Trump’s Pathetic Idea of Diplomacy and the Art of the Giveaway
We begin with yesterday’s embarrassing display of pathetic amateurism at the White House where our ridiculously out-of-his-depth president had a roundtable discussion with seven world leaders and NATO heads who were present out of desperation to do damage control. Caught on a hot mic, the most powerful man in the world with the most fragile ego is heard telling France’s president that Putin was agreeing to ending his war on Ukraine because of “ME”, before exiting the meeting to check in with his handler Putin while the others twiddled their thumbs. Joining us to discuss the joke that has become American diplomacy and the sad truth that if Trump were ever to make a deal, no one would take it seriously because he changes his mind on tariffs etc. and reverses himself the next day. Joining us is David Andelman, twice winner of the Deadline Club Award, and a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor. He is the author of A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today and A Red Line in the Sand: Diplomacy, Strategy, and the History of Wars That Might Still Happen. Formerly a correspondent for The New York Times and CBS News in Europe, he runs the Substack blog Andelman Unleashed.
After Sunday’s Massive Demonstrations, Can Israel’s Opposition Stop the War on Gaza?
Then we go to Israel to look into the massive demonstrations on Sunday to assess whether the Israeli opposition could end the war on Gaza and bring home what remains of the hostages. Joining us is Ori Goldberg, an Israeli author, academic, and political commentator. A former university professor who has written extensively on Iran, Israel and the relationship between religion and politics in the Middle East, he is currently an independent Israeli political analyst. He has an article at New Lines Magazine, “The Israeli Left Is Not Going To Save Gaza: Why a recent call for a ceasefire by 600 retired military and intelligence officials will have no impact on the Netanyahu government’s policy.”
The Fascistic Thuggery of Republican Legislators in Texas
Then finally we examine the fascistic thuggery of the Republican legislators in Texas who are treating Democratic lawmakers as criminals by having them shadowed 24/7 by police officers while locking one legislator into the chamber overnight after she refused to sign away her rights. Joining us is James Moore, an Emmy Award–winning television news correspondent who has covered Texas politics and has traveled extensively with every presidential campaign since 1976. He is the founder of Big Bend Strategies and publishes regularly at the Substack, “Texas to the World”
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