Feed: "To the Contrary" By: Charlie Sykes on Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Feed: "To the Contrary" By: Charlie Sykes on Wednesday, March 25, 2026

BTW: Democrats flipped a legislative seat in Florida, which happens to be Donald Trump’s home district. They also won a formerly red State Senate seat. (For you students of irony: “Did Trump vote by mail? Yes, even after calling it 'mail-in cheating'.”) open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

WWJD? Not This, FFS. In case there was any ambiguity in his pleas, Haynes added: “I pray that God kills him,” Haymes said. “Ultimately, that means killing his heart and raising him up to new life in Christ.” Potteiger concurred. “Right, right,” he said. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Meanwhile, in a spectacular demonstration of “defining deviancy down,” the Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as Noem’s successor. FFS. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Every once in a while, the planets align, the dots connect, and worlds collide. Monday was one of those days. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Of course, this is what lickspittles do. But what Bessent & Co, are doing is worse, though I’ll spare you the more graphic metaphors. The Window of Loathsome Behavior has been moved once again — a perfect example of Trump Derangement Syndrome on the Right. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

The "Wing Nut" Rise to Power youtu.be/otHEe5G07T0

The Chaos President Goes to War — Live with Charlie Sykes open.substack.com/pub/harrylit...

@sykescharlie.bsky.social frames the Rand Paul-Markwayne Mullin confrontation in the context performative aggression and historical violence in Congress. Democrats must wrangle divisive issues such as gender identity to gain support. A podcast with Ed Luce. charliesykes.substack.com/p/the-senate...

The weirdest flex, of course, was Trump’s comparison of his own surprise attack to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which FDR called a “day that will live in infamy.” open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Nothing quite so dramatic happened yesterday in the Senate when Senator Rand Paul confronted his colleague Markwayne Mullin. But damn. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Trump’s tantrum tells us several things: (1) This is what America Alone looks like, (2) despite the bluster Trump has lost control of events, and (3) while his rage over Hormuz may be the proximate cause of the collapse of NATO, it has been a dead-man walking open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Quote du jour “ICYMI, Donald Trump talked about his war yesterday and somewhere Incoherence blushed. Gibberish threw back a stiff drink. And Parody filed for early retirement.” Charlie Sykes

Words have real world meanings. A country that declares “no quarter” is already committing a war crime. A nation that disdains “rules of engagement,” will kill innocent civilians. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Go ahead, you try to make sense of what the ferrets scratching around in Trump’s cerebral cortex are trying to tell us. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

ICYMI, Donald Trump talked about his war yesterday and somewhere Incoherence blushed. Gibberish threw back a stiff drink. And Parody filed for early retirement. Today's 'To the Contrary" Podcast with @sbg1 open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Join me for a Sunday morning podcast chat with my pal, Charlie Sykes. We dig into Iran, the economy, and everything. We spend a moment or two looking beyond the politics and economics, to the morality of it all. www.youtube.com/watch?v=45WP...

The Girls of Minab Were Given "No Quarter" Charlie Sykes Mar 16 open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Dropping The Dime on #Trump's Crimes Charlie Sykes and Matt Lewis dissect Trump's threats to charge journalists with treason, the dangers of an Iran quagmire, and the authoritarian aesthetics of legacy-building. @mattklewis.bsky.social @sykescharlie.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/mattklew...

Words have real world meanings. A country that declares “no quarter” is already committing a war crime. A nation that disdains “rules of engagement,” will kill innocent civilians. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

When non-Presidents make sense of what a fool does. Justin Wolfers & Charlie Sykes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=45WP...

Ossoff: "The WH put out a video depicting this war as a video game. When service members are returning in flag-draped coffins, & even more have lost limbs or suffered brain injuries or are fighting for their lives, this WH treats war like a game. It's a disgrace. And it speaks to a moral rot."

