Why Donald Trump Cannot Stand in the Shadow of John F. Kennedy There is a peculiar vulgarity to the modern American right: a fixation on proximity. If greatness cannot be earned, it can at least be adjacent. If history cannot be mastered, it can be looted for names, monuments, and borrowed glory. Hence the grotesque spectacle of Donald J. Trump—draft-dodger, grievance merchant, and...
On a president who once wondered aloud why the world’s largest arsenal should sit unused, and a war that has now put the wondering within reach of the trigger. A Question, Asked Three Times There is a species of question that, once posed by a man holding nuclear launch authority, cannot be un-posed. It sits there afterward, a small dark stone in the historical record, no matter how briskly...
Donald Trump repeatedly promised to keep America out of new wars. Eight months into his second term, the administration is requesting tens of billions of dollars to continue military operations against Iran. This essay compares the promises with the public record.
This essay examines whether recurring associations reveal character more clearly than public speeches, exploring decades of political allies, advisers, lawyers, and confidants through the lens of leadership and accountability.
Political leaders are often judged by their words. This essay argues they should also be judged by the company they repeatedly choose to keep, examining patterns of association, character, and political accountability.
Record highs on Wall Street are often presented as proof of American prosperity. This essay examines who actually owns the stock market, why soaring markets benefit a small ownership class, and how asset inflation is frequently mistaken for broad economic success.
Anthony Fauci and Donald Trump both invoked the Fifth Amendment under vastly different political circumstances. This essay examines how constitutional rights, scientific uncertainty, and public accountability are often judged less by evidence than by partisan allegiance.
Why does America spend the most on healthcare while producing mediocre outcomes? Explore how administrative bureaucracy, competing insurers, lobbying, and political incentives consume hundreds of billions of dollars before care ever reaches the patient.
The United States is among the world's wealthiest nations, but does wealth alone make a country exceptional? This essay examines how America's performance in healthcare, public safety, and quality of life compares with other developed democracies.
Political corruption did not begin with Donald Trump. From Alexander Hamilton's financial machine to today's pay-to-play politics, America's oldest battle has always been over whether government serves the republic or the privileged.