Brian Finucane
@bcfinucane.bsky.social
Senior Adviser, US Program, International Crisis Group. Editor at Just Security. Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Reiss Center on Law and Security at NYU Law. Ex State Dept Lawyer. War Powers| Use of Force| Counterterrorism| Law of War| War Crimes| Arms Sales
Pinned
Upending the International Order
Through both word and deed, President Trump has been aggressively undermining the rule of law internationally.
www.justsecurity.org
As I wrote last spring:
"In short, the United States behaving as a predatory hegemon unconstrained by the UN Charter and threatening other states with territorial conquest...may spur more countries to acquire their own atomic insurance policies."
www.justsecurity.org/109537/upend...
"In short, the United States behaving as a predatory hegemon unconstrained by the UN Charter and threatening other states with territorial conquest...may spur more countries to acquire their own atomic insurance policies."
www.justsecurity.org/109537/upend...
Good thing there are no actual foreign policy problems in the world for the State Department to focus on.
Exclusive: The US State Department is developing an online portal to enable people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments including alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda, sources told Reuters reut.rs/4cySsA6
Exclusive: US plans online portal to bypass content bans in Europe and elsewhere
The U.S. State Department is developing an online portal that will enable people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments including alleged hate speech and terrorist propagan...
reut.rs
February 18, 2026 at 10:53 PM
Good thing there are no actual foreign policy problems in the world for the State Department to focus on.
Reposted by Brian Finucane
Give the “Wheel of Airstrikes” another big spin.
January 21, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Give the “Wheel of Airstrikes” another big spin.
Not exactly a surprise as POTUS tried this in Trump 1.0 and given the views of some key administration officials.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Exclusive | U.S. Is Withdrawing All Forces From Syria, Officials Say
The Trump administration is looking to strengthen its diplomatic relations with Syria’s new leaders.
www.wsj.com
February 18, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Not exactly a surprise as POTUS tried this in Trump 1.0 and given the views of some key administration officials.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Sign something bad has happened if @nytimes.com is publishing this kind of content.
Stay safe out in the snow folks.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/u...
Stay safe out in the snow folks.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/u...
Backcountry Skiers Carry a Variety of Safety Gear
www.nytimes.com
February 18, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Sign something bad has happened if @nytimes.com is publishing this kind of content.
Stay safe out in the snow folks.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/u...
Stay safe out in the snow folks.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/u...
This is very much a non-unitary executive—characterized by uncoordinated action and multiple actors pursuing their own agendas.
But this is the same line I got from the readout of the first Deputies Meeting of Trump 1.0:
"If it is on Twitter, it is policy."
But this is the same line I got from the readout of the first Deputies Meeting of Trump 1.0:
"If it is on Twitter, it is policy."
Q: The president just said on Truth Social it would be a 'big mistake' for UK to hold over control of Diego Garcia, but the State Dept said the US supports that handover
LEAVITT: The post should be taken as administration policy. When you see it on TS, you know it's directly from President Trump.
LEAVITT: The post should be taken as administration policy. When you see it on TS, you know it's directly from President Trump.
February 18, 2026 at 8:24 PM
This is very much a non-unitary executive—characterized by uncoordinated action and multiple actors pursuing their own agendas.
But this is the same line I got from the readout of the first Deputies Meeting of Trump 1.0:
"If it is on Twitter, it is policy."
But this is the same line I got from the readout of the first Deputies Meeting of Trump 1.0:
"If it is on Twitter, it is policy."
This would also be true of any further US attack on Iran.
Trump's attack on Iran is manifestly illegal, another usurpation of Congress's constitutional authority, and a fundamental assault on the rule of law in the United States and internationally.
February 18, 2026 at 3:59 PM
This would also be true of any further US attack on Iran.
Reposted by Brian Finucane
The Trump administration’s lawless killing spree continues with three more maritime strikes—two in the Pacific and one in the Caribbean.
11 more people reportedly killed.
No amount of terrorism talk renders this slaughter lawful.
11 more people reportedly killed.
No amount of terrorism talk renders this slaughter lawful.
February 17, 2026 at 4:29 PM
The Trump administration’s lawless killing spree continues with three more maritime strikes—two in the Pacific and one in the Caribbean.
11 more people reportedly killed.
No amount of terrorism talk renders this slaughter lawful.
