Get you calendars out and your questions ready—we finally have a date for the our First Crash Course Book Club! We will meet online with H.W. Brands on Thursday July 10th at 7PM EST. A link will be provided in a future post.
If you missed (or forgot) the announcement, I host a book club with one rule: the author must join the club post-reading and answer reader questions. For our first online meeting, we are reading America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War by bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands.
It’s not to late to join the party. Get a copy of the book and get to reading. We’ll see you on July 10th!
Now, other business.
In the wake of the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear sites, Americans were left with more questions than answers. Conflicting statements from government officials, leaked claims from anonymous sources, and a deluge of speculation on social media have made it difficult for even the most attentive citizens to know what’s true.
Which leads to a question all of us struggle with: who should we trust when no one seems fully trustworthy?
In this 3-minute explainer, I break down why moments like this reveal something deeper about our government, our media ecosystem, and yes, our own bias-chasing brains. Because when everything is loud and chaotic, the credibility of the messenger can be more telling than than the message itself.
Takeaways:
1. You can’t invent credibility in a crisis.
If a leader lies when it’s easy, don’t expect the truth when it’s hard.
2. The truth is most powerful when it’s inconvenient.
Real trust comes from people who are honest when it costs them something—not just when it fits the script.
3. Stop acting like you’ve got a briefing folder.
We average citizens never know the full picture—especially when it involves top secret military and diplomatic strategy. That’s why character matters. That’s why data and media literacy matter. That’s why trustworthiness before the storm is the only thing that matters during it.
So next time the headlines explode and the takes start flying, ask yourself:
Who’s earned my trust? Who’s told the truth when I didn’t want to hear it?
That’s your North Star.
The rest is noise.
Be good, Crashers. Peace.
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