News of the Week for March 2nd, 2025
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
Abortion pill maker enters legal battle over FDA rules
The country’s only manufacturer of generic abortion medication asked to be a part of the first legal fight over the procedure since President Trump returned to office.
Gun Rights
Second Amendment Roundup: Supreme Court Should Hold its Decision in VanDerStok
The new Administration should notify the Court of its change in position on ATF regulations.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
The Seventh Carbon Budget
The Seventh Carbon Budget, covering the period 2038 to 2042, has been well covered by the media, so you are probably aware of the major recommendations. By 2040 we must:Cut GHG emissions by 75% from current levelsHave three quarters of cars on the road electricDrive lessMake half of homes have a heat pump, meaning effectively a total ban on gas boilers by 2035Reduce consumption of meat and dairy by a quarter.Put Potential limits on flying
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
FDA Begins to Rescind Firings, Calls Some Employees Back to Work
The FDA late Friday started reversing termination notices for some employees that were laid off, informing workers to return to work after mass firings a week ago.
FDA cancels meeting to pick flu vaccine strains for next winter
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday canceled a planned March 13 committee meeting to update next winter’s flu shot.
RFK Jr. issues rule barring public comment on HHS rulemaking
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday released a policy prohibiting public comments during his department’s rulemaking process, ending more than 50 years of the public’s involvement in crafting his department’s rules.
War & Terror
The Men Fighting for Ukraine
While the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has been noisy during the first stretch of this visit, it is at least far from the front. The eastern city of Kharkiv is more or less just down the road from the fighting, and yet the city’s condition is one of contradictions — bombed buildings with plywood in the windows downtown, but a thriving shopping mall not far away. In recent days I’ve spoken with three soldiers fighting for Ukraine — one homegrown, one an American volunteer, and the third from Germany, serving in the International Legion.
Rubio Exempts Taiwan and Philippines Security Programs from Aid Freeze
Secretary of State Marco Rubio exempted from his department’s ongoing aid freeze over $1 billion in foreign security assistance for Taiwan and the Philippines.
China’s War for Indo-Pacific Dominance Is Already Underway
How far will we let China advance in its ongoing war in the Indo-Pacific, as we ‘prepare’ for war over Taiwan?
Trump shuts down US base in Greece
U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered the shutdown of the U.S. military base in Alexandroupoli, Greece, according to Greek newspaper Dimokratia.
How Ukraine’s Drone Army Is Being Built
On the menu today: A visit to two more secret Ukrainian drone production facilities and some almost-adorable “drone dogs”; why, despite U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s assertion, the Istanbul Protocol Agreement is not a useful guidepost for peace talks; and some cold hard numbers — or at least cold hard estimates — on how Russia is experiencing roughly one Vietnam War’s worth of killed in action each year during its invasion of Ukraine.
Kremlin contradicts Trump’s claim on peacekeeping forces in Ukraine
The Kremlin emphasized Tuesday that Russia had not dropped its opposition to peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, contradicting a claim that President Trump made a day earlier.
Taiwan detains China-linked cargo ship after undersea cable disconnected
Taiwan’s coast guard said it detained a China-linked cargo ship on Tuesday after a nearby undersea cable to the Penghu Islands in the sensitive Taiwan Strait was disconnected.
What Taiwan Thinks of Trump’s Abandonment of Ukraine
Setting aside the question of honor — and dishonor — in regard to President Trump’s negotiations with Russia, his administration’s rhetoric regarding Ukraine, and our diplomatic strategy at the United Nations this past week, it’s important to realize that America’s support, or lack thereof, for an embattled nation struggling to defend itself against the invasion of a neighboring imperial behemoth is being watched closely in East Asia.
America’s Future Depends on Rebuilding the Navy
As reported by Defense One on 14 February 2025, “The Chinese government is “on a dangerous course” and its military’s “aggressive maneuvers around Taiwan right now are not exercises, as they call them. They are rehearsals,” U.S. Indo-Pacific Command leader Admiral Sam Paparo said.
Is Trump’s Minerals Deal Throwing Zelensky into the Briar Patch?
Donald Trump has long argued that the United States should act more like an empire — or at least an acquisitive real estate tycoon — by using the leverage of its military and commercial influence to extract economically valuable concessions from countries that want access to our markets or aid in their defense. We are, in his view, Uncle Sucker, always paying to bail out our deadbeat friends and relations who never do anything in return. While there is some truth to this and something to be said for ensuring that our foreign aid, trade policy, and military alliances aren’t one-way streets, it’s also a simplistic view of the world (in missing how much we benefit from things like general peace in Europe and South America or the free navigation of the seas), one that’s at odds with much of our foreign policy historically, one that is apt to alienate allies we need at times and in places we can’t always predict (such as the more than 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers who served with our troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2008, a deployment unpopular in Ukraine at the time), and at a certain point is just an immoral use of our power.
There’s Less Than Meets the Eye in the Ukraine Mineral Deal
On the menu today: According to press reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will sign the mineral rights deal — but there are reasons to think this deal might amount to less than meets the eye. Meanwhile, in the river city of Dnipro, I meet an extraordinary American who’s helping the Ukrainians stop the bleeding, figuratively and literally.
What Taiwan Thinks of Trump’s Abandonment of Ukraine
Setting aside the question of honor — and dishonor — in regard to President Trump’s negotiations with Russia, his administration’s rhetoric regarding Ukraine, and our diplomatic strategy at the United Nations this past week, it’s important to realize that America’s support, or lack thereof, for an embattled nation struggling to defend itself against the invasion of a neighboring imperial behemoth is being watched closely in East Asia.
Missing Children Among the Many Victims of Ukraine War
‘My heart really hurts a lot,’ Ukrainian archbishop says of thousands believed to be somewhere in Russia.
Ukrainian Patriarch in Washington: Putin Wants to ‘Erase’ Ukraine
Archbishop Shevchuk described the forced deportation of Ukrainian children as ‘one of the most horrifying crimes of this war.’
Russia’s Sacrilegious War on Ukraine
COMMENTARY: American policy-makers should take this pathology into account when pondering whatever negotiations, or other Western actions, might bring the war in Ukraine to a just conclusion.
Rise of Putin’s ‘Eurussian Empire’ over next five years mapped out step by step
The name alone carries a sinister weight – Eurussian Empire – an alliance of two once historically opposing forces, Europe and Russia. This new world order sounds like inconceivable fiction, but it is predicted to materialise on the continent by 2030.
Doing the Lord’s Work in Eastern Ukraine
On the menu today: Interviews with two Ukrainian evangelical Protestant pastors serving in different ways near the front — one entertaining the troops through song while hoping to not encounter a Russian glide bomb any closer than he already has, and the other dodging Russian drone attacks in a van while attempting to ferry the elderly and the infirm away from the front. Sometimes it seems like every Ukrainian has a fascinating story.
Trump: We’ll end Ukraine war and strike ‘quick’ trade deal with the UK
In a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer the US president said Britain could be exempt from tariffs and accepted the King’s invitation for an ‘unprecedented’ second state visit
‘Shipbuilding, Shipbuilding, Shipbuilding’: Getting the Navy’s Priorities Right
I was very happy to see secretary of the Navy nominee John Phelan tell the Senate in his confirmation hearing that President Trump’s guidance to him is “shipbuilding, shipbuilding, shipbuilding.”
Russia sees talks with US as an opening to rebuild its spy networks, officials say
Russia is eyeing talks with the Trump administration about re-establishing a significant diplomatic presence in the US as an opening to rebuild its spy network in the West, current and former US officials say.
What Trump, Vance, and Zelensky Are Arguing About
The scene Friday afternoon in the Oval Office was disgraceful. There’s a reason that negotiations between allies with significant differences ought to happen behind closed doors instead of on camera for the whole world to see.
Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Republican lawmaker on Trump-Zelensky meeting: ‘A bad day for America’s foreign policy’
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) characterized Friday’s contentious meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “bad day” for U.S. foreign policy.
Hegseth Warned of Military Action if Mexico Fails to Meet Trump’s Border Demands
Defense secretary’s closed-door comments have unnerved Mexican officials negotiating to avoid 25% tariffs
Hegseth Warned of Military Action if Mexico Fails to Meet Trump’s Border Demands
Defense secretary’s closed-door comments have unnerved Mexican officials negotiating to avoid 25% tariffs
World leaders back Zelenskyy following Trump, Vance Oval Office spat
EU chief diplomat says it has become clear the ‘free world needs a new leader’ after Trump reprimanded Zelenskyy
US intel shows Russia and China are attempting to recruit disgruntled federal employees, sources say
Foreign adversaries including Russia and China have recently directed their intelligence services to ramp up recruiting of US federal employees working in national security, targeting those who have been fired or feel they could be soon, according to four people familiar with recent US intelligence on the issue and a document reviewed by CNN.
Zelenskyy says he is ‘truly thankful’ to US after Trump row – as he arrives in UK for summit
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street on Saturday afternoon ahead of a major summit hosted by the UK prime minister on Sunday.
What it would take to get Britain ready for war with Russia
As the post-war consensus crumbles and US loyalties lie in flux, experts warn the UK’s defence spending commitment is woefully inadequate
Ukraine’s European allies head to Kyiv for tutoring in drone warfare
And North Korea is in Russia for its drone-apprenticeship program.
UK’s Starmer says Europe is at crossroads in history as world leaders discuss ending war in Ukraine
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday Europe was at a crossroads in history and must do the heavy lifting to defend itself as world leaders met in London to discuss ways of working together to stop Russia’s war in Ukraine.
National
Trump Names Dan Bongino As Deputy Director Of The FBI
President Donald Trump on Sunday evening appointed conservative firebrand Dan Bongino as the next deputy director of the FBI to serve along with Director Kash Patel.
Trump’s Postal Service Plan Faces Grave Legal Problems
Donald Trump’s latest brainstorm in reorganizing the executive branch is to move the U.S. Postal Service into the Commerce Department. As a policy matter, there is certainly a case for shaking up how the USPS works, but it would be more prudent to privatize or streamline more of its functions and operations; putting it under the control of a cabinet department is the opposite of that. Moreover, the USPS budget is six times the size of the budget of Commerce (whose operations consist largely of weather, fisheries, and the census), and its workforce is more than ten times the number of people employed by Commerce, so this would immediately make the Postal Service the dog on which the Commerce Department is merely the tail.
GOP Spending Group Commits $2 Million to Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, First Ad out Today
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), a GOP spending group dedicated to winning state-level races across the country, is committing $2 million in advertising spending to help Republicans retake the Wisconsin supreme court majority, National Review has learned.
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Illinois abortion ‘buffer zone’ case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case challenging what are known as abortion “buffer zone” or “bubble zone” laws, which numerous municipalities have enacted to restrict pro-life ministries outside abortion clinics.
West Chester University changes name of DEI office, admits it will still keep the same mission
One school official called the decision ‘preemptive compliance.’ ‘The goal was to safeguard our work,’ the official said.
Trump Administration Turmoil Over Musk’s Directive to Federal Workforce
Earlier Monday, we published my piece about this weekend’s farcical episode in which Elon Musk, in spearheading President Trump’s DOGE initiative to cut deadwood from the federal workforce, directed all 2.2 million employees to provide a brief synopsis — about five bullet points — on what each accomplished during the preceding week.
GOP senator suffers seizure, brain bleed after falling on ice
‘I stepped on ice and evidently fell hard, hitting the back of my head,’ Sen. Kevin Cramer wrote on Facebook
North Dakota State U. removes ‘diversity’ engineering page that said ‘deadlines’ harm minorities
‘Deadlines’ and grades can be harmful to minorities, North Dakota State U. page says
Help College Students Read
Gen Z can’t make it through a book. Professors can help.
“Want a Hot Shower? Call Your Congressman,” But Not Just to Support a CRA Resolution.
A useful example of how meaningful regulatory reform requires legislative action–and not just the passage of Congressional Review Act resolutions.
Human Bird Flu Hospitalizations Now Reported in Wyoming and Ohio
Meanwhile, dozens of bird-flu-struck geese found in New Jersey parks, leading to their closure.
Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were dead for some time, warrant shows
Hackman, 95, was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom and his 63-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa, was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a search warrant. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the counter top near Arakawa. Denise Avila, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, said there was no indication that any of them had been shot or had other types of wounds.
White House restores HBCU scholarships after pressure from Ossoff, lawmakers
Fort Valley State among 19 Black universities that benefited from the program.
White House official threatens to redraw Canadian border
Peter Navarro is pushing negotiators to discuss reworking country’s boundaries, The Telegraph can reveal
Female athletes excluded from White House event after criticizing new NCAA policy on transgender participation
Several female athletes who stood next to President Trump three weeks ago to celebrate an executive order banning transgender participation in women’s sports were not invited to a White House event Thursday for a briefing on women’s sports after they criticized the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s new policy, sources told CBS News. Among those who didn’t get asked back for the briefing on Title IX issues were Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer; Sia Liilii, captain of the University of Nevada’s women’s volleyball team; and Kaitynn Wheeler, a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Kentucky.
MAGA Melts Down Over Epstein Doc Dump ‘Nothingburger’ As Calls Grow For Bondi To Resign
A meltdown among the MAGA faithful over this week’s Jeffrey Epstein document dump “nothingburger” has left many disenfranchised right-wing figures demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi’s resignation.
Pardoned Jan. 6 protester: ‘The DOJ was not weaponized against me’
Pam Hemphill, who was charged for her involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, is pushing back against the notion that the Department of Justice (DOJ) was weaponized against the rioters.
Ten Discriminatory Scholarships at U. New Mexico Challenged by Equal Protection Project
We are hopeful that under the new administration the Office for Civil Rights will act with renewed vigor in upholding the core principle of equality.
Alas, They’re Already Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for the Tate Brothers
Yesterday, Haley Strack wrote with appropriately righteous disgust about the surprise arrival of former MMA fighter Andrew Tate and his brother — to describe both as proud pimps and pornographers is to be charitable — in Florida. (Previously, they had been living in Romania while being investigated by the authorities there over various criminal charges related to their proud sexual vices.) After explaining why the Tate brothers and their emphasis on misogynistic hypermasculinity have developed an outsized influence among right-leaning youth, Haley ran down what is only a partial list of all the foul deeds the Tates have been accused of (or been videotaped doing or bragging about doing).
The Republican House Judiciary Committee Rickrolls America for Some Damn Reason
Allow me an open-palmed shrug of disgust to end February by briefly mentioning a side-story to yesterday’s ridiculous faux-unveiling of the “Epstein files.” (Charlie Cooke wrote a fine piece this morning on the topic, noting how mindlessly tribal Trump’s diehard supporters look when they pretend Bondi’s stunt was anything other than an immense embarrassment for Trump’s administration.) Indeed, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the new Trumpists in Washington, D.C., don’t take the entire Epstein case terribly seriously at all and think of it is more as a glitzy distraction, a fun political football to idly kick around.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Private islands, signal fires, and a salmagundi of sadness.
Economy & Taxes
The Stat: $293.3 Billion
$293.3 billion — the U.S. trade surplus in services in 2024, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
EU Expands Tariff List in Trump’s Looming Metals Trade Dispute
The EU expects Trump tariffs to hit as much as €28 billion. Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs could take effect March 12.
US consumer confidence posts biggest drop in 3-1/2 years
U.S. consumer confidence deteriorated at its sharpest pace in 3-1/2 years in February while 12-month inflation expectations surged, offering further signs that Americans were growing anxious about the potential negative impact on the economy of President Donald Trump’s policies.
Should Politicians Control the Money Supply?
There’s a reason every developed country has made its monetary policy more independent from politics over time.
Hawaiian Rum Company Sues to Overturn Jones Act
Article I, Section 9, of the Constitution includes these words: “No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another.” That prohibition is supposed to apply to laws passed by Congress. In 1920, Congress passed the Jones Act, a protectionist law that says all ships transporting goods between U.S. ports must be U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-crewed.
Donald Trump threatens to impose 25% tariffs on EU goods
US president warns levies will target auto sector and be applied ‘generally’
‘Too Much’ Consumer Choice? Nope
There are worse things, after all, than a cornucopia, as the story of Boris Yeltsin at a Houston supermarket reminds us. In 2023, Scott Lincicome recalled how, in the course of a trip to the U.S. in 1989, Yeltsin went to see NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, but it was “a brief, impromptu visit to a nearby grocery store that may very well have changed world history,” by catalyzing his rejection of the Soviet economic model.
Jeremy Grantham on the meltdown coming for U.S. stocks and where he’s putting his money now
Legendary investor Jeremy Grantham who has accurately predicted past financial crises and market tops said the U.S. stock market is now in “super bubble” territory.
Meme coin moment fizzles after Trump cashes in
Revenue has been falling for the leading meme-coin platform since the Trump Organization launched the Official Trump (TRUMP) and Melania Meme (MELANIA) coins Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, respectively.
The Case Against Taxing University Endowments
Tax professor Erik Jensen suggests taxes on large university endowments are not as good idea as some people think.
Atlanta Fed predicts negative 1.5 percent GDP growth in first quarter
The Atlanta Federal Reserve is projecting a contraction of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) of 1.5 percent in the first quarter, flashing a warning sign for the U.S. economy. The projection is a significant shift for the Atlanta Fed over the last few weeks that comes a little more than a month after President Trump took office.
International
Germany’s Election: (Slight) Change in the Status Quo
Germany’s election results went more or less as expected. More or less. The center-right CDU/CSU led by Friedrich Merz won the largest share of the vote with (on the latest count) 28.5 percent of the vote, down a percentage point or two from where it had been earlier in the campaign, but up from the 24.1 percent it had taken in the 2021 election. Merz will almost certainly be the next chancellor. The populist right AfD came in second with 20.8 percent, doubling its share from last time, roughly as forecast. That makes it the big winner along with Die Linke, a party of the hard left descended from East Germany’s ruling party which scored 8.8 percent, much more than had been expected until recently. That’s about four percentage points more than in 2021, despite the defection of Sahra Wagenknecht, whose breakaway BSW, hard left but opposed to mass immigration and climate zealotry just failed to cross the 5 percent threshold legally required (with one exception) to enter into parliament, a fate it shared with the FDP, a free market(ish) party that until recently had been in the governing coalition.
Why is it Illegal to Burn a Koran But Fine for Pro-Hamas Protesters to Destroy a Union Flag?
Pro-Hamas protesters desecrate the Union Flag at Manchester Piccadilly this weekend. In front of police officers. Apparently their freedom of expression is protected in another example of two-tier policing.
Germany’s Social Democrats Ditch Scholz After Historic Defeat
Sunday’s election, the SPD will probably be tapped by election winner Friedrich Merz to enter coalition talks. The Christian Democrat-led conservatives will likely only be able to secure a majority in the Bundestag with the Social Democrats or Alternative for Germany.
Ex-Reform UK Wales leader accused of taking Russian-linked bribes
The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has appeared in court accused of accepting bribes to make statements in the European Parliament that would benefit Russia.
Thailand Deports Uyghurs to China, Defying U.S. Pressure
Thailand’s government remains defiant about its move to deport 40 Uyghur detainees to China, where human rights advocates and U.S. officials expect them to undergo torture and worse in Beijing’s mass detention system. U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the U.S. ally’s decision as a concession to the Chinese Communist Party.
Canada Gives Up Trying to Prove the Mass Graves Hoax
Very quietly, the Canadian government has ended funding for a committee of experts formed to help Indigenous communities find unmarked graves at the former sites of religious residential schools. It marks the end of one of the most disgraceful moral panics in modern history.
Opinion
Zelensky’s Days as President May Be Numbered, and He May Not Mind
Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to resign from his post in exchange for peace in Ukraine or NATO membership. That’s not the sort of thing that a so-called dictator does, and the caricature of Zelensky as a conniving con artist, desperate to hold onto power, never fit his actual behavior and decision-making. Zelensky has his flaws — he was a dove before the war, and kept denying that Russia would invade until the very last minute — but if he really prioritized his personal interests over his country’s interests, he would have taken that evacuation ride at the start of the war instead of asking for ammunition.
Trump Tries To Carve Out a First Amendment Exception for ‘Fake News’
The president’s portrayal of journalism he does not like as consumer fraud is legally frivolous and blatantly unconstitutional.
America’s Sons and the Dark Temptation of the Woke Right
America, we’re losing our sons. A decade ago, the Woke Left arose rapidly in feminist circles and stole many of our daughters, and now the reaction is here, a “Woke Right” that is drawing our sons to Fascism, hatred, and Nazism. It can no longer be denied, and it must be confronted. What draws our young men, and also our young women, to this Woke Right monstrosity? Seductive lies fed into fear and pain. In this episode of the New Discourses Podcast, host James Lindsay takes a shockingly candid look at the dark soul and evil manipulation of the rising Woke Right and invites you to join him in putting a stop to it.
Do We Have to Lie on Russia’s Behalf?
The Trump administration’s efforts to secure something it could plausibly call a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine seem to have compelled the administration to internalize the notion that Ukraine is the real obstacle to peace. That is all a rational observer could conclude from watching this presidency go out of its way to support Russian geopolitical objectives.
What Are the Costs of Lying on Russia’s Behalf?
In reaction to the United States’ shameful behavior today at the U.N., Noah Rothman asked a fair and rather plaintive question: Do we have to lie on Russia’s behalf? I agree with the moral spirit of his argument in all its particulars: We do not have to accede to Putin’s propagandistic “reading” of recent European history or indulge in outright falsehoods in order to bring the Ukrainian war to a conclusion, nor should we.
Getting Tired of DOGE?
One of the most underreported political stories of recent times is the drastic partisan shift in voter self-identification over the past few months. The Democrats’ five-point advantage evaporated into a two-point deficit, thanks to swing voters’ determination that Democrats were jerks (to put it nicely).
Trump’s Move to Isolate Venezuela Is a Step in the Right Direction
In its first month, Donald Trump’s second administration seemed disinclined to revisit the Biden administration’s efforts to reintegrate Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro’s regime into the global economy. That inclination evaporated abruptly on Wednesday. The Trump administration announced that, as of March 1, Biden-era waivers allowing the U.S.-based energy producer Chevron to extract and export oil from the anti-American regime in Caracas will be revoked.
Where Ukraine cares for Russian citizens bombed by Russian planes
Visiting a Ukrainian hospital, I encounter civilian casualties evacuated from Ukraine-occupied Russia.
JD Vance’s Double Standard on Ancestral Loyalty
Patriotism, nationalism, tribalism, community — these are all words for variations on the same basic, primal feeling of home and us. That feeling is too deeply wired into human beings to be eradicated. As with many of humanity’s animal spirits, the goal of civilization should instead be to channel it in productive ways — to constrain its worst impulses while harnessing its emotive power.
Team Trump Embraces Joe Biden’s Worst Idea
The Germans have a word that lacks a direct English translation but describes the sense of vicarious embarrassment one experiences on behalf of someone who is humiliating themselves: fremdscham. It is not an uncommon sentiment save for the realm of partisan politics, in which any expression of shame is regarded as defeatism. Those of us who cannot subordinate basic human emotions to our political objectives suffered an intense bout of fremdscham on Thursday, care of the Trump White House.
Mindlessness Is Still Not a Virtue
The topic: Is it okay to criticize Trump over this failure, or is criticizing Trump over this failure akin to “turning against” him? I would like to use this opportunity to once again make a point that I have been making since January 20, 2017: that this is a profoundly stupid way to look at politics as the citizen of a free country, and that everybody who does so ought to be mightily ashamed of himself.
Anti-Vaxxers Aren’t Conservative
The latest surge in vaccine skepticism is not conservative. It’s reactionary.
This Is Not a TV Show
But this is not a TV show. It’s real geopolitical diplomacy centered on a real war on the European continent with real and grave implications not just for the stability of the Atlantic Alliance but the U.S.-led world order around the globe. This is not a game for the benefit of a terminally online audience that is constitutionally allergic to earnestness and solemnity. There will be consequences that follow from this, and they will almost certainly be bad for U.S. security and that of our allies.
JD Vance’s Ad Hominem Foreign Policy
There have been things to like, even on the international stage, about JD Vance’s tenure as vice president thus far. And he hasn’t sounded off that much (at least so far) on the big-government themes of his prior domestic policy record. But in trying to put my finger on what’s so grating about Vance’s approach to foreign policy debates, I find it’s not just that I disagree with the substance of a lot of his opinions and worldview. It’s Vance’s constant instinct to go swiftly to the ad hominem argument whenever anyone is in his way on foreign affairs. It’s a habit that we normally associate with left-wing positions on foreign and national security policy, and it bespeaks a profound lack of confidence in the strength of his own arguments.
The United States is Appeasing Evil
A plea from Ukraine.
Vance Shifts from Catholic Pandering to Catastrophic Petulance
It’s been an embarrassing day for Western statesmanship.
America is being sold out by its leaders
If Trump and Elon think they can forge a grand right-wing alliance with China and Russia, they’re heading for trouble.
Hate him all you like, Mitch McConnell is a Hall of Famer
There were many great moments for McConnell that are now lost in the din of the Trump era. The Kentuckian, probably the greatest strategist in modern Senate history, recently announced he would be retiring from politics after seven terms. This brought on celebration from MAGA Republicans, who detest McConnell with the heat of a thousand suns.
In acrimonious meeting, Trump berates Zelensky
The president should try being as kind to America’s friend as he is to Putin.
Angry Conservatives, Explained
The fiasco Friday, with President Trump bullying and insulting Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, is one of the worst diplomatic incidents in U.S. history. It mortifies me as an American and a conservative — and especially as someone who, reluctantly, voted for Trump in the 2020 and 2024 general elections.
Why The Hyper Online Right Will Hurt Trump
For a while, I have been worried that the Trump administration is at risk of being damaged by the hyper-online right. This week, I am afraid we are seeing this concern come to life.
U.S. Support for Ukraine Advances America’s Interests
JD Vance and Tulsi Gabbard’s Rhetorical Blackmail
The so-called foreign-policy realists must think the American people are stupid, or cowards.
The Promise of Freedom Conservatism — and Its Challenges
Can a freedom-centered tendency on the right make itself a genuine political force?
Is DOGE Sure It Wants to Fire These People?
Elon Musk and his team are endangering Americans in many ways.
