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.
National Security
Jimmy Lai Is a Martyr for Freedom
The self-made tycoon was convicted this week of violating Hong Kong's "national security" law. But he could have escaped it.
Trump's Designation of Fentanyl As a 'Weapon of Mass Destruction' Is a Drug-Fueled Delusion
The executive order does not accomplish much in practical terms, but it jibes with the president's conflation of drug trafficking with violent aggression.
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."
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.
Can America Return to Neoconservatism Without the Same Results?
Shadi Hamid’s The Case for American Power implies that true interventionism hasn’t been tried.
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.
Dick Cheney, Vice President and Self-Described 'Darth Vader,' Was a Champion of the War State
The former vice president liked being compared to the supervillain as a joke. But he had seriously villainous effects on millions of people in real life.
Trump's 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense Could Cost $3.6 Trillion: Report
The pie-in-the-sky space system promises to be a government spending bonanza—and might be a very bad idea.
Trump Says Tariffs Are About National Security. Pentagon Officials Say They Need a Tariff Exemption.
It turns out that free trade is essential for the military too.
The U.S. Military Is Helping Arab Dictatorships Run Psyops
The Pentagon spends a lot of taxpayer money on propaganda worldwide. Some of it is coordinated with Middle Eastern dictators, The Washington Post revealed.
The Constitution Does Not Allow the President To Unilaterally Blow Suspected Drug Smugglers to Smithereens
If the Trump administration wants to use military power, it should seek authorization from Congress, says Sen. Rand Paul.
Defending the Summary Execution of Suspected Drug Smugglers, Trump Declares an 'Armed Conflict'
The president thinks he can transform murder into self-defense by executive fiat.
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.
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.
Reality Winner Got 5 Years in Federal Prison for Leaking 5-Page Document
In her memoir, the former NSA contractor details her journey from top secret security clearance to federal prison.
The GAIN AI Act Looks More Like Protectionism Than National Security
Tucked into the defense bill, the GAIN AI Act would force Nvidia and other firms to prioritize domestic sales at the cost of global competitiveness.
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.
Navy SEALs Reportedly Killed North Korean Fishermen and Mutilated Their Bodies To Hide a Failed Mission
It’s impossible to tell how many other times U.S. special operations failed and killed innocent bystanders in the process.
Trump's Drug Boat Drone Strike Shows How 'Terrorism' Makes Everyone Killable
The logic of the war on terror means infinitely expandable government power.
Sanctions Are a Silent War on Humanity
U.S.-led economic warfare punishes the world’s most vulnerable while failing to achieve its foreign policy goals.
Trump's Tracking of AI Chip Shipments Exposes Flaws in His Export Control
U.S. authorities are secretly tracking shipments of advanced AI chips from manufacturers such as Dell, Super Micro, Nvidia, and AMD to prevent their illegal diversion to China.
'Tracking Everyone, All the Time': What Americans Need To Know About Israel's Secret Eavesdropping Program
Unit 8200's dragnet was designed by a U.S.-trained general, is powered by American-owned cloud computing, and could spell the future for domestic surveillance at home.
How 'National Security' Came Unmoored From Americans' Actual Security
The turning point was the New Deal.
Tom Lehrer Satirized the National Security State From the Inside
The Cold War comedian and rumored Jell-O shot inventor had a lesser known side as an NSA operative.
D.C. Police Worried That Fear of Terrorism Could Inspire More Terrorism
A recently disclosed bulletin from October 2023 shows the Inception-like nature of national security politics.
Superman Is About the Anti-War Vibe Shift
Supervillains used to be foreign enemies. Now the villain is a defense contractor who wants to start a regime change war.
What More Do the Iran Hawks Want?
Those who pushed for Trump to attack Iran are now moving the goalposts for success.
Trump Takes the Off-Ramp From the Israeli-Iranian War
War with Iran was a risky, destructive gamble. But the worst outcome has been avoided, for now.
A Brief, Bloody History of All the Times the U.S. Caused Chaos in the Middle East
The conflict with Iran is the latest in a decadeslong series of regime change operations, long-term entanglements, and all-out wars that always seem to invite more problems.
Trump's Iran War Would Not Be a One-Off Deal
Neither American hawks nor Israeli planners intend on allowing for a simple, quick U.S. intervention in Iran.
Israel Attacks Iran—and Burns Down the Off-Ramp With America
The Trump administration, which was ready to negotiate on Sunday, is now gambling on an all-out war.
Are We Going to War With Iran or Not?
Americans shouldn’t have to read the tea leaves to know about life-and-death decisions made by their government.
Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks Attack Nvidia for Expanding Its Chinese Facility
Complying with export regulations should build trust between Nvidia and Congress, not erode it.
A Federal Judge Lists 8 Ways That Trump Violated the Constitution by Punishing a Disfavored Law Firm
The president's crusade against attorneys whose work offends him, which defies the First Amendment and undermines the right to counsel, has provoked several judicial rebukes.
That Time L.A.'s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Called in a Bomb Threat on His Own City Hall
Former official Brian K. Williams just admitted that he faked a bomb threat during a work meeting. Now he faces up to 10 years in prison.
With REAL ID, America Now Has National ID Cards and Internal Passports
To make us safer, the feds required standardized ID and one-stop shopping for identity thieves.
Newly Released Documents Show What the Feds Knew About the New Jersey Drone Scare
Even after the Biden administration realized the most alarming claims were bunk, it didn't publicize the evidence it had.
Trump Gets Bored With the War in Yemen
The pendulum within Trump’s Middle East policy has swung back toward deal making, for now.
U.S. Navy Accidentally Throws $64 Million Jet Overboard Off the Coast of Yemen
Washington is dumping valuable resources—literally—into a Middle Eastern war of choice.
Is REAL ID Actually Happening?
The law was passed 20 years ago, and enforcement finally looms.
A Survey Suggests Most Americans Are Not Keen on Trump's Speech-Based Deportation Initiative
Just a quarter of respondents said they favored deporting students for "expressing pro-Palestine views."
Federal Judge in Deportation Case Finds Probable Cause To Hold the Trump Administration in Contempt
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg says the evidence indicates that the government "willfully disobeyed" his order blocking removal of alleged Venezuelan gang members.
Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Claim That He Can Summarily Deport Anyone He Describes As an 'Alien Enemy'
Although the Court lifted an order that temporarily blocked removal of suspected gang members, it unambiguously affirmed their right to judicial review.
Who Is the 'Top Missile Guy' the U.S. Killed in Yemen?
For an administration that likes to show off successful assassinations, the Trump team has been surprisingly tight-lipped about the Houthi commanders they targeted.
Pete Hegseth's Carelessness and Dishonesty Mirror Hillary Clinton's
The defense secretary, who shared information about imminent U.S. air strikes in a manifestly insecure group chat, thought Clinton should be prosecuted for her careless handling of sensitive information.
Pete Hegseth Says the Signal Chat Had 'No Classified Information.' How Is That Possible?
The U.S. has a real problem with overclassification. But the assertion that details about impending air strikes would not be classified strains credulity.
The Atlantic Should Not Find Out About a War Before Congress Does
The White House accidentally leaked military plans in Yemen to a journalist—and demonstrated how unconstitutional U.S. war making has become.
