Defending the Summary Execution of Suspected Drug Smugglers, Trump Declares an 'Armed Conflict'
The president thinks he can transform murder into self-defense by executive fiat.
Military
Deploying Federal Troops Is Not a Sustainable Solution to Crime in American Cities
Federal officers policing Washington, D.C., on Trump's orders appear to be driving crime down, but the plan is neither constitutionally sound nor viable in the long term.
How the U.S. Sold Its Longest War with a Bodyguard of Lies
Filmmaker Dan Krauss explains how U.S. leaders misled the public about Afghanistan, why the media failed to push back, and how money and power kept America’s longest war alive long after it was lost.
Why Does Trump Want U.S. Troops Back in Afghanistan?
Mike Waltz is no longer national security adviser, but his plans for Bagram Air Base seem to have stuck in the president's head.
The Government Was Lying to You About Afghanistan. Dan Krauss Has the Receipts.
Reason is sharing an exclusive clip from Bodyguard of Lies, an upcoming documentary about the failed war in Afghanistan.
Americans Like Drugs. Killing Drug Traffickers Won't Change That.
Most U.S. drug traffickers are Americans, but the president is ordering extrajudicial maritime killings while ignoring the domestic demand that drives the market.
Trump Has a Habit of Asserting Broad, Unreviewable Authority
Whether he is waging the drug war, imposing tariffs, deporting alleged gang members, or fighting crime, the president thinks he can do "anything I want to do."
Another Military Strike on a Speedboat Confirms Trump's Policy of Murdering Suspected Drug Smugglers
The president's new approach to drug law enforcement represents a stark departure from military norms and criminal justice principles.
Reality Winner Got 5 Years in Federal Prison for Leaking 5-Page Document
In her memoir, the former NSA contractor details her journey from top secret security clearance to federal prison.
Trump Calls His Drone Strike on an Alleged Drug Boat 'Self-Defense.' It Looks More Like Murder.
Equating drug trafficking with armed aggression, the president asserts the authority to kill anyone he perceives as a threat to "our most vital national interests."
Trump's 'Department of War' Rebrand Might Be His Most Honest Move Yet
A billion-dollar rebrand won’t change the fact that defense hasn’t meant defense in decades.
Americans Don't Actually Like Trump's Bad Guy Posturing on Immigration and the Military
Shows of force and mass deportations play well to the base, but they’re falling flat with the public.
Trump Keeps Casting Himself as the Bad Guy
From Apocalypse Now memes to a re-named War Department, the second Trump administration is in love with authoritarian aesthetics.
Perils of the Pentagon's Plan to Use Military Lawyers to Adjudicate Immigration Cases
The plan is illegal for multiple reasons, is likely to lead to poor decisions, and could undermine military readiness.
Navy SEALs Reportedly Killed North Korean Fishermen and Mutilated Their Bodies To Hide a Failed Mission
It’s impossible to tell how many other times U.S. special operations failed and killed innocent bystanders in the process.
Trump's Drug Boat Drone Strike Shows How 'Terrorism' Makes Everyone Killable
The logic of the war on terror means infinitely expandable government power.
Trump Orders Strike on Suspected Venezuelan Gang Boat in Caribbean
The attack follows the largest U.S. military buildup in Latin America since 1989, as Washington escalates its campaign against cartels tied to Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
When It Comes to Fighting Crime With the National Guard, Trump Says, He Can Do 'Anything I Want To Do'
The president's plan to promote public safety by deploying troops in cities across the country is hard to reconcile with constitutional constraints on federal authority.
Forget MAGA, Trump Is Making America Canada
Turning the National Guard into a nationwide police force betrays the Founders’ vision and erodes the freedoms that make the U.S. exceptional.
$500 Million To Paint the Border Wall? 5 of Trump's Strangest, Most Expensive Vanity Projects
Donald Trump is no stranger to wasteful spending. But these examples are especially egregious.
Pentagon Draws Up Plans To Send Troops to American Cities
The Trump administration is considering plans for a "Reaction Force" of National Guard troops to deploy quickly to American cities with signs of civil unrest.
