Peter Van Buren's Blog, page 8

Assange Extradition Raises Questions

A British court ruled Wikileaks founder Julian Assange can appeal his extradition to the U.S. How Assange’s case plays out may change both the way Espionage Act cases are defended and the deeper relationship among the Act, the 1A, and a free press. The U.S. charged Assange multiple times under the 1917 Espionage Act for […]

So Much for Lawfare? Trump Found Guilty and So What

A New York jury convicted Donald Trump of 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with buying the silence of a porn star. He is the first American president to become a felon. The verdict is not unexpected from the deep blue Democratic enclave of Manhattan; the larger question is if lawfare will defeat […]

Burn the Witches of Gaza

My conundrum begins with the base concept that there is no such thing as hate speech according to the First Amendment. I believe something very different than the encampment protestors at Columbia. But I believe in defending their right to protest legally just as much. Makes for some uncomfortable times, but it’s the thought that […]

Trump May Duck Obstruction Charges with SCOTUS Help

The Department of Justice charged approximately 350 people under the obstruction statute for their role in J6. One of them is Donald Trump. All of them, including Trump, may see those charges dropped based on an expected Supreme Court ruling. The ruling, if favorable, would also significantly protect First Amendment rights. In between the start […]

Iranian Negotiating Door Slams Shut (Again)

Republican or Democrat, one of the most amazing things about Washington is its ability — almost willingness — to make the same foreign policy mistakes over and over. Take Iran. The U.S. has antagonized Iran consistently for the past three decades, doing the same thing over and over hoping for different results (a standard definition […]

We Didn’t Start the Fire

There has been an unprecedented effort to destroy Donald Trump rather than defeat him at the polls. Those concerned about democracy being in danger need only look at the list of efforts to destroy him which began before his first election, continued with gusto and anger during his term, and the lawfare episodes which followed […]

Fear: The End of America is Near, Journalists Say

Take a dip in the murky waters of recent Trump Apocalypse journalism — it says there’s gonna be a civil war and dictatorship. But don’t worry, it’s just the politics of fear. In a scary article subtitled “Donald Trump is warning that 2024 could be America’s last election,” The National Review alerts us if Trump […]

It Comes Down to Intent (Stormy Weather)

The critical element in the Trump “hush money” trial and the factor most likely to result in a reasonable doubt, is intent. What did Trump intend by paying Stormy (if indeed he did…) to keep quiet about an affair (if indeed they had one…) For a guilty verdict, the prosecution must prove Trump had an […]

Deep State Tries Again as “Friend of the Court”

With the Supreme Court set to begin arguments on Donald Trump’s immunity claims April 25, the landmark decision likely to be handed down by the end of June or sooner, the Deep State weighed in. That itself is a scary thing, but even more frightening is this: what if they are right this time? Fourteen […]

NBC’s Cultural Revolution (Ronna McDaniel)

For all the talk of a Civil Cold War now underway in America, Red vs. Blue, it is the wrong historical example. The professional death of Ronna McDaniel at NBC earlier this month was an event right out of Mao’s time, not Robert E. Lee’s. McDaniel was fired by the masses at NBC because she […]