Trouble in Paradise
Plus: Zohran-Trump lovefest, bitcoin down, Heritage kerfuffle, and more...
Donald Trump
Trump's Tariffs Are Likely To Make Toys More Expensive This Christmas Shopping Season
In Trump's first term, he exempted many Chinese toys and household items from tariff hikes. This time, they're subject to a 30 percent import tax.
Trump Says Legislators Committed Treason by Noting That Soldiers Are Not Obligated To Obey Unlawful Orders
The president's authoritarian response to a video posted by six members of Congress, who he says "should be arrested and put on trial," validates their concerns.
Trump's Shameful Attempt to Reprise the Munich Agreement With Ukraine - and What to do About it
Trump's 28-point "peace" plan for the Russia-Ukraine War is a reprise of the 1938 Munich agreement, which dismembered Czechoslovakia for the benefit of Nazi Germany. But US and European supporters of Ukraine can do much to resist it.
Trump's Venezuela Escalation Could Destroy MAGA, Warns Rand Paul
Blowing up boats won’t stop drugs—but it could sink Trump.
Is Marjorie Taylor Greene's Break With Trump the Beginning of the End for MAGA?
She's praised Nancy Pelosi, said Republicans aren't doing enough to make things affordable, and is generally making a lot of sense. That's weird, but also good.
US News and World Report Article Urging Colleges to Reject Trump's "Compact" With Higher Education
I coauthored the article with four other legal scholars from across the political spectrum.
A Rookie Procedural Mistake by James Comey's Prosecutor Could Doom the Case Against Him
Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan concedes that the grand jury never saw the "edited" version of the indictment.
There Is No Such Thing as Good Industrial Policy. But Republicans And Democrats Keep Trying.
Real industrial policy has been tried—in many countries, by governments of every ideology. It fails every time for the same reason.
Rand Paul: Congress Is 'Afraid of the President'
Sen. Rand Paul explains why he wants the Epstein files released, lays out his case against Trump’s tariffs and military strikes in Venezuela, and argues that he and Rep. Thomas Massie are the last voices in Congress still committed to libertarian ideals.
A Reporter's Unwelcome Questions Provoke Yet Another Trump Threat To Yank Broadcast Licenses
The president thinks TV networks have a legal obligation to cover him the way he prefers. The FCC's chairman seems to agree.
Lindsey Graham Is Outraged About Federal Surveillance Powers That Lindsey Graham Helped Create and Expand
The government can look at your phone records whenever it wants, but it's a different story when we're talking about his metadata.
Congress Votes To Open Up the Epstein Files
There probably is no “client list,” but the files could help answer some pressing questions—and open the door to more revelations.
Misconduct in the James Comey Case Stemmed From a Reckless Rush To Indict Him
A magistrate judge says the government’s missteps may warrant dismissal of the charges against the former FBI director.
How the Epstein Files Turned MAGA Against Trump
Plus: Tariff rollbacks and the affordability debate, Trump considers direct talks with Maduro as unauthorized strikes continue, and a listener asks what it would take to move healthcare out of government hands
The 'Emergency' That Demanded Huge Tariffs on Swiss Imports Is Now Over. So What Was the Emergency?
Trump's decision to reduce the tariffs on Swiss goods came just days after a Swiss delegation lavished the president with a variety of expensive gifts.
Trump's Epstein Reversal
Plus: Mamdani copies de Blasio, Swiss delegation buys better tariffs from Trump, Xinjiang nuke testing, and more...
Trump's Racially Discriminatory Refugee Policy
There is no non-racist justification for prioritizing white Afrikaner South Africans while closing the door to virtually all other groups.
The Art of the Presidential Health Cover-Up
Since long before Biden and Trump, presidents have been going to great lengths to keep their medical problems from the public.
You Can Still Trust the BLS—for Now
The accuracy and reliability of BLS data on inflation and jobs will depend on what the Trump administration does with it.
The Trump Administration Finally Admits That Tariffs Raise Prices
If lowering tariffs makes things cheaper, why stop at coffee?
Our Amicus Brief in W.M.M. v. Trump - En Banc Fifth Circuit Alien Enemies Act Case
I coauthored the brief on behalf of the the Cato Institute, the Brennan Center for Justice, legal scholars Geoffrey Corn and John Dehn, and myself.
Trump Is Right: That BBC Documentary Misquoted Him
His lawsuit against the BBC is likely frivolous, however.
