Recent stories by George E. Condon Jr.
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What history suggests about Trump’s redo of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
The mercurial president’s highly anticipated remarks are the star of the show.
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Trump has hollowed out the post-Watergate reforms
Presidential historians warn that the chief executive has an increasingly 'monarchical' view of his role while Congress and the Supreme Court keep writing him 'blank checks.'
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The Mystery of Lindsey Graham
The South Carolina politician’s insatiable appetite for relevance took him on a winding path.
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After putting a rare smile on Trump's face, NATO ready to let sleeping dogs lie
Not eager to press their luck, the allies appear to be content with skipping next year's meetings.
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Is a boring NATO summit more or less predictable?
With NATO now spending more and keeping Russia at bay, leaders hope the summit in Turkey will be a repeat of last month's uneventful G-7 meetings. But Trump could try to fill the void with some action of his own.
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Trump's ultimately futile commitment to coal
He's given the industry funding, relief from new rules, even a mascot. But experts say it all merely delays an inevitable transition to other forms of energy.
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Solid-gold diplomacy: How Macron prevented a blowup at the G-7
The alliance's low bar for success under Trump means simply agreeing to meet again next year.
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At next week's G-7, Trump will encounter a more self-assured Europe
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, who will be on hand, holds much better cards than he did a year ago.
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Trump now letting out his inner 'greatest showman'
With an MMA spectacle planned for his 80th birthday, some have likened the president to a Roman emperor. But P.T. Barnum may be a more apt comparison.
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Trump is the Iron Man of presidential oratory
He now holds the record for the longest modern commencement speech, State of the Union, convention speech, and Inaugural Address.
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No longer a 'large menu of shared ambitions' between U.S. and China
The optics were bigger than the outcomes at last week's summit, which focused not on human rights, Taiwan, or trade agreements, but rather on smaller-bore considerations like planes and soybeans.
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Can Trump ink a win in Beijing?
Working against the president is Xi's confidence following last year's trade negotiations, as well as a lack of the typical planning by the White House.
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Meet the foreign policy experts pushing a plan to rebuild Ukraine
With the Trump administration absent, a group of economists and former diplomats have stepped in with a proposal to rebuild the war-ravaged nation.
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From balloon animals to bulletproof glass?
The press is unlikely to accede to Trump's demand that its dinner move to his 'top-secret' ballroom. But it likely will never look quite the same after Saturday night.
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For Trump, another Saturday night with 'people I hate'
At his first White House Correspondents' Dinner as president, Trump is expected to show up late—after the journalism awards have been handed out.
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Trump's mixed record in endorsing foreign candidates
The president has cast aside the long tradition of his predecessors (at least publicly) staying out of overseas elections.
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How the Iran conflict is further weakening NATO
Trump doesn't understand the alliance. And the allies don't trust the president (or American voters).
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In prime-time address, Trump still finds the endgame elusive
According to the president, the U.S. has 'decimated' Iran with an 'overwhelming victory' yet more strikes will be necessary. And there's still no exit strategy.
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Trump's crusade to 'gerrymander the boundaries of polite society'
The president's comments on the death of Robert Mueller continue his long assault on civility.
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The drapes of wrath: Trump revels in his role as designer-in-chief
'What I do best in the world is construction.'