The Iran Nuclear Deal, which has been repeatedly maligned by President Trump as an “embarrassment” and “the worst deal ever” may be left in an uncertain position this Sunday, as Trump plans to decertify the agreement. The agreement, formed in 2015 with Iran, China, Russia, France, the UK, and Germany, agreed to remove…
Foreign Policy
Cuban Diplomats Expelled in Response to Health Incidents
The rebuilding of U.S.-Cuban relations experienced a strange hitch on Tuesday, as the Trump administration expelled 15 Cuban diplomats following an alleged attack on the U.S. embassy in Havana. The nature of the attack remains a mystery, as the only evidence is a shared set of inexplicable symptoms experienced by 21 U.S. diplomats…
President Trump Addresses the UN General Assembly
In his first speech to the U.N. General Assembly, President Trump extolled the importance of state sovereignty and denounced the perceived enemies of global democracy on the world stage. Following the path of isolationism and nationalism that he described in his inauguration speech, Trump promised that the United States…
Trump Imposes Major Tariff on Canadian Plane Manufacturer
With U.S.-Canada relations unusually tense due to NAFTA renegotiations, the Trump administration has potentially taken a further step to weaken the historic bond between the two nations. An integral part of Trump’s campaign promises hinged on reshaping the dynamic of our trade interactions in order to protect American jobs…
United States Denies Chinese Acquisition of American Semiconductor Company
On Wednesday, September 13th, a federal board blocked the 1.3 billion dollar Chinese acquisition of Lattice Semiconductor, an American company based in Oregon. The board cited national security concerns related to the deal, and there has been some evidence of relations between the Chinese…
President Trump Threatens Iran Deal
On September 18th, President Trump announced that the world would know “very soon” about the future of the JCPOA, commonly know as the Iran Deal. This agreement, negotiated by former Secretary of State John Kerry, stalled and prevented the Iranians from achieving nuclear weapons in exchange for removing sanctions…
Trump Speaks About Involvement in Afghanistan
On Monday, August 21st, President Trump spoke at Fort Myer, Virginia about future U.S. engagement in Afghanistan. He committed to victory in the region, ultimately defeating the terrorist organizations which operate in the country –including ISIS, al Qaeda, and the Taliban. While President Trump did not enumerate specific…
North Korea Fires ICBMs Near Japan
North Korea fired an intermediate range missile into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, August 29th, 2017. Tensions have escalated sharply this year as North Korea has already launched 13 missiles. Earlier this month, in response to harsher United Nations sanctions, the North Korean regime successfully launched missiles with the…
Secretary of State Tillerson Rejects Anti-Propaganda Funding
Secretary of State Tillerson has refused to sign-off on $80 million of appropriated funds to combat propaganda. In 2016, the State Department created the Global Engagement Center (GEC) to fight ISIS misinformation campaigns. Its purview now includes Russian propaganda and fake news, and Congress authorized more funds…
State Department Approves Sale of Fighter Jets to Nigeria
On Wednesday, August 2nd, the State Department notified Congress that it approved the sale of twelve A-29 fighter jets to the Nigerian military. The jets are commonly used for counter-insurgency and reconnaissance, and the U.S. government hopes these planes will help Nigeria fight Boko Haram –an extremist group that…
Trump Signs Sanctions Bill
On August 2nd, President Trump signed a bipartisan effort to punish Iran, North Korea, and Russia. It imposes harsh sanctions and also requires the President to submit a report explaining any desire to remove them. Upon receiving this report, Congress would hold hearings and decide whether to allow or reject this proposal. The bill passed…
Trump Terminates Program Arming Syrian Rebels
Before President Trump’s July 9th meeting with the G20, the administration decided to conclude an operation that provided weapons to anti-Assad rebels in Syria, according to senior administration officials. President Obama initiated this secret program in 2013 through the CIA in order to establish military credibility in the region…
