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Michael Hirsh

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Foreign Policy •

The Wobbling of King Trump

From the triumphal arches of Constantine and Titus to the soaring St. Peter’s Basilica to the stunning Medici palaces of Florence, one sees a clear through line: a parade of giant egos down the centuries. For princes of the past—even many popes—self-glorification was the norm.For an American, touring the grandiose monuments of ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy—as I did recently—is an oddly relatable experience these days.For an American, touring the grandiose monuments of ancient Rome and Renai...
Foreign Policy •

Why the Democrats Are So Lost

“Every day gets better for us,” chortled Schumer, apparently full of vim that he wasn’t swiftly surrendering to President Donald Trump as he did to avoid a shutdown in March.As the two-week standoff over the U.S. government shutdown dragged on—imperiling hundreds of federal programs that the Democratic Party has created over the past century—the nation’s top Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, suggested at one point that he’s fairly satisfied with his party’s progress.As the two-week...
POLITICO •

The AI Doomsday Machine Is Closer to Reality Than You Think

“Admittedly, such a suggestion will generate comparisons to Dr. Strangelove’s doomsday machine, WarGames’ War Operation Plan Response, and the Terminator’s Skynet, but the prophetic imagery of these science fiction films is quickly becoming reality,” wrote Lowther and his co-author, Curtis McGiffen.What’s more, there is evidence that Russia is maintaining its own “dead hand,” a system called “Perimeter” that was developed during the Cold War and can automatically launch long-range nuclear missil...
POLITICO •

The US Military Debates Possible Deployment on US Soil Under Trump

Two National Guardsmen stand guard outside a burning donut shop at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles on April 30, 1992. The National Guard was called in to aid police during the second day of rioting in the city. | Mark Elias/APBy Michael Hirsh01/12/2025 03:00 PM ESTMichael Hirsh is the former foreign editor and chief diplomatic correspondent for Newsweek, and the former national editor for POLITICO Magazine.The last time an American president deployed the U.S. mili...
POLITICO •

How Did the World’s Most Sophisticated Military Fall So Far Behind With Drone Warfare?

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon on July 10, 2025. The event was hosted to demonstrate the Trump administration's initiative on Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance. | Lance Cpl. Isaac Llanez Delgado/U.S. Marine CorpsBy Michael Hirsh08/27/2025 05:00 AM EDTMichael Hirsh is the former foreign editor and chief diplomatic correspondent for Newsweek, and the former national editor for POLITICO Magazine.When the Pentagon announced a “joint interagency...

About

I am a journalist, novelist and short story writer based in Alexandria, Va. At present I'm working mainly as a columnist for Foreign Policy and a contributing writer to Politico Magazine.

Brief background: Previously I was the foreign editor, chief diplomatic correspondent and national economic correspondent for Newsweek (when it was owned by The Washington Post) and the national editor of Politico Magazine. I've reported from many places around the world, especially East Asia, Europe, the Middle East (mainly Iraq, Iran and Israel) and Afghanistan. My (occasionally award-winning) work has also been published in the Atlantic, The New York Review of Books, The Washington Post, The New York Times Book Review, Foreign Affairs, and Harper's.

I am the author of two books, At War with Ourselves: Why America is Squandering Its Chance to Build a Better World; and Capital Offense: How Washington's Wise Men Turned America's Future Over to Wall Street.

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