Was it a war crime or wasn't it?

That's the question swirling around Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth, the man handpicked by Donald Trump to run his rechristened Department of War.

But before we get there, it's worth zooming out for a moment.

From upending the economy and declaring war on American cities to weaponizing the legal system

against critics and mostly failing, this administration's approach seems anchored in

unleashing unspeakable harm and chaos, all in service of feeding Donald Trump's ego,

expanding executive power, and distracting from an

historically unpopular presidency. This approach comes straight out of the Center for Renewing America,

a right-wing think tank launched in 2021 to help prepare for a second Trump presidency. It was founded

by Russell Vote, whom you'll recall as the architect of Project 2025 and Trump's current director

of the Office of Management and Budget, an incredibly powerful perch from which to oversee the

deployment of Project 2025. While Vote wasn't advocating lawlessness, many of the leaders and senior

fellows of the Center for Renewing America now serve inside Trump's cabinet, including

Vote himself and

Cash Patel. And it was that think tank, Russell Votes think tank, that first drafted ideas

like invoking the Insurrection Act against U.S. cities, firing civil servants on mass and dismantling

internal legal constraints. In a private 2024 speech, he said, quote, I don't want

President Trump having to lose a moment of time having fights in the Oval Office about whether something

is legal or doable or moral, end quote. So, cue to what's going on right now with the boat strikes.

For several months, Hegsaith has been directing a highly

controversial military campaign in the Caribbean without congressional authorization or oversight.

The Pentagon claims that it is targeting drug-smuggling boats that are carrying narcotics

...