Trump administration first term
476 Articles

The ICRC Survey and Torture: A Glass Two-Thirds Full?
As indicated by Ryan Goodman in a recent Just Security post, the report, “People on War: Perspectives from 16 Countries,” by the International Committee of the Red Cross, provides…

Recommended Holiday Reading from Just Security’s Editors
Just in time for holiday shopping, we asked some of our Just Security editors to help put together a reading list, partly with the incoming Trump administration in mind. We asked…

A Patriot Fears Not Truth about Russian Election Interference: Time for a commission to investigate
Last week, the Washington Post reported that the Central Intelligence Agency briefed Senators that it is “clear” that Russian hacking operations were designed to help Donald…

President-elect Trump’s Picks Redefine “Two-Tiered System of Justice”
With his selection of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to serve as national security adviser, his continued consideration of retired Gen. David Petraeus for a possible administration…

Calling Mr. Trump
President-elect Donald Trump’s forays into foreign policy since the election have been controversial, to say the least. Mr. Trump’s first meeting with a foreign official after…

In MacDill Speech, Obama Makes the Case For Why Wars Should be Fought Lawfully [Full Text]
President Barack Obama made a last trip to MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, Florida, Tuesday to put his final mark on his administration’s counterterrorism strategy and to thank…

Muslim Terrorism Suspects and Public Support for Harsh Interrogation and Detention
What can social scientific evidence tell us about whether Americans are more likely to support harsh interrogation, prosecution, and detention policies if a detainee or suspect…

And Mattis Makes Four—Senior Policymakers in a Trump Administration Who Would Take a Hardline on Russia
Trump’s selection for Defense Secretary, retired General James N. Mattis, is the fourth in the line of senior policymakers who would presumably take a very different approach…

Shrinking the “Bloated” Federal Bureaucracy: A Bad Solution to a Non-Problem
During his campaign, Donald Trump promised “a hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce the federal workforce through attrition (exempting military, public safety, and…

Public Support for Torture Based on Prejudice
The New York Times misreported its own meeting with the President-elect concerning his views on torture, and how much he has changed his mind. Here I want to focus on one aspect…

KT McFarland’s Hardline on Russia with Nuance
On Friday, the President-elect named KT McFarland as Deputy National Security Advisor, a position that does not require Senate confirmation. In contrast with positions articulated…

The Next Four Years: A Thanksgiving Strategy
On this Thanksgiving Day, like many gathered around dining tables everywhere, I have so much to be thankful for personally: the most wonderful family and friends imaginable,…