Trump's Total Dominance of His Party
Trump has demonstrated his dominance among Republicans. Now, can his candidates win in November? Can he turn his dominance into a governing coalition that endures, as FDR did?
Charles Lipson
Peter B. Ritzma Professor Emeritus
University of Chicago
Frequent contributor:
Real Clear Politics
Spectator | World
The Telegraph
Wall Street Journal
The tide has turned in Ukraine
The long war in Ukraine has morphed into a new and decisive phase, one that could lead to Ukraine’s upset victory over its much larger, more aggressive neighbor. The global consequences of Russia’s loss – and Vladimir Putin’s humiliation – would be enormous.
Does Trump have to ‘finish the job’ in Iran?
The missiles and bombs may have stopped, at least for the moment, but the war between the US and Iran continues. The crucial question in what has become a “war of attrition” is which side can last longer. The current stalemate, with both sides enduring pain, puts that question to the test.
Who’s actually winning the wars in the Middle East?
If you read the New York Times or watch the foreign policy establishment’s “best and brightest,” you will be told, with imperious certainty, that America is losing the war in Iran. Fox News and conservative blogs say “no,” the U.S. is winning. So, who’s right? And what the measuring stick?
Trump's threat to destroy Iran is detailed and credible
A major press conference with two themes. The first: a moving story of the dangerous mission to locate two American servicemen, downed in Iran, and return them to safety. The second: Pres. Trump’s credible threat to rain destruction on Iran if they don’t bend to a U.S. deal.
What Iran means for the world
The Israeli-American air campaign against Iran will have profound global repercussions. What those repercussions will be depends on two crucial factors. First, will the bombing campaign remove the Shi’ite Islamist regime from power? Second, if the Islamists are removed, will the successor regime be stable and effective?
What will Trump say in the State of the Union address?
Pres. Trump needs to discuss three pressing issues, beyond the usual fare of all States of the Union: (1) the economy, inflation, and wage growth; (2) illegal immigration; and (3) the looming war with Iran.
Trump’s legacy hinges on the midterms – and he knows it
The polls and history favor Democrats winning the House this November. What is likely to happen if they do? How will they go after Trump, and how will Trump try to govern?
How to make sense of Minnesota
The phone call Monday between Pres. Trump and Gov. Walz might be an opening. But to grasp it, both sides will have to back away from hardened positions on immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is moving ahead full-steam on financial fraud by Somali immigrants.
Trump’s credible threat at Davos
The headline from Trump’s Davos speech is clear: I won’t use military force to take Greenland. That’s what the President told the world’s leading politicians and business executives at the World Economic Forum. But there was a lot more to the speech. Some was a list of his greatest hits over the past year. Some were grievances--and promises to retaliate on trade if we don't get fair, reciprocal treatment.. And some was an ominous silence about what he was about to do to Iran.
Greenland, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico… who will US target next?
When the earthquake is big, the porcelain rattles far and wide. And that’s exactly what’s happening now… in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and even Greenland. The plates are rattling after the Trump Administration’s swift, successful mission to capture Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who was allegedly a major figure in the country’s international drug trafficking. Both husband and wife now face criminal charges in the US. Who else is rattled? Well, the Democratic Party fo...
Trump’s desperation is getting dangerous for Ukraine
Trump may want a deal, but Putin wants all of Ukraine. To prevent that loss, Zelensky needs Trump's support, which means the US president has to see that it is Putin, not Zeldnsky, who is blocking a deal.
Is Trump becoming a lame-duck president?
American presidents face an inescapable dilemma as soon as they are reelected. Because they cannot run again, they find it increasingly difficult to dominate the national agenda. Pres. Trump must delay the “lame duck” curse if he and his party are to hold the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms.
Far left is the new face of the Democratic party
(1) Democrats Sweep; painful for Trump and Republicans, though the party in power typically loses in "off years" (2) Mamdani's Victory Makes the Far-Left the Face of the Democratic Party
● Democrats Will Stress "Moderates" Victories in NJ, VA
● Republicans Will Tag Opponents with Mamdani, Socialism
● Democrats Will Stress "Moderates" Victories in NJ, VA
● Republicans Will Tag Opponents with Mamdani, Socialism
JD Vance has cast a dark shadow over US relations with Israel
J.D. Vance offered some sharp criticism of Israel in response to student questions at Ole Miss. His stance highlights the growing criticism of the Jewish State on the “populist right” and marks an important change in Republican politics, one that is likely to be contests within the party and reinforced by the progressive left.
