Sportswashing: A masterstroke of foreign influence operations (Video) | Responsible Statecraft

Follow us on social

google cta

Analysis | Washington Politics

google cta

google cta

Sportswashing is the next frontier of foreign influence in the United States. Authoritarian regimes are investing billions of dollars in the sports that Americans love — from the NBA to WWE, UFC, and, the PGA Tour.

In many cases these investments come with strings attached. Foreign powers aren’t just trying to make money, they’re hoping to launder their reputations and censor their would-be critics in the U.S. This can have potentially dire consequences for Washington foreign policy, given that many of these regimes seek to pull the agenda in a decidedly unrestrained direction via U.S. military entanglements.

(Video production by Khody Akhavi)

Analysis | Washington Politics

Read this Evangelical Zionist leader’s leaked suspense novel

Top image credit: Dr. Mike Evans with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2023 (Creative Commons license)

Read this Evangelical Zionist leader’s leaked suspense novel

Writing a novel is a vulnerable experience. After months or years of work, many authors come to view their book as an extension of themselves. So when a writer starts looking for a fresh pair of eyes, it can be hard to decide who to trust. But for Evangelical pastor and Trump adviser Mike Evans, the choice was simple: just ask the Israeli government.

Leaked emails reveal that, back in 2018, Evans sought help from Israeli officials on his new novel about an all-out war on Israel, masterminded by a rogues’ gallery of Iran, Hamas, ISIS, and, to a lesser extent, the media. The outline that Evans shared offers a unique look into the thinking of an informal Trump adviser, as well as the Israeli reserve colonel who edited the story (and seemingly received about $1,150 for his troubles).

keep readingShow less

Marco Rubio

Top image credit: Secretary Marco Rubio arrives in Panama City, Panama, February 1, 2025. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)

Death knell for the Summit of the Americas?

The government of the Dominican Republic has announced that the X Summit of the Americas (SOA), scheduled to be held in Punta Cana on December 4-5, has been postponed. This is the first time an SOA has been postponed.

There is no reason to think that the conditions for holding such a meeting will be better three or six months from now so it’s more likely the summit will be canceled. If so, this might very well ring the death knell of the SOAs, precisely at a time when they are more needed than ever, given the deep differences cutting across the hemisphere.

keep readingShow less

Hegseth NATO

Top photo credit: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth walks with Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to NATO Scott M. Oudkirk upon arriving at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Feb 12, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander C. Kubitza)

Hegseth wants to make the Pentagon a global arms bazaar

Military Industrial Complex

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will gather defense industry leaders in Washington on Friday to announce a significant organizational change that will in part help streamline U.S. weapons sales to other countries.

To do this, Hegseth will reportedly move the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which administers foreign military sales, from the Pentagon’s policy office to the acquisition office.

keep readingShow less

google cta

Want more of our stories on Google?
Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

LATEST

QIOSK