Timothy Noah

newrepublic.comThe Midterms Are a Referendum on Elon MuskWhy the SpaceX mogul is still a ripe target for Democratic campaigns

Nobody has ever spent this much—neatly half a billion—on an election except when Mike Bloomberg dropped $1 billion on his own misguided race for president. newrepublic.com/article/2171...

Happy St. Crispen’s Day! My 1990 rendition of King Henry’s speech in Dan Quayle-ese feels awfully antique now, but here it is. unz.com/print/Washin...

unz.comunz.com

newrepublic.comThe California Billionaire Tax Just Scored Mark Zuckerberg a RaiseThe Facebook founder figured out a way to game the system.

In my latest, I relate the remarkable story of how Mark Zuckerberg turned Prop 40, California’s wealth-tax initiative, into a reason for Meta’s board to give him a raise. newrepublic.com/article/2169...

newrepublic.comJeff Bezos’s Washington Post Is Obsessed With Union-BashingThe paper seems to argue unerringly in favor of the boss’s financial interests, despite the fact that labor is enjoying sky-high popularity.

Labor unions are market institutions, not a form of government regulation, and therefore shouldn’t run afoul of Jeff Bezos’s “personal liberties and free markets” dictum. Yet the Post edit page has this year run ELEVEN editorials attacking them. My latest. newrepublic.com/article/2168...

vanityfair.comThe MAGA Face That Launched a Thousand Memes“Mar-a-Lago face” face might seem like the result of a series of unfortunate surgical mistakes. What if it’s intentional?

"The risks of a more-is-more approach aren’t just aesthetic. The more aggressively a surgeon pulls and lifts, the greater the chance of complications, including nerve damage, scarring, and hair loss.” www.vanityfair.com/story/is-mar...

newrepublic.comJeff Bezos’s Washington Post Is Obsessed With Union-BashingThe paper seems to unerringly argue in favor of the boss’ financial interests, despite the fact that labor is enjoying sky-high popularity.

Remember when Jeff Bezos said his newspaper did not advance his business interests? That was true for awhile. It isn’t true now—not in the editorial pages, anyway. newrepublic.com/article/2168...

nytimes.comA Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal.Julio Herrera Velutini, a prominent Venezuelan, was seeking clemency. He got it not long after his daughter gave Ms. Habba, a lawyer close to President Trump, an extraordinarily lucrative job.

File under “No honor among thieves.” www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/u...

newrepublic.comA Guide to Trump’s Body PartsHis brain is of greatest concern, but not the only potential trouble spot.

Donald Trump is our fourth most obese president (after Taft, Cleveland, and McKinley). The diaper rumor is likely false but there’s strong evidence that, like the murderer Perry Smith in “In Cold Blood,” Trump has an aspirin addiction. My full medical workup is here: newrepublic.com/article/2166...

newrepublic.comA Guide to Trump’s Body PartsHis brain is of greatest concern, but not the only potential trouble spot.

In cruelly mocking “Sleepy Joe Biden”’s physical frailties, President Donald Trump forfeits the right to deference about his own. My comprehensive inventory of our commander-in-chief’s trouble spots: newrepublic.com/article/2166...

politico.comAdministration delays release of IRS data showing impact of GOP tax cutsThe tax agency was supposed to release detailed data on this year's filing season in July. Months later, it's still unpublished.

Gee, I wonder why … www.politico.com/news/2026/10...

newrepublic.comWhy Did DOGE Exist? Now We Know.Turns out, Elon Musk’s pimply minions didn’t actually want to cut government spending. They wanted to get a piece of it for themselves.

So DOGE, it turns out, was the road to personal enrichment. Shame on me for being surprised. My latest. newrepublic.com/article/2165...

wsj.comExclusive | Kamala Harris’s Husband Privately Says He Doesn’t Want Her to Run for President AgainThe former vice president has taken steps that would enable a third White House run, and some donors have told her another bid would be a long shot.

I’m with Doug on this one. www.wsj.com/politics/ele...

timothynoah.substack.comOf Lethal Injections, Public Executions, and the Securities and Exchange CommissionI don’t actually pull all these threads together, but nonetheless: read on.