11 more people reportedly killed.
No amount of terrorism talk renders this slaughter lawful.
"One concern is that at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted."
Pope Leo was invited to join the board in January.
Vatican Turns Down Invite To Join Trump’s 'Board Of Peace'
Vatican Turns Down Invite To Join Trump’s 'Board Of Peace'
www.huffpost.com
February 18, 2026 at 3:30 PM
"One concern is that at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted."
Conditions: cold and clear
February 18, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Conditions: cold and clear
Woke up to the sounds of avalanche control detonations yesterday.
Be careful out there playing in the snow.
Be careful out there playing in the snow.
Breaking News: At least 10 skiers were missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California, the authorities said.
10 Skiers Missing in Avalanche as Storms Slam California
Search efforts were underway on Tuesday afternoon after heavy snow caused an avalanche in the Sierra Nevada, the authorities said.
nyti.ms
February 18, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Woke up to the sounds of avalanche control detonations yesterday.
Be careful out there playing in the snow.
Be careful out there playing in the snow.
Turns out Rubio’s ideological crusade, Trump’s military spectacle, and the performative killing spree at sea are pricey.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump's Caribbean Surge Nears $3 Billion Price Tag So Far
The operations around Venezuela that eventually led to the capture of its president pulled in nearly a fifth of the US Navy’s surface fleet at a cost of more than $20 million a day.
www.bloomberg.com
February 18, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Turns out Rubio’s ideological crusade, Trump’s military spectacle, and the performative killing spree at sea are pricey.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Brian Finucane
Hi Brian — I'm Nick's co-author on this piece. Your framing on the survivor question crystallized something we'd been seeing in the data.
Airwars also published a methodology companion piece on the open source flight tracking work behind the investigation.
airwars.org/how-flight-t...
Airwars also published a methodology companion piece on the open source flight tracking work behind the investigation.
airwars.org/how-flight-t...
How flight tracking data explains failed maritime rescue efforts
How 'Twitter randos' proved false claims of
airwars.org
February 17, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Hi Brian — I'm Nick's co-author on this piece. Your framing on the survivor question crystallized something we'd been seeing in the data.
Airwars also published a methodology companion piece on the open source flight tracking work behind the investigation.
airwars.org/how-flight-t...
Airwars also published a methodology companion piece on the open source flight tracking work behind the investigation.
airwars.org/how-flight-t...
What are the administration’s China hawks up to these days?
It's unacceptable for Trump to run America's Taiwan policy or arms sales decisions by Beijing for preclearance.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-17/trump-says-he-ll-soon-make-decision-on-weapon-sales-to-taiwan?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=email
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-17/trump-says-he-ll-soon-make-decision-on-weapon-sales-to-taiwan?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=email
Trump Says He’ll Soon Make Decision on Weapon Sales to Taiwan
President Donald Trump said that he’s discussing future weapons sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping and teased that he would soon make a decision about future defense support for the sel...
bloomberg.com
February 17, 2026 at 9:56 PM
What are the administration’s China hawks up to these days?
Reposted by Brian Finucane
Pleased to speak to @nickturse.bsky.social about USG rescue efforts for the survivors of boat strikes.
“It does not appear as if they were eager to rescue additional survivors and then be faced with the question of ‘what do we do with them?’”
“It does not appear as if they were eager to rescue additional survivors and then be faced with the question of ‘what do we do with them?’”
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Sent a Rescue Plane for Boat Strike Survivors. It Took 45 Hours to Arrive.
In seas that could kill a person within an hour, it took nearly two days for a rescue plane to arrive.
New from @airwars.bsky.social and @theintercept.com
theintercept.com/2026/02/17/b...
In seas that could kill a person within an hour, it took nearly two days for a rescue plane to arrive.
New from @airwars.bsky.social and @theintercept.com
theintercept.com/2026/02/17/b...
U.S. Sent a Rescue Plane for Boat Strike Survivors. It Took 45 Hours to Arrive.
In seas that could kill a person within an hour, it took nearly two days for a rescue plane to arrive.
theintercept.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Pleased to speak to @nickturse.bsky.social about USG rescue efforts for the survivors of boat strikes.
“It does not appear as if they were eager to rescue additional survivors and then be faced with the question of ‘what do we do with them?’”
“It does not appear as if they were eager to rescue additional survivors and then be faced with the question of ‘what do we do with them?’”
