Phillips Payson O'Brien
Commentator · Bluesky
Professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews and military historian.
182 posts tracked · 13 stories in 30 days
Latest takes
Trump names Stephen Miller White House Chief of Staff
Grouped with voices who said: This shows Trump ruling through loyalists not Congress
One thing to understand is that Trump is doing all these things, trying to push a terrible deal on Ukraine and Europe, having Kushner propose blowing up the European security…View on Bluesky
Republicans debate why they lost the 2026 midterms
Grouped with voices who said: Trump and Trumpism must be reclaimed or rejected
Watching all these Republican attempts to explain why they lost the election is painful, because they cannot come out and say one simple truth. They handed the party to a corrupt…View on Bluesky
Democrats sweep midterms; stocks and Bitcoin rally after
Grouped with voices who said: This was a historic Democratic landslide
One of the best things about tonight is that the Democratic victory looks so emphatic, that Trump cannot do anything to steal it or overturn it. Trump has been Orbanized....View on Bluesky
NYT story on Peltola campaign recruiting second Dan Sullivan sparks probes
Grouped with voices who said: Polls may undercount Republicans but Dems lead final surveys
When it comes to the US midterm elections there is really only one question left. Are the polls undercounting Republican/Trump voters as they did in 2016 and 2024 (but not 2020…View on Bluesky
Witkoff calls Putin a humanitarian during Russia meeting
Grouped with voices who said: Trump and Musk are deliberately letting Russia attack Ukraine
Trump and Musk are just stringing Ukraine along and letting Russia attack it with impunity. And the American press is foolishly falling for blue smoke and mirrors, arguing whether…View on Bluesky
5 of 13 stories from the last 30 days. The rest are in Perspectives.
Try Perspectives freePosts most about
Foreign Policy & Diplomacy 75 · Trump Administration 21 · Military & Defense 20 · Iran Conflict 18 · Elections & Campaigns 11 · Trump Policy & Agenda 8
Often makes the same point as
Richard Blumenthal 4 · Michael McFaul 4 · Ian Bremmer 3 · Adam Schiff 3 · Chris Coons 3 · Jon Favreau 3
Public posts, grouped by what was said, not by who said it. Every quote links to the post. Updated Nov 8, 2026. How it works · Corrections: jack@newsreel.co