America's Reliance on Boeing Is a National Security Liability
With over 3,200 workers off the job, the military’s reliance on one politically connected contractor threatens innovation, accountability, and national security.
How Elite Special Operations Troops Created a Drug Cartel
A bizarre criminal conspiracy in the ranks of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg
For Ukraine, 'Losing Slowly' Might Be a Winning Strategy
Inching backward while bleeding Russia dry, Ukraine is relying on a time-tested military truth: You don’t need to outgun an invader—you just need to outlast them.
From Terror Sanctions to Military Strikes? Trump's Cartel Policy Sidesteps Congress
Federal terrorist lists were not supposed to be an open-ended war authorization. But it sure looks like it’s being used as one.
The Occupation
Plus: Mental health evaluations for little kids, elite worship of socialism, and more...
Tom Lehrer Satirized the National Security State From the Inside
The Cold War comedian and rumored Jell-O shot inventor had a lesser known side as an NSA operative.
Mark Graber on the History and Original Meaning of the Militia Act of 1903
Graber shows that the act used by Trump to federalize the California National Guard does not allow the president to take this step in response to low-level violence and disorder.
Pentagon Awards up to $200 Million to AI Companies Whose Models Are Rife With Ideological Bias
The Department of Defense awarded contracts to Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. The last two are particularly concerning.
Cancel Culture Monkeys and Military Industrial Menaces: James Gunn's Superman Is a Silly Delight
Superman is not "Superwoke."
3 of the Worst Examples of Military Spending in the 'Big, Beautiful Bill'
It spends $34 billion to subsidize shipbuilding, supply chains, and drone technology.
Trump Says the Courts Have No Business Questioning His Dubious Definition of 'Alien Enemies'
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit is considering whether the president properly invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members.
Using the National Guard in DEA Raids Is the Worst Kind of Drug War Mission Creep
The deployment of National Guard soldiers on a DEA drug raid is a serious test of whether the Posse Comitatus Act means something or not.
Trump Takes the Off-Ramp From the Israeli-Iranian War
War with Iran was a risky, destructive gamble. But the worst outcome has been avoided, for now.
Get It All Out of the System
Plus: Strait of Hormuz possibly closing, NYC's socialist nonsense hopefully coming to a close, and more...
Iran's Warning Shot Gives Trump a Way Out of Israel's War
Trump now has a choice between exiting from a position of strength—or jumping further into an endless war.
Just Don't Call It a War
Plus: The Trump administration toys with regime change in Iran, our own constitutional regime takes another hit, a mystery driver joyrides on the National Mall, and more...
The Attack on Iran Is Unlawful
Trump's attack on Iran plainly violates the War Powers Act. Limits on executive power are most important when they are inconvenient.
The Ninth Circuit's Flawed Decision Upholding Trump's Federalization of the California National Guard
The ruling gets several important issues right - and one big one wrong.
The 9th Circuit Rejects Trump's Audacious Claim That He Can Use the National Guard However He Likes
Although the appeals court said the president probably complied with the law he invoked to justify his California deployment, it emphasized that such decisions are subject to judicial review.
VIDEO: Masked ICE Agents Arrest Afghan Ally Following Immigration Court Hearing
Sayed Naser worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, fled after the Taliban killed his brother, and was awaiting asylum. ICE agents still took him in handcuffs—and the government won’t explain why.
The F-35 Ages Worse Than the Planes It's Meant To Replace
House Republicans' budget would spend billions of dollars on the F-35's successor before the current model is even up to par.
Trump Argues That He Can Take Over a State's National Guard Whenever He Feels Like It
The government's lawyer told a 9th Circuit panel the president's deployments are "unreviewable," so he need not even pretend to comply with the statute on which he is relying.
Whether or Not Trump Invokes It, the Insurrection Act Is Antiquated and Dangerously Broad
On its face, the law gives the president sweeping authority to deploy the military in response to domestic disorder.
ICE on Ice
Plus: Suspect in Minnesota shootings arrested, Iran and Israel still fighting, Ross Ulbricht speaks, and more...
Parades Are Great, but We Shouldn't Venerate the Military
America’s founders were deeply suspicious of a standing army.
