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Jared Kushner ‘Loses’ Top Secret Clearance (But Maybe Not Access)

The White House chief of staff has downgraded the President’s son-in-law’s access to classified information. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Ben Rhodes’ Old Team Has a New Name

The Obama Administration called and wants its foreign policy back.

Trump Leaves Kelly Twisting Over Kushner Clearance

The President’s fecklessness here is incredible. Either take these people out of sensitive posts or take the responsibility for granting them waivers. 

California Democrats Snub Dianne Feinstein

The octogenarian failed to get her party’s endorsement for a sixth term.

Some Messages from CPAC

What is CPAC telling us about the contemporary conservative movement?

Democrats On House Intelligence Committee Release Rebuttal Memo That Utterly Decimates Nunes Memo

Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee have released a memo that completely eviscerates the memo prepared by Committee Chairman Devin Nunes.

Mexican President Cancels Visit To U.S. After ‘Testy’ Phone Call With Trump About Border Wall

Mexico’s President canceled a visit to the United States for the second time since Donald Trump became President due to a continued disagreement over who will pay for Trump’s border wall.

Trump Threatens ‘Phase Two’ If Sanctions Against North Korea That Probably Won’t Work Don’t Work

President Trump continues to make irresponsible and dangerous threats in connection with American policy toward North Korea.

Defense Secretary Mattis Leaning Toward Allowing Transgender Troops To Remain In The Military

The Defense Department will reportedly recommend to President Trump that transgender members of the service currently serving in the military be allowed to continue serving.

‘Deep Fakes’ a Looming Crisis

An emerging technology will take “fake news” to a whole new level.

Trump Announces New Sanctions Against North Korea, But They’re Unlikely To Accomplish Much

President Trump has announced a new round of sanctions against North Korea, but they are unlikely to work given the unrealistic nature of the Administration’s current policy toward North Korea.

Trump Administration Claims It Needs No Legal Authorization To Keep Troops In Syria

Continuing a long-standard tradition, the Trump Administration claims it doesn’t need to get legal authorization to keep American troops in Syria.

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster On His Way Out?

National Security Adviser H.L. McMaster is the latest person rumored to be considering moving on from the Trump Administration.

Security Force Assistance Brigade Deploys Amid Beret Controversy

The U.S. Army is once again embroiled in an internecine fight over hats.

The National Security Gender Gap’s Intractability

While the glass ceiling in high-level posts was shattered decades ago, men still dominate the field.

Collapse of the Global Elite?

Elliot Cohen laments the lack of steel in the spine of the statesmen, diplomats, soldiers, and thinkers of the current generation.

Donald Trump’s Dereliction Of Presidential Duty Is Self-Evident

Donald Trump’s dereliction of duty in response to clear evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election is a staggering and flagrant dereliction of the duties he agreed to take on when he took the Oath Of Office more than a year ago.

Donald Trump’s Own Appointees Are Telling World Leaders To Ignore His Tweets

President Trump’s tweets, other public statements, and actions are causing world leaders to doubt the reliability of the United States on the world stage.

Another Trump Campaign Aide Set To Plead Guilty

Mueller tightens the screws even further.

German Air Force Wants F-35; German Government Doesn’t

Pork barrel politics is complicating Germany’s replacement of its 1970s fighter jet.

Trump Falsely Claims That He Never Said Russia Didn’t Interfere In The 2016 Election

Donald Trump is now claiming that he had never denied that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. This is, of course, not true.

Major Republican Donor Will Only Support Candidates Who Back Assault Weapon Ban

Al Hoffman Jr., a Florida-based real estate developer who was a leading fund-raiser for George W. Bush’s campaigns, said he would seek to marshal support among other Republican political donors for a renewed assault weapons ban.

Trump Still Won’t Acknowledge The Reality Of Russian Interference In The 2016 Campaign

Even with yesterday’s indictments, President Trump still won’t acknowledge reality even though it’s staring him in the face.

Are Mass Shootings a National Security Threat?

Phil Carter makes an interesting argument but he’s ultimately mistaken.

