Trump Signals a Crackdown on Legal and Illegal Immigration
The president plans to suspend refugee resettlement and declare a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Donald Trump
Trump Goes After Mexico by Designating Drug Cartels Terrorist Organizations
Designating cartels as terrorist organizations could allow the feds to prosecute people who pay protection money—and might pave the way for undeclared war.
Trump Promises To Be a 'Peacemaker,' Threatens Panama
Trump is wrong to threaten an ally and prepare to tear up a treaty over a nonexistent threat.
Trump Pledges To Revoke E.V. Mandate in Direct Repudiation of Biden's Platform
Trump may not be able to revoke the rules outright, but polls show that most Americans don't support a mandate.
Biden's Preemptive Pardons Undermine Official Accountability and the Rule of Law
His last-minute acts of clemency invite Trump and future presidents to shield their underlings from the consequences of committing crimes in office.
Trump's Illegal First-Day Executive Actions
Several of his announced actions are likely to be illegal, especially some related to immigration.
Trump's 'External Revenue Service' Is a Public Relations Effort. It Won't Change How Tariffs Work.
Trump promises to "tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens." That's not how it works.
Do You Feel Equal Yet?
Plus: Fauci preemptively pardoned, hostages released, Inauguration Day, and more...
In Print: Sweeping Section Three Under the Rug
My latest article with Michael Stokes Paulsen is in print
Why Trump Should Keep His Promise To Free Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht
A life sentence for facilitating peaceful transactions among consenting adults is hard to fathom, let alone justify.
Finding Trillions in Federal Cuts Is Easy. But Will Trump and Musk Follow Through?
DOGE won't necessarily have to kill any of Republicans’ sacred cows—but they will have to be put on a diet.
TikTok Is Back Online as Trump Proposes Nationalizing It
While pledging to postpone the ban by executive order, the incoming president said the government should have a 50-percent ownership stake in the app.
Biden Didn't Cause the Border Crisis by Being too Lax on Enforcement
David Bier has an excellent analysis on this point.
SCOTUS Rules in Favor of TikTok Ban as Some Supporters Realize It's a Bad Idea
"I cannot profess the kind of certainty I would like to have about the arguments and record before us," writes Justice Gorsuch.
Trump Promised To Free Ross Ulbricht. Here's Why He Should.
A second chance for the creator of the dark web drug site the Silk Road might be coming…from an unlikely savior.
The FDA Proposes a De Facto Cigarette Ban, Which Would Expand the Disastrous War on Drugs
Mandating negligible nicotine levels in tobacco products would create a big black market and criminalize currently legal transactions.
The Way Out of Our Inflation Mess
For all the excitement about the incoming administration and a return to the 2019 economy, market stability rests on the precarious assumption that the government will eventually put its fiscal house in order.
Nobody Won the War in Gaza
The same ceasefire agreement was almost signed in May 2024. Instead, the pointless violence continued for several more months—at Americans’ expense.
Can the Private Sector Really Replace All Government Functions?
I can't stand big government, but I think we need something. Michael Malice says I'm wrong.
Hegseth on Defense
Plus: Who's on deck for the next round of confirmation hearings, Trump wants to create a second IRS, Cuba is no longer doing terrorism, and more...
The Law That Disarmed Trump Is Unfair, Illogical, and Constitutionally Dubious
The president-elect lost his Second Amendment rights thanks to a nonsensical gun ban.
Reminder: Donald Trump Promised To Free Ross Ulbricht on 'Day One'
Will he follow through on the promise he made at the Libertarian National Convention—and to his crypto fans?
Trump Would Have Been Convicted for Election Interference, Says Jack Smith
In the first volume of his final report, Special Counsel Jack Smith laid out a damning case against the former and future president.
Trump's Inauguration Won't Change the Fact That People Dislike High Gas Prices
The incoming administration is grappling with uncomfortable political consequences of the tariffs Trump wants to impose.
Hegseth Faces the Senate
Plus: L.A.'s price gouging crackdown, more Rachel Maddow in your life, and more...
How Awful Policies Fueled the L.A. Fires
Plus: A listener asks the editors if Donald Trump is the most libertarian president ever.
Trump's Latest Defeat Is One of Many Decisions That Suggest SCOTUS Won't Rubber-Stamp His Agenda
Despite some notable wins, the president-elect's overall track record shows he cannot count on a conservative Supreme Court to side with him.
Janet Yellen's Short-Term Thinking Could Cost the U.S. Big
The Treasury Secretary’s debt decisions during the pandemic locked in low rates—but only for two years. Now, taxpayers are paying the price.
We Could Use a Man Like Grover Cleveland Again
The last president to serve two non-consecutive terms stood against imperialism. Donald Trump could learn from his example.
Alvin Bragg's Misbegotten 'Election Interference' Case Against Trump Ends With a Whimper
Aside from a felony record that may yet be erased on appeal, the president-elect will face no punishment for trying to conceal his hush payment to Stormy Daniels.
Will 2025 Be the Year of U.S. Fiscal Sanity?
With inflation risks persisting and entitlement spending surging, the situation cannot be ignored. But we never should have gotten to this point to begin with.
America's Arctic Troops in Greenland Go To Diversity Training
The U.S. already has a base in one of the territories Trump covets. Here’s how the Americans stationed there are told to deal with the people who are actually from there.
Douglas Irwin: Why Trump's Tariff Plans Are Dangerous
The trade economist details the most alarming protectionist policies proposed by the incoming Trump administration.
Decrying First Amendment Threat, FIRE Will Defend Pollster Whom Trump Sued for 'Consumer Fraud'
The president-elect frivolously claims that J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register owe him damages because of an erroneous preelection poll.
Zuck Finds His Spine
Plus: The new manifest destiny, California wildfires, Canada's immigration troubles, and more...
American Public Has High Hopes for New Trump Administration
The incoming administration has an opportunity—if it can meet expectations.
The Best of Reason: The Improbable Rise of MAGA-Musk
Is Elon Musk a reactionary with a defective bullshit meter or the best part of the second Trump administration?
More on Birthright Citizenship and Undocumented Immigrants
Legal scholars Amanda Frost and Paul Gowder have both published notable new articles on the subject.
What's Happening to Canada?
Plus: CCP police station in NYC, Rotherham rape scandal, McDonald's scraps DEI nonsense, and more...
Why the Race and Gender Politics of White Dudes for Harris Failed
It's still the economy, stupid.
How Political Ignorance Helped Cause the January 6 Attack and Trump's Subsequent Political Comeback
Voter ignorance and bias in evaluating political information were major factors in both.
Biden Ends Presidency How He Started It: Halting Oil Production
The president’s ban on offshore oil and gas drilling perfectly encapsulates his top-down legacy on energy.
Biden Strengthened the Refugee Resettlement System. Will Trump Undo It?
Refugee resettlements last year hit a 30-year high, but that progress is fragile.
The Improbable Rise of MAGA-Musk
Is Elon Musk a reactionary with a defective bullshit meter or the best part of the second Trump administration?
Is Biden Teeing Up an Iran War for Trump?
Trump was considered reckless for wanting to start a war at the end of his term. Now, Biden is doing the same.
