Rational Security: The “I’ve Never Done THAT Before!” Edition
The Lawfare Podcast
The Lawfare Institute
4.7 • 6.4K Ratings
🗓️ 7 May 2026
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, Scott sat down with his Lawfare colleagues Molly Roberts, Roger Parloff, and Tyler McBrien to talk through the week’s big national security news stories, including:
- “Jim Spells Seashells By the Seashore.” Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted again this past week, this time for allegedly threatening the life of the president by spelling “8647” in shells at the beach and posting an image on social media. It is a ludicrous argument. So what does it tell us that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was willing to file it? And where does Trump’s broader vengeance campaign seem likely to go from here, under whoever becomes the next Attorney General?
- “We Were on a Break!” The Iran War turned 60 days old last week—the deadline by which, under the War Powers Resolution, the president is supposed to wrap up any congressionally unauthorized military operations. But like many of its predecessors, the Trump administration has done no such thing. Instead, it’s argued that the 60-day cut-off was already met by the ongoing ceasefire—even though the Trump administration has continued its embargo of Iranian oil resources and began a new major maritime campaign to open the Strait of Hormuz, triggering exchanges of fire with Iranian forces. What should we make of these arguments? And do they suggest the War Powers Resolution is a dead letter?
- “Strictly Ballroom.” The Trump administration is actively working to capitalize on the recent assassination attempt on Trump to push a federal court to allow its construction of an East Wing ballroom on national security grounds. At the same time, it’s faced new judicial headwinds in its quixotic effort to take over a municipal golf course—the same location where it dumped the (potentially toxic) rubble of the demolished old East Wing. What do these cases tell us about Trump’s efforts to reshape our nation’s capital? And how legitimate are the new efforts to tie these cases to national security?
In object lessons, Roger is revisiting Azar Nafisi’s “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” a tough, yet beautiful read with unfortunate persistent relevance. Molly is memorializing the current metro landscape with her desk globe of Washington, D.C. Scott is sharing his remembrance of Stewart Baker, forever a friend of Lawfare. And Tyler is taking us back to 1971 Boston and Catholic resistance to the Vietnam War with the Divine Intervention podcast.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Tyler, I owe you and the rest of the lawfare New York contingent, a big mea-culpop-up |
| 0:07.2 | because I was there for the first time in a long time last week, and I made a lot of big |
| 0:12.1 | promises about seeing people, and then I followed through on absolutely none of them. |
| 0:15.4 | I did get to meet K. K. Klonic first time in person and her baby, which is very nice. |
| 0:19.2 | But other than that, I missed all the |
| 0:21.0 | rest of the lawfare crew despite my promises not to do so. Turns out in New York, big place. A lot of stuff going on. Hard to connect people and see everybody you're trying to see when you're only there for a day or two. Well, I was about to get very mad at you, but then you brought up Kate's adorable baby and it softened my hard heart. And so I forgive you. But I am sorry, |
| 0:39.9 | Missy Tyler. New York's a lovely town. you, but then you brought up Kate's adorable baby, and it softened my hard heart. And so I forgive you. |
| 0:39.1 | But I am sorry, Missy Tyler. New York's a lovely town. I had this unique experience, which I think you're a biker. I know you're a biker, but I think you're a bike around the city, right? I had to say, I usually, when I go there, I bike everywhere, because it is the easiest way to go on New York. |
| 0:51.9 | E-bike or a regular bike? |
| 0:53.1 | I just get, I do both. |
| 0:54.5 | I switch because if you get the day pass, |
| 0:56.2 | the regular bikes are free, but the e-bikes, so it depends on because it is the easiest way to go around New York. E-bike or a regular bike? I just get, I do both. |
| 0:54.5 | I switch because if you get the day pass, the regular bikes are free, but the e-bikes, |
| 0:57.9 | so it depends on how far I have to go, basically, and how sweaty I'm willing to be when I get there. But the real trade-off this time is that I don't usually stay in Midtown, which I did this time. biking in Midtown is a totally different piece than biking. |
| 1:08.3 | I feel like downtown or uptown New York, |
| 1:09.9 | because the bike lanes just disappear |
| 1:11.3 | and just immediately fade into like eight lanes of traffic |
| 1:13.5 | that you then have to navigate from one end up to the other. It was completely terrifying. Do you do this on a regular basis? I do. Yeah, I mean, I do bike through Manhattan, but it's usually I immediately like shift to the east side of the west side where the bike lanes are. And you know, like biking in the middle is, is a harrowing experience. And yeah, I mean, |
| 1:30.2 | once you just bike in the city, |
| 1:31.3 | you know, like, biking in the middle is is a harrowing experience. And yeah, I mean, once you bike the city, you realize, like, which pockets are great and which pockets you're kind of taking your life in your own hands. Do you e-bike a regular bike? I usually, well, I have my, if I'm on my bike, I'll, I'll have a road bike, but I usually will e-bike. But some days I feel like either everyone is trying to kill me |
| 1:46.7 | or kill themselves by jumping. I, if I'm on my bike, I'll have a road bike, but I usually will e-bike. But some, |
| 1:44.3 | some days I feel like either everyone is trying to kill me or kill themselves by jumping in |
... |
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