The Atlantic ’s October Cover: Anne Applebaum on the “Empire of Grift” and the Revolution in American Foreign Policy

September 14, 2026, 8:33 AM ET Share Save In The Atlantic ’s October cover story, “ Empire of Grift ,” staff writer Anne Applebaum examines how far-right ideologues have transformed American foreign policy into a tool of private gain and antidemocratic reaction. Instead of making the world safe for democracy, she writes, U.S. foreign policy is rewiring the international order. Reporting from Brazil, Applebaum reveals that the United States is not the ally Brazilians once knew. No longer is American power deployed solely by trained diplomats and reliable officials, working through state channels; instead, “informal envoys, private companies, online grifters, and hardened ideologues both inside and outside the government matter more. Unlike their predecessors, these people do not talk about spreading democracy, and don’t want to build long-term relationships. They don’t care about America’s reputation.