The renewed debate over presidential war powers, sparked by Vice President J.D. Vance’s dismissal of the War Powers Resolution as “fake” and unconstitutional, exposes more than a technical disagreement about statutes. It reveals a deeper conflict over authority, restraint, and accountability in the exercise of force. At stake is not merely how wars are authorized,…
Power Without Righteousness Is Not Strength
Yesterday’s closed-door briefing to lawmakers on U.S. actions in Venezuela did little to resolve the most troubling questions raised by the operation. If anything, it exposed a widening gap between executive power and moral clarity. Members of Congress emerged divided not merely over tactics or outcomes, but over first principles: who authorizes force, what limits…
Power, Precedent, and the Perils of Unilateral Force: The High-Risk Gamble of Capturing Maduro
The U.S. military strike on Venezuela and the announced capture of Nicolás Maduro mark one of the most dramatic assertions of American power in the Western Hemisphere in decades. The operation will likely stand alongside the most consequential unilateral interventions of the modern era, not only because of its immediate tactical audacity but because of…
History, Power, and the Peril of Governing by Spectacle
The controversy surrounding President Trump’s attempted National Guard deployments to major U.S. cities is not merely a skirmish over public safety policy. It is a revealing moment about how power is exercised, justified, and constrained in a constitutional republic, and about what happens when political theater collides with historical and legal reality. At its core,…
When Government Authority Slips from Law into Moral Theater
The recent actions by Republican leadership in Texas and Florida aimed at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) deserve more than reflexive applause or predictable outrage. They require sober analysis. Whatever one thinks of CAIR’s activism, rhetoric, or policy positions, the mechanism being used against it should trouble anyone who takes constitutional limits seriously. These…
Power, Pressure, and President Trump’s Pharma Deal
President Trump’s agreement with major pharmaceutical companies to reduce drug prices deserves more than a quick partisan reaction. It sits at the crossroads of health-care economics, executive power, and moral responsibility, and it raises a question Americans should keep asking long after the headlines fade: will this actually help patients, or is it merely another…
Why President Trump’s Trade Fight Deserves a Second Look
When President Trump rolled out his new 10 % across-the-board tariff this year, the usual fireworks went off in Washington. Democrats clutched their pearls, the media went into DEFCON 1, and—perhaps most surprisingly—a handful of Senate Republicans broke ranks to challenge the plan. This week, the Senate even voted to roll back some of the…
Whose Guard Is It Anyway?
When armored trucks and camo uniforms roll down city streets, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of unease, even for those of us who appreciate law and order. Over the past few months, National Guard convoys have appeared in a few urban battlegrounds, all under orders from Washington. Governors are suing, federal lawyers are…
You’re Fired: Should Presidents Have More Power to Say It?
President Trump brought his favorite Apprentice line with him to the Oval Office and he’s been tossing it around Washington like it’s confetti at a New Year’s party. In recent news, we’ve got Maurene Comey (yep, James Comey’s daughter) suing the Justice Department after losing her job. But the real headliner? The Supreme Court stepping…
When Authority Meets Autonomy
President Trump recently pulled a pretty big lever of authority—the emergency powers tucked into the Home Rule Act—and with that, he temporarily took control of Washington, D.C.’s police force for up to 30 days. His reasoning? He says the city is facing a “crime emergency” and needs swift action. Alongside that, he brought in some…
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