Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, Dec. 12
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation targeting actions from President Trump.
Deportation, Inc.: The Rise of the Immigration Enforcement Economy
Watch the video series here-(1).jpg?sfvrsn=b91ff6a6_7)
The Bondi Memo’s Quiet Rewriting of Domestic Terrorism Rules
A leaked directive recasts counterterrorism around “Antifa,” hollowing out post-Church Committee safeguards while the administration claims restraint.
Why Zelensky Can’t Hold Elections Yet
As Trump pushes Ukrainians to go to the polls, consider the risks.
The Situation: Another Day, Another No True Bill
As Bob Dylan once sang, “How many grand juries must reject an indictment before we call it a no true bill?”
.jpg?sfvrsn=5a43131e_9)
How to Tell a National Security Story
A review of two books from Peter Roady and Andrew Preston.
Students, Spies, and Self-Inflicted Wounds
The short-sightedness of limiting foreign students in the name of national security.
.jpg?sfvrsn=ca10a5c_7)
How the FCC Chair Unplugged Jimmy Kimmel—and Why It Didn’t Last
Disney’s spine was stiffened by force. Others’ mileage may vary.
Ask Us Anything 2025: Lawfare’s Annual Year-End Podcast
Submit your questions today for Lawfare’s mailbag episode!
Highlights
-
The Situation: Who is the “Responsible United States Attorney” in Virginia?
Such an official must exist, because the Justice Manual says her approval is required to keep indicting Letitia James. -
Cutting Off Hamas’s European Fundraising Spigot
European countries are designating and prosecuting Hamas’s financial lifeline, but far more needs to be done. -
The Week That Was
Your weekly summary of everything on the site. -
The Bondi Memo’s Quiet Rewriting of Domestic Terrorism Rules
A leaked directive recasts counterterrorism around “Antifa,” hollowing out post-Church Committee safeguards while the administration claims restraint. -
Why Zelensky Can’t Hold Elections Yet
As Trump pushes Ukrainians to go to the polls, consider the risks. -
The Situation: Another Day, Another No True Bill
As Bob Dylan once sang, “How many grand juries must reject an indictment before we call it a no true bill?” -
How to Tell a National Security Story
A review of two books from Peter Roady and Andrew Preston. -
Students, Spies, and Self-Inflicted Wounds
The short-sightedness of limiting foreign students in the name of national security. -
How the FCC Chair Unplugged Jimmy Kimmel—and Why It Didn’t Last
Disney’s spine was stiffened by force. Others’ mileage may vary. -
Digital Freedom Depends on Access Rights
Platforms arbitrarily block AI agents. The implications go beyond consumer choice to liberty itself. -
The Difficulty of Coding Terrorism
Terrorism researchers must recognize ambiguities in inclusion, coding, and analysis as they use data to inform policy. -
Regulating Commercial Spyware Through Export Controls
The Wassenaar export controls offer insights into the regulation of commercial spyware, making them instructive for current initiatives. -
California Enacted AI Bills. Now Officials Must Define Them.
The impact of upcoming AI legislation hinges on how officials define key terms like “frontier model” and “reasonable measures.” -
Unexpected Questions in Learning Resources v. Trump
Are IEEPA tariffs permitted as either a lesser form of an embargo or the equivalent of a license fee? In short: no. -
The Situation: Why Did the White House Write This National Security Strategy?
A very strange document.
.jpg?sfvrsn=8253205e_5)
.jpg?sfvrsn=a9413207_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.
-
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? -
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.
Documents
-
Trump Signs Executive Order to Preempt State AI Laws
-
OMB Releases Guidance on Trump’s ‘Woke AI’ Executive Order
-
Hegseth Memo Instructs Defense Dept. to Use Military AI Platform
-
Pentagon Inspector General Releases Report on Hegseth’s Signal Use
-
Trump Administration Releases 2025 National Security Strategy
-
Special Inspector General Publishes Afghanistan Audit
-
Fulton County Judge Dismisses Georgia Conspiracy Case Against Trump
-
Federal Judge Dismisses Comey and James Indictments
The Lawfare Podcast 
-
Lawfare Daily: The Trump Administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy
Listen to the Dec. 11 livestream as a podcast. -
Lawfare Daily: The Duty to Disobey Unlawful Orders
What is the duty to disobey unlawful orders? -
Lawfare Daily: The Defense Tech Paradox, with Susannah Glickman
What is the role of defense tech in the second Trump administration?
Other Lawfare Podcasts
Other Podcasts
Videos & Webinars
Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, Dec. 12
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation targeting actions from President Trump.
.jpg?sfvrsn=8b09cc66_5)
Explore
Congress
Armed Conflict
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.
