Handing Him the Matches: How John Roberts Dismantled the Rule of Law For years, the national conversation about American democracy's survival has fixated on one figure. Donald Trump dominates the headlines, the cable segments, and the anxieties of millions. We watch him attack judges, float military operations against civilians, purge civil servants, and promise retribution. In the popular imagination, Trump is the arsonist standing on the front porch with a can of gasoline. That framing is convenient. It’s dramatic. It gives us a singular villain to blame. It is also dangerously incomplete. An aspiring authoritarian can want to burn down the constitutional order all day long, but they cannot do it alone. The gasoline is useless without an ignition source. Trump didn’t conjure the legal authority to rule like an autocrat out of thin air. Chief Justice John Roberts handed him the matches. The Great Institutionalist Myth For nearly two decades, the Washington press corp...
Since When Is Funding Terrorists "America First"? The Truth About Buying Russian Diesel Take a look at two things happening at the same time right now. Thing number one: Young American men and women in the Navy are standing watch on warships in the Red Sea. Their hands are on the controls, ready to shoot down incoming suicide drones and ballistic missiles launched by terrorists who chant "Death to America." Thing number two: Massive tanker ships full of Russian diesel fuel are docking at American ports. Donald Trump signed off on a special waiver through the Treasury Department, throwing out our own sanctions so we could write a massive check directly to Vladimir Putin for cheap fuel. If that sounds completely backward to you, trust your gut. It makes zero sense. And if you actually believe in "America First," this deal should make your blood boil. The pitch from politicians is always the same: “Fuel costs too much! We had to cut a deal with...