Consider This from NPR Is the Trump foreign policy back to the future?
20 snips
Jan 8, 2026 
Michael Froman, former U.S. Trade Representative and current president of the Council on Foreign Relations, dives into the echoes of 19th-century policies in Trump's presidency. He critiques U.S. military actions in Venezuela and discusses the erosion of the post-WWII rules-based order. Froman explores the tension between power and rules, linking Trump's transactional approach to strategic interests like oil. He highlights that contrary to isolationist views, Trump's second term reveals a more engaged international stance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
19th-Century Echoes In Modern Policy
- President Trump's rhetoric and policies echo 19th-century practices like high tariffs and territorial expansion.
- The episode connects modern moves (tariffs, Greenland, Venezuela) to historical precedents from the late 1800s.
Credit Mobilier Parable For Modern Influence
- The episode recounts the 1872 Credit Mobilier scandal where railroad stockholders cheated their company and bribed officials.
- It uses that example to parallel today's big-tech industry courting the current administration.
Big Tech Mirrors Gilded Age Power
- The podcast highlights parallels between railroads then and AI companies now as billion-dollar industries courting political favors.
- It names Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI leaders donating to Trump's inauguration as modern examples.