Donald Trump

Addressing the nation, leaders say one thing. Does their body language say another?

To those watching his addresses regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald J. Trump’s words and his body language have sometimes broadcast conflicting information, said Laura Dudley, a behavioral analyst at Northeastern University.

by Molly Callahan March 13, 2020

‘There’s reason to be optimistic about the Republican Party, or at least hopeful’

If Democrats move toward a socialist system, that could give Republicans an opportunity to “rise again in a healthy, very politically powerful way,” said Evan McMullin, the former chief policy director of the House Republican Conference, as part of a conversation Tuesday night at Northeastern about the future of the Republican party.

by Khalida Sarwari February 25, 2020

President Trump’s impeachment trial is underway. Here’s how we got here.

President Trump’s impeachment trial is underway. Here’s how we got here By Eunice Esomonu, Tyler Machado, Kaitlyn Budion, Molly Callahan, and Gregory Grinnell…

by Eunice Esomonu, Tyler Machado, Gregory Grinnell, Kaitlyn Budion and Molly Callahan January 22, 2020

Depiction of an empty seat at a congressional hearing

Here’s why the Constitution is frustratingly vague when it comes to impeachment

The language of the Constitution is sparse when it comes to impeachment, says Dan Urman, a Constitutional law scholar at Northeastern. The framers simply did not anticipate a government so entrenched in partisan politics.

by Molly Callahan October 11, 2019

Did Giuliani break the law with his Ukraine meetings?

It’s still unclear whether Giuliani, in his role as the president’s personal lawyer, broke the law in his dealings with Ukrainian officials, says Northeastern professor Jeremy Paul, who studies constitutional law and jurisprudence. But that uncertainty is a good thing.

by Molly Callahan October 1, 2019

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Anonymous sources help journalists break important stories. But they pose problems for reporters, too.

A recent spate of news stories relied on anonymous sources to report that President Donald Trump may have improperly pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate one of Trump’s political opponents.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa September 22, 2019

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket lifts off from space launch complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with the second Global Positioning System III payload on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Will Space Command help or hurt international relations in space?

The United States recently established Space Command, a military headquarters for space operations to match those in other countries. Northeastern professor Mai’a Cross questions whether the militarization of outer space could create conflict where there hasn’t been any.

by Molly Callahan September 5, 2019

What’s really at stake in the trade war between the US and China?

The tariffs that leaders in the United States and China imposed upon each other’s countries likely won’t have a huge effect on either economy, according to Northeastern economics professor William Dickens. But, he says, the underlying political brinkmanship could.

by Molly Callahan August 26, 2019

Robert Mueller was a reluctant witness. It really showed in his testimony to Congress.

For more than two years, voters and political leaders alike had been waiting to hear Robert Mueller speak. Throughout his congressional testimony on Wednesday, however, the special counsel appeared as though he wanted no part of the political spectacle.

by Ian Thomsen July 24, 2019

Is this the Space Race 2.0?

Space exploration “has always been about international cooperation and the betterment of humanity,” says Mai’a Cross, a professor at Northeastern whose newest research focuses on the international collaboration that fostered the Space Race of the 1960s. But some politicians and military officials describe space missions as necessary in order to “prepare for war in space,” she says.

by Molly Callahan July 11, 2019