T. A. Frank
Vanity Fair
Seattle, WA, United States
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Past articles by T. A.:
“The Coronavirus Crisis Was Built for Insurgent Information”: Why Some Early MAGA Adopters Went Against Trump’s Virus Doctrine
As Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and much of the GOP parroted the president’s no-worries line, MAGA originals like Steve Bannon and Mike Cernovich sounded the alarm. → Read More
The Unseen Wave of Covid-19
It was always going to be worse than we thought. But, Trump, the CDC, and some others notwithstanding, the outlines of a strategy are becoming clear. → Read More
Damn the Gaffes and Lapses! Democrats Full Speed Ahead With Joe Biden
The party decides! Or settles. Bernie down but not out. Bloomberg definitely out—with American Samoa, but without about $600 million. And what, what, what is Elizabeth Warren thinking? → Read More
The Coronavirus Will Cause a Political Pandemic
COVID-19 could boost Bernie (“Medicare for all”) and maybe Bloomberg (the Purell Czar; but who wants him when it’s over?), and poses a grave danger to Trump, germophobe in chief. But the less effect it has on our politics, the happier we’ll be. → Read More
How Bloomberg’s Money Bomb Could Blow Up Bernie
Biden is certainly toast. Buttigieg, probably. But Sanders is the real target, and he’s already being weakened. → Read More
Bernie’s Pinkish Brand and the Coming War Over Socialism
Bernie says his ideology is more Scandinavian than Bolshevist—but is the S-word still an American taboo? → Read More
Why the Women-Can’t-Win Contretemps Could Backfire on Warren
With Bernie, she may have broken the friendship code, the sort of thing that sticks in voters' minds. The ultimate benefactor? Joe Biden. → Read More
“Just Waving to You, Joe. Saying Hello”: At the Democratic Debate, Things Finally Got Real
The seven left standing onstage showed their flaws—and their strengths. The race is on. → Read More
The Jeffrey Epstein Case Shows That Paranoia Is the Only Possible Response to This Moment
These days, who can argue that a pervasive sense that mysterious, implacable forces (depraved elitists, Russians) are manipulating everything isn’t completely rational? → Read More
“Like Watching a Child Without Training Wheels”: Biden’s Debate Performance Is a Warning to Democrats
Biden is occupying the central space in the race, freezing things in place. For Democrats, it’s a dangerous situation. → Read More
“President Trump Is Welcome to Take a Seat Right There”: The GOP Failed To Deny Trump’s Undeniable Ukraine Pressure
Partisan warfare erupts over Kent’s bowtie as Dems take impeachment opening day. But the real story is about timeless ineptitude. → Read More
King Tut’s Curse: Did Trump’s Endorsement Sink Matt Bevin in Kentucky?
If the President can’t tip the scales in Mitch McConnell’s home state, where can he tip them? And what does Bevin’s failure to concede portend for our democracy? → Read More
“My Reaction Was, ‘Oh, God’”: Republicans Gird Their Loins for Impeachment Pain
Protecting Trump comes down to politics more than principle. But voting against impeachment brings its own sort of pain—even if party loyalty comes in many flavors. → Read More
Unmasking Mitt Romney: What Does Pierre Delecto Believe?
Delecto, Romney’s social media alter ego, is not much in tune with ordinary people. He is, however, deeply in tune with a Washington establishment that still dreams of Jeb Bush—and that gave us Donald Trump. → Read More
Another Awkward Debate Shows Why Democrats Are in Trouble
Warren’s vulnerabilities were on display, Biden remains unable to formulate a sentence without stumbling, and the also-rans appear consigned to second-tier status. Is it time for Democrats to start getting nervous? → Read More
“Just What Elizabeth Warren Needed”: How Impeachment—And Biden’s Involvement—Could Scramble 2020 Democrats
For the first time ever, an impeachment trial will play out during a presidential campaign. In the short term, this could be to the benefit of impeachment hawk Warren and the detriment of Biden. But will there be a cost down the road? → Read More
Veepstakes 2020: Which Democrats Are Secretly Running for Second Place?
Bernie’s a loner and Warren wants to win, but Kamala, Pete, and Booker might be playing for the consolation prize. → Read More
Joe Biden Survives Another Melee—and Comes Out Looking Stronger
His performance in the last debate was a disaster. But in Houston, Biden managed to be combative without being nasty, and he was one of the few candidates on stage who stayed in the realm of genuine argument rather than sloganeering. → Read More
Farewell to John Bolton, the Only Man to Make Trump Look Sane
Bolton’s resignation as national-security adviser is the rare event in which socialists, paleoconservatives, and libertarians might find themselves united in brotherly affection. It should also serve as a reminder that what passes for brilliance in Washington is often just belligerence. → Read More
The Rot in the Obama-Trump Economy Is Beginning to Stink
A decade of growth has palliated the sickness at the heart of the American dream. But under the surface, symptoms of economic inequality are getting worse. When the next recession hits, and the blinders come off, elites will have to grapple with a more potent radicalism. → Read More