Narratives of Illegitimacy
American politics are awash with narratives of illegitimacy. We’re not just questioning the judgment of our rivals, we’re questioning their loyalty, their commitment to the rule of law and the Constitution, as well as their patriotism. In other words, we’re questioning whether our political opposites are, truly, American. It’s difficult to imagine a more serious threat to the American experiment. The playbook is familiar at this point. Republicans—including then-citizen Donald … Read More
Pell Center Study Warns Russia Threat is Bigger than the 2016 Election
Newport, RI – Vladimir Putin’s Russia is engaged in a well-financed and determined campaign to undermine democratic political and social institutions as well as international alliances, and to remove resistance to Russia’s foreign policy objectives. Russia has the motive and the means to do so, according to a new report from the Pell Center at Salve Regina University. “Shatter the House of Mirrors” is based on the proceedings of a closed … Read More
Trump, de Tocqueville, and Loyalty: Picks of the Week
The Emails of Donald Trump, Jr. | New York Times Conspiracy or Coincidence: A Timeline Open to Interpretation | The New York Times Trump Revives his Playbook for Fighting Government Probes | Politico In late January of 2017, just a week after being sworn into office, President Donald Trump invited then-FBI Director James Comey to dinner at the White House. In private accounts and in public testimony, Comey described his … Read More
Donald Trump: Strategic Communicator
The first four months of the Trump presidency have been characterized by fast-moving news that often feels chaotic. This week alone, the former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testified to Congress that she had warned the White House that Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s first National Security Advisory, was potentially compromised by Russia. That same morning, the country learned that former-President Barack Obama warned President-elect Trump about hiring Flynn. Then, … Read More
Can the Vote Really Be Hacked? Picks of the Week
No, the presidential election can’t be hacked | CNN US election machine technology is out of date, expert say | CNBC How Clinton, Trump Could Champion Cybersecurity | Dark Reading Although we are aware of the efforts by the Russian government to discredit American democracy and interfere with the election, the chance that a malicious actor can carry out a hack that would change the outcome of the presidential election … Read More
We Know What a Fair Election Looks Like
In a remarkable election season, with one candidate speaking frequently about voter fraud and “rigged” elections, we asked an experienced international election observer how we would know if the election was fair. Here is his response. Standing amidst the rubble of war, a woman stood against a cold and bitter wind. I asked the woman why she stood patiently waiting in a line with hundreds of her neighbors. “I have … Read More
A Republic, If You’ll Keep It: Picks of the Week
How Russia Pulled Off the Biggest Election Hack in U.S. History | Esquire Steve Bannon’s Vision for the Trump Coalition After Election Day | The New Yorker Donald Trump’s Contempt for Democracy | The New York Times Hackers Used New Weapons to Disrupt Major Websites Across U.S. | The New York Times The United States is currently the target of a Russian information operation—of this there is no doubt. From … Read More
October 2016: “White House Chronicle: Story in the Public Square”
This weekend, “White House Chronicle: Story in the Public Square” hosts G. Wayne Miller and Jim Ludes welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Adam Zyglis to the show. In this episode, Zyglis talks about a cartoonist’s unique form of storytelling and the wide range of topics he has covered in his dozen years of professional cartooning. He has tackled everything from national and international politics, to the environment, to sports, to … Read More
The Unmet Threat to the American Election: Picks of the Week
AP-NORC Poll: Half of Trump backers don’t trust vote count | Associated Press How Russia Wants to Undermine the U.S. Election | Time FBI director: Hackers ‘poking around’ voter systems | CNN The evidence of Russia’s efforts to intervene in the American election of 2016 is only mounting. Members of the U.S. House and Senate have raised the alarm publicly while the Obama administration hedges its bets that the American … Read More
Is Russia Trying to Hack American Politics? Picks of the Week
Powell emails were leaked on a site linked to the Russian government | The Washington Post World Doping Agency Says Russian Hackers Stole Medical Records of Olympic Athletes | The Wall Street Journal How the next President can get cybersecurity right | Passcode The latest edition of the (almost) weekly hacks that appeared on the front pages of the newspapers this week featured the personal emails of former Secretary of … Read More