Patrick J. Murphy

07/03/2026

As America approaches its 250th birthday, I find myself thinking a lot about what it means to love our country. At a time when pride in being American has fallen to a record low, it's worth asking what it means to be patriotic.

Patriotism has never meant pretending America is perfect. Nor has it ever meant blind loyalty to those in power. It has always meant ownership: the belief that this country is yours to improve, and yours to protect, even when it falls short of its ideals.

Frederick Douglass understood this better than anyone. His speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?“ remains one of the most devastating indictments of America ever delivered. Yet Douglass later recruited Black men—including his own sons—to fight for the Union during the Civil War.

I learned my own version of patriotism in uniform as well. I deployed to Baghdad with the 82nd Airborne in 2003 and came home having lost 19 men. The war was a strategic failure. But the paratroopers and Iraqis who worked alongside us in 130 degree heat, risking everything for freedoms they had never known, changed how I understood my own obligations. If they were willing to risk everything for the future of their country, I had no excuse not to do the same for mine.

That conviction eventually led me from military service to Congress, where I tried to help America live up more fully to its ideals.

It’s easy to be disillusioned by a country that has failed and fails so many of its citizens. But the answer is not disengagement or despair. We must be active participants in our democracy. The country you want exists in proportion to the work you put into building it. Now is the time to take ownership of our problems and invest in our solutions.

The flag doesn't belong to one party. It belongs to all of us. What we do with it is up to us.

I write about this in my latest substack. Read here:



https://www.facebook.com/share/18xeWaK6Sf/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Patriotism has never meant pretending America is perfect. It has always meant believing the country is yours to improve.

03/30/2026

I didn’t get into University of Notre Dame.

Applied twice. Rejected twice. No ambiguity.
This weekend, they invited me back—for the second time—to give a keynote.

So… I guess we’re even. Ha.

I spoke about two things I know something about: military service and the law. Specifically, the gap between the justice system people with lawyers get—and the one too many are left to navigate on their own. Veterans fall into that gap more often than most people realize.

That’s why clinics like this matter. They don’t just provide legal services—they make the system actually work for the people it’s supposed to serve.

There’s a reason Dick the Butcher wanted to get rid of the lawyers first in Henry VI, Part 2. The people who want to cut corners have always known lawyers are the obstacle.
Veteran lawyers especially. They show up with a different mindset—one grounded in service, accountability, and actually getting things done.

Grateful to be invited back—on much better terms this time.
Full remarks and video of the speech are in the link below.
Go Irish.

My keynote address at Notre Dame's Veterans Law Clinic on public service and the two justice systems in America.

03/04/2026

I taught constitutional law at West Point before serving overseas twice. Article I isn’t complicated: the authority to take this country to war belongs to Congress.

No one should mourn the Iranian regime. But whether a regime is brutal is not the constitutional test for war.

Eight months ago, the United States decimated Iran’s nuclear capabilities. There is no clear imminent threat to American lives that would traditionally justify a unilateral strike.

Supporting our troops and insisting on following the constitutional are not contradictory. They are the same responsibility we all have as Americans. 🇺🇸

03/02/2026

The past few days have reshaped the geopolitical landscape in ways we are only beginning to grasp. Having served in Iraq, I have seen firsthand how quickly military action can shift from decisive to destabilizing. Especially in this region. And having served in government, I understand the weight of the oath to uphold the Constitution.

Here are some things worth considering before forming hard opinions.

1. Trump violated the Constitution by acting unilaterally (again)

When we went to war in Iraq, it's because Congress voted in favor of it.

Our military action in Iran came from a video Trump posted to Truth Social.

Article I of the Constitution enumerates only to Congress the power to declare war.

This is already being described as an extensive campaign aimed at regime change. That is not a limited strike. And if there are U.S. troops on the ground, Congress must vote.

2. The Iranian regime is brutal and the Iranian people deserve better.

The IRGC is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Over the past few months, more than 30,000 Iranian citizens have been killed protesting for their freedom. The humanitarian situation there is dire. You can believe the ayatollahs must go and still insist that American war powers follow American law & our constitution.

3. Taking out Khamenei and his leadership is a military win, but what’s the long-term answer?

Early military success does not guarantee a successful mission. Iraq taught us that. Six weeks into the invasion, Saddam’s Ba’ath Party was toppled, and President Bush stood on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln under a “Mission Accomplished” banner and declared major combat operations over. Then the insurgency started, which led to eight more years of war.

