Ideas

The Foreign Crises Awaiting Trump

Trump wants to undo the liberal international order the U.S. built and replace it with a 19th-century model of nationalism and mercantilism. Its unwinding cannot, and will not, be pretty.

Ideas

Ranked: Donald Trump's Foreign-Policy Contradictions

A guide to the unpredictable presidency to come.

Threats

We Have 'Very Robust Defenses': An Exit Interview with Obama's Top Cyber Official

Cybersecurity Coordinator Michael Daniel defended the White House's legacy, pointing to new policies and cyber détente with China.

Policy

Can James Mattis Protect Trump From Hubris?

The president-elect and the risks of overconfidence.

Policy

Trump Has Considerable Authority to Revamp the Intelligence Community

But the the 2004 law that created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence creates some hurdles as well.

Ideas

Obama and Eisenhower, Two Legacies In Arms

On national security, the most illuminating presidential comparison is the one Obama most often made of himself. Barack likes Ike.

Ideas

Trump Will Inherit the Biggest NATO Buildup in Europe Since the Cold War

Clarity keeps peace; weakness invites conflict. PEOTUS's soft talk invites the Russians to misconstrue what’s happening.

Threats

Here's Why Trump's Intel Bashing Matters

The president-elect’s denigration of the Russian hacking findings will make it harder to make a case against other U.S. adversaries, former officials say.

Ideas

Still Fighting, US Troops from Syria to Afghanistan Await Trump Orders

Special operators move ahead with plans for the press to Raqqa, but uncertainty clouds US war plans.

Ideas

Trump vs. the Spies

In this digital age, it is reasonable to ask just what America’s intelligence community still brings to the table. The answer is a lot.

Policy

How Putin is Using Populist Movements Against the West

It’s time to decide what goals should guide American foreign policy in the 21st century, and what allies are needed to advance them.

Ideas

As Trump's Foreign Policy Emerges, Watch His Temperament in Washington

By what Trump has shown, even where there's policy continuity the world will see Washington as more erratic and less reliable.

Business

Trump is Now America’s Arms Deal Negotiator

His meetings and bombshell tweets with the heads of America’s two largest weapon makers show Trump will play a role in hammering out contracts.

Ideas

Trump’s Deal-Powered Vision Will, and Won’t, Change US Foreign Policy

'The day of the chess player is over,' the businessman once wrote.

Ideas

Trump Inherits ‘The Good War’

Many Afghans desire a fresh U.S. approach. All must wait to see what policy emerges from the New York businessman’s scattered thoughts.

Ideas

Global Conflicts to Watch in 2017

The greatest unknown for U.S. interests in the world might be the United States itself.

Policy

Tracking Trump’s National-Security Conflicts of Interest

A global business empire raises the question: is the president’s foreign policy serving America’s interests or his own?

Threats

How to Make Donald Trump’s Phone Safe

The man who led the effort to let President Obama keep his BlackBerry says the best solution for Trump might be multiple devices.

Ideas

Trump, Putin, and the Art of Appeasement

The famed deal maker seems intent on giving away American leverage for nothing.