Elections
Fani Willis Is Abusing Georgia's Terrible RICO Law
Trump and his acolytes' conduct was indefensible, but the state's RICO law is overly broad and makes it too easy for prosecutors to bring charges.
The Georgia Case Against Trump
Trump's Georgia indictment has much in common with the most recent federal case against him. But also breaks some new ground.
Trump's Georgia Indictment Raises Familiar Questions of Knowledge and Intent
The defendants will claim their alleged "racketeering activity" was a sincere effort to rectify election fraud.
By Trying To 'Move On,' DeSantis Admits His Fight With Disney Was a Political Stunt All Along
It was never a principled fight against special privileges granted to a private company.
Trump and 18 Others Charged With Election-Related Crimes in Georgia
Plus: The beauty of microschools, the futility of link taxes, and more...
Jack Goldsmith Responds to Critics on the Dangers of Prosecuting (or not Prosecuting) Trump for Trying to Overturn the 2020 Election
I was one of the critics he responded to, and in this post I offer a rejoinder.
Why Stripping Fox's Broadcast License Is a Terrible Idea
Plus: A listener inquires about the potential positive effects of ranked-choice voting reforms.
Hunter Biden and Donald Trump Should Both Have Jury Trials
End the government’s plea-bargaining racket with open and adversarial jury trials.
Nikki Haley Positions Herself as the Anti-Gerontocracy Candidate
Haley seeks to make her relative youthfulness a selling point. It hasn't caught on among primary voters, but it's nonetheless worth considering whether the oldest candidates are always the best.
The Dangers of Giving Trump Impunity are Far Worse than those of Prosecuting Him
Giving presidents impunity for using force and fraud to try to nullify election results is far worse than any potential risk of prosecuting Trump.
Ron DeSantis' Unconvincing Economic Reset
Though an improvement over his obsession with wokeness and culture wars, DeSantis can't seem to ditch the populist demagoguery.
Here Is Why Trump's Lawyers Say His Post-Election Conduct Was Constitutionally Protected
When he alleged fraud and sought help from government officials, they say, Trump was exercising rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Have We Lost Track of the Trump Indictments Yet?
Plus: Why don't journalists support free speech anymore?
Hollow Major Parties Preside Over a Politics of 'Fear and Loathing'
The Democrats and Republicans seem ripe for replacement. But how and by what?
Clearing up Common Misconceptions About the Charges Against Trump
Recent articles by Lawfare and Walter Olson perform a valuable service on this front.
Trump's Prosecution Could Be Stymied by the Blurry Line Between Deceit and Self-Delusion
His state of mind when he tried to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election remains a mystery, perhaps even to him.
Did Trump Really Believe the Election Was Stolen? Here Is Why It Matters.
The new federal charges against Trump depend on the assumption that his claims were "knowingly false."
Is Trump's Latest Indictment About Defending Democracy or Attacking Free Speech?
Plus: More "manifesting prostitution" nonsense, U.S. loses top-tier credit rating, and more...
Retribution, Deterrence, and the Case for Prosecuting Trump for Conspiring to Overturn the 2020 Election
His attempt to stay in power despite losing an election is well worthy of prosecution and punishment, on grounds of retribution and deterrence.
Trump Indicted for Attempting To Overturn 2020 Presidential Election
Special prosecutor Jack Smith says Trump attempted to "defraud the United States."
Giuliani Admits His Oft-Told Tale of Georgia Election Fraud Was Not True
Unlike calling Trump's stolen-election fantasy "the Big Lie," his lawyer's statements were demonstrably false assertions of fact.
Studies Keep Finding That Social Media Algorithms Don't Increase Polarization. Why Is the Press So Skeptical?
New research on Facebook before the 2020 election finds scant evidence to suggest algorithms are shifting our political views.
Don't Censor RFK Jr.
After its spectacular screw-ups on COVID-19 "misinformation," the government shouldn't be so quick to squelch dissenting voices.
