Posts by James Joyner

James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is a Professor of Security Studies. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Trump Openly Defying the Courts

It’s good to be king.

America 250 Statue of Liberty America 250 Statue of Liberty

America’s 250th Celebration on Hold

Perhaps it’s just as well.

The free high-resolution photo of america, china, commerce, communication, business, concept, country, currency, distribution, earth, economy, exchange, export, global, globe, goods, hand, import, industry, information, international, investment, logistic, map, market, message, rate, shipping, tariff, trade, transfer, transportation, war, blue, text, cartoon, flag, art, font, illustration, line, graphic design, clip art, graphics, human behavior @Mohamed Hassan , taken with an unknown camera 08/04 2018 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. The free high-resolution photo of america, china, commerce, communication, business, concept, country, currency, distribution, earth, economy, exchange, export, global, globe, goods, hand, import, industry, information, international, investment, logistic, map, market, message, rate, shipping, tariff, trade, transfer, transportation, war, blue, text, cartoon, flag, art, font, illustration, line, graphic design, clip art, graphics, human behavior @Mohamed Hassan , taken with an unknown camera 08/04 2018 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0.

Skewed Incentives

An increasingly muddled tariff system.

American Exceptionalism

USA! USA! USA!

SCOTUS Takes a Stand

A unanimous Supreme Court has ordered the administration to comply with a lower court order.

Thursday’s Forum

‘An Experiment in Recklessness’

What could possibly go wrong?

April 5, 2025 - Rally in downtown Boston, Massachusetts to express outrage at President Trump, his policies and his minions. April 5, 2025 - Rally in downtown Boston, Massachusetts to express outrage at President Trump, his policies and his minions.

The Backlash Has Begun

Nationwide protests yesterday show a growing outrage over Trump 2.0.

‘The Economic Version of the Iraq War’

We are about to find out the degree to which trade wars are good and easy to win.

Booker Breaks Thurmond’s Record

He filibustered nothing for a very long time.

Val Kilmer, 1959-2025

A great actor is gone at 65.

Marine Le Pen Barred From 2027 Election

The courts have ruled the far-right leader ineligible to run.

The free high-resolution photo of thought, symbol, blackboard, think, business, lamp, black, light bulb, lighting, lightbulb, material, bubble, circle, education, chalkboard, jewellery, font, meditation, creativity, philosophy, psychology, vision, inspiration, concept, school, studying, learning, problem, idea, imagination, solution, innovation, analysis, invention, brainstorm, chalk board, brain storm, mental image , taken with an ILCE-5000 04/06 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/2.8s, 1/50s, ISO 100 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of thought, symbol, blackboard, think, business, lamp, black, light bulb, lighting, lightbulb, material, bubble, circle, education, chalkboard, jewellery, font, meditation, creativity, philosophy, psychology, vision, inspiration, concept, school, studying, learning, problem, idea, imagination, solution, innovation, analysis, invention, brainstorm, chalk board, brain storm, mental image , taken with an ILCE-5000 04/06 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/2.8s, 1/50s, ISO 100 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

Reverse Brain Drain

America’s edge in innovation, built over a century, is being squandered in weeks.

The free high-resolution photo of america, china, commerce, communication, business, concept, country, currency, distribution, earth, economy, exchange, export, global, globe, goods, hand, import, industry, information, international, investment, logistic, map, market, message, rate, shipping, tariff, trade, transfer, transportation, war, blue, text, cartoon, flag, art, font, illustration, line, graphic design, clip art, graphics, human behavior @Mohamed Hassan , taken with an unknown camera 08/04 2018 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. The free high-resolution photo of america, china, commerce, communication, business, concept, country, currency, distribution, earth, economy, exchange, export, global, globe, goods, hand, import, industry, information, international, investment, logistic, map, market, message, rate, shipping, tariff, trade, transfer, transportation, war, blue, text, cartoon, flag, art, font, illustration, line, graphic design, clip art, graphics, human behavior @Mohamed Hassan , taken with an unknown camera 08/04 2018 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0.

