The Spectator • 5th November 2026

What do the midterms mean for 2028?

After the Tsunami, Big Questions for 2028
The Democrats won big. They now have to balance between attack, attack, attacking Trump and setting a positive agenda for 2028. Republican candidates have to figure out how to distance themselves from an unpopular president without risking his wrath and that of his loyal supporters.

The Spectator • 25th October 2026

Does anybody still major in the humanities?

At every university, big and small, fewer and fewer students are studying English, History, Philosophy, Art History, French literature or Anthropology. The numbers at the Univ. of Texas, Austin are now down to one-quarter of 1%. Other major universities report similar declines, partly because students are more job-oriented, partly because the majors themselves have been politicized by the faculty. The result is more than a loss for higher education. It is a loss for our democracy and the ideals we should strive to meet. We need to pass along “the best that has been thought and said” to the next generation.

The Spectator • 9th October 2026

The mudslinging midterms

This is a nationalized election, dominated by Donald Trump, angry voters, and negative messages. Two messages dwarf the others, and both parties are sending them, “Vote for me because my opponent is dreadful,” and “Our party has to control Congress to save the country.” Pres. Trump is focused on the second one. He knows the last two years of his presidency depend on the voters’ answer.

The Spectator • 12th September 2026

How to end the chaos in college football

College football has been upended by a combination of big-money payments to star players, unlimited player transfers between schools, and a confused patchwork of conflicting laws and rules. It's time for some thoughtful reforms to protect the sport, the players, and the fans.

The Spectator • 24th August 2026

Can General Bessent win the war?

With Monday’s announcement of tough sanctions on all Iran’s trading partners, the final fight for the regime’s survival has begun. Important as those sanctions are, they can only weaken the regime. Toppling it will require “kinetic action” by local forces, armed and assisted by the US. This fight is likely to culminate over the next few weeks. The future of Iran, the Persian Gulf, Lebanon, and Israel all hang in the balance.

The Spectator • 21st August 2026

How will harsh sanctions on Iran play out?

What’s new in the conflict with Iran? The US decision to impose stiff sanctions on any state or company that trades with Iran or handles their finances. These “secondary sanctions” are a powerful took, and the only surprise is that the Trump Administration waited until now to impose them.

The Spectator • 29th July 2026

Will the wars in Ukraine and Iran merge?

This is a fraught moment, perhaps the most dangerous since the end of the Cold War. Two major wars are being fought, one threatening European security, the other the world’s energy supply. In East Asia, China continues to threaten Taiwan, and North Korea is reportedly upgrading its military technology with Russian help.


Put simply, the bad guys are on the march, fighting for their regimes’ survival, their malign domestic projects, and as much regional domination as they can achieve.
Althoug...

The Spectator • 3rd June 2026

California’s Democratic establishment battles insurgents

What’s new in California politics is the impact of Spencer Pratt’s powerful, innovative, and inexpensive AI videos. They will set a pattern for campaigns everywhere. As for the elections themselves, the runoffs for California Governor and LA Mayor come down to the same choice for voters: an insurgent versus “more of the same.” Spencer Pratt, the insurgent in LA, has a real chance but he is still the underdog. For governor, Xavier Becerra (the establishment candidate) is a heavy favorite.

31st May 2026

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?

The Spectator • 19th May 2026

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.

The Spectator • 30th April 2026

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.

The Spectator • 16th April 2026

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?

The Spectator • 6th April 2026

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.

The Spectator • 2nd March 2026

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?

The Spectator • 24th February 2026

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.

The Spectator • 5th February 2026

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?

The Spectator • 26th January 2026

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.

The Spectator • 21st January 2026

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.

The Spectator • 5th January 2026

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...

The Telegraph • 30th December 2025

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.

The Spectator World • 10th December 2025

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.

The Spectator World • 5th November 2025

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

The Telegraph • 31st October 2025

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 Telegraph • 27th October 2025

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.