Trump vs. Zelenskyy: Democracy Dies in Drama?
Plus: A listener asks the editors how to best determine whether Trump’s second term is good or bad for individual freedom.
Donald Trump
U.K. Pledges To Support Ukraine After Trump Snubs Zelenskyy
One bright spot from Trump's shameful behavior in the Oval Office would be if it spurs European nations to shoulder more of the burden of supporting Ukraine.
Ukraine Will Fight On, With or Without the West
As world leaders debate, Ukrainian defenders innovate, adapt, and wage defensive war on their own terms.
Say Thank You
Plus: Change in Russia policy, Matt Taibbi interview, Dems try gun shows, and more...
How Would Milton Friedman Do DOGE?
If the Department of Government Efficiency goes about this the wrong way, we could be left with both a presidency on steroids and no meaningful reduction in government.
The Case Against Ross Ulbricht Was About Government Power
President Donald Trump's pardon of the Silk Road creator is a rare moment of reprieve in an era of relentless government expansion.
Perils of Unitary Executive Theory
The originalist case for a unitary executive falls apart in an era when many of the powers wielded by the executive branch were not originally supposed to be federal powers in the first place.
Trump's Dramatic Crossroads Between Protectionism and Dynamism
The GOP faces a choice about how to move forward.
How Trump Imperils Free Markets and Personal Liberties
Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank provides a helpful summary, with a little help from me.
Tariffs on Imports From Canada and Mexico Are Still a Terrible Idea
And an increasingly unpopular one. Will Trump pay attention to the polls, if not the economists?
NATO Could Effectively Die This June
Trump's negotiations and German elections may augur the end of collective security as we've known it.
Trump Finds a Face-Saving Way To Give Ukraine 'the Right To Fight On'
Forget boots on the ground. Now we’ll have Americans “on the land.”
Trump Promised To Lower Prices. Will Congress Help Him Deliver?
At the current rate of inflation, the dollar will lose 33 cents of purchasing power within a decade.
WaPo Embraces Free Minds and Free Markets
"I'm confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America," wrote Bezos.
Ukraine Minerals Deal Won't Fix America's Mineral Problem
“We’ve basically made an agreement with very little data,” warned one expert.
Interest Rates Are Falling—Thank Government Spending Cuts for That
Cuts to government spending mean fewer bonds, lower borrowing costs, and potentially a break for borrowers.
No One Cares When Presidential Advisers Want Bigger Government
Elon Musk's vague White House role is only controversial because he's trying to slash bureaucracy.
District Judge Blocks Trump's Refugee Resettlement Pause, Saying It 'Crossed the Line'
“I cannot ignore Congress’ detailed framework for refugee admissions and the limits it placed on the president’s ability to suspend the same,” said Judge Jamal Whitehead.
Elon Musk, Who Supposedly Is Running DOGE, Is Not Officially in Charge of Anything
The presidential adviser's lack of formal authority complicates his cost-cutting mission.
D.C.'s U.S. Attorney Is a Menace to the First Amendment
Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin puts loyalty to Donald Trump ahead of loyalty to the Constitution.
Trump's ICE Detains Afghans Who Helped U.S. Forces
A former Afghan intelligence officer who worked alongside U.S. forces sought safety in America. Now, under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, his parole has been revoked, and he’s been detained without explanation.
Are Democrats Actually in Disarray?
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether it makes sense for a country to have a sovereign wealth fund.
Trump Tries To Carve Out a First Amendment Exception for 'Fake News'
The president's portrayal of journalism he does not like as consumer fraud is legally frivolous and blatantly unconstitutional.
Does Trump Want Lower Gas Prices or Oil Sanctions on Iran?
The Trump administration’s math on Middle Eastern energy supplies just doesn’t add up.
Trump's Shameful Betrayal of Ukraine
It's a terrible decision for both moral and pragmatic reasons.
RIP to Government Acronyms
One perk that may materialize from Elon Musk upending the federal bureaucracy is the downfall of the government’s obsessive use of abbreviations.
The Sunny Side of Donald Trump's Power Grabs
The president is positioning himself to have much greater control over a smaller, enfeebled federal bureaucracy.
Will FBI Director Kash Patel Be a Principled Reformer or a Trump Hatchet Man?
The newly confirmed head of the country's leading law enforcement agency has a history of advocating politically motivated investigations even while condemning them.
To Cut Government Spending, Trump Targets Pocket Change
The penny is expensive to produce and has long outlived its usefulness.
The Progressive Betrayal of Trans Americans
How well-intentioned laws created new cultural conflicts—and eroded personal liberty
Has the Imperial Presidency Arrived?
There's little question that Trump is taking the concept of the imperial presidency to its apogee.
Randy Barnett: How Legal Is Trump's Agenda?
Georgetown constitutional law professor Randy Barnett discusses the legality of DOGE, Trump's executive orders, and birthright citizenship.
Meaningful Pentagon Cuts Will Require Rethinking What 'Defense' Means
If Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is serious about reducing military spending, he will need to embrace a narrower understanding of national security.
The New Republican Budget Plan Is Unserious
It tries to offset as much as $4.8 trillion—mostly for tax cut extensions—with only $1.5 trillion in supposed spending reductions.
This UVA Law Student Was Threatened With Expulsion for Sitting Outside With Protest Signs
Kirk Wolff set out to peacefully protest Trump's plan to take over Gaza. Then an administrator and a police officer drove by.
Trump Kills New York's Flawed Congestion Pricing Program
Federal transportation officials said that because New York's congestion tolls were really about raising money for mass transit, they didn't qualify for an exemption from the federal tolling ban.
It's Time for a Flat Tax
America’s tax system is already highly progressive. A simpler, flatter structure would be fairer, raise more revenue, and fuel economic growth.
Did Biden Blow the Best Chance of Preventing War in Ukraine?
While the U.S. publicly insisted on an “open door” policy, Zelenskyy says he was privately told that Ukraine couldn’t join NATO.
DOGE's Complicated Story
Plus: When FOIA stops working, how the pandemic shifted young people to the right, and more...
Trump Has Good Reason To Complain About Limits on His Ability To Fire Executive Officers
His position is grounded in concerns about the separation of powers that presidents of both major parties have raised for many years.
More on Birthright Citizenship and Undocumented Immigrants - Rejoinder to Barnett and Wurman
Why their response to me and other critics fails to refute key objections.
Birthright Citizenship - A Response to Barnett and Wurman
Their argument for denying birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born in the US has multiple weaknesses, including that it would also have denied it to former slaves.
Could School Choice Work at the Federal Level?
A nationwide tax credit could expand education freedom overnight—but could also open the door to new forms of federal overreach.
Trump's White House Says 'Gulf of Mexico' Is Misinformation
Misinformation concept creep is getting out of hand.
DOGE Needs Data To Survive. These Lawsuits Are Trying To Starve It of Information.
Nearly a dozen lawsuits allege that DOGE's access to government payment and personnel systems violates a litany of federal privacy and record-handling laws.
The New Captain America Film Has Important Lessons for Trump and Biden Stans
In Captain America: Brave New World, a power-hungry president makes reckless choices and withholds vital information—but even he looks competent compared to Biden and Trump.
The Disappointing Results of Trump's 'Deferred Resignation' Plan Are Part of a Pattern
Elon Musk, the president's cost-cutting czar, has a habit of overpromising and underdelivering.