All-in On China

A natural evolution in American foreign policy, albeit a concerning one.

President Joe Biden puts on his aviator sunglasses after making a joke about the “Dark Brandon” persona at the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Saturday, April 29, 2023, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. President Joe Biden puts on his aviator sunglasses after making a joke about the “Dark Brandon” persona at the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Saturday, April 29, 2023, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

WHCA Dinner Cancels Comedian After White House Complains

The Nerd Prom chickens out.

The free high-resolution photo of people, auditorium, meeting, sitting, student, education, classroom, indoors, study, university, school, learn, lecturer, studying, campus, class, lecture, college, convention, seminar, academic conference , taken with an unknown camera 03/24 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of people, auditorium, meeting, sitting, student, education, classroom, indoors, study, university, school, learn, lecturer, studying, campus, class, lecture, college, convention, seminar, academic conference , taken with an unknown camera 03/24 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

The War on Higher Ed

Elite American universities are surrending at an astonishing pace.

Rules for Thee, Not For Me

Unequal treatment for senior officials is the norm, like it or not.

Israel’s Next Move

Will the Netanyahu government double down on its weakening of Iran?

Trump Orders Proof of Citizenship to Vote

Yet another test of Executive power for the courts to resolve.

The Dual State

First thing we do, let’s intimidate all the lawyers.

George Foreman, 1949-2025

The boxing great and grill pitchman is gone at 76.

Trump Deporting 530,000 Legal Immigrants, Shuttering DHS Due Process Offices

Then process gets in the way of efficiency, kill the process.

Now Is It a Constitutional Crisis?

We are at least on the precipice.

We’re Back?

Our long national nightmare (may be) over.

Democrats Cave

They don’t want to give Trump what he wants, so they’re giving him what he wants.

John Feinstein, 1956-2025

The acclaimed sportswriter is gone.

Judge Orders Illegally Fired Probationary Feds Rehired

A rebuke of pretextual firings but likely not a permanent solution.

Government Shutdown When Government is Already Being Shut Down

Democrats are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

Pentagon Shutters Research Programs

No more woke crap.

USAID Ordered to Destroy Its Records

Salting the earth and breaking the law.

Kevin Drum, 1958-2025

One of the OG political bloggers is gone.

Chaos at the Veterans Administration?

Massive cuts are seriously undermining the mission.

‘We Live in a Foreign Country Now’

A stark observation.

Careening Toward A Shutdown

A year-long Continuing Resolution or bust?

President Trump speaking. with flag in background. Black and white photo. February 22, 2025 President Trump speaking. with flag in background. Black and white photo. February 22, 2025

An America First Foreign Policy

Deciphering the meaning of a vague slogan.

Winning the Battle Against Drugs

The war is another thing, entirely.

DOGEing It Out

Is the DOGE now on a leash?

WASHINGTON,DC-DEC12: Proud Boys during a rally for Donald Trump in Washington, DC, December 12, 2020. WASHINGTON,DC-DEC12: Proud Boys during a rally for Donald Trump in Washington, DC, December 12, 2020.

The Big Chilling Effect

Our leaders are afraid to lead.

SCOTUS Rejects Trump Bid to Halt Foreign Aid

A seemingly obvious ruling was nonetheless 5-4.

Trump’s Very Long Congressional Speech Roundup

It made history in many ways.

Trump and the Liberal Order

America is getting screwed by playing by the rules it created.

Trump 47 Foreign Policy

It’s still murky but already quite different from the Trump 45 administration’s.

The Artlessness of the Deal

Applying rational analysis to attitude and instinct.

Navy aircraft carrier with jets Navy aircraft carrier with jets

Norway Cutting Off Fuel to US Navy

A story I thought I’d never see.

The Leader of the Free World?

The postwar era may have ended yesterday.

Mass Firings Ruled Illegal

A judge says OPM has no authority to fire workers in other agencies.

Global Democracy at Two-Decade Low

Perhaps longer, but the worst in the history of the Economist Intelligence Unit report.