The Department of War's aggressive name, while doing nothing to change the actual state of the U.S. military, is nothing more than “pretense of power” theatrics.
The attempted assassination of Hamas negotiators marks a turning point. ... Added to the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, international law has finally died.
It wouldn’t have cost Trump anything to show a clear intent to deter in a strategically crucial moment; it wouldn’t even have undermined his efforts in Ukraine.