J. Robert Smith

America First means America first. President Donald Trump’s audacious trade and tariff gamesmanship is about scrapping the rotting hulks of two eras. In so doing, Trump seeks to inaugurate a new era -- a new American century. The principal…

Marine Le Pen was just banned from running for president of France for five years. That’s more like forever. Le Pen is deemed a criminal and sentenced to wear an electronic tag for a couple years. A French court claims she embezzled. But…

In our dawning Era of Common Sense, here’s some common sense. If you unchain junkyard dogs, you better be sure they won’t bite you in the rear. Democrats are being bitten in their collective behind lately. Not just once but repeatedly.…

Shortly after being sworn in, Pete Hegseth, the nation’s new secretary of Defense, put it in a very military way. Declared Hegseth in an X post, January 26: The President’s guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI @DeptofDefense. The…

If you ask people who William McKinley was, most of them will just shrug.McKinley was president at the turn of the 20th century. Though little remembered, he was one of the most consequential presidents ever. He was also the third president…

Last week, Mike Johnson was re-elected as a speaker. Just a couple of votes against Johnson could have denied him a first ballot win -- or aced him out entirely. Another drawn-out, multi-ballot fight for the speakership would have been a…

The processed food industry is sharpening swords and battleaxes. Industry lobbyists and consultants are gearing up for a food fight. The dustup promises handsome paydays for D.C. hired guns.In an exposé for RealClearInvestigations, Lee Fang…

If you know anything about Washington, D.C., you know that lying and backstabbing are routine. Your enemies lie, and, often, your friends lie -- or those you assume are friends. In Washington, hidden motives are a given. Sleight of hand is…

A couple of weeks ago, on a balmy autumn day, I proudly planted a Trump yard sign in my lawn. My wife was on the porch. Across the way came a shout. “Your husband didn’t make you do that, did he?’ I looked across the way to see our…

Let’s make this clear from the get-go. The Israelis were entirely justified in getting boobytrapped pagers and walkie-talkies into the hands of Hezb’allah terrorists and blowing them up. Let’s add that the Israelis were damned clever.…