Shield of the Republic

<div> <p>Eric and Eliot lament the firing of 200 Foreign Service officers and the recent large-scale exodus of senior diplomats from public service. They discuss the impact of the Trump Administration's diplomatic malpractice including the handling of Operation Freedom and their own disagreements about it. They assess the likely costs of ensuring Iran is not left in control of the Strait of Hormuz and the inevitable long-term future US presence in the Persian Gulf. They also consider the impact of the UK local elections and the collapse of support for Keir Starmer's Labour Party. Finally, they address the US troop withdrawals from Germany and Vladimir Putin's worsening political, economic, and personal situation.</p><p>Eric &amp; Frank Miller on Withdrawing From Germany:<br><a href="https://www.thebulwark.com/p/withdrawing-troops-from-germany-is-own-goal-trump-merz-nato">https://www.thebulwark.com/p/withdrawing-troops-from-germany-is-own-goal-trump-merz-nato</a></p><p>Secretary Hegseth's Defense Budget Video:<br><a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/2052396775797891417?s=20">https://x.com/SecWar/status/2052396775797891417?s=20</a></p><p>Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.</p></div>

<div> <p>Eric and Eliot discuss Pete Hegseth's job security amidst the ongoing war with Iran. They recap his contemptuous testimony at a House Armed Services Committee budget hearing and Vice President Vance's efforts to distance himself from the war through planted stories. They then turn to King Charles III and Queen Camilla's visit to the United States and review the King's speech to a joint session of Congress. Finally, they discuss recent military developments in southern Lebanon, including Hezbollah's fiber-optic drone capabilities that highlight the changing nature of war.</p><p>Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.</p></div>

<div> <p>Eric and Eliot review an extended buffet of jackassery before turning to the current state of affairs in Iran. They assess the prospects for a negotiated settlement to the war, and whether we could end up in a "no war, no peace" situation. They also discuss the mutual incomprehension that leaders in both countries exhibit regarding the interests and intentions of the other, Iran's new collective leadership in the wake of Ali Khamenei's death, and the structural similarity to the situation faced by Soviet leaders after the death of Stalin. Finally, they respond to reports that the administration is considering deporting to the Democratic Republic of the Congo roughly eleven hundred Afghans in Qatar who were evacuated in 2021 amidst the US withdrawal.</p><p><em>Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.</em></p></div>

<div> <p>Eric welcomes Eliot back from his sojourn in Spain to break down the latest jackassery from the administration. They discuss the current state of the Iran war, including the somehow simultaneously open and closed Strait of Hormuz, the ongoing negotiations, and how China factors into the conflict. Turning to Europe, they assess Viktor Orban’s electoral defeat in Hungary and the blow it strikes against Trump, Vance, MAGA, and the European right writ large. The conversation also covers the U.S.’s diminishing support for Ukraine and the battlefield situation amidst Russia’s spring offensive. They wrap up with thoughts about the broader European reaction to Trump’s continued threat to withdraw from NATO and Trump’s architectural plans for the nation’s capital.</p><p><em>Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.</em></p></div>

<div> <p>Eric welcomes The Bulwark's own Mona Charen back to the show to discuss the week's developments. They cover the President's meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the Vice President's trip to Hungary before pivoting to Vance's new diplomatic assignment to negotiate an end to the war with Iran. They assess the potential impact on Vance's political aspirations and the splits in MAGA world over the war. They also discuss the role Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu played in persuading Trump to go to war and the catastrophic damage that Bibi has done to Israel's support in the U.S. Finally, they examine the Trump administration's hostility to Catholicism and rebuke recent comparisons between presidents Trump &amp; Reagan.</p><p>Eric's Latest in The Dispatch:<br><a href="https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-threats-abandon-nato/">https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-threats-abandon-nato/</a></p><p>Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.</p></div>