4. The IRGC essentially *is* the regime.

With over 125,000 personnel and a shadow economy controlling 30-40% of Iran's GDP and decades of entrenched proxy relationships with Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis that don't dissolve because the top brass is gone. Dismantling the IRGC is a generational project.

I've published a piece on Substack breaking all of this down in more detail. Would love to hear your thoughts:

https://patrickmurphypa.substack.com/p/unpacking-the-us-israel-strikes-on

Vetrepreneur - The Wharton School Lecturer - Former Congressman - 32nd Under Secretary of the Army - Emmy Award Winner & Host Yahoo Finance ‘Warrior Money’ - Soldier-Statesman. Click to read The Secretary's SitRep, by Patrick J. Murphy, a Substack publication.

02/24/2026

This weekend reminded me why I’m proud to be American. Watching Team USA beat Canada in overtime to win our first men’s hockey gold since the 1980 Miracle on Ice was emotional in a way I didn’t expect.

My brother JJ and I grew up playing hockey. Every weekend, we were up at 5 a.m. and on the ice by 6. Our dad drove us every time. For the three of us to watch that game together felt full circle.

But what moved me most happened after the final buzzer.

The men's team held up jersey #13 for Johnny Gaudreau and brought his son and daughter onto the ice.

Johnny and his brother Matthew were tragically killed by a drunk driver two years ago, the day before their sister's wedding. That moment of remembrance, in front of the whole world, said everything about the character of this team.

The day before, my faith in America was also reinforced by the strength of the high court’s independence.

The Supreme Court issued a 6–3 decision ruling against Trump’s tariffs, with two of Trump’s own appointees joining the majority. It is reassuring to see our constitutional system functioning as designed.

It was a good weekend for American confidence.��I wrote more about both moments in my latest Substack. Read here:

https://lnkd.in/gzb_9YFB (https://lnkd.in/gS4hGQCM)

https://open.substack.com/pub/patrickmurphypa/p/two-american-wins-this-weekend-one?r=14qjx&utm_medium=ios

From Olympic gold to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling. Here's what both mean for America in 2026.

02/16/2026

Presidents' Day began as a tribute to the birthdays of Washington and later Lincoln. Now it's mostly a three-day weekend with a mattress sale.

But since you opened LinkedIn on your day off, let me tell you what matters about the presidents we're honoring.

When people think of Washington, his battlefield heroics likely come to mind. But just as important to his legacy was setting the precedent for term limits.

No other major world leaders walked away from power at the time. Washington could’ve been President for life if he wanted. Many expected him to. Instead, he stepped aside, and in doing so modeled the democratic transfer of power for the rest of the world.

(If you're a Hamilton fan, the song "One Last Time" captures this better than most history books.)

This isn’t just a history lesson about our first president. It’s a life lesson that can be applied to your leadership, too.

I wrote more about lessons from our presidents on my Substack, which you can read here:

Enjoy the Monday off -- and the sales if you must! 🇺🇸

The presidents who mattered most were system-builders under fire.

02/10/2026

Proud this story is an out my Paratrooper Uncle Billy Rapone, 101st Airborne in Vietnam & 82nd Airborne when he got back. Wrote a Substack column on him today.

12/15/2025

Breaking bread tonight with the real heroes at Evesham Fire-Rescue alongside my buddy Captain Jim Heisler - Army combat medic, 19-year fire service veteran, and the definition of calm under pressure.

Naturally, I had to provide 'advanced technical instruction' on proper fire pole usage.

You're welcome gentlemen. 🔥

12/11/2025

When I say American Veterans are civic assets, that they are more likely to come home and volunteer & give back, former 75th Army Ranger Sean Peck & now Pendell Borough Police Office in the embodiment of that.

Now back home in Bucks County, Sean showed all of us at 4:40am this morning, a four alarm fire rang out, volunteer firefighter were at the scene when Pendell Police Officer Sean Peck sprang into action, risking his own life to run into a burning home and pull 8 family members out.

Thank God we have leaders of character like Sean Peck. Makes me so proud to call him a friend & fellow soldier for life.

With Julie Mason

12/10/2025

On this week’s episode of Warrior Money, Dan and I take a deeper look at the narratives shaping veteran life today — breaking down persistent myths around VA disability, calling out the predatory claim services exploiting those who served, and highlighting why veterans remain some of the most valuable civic assets in our communities.

It’s also Army–Navy Week, a tradition that brings out the very best of service, spirit, and rivalry. We’re proud to be hosting this year’s Army–Navy Conference at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, convening leaders across the public and private sectors to discuss national security, innovation, and the future of American competitiveness.

Looking forward to a great week of dialogue and competition.
Go Army, Beat Navy!