My New Dispatch Article on "Why Donald Trump's Iran War is Unconstitutional"
The article explains why the war requires congressional authorization,and why this requirement is important.
War
Trade Wars, Meet Actual Wars
Plus: Congress shrugs, a cat cafe unionizes, and Liz Wolfe checks in, and more...
Yes, States May Prosecute ICE Agents for Misconduct
Plus: An unsettling comparison between the Iran War and “Lyndon Johnson going into Vietnam.”
Jonah Goldberg: The GOP Is Becoming Anti-Conservative
Jonah Goldberg discusses the Iran war, Trump’s governing style, the rise of the populist right, and why he believes the GOP is drifting away from conservatism.
The Iran War Is Unconstitutional
The president has no lawful authority to launch a war absent a congressional declaration of war.
Trump's War With Iran Is Unjustified and Unpopular
Plus: Congress is reluctant to assert its war powers, the Pentagon brands Anthropic a national security threat, and a listener asks whether regime change is ever morally defensible.
The Goalposts of the Iran War Keep Shifting
Trump and his team can’t get their story straight on why they started this war, how long they plan to fight it, and whether they'll put boots on the ground.
Bombed Iran
Plus: 3 Americans killed in retaliation, former President Bill Clinton testifies about Jeffrey Epstein, and more...
Trump Should Have Made His Case for War to Congress and the American People
The administration was wrong to unilaterally and unconstitutionally commit the U.S. to war.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Is Reported Dead
Khamenei's rule was marked by a combination of cruelty and incompetence. His death may have unfolded much the same way.
An Unconstitutional War
Trump's attack on Iran is obviously unconstitutional. The moral and policy issues are a closer call.
Trump and Israel Start the Iran War
The war is aimed at regime change, has spread across the Middle East, and was started without the consent of the American people.
Why Don't Democratic Leaders Want To Vote on the Iran War?
A war powers resolution has been stuck in Congress—and Democrats are reportedly happy to let Trump walk into a quagmire.
War With Iran?
Plus: the same ole hawkish lies, a familial connection to Barry Goldwater's nomination, and the future of media is prediction markets on Substack.
The Hawks Are Lying Us Into Yet Another Middle Eastern War
Like the Iraq War, the planned war with Iran is built on false premises. Unlike the Iraq War, there hasn’t even been a real public debate.
Can Iran's Protest Movement Topple the Regime?
Exiled journalist Fardad Farahzad discusses how Iranians get uncensored news, the state of the protest movement, and whether the Islamic Republic is losing its grip on power.
The Olympics Will Never Achieve World Peace If It Keeps Clamping Down on Free Speech
Plus: Olympic hockey almost didn’t happen, how to pad the medal count, and a reader survey on fixing the Olympics
The El Paso Drone Scare Is the Future of National Security Paranoia
Fear over mysterious objects in the sky keeps disrupting society.
Why Doesn't Regime Change Ever Seem To Work?
The problem is not that revolution is bad or that some cultures can’t rule themselves—it’s that social engineering is hard.
Trump's Plan to Seize Greenland is Simultaneously Evil, Illegal, and Counterproductive
It would alienate allies, impose US rule on an unwilling population, and blatantly violate both US and international law.The plan to impose tariffs on nations opposing the seizure is also illegal and harmful.
Seizing Greenland Might Be the Least Popular Idea in American Political History
This foolish, unnecessary, bellicose idea is running up against the "Lizardman's Constant."
Iran's Inflation Protests Turned Into an Uprising. Will Trump Get Involved?
The unrest started with a merchants' strike, escalated into a bloody crackdown—and might become an American war.
The Trump Administration Owns Responsibility for Whatever Comes Next in Venezuela
By deposing Maduro but keeping his brutal regime in power, the U.S. implicitly endorses its crimes.
I Once Supported Regime Change in Iraq. That's Why Venezuela Worries Me.
When we use our military and roll the dice with the fate of nations, the consequences play out in a much longer time frame than social media trends.
