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The Year That Was (2025)
The issues—and Lawfare coverage—that kept our editors up at night in 2025.
The Situation: Comments on the Meta-Situation
One year of The Situation.
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Military Neutrality Is Fidelity
Fidelity to the Constitution requires officers to protect, not supplant, constitutional institutions.
U.S. Intelligence Agencies Have Not Aged Well
A review of Jeffrey P. Rogg, “The Spy and the State: The History of American Intelligence” (Oxford University Press, 2025).
When Is a Drug a Weapon? The Legal Puzzles of Designating Fentanyl a ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’
President Trump’s WMD designation could have major implications for civil-military relations and asset forfeiture, if courts agree.
The Military’s Social Media Purge
Nobody can tell what’s covered by the military’s newest standards for online speech. That’s the point.
Highlights
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The Situation: Comments on the Meta-Situation
One year of The Situation. -
The Year That Was (2025)
The issues—and Lawfare coverage—that kept our editors up at night in 2025. -
Military Neutrality Is Fidelity
Fidelity to the Constitution requires officers to protect, not supplant, constitutional institutions. -
Foreign Terrorist Designations Pose Civil Liberties Concerns
Foreign Antifa designations risk enabling surveillance of domestic critics by creating a foreign nexus for expanded counterterrorism powers. -
The Week That Was
Your weekly summary of everything on the site. -
U.S. Intelligence Agencies Have Not Aged Well
A review of Jeffrey P. Rogg, “The Spy and the State: The History of American Intelligence” (Oxford University Press, 2025). -
When Is a Drug a Weapon? The Legal Puzzles of Designating Fentanyl a ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’
President Trump’s WMD designation could have major implications for civil-military relations and asset forfeiture, if courts agree. -
The Military’s Social Media Purge
Nobody can tell what’s covered by the military’s newest standards for online speech. That’s the point. -
China’s AI Governance Ambitions and Their Implications for Free Expression
China is exporting its AI governance model; democracies must act now or risk letting others define the future of speech. -
The U.K.’s Cybersecurity Refresh
The country’s anticipated cyber strategy will need to sharpen its focus while better implementing its provisions. -
Why the Sahel’s Violence Is More Than a Local Problem
Terrorist groups are expanding their reach and affecting U.S. and other countries’ interests. -
The Week That Was
Your weekly summary of everything on the site. -
Inside Trump’s Second-Term National Security Strategy
President Trump’s new “America First” National Security Strategy (NSS) is a stark departure from previous strategies. -
Why the Government Keeps Failing to Re-Indict Letitia James
Prosecutors are satisfying the definition of insanity—doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -
The Situation: A Legal Puzzle to Ponder
What if I wanted to project an unflattering image of Kash Patel on the FBI building?
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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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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
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Executive Order Designates Fentanyl as Weapon of Mass Destruction
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Trump Signs Executive Order to Preempt State AI Laws
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OMB Releases Guidance on Trump’s ‘Woke AI’ Executive Order
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Hegseth Memo Instructs Defense Dept. to Use Military AI Platform
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Pentagon Inspector General Releases Report on Hegseth’s Signal Use
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Trump Administration Releases 2025 National Security Strategy
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Special Inspector General Publishes Afghanistan Audit
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Fulton County Judge Dismisses Georgia Conspiracy Case Against Trump
The Lawfare Podcast 
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Lawfare Daily: Tom Brzozowski on Domestic Terrorism Investigations and Prosecutions
Discussing recent changes by the White House and Justice Department with respect to domestic terrorism investigations and prosecutions. -
Lawfare Daily: The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act
Discussing the key provisions in the NDAA. -
Lawfare Daily: The Year that Was
Lawfare contributors reflect on 2025.
Other Lawfare Podcasts
Other Podcasts
Videos & Webinars
Lawfare Lecture: The Making of the MAGA New Right with Dr. Laura Field, Lecture 1
Watch the first class of the lecture series.
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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.
