Michael McFaul
Professor of Political Science, Director of Freeman Spogli Institute & Hoover Senior Fellow all at Stanford University. U.S. Ambassador to Russia, 2012-2014.
- Iranians want a deal on democracy, not a deal on nuclear weapons. We should too. open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
- Trump engaging with the murderous mullahs ruling Iran right now is a lifeline to a dictatorship that just slaughtered tens of thousands of peaceful protesters. Why is Trump and team pushing for a summit with these murderers ? Immoral and not in US national interests.
- The U.S. is building up its military presence around Iran—but what comes next? In my latest Substack, I talk through possible scenarios and what each could mean for Iran’s democratic movement:
- "... fatalism about international cooperation can become a self-fulfilling prophecy." michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/the-intern...
- Delighted to see President Stubb's reading list here! You can get your copy of AUTOCRATS VS DEMOCRATS here: www.harpercollins.com/products/aut...
- Wait, Iran wants to make a deal (according to Trump)? Weren't we told months ago that we'd already eliminated Iran's nuclear weapons program?
- My latest: The International Order Is Not Dead Yet open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
- We didn’t succeed in the Cold War by closing doors. We invested in research and welcomed the world’s best minds. If we want to compete with China and Russia today, that lesson still matters: www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5az...
- Trump does not care about the small d democrats in Iran and Venezuela. Stop pretending he’s Reagan. He’s not.
- Europe pushed back on Greenland, but Americans did too. The public, the markets, even some GOP senators spoke up. And Trump backed down. We don't live in a monarchy, we don't live in a dictatorship, and Trump won't be in power forever. Clip from my conversation on The Court of History podcast
- In 2026, a new approach to resolving the conflict in Ukraine is needed. Read more in my latest Substack: michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/ukraine-is...
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- To the families of Canadian and European soldiers who lost their loved ones while they fought alongside our soldiers to defend us, thank you, so sorry for your loss, and my sincerest apologies for our current president.
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- A year ago, I wrote about being a liberal internationalist in the era of Trump’s illiberal nationalism. You can read that essay, and many more like it, on my Substack: McFaul's World. michaelmcfaul.substack.com
- 1/6 I am a liberal internationalist. Trump is not. Here’s why I disagree with President Trump.
- My latest: No One Likes a Bully open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
- Trump backed down on Greenland. Good. What’s harder to undo is the damage done when diplomacy gives way to bullying. Read more in my latest Substack: michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/no-one-lik...
- Trump backed down in Davos, that's good news. But trust between the US and Europe has taken a deep hit. That has consequences. Read more in my latest Substack piece: michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/no-one-lik...
- Trump is out of step with most Americans on Greenland. For any politician thinking of backing his crazy idea, that should matter. Voters don't want this.
- Trump seems to have forgotten, or never knew, that our NATO allies WERE there for us when we were attacked on September 11, 2001. His continued denial of this fact, including in his speech today, is embarrassing to me and insulting to our allies.
- Annexing Greenland wouldn’t boost U.S. security—it would isolate America.
- Trump is all over the place when it comes to identifying threats because of course this Greenland gambit has nothing to do with real threats to US security and only to do with Trump personally
- Trump has forced all of Europe to discuss the completely invented threat of Russian annexation of Greenland and thereby ignore the actual Russian war and annexation in Ukraine. Very regrettable. In Davos, the paramount subject should be Ukraine, not Greenland.
- If Trump thinks that Russia is our enemy and thus we need Greenland, why does he NEVER call Russia or Putin an adversary?
- Russia isn't the reason Trump wants Greenland.
- My latest on Substack:
- Greenland is a vanity project for Trump that would cost us a broken NATO and a stronger Putin, as I told @morningjoe-msnow.bsky.social
- My latest: www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...
- With news of Trump tariffs threats today towards our allies, reupping: Invading Greenland – Trump’s Worst Idea Ever. open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
- Want to understand better what is happening and why in Iran? Listen to Abbas Milani here: McFaul’s World Podcast: Talking Iran with Abbas Milani open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
- "If Trump cannot move past this fixation [on Greenland], Congress should pass a law that prevents the United States from invading a democratic ally. I guarantee it would pass easily." michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/invading-g...
- Launching the McFaul’s World podcast! I’m joined by Stanford Iran scholar (and my friend) Abbas Milani to discuss Iran’s regime, protests, and the road ahead. Listen here: michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/mcfauls-wo...
- If you’re the CEO of a U.S. energy company, are you really going to invest billions in Venezuela on the word of U.S. President Donald Trump and Maduro's No.2 Delcy Rodriguez? I'm not so sure. With @katiecouric.bsky.social
- My NPR interview on how How Trump's 'America First' is upending the world order." www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...
- Trump's desire to annex Greenland is a vanity project. We can accomplish all our security and economic needs in Greenland without annexation.
- Denmark is in NATO. That alone makes the idea of “invading” Greenland absurd. We already have military access and can secure rare earths through agreements. An invasion would be unnecessary, expensive, and destroy U.S. credibility. With @katiecouric.bsky.social
- One has to admit that Trump is brilliant at driving the news. We are now wasting attention on a ridiculous and unnecessary debate about invading Greenland, eclipsing attention on more important issues, foreign and domestic.
- Invading Greenland – Trump’s Worst Idea Ever. It’s time to end this discussion now. michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/invading-g...
- If President Trump ordered the annexation of Greenland, it would end NATO. He would be destroying the system that has reinforced American security for 80 years—and all for a vanity project, as I told @katiecouric.bsky.social
- The U.S. does not need to annex Greenland to protect its security or economic interests. Doing so would weaken NATO, alienate us from Europe, and hand advantages to our adversaries. Read more in my latest Substack: michaelmcfaul.substack.com/p/invading-g...
- Invading Greenland – Trump’s Worst Idea Ever. open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
- My latest: Invading Greenland – Trump’s Worst Idea Ever? open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
- Trump’s Greenland Idea Is Not Only Insane, It’s Dangerous open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
- Just because Trump says he wants Venezuelan oil, it doesn’t mean it’s ours. Both Venezuela’s gov and democratic opposition will push back if Trump uses military pressure to gain oil rights. This and more discussed with @harrylitman.bsky.social in our Substack live open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
