The Rule of Law Brief

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , Nate Charles breaks down what actually went wrong during the U.S. drug-boat strikes in the Caribbean — and why the legal failures weren’t subtle, debatable, or ambiguous. Drawing on his experience as a former Navy SEAL officer assigned to JSOC, Nate explains how a lawful land-warfare tactic — the “double-tap” used against armed combatants inside a declare...

In this second installment of our series on international criminal accountability, Nate Charles addresses the most fundamental question in atrocity law: Who is actually responsible for enforcing war crimes and crimes against humanity? It’s a harder question than it sounds. As Nate explains, everything turns on the doctrine of state sovereignty —the principle that gives each nation supreme authorit...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , Nate Charles responds to a listener’s questions about the recent U.S. military strikes on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean. Instead of treating the questions in isolation, Nate reframes the discussion to explain—clearly and directly—the difference between a war crime and a crime against humanity , where these concepts come from, and why the distinction...

In this episode, I address a persistent and misguided argument: the claim that the Geneva Conventions do not apply because the United States is not in a formally declared war. That view collapses the moment you read the text of the treaties themselves. Common Article 2 applies in any armed conflict—“even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them.” And Common Article 3 applies in non-int...

In this urgent Thanksgiving-week briefing, Nate Charles — former Navy SEAL, counterterrorism officer, and federal prosecutor — addresses the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House by an Afghan national. He explains why this incident demands seriousness, accuracy, and moral clarity. Drawing on three Afghanistan combat tours and years inside the National Security Division of DO...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , I answer a direct question from a follower: Who can stop Donald Trump at this point? The honest answer is uncomfortable—and it exposes the structural vulnerabilities in our constitutional system. I walk through the basic checks and balances the Framers designed: judicial review, the power of the purse, and impeachment. Then we examine how each of those me...

In this urgent briefing, I break down new Associated Press reporting that the FBI’s counterterrorism division has opened an inquiry into Members of Congress who appeared in a video urging U.S. service members to refuse illegal orders. I explain why this is far more than a political dispute: it strikes at the core of the FBI’s own governing rules—the Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide (DI...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , I break down the sudden firing of Capt. Gilbert Clark, the Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. The official reason—“loss of confidence”—is the Navy’s most opaque euphemism, a phrase that conceals far more than it reveals. I explain what that term actually means inside the fleet, and why it tells us nothing about what really happened. I tal...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , Nate Charles breaks down two explosive developments from the past 24 hours: 1. A federal judge has dismissed the indictments against James Comey and Letitia James after finding that Donald Trump’s hand-picked interim U.S. Attorney was unlawfully appointed. Every action she took—including the indictments themselves—was legally void. The Comey charges are n...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , attorney and former Navy officer Nate Charles dismantles the latest wave of Republican attacks on Democratic lawmakers who reminded U.S. servicemembers of a simple legal truth: troops must obey lawful orders and refuse unlawful ones . Drawing on his own training at the U.S. Naval Academy—where within the first week midshipmen are taught the distinction be...

In today’s episode of The Rule of Law Brief , I break down a problem that has infected American political debate for decades: the rampant misuse of the words “communism” and “socialism.” We start with the actual Merriam-Webster definitions —not the pop-culture ones, not the partisan caricatures, but the authoritative economic and political meanings of these terms. From there, we examine how the mo...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , I take a moment to recognize a major achievement by my brother, Jordan Charles—Vice President of the New Glenn Business Unit at Blue Origin—and the entire team responsible for yesterday’s New Glenn launch and booster recovery. But this isn’t just a family milestone. It’s a chance to examine what spaceflight represents for a democratic society: curiosity,...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , Nate Charles examines the latest congressional release of Jeffrey Epstein’s emails — including Epstein’s own statement that Donald Trump “spent hours at my house” with one of the young women later identified as a trafficking victim. Rather than focusing on the salacious details, this episode explores a far more dangerous dynamic: the deliberate “slow drip...