Subscribe to Backbencher because it’s free, for crying out loud, and because I have absolutely no interest in selling your Body Mass Index to Frito-Lay or Weight Watchers. I’m not that kind of Substack.

penobscotbaypress.comDeer Isle officials bracing for winter heating troubles - Penobscot Bay PressDEER ISLE—Town Manager Jim Fisher is urging public officials and private organizations to mobilize for a winter heating crisis unlike any he’s seen. “What I’m confronting right now is that home heatin...

More bad news for Susan Collins. h/t Tom Ricks, Backbencher’s hardworking Portland bureau chief. penobscotbaypress.com/articles/hig...

newrepublic.comThe SEC Just Opened the Floodgates to FraudThe Trump administration has transformed the agency into an instrument of financial sector chicanery.

At the SEC, one person can now be a quorum. At the CFTC, it already is. Under Trump independent agencies are shedding Democrats like so many autumn leaves; Trump has fired more than 20 of them. We’re in a golden age of corruption. My latest. newrepublic.com/article/2164...

wsj.comExclusive | ‘Honey Please’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Pushed Donor to Wire $100,000 to Her Amex AccountText messages with a MAGA ally show Guilfoyle seeking funds and offering access to top administration officials before becoming ambassador to Greece.

Um, wow. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

x.comFBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response) on XThe DEFUND THE POLICE crowd wanted America to “reimagine safety.” Translation: Let criminals run wild while cops take a backseat. Director Patel’s FBI had a different idea: ✅ 54,000 violent crime a...

Somebody needs to hand Kash Patel a copy of the Hatch Act. Senate-confirmed political appointees are not allowed to spend federal dollars on political advocacy. x.com/FBI_Response...

newrepublic.comTrump Is Pretending to Create Jobs in Key Midterm StatesWill voters in Iowa and Alaska fall for his fake steel mill and gas pipeline?

Trump’s make-believe economic development deals in Iowa and Alaska. My latest. newrepublic.com/article/2162...

Timothy Noah reposted

Aryeh

@aryehcw.bsky.social

Replying to @aryehcw.bsky.social

You can also check out my interview with @timothynoah.bsky.social on YouTube if you're into that sort of thing youtu.be/aOjhwDtyemA?...

youtu.beWill Trump Serve Out His Term? with Timothy NoahYouTube video by Culturally Determined

pressherald.comTrump tried to make an ally out of fishermen. Some have started to turn on himHigh gas prices, rising inflation and escalating trade wars have taken a toll on the industry.

Lobstermen are falling out of love with Trump because of tariffs and fuel costs. Also, cuts to NOAA mean slower response times. h/t Tom Ricks. www.pressherald.com/2026/10/05/t...

nytimes.comA $30 million disaster: How did Yale let its newly restored golf course fall apart?Alums are upset about patchy grass, dried-out greens and want answers. "If someone gave you a Rembrandt, you’d take care of it."

Dear Donald Trump: I know you’re feeling blue. Here’s some news that will make you happy. You’re welcome, Tim www.nytimes.com/athletic/764...

nytimes.comHe Wrote the Book on the Sedgwick ‘Family Disease,’ and Succumbed to ItJohn Sedgwick was born into an illustrious family, but privilege was only part of the story.

I’m very sorry to read this. He was a wonderful writer, and when I interviewed him once or twice (about patrimonial wealth—he wrote a book about it) I found him witty and thoughtful and kind. He arrives too soon at Sedgwick Pie. May his memory be a blessing. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/b...

Timothy Noah reposted

Matthew Cooper

@mattizcoop.bsky.social

The @timothynoah.bsky.social in the @newrepublic.com in the wake of @cortellessa.bsky.social 's TIME interview with the president. Donald Trump, Poet Extraordinaire newrepublic.com/article/2161... via @newrepublic.com

newrepublic.comDonald Trump, Poet ExtraordinaireYou might think the president’s disjointed ramblings are cause for concern. But maybe this is the rebirth of a free verse superstar.

1519connecticut.comThe True Inventor1517-19 CONNECTICUT AVENUE

This is wild. Was TV invented in Dupont Circle? www.1519connecticut.com/the-true-inv...

newrepublic.comDonald Trump, Poet ExtraordinareYou might think the president’s disjointed ramblings are cause for concern. But maybe this is the rebirth of a free-verse superstar.

