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…

The Courtroom Drama Over Rebecca Slaughter’s Job

On Tuesday, September 2, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a narrow 2–1 decision ordering that Rebecca Kelly Slaughter—a Democratic commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) whom President Trump had dismissed earlier this year—be reinstated without delay. Now, the judges didn’t pluck this out of thin air. They leaned on a bedrock case…

The Court, the Constitution, and Trump’s Los Angeles Deployment

The summer of 2025 was already simmering when Los Angeles became the epicenter of a political and constitutional storm. After a series of high-profile immigration raids swept through Southern California, the streets filled with demonstrators. Some were peaceful, gathering in large numbers to voice opposition to federal policy. Others grew heated, with scuffles breaking out…

Trump, the Fed, and the Battle Over Independence

On Monday, President Trump announced—through a Truth Social post, of course—that he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The reason? Allegations of mortgage fraud. The claim is that back in 2021, Cook listed two separate properties as her “primary residence” in order to secure more favorable loan terms. If true, that’s a big problem, because…

In Defense of Order or an Overstep? President Trump’s Deployment of Troops to Los Angeles

In a bold and highly controversial move, President Trump took swift action to restore order in Los Angeles, where anti-deportation protests had spiraled into widespread unrest. On June 8, he ordered the deployment of the National Guard without the consent of California’s governor. Roughly 500 active-duty Marines were dispatched the next day to safeguard federal…