Ideas
Why Would Biden Pick Susan Rice?
His ticket doesn’t need another foreign-policy expert — nor another easy Obama-era target.
Policy
Trump: US To Withdraw 4K Troops From Afghanistan By Election
“It’s already planned,” the president said in an interview with Axios.
Policy
Trump Sidesteps Congress To Install Controversial Pentagon Nominee
A legal loophole may allow Tata to take the top job without Senate confirmation at all.
Policy
GOP Senators Stall Tata Nomination for Top Pentagon Post
After Islamophobic remarks, Trump’s controversial pick to be Defense Department’s policy chief is in troubled waters.
Ideas
Will Trump ‘Wag the Dog’ to Win Reelection?
Americans are worried, but history shows the popular belief is wrong.
Threats
US to Begin Removing 12,000 Troops From Germany ‘Within Weeks’
The Pentagon says this is about Russia. Trump says it’s about Germany.
Ideas
We Need a Better China Policy in the Middle East
With allies and direct lines to Beijing, Washington must do more to keep China’s presence in the region from becoming a threat.
Policy
National Guard Commander To Testify ‘Excessive Force’ Used on White House Protesters
Officer on the scene saw spent tear gas canisters, contradicting key details of Attorney General Barr’s account of the controversial night.
Ideas
Trump Should Teach Erdogan a Lesson in Law, Not Corruption
The president offered to help Turkey’s strongman beat U.S. courts, John Bolton has revealed. It only helps Iran.
Policy
Trump Eases Restrictions On Armed Drone Sales Abroad
US says changes needed to compete with China, but critics say it may only alienate allies.
Ideas
Trump’s All-Stick, No-Carrot Approach Has Brought Two US Adversaries Together
The blooming China-Iran bilateral relationship serve as a warning to U.S. policymakers.
Policy
Trump Sending ‘Surge’ of Federal Forces Into Chicago; More Cities to Come
Attorney General Barr said Operation Legend would be different than last week’s crackdown on protesters in Oregon.
Threats
No Orders To Reduce Troops in South Korea Yet, Esper Says
With traditional U.S. deployments still under review, the defense secretary announced he hopes to visit China by year’s end.
Ideas
Tomorrow's Presidential Daily Briefing, By a Former PDB Writer
What must the president's morning threat assessments look like these days?
Ideas
Force Won’t Much Slow Iranian Nuclear Progress, But Something Else Can
The historical record shows that diplomacy can do what force alone has not.
Ideas
Congress Needs a Veto, Not a Notification, on Arms Sales
The Trump administration’s efforts to evade oversight show why more is needed.
Ideas
Happy Birthday to the Bomb
If we want to avoid nuclear destruction for the next 75 years, we must take the president’s finger off the button.
Policy
To Block Trump’s Troop Withdrawals, Congress Turns An Old Tactic Upside Down
Congress historically has tried to force presidents to bring troops home. But in the last three years, lawmakers have repeatedly tried to make laws to do the opposite.
Science & Tech
Peter Thiel’s New Man In The Defense Department
The new head of defense research and engineering comes from the White House with a relatively light resume.
Ideas