Slate Daily Feed Political Gabfest - Trump and the Iranians Deserve Each Other
Apr 23, 2026
Beverly Gage, historian and Yale professor who co-chaired Yale’s Committee on Trust in Higher Education, walks through the committee’s report and proposed fixes. The conversation also covers the Iran standoff’s impact on trade and why mines and drones keep the crisis stuck. They discuss Kash Patel’s defamation suit and how such legal theater plays into politics.
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Atlantic Story Ties Patel To Partying And Absences
- The Atlantic published allegations of Kash Patel's binge drinking and absenteeism that prompted a $250 million defamation suit.
- Emily Bazelon and others say the reporting matches prior accounts of Patel treating official trips like paid vacations, e.g., soccer and speedboat outings.
Defamation Suits As Political Performance Risk Discovery
- Patel's defamation lawsuit functions as performance politics and risks costly discovery.
- Emily Bazelon notes such suits signal media-attack playbooks to Trump's base but could expose damaging evidence if litigated.
FBI Becoming A Tool For Political Retribution
- The FBI under Patel is being weaponized for political aims while neglecting core duties.
- Bazelon cites examples: requests for local ballots, probing reporters, and partisan investigations like against the SPLC as signs of retribution use.