Threats

Trump's Immigration Order Is a Propaganda Victory for ISIS

The American president has reinforced the victimhood narrative at the core of the Islamic State’s recruitment pitch.

Ideas

What Trump's Reshuffling of the National Security Council Means

A former Bush and Obama NSC staffer says changes to the Council's top committee suggest Trump may exclude it from his decision-making entirely.

Ideas

We Conservatives Warned You, Trump Will Not Get Better. Here's What You Can Do.

To my friends thinking of serving this administration, either you stand up for your principles and decent behavior, or you go down as a coward or opportunist.

Policy

Trump Wants DHS to Hire 15,000 for Border Security? Not So Fast

The proposed surge would provide assets some agency officials have long requested. It would also enable Trump to fulfill a campaign promise—but it comes with challenges.  

Ideas

5 Things to Know Before the US Reduces Its Role at the UN

Trump’s hyper-nationalist, 'America First' agenda will play well with his populist base. But it signals a reckless abdication of U.S. global leadership.

Threats

Cyber Commission Remains Bullish Trump Team Will Take Some Recommendations

The cyber review, ordered by Obama, may have a future under the new president, even if Obama doesn't get credit.

Ideas

Why Iraq Needs the Oil

Taking it, as Donald Trump has mused about doing, is not only illegal—it would tear the country apart.

Policy

Trump Orders Halt to ‘Catch and Release,’ But There’s a Catch

Ending the practice of releasing illegal border crossers before they can be deported is easier said than done.

Science & Tech

Border Officers: Real Security is More Complicated Than Building a Wall

Trump’s order notwithstanding, it would take years and new technology to truly close the border.

Ideas

No Way to Honor Sacrifice

On Saturday, President Trump stood in front of the CIA’s Memorial Wall and gave a speech that said more about himself than those the wall commemorated, or the agency they served.

Science & Tech

The Knowns and Unknowns of Trump’s Cyber Plan

Questions surround how the new president will tackle cybersecurity.

Policy

One Last Trip With Joe Biden

How the vice president spent a few of his closing days in office.

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.