Iran War: It’s Not Just the Economy, Stupid youtu.be/45WP-3GHHnA

I really wish I didn’t have to use the word “clown” so often, given the seriousness of the things we are dealing with. In fact, I’ve even considered a moratorium on references to harlequins and morons. But, my friends, today is not that day. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Charlie Sykes joins Jim Acosta to examine the Trump admin's war messaging…White House videos that critics say trivialize military conflict. They also discuss growing frustration among MAGA influencers who feel Trump has broken his promise to avoid forever wars. youtube.com/watch?v=Oda3...

Charlie Sykes: "So, this seems a rather urgent question: Is it now the policy of the US that we can kidnap or assassinate the leader of any nation state without (1) a declaration of war or (2) a ruling by any court or international body? Is that the new rule? That we get to kill anyone we want?"

Jim Acosta talks to Charlie Sykes: 47 may declare victory & pull out, but the threat of terrorism on US soil remains, because "the genie can't be put back in the bottle." The hardcore regime remains, & they still have 100s of pounds of enriched uranium. And much of MAGA isn't happy.

Talked to @sykescharlie.bsky.social youtu.be/s5Ke56Ja6o4?...

“White House tells House Republicans to stop talking about mass deportations” - Axios. This, of course, is the political equivalent of trying to un-ring a bell. because, well, this: open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Is it now the policy of the United States Government that we can kidnap or assassinate the leader of any nation state without (1) a declaration of war or (2) a ruling by any court? Is that the new rule? That we get to kill anyone we want? charliesykes.substack.com/p/its-more-f...

“I said, 'Why don't we just capture the ship? We could use it. Why did we sink them?' He said, 'It's more fun to sink them.' They like sinking them better. [Crowd laughs]" — Donald Trump, March 9, 2026 open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Last week, the White House posted 'hype' videos mixing actual Iran war footage with movie and video game clips — as if the real-life toll of war was like a video game. The White House videos are the rancid stuff of incel gamer fantasies. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Had to doublecheck the date on this

Ukraine offers to help defend the West from Iranian drones. Russia helps Iran track American forces. And the White House eases sanctions on Russian oil. Explain that to the families of U.S. troops. My latest: open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...

Donald J. Trump is having a lousy month. And it’s just begun. Let’s connect the dots, starting with the economy. charliesykes.substack.com/p/the-sum-of...

Great insights from Anne Applebaum into Trump's war on Iran. Kudos to Charlie Sykes for inviting her on to his podcast. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Opinion seems pretty evenly divided.

Wars Often Lose Public Support Over Time. Trump Started This One Without Much. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/u...

I had planned a lengthy rant about the White House Correspondents Dinner, but it’s Friday and I’ve run out of ways to say “pathetic” and “spineless betrayal.” open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Noem was not fired for (1) killing her puppy, (2) the cinematic brutality of ICE, (3) her cosplaying at migrant gulags, (4) the murder of two Americans in Minneapolis, or even for (5) her special assistant sidepiece, Corey Lewandowski. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Trump has been extremely reluctant to give his critics a scalp. So, imagine being too embarrassing, corrupt, and inept to be able to stay in Trump’s cabinet of misfit toys — more deplorable than Kash Patel, or the chodish SecDef, or Pam Bondi. Or RFK Jr., FFS open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

For the most part, Pete Hegseth’s role in the Iran war, has been confined to his cosplaying clown act — his the over-the-top, bro-strutting, dick-wagging. But yesterday was worse... open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

We could have used these missiles to protect Ukraine. We chose not to. @anneapplebaum on the "To the Contrary" podcast.

In January, the Danes had to prepare themselves for a possible military invasion of Greenland. they had to be prepared "to shoot Americans." @anneapplebaum on today's "To the Contrary" Podcast.

Trump’s war on Anthropic. @Anne Applebaum on today’s ‘To the Contrary” Podcast. Subscribe to get the full video when it's released.

Via @sbg1: “I don’t get bored,” he insisted. “There’s nothing boring about this.” Forty-six seconds later, he began waxing about the “very, very beautiful” new White House ballroom he’s building. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

Via @sbg1: “I don’t get bored,” he insisted. “There’s nothing boring about this.” Forty-six seconds later, he began waxing about the “very, very beautiful” new White House ballroom he’s building. open.substack.com/pub/charlies...