John Allen, Illegal Lobbying, and Foreign Influence

The retired general and think tank president is in hot water.

More on Trump’s Foreign Policy

Policies towards Iran and NK are both a mess.

Former Ambassador To Ukraine: Pressure From Trump And Giuliani Forced Me Out

Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, had a lot to say when she testified before Congress yesterday.

Mitt Romney Won’t Endorse Anyone In 2020

In a rather obvious rebuke aimed at President Trump, Mitt Romney said this week that he will not endorse anyone for President in 2020.

No, John Bolton Didn’t Break the National Security Council

Yes, he was terrible at his job. But one can’t break that which is already broken.

Pressure Continues On Mike Pompeo To Run For Senate In Kansas

Republicans from around the country want Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to run for Senate in Kansas. Because they’re afraid they can’t win without him.

Is Wilbur Ross Trump’s Next Target?

After the census debacle, some reports indicate that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross may be next on President Trump’s chopping block.

Six Months Without a SECDEF

The Pentagon has been headed by Acting Secretaries for an unprecedented period. Does it really matter?

Tensions Increasing Amid Talk Of Military Action Against Iran

Tensions are increasing in the Persian Gulf as the Iran war hawks seem to be winning the battle for the President’s support.

Trump So Calm. Hasn’t Lost It.

It’s time to invoke the 25th Amendment, folks.

Trump’s Phony Call For Negotiations With Iran

The White House claims to want to talk to Iran but the President’s actions make clear that negotiation is the furthest thing from his mind.

Trump Taking Ill-Advised Militaristic Position Regarding Iran

The Trump Administration is taking an unnecessarily militaristic approach toward Iran, and that poses real dangers for the country and for the Middle East.

North Korea Billed The United States $2,000,000 For Otto Warmbier’s “Medical Treatment”

The United States agreed to pay North Korea $2 million for “medical treatment” for Otto Warmbier. Did the Trump Administration actually pay the bill? They aren’t saying.

Mike Pompeo Passes On Senate Run In Kansas

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will not be running for Senate despite urging from Republicans in Washington and back in Kansas,

More on Trump and Russia

Trump doesn’t want anyone to know what he and Putin discussed.

Mike Pompeo For Senate?

With Pat Roberts retiring, Kansas Republicans are reportedly looking at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to succeed him.

Jim Webb For Secretary Of Defense?

Former Senator and Denocratic Presidential candidate Jim Webb is reportedly being considered for Defense Secretary.

Before Taking Office, Mitt Romney Takes On Trump

Before even taking office, Mitt Romney is taking on the President. It’s a good sign, but we’ll see what it leads to.

Trump Takes Aim At The Federal Reserve Board

President Trump is now apparently on the warpath against the Federal Reserve Board Chairman he appointed only a year ago.

Trump Appears Ready To Fire DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen

The next head to roll in the Trump Administration appears to be frequent Trump target DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

James Mattis On The Way Out? It Sure Looks That Way

Reports about tension between Defense Secretary James Mattis and President Trump are becoming louder, and it’s being suggested that Mattis could be out of office after the midterms.

Bob Woodward’s New Book To Detail Explosive Accusations About Trump White House

A new book by legendary Washington reporter Bob Woodward appears to contain explosive revelations about the President and the operation of the White House.

Trump Reimposes Sanctions On Iran Previously Lifted Pursuant To Nuclear Deal

The Trump Administration has taken the latest step in a process that began in May with the withdrawal from the JCPOA. Where it takes us is anybody’s guess, but the probability of something going wrong is quite high.

Why Should Iran Trust The United States?

The Trump’s Administration’s rhetoric and actions have given the Iranians no reason to trust the United States going forward.

Jon Huntsman Pushes Back Against Calls To Resign In Wake Of Trump’s Helsinki Disaster

Jon Huntsman, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, is rejecting calls that he should resign in the wake of what everyone seems to agree was a disastrous summit meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Trump Once Again Reveals His Horrible Foreign Policy Instincts

Donald Trump had to be talked down from considering military intervention in Venezuela.

