Trump administration first term
480 Articles
Standards for Opening an FBI Investigation So Low They Make the Statistic Meaningless
Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly recently told an audience that terrorism is “as threatening today” as it was on 9/11. As evidence, he used the oft-repeated…
The Trump Administration’s Homeland Security Record – and What Lies Ahead
It has been an eventful first 100 days for the Trump team in the realm of homeland security. In his first full week in office, the president made a major splash by issuing three…
Wallet as Weapon: the Coming US Assault on the International Human Rights System
These days, the Trump administration is not just threatening human rights with executive orders, tomahawk missiles and tweets. It is also wielding the government’s wallet as…
Norms Watch: The 100 Days Edition (Apr. 21-28)
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…
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…