Dave Brown
Deputy Managing Editor for Global Security at Politico
- Big news: Today I crossed the Brimley/Cocoon Line, which means I'm the same age that Wilford Brimley was when "Cocoon" was released in theaters brimleyline.date
- I read about this years ago and set a calendar reminder for myself. Pretty horrified to find out it was today
- Duffy vs. Hegseth: Friction over air safety erupts in Trump’s Cabinet www.politico.com/news/2025/05... @oriana0214.bsky.social @politico.com
- Trump plans to announce the US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials tell AP apnews.com/article/trum...
- BREAKING: Trump can proceed with his plan to ban transgender people from the military, including by removing those currently serving, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday www.politico.com/news/2025/05...
- The Space Force has released a video that uses stock footage from Russia
- You can see it at the 2-minute mark youtu.be/Qn938Gm6axQ...
- The vicious rivalries tearing apart Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon www.politico.com/news/2025/04... @politico.com
- NEW TODAY: A MAGA-aligned group that pledged last month to take a “smash-mouth” approach to defending Pete Hegseth and have his back “100 percent” has all but gone silent www.politico.com/news/2025/04... @adamwren.bsky.social
- Think he means a force TO BE reckoned with
- NEW TONIGHT: John Ullyot, the former DOD spokesperson who was sidelined over the Jackie Robinson flap, is leaving the Pentagon www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
- BREAKING: A third DOD official has been put on leave and escorted out of the Pentagon on suspicion of leaking. Colin Carroll is chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
- SCOOP: Not one, but two top advisers to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been marched out of the Pentagon following a leak investigation www.politico.com/news/2025/04... @politico.com
- NEW: Waltz’s team set up at least 20 Signal group chats for crises across the world www.politico.com/news/2025/04... @politico.com
- Some context from Grok
- Boundaries
- Trump says ‘thousands’ of Ukrainian soldiers encircled in Kursk; Ukraine says that’s ‘untrue’ www.politico.eu/article/dona...
- “Reports of the alleged 'encirclement' of Ukrainian units in the Kursk region by the enemy are untrue and are being created by the Russians for political purposes and pressure on Ukraine and partners," the Ukrainian Army General Staff said
- Greenlanders say no to Trump as rare earths loom over coalition talks www.politico.eu/article/gree...
- Reposted by Dave BrownThe Netherlands doesn’t plan to cancel F-35 deals. Asked whether the Dutch government would consider cancelling contracts for the warplanes, Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans replied: “No. Our entire air force and fighter jet fleet is based on the F-35.” pro.politico.eu/news/195353
- “It’s exceedingly odd. I have never heard of any such thing. I can’t even imagine what the purpose is, other than to terrorize the civilian workforce.” www.politico.com/news/2025/03...
- This Pentagon Press Secretary Has a Long History of Bigoted and Xenophobic Posts www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
- Reposted by Dave BrownNEW COLUMN: Trump has yet to create a new world order. Instead, what we have is a period of disorientation. And countries (like, say, Lesotho) need to prepare for worst-case scenarios. www.politico.com/news/magazin...
- Trump touts DOGE success, but the numbers are fuzzy www.politico.com/live-updates...
- If you put "Doja Cat" in place of "DOGE cuts" in headlines, it makes her seem quite powerful
- Zelenskyy says it is ‘time to make things right’ after Oval Office blowup www.politico.com/news/2025/03...
- The first big challenge for Donald Trump’s top military adviser pick isn’t the Ukraine-Russia war or even his lack of qualifications. It’s the legend about a red MAGA hat www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @paulmcleary.bsky.social
- “He’s never touched a MAGA hat,” said the official, who confirmed reports last week about the discrepancy and was granted anonymity to wade into a contentious issue. “I’ve known him for a decade. Never heard him say anything political or partisan.”
- “He’s going to be asked about it,” said Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska.), a Senate Armed Services Committee senior member. “He’ll go through the normal vetting … we are going to have a patriotically apolitical, stridently constitutional military.”
- Caine will have to “explain what happened,” said Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the Senate Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat. “If it happened the way the president said, well, that’s completely unprofessional. And that, I think, would question his ability to stand up to the president.”
- Well, technically it will be once it's no longer February 28
- Reposted by Dave BrownThe @apnews.com has obtained the full list of 875 VA contracts to be cut. Contracts to support veterans disability ratings, toxic exposure work and more are affected: apnews.com/article/doge...
- Trump, in a continued effort to replace Pentagon officials, hinted his administration would fire the military leaders involved in the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. “They’re going to be largely gone,” he said www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @paulmcleary.bsky.social
- Trump confirms Zelenskyy agreement, White House visit www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- Trump confirms Zelenskyy agreement, White House visit www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- OTTAWA — More than 242,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling for Elon Musk’s passport and citizenship to be revoked over his ties to President Donald Trump, who has taken repeated shots at Canada’s sovereignty www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- Congressional Republicans start backing away from Musk www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- Defense deputy secretary pick avoids saying Russia invaded Ukraine www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @reporterjoe.bsky.social
- Senior State Dept. officials are compiling a list of additional exemptions to the foreign aid freeze for Ukraine that could give the country access to some economic and security-related assistance currently on hold www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @nahaltoosi.bsky.social @reporterjoe.bsky.social
- The White House announced on Tuesday that the administration — not an independent group of journalists — will determine which outlets have access to the president as part of a pool allowed into the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One and other events www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- 🎶 Mama don't take my Golden Dome Mama don't take my Golden Dome Mama don't take my Golden Dome awayyyy 🎶
- SCOOP: A group of military contractors, including Erik Prince, has pitched the White House on a proposal to carry out mass deportations through a network of “processing camps” on military bases, a private fleet of 100 planes, and a “small army” of private citizens www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- The Trump administration is backing off Elon Musk’s weekend mandate that federal employees submit five things they accomplished in the last week or face dismissal ahead of a Monday evening deadline www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @meganmesserly.bsky.social
- The first comprehensive public listing of the billions of dollars in purported savings Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is making across federal contracts is filled with errors, according to a POLITICO review of the published data www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- Musk’s weekend threat to federal workers triggered panic and confusion Sunday as administration officials rushed to issue sometimes conflicting guidance, setting in motion a power struggle between Musk and agency heads appointed by Trump. www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- BREAKING: The Pentagon is planning to fire 5,400 civilian employees starting next week as it prepares to eliminate 8 percent of its civilian workforce, the department announced Friday www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @paulmcleary.bsky.social
- “Their approach is different than last week. Precision is the priority right now,” said one White House official, adding that there is now a sensitivity or reluctance to fire anyone in the veteran community www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
- Top Trump allies are in an escalating clash with Republican defense hawks, viewing them as obstacles standing in the way of a thorough remaking of U.S. foreign policy that would realign the world order with Trump’s America First vision www.politico.com/news/2025/02... @elistokols.bsky.social
- 29 times Donald Trump did what Putin wanted www.politico.eu/article/dona...