Getting Cozy With the Too Online 'New Right' Hasn't Worked Out for DeSantis
After firing the staffer blamed for a video that borrowed Nazi imagery, is Ron DeSantis finally backing away from the authoritarian edgelords?
Get Your Culture War Out of Our Pension Funds
Plus: Should libertarians consider employing noble lies when pitching themselves to new potential voters?
2 Reasons It's Not Clear That Trump 'Corruptly' Obstructed an Official Proceeding
Appeals in the January 6 cases raise serious questions about how broadly the statute should be applied.
Here Is Why Trump's 'Contingent' Electors Say They Did Nothing Illegal
Republicans who participated in the scheme say they relied on legal advice grounded in historical precedent.
The Real Worry Behind the Unhinged Freakout Over No Labels
No amount of third-party/RFK Jr. shaming can erase the fact that Joe Biden is a weak and unpopular incumbent.
Does Trump's 'Alternate' Electors Plan Justify Criminal Charges Against Them and Him?
The alleged state and federal felonies involve intent elements that may be difficult to prove.
DeSantis Unironically Frets About 'Criminalizing Political Differences'
He'd be a stronger candidate if he applied that thinking to situations that don't involve former President Donald Trump.
'Bidenomics,' Like All Industrial Policy, Sucks
Plus: Does Tom Cruise really do all of his own stunts?
Tucker Carlson Lends Credence to the Stolen-Election Story He Dismissed As a Lie
Eager for the adulation of Trump supporters, the former Fox News host suggests that rigged election software delivered a phony victory to Joe Biden.
Tim Scott Debuts Border Platform Including 'Human Wall' and 'Bye-Bye Ambassador' Tucker Carlson
Though the 2024 Republican candidate's proposals vary in seriousness, they feature plenty of prohibition and brute government force.
A Grand Jury Considers the Question of Whether Trump Sincerely Believed He Won Reelection
That issue is central to Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation of the former president's response to Joe Biden's victory.
GOP Hopeful Asa Hutchinson Wants Parents To Make Medical Decisions for Trans Kids
The crowd at the socially conservative FAMiLY Leadership Summit was not receptive, and Glenn Beck likened the Arkansas governor's performance to the crash of the Hindenburg.
Jonah Goldberg: A NeverTrumper's Take on the 2024 Election
The Liberal Fascism author and co-founder of The Dispatch talks candidly about the weird state of the contemporary political right.
Some Critics of the Ruling Against Biden's Censorship by Proxy Have a Beef With the 1st Amendment Itself
"Disinformation" researchers alarmed by the injunction against government meddling with social media content admire legal regimes that allow broad speech restrictions.
Why Are So Many Libertarians Suddenly Fond of RFK Jr.?
The anti-vax environmental lawyer is not worthy of the rehabilitation tour he's getting from pundits and podcasters.
This Election Season, Beware of These False Promises
Many politicians offer a simplified view of the world—one in which government interventions are all benefits and no costs. That couldn't be further from the truth.
Bridget Phetasy: Why I Left California for Texas
The wildly popular podcaster is still "politically homeless" but says leaving California and having a kid have improved her life immensely.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: COVID, Ukraine, Bitcoin, Guns, Free Speech, and More
The environmentalist and anti-vaccine activist talks about his presidential run and whether he'd jail climate change skeptics.
The Next President Needs To Cut Spending
At a minimum, the national debt should be smaller than the size of the economy. A committed president just might be able to deliver.
Turns Out 'Bidenomics' Means Top-Down Economic Control
Joe Biden's big economic speech is a poor attempt at a branding exercise.
RFK Jr.: The Reason Interview
RFK Jr. on libertarianism, Tulsi Gabbard, conspiracy theories, drugs, guns, free speech, and more
Trump Can't Decide Whether To Free Drug Dealers or Kill Them
His bloody rhetoric undermines his defense of the sentencing reforms he proudly embraced as president.
