President Trump recently signed an executive order that dusted off an old name from America’s past: the Department of War. Under this order, the Department of Defense is now permitted to use its original, historical title as a kind of “second name.” And in a nod to tradition, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is also cleared…
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…
Why Real Compassion Demands Epstein File Transparency
There’s nothing quite like a good old house return from recess to get the political heart pumping. This week, Congress reopened, and another chapter of the Jeffrey Epstein saga took center stage. Over 33,000 pages of documents were released to the House Oversight Committee, but don’t let that number fool you. Many of these pages…
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…
When Due Process and National Security Collide
Last Friday, Judge Jia M. Cobb, who serves on the bench in D.C., handed down a ruling that essentially hit the brakes on President Trump’s expanded expedited removal policy. For years, expedited removal has been on the books as a kind of fast-track deportation system. It was limited in scope: if someone was caught within…
Tariffs, Courts, and the Constitution
Last Friday, President Trump’s trade agenda ran into a major hurdle when a federal appeals court stepped in with a big ruling on his tariffs. Now, before we start celebrating, panicking, or running out to hoard beans and rice, let’s all take a breath. These things are rarely as simple as they first appear. What…
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…
The Epstein Files, Maxwell’s Testimony, and the Search for Truth in a World of Shadows
Every so often, Washington, D.C. serves up a story so bizarre, so tangled, that it feels less like real life and more like the plot of a political thriller. That’s exactly where we are right now with the Jeffrey Epstein files finally landing on Capitol Hill, and with Ghislaine Maxwell speaking from prison about President…
Alligator Alcatraz: When Immigration Policy Meets the Everglades
A federal judge halted Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility, citing environmental and legal concerns. This article explores both sides of the debate and offers an independent Christian conservative verdict on balancing immigration enforcement with stewardship of God’s creation.
The Independent Christian Conservative 