Ukraine

THE GUARDIAN: US president says Ukrainian leader is ‘more difficult to deal with than Putin’

Donald Trump has called Ukraine’s renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries a ‘disgrace’ Credit: Pool/EPA/Shutterstock/Tom Brenner
Donald Trump has accused Volodymyr Zelensky of destroying Ukraine.

On Thursday, the US president said Mr Zelensky was “more difficult to deal with than [Vladimir] Putin” and called Kyiv’s latest strikes on Russian energy facilities a “disgrace”. Relations between the two leaders hit a new low after Mr Trump struck a deal to buy diesel from Russia last week.

Ukraine’s access to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starshield satellite system, which supports Kyiv’s battlefield operations, was also limited this week. It emerged on Friday that the order to restrict access had come from inside the White House.

Mr Zelensky criticised Mr Trump on Thursday and said he was “done” with the president’s energy ceasefire, with his forces later striking a Russian oil refinery.

In response, the US president called the renewed Ukrainian attacks a “disgrace” and said Kyiv was driving up global energy prices. » | Emily Smith | Foreign Breaking News Reporter | Friday, October 16, 2026

It is Trump who is the disgrace, not Zelenskyy! If Trump had done his job properly as POTUS, tens of thousands of Ukrainians would still be alive today. Trump is a Russian asset and traitor. Fie on him!

Demonstrably, Trump is not up to the job; so, if he were an honourable man, he’d resign. — © Mark Alexander

Derrière le deal entre les États-Unis et la Russie, les bonnes affaires de Donald Trump et de ses proches

Jared Kushner et Steve Witkoff à la rencontre de Vladimir Poutine, le 5 septembre dernier à Moscou. GAVRIIL GRIGOROV / AFP
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Les négociations de contrats au bénéfice du président de la première puissance mondiale, ou de son cercle proche, sont au cœur de la diplomatie américaine. Dernier exemple en date, un accord pétrolier profitant à Steve Witkoff et Jared Kushner, en marge des discussions avec Vladimir Poutine.

La stratégie américaine évoque un mélange de Risk et de Monopoly. De la Russie au Moyen-Orient, du Venezuela à Cuba, la diplomatie de la première puissance mondiale voit de plus en plus fréquemment les intérêts patrimoniaux du président américain et de sa famille se mêler aux considérations géopolitiques, avec des conséquences stratégiques majeures. Échappant dorénavant largement au Congrès et au Département d’État, les affaires étrangères sont gérées de façon opaque par Jared Kushner et Steve Witkoff, le gendre et l’ami du président.

Se déroulant généralement sans témoins ni traces écrites, les discussions sur les affaires internationales incluent les négociations de fructueux contrats dont bénéficient les intéressés ou leurs familles, ou bien des groupes financiers leur étant liés. Et au lieu de constituer des à-côtés lucratifs aux discussions, elles en deviennent l’élément central. L’accélération du pivot américain en faveur de Moscou dans le conflit russo-ukrainien au cours du week-end s’est accompagnée d’un extraordinaire tournant dans les négociations avec la Russie. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes, correspondant à Washington | jeudi 15 octobre 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

Donald Trump Is Trapped by His Own Delusions | Steve Schmidt

Oct 15, 2026 | John F. Kennedy said that those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside. With 19 days before the midterms, Steve Schmidt breaks down why MAGA is collapsing and why Trump’s campaign blitz can’t save it.

Anyone who admires the Orange One must have got a screw loose! Ergo, there are plenty of MAGANS and Trump supporters over there, across the Pond, who have a screw loose! By the way, don’t those idiots who stand behind Trump spewing nonsense and crap on the podium just make you want to vomit? One was raised to believe in, and admire Americans, for their go-getting nature more especially, but I think I can safely say that this Trump presidency has disabused many of us of that erroneous notion. After this chaotic and disreputable Trump presidency, there is only one direction for America to go, and that’s DOWN! My advice to Americans is this: Be more careful whom you vote for! — © Mark Alexander

What Do Ukrainians Think of Trump’s Latest Decisions?

A deal with Russia, pressure on Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries and other recent decisions by U.S. President Donald Trump have raised concerns among Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities continue. The Kyiv Independent took to the streets of Kyiv to ask residents how they view Trump’s recent decisions and what they mean for Ukraine.

From feelings of betrayal to calls for a clearer stance against Moscow, here’s what people in the Ukrainian capital had to say.

Here are some Ukrainians’ views.

„Muss nicht laut gesagt werden“: EU-Regierungschefs wollen Selenskyj wegen Trump-Kritik zurechtweisen

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Nach schweren Vorwürfen gegen die Trump-Regierung fürchten europäische Politiker um die militärische Unterstützung der Ukraine. Beim Gipfel in Brüssel wollen sie auf Selenskyj einwirken.

Idee für eine BU? Wolodymyr Selenskyj und Donald Trump bei einem früheren Treffen. | © Alex Brandon/AP
Europäische Staats- und Regierungschefs wollen den ukrainischen Präsidenten Wolodymyr Selenskyj offenbar wegen seiner scharfen Kritik an US-Präsident Donald Trump zur Rede stellen. Beim EU-Gipfel am Freitag in Brüssel sollen sie ihn auffordern, seine öffentlichen Angriffe auf den amerikanischen Präsidenten zu mäßigen. Darüber berichtet die Financial Times unter Berufung auf drei mit den Gipfelvorbereitungen vertraute Personen.

Die europäischen Politiker befürchten demnach, dass Selenskyjs Äußerungen die ohnehin schwer belasteten Beziehungen zwischen der Ukraine und den USA weiter beschädigen könnten. Die Botschaft bei dem geplanten Gespräch solle verständnisvoll, aber bestimmt ausfallen.

„Es mag stimmen, aber man muss es nicht immer laut aussprechen“, sagte einer der mit den Vorbereitungen vertrauten Vertreter der Financial Times. Das Zitat macht deutlich, in welchem Dilemma sich die europäischen Verbündeten befinden: Sie wollen die Ukraine weiter unterstützen, zugleich aber eine zusätzliche Konfrontation mit Trump vermeiden. » | Alexander Schmalz | Donnerstag, 15. Oktober 2026