Pro‑democracy media voices in the USA
From historians to military veterans, legal experts, economists, journalists, strategists, and data analysts, a layered network of voices is defending democracy and the rule of law with context, rigor, and resilience.
These are the people who help me understand what is going on during the administration of POTUS47 and assess what to do about it.
Introduction
The pro‑democracy media ecosystem in 2025 is anchored by a diverse set of voices who interpret, investigate, and strategize around the challenges facing American democracy. These contributors span historians, military veterans, legal analysts, economists, journalists, strategists, and data specialists.
Each contributor brings a distinctive angle—whether grounding current events in historical context, clarifying constitutional battles, exposing corruption, analyzing extremist threats, or shaping messaging for broad audiences. What unites them is a commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and countering authoritarian drift.
Historians provide continuity, connecting today’s struggles to the nation’s past.
Jill Lepore — The New Yorker, books. Explores cultural and institutional history, often highlighting how narratives shape political identity. https://www.newyorker.com/
Heather Cox Richardson — Letters from an American (Substack). Frames daily events through long‑arc U.S. history, emphasizing democratic resilience. https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/
National security voices reveal hidden vulnerabilities and institutional pressures, drawing on investigative reporting and military experience.
Garrett M. Graff — Doomsday Scenario (Substack). Investigates threats to democracy from secrecy, surveillance, and crisis planning. https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/
Malcolm Nance — The Counteroffensive (Substack). Former Navy cryptologist and counterterrorism expert; analyzes extremist threats, foreign interference, and asymmetric warfare, while advocating for democratic resilience. https://thecounteroffensive.substack.com/
Legal analysts and advocates clarify constitutional principles and the mechanics of protecting rights.
Marc Elias — Democracy Docket. Leads litigation and advocacy to defend voting rights and fair elections. https://www.democracydocket.com/
George Conway — The Bulwark (Substack). Combines legal insight with political critique, often targeting abuses of power. https://www.thebulwark.com/
Sabrina Haake — The Haake Take (Substack). Offers sharp commentary on constitutional law and civil liberties. https://sabrinahaake.substack.com/
J. Michael Luttig — (Substack). Retired federal judge; conservative legal icon warning of authoritarian threats, emphasizing constitutional duty and civic responsibility. https://judgeluttig327269.substack.com/
Walter Olson — (Substack). Libertarian legal scholar; focuses on election law, gerrymandering reform, and structural safeguards for democracy. https://substack.com/@walterolson
Joyce Vance — Civil Discourse (Substack). Explains legal developments with accessible analysis, focusing on accountability and the rule of law. https://joycevance.substack.com/
Economists connect fiscal policy, inequality, and democratic health.
Paul Krugman — (Substack). Uses economic analysis to critique policy choices and their impact on democracy. https://paulkrugman.substack.com/
Robert Reich — (Substack). Highlights inequality as a central threat to democratic governance. https://robertreich.substack.com/
Journalists investigate power and narrate cultural events.
Steven Beschloss — America, America (Substack). Award‑winning writer and essayist; combines alarm and hope in commentary on democracy, justice, and cultural currents. https://substack.com/@america
Jamelle Bouie — New York Times. Examines race, democracy, and political culture with historical depth. https://www.nytimes.com/column/jamelle-bouie
David Brooks — New York Times. (also PBS NewHour commentator on Friday evenings) Center‑right columnist; blends cultural commentary, political analysis, and moral philosophy, emphasizing civic virtue and democratic resilience. https://www.nytimes.com/column/david-brooks
Jonathan Capehart — PBS NewsHour (also MSNBC host and former Washington Post columnist). Provides progressive analysis and serves as David Brooks’ liberal counterpart on PBS NewsHour’s Friday evening political segment. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/jonathan-capehart
Frank Bruni — The Bruni Column (Substack). Veteran columnist; blends cultural commentary and political analysis with emphasis on civic responsibility and democratic norms. https://brunicolumn.substack.com/
Jonathan Larsen — The Fcking News (Substack). Veteran journalist; delivers satirical, irreverent investigative commentary on corruption and authoritarian threats. https://www.thefingnews.com/
Jane Mayer — The New Yorker. Exposes dark money and hidden networks undermining democratic institutions. https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jane-mayer
Catherine Rampell — The Bulwark (economics editor, Receipts newsletter, MSNBC co‑anchor, PBS NewsHour commentator; former Washington Post columnist). Specializes in economic and fiscal policy analysis, blending sharp economic expertise with political commentary in defense of democratic institutions. https://www.thebulwark.com/s/receipts
Jeff Sharlet — The Undertow (Substack). Documents authoritarian movements and cultural extremism through immersive reporting. https://jeffsharlet.substack.com/
Strategists translate analysis into messaging and mobilization.
