President Trump has taken the contest over the Strait of Hormuz beyond blockades, shipping lanes, and naval power. Speaking in Garden City, New York, he declared that once the United States finished defeating Iran, he would “pretty soon” designate the strait as American territory. He reinforced the point by noting that the United States controls…
Hoekstra & the Strains in U.S.–Canada Relations
The diplomatic temperature between the United States and Canada was already running warm before a growing number of Canadians decided that Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador in Ottawa, should be shown the door. An official House of Commons petition, opened July 21 and sponsored by Green Party MP Elizabeth May, has collected more than 105,000…
The Senate’s New Sanctions Push Against Russia and Iran
The Senate has taken a major step toward dramatically increasing economic pressure on Russia, the countries purchasing its energy, and Iran. In an 86–12 procedural vote, senators advanced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, although the measure still requires additional votes before it can pass the Senate and move to…
Laura Loomer Reconsiders Russia’s War in Ukraine
Laura Loomer’s trip to Ukraine has produced one of the more unexpected political reversals of the year. The outspoken conservative activist and close Trump ally, who spent years criticizing Ukraine and repeating narratives favorable to Moscow, now says she was “bamboozled” by Russian propaganda. After traveling near the eastern front, meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,…
Trump’s Iran Warning and the Fight Over the Strait of Hormuz
President Trump has issued Iran a blunt warning: Every time Iranian forces attack a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States will destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant, including potentially those in or near Tehran. The threat comes amid renewed American airstrikes, continued Iranian attacks on commercial shipping, and the collapse of…
Trump’s New Canada Tariffs and the Debate Over Fair Trade
The latest chapter in the increasingly tense U.S.-Canada relationship involves trade barriers, dairy quotas, provincial liquor bans, automobile policy, and, hovering strangely in the background, wildfire smoke. President Trump has signed three proclamations imposing additional 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian imports beginning August 19. The duties will affect nearly $20 billion in…
The House Debate Over the Future of U.S. Aid to Israel
The House has delivered one of those votes that fails legislatively but succeeds politically. Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment to the fiscal 2027 State Department appropriations bill was defeated 314–104, with 10 members voting present. Yet the most revealing number was 103. That was the number of Democrats who joined Massie, the lone Republican supporter, in…
The U.S.-Spain Trade Standoff
President Trump’s suggestion that the United States should cut off trade with Spain over defense spending is one of those foreign-policy moments where a real issue gets paired with a very Trumpian solution: take a legitimate complaint, attach a flamethrower to it, and see who blinks first. The basic dispute is simple enough. Trump is…
Turkey, the F-35, and the Price of Alliance Trust
President Trump’s reported push to reopen the door for Turkey to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program has revived one of NATO’s messier family arguments. And yes, this is very much a “family argument” situation: Turkey is a NATO ally, the U.S. wants strong partners against Russia and Iran, Israel is raising alarms, Congress has…
The Venezuela Aid Dilemma
Venezuela’s earthquake crisis has created the kind of moment that tests more than buildings, roads, and emergency systems. It tests judgment. It tests compassion. And, in Washington’s case, it tests whether America can walk and chew gum at the same time: help suffering people without accidentally handing a political gift basket to a government figure…
