The Al Franken Podcast Franklin Foer & Anne Applebaum on The Globe in 2025!
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Dec 14, 2025 
Join historian Anne Applebaum, known for her sharp insights on Eastern Europe, and Franklin Foer, a political journalist specializing in geopolitics, as they dive into Trump's first year back in office. They dissect eight conflicts Trump reportedly 'ended' while examining the tumultuous situations in the Middle East and Ukraine. Anne shares a poignant account of USAID cuts impacting global humanitarian efforts, while Franklin critiques the administration's handling of foreign relations and media influence. Their discussion unveils a complex, troubling landscape for democracy and diplomacy.
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USAID Cuts Seen In Sudan Hospital
- Anne Applebaum described visiting Sudan and seeing the immediate human impact of abrupt USAID cuts on malnourished children.
- A young doctor showed her U.S.-made peanut nutritional packs and felt obliged to prove they were not being wasted.
Eroded Expertise Harms Long-Term Diplomacy
- Anne Applebaum warned that firing and laying off experienced foreign‑policy civil servants erodes institutional know‑how.
- Rebuilding diplomatic and aid capacity later will force improvisation and costly mistakes.
Principles Without Implementation Fail
- The Trump Middle East plan produced quick alignment on vague principles but failed on substance and implementation.
- Normalizing Saudi‑Israel ties became less likely once Gulf states secured American promises without concessions.