In this Veterans Day message, Nate Charles speaks candidly about the tension between pride in service and disillusionment with the nation’s current direction. He explains that the oath of service was never to a person or a party, but to the Constitution — a document meant to outlast any single leader. Drawing from his own experience as a Navy SEAL and federal prosecutor, Charles explores the autho...

In this deeply personal episode of The Rule of Law Brief , I share the hardest lesson I’ve ever learned. Two years after starting my own law firm, my marriage collapsed — and it was my fault. In the aftermath, as I faced false allegations, isolation, and loss, I discovered something I hadn’t expected: that my ability to recover, to rebuild, and even to love again was itself a reflection of privile...

Summary: In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , Nate Charles challenges one of the most emotionally charged debates in American politics: whether it’s fair to compare the MAGA movement to the Nazis. His answer? Absolutely. Charles explains that critics of the comparison are looking at the wrong era. The relevant parallel isn’t Nazi Germany in 1945—it’s Germany in the early 1930s, when Hitler’s...

In this No Kings Day edition of The Rule of Law Brief , Nathan M. F. Charles reflects on a day that was ebullient, peaceful, and profoundly human. From the sidewalks of Veterans Park in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, he shares an on-the-ground view of a rally that drew hundreds — neighbors, veterans, families, and students — standing shoulder to shoulder for democracy and decency. Nate explains why he rej...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , I break down the recent federal indictment out of the Northern District of Texas — the one DOJ and FBI officials are touting as proof that an “Antifa cell” has finally been charged as terrorists. Here’s the truth: * The defendants, Cameron Arnold and Zachary Evitts , are charged under 18 U.S.C. § 2339A , the catch-all material-support statute, not § 2339B...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , Nate Charles shares some exciting news: Alana Wade has returned to Charles International Law , this time as a full-fledged associate attorney . Alana was part of the team before the firm even had its current name — when Charles International Law was still an idea in motion. Since then, she’s gone on to achieve remarkable things: earning her law degree, pa...

In this brief installment of The Rule of Law Brief , I share a quick announcement about the upcoming No Kings Rally in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, October 18th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: Veterans Park, 521 South 9th Street, Lebanon, PA — look for the big tank at the intersection. Pro tip: The rail trail runs right through the park — consider parking along the trail and walking in to...

In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief , Nathan Charles examines the chilling historical parallels between Nazi Germany’s SA — the Brownshirts — and the modern evolution of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Directorate. Both movements, he argues, have grown their ranks by appealing to toxic masculinity — promising disaffected men a sense of belonging, purpose, and “strength” through...

Republicans love to claim that Democrats want to “give free health care to illegal aliens.”But the truth is far more complicated—and far more revealing. In this episode, Nate Charles breaks down the real policies behind that talking point: * EMTALA , the Reagan-era law that guarantees emergency care for everyone; * Emergency Medicaid and Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments , which keep hospit...

In this episode, Nathan Charles takes on the MAGA movement’s obsession with superficial “manhood.” From Pete Hegseth railing about beards and “fat generals,” to Donald Trump’s spray-tan persona, to the millions of dollars in plastic surgery stitched into the faces of Republican leadership—MAGA’s brand of masculinity is all performance, no courage. Drawing on his experience as a Navy SEAL officer a...

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted at Donald Trump’s direction — an alarming step that weaponizes the Justice Department against political rivals. In this episode, I break down why this prosecution is so troubling under DOJ’s own Principles of Federal Prosecution and why the case against Comey is extraordinarily weak. We’ll cover: * Why DOJ standards require evidence strong enough t...

In this thought of the day, Nate Charles responds to Donald Trump’s push to label Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization.” That’s not how U.S. law works. Americans have the right to freedom of association under the First Amendment, and no president can just invent a terrorist list for domestic groups. To underscore the absurdity, Nate went ahead and founded the Antifa Maryland chapter—complete...