By Guest Author: H.E. Emmett Imani When pressure sounds like permission to target civilian lifelines, it stops deterring adversaries and starts inviting escalation—with consequences that won’t stay theoretical. The current tone surrounding Donald Trump and Iran is not simply another episode of political pressure. It is moving into a territory where language itself begins to […]
Puppet or not, Donald Trump has delivered on nearly every strategic objective Russia could hope for from an American president. Donald Trump has long appeared to be in the thrall of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In her October 2016 Presidential Campaign debate, Hillary Clinton called Trump a puppet for Putin. It struck a nerve, and […]
DATE-TIME GROUP: 04160800ZAPRIL26 FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C. TO: MFA NAGADOCHES CLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLY SUBJECT: “ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL YEAR” – TRUMP’S SECOND‑TERM DOMESTIC AGENDA, TARIFFS, AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF […]
In the latest episode of the Sentinel, American University Adjunct professor and Scholar‑in‑Residence, Alex Joel, joins host Peter Mina to unpack how democracies can fight real threats without becoming one themselves, exploring the post‑9/11 “connect the dots” mindset, the Privacy Act’s enduring role, and how data, protest, and transparency collide. Watch and listen to new […]
A one-day negotiation, a “final offer,” and no follow-up plan—this wasn’t serious diplomacy; it was a setup for failure with dangerous consequences. Given the inexperience, inflexibility, and overconfidence the US team brought to Islamabad for talks with Iran on April 11, it was not surprising that nothing was achieved. Heavy-handed attempts at coercion and brinksmanship […]
PDF VERSION AVAILABLE HERE We assess that Donald Trump’s second presidential term exhibits increasingly personalized, dominance-oriented leadership, shaped by strong partisan control, expanded executive authority, and a staff culture emphasizing loyalty over moderation. His governing style prioritizes image, legacy, and symbolic strength over institutional process, contributing to policy volatility and making long-term forecasting difficult, even […]
“We have got to get Viktor Orbán reelected… what the United States and Hungary together represent… is the defense of Western civilization.” — JD Vance Exporting Illiberalism When a sitting American vice president flies to Hungary not to conduct diplomacy, but to campaign for a foreign strongman, it is not subtle. It is a signal. […]
A lifetime of leadership experience leads to a stark conclusion: Donald Trump’s lack of competence and empathy is not just a personal flaw—it is a national security risk, now dangerously exposed in a war with Iran. Tragically, Donald Trump is incapable of providing effective leadership for our Armed Forces or the nation, and has proven […]
Welcome to expert analysis from former senior national security leaders—spanning intelligence, diplomacy, the military, and the law. Catch up on the week’s critical insights or dive deep into the issues defining our moment. If you feel like the guardrails are thinning, you’re not imagining it. This week’s digest exposes the widening gap between executive rhetoric […]
At a moment demanding clarity, competence, and global leadership, America is instead choosing fragmentation, retreat, and strategic blindness. The global power perspective over the next several years promises to be more fragmented and therefore less predictable. There are several more power centers now, fewer strong alliances to inhibit errant behavior of individual nations, and new […]