Bonus post: The found poetry of Donald Trump: newrepublic.com/article/2161...

podcasts.apple.comWill Trump Serve Out His Term? with Timothy NoahPodcast Episode · Culturally Determined · October 2 · 53m

I had a great time discussing Trump’s cognitive decline with Aryeh Cohen-Wade: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

newrepublic.comEveryone Hates Private Equity. Trump Is Bailing It Out.The industry has become the midterms’ most indelible political symbol for Wall Street’s reckless greed.

My latest is about Trump’s bailout of the politically unpopular private equity racket. newrepublic.com/article/2161...

newrepublic.comDon’t Knock Kevin Warsh if the Fed Doesn’t Raise Interest RatesThe case for doing nothing.

I said the August job number was a fluke and I was right. In September it fell back to 29,000. newrepublic.com/article/2154...

timothynoah.substack.comIs Pete Hegseth Back on the Sauce?A Backbencher investigation.

He left out “alkies.” I wonder why.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Hegseth: "It's worth saying again so the fake news understands it. We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. Simple translation of that -- no fatties no trannies no beardos no weirdos no wimps no radicals. Just warriors."

newrepublic.comThe Five Trump Scandals That Deserve Thorough InvestigationA guide for the Democrats’ coming congressional majority.

My latest selects five kleptocracy investigations for the Democrats to prioritize when they retake the House and maybe the Senate: newrepublic.com/article/2160...

washingtonsun.comWaymo Touts Its Crash Safety Data, But D.C. Won’t Release the NumbersAutonomous vehicle companies — which could be permitted to operate in the District this fall — enjoy a blanket exemption from public records law.

The DC government is not making public crash data on the driverless vehicles in DC’s pilot program. Why should it? It’s not as though the Washington Post gives a damn. Excellent scoop by the new Washington Sun. www.washingtonsun.com/metro/waymo-...

nytimes.comThe Mighty Sparrow, Trinidadian Titan of Calypso, Is Dead at 91He was sometimes described as the last of the true calypso singers. But in fact he simultaneously preserved calypso tradition and invented it anew.

Mighty Sparrow, RIP. I did not know he lived in Jamaica, Queens. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/a...

Timothy Noah reposted

ProPublica

@propublica.org

In response to our reporting, Susan Collins has mustered a defense that is full of incorrect and misleading claims. We’ve reviewed FBI evidence, examined thousands of pages of records and interviewed dozens of people. Here are the receipts.

propublica.orgProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption ProbeProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...

newrepublic.comTrump Is Punishing Reporters for Doing His BiddingThe Trump White House isn’t even trying to offer a logical rationale for exiling CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.

Wherein we discover Politico got kicked out of the White House for quoting accurately the vice president of the United States and obeying the White House press office’s condition that he not be identified by name. newrepublic.com/article/2158...

washingtonpost.comThe White House banned Politico, citing anonymous sources. It provided the quotes.In a letter defending its ban of Politico, the White House critiqued a report based on a press call it conducted, where reporters were told not to name the speaker.

This is priceless. One of the national security breaches Trump’s citing in removing Politico from the White House was a briefing arranged by his own goddamned press team. As James Reston observed, “the ship of state is the only vessel that leaks from the top.” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

ms.nowTrump aides explore attaching president’s name to Ford’s TheatreThe playhouse where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated has been mentioned among federal properties that could carry the president’s name, people familiar with the effort told MS NOW.

Nothing to see here, move along. www.ms.now/news/trump-f...

Timothy Noah reposted

Hal Davis

@haldavis3.bsky.social

"It was telling that none of the reporters who covered Trump yawping inaudibly into the wind tried to find out what the absent mics failed to pick up. Nobody gave a shit."

Timothy Noah@timothynoah.bsky.social

My latest is about the near-uselessness of situating reporters inside the White House press warren. newrepublic.com/article/2157...

newrepublic.comWhy Trump’s White House Reporter Ban Matters So LittleIt’s petty and annoying, but the only one he hurts is himself.