The real reason Democrats are in meltdown over Trump’s White House ballroom
Why are Democrats So Incensed by Trump’s Building a New Ballroom at the White House? Because, for them, his destruction of the East Wing resembles his destruction of the Constitution. Republicans reject the comparison—they are perplexed and bemused by the fury-- and say Trump is giving the nation (and future presidents) a valuable gift at no cost to taxpayers.
Trump has moved the Middle East’s tectonic plates. It’s a nightmare for Putin and Xi
The most important, and most immediate, consequence of the Gaza deal is how it is likely to prompt a wider accommodation with Israel. Preventing that is why Iran sponsored the attack in the first place. But Israel first extinguished the terrorist “ring of fire” around its borders and then, together with the Trump administration, set back Iran’s nuclear program by years. Russia and China were pushed out of the region and the US can now focus on the Pacific Rim and containing China.
Has Israel won?
Two years after the October 7 attacks, first by Hamas, then by Hezbollah, has a war-weary Israel accomplished its main strategic goals? Yes, for the most part. It has ended its encirclement by Iran’s proxy forces (known as the “ring of fire”) and ended the constant, lethal attacks on its people, which gave cover to Iran as it secretly finished developing nuclear weapons, which could exterminate Israel’s entire population and wipe the Jewish State off the map. And it has emerged as the “strong horse” in the region, militarily and economically. But it hasn’t gotten the hostages back, finished the fighting in Gaza, or developed a viable plan for Gaza after the war ends. The plan is necessary, not only for Israel’s security but to complete the Abraham Accords.
Trump has set Democrats up for a shutdown humiliation
Senate Democrats, afraid of their left-wing base, won’t sign off on a simple deal to keep the government running for the next few months at current levels. They demand sweeteners, and Trump won’t give them. Trump has a very different plan. If the Democrats force a government shutdown, Trump and his allies will use it to cut progressive programs and the federal workforce. Democrats, “the party of government,” have painted themselves into a corner.
Dallas shooting was a political act
The Dallas shooting was a political act for two reasons: the killer’s apparent goals (written on his ammo shells) and the likely implications, which underscore several issues that strongly favor Republicans: public order, serious law enforcement, and closed borders, including ICE enforcement. Democrats find it difficult to respond directly because their activist base has far different views.
Jimmy Kimmel is back
Jimmy Kimmel’s broadcast has made a lot more news off the air than on it. The latest is that ABC will resume the show Tuesday night and that some 400 Hollywood celebrities have signed a petition supporting their friend. If Hollywood’s reaction to Kimmel’s troubles has been predictable, the reaction from Republican politicians has been more interesting – and surprisingly varied. All Republicans loathed what Kimmel said, but some prominent ones, led by Ted Cruz, objected (rightly) to the FCC threatening ABC's license over it.
Utah’s Spencer Cox has displayed America's best values
Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah rose above the maddening crowd when he spoke of Charlie Kirk's assassination and the apprehension of his suspected killer. It was the second time in as many days that Cox voiced thoughts we all needed to hear. Instead of rage, the governor’s plainspoken, heartfelt language, together with his quotes from Charlie, underscored our country’s highest and best values. They were sober, profound thoughts, suffused with moral clarity, and we needed to hear them. Gov. Cox deserves our gratitude and praise. .
The Vile Celebration of a Political Killing
Political killings are among the vilest acts in a democracy. They striking at its core values: free speech, free and peaceful assembly, and an orderly means of choosing leaders. The damage is compounded when a nation suffers several such killings (or narrow escapes) within a few years, as America has.
The death throes of free speech in Britain – and its opponents
Britain’s leaders have refused to stand up for their country’s basic values and traditions in the face of ferocious, illiberal assaults, stemming mainly from these hostile immigrant communities, often supported by progressive elites, who share the leaders’ lack of cultural self-confidence.
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