Politicians Go Out of Their Way To Make Political Tensions Worse
Nobody should be governed by people who despise them.
Donald Trump
Trump's Vision of Broadcast Regulation Is a Threat to Conservatives
History suggests that Republicans will regret letting the FCC police TV programming.
How a Fight Over Voter Data Could Reshape American Elections
Lawsuits against Oregon and Maine test how far the federal government can go in demanding access to voter information.
Why the Charlie Kirk Memorial Might Spell the End of Trump and MAGA
Speeches by the president, Stephen Miller, and Tucker Carlson will accelerate dislike of the president’s agenda.
Trump's Latest Tariff Defense Asserts Uncheckable Executive Power
The president’s attempt to evade the major questions doctrine deserves to be rejected.
Courts are Checking Trump More Effectively than Many Think
Legal scholar Steve Vladeck explains how and why.
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.
America's Free Speech Culture Is Under Attack From Within
The First Amendment still stands, but the culture that supports it is eroding.
Trump's Harmful and Illegal Plan to Gut H-1B Visas by Imposing $100,000 Fees
The plan violates the relevant visa law. If allowed to stand, it would significantly harm productivity and innovation.
The FCC's Involvement in Canceling Jimmy Kimmel Was 'Unbelievably Dangerous,' Ted Cruz Says
Rand Paul concurs that the threats preceding the comedian's suspension were "absolutely inappropriate" because the agency has "no business weighing in on this."
Alcohol Escapes a Government Crackdown—for Now
A quiet push to declare “no safe level” of drinking has officially fizzled.
The FCC Chair's Unprecedented, and Constitutionally Problematic, Response to Jimmy Kimmel
And Trump's much more extreme one. [EV writes: I bumped this post from yesterday, because it struck me as especially timely and substantively valuable.]
Donald Trump Is Not a Peace President
Trump struggles to articulate any foreign policy view with much coherence, and has a fragile ego that makes world conflicts all about him.
Abolish the FCC
The Trump Administration's recent abuses of the agency's powers lend weight to longstanding libertarian arguments for abolishing it, going back to Nobel Prize-winning economist Ronald Coase's classic 1959 article.
Trump Is Embracing 'Daddy State' Economics
Markets thrive on predictable rules, but when the president takes equity stakes or pressures firms at will, investment and risk-taking give way to hesitation.
Brendan Carr Flagrantly Abused His Powers To Cancel Jimmy Kimmel
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," the FCC chairman said, threatening to punish broadcasters for airing the comedian's show.
What Does It Mean for Trump To Designate Antifa a 'Terrorist Organization'?
America doesn’t have an official list of domestic terrorist organizations, but the declaration could mean heavier political surveillance and RICO prosecutions.
The Federal Reserve Cuts Rates With Inflation Still Hot. Is Political Pressure Winning?
When the Federal Reserve is concerned about inflation, it increases the federal funds rate. Despite expressing such concerns, the Fed lowered it.
Trump's 'Firing' of Lisa Cook Is Headed for SCOTUS
Plus: Pam Bondi flunks free speech 101.
House Republicans Just Voted To Give Even More Tariff Power Away to Trump
House Republicans passed a resolution that prevents Congress from ending the national emergency Trump is using to impose tariffs until March 31.
Trump's $15 Billion Lawsuit Against The New York Times Is His Craziest One Yet
The complaint suggests the Times showed "actual malice" because its reporters hated him. That's not how that works.
Trump's Complaint Against the New York Times: A Long Press Release that Mangles "Actual Malice"
It’s mainly praise for Trump: “President Trump secured the greatest personal and political achievement in American history.”
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."
Brendan Carr and Ted Cruz Don't Think Charlie Kirk's Murder Justifies Speech Restrictions
Rand Paul, who called for "a crackdown on people" who celebrated the assassination, was less careful in distinguishing between private and government action.
Trump Threatens Another Federal Takeover of D.C. While Planning Memphis Crackdown
Trump’s emergency order in the nation’s capital expired last week, but he has already rolled out a plan to crack down on crime in Memphis.
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.
The Standard for 'Vicious' Speech Trump Laid Out After Kirk's Murder Would Implicate Trump Himself
Freedom of speech cannot reliably protect conservatives unless it also protects people they despise.
U.S. Plan To Disarm Hezbollah Is a Diplomatic Dead End
Washington’s proposal to link Israeli withdrawals with Hezbollah’s surrender ignores decades of political entrenchment and risks fueling wider conflict.
Michael Tracey: Cutting Through the Jeffrey Epstein Fog
Journalist Michael Tracey discusses problems with what he call the "Epstein mythology" on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.
Trump Shouldn't Take Election Advice From a Russian Dictator
While mail-in voting provides obvious logistical challenges, every serious analysis of mail-in voting results has found it to be secure.
Donald Trump Is Not the Bitcoin President
He’s the stablecoin president, seeking to expand the monetary power and borrowing capacity of the U.S. government.
What If We Acted Like Political Violence Was a Problem?
De-escalation is that much harder, yet even more necessary, in the wake of Charlie Kirk's brutal assassination.
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."
Kavanaugh Flouts the Fourth Amendment and Blesses Trump's Racial Profiling
The justice’s stance on immigration enforcement is undermined by the facts of the case before him.
Once a Critic of Executive Orders, Trump Embraces Unilateral Action
With Congress essentially AWOL, the courts offer the only real check on presidential power.
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.
Hyundai Raid Shows Trump Can't Deport His Way To a Manufacturing Boom
Trump's mass deportation policies are undermining his manufacturing agenda.
Even If Trump's Birthday Letter to Jeffrey Epstein Is 'Fake,' How Is It Defamatory?
The president claims The Wall Street Journal inflicted "billions of dollars" in reputational damage by confirming a well-established relationship.
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.
Before Trump Had Elon Musk, Nixon Had Howard Phillips
Nixon's director of the Office of Economic Opportunity set out to shrink government, mostly failed, and was gone in less than a year. Sound familiar?
Trump Once Called Biden's $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill 'Terrible.' Now He's Pretending He Signed It.
He was right the first time.
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.
Trump Forcibly Returns Russian Dissenters who Fled Putin
It's a new low in US refugee/asylum policy; simultaneouly unjust and counterproductive.
Donald Trump's Antitrust Enforcers Continue Their Harassment Campaign Against Google
There is no hard evidence of Gmail discriminating against Republican campaign emails, but that’s no matter to the FTC Chairman.
Trump Says Tariffs Make Us Richer. So, Why Are Most Countries With High Tariffs So Poor?
The U.S. is risking its liberty and its prosperity with such high tariffs.
Trump's Unjust and Illegal Killing of 11 Venezuelans
Killing suspected drug traffickers is both unjust and illegal. And it could be the start of an effort to turn the already awful War on Drugs into something more like a real war, thereby making it even worse.
