What Daniel W. Drezner thinks about government
Political scientist writing Drezner’s World on international relations, American politics and the marketplace of ideas; author of The Ideas Industry.
Daniel W. Drezner did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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12 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Daniel W. Drezner has said — not written or endorsed by them.
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Their wordsThe devolution of the State Department shows no signs of slowing.
↗Heckuva Job You’re Doing, Marco Rubio!danieldrezner.substack.com
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Our readingThe culture of the Trump administration guarantees that special envoys will not be constrained.
Their wordsBut the story also reveals why the culture of the Trump administration guarantees that this will not happen: The secretary of state is not managing anything at Foggy Bottom so he can stay close to the president; The deputy secretary of state is an insecure martinet who would never have been placed in such a high position in any competent administration; The special envoys appointed by Trump will either leak to the press or complain to the White House if anyone tries to rein in their activities.
↗Heckuva Job You’re Doing, Marco Rubio!danieldrezner.substack.com
- 7 days earlier
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Their wordsThe cabinet officials valorized as the adults in the room are acting like brats.
- 3 weeks earlier
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Their wordsThe most obvious problem is that Marco Rubio continues to hold both the Secretary of State and national security advisor positions. This has been going on for nearly 18 months now and it's obviously not working well at all.
↗The Beclowning of the State Department Continues Apacedanieldrezner.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Our readingTrump's foreign policy and national security team is staffed with incompetent people at every level.
Their wordsRemember: when it comes to Trump's foreign policy and national security team, it's incompetents all the way down.
↗The Beclowning of the State Department Continues Apacedanieldrezner.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 2 days earlier
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Our readingTrump is globally hated but not feared, the opposite of where Machiavelli said a prince should be.
Their wordsIn Machiavellian terms, Trump is no longer feared, and he's definitely no longer liked. Instead, he is hated - which is the one thing Machiavelli stressed should be avoided at all costs.
↗Donald Trump Is No Longer Feareddanieldrezner.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 7 days earlier
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Their wordsa hard-earned lesson of the past few months is that mobilizing collective action against the federal government is hard.
↗That’s Not How Academic Freedom Works, Vanderbilt Trustees!!danieldrezner.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
- 1 day earlier
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Their wordsTrump is lousy at playing a waiting game, and that's what this strategy entails
↗The Trump Administration Strategy Faildanieldrezner.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsA second pathology is the administration's wishcasting that Iran is just days away from collapsing.
↗The Trump Administration Strategy Faildanieldrezner.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsthe Trump administration's foreign policymakers are so lazy that they keep self-sabotaging.
↗The Trump Administration Strategy Faildanieldrezner.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 1 day earlier
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Their wordsIn practice, Hochman's hire is another nauseating sign that the Trump administration is destroying the bureaucracy in favor of some corrupt, neo-royalist husk of an apparatus that mostly posts memes and occasionally deploys the 82nd Airborne to extract rents.
↗The Devolution of the Policy Planning Staffdanieldrezner.substack.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 8 days earlier
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Their wordsClearly the link between actual records of accomplishment and political success has been weakened just a wee bit.
↗Pete Hegseth is Losing His Gripdanieldrezner.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece