Ideas

Donald Trump Will Defeat ISIS

And it will be mostly due to the work of his predecessor.

Business

F-35 General: Boeing Heard Nothing ‘Unreleasable’ in F-35 Call With Trump

“The discussions that we had were all pre-decisional,” Lt. Gen. Bogdan tells lawmakers.

Policy

Trump: I’m Not Being Tough On Russia Because I Want to Make A Deal

The president, who joked about sinking Moscow’s spy ship off the Atlantic coast, didn’t say what kind of deal he wants.

Ideas

Are Leakers Defending Democracy or Corroding It?

Are leaks about the White House the work of bureaucrats who want to undermine the president? And if so, is that a good or bad thing?

Policy

What Happens Next Is Up to Republicans

It’s up to them whether a truly independent investigation occurs.

Ideas

Take Off the Pentagon’s Gloves in the ISIS War? Not So Fast.

Policies intended to reduce civilian harm didn’t arise out of elite Washington think tanks or academia; they arose from the military’s own lessons learned.

Policy

Trump’s Empty Ultimatum to NATO

Defense Secretary Mattis just called for Europe to increase defense spending or else...what exactly?

Ideas

What Does Trump Want from Netanyahu?

It’s clear enough what the Israeli prime minister expects. But the Americans are in a position to make their own demands.

Policy

Five Questions Raised by Michael Flynn's Abrupt Departure

Who in the White House knew that the national security adviser had misled Mike Pence, and when? Who will replace him? And what will be the next bombshell?

Ideas

The US and Iran Are Not Yet on a Course to War

Despite bellicose words, both sides have also demonstrated elements of restraint.

Ideas

There's No One At the Helm of White House Foreign Policy

Flynn’s departure won’t solve the Trump administration’s central dysfunction.

Ideas

President Trump, Viewed through NATO’s Guide to Russian Information Warfare

Russia uses theft, narratives, lies, trolls, and bots to weaken Western governments. The U.S. president is playing into its hands.

Policy

Will Trump Repeal Sanctions on Russia? A Conversation with an NSC Planner

We asked Kevin Harrington, deputy assistant to the president for strategic planning, whether he could square the mixed signals coming from the White House.

Policy

Michael Flynn's Disaster

Trump’s national security adviser’s potentially false statements about his pre-inauguration contacts with Russian officials are a major problem.

Ideas

Why Did Trump Pick a Fight with Putin Over the Nuclear Weapons Treaty?

President Trump took a hard line over New START with Russia. It's an odd battle to choose -- and a dangerous one.

Ideas

Trump’s Dangerous 'Dishonest' Message to the Troops

It’s politics when a candidate disparages “the media.” But it’s potentially dangerous when the commander in chief tells U.S. troops not to trust the reporters who cover them.

Ideas

US Counterterrorism Strategy Must Be About More than ISIS

Even as Trump focuses on the Islamic State, other dangerous groups need attention.

Ideas

President Trump Sets a Remarkable Bar for Critiquing His Military Operations

The president took to Twitter to argue that publicly discussing the success or failure of a mission 'only emboldens the enemy.'

Ideas

'You’re Fired!' Will Not Fix Federal Cybersecurity

Sacking agency heads after a breach won’t make data and systems safer. Here’s what will.

Ideas

The Right — and Wrong — Lessons of Trump’s Yemen Raid

Americans have to allow its elite men and women to be aggressive, to take risks, and to, on occasion, fall short.