US government rescinds West Point role for former cyber director

In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer reacts to the US government's decision to rescind former CISA Director Jen Easterly’s appointment to West Point, raising serious concerns about the state of American democracy and national values.

Ian argues that the United States is falling short of the ideals it claims to uphold. “I believe that it is still patriotic to criticize your country when it makes a mistake,” he says. “What we now see are increasingly values that the US has said historically that it stands for not living up to that.”

Ian also points to the role of far-right political activist Laura Loomer in influencing the decision, calling it a troubling sign of democratic backsliding. “Those cadets will no longer have that opportunity,” he states, “because it has been taken away by someone who has no idea what Jen stands for.”