Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth
Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented an online lecture, “The Second Trump Presidency: Reviewing the First Year – and Previewing the Years to Come,” to students at Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Farnsworth served as a J. William Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Humanities and Social Sciences in Poland during 2024.
Media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Virginia prepares for historic moment as Spanberger takes office in Richmond (WTOP)
In the article by WTOP, Farnsworth said “Virginia has known that it was going to have a woman governor for the last several months, but it will be a crowning moment for Virginia politics when that day comes to pass.” See the article from WTOP.
Mark Rutte is on collision course with European capitals over NATO (Politic; Bytes Europe)
But keeping Trump sweet risks emboldening the U.S. president to be still bolder in future. “Politicians around the world and in this country ignore Trump’s ego at their peril,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at Virginia’s University of Mary Washington. See article from Politic.
‘I meant what I said’: Carney tells Trump he stands by his Davos speech (CHCH – Hamilton, Ontario)
Stephen Farnsworth—an expert in U.S. politics and the presidency—says Trump was hoping for a more favorable experience at the World Economic Forum. Stephen Farnsworth offered further context for the president’s anger, saying the Trump administration is going through a difficult period, with polling suggesting challenges ahead of the November midterm elections, and widespread controversy over the behavior of federal officials in Minnesota enforcing the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policy. See article from CHCH.
Rutte to Trump: “Your Allies Will Be With You” (CTV News)
“Well, I think one of the big questions is what are the red lines with Donald Trump? What are the things the president will not do,” said Stephen Farnsworth. See more from CTV News.
A lack of decorum at the White House (La Presse, Montreal)
“It’s astonishing how much the discourse surrounding the intervention in Venezuela has changed in just a few days,” notes Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. “Initially, the focus was on combating drug trafficking, but attention quickly shifted to access to oil.” See article from La Presse.
Her Excellency (Richmond Magazine)
“I think one of the things that we’ll be seeing in this session is disagreements within the party rather than disagreements across party lines,” explains Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. See article in Richmond Magazine.
Canada stands ‘firmly’ with Greenland, rejects tariffs over Danish territory (CHCH Hamilton Ontario Canada)
“President Trump always starts negotiations from a very extreme position. What you see here is a very, very aggressive effort to maximize what the US can get out of this impasse,” said Stephen Farnsworth. See more from CHCH Hamilton.
Governor Spanberger (WMAL)
“Their optimism may be very much limited by the painful fiscal reality that Virginia is facing right now,” said Farnsworth. “The big Democratic majority does not mean the Democratic Party is going to veer to the far left in Virginia,” said Farnsworth.
Glenn Youngkin positions himself for future with Vance endorsement (Washington Examiner)
“The painful reality of every Virginia governor is that they have an expiration date,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “And that creates great pressure on creating the environment for the next job. Youngkin has been effective at supporting President Trump in a way that opens possibilities for him in Washington.” See article from Washington Examiner.
Trump threatening tariffs against European countries is an attempt at leverage (CTV News; BNN Bloomberg)
“The story that comes with the Trump administration about the utility of tariffs has really changed a great deal. Now, it really is a vehicle to try leverage outcomes politically that the president wants,” said Stephen Farnsworth. See article from BNN Bloomberg.