Pod Save the World Trump Barrels Towards War with Venezuela
102 snips
Oct 8, 2025 
Michael Froman, President of the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. Trade Representative, dives deep into Trump’s trade strategy and its implications for the global economy. He discusses the decline of the postwar rules-based trading system, emphasizing how the U.S. and China are creating competing frameworks. The conversation also highlights the soybean market as a significant flashpoint in trade wars and suggests that smaller coalitions could reshape tech regulations. Froman warns about the neglect of policies addressing worker displacement in the age of AI.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Legal Pretext For Military Action
- The Trump administration has built a legal rationale to treat suspected cartel actors as unlawful combatants and to use military force in the Caribbean.
- Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes warn this escalates toward possible regime-change actions against Venezuela with grave risks and no clear endgame.
Drugs Are A Weak Pretext
- Venezuela is not a primary source of fentanyl or the main route for drugs into the U.S., so the boat strikes address the wrong problem.
- Tommy and Ben argue the campaign against Venezuela is likely driven by oil, political ambitions, and desire for power, not drug interdiction.
Ceasefire Hope With Fragile Terms
- Hamas gave a qualified acceptance to Trump's 20-point plan focusing on hostage release tied to an end to the war and withdrawal.
- Tommy and Ben caution Trump lacks sustained leverage over Netanyahu and the plan's strategic ambiguity risks collapse after initial steps.