State of the Union 2026: National Security Excerpts
A roundup of foreign policy and national security statements from Trump’s second address to Congress since taking office again.
What the Defense Production Act Can and Can’t Do to Anthropic
The legal answer depends on what the government is actually demanding—and the statute's ambiguities cut both ways.
Are Trump’s “Fallback” Tariffs Legal?
After his loss at the Supreme Court, President Trump turned to other statutes to recreate his tariffs. Will they fare any better in court?
Toward a Federal Framework for Online Age Assurance
Age assurance legislation has stumbled amid breaches and backlash. Congress now has a chance to break this pattern. Here’s how.
Learning Resources: Götterdämmerung or Skirmish?
The Supreme Court’s decision thwarts President Trump’s attempt to enlist his emergency powers to levy taxes not otherwise permitted by law.
Highlights
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State of the Union 2026: National Security Excerpts
A roundup of foreign policy and national security statements from Trump’s second address to Congress since taking office again. -
What the Defense Production Act Can and Can’t Do to Anthropic
The legal answer depends on what the government is actually demanding—and the statute's ambiguities cut both ways. -
Are Trump’s “Fallback” Tariffs Legal?
After his loss at the Supreme Court, President Trump turned to other statutes to recreate his tariffs. Will they fare any better in court? -
The Situation: On the Fourth Anniversary of Russia’s Full-Scale War
A meditation. -
Toward a Federal Framework for Online Age Assurance
Age assurance legislation has stumbled amid breaches and backlash. Congress now has a chance to break this pattern. Here’s how. -
Learning Resources: Götterdämmerung or Skirmish?
The Supreme Court’s decision thwarts President Trump’s attempt to enlist his emergency powers to levy taxes not otherwise permitted by law. -
Lessons From the Minnesota Civil Contempt Case
“The government’s understaffing and high case load is a problem of its own making,” a federal judge observed. -
Can a President Unilaterally Withdraw—and Rejoin—the UN Climate Treaty?
A historic exit from the climate framework exposes the legal gray zone governing treaty withdrawal and reentry. -
The Jihadist Movement’s Leadership Deficit
Where did the unifying leaders of the transnational extremist movement go? -
The Week That Was
Your weekly summary of everything on the site. -
The Situation: Just Asking Questions II
Ten questions that will condition the next several months of American life. -
Congress—Not the Pentagon or Anthropic—Should Set Military AI Rules
The Pentagon's threat to designate Anthropic a "supply chain risk" over its AI use restrictions is extreme—but the deeper problem is that the rules for military AI are being set through ad hoc haggling i... -
Europe’s Cyber Bullets Can’t Replace Political Will
The latest edition of the Seriously Risky Business cybersecurity newsletter, now on Lawfare. -
The National Security Case for Judicial Review
Meaningful judicial scrutiny of national security claims is important for the rule of law, democratic legitimacy, and America’s strength at home and abroad. -
Allies Notice When America Deploys at Home
Legal disputes over domestic military deployments don’t stay domestic—they degrade the alliance predictability NATO depends on.
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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.
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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. -
Lawfare Daily: DOGE’s Attack on the Treasury Department
Why is it so alarming to have political appointees accessing BFS systems?
Documents
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Supreme Court Rules Against Trump’s Emergency Power Tariffs
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Fulton Co. Election Office Search Warrant Affidavits Made Public
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Trump Administration Releases 2026 National Defense Strategy
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Trump Administration Releases Legal Opinion on Maduro Capture, Attacks on Venezuela
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Sen. Kelly Sues Department of Defense Over Disciplinary Actions
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Trump Orders U.S. Withdrawal from International Organizations and Treaties
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Justice Department Unseals Superseding Indictment in Maduro Case
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House Judiciary Committee Releases Jack Smith Deposition Transcript
The Lawfare Podcast 
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Lawfare Daily: Are We Going to War in Iran?
Does this relate primarily to Iran's residual nuclear program or the Iranian regime's recent massacres of protestors? -
Lawfare Daily: Ideology, Action, and Terrorism in the 1970s
Jason Burke discusses his book "The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists who Hijacked the 1970s." -
Lawfare Daily: The Trials of the Trump Administration, Feb. 20
Listen to the Feb. 20 livestream as a podcast.
Other Lawfare Podcasts
Other Podcasts
Videos & Webinars
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, Feb. 20
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation surrounding the Trump administration.
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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.
