Roundup

Video of the Week: Insane Asylums

by Scott Rensberger

Insane asylums used to dot the American landscape. A photographer documents what remains of the buildings.

Why Donald Trump's 'Arab Nato' would be a terrible mistake

by Rashid Khalidi

This planned Sunni coalition would alienate Shia populations and Iran. How can it be in the national interest of the US to support one side in a sectarian conflict?

Thinking about impeachment? Slow down

by Michael J. Gerhardt

The more deliberate the inquiry, the better chance that the American people will have confidence in it. For Nixon, the process that led to his resignation took more than two years, and the scope of wrongdoing that those investigations revealed was breathtaking.

The right lesson of Watergate: Forget facile Trump-Nixon parallels — and get the damn evidence

by Rick Perlstein

The evidence is out there. It's in the phones, or to be more precise whatever servers store the transcripts of their conversations.

Trump's Saudi Speech: Pretty Good

by Daniel Pipes

It's a mixed performance, but overall positive.

What Lincoln Thought of “America First”

by Sidney Blumenthal

Though he never traveled outside the US, Lincoln embraced an international perspective, celebrating the spread of freedom in Europe. 

Trump in Absolute Monarchy during Iran’s Election

by Juan Cole

The day the Iranian public bucked the country’s Leader and the other hard liners and put centrist President Hassan Rouhani back in for a second term, the US president was feted with gold metals in an absolute monarchy.

The Single Greatest Witch Hunt in American History, for Real

by Stacy Schiff

Wild accusations, alternative facts, special prosecutors—the Salem witch trials of 1692 had it all.

Five myths about Watergate

by Rick Perlstein

It wasn’t politics as usual, and no, Deep Throat wasn’t pivotal to Nixon’s downfall.

What Kind of Loyalty Does a President Need?

by Jeff Shesol

Both L.B.J. and Nixon were obsessed with loyalty.

What Roger Ailes Learned From Richard Nixon

by David Greenberg

The mastermind of Fox News played on the cultural resentment he learned working for the Nixon White House.

Comey isn’t the first FBI director to keep memos on a president

by Douglas M. Charles

The FBI’s history shows such documentation can be essential to how FBI directors operate, and how they can insulate or protect the FBI’s integrity.

Roundup Top 10!

This week's broad sampling of opinion pieces found on the Internet, as selected by the editors of HNN.

Did You Know? U.S. Presidents Have Secretly Recorded Conversations Since 1940

by Alexander B. Magoun

Unauthorized recordings provide insight into the history of presidential leadership.

Close down all fraternities

by Jonathan Zimmerman

The real question isn’t how to regulate fraternities; it’s whether we should have them at all.

Video of the Week: Pierre L'Enfant's great design for Washington

by Scott Rensberger

In 1886 France gave us the Statue of Liberty, one of our most famous icons. And, it was a Frenchman, Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who helped create our capital city.

I’m Sticking with My President

by Rick Perlstein

What has changed since Nixon’s day?

George Washington: the great mind behind early America

by Kevin J. Hayes

Throughout history, George Washington has been highly regarded for his common sense and military fortitude.

When a Cover-Up Isn’t Secret, Did It Happen?

by Taegan Goddard

Unlike Nixon, Trump seems to be covering-up his "crimes" in broad daylight.

There’s a Logic to Trump’s War On the Media

by David Greenberg

Trump goes after the news media not because he thinks they’re strong, but because he thinks they’re weak and he can diminish them further.