Wajahat Ali — The Left Hook (Substack). Combines humor and sharp critique to challenge authoritarian narratives. https://thelefthook.substack.com/
David Frum — The Atlantic. Critiques authoritarian tendencies from a conservative standpoint, stressing institutional guardrails. https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-frum/
David French — The Dispatch (senior editor). Conservative attorney and commentator; blends legal expertise and cultural analysis to defend democratic institutions. https://thedispatch.com/author/david-french/
Allison Gill — The Breakdown (Substack). Uses investigative framing and podcasting to expose corruption and mobilize audiences. https://www.muellershewrote.com/
Jonah Goldberg — The Dispatch (co‑founder, editor‑in‑chief). Conservative intellectual and commentator; critiques authoritarian populism and defends constitutional norms through fact‑driven analysis. https://thedispatch.com/author/jonah-goldberg/
Bill Kristol — The Bulwark (Substack). Veteran conservative strategist advocating for pro‑democracy coalitions. https://www.thebulwark.com/
Sarah Longwell — The Bulwark (Substack). Highlights coalition‑building and public opinion research to counter authoritarianism. https://www.thebulwark.com/
Tim Miller — The Bulwark (Substack). Former GOP strategist; early “Never Trump” voice, now leading pro‑democracy messaging with wit and insider perspective. https://www.thebulwark.com/
Dan Pfeiffer — Message Box (Substack). Offers progressive messaging strategies rooted in campaign experience. https://www.messageboxnews.com/
Jennifer Rubin — Washington Post. Provides commentary from a center‑right perspective, emphasizing democratic norms. https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jennifer-rubin/
Stuart Stevens — The Conscience of a Conservative (Substack). Veteran Republican strategist critiques authoritarianism and advocates for pro‑democracy coalitions, drawing on insider campaign insights. https://stuartstevens.substack.com/
Charlie Sykes — The Bulwark (Substack). Focuses on conservative accountability and messaging against extremism. https://www.thebulwark.com/
Rick Wilson — Against All Enemies (Substack). Former GOP strategist; sharp messaging against authoritarianism, blending insider knowledge with mobilization. https://substack.com/@therickwilson
Data analysts bring empirical rigor to democratic debates, grounding arguments in polling, demographics, and institutional data.
Adam Bonica — On Data and Democracy (Substack). Uses large‑scale datasets on ideology and campaign finance to reveal structural barriers to representation. https://data4democracy.substack.com/.
David Donnelly — We Choose Us — Pro‑Democracy Campaign (Substack). Publishes research‑driven commentary on organizing, voter engagement, and civic power, emphasizing grassroots metrics. https://www.wechoose.us/
G. Elliott Morris — Strength in Numbers (Substack). Interprets polling and demographic data to forecast electoral trends and democratic resilience. https://gelliottmorris.substack.com/
Closing synthesis
Taken together, these voices offer a wide-ranging pro‑democracy perspective.
Historians provide the long view, reminding us that today’s conflicts echo earlier struggles for equality and representation.
National security experts, including investigative journalists and military veterans, analyze extremist threats and institutional vulnerabilities.
Legal analysts and advocates clarify the rules of the game, ensuring that constitutional principles and voting rights remain front and center.
Economists highlight how inequality and fiscal choices shape democratic resilience, while journalists expose corruption and cultural currents that threaten institutions.
Strategists translate these insights into messaging and mobilization, and data analysts ground the conversation in empirical trends.
By combining historical context, investigative rigor, military expertise, legal clarity, economic analysis, strategic communication, and data‑driven insight, this network of contributors offers a multifaceted defense of democracy that is both intellectually rich and practically engaged.
