So, John Bolton has now joined the “Indicted Former Officials Club.” The federal government dropped an 18-count indictment on him this week for allegedly mishandling classified documents. That’s eight counts of allegedly sharing defense secrets and ten counts of holding onto them like they were baseball cards. Now before anyone starts yelling “witch hunt” or…
The Risks and Rewards of a Trump–Putin Summit in Budapest
As we all remember, President Trump and Vladimir Putin already met once this year: the much-ballyhooed Alaska Summit in August 2025. It was chilly in more ways than one. The meeting produced no binding agreement, no grand peace plan, and no Nobel-worthy handshake moment. But what it did produce was symbolism, lots of it. It…
Don’t Let Politics Hold the Troops Hostage
It’s mid-October 2025. The leaves are turning, daylight is shrinking, and Washington, D.C., remains locked in a standoff. Congress never passed its funding bills. The government is shut. We’re now on Day 16 (if you’re keeping score). The halls of power echo with partisan recriminations, press releases, and the occasional soundbite about “who’s to blame.”…
When Courts Say “No” to Troops, Should the President Invoke the Insurrection Act?
Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration’s attempt to insert federal military (or Guard) force into major American cities has triggered a cascade of courtroom pushbacks. What looked like a bold posture on law and order is increasingly turning into a legal war of attrition. The administration, frustrated by injunctions and restraining orders, is…
Tariffs as a Foreign Policy Tool: Strength or Strategic Overreach?
When President Trump announced plans for a 100% tariff on Chinese imports, the usual suspects on Wall Street gasped like they’d just seen the national debt clock explode. But while the markets hyperventilated, Main Street folks nodded and said, “Well, it’s about time somebody stood up to China.” And that’s the heart of the debate…
The Test of True Peace: Why Hamas Must Lay Down Its Arms
President Trump’s diplomacy has won an important and dramatic pause: Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of a ceasefire plan that promises hostage releases, humanitarian corridors, and an initial Israeli withdrawal. This is a relief worth noting, but it’s not, on its own, an assurance of lasting peace. The reason is…
The Federal Reserve Soap Opera: Supreme Court Edition
Well, folks, I called it, and I mean exactly called it. Back in my September 18 installment of The Federal Reserve Soap Opera, I said, “If I had to make an educated guess, the Supreme Court may be inclined to give Lisa Cook a short-term reprieve.” And lo and behold, that’s precisely what they did.…
Hamas’ “Conditional Acceptance”: Peace on Layaway?
So, President Trump slapped a deadline on Hamas’ acceptance of his peace plan: Sunday at 6 p.m. sharp or Hamas faces “consequences … like no one has ever seen before.” That’s not exactly the kind of line you hear in the polite tea rooms of Geneva, but then again, Geneva’s been sipping tea for decades…
Subsidies or Shutdown: When Virtue Signaling Becomes a Budget Strategy
Well, the game of chicken ended with neither side swerving. The government is shut down, and Democrats and Republicans are blaming each other with some impressively theatrical finger-pointing. If you’ve been following the news — and let’s be honest, how could you avoid it with every headline screaming “SHUTDOWN” in 72-point font? — you know…
IEEPA or IEEP-Ain’t? The Supreme Court to Weigh Trump’s Tariffs
Earlier this year, President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to slap broad tariffs on imports from multiple countries. His reasoning was tied to what he declared as “emergencies”: drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and foreign nations playing unfair with U.S. trade. The logic was simple: if other countries were exploiting loopholes or…
The Independent Christian Conservative 