The Redacted Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant Affidavit Sheds Light on the FBI's Concerns and Trump's Defense
There are still lingering questions about the former president's criminal liability and the threat posed by the documents he kept.
National Security
Trump Reportedly Retained Hundreds of Documents That Were Marked As Classified
We still know almost nothing about their contents, which is relevant in assessing the decision to search Mar-a-Lago.
If We See an Expurgated Version of the Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant Affidavit, What Will It Tell Us?
Although U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart is inclined to unseal the document, redactions demanded by the Justice Department could make it hard to understand.
It's Not Clear Why Trump Thinks Disclosing the Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant Affidavit Would Help His Case
Reinforcing the FBI's suspicions was the whole point of that document, which is likely to remain sealed.
Trump's Defense Suggests His Treatment of Classified Material Was Remarkably Cavalier
Whatever threat it may have posed, the trove of government documents seized by the FBI does not reflect well on the former president's judgment.
Donald Trump's Handling of Classified Material Looks Worse Than Hillary Clinton's
The former president thought his 2016 opponent should go to prison for recklessly endangering national security.
Proposed Bill Would Protect Journalists Like Julian Assange From Espionage Charges
A senator and two congressmen team up to help protect whistleblowers from vindictive prosecution.
The CHIPS Act Is Corporate Welfare Disguised as Industrial Policy
If you believe that moving most of our chip production onshore is good for national security, you should labor for regulatory reforms rather than subsidies.
The Biden Administration Sees Free Speech As a Public Menace
The alarm aroused by the Disinformation Governance Board is understandable given the administration’s broader assault on messages it considers dangerous.
'Fear Is the Tool of Totalitarians': Ron Paul on War, Money, and the Libertarian Moment
The former Texas congressman and presidential candidate says his goal was to get people to think about freedom.
Biden Has His Eye on Bitcoin
The president's anticipated executive order stopped short of feared regulations but suggests federal unease with uncontrolled development.
More Defense Spending Does Not Equal More Safety
Congress continues to allocate funds to produce weapons that the Pentagon itself says it doesn't need.
Cooler Heads Must Prevail in Ukraine
The risk of escalating the conflict between Russia and Ukraine into a nuclear standoff is far too real to let emotions get in the way.
The Defense Department Shrugs Off Drone Strike That Killed 7 Children as 'Honest Mistake'
According to the Pentagon, no crimes were committed.
Even COVID-19 Couldn't Kill REAL ID
The ID overhaul, presented as a national security safeguard more than 15 years ago, still hasn't been fully implemented.
American Indifference Allowed the War in Afghanistan to Drag On
We’ll have to pay attention this time to ensure a conclusion to the accidental forever war.
REAL ID Deadlines Threaten America's Post-COVID Travel Plans. Could We Please Kill This Law?
More than half of Americans don’t have these new licenses. Airports are supposed to start checking them by October.
White House Sanctions Staffers Over Past Marijuana Use
Plus: FTC commissioner on antitrust action against Facebook, FIRE's Greg Lukianoff on the "marketplace of ideas" metaphor, and more...
U.S. Used Facial Recognition on Millions of Air Travelers Last Year, Found No Imposters
Plus: Biden won't pursue Trump's TikTok and WeChat bans, Mitt Romney's child allowance plan, and more...
Americans Shouldn't Be Treated Like ISIS Insurgents
Adopting "counterinsurgency" tactics for use against wide swaths of Americans can only make the situation worse.
Biden's Natsec Team Is Conventional in Style—and, Unfortunately, Policy
Joe Biden's natsec team fulfills his campaign promise of a return to normalcy and conventional Washington. That also means maintaining the failed status quo of the post-9/11 era.
The Justice Department's Investigation of John Bolton Seems Like a Witch Hunt
The Trump administration should discredit the former national security adviser's ideas, not subject him to a retaliatory investigation.
Mike Godwin, the Creator of Godwin's Law, Is Suing Trump Over His TikTok Executive Order
"I know what moral panics look like; they look kind of like this."
Fifth Circuit Upholds Constitutionality of Male-Only Draft Registration - But only Based on Precedent
The issue may be headed for the Supreme Court, which hopefully will reverse its 1981 ruling in Rostker v. Goldberg.
Judge Royce Lamberth Condemns John Bolton's Conduct, But Declines to Block Publication of Bolton's Memoir
"By the looks of it, the horse is not just out of the barn—it is out of the country."
Edward Snowden, the Surveillance State, and the 'Dark Mirror' Still Watching Us All
National security journalist Barton Gellman talks about "the surveillance-industrial state," the possibility of a Biden presidency or a second Trump term, and his gripping new book.
When Border Defense Becomes Border Offense
Militarized borders and military intervention are two sides of the same coin.
All U.S. Travelers Abroad Should Submit to Facial Recognition Scans, Says Homeland Security
Plus: "Right to be forgotten" follies, research on direct cash aid, Elizabeth Warren on sex work, and more...
Giving Government Vast Snooping Authority Is One Thing Democrats and Republicans Both Like
They simply disagree over who should be in charge of misusing and abusing those excessive powers.
Congress Is Worried About Chinese Plot to Use Buses, Rail Cars to Spy on Passengers
Both the House and the Senate want transit agencies to stop buying rolling stock from Chinese-owned companies.
Give Nuclear Freeze a Chance
Integrating North Korea into the global economy, not forcing denuclearization, is our best chance at improving ordinary citizens’ quality of life.
Standing on the Shoulders of Tyrants
Donald Trump's rhetoric is breathtakingly authoritarian, but so far he's done less than his predecessors to expand executive power.
Federal Government Has Shared Watchlist Info with 1,400 Private Groups
Due Process Concerns Abound
Trump: DOJ Should Investigate NYT Op-Ed Writer for 'National Security' Purposes
Trump thinks that by publishing the piece, the Times is "virtually" guilty of "treason."
In the Feud Between Donald Trump and John Brennan, It's a Shame They Can't Both Lose
It is possible to believe that President Trump targeted Brennan for political reasons, and also that Brennan is unhinged and unreliable.
Rand Paul: Trump Should Keep Revoking Ex-Obama Officials' Security Clearances
The Kentucky Republican is glad Trump stripped ex-CIA Director John Brennan of his security clearance. But Trump shouldn't stop there, Paul says.
Revoking Ex-CIA Chief John Brennan's Security Clearance Is Both Good and Bad News
Brennan was awful and defended the indefensible, but Trump is clearly trying to silence critics.
Rand Paul Encourages Trump to Attack Security Clearances of Government Critics
This will have potentially serious consequences for those investigating election meddling.
'National Security' a Lousy Excuse for Lousy Trade and Energy Policies
Extending the justification would allow government intervention into just about anything.
FCC Chair Throws Water on Crazy Plan for Feds to Seize Control of Our 5G Networks
No, the government shouldn't nationalize our mobile infrastructure.
What's Missing from John McCain's Criticism of Trump's Media Attacks
McCain and Jeff Flake are right to slam the president's juvenile rhetoric, but questionably blame Trump for global trends while neglecting the press crackdowns of his predecessor.
