Jonathan Lemire

Why Hasn’t Trump Mentioned Iran’s Oil? Usually he encourages the seizure of natural resources as repayment in war.

Trump has not uttered the line that once seemed to come so easily: We should take the oil

The omission is striking. For a president who has treated natural resources as both leverage and loot, Iran’s oil fields would appear to be the ultimate temptation www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Why Hasn’t Trump Mentioned Iran’s Oil? Usually he encourages the seizure of natural resources as repayment in war.

NEW: President Trump has rarely considered a foreign conflict without musing, sometimes bluntly, about what the United States might take in return for intervening: Iraqi oil. Syrian oil. Venezuelan oil

So why hasn’t he mentioned taking Iran’s oil?

(Yet) www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

‘The Worst-Case Outcome Is Complete Chaos’ Donald Trump’s plans to oust the Iranian regime, which led to the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made some of his advisers nervous, The Atlantic reports. Read about what went into the decision to at...

Inside Trump’s decision to attack Iran - including a last call to the U.S. military commander about possible American casualties

Killing the Supreme Leader was one thing. Ousting the regime will be another:

“The worst-case outcome is complete chaos” www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

War With Iran Has Begun. Where Does It End? Trump has launched combat operations despite little public support and widespread fears among allies.

President Trump attacks Iran

With unclear goals and little effort made to sell the conflict to the public, Trump has launched a broad military effort that could now help define his presidency

War with Iran has begun. Where does it end? www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago.

A year ago, Trump’s address to Congress was a victory lap

But his return to the Capitol tonight now comes amid his tariff defeat and poor polling

Suddenly, the State of the Union is a desperate moment in a stumbling presidency www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago.

“Trump did not handle the SCOTUS decision well. He eviscerated the justices in a remarkably angry news conference. Then, in a particular fit of pique, he declared that he would no longer use capital letters to refer to, as he put it, ‘the supreme court’” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago.

“But there’s a problem with the idea that Trump can simply rerun his 2024 campaign and expect the same result: Over the past two years, many of his most popular issues have turned into political liabilities” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago.

NEW: A year ago, Trump’s address to Congress was a victory lap

But his return to the Capitol tomorrow night now comes amid his tariff defeat and poor polling

Suddenly, the State of the Union is a moment to try to turn around a stumbling presidency www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump Is Doubling Down on All the Wrong Things Republicans are worried about the midterm elections, but the president doesn’t seem to be.

“Never before has a president so thoroughly dominated the political landscape and national discourse. That is to Trump’s delight, but it potentially works less well for Republicans who are left to defend a series of unpopular decisions and policies” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump Is Doubling Down on All the Wrong Things Republicans are worried about the midterm elections, but the president doesn’t seem to be.

“Has the president lost focus on what got him elected as he takes on vanity projects such as the White House ballroom? Well, he’ll see you that and raise you both the Kennedy Center renovation and the construction of a giant arch that no one seems to want” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump Is Doubling Down on All the Wrong Things Republicans are worried about the midterm elections, but the president doesn’t seem to be.

NEW: The Texas defeat has set off alarms within the GOP

Yet Trump is doubling down on deportations, gunboat diplomacy and, yes, trying to remake DC landmarks like the Kennedy Center

Republicans want a course correction. But Trump's not one for a reset www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

‘We Are Learning to Bully Back’ How Europe got Trump to cave on Greenland

Trump’s about-face was so abrupt and so unaccounted for that officials in Europe are scratching their heads about what, exactly, changed his mind

They’re speculating about criticism on Capitol Hill, caution from military advisers, and chaos in the markets www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

‘We Are Learning to Bully Back’ How Europe got Trump to cave on Greenland

NEW: President Trump gained little from his Greenland crusade—and lost influence and trust with America’s most important allies

“We are learning to bully back” www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Davos Man May Burn the Whole Thing Down Trump threatens to sever the U.S.-European alliance over Greenland.

Franklin D. Roosevelt likened lending Great Britain warships in the early days of World War II to loaning a neighbor a garden hose to put out the fire consuming his house

But now Donald Trump heads to Europe ready to set a bunch of new houses on fire www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Greenland, Davos, and a Flame-Throwing President Trump threatens to sever the U.S.-European alliance over Greenland.

NEW: In a year, Trump has upended America's relationship with the world

And now his thirst for Greenland threatens to unravel the alliance that has ensured decades of transatlantic peace, prosperity, and democracy

In Davos, Trump may blow it all up www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

A Breathtaking Week of Pure Trump Id Military success in Venezuela has emboldened the president to flex his power even more.

