Trump administration first term
480 Articles
Why It Does Not Matter Who Rachel Brand Is
Last week, amid speculation that Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein may be forced to recuse himself from the expanding Russia investigation – unless he gets fired first –…
Exclusive: White House Officials Push For Widening War in Syria Over Pentagon Objections
A pair of top White House officials is pushing to broaden the war in Syria, viewing it as an opportunity to confront Iran and its proxy forces on the ground there, according to…
Cutting To the Bone of American Leadership
The recent resignation of David Rank, a 27-year career Foreign Service officer who was serving as acting U.S. Ambassador to China, is just the latest U.S. diplomatic casualty of…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (June 2-June 9)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of…
Ask a Law Professor: Was it Obstruction?
With former FBI director James Comey’s hearing today, we heard it straight from the horse’s mouth that Comey interpreted President Trump’s “hope”…
Loyalty and Quid Pro Quo: The Defining Themes of Comey’s Conversations with Trump
Two intertwined themes run through former FBI-Director James Comey’s hot-off-the-presses written testimony: loyalty and quid pro quo. Neither is appropriate for the relationship…
Leaving the Paris Climate Agreement: A Veteran’s Perspective
Early in the summer of 2003, as we made our initial push from the Kuwaiti border up through central Iraq and then on into Anbar Province, our armored cavalry unit was not meeting…
An Urgent Need for International Action on Australia’s Refugees
News that U.S. officials have been fingerprinting refugees on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island ahead of their possible resettlement in the United States is a hopeful signal to…
Fight It with FOIA: How Congress Can Respond to White House Attempts to Block Congressional Oversight
The Trump White House took another step last week to weaken the checks and balances at the center of our constitutional system. According to Politico, President Donald Trump’s…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (May 26-June 2)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of…
The UAE’s Military and Naval Reliance on Eritrea Makes the War in Yemen Even Riskier for the U.S.
The Saudi-led coalition’s near three-year conflict in Yemen appears to be converging on the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah. Foreign diplomats, international humanitarian…
Pence’s Troubling Advice: Follow the Chain of Command “Without Exception”
After thinking about Vice President Mike Pence’s remarks last Friday at the United States Naval Academy’s commencement, I found one part of his speech particularly alarming:…