Anatole France but seemingly seriously.
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on tariffs: "It's not regressive. Most consumption in America is done by the wealthiest people. So the idea it's somehow regressive is just wrong."
February 17, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Anatole France but seemingly seriously.
Reposted by Brian Finucane
We have a term for premeditated killing outside out of armed conflict.
That term is murder.
That term is murder.
October 5, 2025 at 3:26 AM
We have a term for premeditated killing outside out of armed conflict.
That term is murder.
That term is murder.
The Trump administration’s lawless killing spree continues with three more maritime strikes—two in the Pacific and one in the Caribbean.
11 more people reportedly killed.
No amount of terrorism talk renders this slaughter lawful.
11 more people reportedly killed.
No amount of terrorism talk renders this slaughter lawful.
February 17, 2026 at 4:29 PM
The Trump administration’s lawless killing spree continues with three more maritime strikes—two in the Pacific and one in the Caribbean.
11 more people reportedly killed.
No amount of terrorism talk renders this slaughter lawful.
11 more people reportedly killed.
No amount of terrorism talk renders this slaughter lawful.
Pleased to speak to @nickturse.bsky.social about USG rescue efforts for the survivors of boat strikes.
“It does not appear as if they were eager to rescue additional survivors and then be faced with the question of ‘what do we do with them?’”
“It does not appear as if they were eager to rescue additional survivors and then be faced with the question of ‘what do we do with them?’”
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Sent a Rescue Plane for Boat Strike Survivors. It Took 45 Hours to Arrive.
In seas that could kill a person within an hour, it took nearly two days for a rescue plane to arrive.
New from @airwars.bsky.social and @theintercept.com
theintercept.com/2026/02/17/b...
In seas that could kill a person within an hour, it took nearly two days for a rescue plane to arrive.
New from @airwars.bsky.social and @theintercept.com
theintercept.com/2026/02/17/b...
U.S. Sent a Rescue Plane for Boat Strike Survivors. It Took 45 Hours to Arrive.
In seas that could kill a person within an hour, it took nearly two days for a rescue plane to arrive.
theintercept.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Pleased to speak to @nickturse.bsky.social about USG rescue efforts for the survivors of boat strikes.
“It does not appear as if they were eager to rescue additional survivors and then be faced with the question of ‘what do we do with them?’”
“It does not appear as if they were eager to rescue additional survivors and then be faced with the question of ‘what do we do with them?’”
Today’s edition of the Article I Crisis.
BORIS SANCHEZ: You had administration officials suggesting Pretti was brandishing a weapon, and we all saw that wasn't the case. Are you willing to just blindly trust the work of ICE without judicial oversight?
REP. MARK ALFORD: Look, I trust what Homan, DHS, Noem, and President Trump are doing
REP. MARK ALFORD: Look, I trust what Homan, DHS, Noem, and President Trump are doing
February 16, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Today’s edition of the Article I Crisis.
Time for a rewatch of Lonesome Dove.
February 16, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Time for a rewatch of Lonesome Dove.
The essence of the Big Lie
Ossoff: "Among today's false prophets are the election deniers who indulge this president's obsession with overturning the 2020 election. Hear me when I say this -- they tell a lie so absurd, and therefore so debasing, that the act of telling it proves the teller's total and humiliating submission."
February 16, 2026 at 5:40 PM
The essence of the Big Lie
Reposted by Brian Finucane
"The Constitution vests the power of declaring War with Congress, therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject, and authorized such a measure."
What quaint notions that George Washington fellow had.
What quaint notions that George Washington fellow had.
February 2, 2026 at 7:16 PM
"The Constitution vests the power of declaring War with Congress, therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject, and authorized such a measure."
What quaint notions that George Washington fellow had.
What quaint notions that George Washington fellow had.
Powder and poor visibility
February 16, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Powder and poor visibility
Dropping three-year-old off at ski school:
“Daddy, I’m going to ski faster than you.”
“Daddy, I’m going to ski faster than you.”
February 16, 2026 at 8:45 AM
Dropping three-year-old off at ski school:
“Daddy, I’m going to ski faster than you.”
“Daddy, I’m going to ski faster than you.”
Hard-boiled war powers dialogue for the day.
February 16, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Hard-boiled war powers dialogue for the day.