PBS Washington Week with The Atlantic - Full Show Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 1/16/25
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Jan 17, 2026 
Join David Sanger, a national security expert from The New York Times; Nick Schifrin, PBS NewsHour's foreign affairs correspondent; Jonathan Karl, ABC News' chief Washington correspondent; and Nancy Youssef, Pentagon correspondent for The Atlantic, as they navigate Trump’s influence on U.S. foreign policy. They discuss the halted strikes on Iran, the Pentagon’s reluctance to politicize military actions, and the growing divides within the GOP. Tune in for insights on media impacts and the shifting geopolitical landscape.
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Trump-Centered Foreign Policy
- Donald Trump has made himself the center of foreign-policy crises, creating constant unpredictability for allies and adversaries.
- That unpredictability removes traditional guardrails and forces partners to react rather than coordinate.
Why Iran's Uprising Is Hard To Predict
- Iran faces a dual dynamic: growing popular protests and a regime willing to use lethal force.
- That imbalance means the regime may persist despite unrest because protesters lack arms and the state retains coercive power.
Why The Strike Was Delayed
- Trump sought an off-ramp from a possible strike on Iran amid diplomatic pushback and limited military options.
- Allies like Israel and Arab states pressured against immediate strikes, reshaping his decision calculus.