🧵 1/ What Are Letters Of Marque And Reprisal And How Could They Be Used To Weaken Drug Cartels? 🚨
2/ Letters of marque and reprisal are government-issued commissions that authorize private citizens (privateers) to perform acts that would otherwise be considered piracy, like attacking enemy ships during wartime
Privateers are rewarded with a cut of the loot they “bring home”
3/ Legal Basis in the U.S.
The U.S. Constitution authorizes these commissions in Article I, Section 8, giving Congress the power to “grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal”
While Congress hasn’t issued one in over a century, the authority to do so still exists
4/ Modern Context: Mexican Drug Cartels
Using letters of marque could be a novel, but effective response to unique threats posed by drug cartels—especially in response to threats by the cartels to target U.S. planes returning illegal immigrants to their countries of origin
5/ How Could They Be Applied?
- Authorization: Congress could issue letters of marque and reprisal authorizing private security firms or specially trained civilians to intercept cartel operations, particularly those involving drug shipments or human trafficking across borders
- Targets: Focus on disrupting supply lines, capturing high-value targets, or seizing assets like boats, vehicles, cash, gold, or equipment used in criminal activities
6/ Advantages
- Flexibility: Private entities operate with more agility than the government, adapting quickly with the tactics of cartels
- Cost: Would reduce the financial burden on taxpayers, as privateers receive only a cut of what they recover & return to the U.S.
7/ Criticism
The use of letters of marque and reprisal would undoubtedly draw criticism, especially from those inclined to elevate abstract, often-inchoate principles of what they deem “international law” above the sovereign interests of the United States
8/ Dismissing the possible use of letters of marque to combat Mexican drug cartels—either on the basis of “international law” or otherwise—overlooks the clear and present threat posed by those cartels to the U.S.
This could prove to be an effective alternative to war
9/ We have no desire to go to war with our southern neighbor
But we also can’t ignore the fact that drug cartels are now threatening to target U.S. planes deporting illegal aliens
That sounds like a great reason to consider issuing letters of marque and reprisal
10/ Letters of marque and reprisal have worked well for the U.S.—and countless other countries—in the past
We’d be wrong not to consider using them against the cartels
11/ Please share if you like this idea—and follow if you’d like to see more posts about letters of marque and reprisal & other amazing, little-known features of the U.S. Constitution
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
1/ Utah is a Republican state—one that has been served by exclusively Republican governors for decades. And we’ve had decades of Republican majorities in both chambers of the legislature. Why, then, does Utah have a number of avowed leftists serving in its judicial system?
2/ Utah’s judicial nomination system is broken. Republican governors often end up naming left-wing judicial nominees who don’t share their views on the proper role of the courts—including basic concepts like textualism, originalism, and judicial modesty. It’s time for reform—to empower the governor to pick judges who align with the governor’s vision.
#UtahJudicialReform
3/ Here’s how it works today: For each judicial vacancy, a nominating commission (one per judicial district, plus an appellate commission for both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals) solicits and reviews applications each time a judicial vacancy arises. Each commission consists of seven members appointed by the governor. Members of each commission must be U.S. citizens and Utah residents, and may not be legislators.
🧵 1/ The Left’s latest push to “save democracy” is just a rebrand of their war on the Constitution. This @nytimes piece calls for abolishing the Senate, ending the Electoral College, and packing the Supreme Court. Let’s break this down.
2/ The Constitution gives each state equal representation in the Senate, balancing raw majority rule. The Electoral College ensures smaller states aren’t drowned out by big states. These are just two of the many deliberate, counter-majoritarian design features in our Constitution. The Left calls them “undemocratic.” In a sense, they’re right, but that’s the whole point of the Constitution—to restrain government, even (especially) when the majority doesn’t want the government to be restrained. nytimes.com/2025/08/14/opi…
3/ Why? Because these constitutional protections sometimes undermine their agenda. The Constitution isn’t a tool for unchecked majority rule—it’s a shield against it. That’s why I wrote Saving Nine—to show how our Constitution and independent judiciary protect us from mob rule.
1/6 🚨 HUGE WIN! President @realDonaldTrump just invoked Section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act, putting DC police under federal control and deploying the National Guard
This bold move addresses the rampant crime that’s plagued our nation’s capital for too long
Thank you, Mr. President, for prioritizing safety!
#FederalizeDC
2/6 The Constitution is clear: Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 gives Congress “exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever” over DC
Home Rule has been a disaster, enabling soft-on-crime policies that endanger residents and visitors alike
It’s time to repeal it entirely
#RepealDCHomeRule
3/6 DC’s murder rate is skyrocketing, carjackings are epidemic, and even DOGE staffers aren't safe
This isn’t just a local issue—it’s a national embarrassment, and the Constitution itself makes it a national issue
Federal oversight will restore order and make DC a model city again
@elonmusk and other prominent figures weighed in on this after Big Balls was attacked, noting that this is one of countless examples of the urgent need for change
🧵 1. With President Trump’s anticipated announcement tomorrow, August 11th, on stopping violent crime in DC, it’s time to push hard for federalizing our nation’s capital city
DC’s chaos under Mayor Bowser demands it—let’s revisit her 2020 blunder that sheds light on this
2. Mayor Bowser evicted over 1,200 National Guard troops, including Utah’s 19th Special Forces Group, from DC hotels during the George Floyd protests in 2020
She called the troop deployment escalatory, but they were protecting federal buildings and keeping order when DC couldn’t—or wouldn’t!
3. That eviction made DC less safe
Kicking out the Guard left DC exposed amid chaotic protests, with fires, vandalism, and clashes raging
Stripping away trained troops signaled weakness, putting residents, businesses, and monuments at higher risk of violence and looting