Stephen F. Knott (@publius57) header
Stephen F. Knott (@publius57) profile picture

Thomas & Mabel Guy Professor of American History & Government at Ashland University; Emeritus Professor of National Security Affairs, U.S. Naval War College

Joined March 2013
Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)Photo by Stephen F. Knott (@publius57)
A slightly revised cover (which I love) and a new endorsement for my next book. All of this is making for a very happy holiday season.... “Conspirator in Chief is a fascinating deep dive into the history of conspiracy theories promulgated by US presidents. In the internet age, we are used to thinking of conspiracy theories as a distinctly modern problem. Knott shows how they have been weaponized by presidents going back to Andrew Jackson, and along the way illuminates just how Donald Trump’s online firehose of conspiracies and misinformation serve his political aims. Excellent reading for US history buffs and those who want to understand our current conspirator-in-chief alike.”—Cailin O’Connor, coauthor of "The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread"
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Focused like a laser beam on the midterms.
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Stephen F. Knott retweeted
Nobody who supports Donald Trump has the credibility to convincingly pretend to care about the constitutional order.
The single, overriding question of our politics is whether Democrats will shatter our constitutional order in 2029-30. All other questions are secondary.
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I believe Thomas Hobbes discusses the importance of the ass in his ‘Leviathan.’
Trump: The fake news only covered the ass part. They said 'what the hell was Trump doing talking about a man's anatomy? He was talking about his ass.' I studied his ass to see where the power came from
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This succinctly captures the devolution of the American presidency.
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Sharon, Massachusetts
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Boston from the Blue Hills Observatory today.
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Stephen F. Knott retweeted
Except when they are defending the entrance to the Captol, amirite?
Back the Blue. Always.
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Ennobling the republic once again…
Trump on Jon Husted: "I'm studying his body. I've never studied the body of a man before. It's not my thing. Nothing wrong with it, of course. But it's never been my thing. But I looked at his ass. I said, 'His ass, shit, it's like a pile of muscle.' Then I looked at his legs and I said, 'Man, his feet are big.'"
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Spent the bulk of the weekend at my alma mater Assumption University for a Board of Trustees meeting. Really honored to give back to the place that changed my life. I never imagined when I graduated decades ago that I’d have this opportunity.
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Making America great again by destroying the lone monument in the nation’s capital to an assassinated predecessor and restoring a monument to those who engaged in insurrection.
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A new review and a good one: "Everyone really should read this book. The scope of it is quite extraordinary, it offers a history of the American presidency through a particular lens. . . . It is extraordinarily well written and leaves plenty of connections for the reader to draw."—Peter Josephson, author of 'The Great Art of Government: Locke’s Use of Consent'
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Stephen F. Knott retweeted
Should never have been confirmed, should be removed, new reasons every day
From Russia, with Love…
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There are no words to adequately describe this man’s capacity for serial deceit.
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One of the most egregious legacies of Trumpism.
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Stephen F. Knott retweeted
How is it going, Marco?
Stop importing Russian oil Start producing more American oil again That’s the plan
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Important context: (10/09/26). Donald Trump announced a deal with Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply diesel fuel to global and American markets. truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTru… cbsnews.com/news/trump-rus… (10/09/26). US Department of Treasury, issues licenses Russia to sell and distribute diesel oil. ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions…
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Stephen F. Knott retweeted
🎥 Missed UPK author @publius57 at the @nhiop? Watch the conversation and explore his new book, "Conspirator in Chief": f.mtr.cool/i9ueg778dd #UPKBooks #ConspiratorInChief
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Leading a Teaching American History seminar this weekend in Quincy, MA, on Washington, Hamilton, and John Adams. They differed on several issues but agreed with Hamilton that “Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.”
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Or Barry Goldwater for that matter….
Howard Baker’s (Republican) ghost would like a word. Pretty sure this guy has never heard of Hugh Scott either.
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