Trump has been emboldened

Despite his low poll numbers, the president and his advisers believe that the Venezuela strike reignited his political momentum - and underscored the lack of concrete limits on his ability to wield power at home and abroad www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

A Breathtaking Week of Pure Trump Id Military success in Venezuela has emboldened the president to flex his power even more.

“Trump has set up what critics say is an extortionist racket of Caracas. He told its new leader, in essence, “Give us the oil we want, and we’ll let you stay in power,” and privately joked that Venezuela could be in the running to become the 51st state” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

A Breathtaking Week of Pure Trump Id Military success in Venezuela has emboldened the president to flex his power even more.

NEW: Even for Donald Trump, it’s been quite the week

Venezuela. Greenland. ICE. Powell. Iran. And more.

Trump, though never restrained, is now pure id, acting on impulse and goaded on by advisers who see an opportunity to further expand executive power www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump Seizing Greenland Could Set Off a Chain Reaction After Venezuela, Europeans are taking the president’s threats seriously.

Some around Trump have delighted in Europe’s impassioned reaction to his latest desires for the mineral-rich island

“Let them squirm. Maybe we’ll take it; maybe we won’t. But after what we just saw in Caracas, do you want to try to call Trump’s bluff?” www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Trump Seizing Greenland Could Set Off a Chain Reaction After Venezuela, Europeans are taking the president’s threats seriously.

“Trump has pointedly not ruled out taking Greenland by force. And if the U.S. goes down that road, NATO will effectively cease to exist the moment the first military personnel enter Greenlandic territory” www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Is Greenland Next? After Venezuela, Europeans think Trump may actually be serious.

NEW: Is Greenland next?

After Trump’s strike on Venezuela, some Europeans think he may now act upon his desire for Greenland

And that, which could spell the end of NATO, might happen without any military force - and perhaps with just a Truth Social post www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Trump Is Suddenly Looking a Lot Smaller The president is no longer dominating his party or the country in the way he once did.

Back in April, President Trump boasted that he “ruled the world.”

Honestly, it was hard to argue with him

But as 2025 draws to a close, Trump seems a whole lot smaller www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump Is Suddenly Looking a Lot Smaller The president is no longer dominating his party or the country in the way he once did.

NEW: President Trump spent much of the year as a steamroller

But as 2025 ends, he seems much smaller now

Republicans took losses and are starting to defy him. He seems out of touch and focused on legacy. And Epstein won’t go away

A shrinking president: www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump Still Needs Susie Wiles The president made clear he supports his chief of staff despite her Vanity Fair comments.

NEW: Susie Wiles aims to be a chief of staff who brings order to the White House and stays out of headlines

Well then! That’s sure over now

Inside Wiles’ stunning interviews - and how the White House’s response shows that Trump still needs her. For now www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The War Moves From Ukraine to the High Seas New rules of engagement that allow Ukraine to hit oil tankers are a sign of Kyiv's desperation.

NEW: Ukraine’s Latest Attacks Showcase Its Desperation

Kyiv had long resisted hitting tankers carrying Russian oil

But with the Trump administration ramping up the pressure on Ukraine to take a deal - maybe a bad one - Zelensky opted to widen the war www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

NEW: www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Pete Hegseth Is Seriously Testing Trump’s ‘No Scalps’ Rule Lawmakers are finally waking up to the problems the defense secretary has created.

NEW: The Worst Part of Pete Hegseth’s Very Bad Week

Lawmakers are finally waking up to the problems the defense secretary has created www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

The Bubble-Wrapped President Trump surrounds himself with those who flatter him in places where he is comfortable.

There were tentative plans to get Trump on the road to support the Big Beautiful Bill

But he instead focused on Gaza and Putin summit - and didn’t want to face questions when Epstein scandal exploded

This year’s GOP candidates also only got tele-rallies www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The Bubble-Wrapped President Trump surrounds himself with those who flatter him in places where he is comfortable.

Trump’s echo chamber:

Very little U.S travel

No rallies or contact with supporters

Right-wing media

Dinners with rich donors and billionaires

Truth Social

Lack of staff to tell him no www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The Bubble-Wrapped President Trump surrounds himself with those who flatter him in places where he is comfortable.

Trump’s rallies always gave him a feel for his base - and a chance to meet local leaders

In the first year of initial term, he did a lot of domestic travel. This October and November: not a single U.S. trip beyond his own clubs www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...