Policy

'Winning' or Not, Trump Doesn't Seem to Be Listening To His Generals

Based on what he says, Trump already is defying his generals. The real test is what he actually does.

Policy

Trump’s Defense Topline Faces a Big Hurdle, Just as When Obama Proposed It

The new administration’s proposal to give the Defense Department $603 billion in 2018 exceeds legal limits by about 10 percent.

Business

Trump to Congress: Give Pentagon $54B. I'll Tell You Why Later

The roughly 10% boost would come out of nearly every other federal agency’s 2018 budget, including foreign aid.

Ideas

The High Cost of Politicizing Intelligence

Trump is undermining America’s national security by trying to shape analysis to support his world view.

Ideas

How Trump Could Advance Federal Cybersecurity

The administration doesn't need to start from scratch.

Policy

The Foreign-Policy Establishment Defends Itself From Trump

'The question confronting us as a nation is as consequential as any we have faced since the late 1940s,' a group of Republican and Democratic experts write.

Ideas

I Was a Muslim in Trump's White House—and I Lasted Eight Days

When President Obama left, I stayed on at the National Security Council in order to serve my country.

Business

A Border Wall by 2020? Doubt It

Megaprojects are rarely, if ever, completed on schedule.

Policy

3 Urgent Tasks for Trump’s National-Security Team

The administration needs a single line on various policies — but even more urgently, it must fill about 100 top federal jobs, says James Stavridis.

Ideas

Trump Gets an Upgrade at National Security Advisor

By replacing Mike Flynn with H.R. McMaster, President Donald Trump added one of the most talented officers the U.S. Army has ever produced to a key post.

Policy

How McMaster Could Change the Way the US Goes to War

How did Trump’s new National Security Advisor win over the President — and what changes might he make in his new role?

Ideas

What America’s Last Red Scare Can Tell Us About Trump and Russia

'Quite often the facts get lost in the hysteria,' one historian says.

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.