Thomas Gift

Political Scientist @UCL | Director @CUSP_ucl | Author, Killing Machines: Trump, the Law of War & the Future of Military Impunity (CUP, 2025)

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

I was, of course, on the wrong end of the joke @TheDailyShow

[LSE USAPP blog @LSEUSAblog]

Trump’s threats of extreme violence against Iran show his continuing disdain for the law of war writes @TGiftiv of @CUSP https://t.co/FYJW1YDG2X

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

I talked to @BostonGlobe recently about my new book “Killing Machines.” The key takeaway is that Trump’s record of military impunity isn’t new - it follows a long history of overtly challenging the laws of war.

@CUSP_ucl @uclspp @uclnews

https://t.co/COb3YlSC7l

[LSE USAPP blog @LSEUSAblog]

The US war on Iran is Pete Hegseth’s war writes @TGiftiv of @CUSP https://t.co/2yVhCjWTmd

[UCL Centre on US Politics (CUSP) @CUSP_ucl]

“Hegseth doesn’t just see the US playing a deterrent role. He wants to use that firepower to actively shape outcomes on the battlefield – elevating aggression over restraint,” @TGiftiv tells @theipaper

@uclspp @uclnews

https://t.co/bydJ3LOXM1

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

@DanKrcmaric @CambridgeUP @BethVanSchaack Congratulations, @DanKrcmaric -- a timely, well-researched, and important book!

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

Really looking forward to The Madman Theory by @jamesdboys @CUSP_ucl��a sharp, timely study of coercion, credibility, and strategic unpredictability. W/ Trump in office, it's essential reading for anyone thinking seriously about power and statecraft

[UCL Centre on US Politics (CUSP) @CUSP_ucl]

@UCL_CUSP is proud of @jamesdboys, Senior Research Fellow at CUSP, on his terrific new book on the Madman Theory—sharp, timely, and deeply relevant to today’s geopolitics. A must-read. Preorder now, from
@ManchesterUP. Strongly recommend!

https://t.co/QpF0OCz5fU

[UCL Political Science - School of Public Policy @uclspp]

Policy & Practice seminar: 22 Jan 2026, 18:15 – 19:30
'Is US Democracy Dead?'
Is American democracy truly in danger - or are such claims exaggerated and driven by fear-mongering? With @CUSP_ucl @TGiftiv. Find out more about our panel and register: https://t.co/F8mYMib6vZ

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

@AndrewBellUS @smh Thank you, @AndrewBellUS!

[UCL Centre on US Politics (CUSP) @CUSP_ucl]

"For the MAGA movement, the standard isn’t traditional conservative orthodoxy or institutional stewardship; it’s unflagging, public alignment with Trump’s wishes," @TGiftiv tells @Newsweek

@uclspp @uclnews

https://t.co/uKbfHltmr1

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

In @ConversationUK, @AndrewBellUS and I examine the legality of Trump’s military strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug vessels. The conclusion is clear: these operations undermine fundamental legal norms and rest on a logic of impunity

@uclspp @uclnews
https://t.co/5yTNwBkvNP

[LSE USAPP blog @LSEUSAblog]

Trump’s attacks on the laws of war risks emboldening other leaders writes @TGiftiv of @CUSP https://t.co/EOS9VgKmSy

[Cambridge University Press - Politics @CUP_PoliSci]

'Trump’s Challenges to the Law of War', a new blog by @tgiftiv, author of KILLING MACHINES
📚 https://t.co/qkqbAbw0N3

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

Trump isn’t just loosening rules of engagement—he’s dismantling the law of war itself. My new book Killing Machines shows how Trump, his allies in Congress & Fox News have made impunity a core part of US warfighting.

My latest for @CambridgeUP 1584 blog

https://t.co/0dTnorozMJ

[LSE USAPP blog @LSEUSAblog]

The 2025 elections showed the many different ways Democrats can win writes @TGiftiv of @CUSP https://t.co/u7yCcIv3pU

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

My new book #KillingMachines: Trump, the Law of War, & the Future of Military Impunity is out in print today from @CambridgeUP. In it, I argue that Trump is unique among modern US presidents in his open hostility toward the law of war.

@CUSP_ucl @uclspp @uclnews @AndrewBellUS

[LSE USAPP blog @LSEUSAblog]

Harvard shows the challenge for US universities in the face of Trump’s attacks on higher education writes @TGiftiv of @CUSP https://t.co/kHPO9ILGw9

[UCL Centre on US Politics (CUSP) @CUSP_ucl]

"Some of [Trump's] followers may even see [the shutdown] as a badge of honor—a direct rebuke to Beltway insiders who treat Washington grinding to a halt as a national crisis," @TGiftiv tells @newsweek

@uclspp @uclnews
https://t.co/ZHVO6XwwHA

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

My latest @ConversationUK on my new book "Killing Machines: Trump, the Law of War, and the Future of Military Impunity."

@CUSP_ucl @uclspp @uclnews
https://t.co/oTqKDjY3Wb

[Thomas Gift @TGiftiv]

My comments @washingtonpost

“The Insurrection Act grants the president enormous discretion—meaning that if Trump wanted to send troops into American cities, there would be few meaningful checks to prevent it.”

@uclspp @CUSP_ucl
https://t.co/bMP4eg25ZN