Patrick Granfield

Trump forced out many of our most distinguished officers. But what I wrote at the start of Trump's first term, about the commitment of military leaders to the Constitution, still holds true. In coming days, it will surely be tested -- our democracy too. politico.com/magazine/story…

Really hope this ain’t the end for ole East Potomac. Picked up some shifts in the pro shop recently and was awed by the range of people who came to the course. Serious players. First-timers. Coors Lighters. Mini golfers. Plus a committed staff. Would be a giant loss in DC

NEW: A @washingtonpost deep dive on the latest state of play in the Pentagon, where Pete Hegseth is tightening control and more confident in his job security than ever.

@bpmckeon64 Thanks Brian. Sure, I've been fired by Trump. But that's politics. Taking away a public space with meaning for so many is something all together different.

@pgranfield Read it this morning when I saw it posted by someone else. Really well done. The thought of Trump ruining these courses is enraging.

This will go like any Trump project. He'll stiff contractors. Work will stop. The next administration will inherit a half-finished renovation. Everything Trump touches dies.

Trump fired me twice. Now he's taken away the golf course where my son and I learned to play. I wrote about what those links mean in @BulwarkOnline.

@mkraju @InsidePolitics thebulwark.com/p/save-dc-golf…

In light of news about East Potomac and Trump’s takeover of DC public golf courses, my report from the course on @InsidePolitics Sunday last month cnn.com/2026/04/12/pol…

@reesejgorman thebulwark.com/p/save-dc-golf…

NEWS: East Potomac Golf is expected to shut down on Sunday after the last tee time as the Trump administration officially takes it over. Renovations will start at a later date once compliance has been met. Tom Fazio expected to lead the renovation. Additionally, the admin has offered the National Links Trust a renewed lease for Rock Creek Park Golf with a waiver for unpaid rent. notus.org/trump-white-ho…

“We went in to deal with their nuclear capacity, and they discovered they have a nuclear option. It’s called the Strait of Hormuz,” says @RahmEmanuel, former U.S. ambassador to Japan and former White House chief of staff. Watch his full conversation: on.cfr.org/4n4PyWZ

Pope Leo's pick to be bishop of West Virginia is a formerly undocumented immigrant who was smuggled into the U.S. in a car trunk. Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala has called for Catholics to speak out against President Trump’s treatment of immigrants. wapo.st/3PgW94e

Secretary Hegseth's mention(s) of terrorism in his posture statement: 1 Instead, "the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth told the Armed Services Committee.

BREAKING - HEGSETH ORDERS WITHDRAWAL OF 5,000 TROOPS FROM GERMANY, TO BE COMPLETED OVER NEXT SIX TO 12 MONTHS

15 years ago today…

On Foreign Service Day, we honor our career diplomats. In normal times, over 70% of all U.S. Ambassadors are from the career ranks. Today, the number is just over 7%. Our country deserves better. @afsatweets

CNN should absolutely bring back the Home Front column for military families. The column looks like it's been inactive this year - odd for PR to promote right now - but it presents a huge opportunity. Revive the column with new voices, as small military outlets constrict and shutter.

@jonathanshainin There's always next week ... And cheer up, you could be in the United States!

An unbelievably miserable week of public discourse, absolutely rotten and hopelessly stupid.

@AlanEyre1 But we now wave the rules.

published this @ncronline profile one year ago today: ncronline.org/vatican/vatica…

@BulwarkOnline @samstein @saletan A bad speechwriter.

"I would have gone with opening the Strait of Hormuz as one of the greatest challenges...Maybe that's #2 on his list, and it's the Democrats who are upset at him as #1." "He's like a speechwriter masquerading as a Sec. of Defense." @samstein and @saletan on Hegseth's testimony.

"In November, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, cited the 197 figure in a statement to The New York Times related to an earlier firing by Mr. Hegseth. News outlets “peddling Democrat talking points have clearly forgotten that 197 officers, including flag officers, were fired during the Obama administration,” the statement read. When challenged on the figure’s origins, Kingsley Wilson, the press secretary for the Pentagon, asked The Times not to publish the statement, saying it had been written by a lower-level staff member and had not been cleared for release. Ms. Wilson then sent a new statement, which did not include the 197 figure and was in a news article."

Any time Alito's name is on an opinion, you already know: rights are getting gutted and we are going backwards in time. The rot goes deeper, though. The Roberts Court — from Citizens United in 2010 up until today's gutting of the Voting Rights Act — has never missed an opportunity to side with powerful interests over people, and it’s long past time to stop pretending this is on the level. washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/…