Rational Security: The “I’ve Never Done THAT Before!” Edition

In this episode of The Lawfare Podcast's Rational Security series, host Scott R. Anderson and panelists Tyler McBride, Molly Roberts, and Roger Parloff dissect a series of high-stakes national security and legal developments under the Trump administration. The discussion opens with the absurd yet politically charged indictment of former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly threatening President Trump by spelling '8-6-4-7' in seashells—a claim widely dismissed as baseless and emblematic of a broader pattern of vindictive prosecution. The panel examines how Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s aggressive pursuit of such cases, in contrast to Pam Bondi’s more restrained approach, reflects a strategic effort to curry favor with the president ahead of a potential AG nomination. The conversation then turns to the Iran conflict, now over 60 days old, where the administration claims to have complied with the War Powers Resolution by rebranding ongoing operations as non-hostile, despite continued military activity and hostile exchanges in the Strait of Hormuz. The panel debates whether this legal gymnastics renders the War Powers Resolution a dead letter or merely a tool for conspicuous compliance. Finally, the show explores President Trump’s controversial efforts to reshape Washington, D.C., including plans to demolish the East Wing and build a grand ballroom, seize a historic golf course, and install a gilded 'Presidential Walk of Fame'—all justified under national security claims. The panel critiques these actions as idiosyncratic, aesthetically jarring, and emblematic of a broader erosion of institutional norms and democratic accountability. The episode closes with a heartfelt tribute to Stuart Baker, a respected figure in national security law, whose passing underscores the loss of intellectual civility in public discourse.