Political Commentary

Donald Trump is set to impose a sweeping tariffs package today that everyone from economists to Republican lawmakers to even Trump himself has acknowledged will make life harder for working Americans. The president doesn’t seem too bothered. “I couldn’t care less,” he said over the weekend, when asked about his …

I remember returning from serving in support of the Iraq War, while my ship was undergoing a maintenance period, and seeing news of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal breaking on CNN. The scandal was the worst thing to happen to the U.S. Army since the Vietnam War. Sitting on my …

“I think we are making a mistake,” wrote Vice President J.D. Vance in the now-infamous chat group discussing plans to carry out military strikes in Yemen. To his credit, Vance has been consistent in his skepticism about the use of American military power to solve the world’s problems. It is …

When veterans came home from war — from Vietnam, from Iraq, from Afghanistan — many of us didn’t stop serving. We traded our uniforms for suits. Veterans joined the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Commerce Department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and every agency flying …

I once took refuge from my political day job by attending laugh-filled game nights at the home of a person now firing tens of thousands of federal workers. For Steve Davis, Elon Musk’s right-hand man at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), life has always been a game. A …

Brig. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was the first Black general in the U.S. Army, promoted in 1940. His son, Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., became the first Black general in the U.S. Air Force in 1954. Their historic achievements broke racial barriers and paved the way for greater inclusion …

I hadn’t fully formulated my thinking until the Canadian guard at the border crossing asked why my wife and I wanted to visit his country. “Well, we’re going to buy stuff,” I said. “What kind of stuff?” he asked “Pretty much anything,” I said. “To be honest, we’re ashamed and …

When I came home with a black eye after a fight as a kid, my father imparted to me one of those sticky paternal pearls of wisdom that continues to find new relevance beyond its intended purpose. That afternoon, my dad took me outside, showed me how to keep my …

Liz Oyer served as Pardon Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice from April 2022 to March 2025. Throughout American history and regardless of presidential politics, the mission of the Department of Justice has been to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil …

When I left the military, like so many veterans before me, I believed in the promise of America. I had served my country, was deployed in support of two wars, and was ready to build a future — one that included a stable job, a home, and the security that …