Study Hall Member Tyler McBrien Traced the Origin of the Right’s New Favorite Bogeyman, “Lawfare”

For Mother Jones, Tyler McBrien wrote about former President Donald J. Trump’s obsessive use of the term “lawfare” and how it reveals him and the right’s understanding of the law. In the piece, McBrien explores how following Trump’s numerous criminal indictments, his supporters have promoted a baseless the law has been weaponized for politician gains. The piece also includes a brief history into the term. 

He writes, “Trump’s recent embrace of the term lawfare reflects his understanding of law as a pliable means to a political end, rather than a check on power and an impartial instrument of justice. For an emerging right, all is fair in law and war.” 

McBrien is the managing editor of Lawfare. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Slate.