Undertaken by Events

Feb 6, 2025

A whirlwind of political drama unfolds as Trump proposes relocating Palestinians amidst the Gaza crisis, raising questions about U.S. foreign policy morality. The contrasting styles of Trump and Biden are scrutinized, offering fresh insights into their handling of Israel-Palestine relations. Meanwhile, Musk's radical reshaping of government agencies hints at a looming constitutional crisis. The episode dives into the dangers of political purges within federal employment, examining how ideological conformity threatens the very fabric of governance.

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INSIGHT

Genocidal Intent in Gaza

Trump's acknowledgement of Gaza's destruction reveals a potential genocidal intent.
This intent, though indirect, exposes a disregard for international norms.

INSIGHT

Decline of International Law

The rules-based international order seems like hot air, given recent events.
Trump's disregard for norms highlights the decline of international law.

INSIGHT

The Importance of Accurate Descriptions

Shadi Hamid argues that accurately describing events, like the Palestinian situation, is crucial.
This accurate description, however, is constantly contested politically.

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Donald Trump and Elon Musk are moving quickly, so we decided to release this episode a few days early. In a half-week of alarming developments, Trump has announced that the United States might send troops to Gaza to transfer the Palestinian population to Egypt or Jordan, and to aid in reconstructing the country. Elon Musk has become the undertaker of government agencies, the wrecker of the civil service. Through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has effectively shut down USAID, offered payouts to members of other agencies, and more.

In an effort to make sense of all this, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic are interrogated by WoC executive editor, Santiago Ramos. Is Trump serious about Gaza? What do his statements suggest about the possible endgames for the Gaza war and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian question? Was Shadi wrong to suggest that Trump might be better on this question than Biden was? Is Trump acting according to what he thinks is the national interest? Or is this a random shot in the dark?

The second issue — DOGE — prompts a more serious set of questions. Are we in a constitutional crisis? If not now, then will we be one in a few months time, when the judiciary steps in to check DOGE? Why exactly are Trump and Musk interested in hollowing out the administrative state? Are we in a watershed moment in American history? Is there anything that we can do to preserve the rule of law?

In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Shadi explains why he believes that ideology is driving Trump and Musk, rather than just the desire for power; Damir argues that he concept of punishment is essential to justice; and Santiago describes the difference between Louis XIV and Napoleon.

Required Reading

* “Trump Proposes U.S. Takeover of Gaza and Says All Palestinians Should Leave” (New York Times).

* Shadi Hamid, “Why an Arab American who backed Trump stands by his choice” (Washington Post).

* Marco Rubio on Trump’s Gaza comments (NBC).

* Rich Kushner’s February 2024 comments on “waterfront property” in Gaza (The Guardian).

* Shadi’s post about Trump v. Biden on Gaza (X).

* Damir Marusic, “Brushfire of the Vanities” (WoC).

* Liam Cunningham post (X).

* Patrick Deneen (Communia)’s two X posts: first and second.

* Patrick Deneen, Regime Change: Towards a Postliberal Future (Amazon).

* Patrick Deneen, Why Liberalism Failed (Amazon).

* Francis Fukuyama, “The end of history will be a sad time” (“The End of History?, PDF UCSD).

* John Ganz, “Groyperification” (Unpopular Front).

* Gabe Fleisher, “When I Will Call Something a ‘Constitutional Crisis’ ” (Wake Up to Politics).

* Thomas Edsall, “ ‘Trump’s Thomas Cromwell’ Is Waiting in the Wings” (New York Times).

* Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer, “The Trump Executive Orders as ‘Radical Constitutionalism’ ” (Executive Functions).

This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Governance and Markets.

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