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.
The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party. The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party.

Competitive Authoritarianism

A four-pronged test.

Sunday’s Forum

President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office after a joint press conference announcing the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office after a joint press conference announcing the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025.

Hamas Agrees To Release Hostages But Wants Further Negotiations

A No masquerading as a Yes to Trump’s peace deal.

President Donald Trump thanks the crowd after remarks at the Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. President Donald Trump thanks the crowd after remarks at the Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.

Trump Declares War Against Drug Cartels

The obvious has been made expllicit.

SCOTUS Made Ending the Shutdown Harder

Passing a budget the President can ignore creates a dilemma.

Shutdown Forum

Trump’s Message to Generals and Admirals

A long and unusual speech has implications for civil-military relations.

President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office after a joint press conference announcing the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office after a joint press conference announcing the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, Monday, September 29, 2025.

Trump Offers Hamas Take It Or Leave It Peace Deal

Netanyahu will take it.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a War Department address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Sept. 30, 2025. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a War Department address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Sept. 30, 2025.

Hegseth: Liberation Day for America’s Warriors

A reaffirmation rather than a revelation.

Shutdown Stupidity

Here we go again.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George honor the colors during the National Anthem at the 2025 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George honor the colors during the National Anthem at the 2025 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan)

Hegseth and the Generals

A few more details have emerged.

The free high-resolution photo of black and white, darkness, monochrome, dead, death, skull, bone, one, zombie, head, photomontage, monster, bloody, skeleton, horror, accident, undead, injured, special effects, fictional character, monochrome photography, supervillain The free high-resolution photo of black and white, darkness, monochrome, dead, death, skull, bone, one, zombie, head, photomontage, monster, bloody, skeleton, horror, accident, undead, injured, special effects, fictional character, monochrome photography, supervillain

Zombie Democracy?

What democratic backsliding looks like.

Friday’s Forum

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George honor the colors during the National Anthem at the 2025 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George honor the colors during the National Anthem at the 2025 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan)

Hegseth Calls Mystery Meeting of Top Brass

Every general and admiral in a command billet has been called for a last-minute gathering about some unspecified topic.

Kimmel’s Return Monologue

Department of Government Inefficiency?

It turns out that goverment workers served a useful purpose after all.

Charlie Kirk, Martyr

A massive memorial service showed two divergent paths forward.

Bizarre Conspiracies: USAID Edition

People are weird.

Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Charlie Kirk Was No Ezra Klein

When empathy goes too far.

Robert Redford addresses media at the opening press conference of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Robert Redford addresses media at the opening press conference of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Robert Redford, 1936-2025

The actor and director is gone at 89.

Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Crackdown on Thought Crimes

Cancel culture on steroids.

American Unexceptionalism

We’re not alone in dysfunctional politics.

Pentagon Hunting Down Employees Who Celebrated Charlie Kirk’s Death

A little bit more than the law would allow.

20/02/2019 Gravação do Pronunciamento do Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro 20/02/2019 Gravação do Pronunciamento do Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro Convicted, Trump Vows Revenge

Birds of a feather and all that.

An American flag, unfurled at dawn, hangs over the Pentagon on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2019 An American flag, unfurled at dawn, hangs over the Pentagon on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2019

9/11 @ 24

Memories are fading, as they are wont to do.

Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Charlie Kirk’s Murder

A shocking, but not surprising, event. I fear it’s a harbinger rather than an outlier.

The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party. The Elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican party. The Donkey is the traditional symbol for the Democratic party.

Standing Up to Trump

Can Democrats do anything?

Israel Orders Gaza City Evacuated

The inevitable has finally arrived.

SCOTUS Allows LA Immigration Raids

The Shadow Docket strikes again.

Trump Reverses Biden Crackdown on Tax Shelters

Another win for big donors.

Israel Bombs Hamas Leaders in Quatar

BREAKING NEWS

Sunday’s Forum

War Department Redux

A potentially costly rebrand and strange bedfellows.

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Department of WAR

A historically inaccurate bit of symbolic silliness.

Ronny Jackson’s Rank Restored

The former White House physican (and current Congressman)’s demotion for misconduct has been reversed.

Wednesday’s Forum

Trump’s National Security Non-Process

A very different way to run a railroad.

Trump Revokes Harris’ Secret Service Extension

Former VPs get only six months of protection?!

Democratic Holdovers in an Undemocratic System

Town hall meetings are a relic of a different age.

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When Polls Don’t Matter

Wildly unpopular policies in hyperpolarized times.

Electoral College Math Likely to Get Harder for Democrats

The gradual population shift from blue states to red continues.

The free high-resolution photo of hand, man, string, guy, microphone, mouth, talk, product, eye, can, speak, teeth, say, tin, yell, tin can, communicate , taken with an DSLR-A700 03/05 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/5.0s, 1/20s, 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 hand, man, string, guy, microphone, mouth, talk, product, eye, can, speak, teeth, say, tin, yell, tin can, communicate , taken with an DSLR-A700 03/05 2017 The picture taken with 50.0mm, f/5.0s, 1/20s, 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.

Faculty Lounge Language Redux

Are Democrats triggering voters by pushing the Overton Window on language, thereby subverting norms and creating barriers to participation?

Who Should Regulate the Internet?

Local control over a global enterprise makes no sense.

photo of liquid, light, wheel, glass, color, metal, colorful, full, container, rim, refreshment, packaging, shiny, hubcap, aluminum, tops, tabs, beverage cans, pulls photo of liquid, light, wheel, glass, color, metal, colorful, full, container, rim, refreshment, packaging, shiny, hubcap, aluminum, tops, tabs, beverage cans, pulls

Sunday Tabs

Proud Boys Have Nothing to Complain About These Days

What was “extreme” a decade ago is now policy.

Virginia National Guard Airmen assigned to the 192nd Security Forces Squadron, 192nd Mission Support Group, 192nd Wing help to secure the grounds near the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 13, 2021, in Washington, D.C. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from several states have traveled to Washington to provide support to federal and district authorities leading up to the 59th Presidential Inauguration. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Myhr) Virginia National Guard Airmen assigned to the 192nd Security Forces Squadron, 192nd Mission Support Group, 192nd Wing help to secure the grounds near the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 13, 2021, in Washington, D.C. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from several states have traveled to Washington to provide support to federal and district authorities leading up to the 59th Presidential Inauguration. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Myhr)

Three States Send National Guard to DC

Politicizing the military is legal, but dangerous.

The free high-resolution photo of street, bicycle, asphalt, vehicle, hat, park bench, homeless, stockholm, packing, baby carriage, drifter, norrm larstrand , taken with an DMC-FS10 01/29 2017 The picture taken with 10.0mm, f/3.8s, 1/640s, ISO 80 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 street, bicycle, asphalt, vehicle, hat, park bench, homeless, stockholm, packing, baby carriage, drifter, norrm larstrand , taken with an DMC-FS10 01/29 2017 The picture taken with 10.0mm, f/3.8s, 1/640s, ISO 80 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.

DC Homeless Encampments Cleared

The cruelty is the point?

caricature of Vladimir Putin caricature of Vladimir Putin

Putin Summit Yields Nothing

The artless deal.

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Trump Center Honors

A weird, unnecessary intervention.