Mattis Out in the Cold?

A thinly-sourced report says Yes.

White House Leakers Leak Why They’re Leaking

The Trump White House has leaked more than any in recent memory. Some of the leakers have explained what motivates them.

Trump Announces U.S. Withdrawal From The Iran Nuclear Deal

As expected, President Trump has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear deal with Iran. There was no rational basis for doing so.

Majority Of Americans Say U.S. Should Stay In The Iran Nuclear Deal

A majority of Americans want the President to stay in the nuclear deal with Iran. That’s unlikely to matter to him.

Mike Pompeo and the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

The new Secretary of State is an improvement over the worst Secretary of State in history.

Report Says John Kelly Called Trump An “Idiot.”

More signs of tension between President Trump and his Chief of Staff.

Macron: Trump Will Pull Out Of Iran Deal For “Domestic Reasons”

French President Emmanuel Macron predicts, correctly, that President Trump will pull out of the nuclear deal with Iran for the worst possible reasons. This will be a disaster for America’s national interests.

Mike Pompeo’s Path To Foggy Bottom Becomes Clearer

For better or worse, Mike Pompeo will be confirmed as the 70th Secretary of State by the end of this week.

Macron To Lobby Trump On Iran Nuclear Deal

French President Emmanuel Macron is in the U.S. hoping to lobby President Trump to keep the United States in the nuclear deal with Iran. He’s got his work cut out for him.

Mike Pompeo Will Probably Be Confirmed As Secretary Of State, But He Shouldn’t Be

Despite facing headwinds in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mike Pompeo will probably be confirmed as the next Secretary of State. That’s unfortunate.

Eighty Percent Of Top State Department Positions Remain Vacant

Top positions in the State Department are vacant, and there’s only one person to blame for that.

Are We Staying Or Are We Going? Trump Sends Mixed Signals On Syria

President Trump is talking about pulling American troops out of Syria, but his own White House is contradicting him.

David Shulkin Insists He Was Fired, That Could Be Legally Significant

The Trump Administration says David Shulkin resigned as Veterans Affairs Secretary. Shulkin says he was fired. Which one of them is right could be legally significant, but probably won’t ever be heard in Court.

State Department Quite Appropriately Updates Website to Reflect Tillerson Departure

Their website has been scrubbed! Tillerson has all but vanished! The sky is falling!

What Is The Proper Role Of Cabinet Members And Presidential Advisers?

As a general rule, Presidents are entitled to have a Cabinet and advisers he is comfortable with, but a Cabinet full of “yes men” is not ideal with any President, and certainly not with this one.

Shulkin Strikes Back After Being Fired As Veterans Affairs Secretary

Within hours after being fired as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin was fighting back.

Trump And Bolton Will Alienate Allies, Embolden Enemies, & Endanger Americans

In selecting John Bolton as his National Security Adviser, Donald Trump has signaled to the world that he’s likely to take action that will only serve to make the world a more dangerous place.

Trump’s Selection Of John Bolton Has The World Rightfully Concerned

From Europe to the Middle East, to Asia, America’s allies are concerned about what the selection of John Bolton as National Security Adviser means going forward. They should be, and so should every American.

McMaster Firing Abrupt, Upended Plans to Clean House

Top White House staffers were preparing to fire several troublesome figures at once when the President suddenly upended the plan.

Charges Against Erdogan Security Detail Dropped

Turkish security personnel who assaulted peaceful protestors in America’s capital will go free.

Russia Retaliates For British Retaliation, Kicking 23 British Diplomats Out

Not unexpectedly, Russia has retaliated for Great Britain’s retaliation for Russia’s apparent assassination attempt on British history.

Kelly Tells Reporters Tillerson Was on the Toilet When Told of Firing

One of the supposed “adults” in the Trump administration has no class.

Trump Has Reportedly Decided To Remove National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster

H.R. McMaster appears to be on the way out as National Security Adviser. The important question is, who replaces him?

The Strange World of Shepard Smith

Having journalistic integrity at the Fair and Balanced network has never been more challenging.