Robert Mueller Issues Indictments Of 13 Russian Officials For Election Meddling

A significant and important development in the Russia investigation that shows that President Trump’s claim that the stories of Russian interference in the 2016 election were “Fake News” is completely untrue.

More Than 130 White House Employees Lack Final Security Clearances

More security clearance problems for the White House.

Fourth Circuit Strikes Down Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban

Another day, another Court ruling against the Trump Administration.

Trump’s Military Parade Could Cost Up To $30,000,000

President Trump’s military parade would come with a not insignificant cost.

Why Does The U.S. Continue To Pursue An Impossible Goal With North Korea?

Why does the U.S. continue to pursue the seemingly impossible goal of denuclearization with regard to North Korea? In part, it’s because we’re still locked into thirty-year-old rhetoric.

Intelligence Chiefs Warn Of Russian Plans To Interfere In Midterm Elections

Intelligence officials are warning that the Russians are set to seek to influence the 2018 elections just as they did in 2016. Despite this, the Trump Administration refuses to acknowledge this publicly while the President seeks to undermine the investigation into past Russian interference.

Federal Lawsuit Seeks To Challenge Federal Laws Against Marijuana

A Federal Court in New York City is set to hear argument tomorrow in a case that essentially argues that a large swath of Federal laws regarding marijuana are unconstitutional.

The GOP Is Now The Party Of Deficits And Debt, But Then It Always Has Been

Republicans spent the eight years of Obama Administration railing against fiscal irresponsibility. Now that they have power, they’re the ones being fiscally irresponsible.

Demanding Denuclearization Of North Korea Is A Non-Starter

Expecting North Korea to agree to diplomatic talks that are aimed at getting rid of their nuclear weapons is asking for the impossible, and ensuring there will be no progress on the diplomatic front for the foreseeable future.

Dozens Of Trump White House Employees Lack Final Security Clearances

More than a year into the Trump Presidency, dozens of White House personnel lack proper security clearances.

Trump Blocks Release Of Democratic Rebuttal To Nunes Memo

Donald Trump has blocked the release of a memo prepared by House Intelligence Committee Democrats to rebut the Nunes memo. It’s hard not to see this as a blatantly partisan move.

’10 Percent Increase’ Hardly a ‘Massive Infusion of Spending’

WaPo is overhyping things a bit.

Congress is Powerless to Stop Presidential Strike on North Korea

My latest for RealClearDefense.

Federal Court Strikes Down Law Requiring State Contractors To Promise They Won’t Boycott Israel

A Federal Judge In Kansas has blocked enforcement of a state law barring anyone who does business with the state from engaging in a boycott of Israel.

The Nunes Memo Was A Complete Dud

Contrary to the claims that were made by conservatives and Trump supporters before its release, the memo prepared by Congressman Devin Nunes has done nothing to undermine the Russia investigation.

Trump Administration Admits 2018 Elections Are Vulnerable To More Russian Interference

Administration officials are admitting that it’s likely that Russia will try to interfere in the midterm elections just as it did in 2016, but they don’t seem inclined to do anything about it.

Of Course Donald Trump Wants A Military Parade

Of course Donald Trump wants a military parade, it would be consistent with his delusions of grandeur.

Polish President Signs Controversial Holocaust Bill Into Law

Poland’s President has signed a controversial bill that purports to criminalize any effort to tie Poland to the Holocaust.

Democrats: Trump Lacks Authority for ‘Bloody Nose’ Strike on North Korea

They’re right. And there’s precious little they can do about it.

Navy Testing New Khaki Uniforms for Sea Duty

One of the oddities of military culture is the constan

FBI ‘Fears Lasting Damage’ from Politicization of Investigations

A confusing new report from the Washington Post.

Warner: We Need Revolution in Security Clearances

Senator Mark Warner, Vice-Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, says, “We Need Revolution, Not Just Evolution” in Security Clearances.”

New ‘National Defense Strategy’ Not All That New

My latest for The National Interest takes a contrarian view on the new National Defense Strategy.

David French: Nunes Memo ‘Clears the Decks for the Special Counsel’

National Review legal analyst David French argues that the Nunes memo actually undermines the central claim its proponents were seeking to bolster.