PBS News Hour - Brooks and Capehart Brooks and Capehart on Trump forcing allies to reevaluate ties with U.S.
Jan 23, 2026
David Brooks, New York Times columnist known for political and cultural analysis, and Jonathan Capehart, MSNBC commentator and journalist, break down how recent presidential actions have Western leaders rethinking ties with the U.S. They discuss transatlantic ruptures, spectacle-driven governance, ad hoc coalitions versus institutions, and controversial immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
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U.S. Foreign Relations Have Fractured
- David Brooks argues Trump's pattern is to overreach, offend, then back off, revealing a repeatable method.
- Europeans now view the U.S. as unpredictably volatile and are rethinking long-term security ties.
Greenland Episode Marked A Diplomatic Break
- Jonathan Capehart calls the Greenland episode a rupture showing the president was willing to risk NATO for territory.
- European leaders fear the U.S. could revert to such behavior every election cycle.
Rancor-Based Governance Risks More War
- David Brooks warns governing by rancor and force risks normalizing gangster-style geopolitics and increasing bloodshed.
- He links recent rises in war deaths to a shift away from rule-based order toward force.