Defense

Can the U.S. Hold Russia Accountable for Interfering in the 2016 Election?

Behind the special counsel’s big news this week, there has also been an explosion of evidence pointing to Moscow’s role in the presidential race.

Management

Former Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort Faces 12 Federal Charges

An indictment against him for conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, false statements, and other charges, is the first to emerge from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia interference in the 2016 election.

Defense

Trump Attacks a Grieving Widow’s Account

The president reescalated the ongoing debate over his condolences to Gold Star families by contradicting the widow of a fallen Special Forces sergeant.

Defense

Analysis: The Anguish of John Kelly

The White House chief of staff decried the desacralization of military deaths—but it was the president he serves who politicized condolence calls.

Defense

Slain Soldier's Mother: 'Trump Did Disrespect My Son'

Despite claiming he was better at consoling the families of slain servicemembers than his predecessors, Trump offended the family of La David Johnson and skipped calls and letters to other grieving loved ones.

Defense

Why Trump Accused Obama of Not Consoling Families of Fallen Soldiers

The president touched off a brief firestorm with the unfounded charge, but real answers about why four service members were killed in Niger remain elusive.

Oversight

Trump Keeps Passing the Buck to Congress

On Obamacare subsidies, the Iran deal, and DACA, the president has taken unprecedented steps to hand executive authority back to lawmakers.

Defense

Are Trump's Feuds With Tillerson and Corker a Prelude to War?

While it’s tempting to view the spats as just more palace intrigue, they reveal a president impatient with diplomacy and drawn toward military force.

Oversight

Analysis: Trump's Puerto Rico Visit Is a Political Disaster

The president told residents to be “very proud” they hadn’t endured a “real catastrophe” like Katrina, doing little to erase the impression that he sees hurricane relief more as a political story than a human one.

Management

Why Does Trump Keep Praising the Emergency Response in Puerto Rico?

The president’s insistence that he’s doing a great job sits uneasily with stories of desperation in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Management

Is the Federal Government Doing Enough for Puerto Rico?

The suffering on the island makes aid an urgent priority—but many of the steps suggested by critics might not make much immediate difference.

Management

The Brazenness of Trump's White House Staff Using Private Email

How could six senior presidential aides mimic the strategy for which Trump lacerated Hillary Clinton? Only if they believe they are as immune to the usual rules as he is.

Management

Why Is Trump's Legal Team So Messy?

Ty Cobb, a lawyer for the president, kvetched about a colleague in public and sent several bizarre emails. And that’s only the latest West Wing attorney problem.

Management

The White House Declares War on James Comey

Unchastened by the disastrous aftermath of firing the FBI director, Trump’s spokesperson is now arguing that Comey ought to face prosecution.

Management

Bannon's Exit Leaves Trump Untethered

As the president cuts ties with establishment staffers, and forces out his populist firebrand, what’s left of Trumpism other than white identity politics?

Management

Trump, in Reversal, Explicitly Condemns White Supremacists

At the White House, the president offered a far stronger comment on violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, than his previous statement.

Management

Do Republicans Actually Want to Postpone the 2020 Election?

A new survey highlights a threat to American democracy, but it’s not what it initially appears to be.

Oversight

Mueller Plunges Across Trump's Red Line

A Wall Street Journal story claimed the investigation had moved before a grand jury, while CNN reported it was looking into potential financial crimes unrelated to the 2016 election.

Oversight

The Justice Department's New Civil-Rights Cause: Discrimination Against Whites

Jeff Sessions follows in the risky footsteps of George W. Bush’s Justice Department.

Management

Anthony Scaramucci Lasts 10 Days at the White House

Reports say new Chief of Staff John Kelly was driving force behind behind the resignation.