Rational Security: The “Morning After” Edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien to discuss how he is coping with the end of the New York trial and to run through some of the week’s big national security news stories, including:

• “A Perfect Conviction.” Last week, after less than two days of deliberation, a jury in New York state criminal court found former President Trump guilty of all 34 criminal counts on which he was being tried. He’s now scheduled to be sentenced just days before the Republican National Convention this summer, where he is expected to be named the party’s 2024 presidential nominee. What does this conviction mean for Trump’s campaign? What are his prospects for appeal? And what happens if he still wins?

• “Biden Time.” Last week, President Biden laid out a three-step cease-fire plan for Gaza, sending the clearest signal yet that he is intent on ending the conflict there. Both sides have accepted the plan in principle but have yet to reach agreement on the particulars—and, meanwhile, Israel’s Rafah operation has continued. Is this finally a sign of the Gaza end game? Or that the end is nigh for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, which is under increasing domestic and international pressure?

• “Order on the Border.” This week, the Biden administration unveiled a new executive order that will make it harder for migrants crossing the southern U.S. border to apply for and receive asylum during periods of high border traffic, facilitating their prompt removal. Is this move a reasonable policy measure, cynical election politics, or something else entirely?

For object lessons, Quinta recommended Zadie Smith’s new-ish novel, “The Fraud.” Scott shared a note from the archives about high cetacean fashion. And Tyler passed along an inspirational story about Osaka airport’s amazing luggage record.

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