Democrats Are Beating Trump on Affordability. Will He Keep Pretending Otherwise?
Neither side, however, has a good plan to bring down prices.
Jeffrey Epstein's Secret Role in Washington's Middle East Diplomacy
Epstein was supposedly advising Arab countries on how to deal with America, had an audience scheduled with a Qatari prince, and close to Trump’s future ambassador to Turkey.
Trump Wants Immigrants—Sometimes
The president is alarming the MAGA faithful by saying he wants more high-skilled immigration. But that doesn’t mean he’s rethinking the rest of his nativism.
The Alien Enemies Act and the Major Questions Doctrine
The Trump administration's claims that illegal migration and drug smuggling qualify as an "invasion" or a "predatory incursion" under the Alien Enemies Act go against the major questions doctrine.
Jeffrey Epstein: Trump 'Spent Hours At My House' With Victim
Congressional investigators released emails from the late sex trafficker discussing how to leverage his relationship with the future president.
Britain and Colombia Cut Off U.S. Intelligence Access Over Caribbean Boat Bombings
The two U.S. allies were OK with helping arrest suspected drug smugglers, but not with helping kill them.
Trump Says He Hates Socialism. So Why Is He Acting Like a Socialist?
To support chipmaker Intel, the president used our money to buy 433 million shares of Intel stock. That's not a free market.
Trump Pardons Mountain Runner Michelino Sunseri, Who Was Prosecuted for Using an Unapproved Trail
The decision is consistent with the president's avowed concerns about "overcriminalization in federal regulations."
Tariff Stimulus Checks Are an Unserious Idea
Trump is living in a fiscal fantasy land.
No One Is Winning the YouTube TV Dispute With ESPN. It's Time for Both Sides To Call It Off.
Plus: Betting scandals come to baseball, and happy Veterans Day
This Foreign Policy Precedent Might Aid Trump's Tariffs at SCOTUS
For the justices, the question is just how much deference the president deserves.
Trump Baselessly Accuses Meat-Packers of 'Criminally Profiting at the Expense of the American People'
There are several reasons why beef prices are at a record high. Collusion isn't one of them.
Trump Seems Very Confused About 'Affordability'
The president says the affordability crisis is over, but he's also promising huge government checks. And he doesn't know how much gas costs.
Don't Send Cubans and Venezuelans Back To Suffer Under Communism
Despite Trump promising to stand "with the good people of Cuba and Venezuela," his administration has fast-tracked deportations for victims of communism.
Trump Vowed To Stop Crypto Crackdowns. Samourai Wallet Proves He Hasn't.
If fairness in the justice system depends on wealth or political value, we’ve missed the point of justice entirely.
This Ruling Does Not Bode Well for Trump's Attempt To Portray Journalism as Consumer Fraud
On Thursday, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that echoed Donald Trump's claims against the Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer.
Is Trump a Socialist?
Donald Trump’s new stock-buying strategy isn’t socialism, but it is a step toward a government-controlled economy.
Trump's Lawyer at the Supreme Court Cites a Letter from James Madison That Says Tariffs Are Taxes
During oral argument at the Supreme Court, Solicitor General D. John Sauer cited a letter by James Madison that completely undermines the administration’s case that its tariffs are legal.
Gavin Newsom Called Trump a Socialist. Is He?
Recently several people who won’t invite Andrew Heaton to their birthday parties accused Donald Trump of being a socialist. Is he?
Trump Is Quietly Expanding the U.S. Military Role in Syria and Gaza
The U.S. government is reportedly looking to put boots on the ground in Damascus to guard the border with Israel.
My New Article "Immigration is Not Invasion"
It comprehensively explains why illegal migration and drug smuggling do not qualify as "invasion" under the Constitution and the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
On Tariffs, It Was Gorsuch vs. Trump at SCOTUS
The legal challengers to Trump's tariffs had a good day in court.
It's the Economy, Not the East Wing, Stupid
Democrats' Election Day victories are downstream of Trump's misguided economic policies.
Federal Prosecutors Flesh Out Their Case Against James Comey. It Still Looks Shaky.
The government posits that the former FBI director tried to conceal his interactions with a friend who was publicly described as "a longtime confidant" and an "unofficial media surrogate."
Trump's Economic Fallacies Are Legally Relevant in His Tariff Case
Trade deficits are not a "national emergency," and the president's import taxes won’t reduce them.
