Peter Laffin

United States

Writer at National Catholic Register

Contributor at The Catholic Thing

Contributor at Washington Examiner

Contributor at The Catholic Herald

Mens concordet voci. Staff Writer @NCRegister, words in @CatholicThing @CathHerald @dcexaminer

Articles

Trump flexes on a hobbled Iran

1 week ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

News of a rapid expansion of U.S. forces in the Middle East flew under the radar as President Donald Trump’s tariff policy captivated the world. With direct U.S.-Iran talks set for Saturday in Oman, according to the White House, the deployment surge signaled Trump’s eagerness to play what he believes is a strong hand against the United States’s longtime foe, which has been weakened by recent events. Iran has contradicted the White House’s claim, saying the talks will be held indirectly.
The Resistance 2.0 power rankings: April

2 weeks ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

The power vacuum at the top of the Democratic Party has created a fresh competition to steer its ship through the political wilderness. Contenders have emerged from across the Democratic sweep: Squad sisters, media mouths, graying senators, and motley liberal luminaries vie for the influence and notoriety that come with being “the face” of the party.
How to lose a Golden Era in 60 seconds or less

2 weeks ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

It was a marvelous scene in the Capitol Rotunda that day, wasn’t it? Marbled walls glimmered in the morning sunlight, titans of industry standing in homage, and President Donald Trump’s vanquished foes sitting behind him, their faces baffled and pained. Over the next two months, Trump and company pressed their advantage mercilessly — and with a wry smile.
Palm Sunday and America’s call to humble greatness

2 weeks ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

Among the many oddly specific details recorded in the Gospel is how Jesus procured the donkey he rode into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. “Go into the village ahead of you,” he told two of his disciples, and we are left to guess which ones, “and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.
Hegseth needs to clean up his sloppy operation

3 weeks ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could only have been confirmed in the glow of Trump’s Golden Age. His resume boasts commendable highlights, particularly his military service and Ivy League education, but there was nothing that qualified him to head a department with 3.4 million personnel and an $850 billion budget. An impressive man, sure — but not all impressive men should head the Defense Department.
The bonfire of the Teslas: Political violence and the Left

3 weeks ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

Nothing has gone to plan for the Democratic Party since the 2024 election votes were counted — except one thing. Lacking a governing vision and desperate for a new villain — the old one had proven unbeatable — Democrats found one in Elon Musk, and they’ve managed to bring him down a notch. Musk’s dual role as the world’s richest man and head of the Department of Government Efficiency made him a natural target. Who is easier to demonize than a job-slashing billionaire?
Democrats flail while democracy flourishes

1 month ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

Is this rock bottom yet? The political world gasped at the dismal Democratic Party approval numbers released yesterday in new polls from NBC News and CNN. The former poll showed that only 27% of Americans held a positive view of the party, with only 7% holding a “very positive” view. Both are record lows for the poll. The CNN results, which found the Democrats’ approval at 29%, set the record for that poll as well. Theories abound for the Blue Team’s blues. Is it their policies?
Mahmoud Khalil is just the beginning

1 month ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and anti-Israel activist, tests President Donald Trump’s new policy to deport foreign nationals backing terrorist groups. The first case of its kind, it has ignited media frenzy and protests. How it unfolds could significantly influence the political climate during the initial phase of Trump’s second term.
Democrats need to kick their doomcasting addiction

1 month ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

Nearly everyone has an aunt on Facebook who indulges in daily political doomcasting. It’s difficult to witness — like a deadly addiction, sucking the life out hit-by-hit. Still, we hold our tongues. We endure it — we remember Christmas, weddings, and happy times, and we think, “Aunt Phyliss, love that one.”It isn’t her fault, after all. She has been conditioned for a cool decade to see signs of the Trump-ocalypse in every news item.
Happy about the national vibe shift? Thank Hamilton

1 month ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Peter Laffin

On Wednesday, Jeffrey Seller, producer of Broadway’s smash-hit Hamilton, announced the show would sever its long-standing ties with the Kennedy Center following the Trump administration’s takeover. The dismissal of several administrators caused Seller and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to conclude the center had lost its “neutrality” and “spirit of bipartisanship.”It’s a ludicrous suggestion, of course.