Donald Trump

A local law enforcement official on a bike drives past the entrance to Mar-A Lago. Palm trees surround the area.

Myths & Misunderstandings Relating to Mar-a-Lago Documents Investigation

Five myths broken down by J. William Leonard who, in government service, was responsible for the oversight of classified information for the entire executive branch.

Aug. 16, 2022 J. William Leonard

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JULY 08: Counter protestors are held back by riot police as the Ku Klux Klan leaves a staged rally on July 8, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Five Years After “Unite the Right”: Reflections on Charlottesville for Today’s Threat Landscape

Charlottesville was a watershed moment in US politics and a wake-up call to the counterterrorism community. What lessons have been learned on how to counter white supremacist extremism?

Aug. 12, 2022 Nicholas Rasmussen and Sarah Kenny

Former director of CIA and former commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan Gen. David Petraeus gives a speech in front of a federal courthouse. News microphones surround him.

Lessons from Petraeus’s Guilty Plea for Trump’s Classified Docs Investigation

In the retired general's case, the FBI executed a search warrant at his home and seized notebooks allegedly containing classified material.

Aug. 10, 2022 Katherine Fang

A photo of a white male police officer wearing sunglasses and police uniform, standing next to two vehicles in front of the ornate tan and gold gates of Mar-a-Lago, with an American flag flying to the left of the gates. Palm trees wave in the background against a stormy sky.

Expert Backgrounder: Criminal Statutes that Could Apply to Trump’s Retention of Government Documents

The DOJ obtained a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago. What underlying crimes might have justified the search? Experts survey the possibilities.

Aug. 9, 2022 Asha Rangappa, Norman L. Eisen and 1 more

A compilation of images pertaining to the January 6th House Select Committee.

Highlights from the Criminal Evidence Tracker’s Reports on Seven Hearings by the January 6th Committee

A compendium of what each major witness said during the January 6th Hearings of relevance to two federal crimes and one state (Georgia) crime.

Jul. 21, 2022 Noah Bookbinder, Norman L. Eisen and 6 more

Acting US Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell whispers in US Vice President Mike Pence's ear as US President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 4, 2020. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

US Democracy’s Survival Requires a More Powerful Response to January 6th

Team Trump's shocking efforts to manipulate government institutions to overturn the 2020 election results echo despots abroad.

Jul. 15, 2022 Douglas London

A noose is displayed on a projector screen as U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chair of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, delivers opening remarks during the third hearing on the January 6th investigation in the Cannon House Office Building on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC.

January 6th and America’s Ambivalence about Political Accountability

Real accountability requires placing the events of January 6th in the context of ongoing efforts to perpetuate election disinformation.

Jul. 12, 2022 Ambassador P. Michael McKinley (ret.)

Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stand after to reading the final certification of Electoral College votes cast in November's presidential election during a joint session of Congress, after working through the night, at the Capitol on January 7, 2021 in Washington, DC.

A Historical Perspective on Alternate Electors: Lessons from Hayes-Tilden

The attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election has raised questions about a historical example in which self-proclaimed electoral votes were sent to, and considered by,…

Jul. 7, 2022 Edward B Foley

A collage of images featuring Marjorie Taylor Green, Allen West and Roger Stone with right-wing militia groups.

The GOP’s Militia Problem: Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and Lessons from Abroad

Scholar of comparative politics and expert on descent of political parties into use of violence/militia discusses the danger signs in United States.

Jul. 6, 2022 Rachel Kleinfeld

A video featuring White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and deputy Pat Philbin is played during the fifth hearing by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on June 23, 2022 in Washington, DC.

The Law Requires Pat Cipollone to Answer the Jan. 6 Committee’s Questions

Former White House Counsel W. Neil Eggleston writes about the legal and professional implications for Trump's White House Counsel if Cipollone refuses to appear and fully answer…

Jul. 5, 2022 W. Neil Eggleston

Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, is sworn in to testify as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, DC, June 28, 2022. (Photo by SHAWN THEW/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

For US Independence Day, January 6th Hearings Reveal Authoritarianism’s Achilles Heel

Donald Trump’s failure to overturn the 2020 election wasn’t inevitable. It depended on individual decisions amid mass mobilization.

Jun. 30, 2022 Maria J. Stephan

An image of former President Donald Trump speaking on the phone is displayed during the third hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Failing to Prosecute Trump Reflects – and Feeds – US Rule of Law Erosion

Prosecution of subordinates but not Trump, writes a former federal prosecutor, "threatens the idea of an impartial legal system."

Jun. 21, 2022 Liam Brennan