How Hungary Escaped Electoral Autocracy
Viktor Orbán’s defeat will have consequences for the country, Europe, and aspiring autocrats around the world.
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, April 17
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration.
.jpg?sfvrsn=f8853e6d_5)
Tracking Government Non-Compliance in Habeas Corpus Cases
View the tracker here..jpg?sfvrsn=e915b36f_7)
The Red Tape of Ukraine’s Semi-Open Arms Exports
Gulf countries want Ukrainian drones to defend against Iran. But Ukraine isn’t selling them, yet.
Was the Attack on an Iranian Primary School a War Crime?
U.S. leaders have said they would not intentionally strike a school. But if recklessness led to the Minab attack, it may still be criminal.
.jpg?sfvrsn=bcbf98c2_5)
AI Verification: Infrastructure for Prosperity, Governance, and Peace
New verification tools could make AI governance credible without requiring states or firms to expose their secrets.
Highlights
-
How Hungary Escaped Electoral Autocracy
Viktor Orbán’s defeat will have consequences for the country, Europe, and aspiring autocrats around the world. -
The Red Tape of Ukraine’s Semi-Open Arms Exports
Gulf countries want Ukrainian drones to defend against Iran. But Ukraine isn’t selling them, yet. -
Was the Attack on an Iranian Primary School a War Crime?
U.S. leaders have said they would not intentionally strike a school. But if recklessness led to the Minab attack, it may still be criminal. -
AI Verification: Infrastructure for Prosperity, Governance, and Peace
New verification tools could make AI governance credible without requiring states or firms to expose their secrets. -
Did Trump Already Pardon the Alleged Jan. 5, 2021, Pipe Bomber?
Cole’s lawyers claim he’s covered by the Jan. 6 pardons. The Trump administration has made it a more interesting question than it should be. -
One Emergency After Another
As President Trump’s use of emergency powers outstrips his predecessors, Congress and the courts must act to rein him in. -
The Justice Department’s Bid to Avoid Accountability
A seemingly narrow procedural rule masks a broader attempt to reshape oversight of government lawyers. -
The Principle-Policy Gap in American Tax Attitudes
A review of Andrea Campbell, “Taxation and Resentment: Race, Party, and Class in American Tax Attitudes” (Princeton University Press, 2025). -
America Used to Own the Internet. Now It’s Running Scared.
The U.S. restricted data transfers abroad. Cast as an assertion of sovereignty, the new posture signals weakness in great-power competition. -
Pulling Reports, Playing Politics
The CIA’s retraction of intelligence reports should raise concerns about politicization and the Trump administration’s embrace of white supremacist rhetoric. -
The Week That Was
Your weekly summary of everything on the site. -
White House AI Framework Proposes Industry-Friendly Legislation
While considering legislation for some major AI policy issues, the White House left others untouched. -
Non-State Entities and National Security
As NSEs play a greater role in national security, states are pushing back—necessitating a new framework for national security governance. -
American Diplomats to Fight Propaganda … on X
The latest edition of the Seriously Risky Business cybersecurity newsletter, now on Lawfare. -
The Code Is Not the Law: Why Claude’s Constitution Misleads
Anthropic’s appeals to constitutionalism and virtue-ethics risk obscuring where the power and accountability for shaping AI behavior lies.
.jpg?sfvrsn=281fe6b7_5)
.png?sfvrsn=85463206_5)
.jpeg?sfvrsn=f8ab7a0d_7)
.jpg?sfvrsn=258e2451_5)
.jpg?sfvrsn=4608f61_5)
.jpg?sfvrsn=3f72484e_5)
Featured Podcast
Live Coverage
For real-time updates of Lawfare’s coverage of the Trump administration’s legal challenges, follow on Bluesky or below:
What's Old Is New Again
With every new administration comes new promises and new actions on national security. But what’s “new” has often been proposed or even tried before—which means there’s a good chance Lawfare has already analyzed some of the legal and policy implications they present. So we’re making that past content readily accessible as it becomes newly relevant.
-
What Congress Has Done—and What It Still Needs to Do—to Protect NATO
Congress has barred the president from exiting NATO unilaterally. But someone still needs to enforce it. -
Using Force Against Mexican Drug Cartels: Domestic and International Law Issues
Executive branch lawyers could argue that using force against cartels would be consistent with past presidential uses of force, but it would be very difficult to defend under international law. -
My Lloyd Cutler Rule of Law Lecture: "Law and the Use of Force: Challenges for the Next President"
Read John Bellinger's Lloyd Cutler Lecture on Rule of Law at the Supreme Court.
Documents
-
Trump Signs Executive Order Purporting to Restrict Mail-in Voting
-
ODNI Releases 2026 Threat Assessment
-
U.S. Submits Article 51 Letter on ‘Operation Epic Fury’ to UNSC
-
Anthropic Challenges the Pentagon’s Supply Chain Risk Determination
-
Anthropic Sues Defense Department Over Supply Chain Risk Designation
-
White House Submits Iran War Powers Report to Congress
-
Supreme Court Rules Against Trump’s Emergency Power Tariffs
-
Fulton Co. Election Office Search Warrant Affidavits Made Public
The Lawfare Podcast 
-
Lawfare Daily: Crypto, Corruption, and Cons, with Ben McKenzie
Ben McKenzie discusses his new documentary on cryptocurrency. -
Lawfare Daily: Frank Dikötter on the Early Years of Chinese Communism
Frank Dikötter discusses his new book “Red Dawn Over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity." -
Lawfare Daily: Sam Altman with Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz
Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz discuss their recent article in the New Yorker on Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.
Other Lawfare Podcasts
Other Podcasts
Videos & Webinars
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, April 17
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration.
.png?sfvrsn=fd4a560d_5)
Explore
Congress
Armed Conflict
Foreign Relations & International Law
The Lawfare Institute:
Hard National Security Choices
Lawfare is a non-profit multimedia publication dedicated to “Hard National Security Choices.” We provide non-partisan, timely analysis of thorny legal and policy issues through our written, audio, and other content—all of which you can find here.