A Recent Book Shows Why Invading Greenland Would Be a Dumb Idea
Polar War demonstrates how difficult it is for armies to operate in the high north—and just how far America is behind Europe in Arctic warfare.
The 'Law Enforcement' Rationale for Invading Venezuela Is an Open-Ended License for War
If an indictment is enough to justify military action, why bother seeking congressional approval?
Did Marco Rubio Lie to Congress About Venezuela?
His explanation for why the Trump administration attacked Venezuela without congressional authorization does not stand up to scrutiny.
Americans Are Increasingly Skeptical of Foreign Military Intervention
Nicolás Maduro’s removal should be welcomed by anyone who values liberty. Yet data show Americans—led by the youngest adults—are turning noninterventionist.
Thoughts on the Capture of Maduro and Trump's Attack on Venezuela
Maduro is a brutal dictator who is getting what he deserves. But Trump's actions are still illegal, because lacking proper congressional authorization. Whether they result in a beneficial regime change in Venezuela remains to be seen.
Donald Trump Says the U.S. Will 'Run' Venezuela After Maduro's Ouster
When asked who would be in charge, Trump said: “We’re designating those people.”
Trump Should Have Tried To Get Congressional Authorization If He Wanted To Strike Venezuela and Capture Maduro
The strikes against Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro might be popular or defensible. They were not legal.
Reflections on a Visit to Israel
I spent two weeks teaching and lecturing in Israel. Here are some tentative impressions.
Here Are 5 Wars Trump Started or Expanded in 2025
The U.S. military is fighting or preparing to fight in more countries than it was when the self-proclaimed "peace president" took office.
Hegseth Won't Let Us See a Video That Might Undermine Support for Trump's Bloodthirsty Anti-Drug Strategy
The defense secretary claims the video, which shows a second strike that killed two floundering survivors, would compromise "sources and methods."
Should Libertarians Support Federal AI Regulation?
Plus: reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, mass shootings at Bondi Beach and Brown University, and the U.S. seizes a Venezuelan oil tanker
If the Syrian War Is Over, Why Are Americans Still Getting Killed in Syria?
The weekend’s ISIS attack came as the Trump administration is trying to expand the U.S. presence in Syria.
Congress Gives the Military $8 Billion More Than It Asked for
The version of the NDAA passed by the House is larger than the administration’s budget request.
Trump's Word Games Can't Conceal the Murderous Reality of His Anti-Drug Strategy
Calling suspected cocaine smugglers "combatants" does not justify summarily executing them.
Hegseth Mulls Releasing a Video That Illustrates the Brutality of Trump's Murderous Anti-Drug Strategy
The footage shows what happened to the survivors of the September 2 attack that inaugurated the president's deadly campaign against suspected drug boats.
Boat Strike Inquiry
Plus: Hep B vaccines, national parks nonsense, Trump involvement in Netflix deal, and more...
What Is Syria Like 1 Year After Its Revolution?
A former leader of Al Qaeda has convinced Washington that he’s a liberal reformer. Now comes the hard part of following through.
The 'Threat' That Supposedly Justified Killing 2 Boat Attack Survivors Was Entirely Speculative
The commander who ordered a second missile strike worried that the helpless men he killed might be able to salvage cocaine from the smoldering wreck.
Rand Paul Bashes Pete Hegseth Over Boat Bombings: 'He Was Lying…or He's Incompetent'
Paul says Hegseth misled Congress about deadly strikes on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean.
Hegseth's 'Fog of War' Is No Excuse for Summarily Executing Suspected Drug Smugglers
Regardless of what the defense secretary knew or said about the September 2 boat attack, the forces he commands are routinely committing murder in the guise of self-defense.
The Law of War Was Not Designed for Trump's Bogus 'Armed Conflict' With Drug Smugglers
Instead of asking whether a particular boat attack went too far, Congress should ask how the summary execution of criminal suspects became the new normal.
Is Economic Anxiety Driving People to Socialism?
Plus: War crime allegations against Hegseth, Congress threatens the legal hemp industry, and reflections on the legacy of Tom Stoppard
