APB – In the Human Interest – Mel Gurtov

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APB: Farewell, John Bolton

The firing (or, he insists, the resignation) of John Bolton as national security special assistant is being treated by some observers as a great loss for coherence and professionalism in…

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APB: The Caging of Human Rights

At a hearing yesterday (July 12) on the Trump administration’s immigration policies, Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia was appropriately livid: "I never thought as a member of Congress — as…

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APB: It’s War!

17 May 201917 May 2019

We’re at war, and I don’t mean in the Middle East. I’m referring to the war that the Trump administration, with support from an army of state and local legislators,…

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APB: At Risk—the Idea of America

16 Apr 201913 Apr 2019

Perhaps the most damaging legacy of the Trump years is the disservice he and his associates are doing to Americans’ sense of self and nation. In ordinary times there would…

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APB: After Mueller

25 Mar 201925 Mar 2019

Attorney General William Barr’s letter to Congress summarizing the Mueller investigation that absolved Trump of collusion and determined that Trump would not be prosecuted for possible obstruction of justice brought…

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APB: New Zealand Shows the Way

Bravo to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand for demonstrating what leadership in a democracy is all about when national security is at stake. Her announcement of an outright…

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APB: Trump’s Nightmare Budget

14 Mar 201913 Mar 2019

Two things can be said with certainty about Trump’s 2020 budget request: It is DOA, dead on arrival, in the House; and it is a political document, catering to his…

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APB: Trump’s 2020 Alarm Bells

The all-consuming goal of Donald Trump’s life is to win. We have seen the lengths to which he will go to avoid losing, whether the loss involves real estate, a…

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APB: Trump and Kim, Act II

28 Feb 201928 Feb 2019

Trump was correct to describe denuclearization last June as a lengthy “process” that one summit meeting could not achieve. However, the second summit, in Hanoi at the end of February…

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National Emergency?

15 Feb 201915 Feb 2019

Donald Trump’s power play in order to get his border wall built would seem to be unconstitutional on its face. But courts may well uphold his action. “Congress’s delegation to…

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What the Chinese are Saying About the Trade Summit

3 Dec 20183 Dec 2018

Kicking the can down the road is a familiar way to avoid dealing with a problem. That is what happened in the Trump-Kim talks in Singapore on denuclearization, and it…

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APB: The Play’s the Thing

16 Nov 201815 Nov 2018

The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is a tragedy, and it is of a piece with the related tragedy of US-Saudi relations. Weeks ago I outlined a play in four…

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The Khashoggi Affair: A Murder Mystery in Four Acts

17 Oct 201817 Oct 2018

Act 1 (Washington, DC): Upon learning of the disappearance and possible murder of the Saudi journalist and critic, Jamal Khashoggi, Pres. Trump expresses concern and vows to get to the…

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Coming Apart? Maybe Not

6 Sep 20186 Sep 2018

Day by day the Trump administration is coming apart. Revelations abound about the dysfunctions of the Trump team, about Trump’s ignorance and incompetence, and now about a “resistance” group in…

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Another Week Under Trumpocracy

21 Aug 201820 Aug 2018

Some takeaways from another week under He Who Would Be Emperor: “All politics is local.” Speaking to local issues rather than echoing the official mantra may be the only way…