Timothy Noah reposted

Michael Tomasky

@mjtoma.bsky.social

From @timothynoah.bsky.social: "The dirty little secret of this prestige address has long been that very little news emanates from it." trib.al/ME9Ufn9

trib.alWhy Trump’s White House Reporter Ban Matters So LittleIt’s petty and annoying, but the only one he hurts is himself.

nytimes.comHackers Say They Stole Thousands of Sensitive F.B.I. Personnel RecordsThe compromise, if confirmed, would be the latest in a string of cybersecurity failures at the F.B.I., which said it was investigating the matter.

It would be useful at such a time to have someone running the FBI who wasn’t an utter clown. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/u...

newrepublic.comWhy Trump’s White House Reporter Ban Matters So LittleIt’s petty and annoying, but the only one he hurts is himself.

My latest is about the near-uselessness of situating reporters inside the White House press warren. newrepublic.com/article/2157...

Timothy Noah reposted

Michael Tomasky

@mjtoma.bsky.social

22 Sept

From @timothynoah.bsky.social: "He will only get crazier, and at some point Republicans will cut their losses." trib.al/aOK6fIk

trib.alWhy Trump May Not Serve Out His PresidencyHe will only get crazier, and at some point Republicans will cut their losses.

propublica.orgThe FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the WayAfter the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...

22 Sept

“You’ve seen me deliver.” www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...

fortune.comU.S. economy hits pivotal milestone: Spending on data centers and other information-processing hardware now exceeds housing investment | Fortune"We’re seeing a pivotal shift in the US economy: investment is shifting away from residential investment and towards computers."

As of the second quarter of 2026, the United States spends more money on "information processing equipment" (think data centers) than on new housing. fortune.com/2026/09/20/u...

Timothy Noah reposted

Jonah Blank

@jonahblank.bsky.social

slate.comGovernment and VolleyballA mere 40 years ago, beach volleyball was just beginning. Now it is not only a sport [but] in the Olympics. ... And there's a whole new world of...

Jodie was (briefly) a colleague of mine at USN&WR in the 90s. At that time she was a well-established journalist, yet unfailingly kind and generous to the young pups new to the profession. #RIP

Timothy Noah@timothynoah.bsky.social

Jodie Allen, Slate's first Washington bureau chief, former Outlook editor of the Washington Post, former Labor department deputy assistant secretary for policy, RIP. May her memory be a blessing. Here's my favorite Jodie piece from Slate: slate.com/news-and-pol...

slate.comGovernment and VolleyballA mere 40 years ago, beach volleyball was just beginning. Now it is not only a sport [but] in the Olympics. ... And there's a whole new world of...

newrepublic.comWhy Trump May Not Serve Out His PresidencyHe will only get crazier, and at some point Republicans will cut their losses.

Why I think Trump won’t serve four years. If you think this scenario implausible, then conceive a plausible alternative. I cannot. newrepublic.com/article/2156...

newrepublic.comPolitical Courage Is Rare. But That’s What Makes It So Important.We haven’t had much occasion to see our leaders put to the test. But the Trump administration is making strict demands that aren’t easy to meet.

19 Sept

My North Star on this topic is Marcel Ophuls’ 1969 documentary “The Sorrow and the Pity.” In it, one former French resistance fighter says: “I think you could only have joined the resistance if you were maladjusted.” We revere heroism because it’s rare. More here: newrepublic.com/article/1931...

Timothy Noah@timothynoah.bsky.social

The book is more explanatory than reportorial, but it contains one astonishing scoop: “According to someone who saw it,” George W. Bush has painted “a big, ugly portrait of President Donald J. Trump.” Please God may Dubya preserve it and donate it upon his death to the National Portrait Gallery.

19 Sept

Timothy Noah@timothynoah.bsky.social

I just finished Jacob Weisberg’s excellent “Profiles in Cowardice” and recommend it highly, especially the chapters on Paul, Weiss, Dartmouth, and the Supreme Court. (A chapter on Steve Schwartzman is entertaining but nobody would expect that raging narcissist to be righteous.) a.co/d/0i7qXKsL

a.coAmazon.com

19 Sept

a.coAmazon.com