Balance of Power Trump’s New White House Press Secretary Out After Five Days
Oct 16, 2026
Tyler Kendall, a Bloomberg Washington correspondent, examines Katie Zachariah’s chaotic five-day tenure and Trump’s Georgia campaign challenges. Melinda Haring, an Atlantic Council fellow focused on Ukraine, discusses strained U.S.-Ukraine ties, air-defense shortages, intelligence alternatives and Russia sanctions. Gregory Allen, an AI policy expert and former Pentagon strategist, explores Anthropic’s IPO, safety rules, chip controls and the risks of massive AI infrastructure spending.
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Ukraine Must Find Spare Patriot Interceptors
- Ukraine should urgently seek Patriot interceptors from countries holding spare systems because alternatives cannot reliably stop ballistic missiles.
- Haring specifically identified Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Spain as potential sources.
Ukraine Can Offset Some U.S. Intelligence Losses
- Reduced U.S. intelligence sharing would make Ukraine’s defense harder but would not end the war.
- Haring noted that Ukraine can expand European intelligence arrangements while building its own system.
American Public Support Outlasts White House Tensions
- European backing is crucial, but Haring rejects the idea that Ukraine has only one ally because American public support remains substantial.
- She cited 53% support for sanctions on Russian oil and gas and growing donations to Ukrainian charities.