Shield of the Republic

The hosts tackle the latest Pentagon antics, blending humor with serious political critique. They dive into the tumultuous U.S.-Russia relations and analyze Trump's shifting stance on Putin. A deep discussion on Gaza examines the complex truths behind the humanitarian crisis. The Captagon drug trade's ramifications on regional violence are explored, alongside the intricacies of governance in Lebanon and Syria. The podcast also highlights the challenges facing higher education amid political influences and offers a hopeful perspective on fostering academic diversity.

Karen Elliott House, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent and author, delves into the remarkable rise of Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). She discusses how MBS has spearheaded social reforms and cultural shifts in Saudi Arabia while grappling with political repression. The conversation touches on his ambitious projects like The Line city, the rise of women in the workforce, and the delicate balance between modernization and tradition. House also explores Saudi Arabia's role as a 'middle power' in global geopolitics, navigating complex relationships with nations like Iran and China.

Rebecca Friedman Lissner is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, while Mira Rapp-Hooper is a partner at the Asia Group and a former senior director for East Asia at the NSC. They delve into the implications of Trump's policies on the international order, discussing how these changes may lead to lasting disruptions. The conversation highlights the emergence of a multipolar world and the challenges America faces from rising powers like China. They also explore the vital intersection of technology and foreign policy, emphasizing the necessity for a coherent strategy in a shifting geopolitical landscape.

Delve into the chaos at the Pentagon as military aid to Ukraine faces obstacles. Discover the shifting dynamics of Trump’s defense policies and the confusion surrounding his stance on foreign relations. Explore the complexities of U.S. relationships with Russia, China, and Iran amid regional conflicts. A light-hearted interlude brings literary discussions into the fray, linking classic tales to contemporary dilemmas. Get insights into media cuts affecting global journalism amidst rising tensions, reflecting on the vital role of truthful reporting.

Eric and Eliot host a special Shield of the Republic episode to discuss the Iranian response to Trump's strike on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. They assess the largely symbolic Iranian attack on al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as an attempt to take an off ramp from further escalation as they did in the aftermath of the Soleimani strike in 2020. They also touch on why Trump did it, the difficulties of bomb damage assessment, what happened to the HEU and are there other Iranian facilities, the Israeli intelligence brief, the cracks in MAGA, Trump's sudden endorsement of regime change and the hypocrisy of those calling for a Congressional vote to legitimize the actions given their prior support for Obama's operation in Libya and Clinton's campaigns in Bosnia and Kosovo all of which took place without a vote. Eliot's Latest in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/trump-iran/683287/ Eric (with Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh) in Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/right-path-regime-change-iran Where Does Iran Go Now? (The New York Times): https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/opinion/iran-iranians-regime.html Inside the spy dossier that led Israel to war (The Economist): https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/06/18/inside-the-spy-dossier-that-led-israel-to-war Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

In a gripping discussion, military strategies in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict take center stage, revealing the complexities of intelligence gathering and potential outcomes. The hosts delve into the implications of U.S. military intervention and the internal splits within Trump's coalition regarding foreign policy. Historical parallels and the cultural influences on decision-making in Israel versus the U.S. are explored, highlighting the challenges of national security leadership amidst shifting geopolitical tensions.

Douglas Lute, a seasoned military strategist and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, shares his insights on the upcoming NATO Summit. He discusses the challenges of NATO defense spending and the unpredictability introduced by Trump, recounting a tense moment from 2017. Lute emphasizes European nations' evolving strategies in defense and the importance of unity in the face of global threats. He also touches on Ukraine's role in NATO discussions and the risks of politicizing military actions, highlighting the intricate balance of power within the alliance.

Eliot and Eric offer up candidates for jackassery of the week before turning to a discussion of The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780, (New York: Crown, 2025) the second volume of journalist/historian Rick Atkinson's monumental military history of the American revolution. They discuss Atkinson's background as a military journalist for the Washington Post who has written books about the Gulf War, the Iraq War and covered other late 20th and 21st Century conflicts before turning his attention to writing a trilogy on the US Army in Europe during the Second World War and now the American Revolution.  They discuss the depth of his research in both archives in the U.S. and UK as well as his process for researching and writing these massive volumes (each of which has taken about 5-6 years to produce) and the decline of grand narrative history in the academy (despite the public demand for it). They consider how his own experience as a journalist affected his sense of the contingency of warfare and the fact that there are always tensions between the architects of war in capitals and the officers and troops on the ground. He explains how King George III and his ministers never understood the American drive for independence and were gripped by strategic misconceptions about how to fight the war, including the notion that there was a silent majority of North Americans who supported the monarchy despite the fact that the loyalists had mostly fled the colonies to Canada, the Caribbean or London. They discuss the star crossed career of Benedict Arnold, Washington's generalship at the Battle of Brandywine in Pennsylvania, and, finally, how Americans should think about the meaning of the American revolution today as we celebrate the sesquicentennial of the war for independence over the next 8 years. The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780: https://a.co/d/b6rFlQV The Liberation Trilogy Boxed Set: An Army at Dawn, The Day of Battle, The Guns at Last Light: https://a.co/d/dWBRojr Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

The discussion opens with a critique of political antics, including Medicaid cuts and Trump's bizarre social media behavior. They analyze a Ukrainian drone strike and its potential to reshape military tactics. The conversation shifts to the complexities of ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Syria, questioning Israel's objectives and the implications of a potential Trump-Iran deal. They also delve into the evolution of warfare, considering how AI and drones are revolutionizing military strategy, and the pressing need for awareness of these modern threats.

Eliot returns from overseas travel and brings back the jackassery of the week segment with him. He and Eric discuss the President's reliance on totally fraudulent evidence while ambushing the President of South Africa with a video alleging genocide against whites in his country, the President's bizarre commencement address at the "Army Acadmey," the disembowling of the national security council staff, and the continued sniping in the immediate office of the Secretary of Defense. Eliot also reports on the "strategic ghosts" haunting the chanceries of Europe and his visits to Edinburgh, London, Tallinn, Stockholm and Warsaw. They discuss the UK Strategic Defense Review and Britain's post-imperial overstretch, Eliot's attendance at the Lennert Meri Conference in Estonia and that country's memories of absorption into the Soviet Union and its fears of Russian revanchism, Russian gray zone activity in the Baltic Sea, Russian troop movements in the north and the threat to the Nordics, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's unpublished threatening letter to the Swedes in 2021, Sweden's "armed neutrality" during the Cold War, the nuclear question that hangs over Poland as well as Polish resentments at past betrayals, Russia's evolution into a perpetual warfare state, and European efforts to both rearm, assist Ukraine and influence Trump (and their chances of success on the latter front). Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.