President Trump and The Civil Service: Day 1
This week’s actions to reshape personnel policy enable the Trump administration to more easily politicize the ranks of the federal workforce and diminish its size.
U.S. Sanctions Relief for Syria Is an Important Start, but Not Enough
The Trump administration must offer bolder reforms if it wants to prevent the new Syria from descending into chaos.
How American Institutions Failed to Meet the Moment
The Constitution provides tools with which to defend against a demagogue. But political elites have refused to use them.
An Emerging Road Map for Trump’s Use of the Military to Combat Immigration
Trump’s executive orders reveal the range of legal theories (some uncontroversial, others quite radical) that may be used to justify military deployments to combat immigration.
The Grand Finale: Trump Tries to Block His Sentencing and Smith’s Final Report
A guide to the frenzy of filings that Trump and his co-defendants have made in six courts in an effort to erase his criminal record.
The Situation: A User's Guide to Following the News
Seven principles for navigating the chaos
Highlights
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The Situation: A User's Guide to Following the News
Seven principles for navigating the chaos -
President Trump and The Civil Service: Day 1
This week’s actions to reshape personnel policy enable the Trump administration to more easily politicize the ranks of the federal workforce and diminish its size. -
U.S. Sanctions Relief for Syria Is an Important Start, but Not Enough
The Trump administration must offer bolder reforms if it wants to prevent the new Syria from descending into chaos. -
How American Institutions Failed to Meet the Moment
The Constitution provides tools with which to defend against a demagogue. But political elites have refused to use them. -
An Emerging Road Map for Trump’s Use of the Military to Combat Immigration
Trump’s executive orders reveal the range of legal theories (some uncontroversial, others quite radical) that may be used to justify military deployments to combat immigration. -
FARA Is a Catchall Statute—and That’s a Problem
Newly proposed regulations highlight how FARA’s overbreadth creates confusion and risks politicization. -
The Situation: Why the Jan. 6 Pardons Won’t Work
Not even the president can change the truth. -
Trump's TikTok Executive Order and the Limits of Executive Non-Enforcement
TikTok's tech partners face massive legal risks by relying on Trump's promises not to enforce the ban law, as courts rarely protect defendants who count on executive non-enforcement. -
Uncertain Times Ahead for U.S.-Mexico Intelligence Cooperation
New leadership on both sides of the border portends uncertainty for U.S.-Mexico intelligence cooperation, but there are several paths forward.
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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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Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Nationwide
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Justice Dept Memo Calls for Investigations of State and Local Officials
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Trump Releases Memorandum on ‘America First Trade Policy’
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Trump Directs State Department to Recommend Cartels for Terrorism Designation
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Trump Issues Proclamation on ‘Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion’
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Trump Issues Executive Order on ‘Realigning’ Foreign Aid
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Trump Signs Order Initiating U.S. Withdrawal from WHO
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Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order Faces Immediate Challenges
The Lawfare Podcast 
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Lawfare Daily: Former Deputy Chief of the Justice Department's Capitol Siege Section Alexis Loeb on President Trump's Pardons
Discussing the Jan. 6 pardons. -
Lawfare Daily: The Gaza Ceasefire and Where It May Lead
What's the status of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas? -
Lawfare Daily: Discussing Recent Disruptions to Undersea Cables with Kevin Frazier
How can undersea cables be protected?
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Lawfare Live: President Trump's Executive Orders
On Jan. 23 at 4 pm ET the Lawfare team will discuss the national security and foreign policy EOs.
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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.
