Trump administration first term
476 Articles
100 Days In: 10 Times Trump Didn’t Get His Way
After 100 days, if things aren’t as different or as altered as you expected them to be under President Donald Trump, it’s not for lack of trying on his part. You only need…
On N. Korea: Calling on Congress and the President’s Advisers to Defend the Constitution
For those of us who had hoped Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the president’s national security advisor, would make up for the inexperience and curb…
U.S.-Supported Government in Yemen Has Ties to Al-Qaeda
Defense secretary Jim Mattis has described Syria as “the most complex civil war probably raging on the planet at this time,” but Yemen is giving it a run for its money. In…
Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Apr. 14-21)
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 Pragmatic Reasons For Strict Rules of Engagement
As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump voiced his support for deliberately targeting the families of terrorists. Fortunately, he has not adopted this policy as president. But…
Fear and Loathing at DHS: Kelly Resorts to Trump Administration Fear Tactics
Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly delivered a speech Tuesday that was stunning for its indifference to facts, accountability, and democratic oversight. Kelly…
Unconstitutional Motives: When US Policies Are Motivated Only in Part by Religious Discrimination
Few would dispute that government actions motivated wholly by religion violate the Constitution’s Establishment Clause. The question becomes more complicated if the motives are…
Censorship at the Border Threatens Free Speech Everywhere
Defending one’s political and religious beliefs to government officials is an obligation we associate with life in authoritarian regimes, not open societies. It’s becoming…
What Military Actions Are Trump’s vs. Obama Holdovers?
President Donald Trump has been in office for 83 days, and almost everywhere you look, the US military is escalating its operations. US warships are steaming toward North Korea,…
Tracking the White House’s Reasons for Bombing Syria
The Trump administration has offered a handful of reasons why it decided to bomb a Syrian government airfield last week. The Department of Defense says the strike damaged or destroyed…
Trump’s Muddled Message on Human Rights and Security
It seems that President Donald Trump and his Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, have their wires crossed yet again. The president, despite strong objections from human…
The U.S. Public Deserves More than Trump’s Silence on Afghanistan
When I graduated from West Point in 2009, the war in Afghanistan was one of the hottest topics. President Barack Obama’s campaign and young presidency had been defined, in large…