Posts by James Joyner

James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is a Professor of Security Studies. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.
President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office after a joint press conference announcing the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office after a joint press conference announcing the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025.

Netanyahu Escalates War, Defying Trump

A play in three acts.

Extraordinary Rendition: Immigration Edition

We tortured some folks.

Reining in Trump . . . Slowly

The courts and Congress are rolling back Executive actions.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine bow their head in prayer during the 24th 9/11 Pentagon Observance Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2025. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine bow their head in prayer during the 24th 9/11 Pentagon Observance Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2025.

Defense Department Drops 180 Denominations

180 faiths are now “Other” or “None.”

photo of working, person, military, construction, cutting, team, helmet, build, labor, job, workers, laborer, task, construction worker, sledge hammer photo of working, person, military, construction, cutting, team, helmet, build, labor, job, workers, laborer, task, construction worker, sledge hammer

Fixes (Hopefully) Coming Soon [UPDATED]

Our long, blogical nightmare may soon be over.

Congress Strikes Back

Congress is defying the President on Iran, Ukraine, the slush fund, and more.

Weak Parties and Dirty Tricks

The Dan Sullivans saga.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine conduct a press briefing on Operation Epic Fury at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., March 10, 2026. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine conduct a press briefing on Operation Epic Fury at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., March 10, 2026.

Hegseth Strikes Again

More women and minority officers have been removed from the promotion list.

Navy aircraft carrier with jets Navy aircraft carrier with jets

Navy Has Been Escorting Ships Throught the Strait

But at nowhere close to the prewar level.

The Greatest President in History, Some Say

Bigger than Elvis in his prime.

Auditioning for the Supreme Court?

We’ve created some perverse incentives.

SaturTabs

Trump’s Bad Day in Court

Judges ruled against his Kennedy Center renaming and “anti-weaponization fund” yesterday.

Selling Them The Rope with Which They Will Hang Us

The apocryphal quotation has proven correct.

photo of person, suit, black and white, people, military, soldier, army, monochrome, weapon, camouflage, war, shooting, gun, bullets, dangerous, troop, afghanistan, combat, cartridge, monochrome photography, machine gun, militia, camouflage battledress, projectiles, battledress, camouflage photo of person, suit, black and white, people, military, soldier, army, monochrome, weapon, camouflage, war, shooting, gun, bullets, dangerous, troop, afghanistan, combat, cartridge, monochrome photography, machine gun, militia, camouflage battledress, projectiles, battledress, camouflage

Up Next: Cuba?

It’s certainly looking that way.

The Firingest Ceasefire Ever

The U.S. hit several targets in Iran as negotiations for a peace deal continue.

Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War

Russia Has Lost the War in Ukraine, But the Killing Goes On

Winning is impossible, but stopping is too painful.

Tulsi Gabbard Out as Director of National Intelligence

Another one bites the dust.

Stephen Colbert’s Swan Song

An epic finale.

President Donald J. Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 8, 2026, en route Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C. in Sterling, Virginia. President Donald J. Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 8, 2026, en route Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C. in Sterling, Virginia.

Trump’s Revenge Tour Comes With a Price

The Republican Honey Badger Caucus is getting bigger.

The Enshittification of Everything

The rapid descent into AI-generated slop.

Fixing the Redistricting Mess

It won’t be easy.

Trump Job Approval Sinks Further

An unpopular war and sagging economy are driving down already low ratings.

President Donald J. Trump greets President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, China, Friday, May 15, 2026 President Donald J. Trump greets President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, China, Friday, May 15, 2026

A Summit About Nothing

Winging it is seldom a sound diplomatic strategy.

Trump Revenge Tour Continues

Even as a lame duck, he still holds domination over the party.

Democrats Supporting Non-Democrats to Block Republicans

A desperate but plausible gambit made necessary by a flawed system.

TRUMP-VANCE 2026?

Paid for by Never Surrender, Inc.

Stream of Consciousness Truthing

Yet more gems from the Commander-in-Chief.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent and CBP representative discuss U.S. Customs and Border Protection pedestrian border barrier requirements near Lukeville, Arizona, May 7. USACE is supporting the Department of Homeland Security's request to build pedestrian fencing, construct and improve roads, and install lighting within the Yuma and Tucson, Arizona, U.S. Border Patrol sectors following the Feb. 15 national emergency declaration on the southern border of the United States. The Department of Defense has the authority under Section 284 of Title 10, U.S. Code, to construct roads and fences and to install lighting to block drug-smuggling corridors across international boundaries of the United States in support of counter-narcotics activities of federal law enforcement agencies. A U.S. Border Patrol agent and CBP representative discuss U.S. Customs and Border Protection pedestrian border barrier requirements near Lukeville, Arizona, May 7. USACE is supporting the Department of Homeland Security's request to build pedestrian fencing, construct and improve roads, and install lighting within the Yuma and Tucson, Arizona, U.S. Border Patrol sectors following the Feb. 15 national emergency declaration on the southern border of the United States. The Department of Defense has the authority under Section 284 of Title 10, U.S. Code, to construct roads and fences and to install lighting to block drug-smuggling corridors across international boundaries of the United States in support of counter-narcotics activities of federal law enforcement agencies.

10,000 Losses (and Counting)

The Trump administration has been repeatedly rebuked by the courts, to little avail.

Blue Democratic Donkey, Dupont Circle, Washington DC Blue Democratic Donkey, Dupont Circle, Washington DC

Playing By Their Own Rules Puts Democrats at a Disadvantage

It’s hard to win a street fight under Marquess of Queensberry rules.

What Occupies The President’s Mind?

More than any of his predecessors, we know in real time.

The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party. The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party.

Taking Extreme Measures to ‘Win’ the Midterms

Republicans are winning the gerrymandering wars thus far.

Virginia Supremes Strike Down Voter-Approved Gerrymander

A significant blow to Democrats.

Iran Can Take Several Months More of This

Leaked estimates are at substantial variance from administration claims.

Spirit in the Sky

The Iran War’s latest victim.

Ted Turner, 1938-2026

The one-time media mogul has passed at 87.

The free high-resolution photo of landscape, car, vintage, antique, building, transport, truck, vehicle, nostalgia, gas station, quaint, hdr, playground, cars, gasoline, gulf, petrol, service, pumps, automobile make , taken with an IQ3 100MP 03/16 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of landscape, car, vintage, antique, building, transport, truck, vehicle, nostalgia, gas station, quaint, hdr, playground, cars, gasoline, gulf, petrol, service, pumps, automobile make , taken with an IQ3 100MP 03/16 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

Gas Prices Up 50% Since War Started

Making an unpopular war less popular.

2028 Primary Stupidity

A dumb way to choose candidates? Or the dumbest way?

Losing Survivor Benefits Upon Remarriage

A reasonable if perverse policy.

Voting Without Democracy

Only 32 of 435 House seats are competitive.

Gerrymandering and Disenfranchisement

Race and partisanship collide once again.

The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party. The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party.

Is Partisanship Merely a Proxy for Race?

Disentangling the two is challenging, if not impossible.

The Toothless War Powers Resolution

What happens at the 60 day mark of the Iran War? Nothing.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Majority Minority Districts

Partisan gerrymandering just got a bit easier.