Was Israel’s Strike on Iran a Good Idea? Four Questions to Ask
Military strikes, even ones that display impressive operational skills, can fail or even backfire in the long-term.
Understanding Conflict Through Satellite Imagery
Satellite imagery is vital to better understanding the reasons for conflict and identifying the best policy options.
Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, June 13
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation targeting actions from President Trump.
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Trump Scales Back Biden's Product Security Demands
The latest edition of the
Seriously Risky Business cybersecurity newsletter, now on Lawfare.
The Same Old Fantasies Behind AI and New Technology
A review of Adam Becker, “More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity” (Basic Books, 2025).
Unpacking the Protective Power
The constitutional basis for Trump’s use of the military in LA has a long history but is ultimately unmoored from constitutional text.
Highlights
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When Buddhism Turns Violent
Governments that rely on Buddhist leaders for legitimacy can empower extremists that promote violence. -
Was Israel’s Strike on Iran a Good Idea? Four Questions to Ask
Military strikes, even ones that display impressive operational skills, can fail or even backfire in the long-term. -
The Week That Was
Your weekly summary of everything on the site. -
Understanding Conflict Through Satellite Imagery
Satellite imagery is vital to better understanding the reasons for conflict and identifying the best policy options. -
Trump Scales Back Biden's Product Security Demands
The latest edition of the Seriously Risky Business cybersecurity newsletter, now on Lawfare. -
The Same Old Fantasies Behind AI and New Technology
A review of Adam Becker, “More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity” (Basic Books, 2025). -
Unpacking the Protective Power
The constitutional basis for Trump’s use of the military in LA has a long history but is ultimately unmoored from constitutional text. -
What to Watch for in Abrego Garcia’s Hearing on Potential Pretrial Detention
The government will want to focus on Abrego Garcia’s alleged links to MS-13, he will respond that no detention hearing is warranted, and the magistrate judge may end up relying on his immigration detenti... -
Presidential Criminal Immunity: A Rule-of-Law Threat Beyond the Oval Office
The Roberts Court's immunity doctrine encourages corruption and malfeasance throughout the executive branch. -
The Situation: On the Corruption of the Criminal Process
A prediction. -
Understanding Executive Orders 14148 and 14236
President Trump’s orders revoke a swath of previous administrations’ policies on an unprecedented scale. -
More Americans Say Campus Protests Driven by Anger With Israel Than by Antisemitism
A partisan divide remains—in contrast with Democrats and independents, more Republicans see antisemitic attitudes behind the protests than anger with Israeli actions. -
The Governor’s Role in Federalizing the National Guard Under 10 U.S.C. § 12406
While § 12406 guarantees some role for the state, it is likely far more minimal than what California asserts. -
Killing for Nothing: The Bizarre Logic of the Palm Springs Bomber
The bomber adhered to fringe anti-life philosophies—joining a troubling trend of attacks inspired by nihilistic ideologies. -
The Situation: Twenty-One Things That Are True in Los Angeles
Can protesters show more discipline than the president in a dangerous situation?
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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A Primer on the Civil Service and the Trump Administration
The broad discretion afforded to presidents to shape personnel policy poses a threat to the civil service during the Trump administration. -
Immigration Is Not Invasion
Texas’s argument equating the two goes against the text and original meaning of the Constitution, and would set a dangerous precedent if courts accept it. -
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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Trump Issues Full or Partial Travel Ban for 19 Countries
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White House Releases Memo Directing Investigation Into Biden Admin
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Trump Issues Proclamation to ‘Address Risks at Harvard University’
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New Facts About the RDI Program and the Treatment of a 9/11 Defendant
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Trump Signs Order ‘Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement’
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White House Releases Letter Informing Congress of Houthi Strikes
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Energy Dept. Instructs Employees to Gather Info on Deals with Law Firms
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D.C. Bar Disciplinary Panel Declines to Investigate Ed Martin
The Lawfare Podcast 
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Lawfare Daily: U.S. Troops on the Streets of Los Angeles
What are the legal restraints of the domestic deployment of the Marines and National Guard? -
Lawfare Daily: McCarthyism and Its Echoes in Modern Politics with Clay Risen
Discussing the Red Scare. -
Lawfare Daily: Christina Knight on AI Safety Institutes and Testing Frontier AI Models
What does it mean to test frontier AI models?
Other Lawfare Podcasts
Other Podcasts
Videos & Webinars
Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, June 13
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation targeting actions from President Trump.
Explore
Congress
Armed Conflict
Foreign Relations & International Law
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Rational Security: The “How Many Constitutional Crises Can We Fit Into One Episode?” Edition
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More Americans Say Campus Protests Driven by Anger With Israel Than by Antisemitism
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Lawfare Daily: Censorship, Civilizational Allies, and Codes of Practice: How European Tech Regulation Became a Geopolitical Flashpoint
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Kashmir’s Crisis and India’s Democratic Dilemma
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.
