Trump Declares Right to Secret Wars, Media Pretends It's New
Donald Trump recently declared he believes he has the right to wage "secret wars" against anyone he deems an enemy. While The Intercept rightly highlights the implications for accountability, what's often missing from the broader media conversation is the inconvenient truth: presidents from both parties have been doing this for generations with varying degrees of congressional notification, or
none at all. Remember the Reagan administration's covert support for Contra rebels in Nicaragua, or Obama's drone program expansions, often operating in the shadows? This isn't a new power grab; it's a new, more blunt articulation of an existing, deeply problematic presidential prerogative. Instead of feigning shock at Trump's candor, perhaps we should ask why such unchecked power to unilaterally
declare and execute 'secret wars' has been allowed to fester. One might wonder if the concern stems from the 'secret war' itself, or simply from who's saying the quiet part out loud this time. How many nations have already experienced the sharp end of this executive authority without a presidential declaration?