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.

Why Trump Will Never Be Indicted on Federal Charges

A novel and persuasive argument.

Saturday’s Forum

Romney 2024?

He’s tanned. He’s rested. Is he ready?

Putin Doesn’t Care About Today

An incredibly isolated Russian leader is not interested in running the country.

America’s Four Parties

Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans truly represent most Americans. Fixing that is exceedingly unlikely.

Russia Sanctions Itself in Retaliation for Western Sanctions

Vladimir Putin is banning commodity exports.

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Putin’s Offramp?

It’s hard to see how this crisis ends.

West Shamed Into Action

Actions deemed unthinkable days earlier are suddenly mandatory.

Getting Back to ‘Normal’

With masks off, political leaders are urging people to get out there and spend money.

Pence Attacks Trump Without Attacking Trump

One can see the faintest hint of a backbone in the former Vice President.

DC Version of Canada Truck Protests a Dud

The plans to replicate the chaos in the Great White North are not coming together.

Walter Mears, 1935-2022

The legendary AP politics reporter is gone at 87.

Saturday’s Forum

Ukraine Invasion Sending History in a New Direction?

The ferocity of the global reaction to Putin’s invasion is stunning.

Jan 6 Committee Alleges Trump Criminal Conspiracy

The former President should have known that his claims of election fraud were baseless.

Putin Getting Desperate?

The Russian leader is isolated and under tremendous pressure.

Biden’s State of the Union Speech

Most people liked it more than I did.

Biden ‘Leading from Behind’ on Ukraine

The American President is once again leading the free world.

Dumping Russian Vodka is Stupid

It might feel good but it has zero impact on Putin.

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.

Timing and the Mask Mandate

The rollout could have been smoother.

But What About the Most Vulnerable?

Some of our citizens are at greater risk under relaxed mask guidelines.

West Accelerates Pressure on Russia

NATO has stepped up in a pleasantly surprising way to resist the Ukraine invasion.

Double Jeopardy in All But Name

Two notorious cases indicate a policy shift on federal prosecutions of cases already tried in lower courts.

President Joe Biden calls New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Wednesday, November 3, 2021, in the Oval Office Study. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Joe Biden calls New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Wednesday, November 3, 2021, in the Oval Office Study. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Biden a Failure?

Some of his numbers are worse than even Donald Trump’s.

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.

CDC Relaxes Mask Requirements (Again)

Most of us have suddenly gone from High to Low risk communities.

NYC Criminal Probe of Trump Appears Stalled

Manhattan’s new DA seems to think he has a weak case.

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.

Hitting Russia Where It Hurts

Sanctions are already taking a toll. But the West could do more if it had the will.

Russia Really Invades Ukraine

Putin’s forces are in Kyiv.

‘Freedom Convoy’ Coming to DC

Right wing protestors are expected to attempt to create (more) gridlock in the capitol later today.

Virginia’s Youngkin Already ‘Underwater’

The Commonwealth’s undemocratic political system is, shockingly, unrepresentative of the will of its people.

The Beginning of a Response to the Beginning of an Invasion

The first shoe has dropped.

Bob Beckel, 1948-2022

The Democratic strategist and longtime talking head is gone at 73.

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.

Do We Need a Fourth Covid Shot?

The reports are conflicting but I’d bet on Yes.

Putin Invades Ukraine in Defiance of West

The much-anticipated escalation has happened. Now to see how the United States and its allies respond.

People Moving for Politics?

It seems that some Americans are relocating to be with people who share their social and cultural views.

Are Helmet Laws Racist?

Surprisingly, yes.

Trump Facing Multiple Legal Disasters

The 45th President is unlikely to face Federal prosecution but state and civil suits are not going his way.

Trump Had Classified Docs at Mar-a-Lago

Because of course he did.

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Being Unvaccinated is Like Smoking

A new way to think about the problem.

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.

Mask Mandates Ending Across America

Even liberal states like California and Massachusetts are moving on.

P.J. O’Rourke, 1947-2022

The great conservative humorist is gone at 74.

Sarah Palin Defamation (Sort of) Dismissed

The bar for defaming public officials is too high.

Ivan Reitman, 1946-2022

The ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Animal House’ producer is gone at 75.

‘Freedom Convoy’ Ends in Windsor, Moves to Paris

The anti-vax-and-other-stuff protest is spreading to Europe.

Generals Say Afghan Exit Would Have Been Smoother Had Biden Listened to the Generals

Two unclassified after-action reports shine a new—if one-sided—light on the evacuation.

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Who Decides What’s Disinformation?

What if the “fake news” is really fake news?

Russian ‘False Flag’ to Justify Ukraine Invasion

Western intelligence agencies continue to predict an invasion under absurd pretexts.