One of the many ironies of the Trump presidency: While claiming that America is now greater and more powerful than ever, Donald Trump has, in fact, made the U.S. weaker and more isolated than ever.
Even as he imagines himself as one of the Great Leaders of History — Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Attila the Hun — and builds gaudy monuments to himself, Trump in reality is the Appeaser-in-Chief presiding over American decline.
On today’s “To the Contrary” podcast, I’m joined by Phillips O’Brien, who is a professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews, and author of the invaluable “Phillips's Newsletter.” O'Brien dives into Trump’s abandonment of the Venezuelan democracy movement and the Iranian opposition; the decline of U.S. influence in Europe; why Trump only bullies democracies; and his endless appeasement of Russian aggression.
You can read some of O’Brien’s latest work here:
Subscribers can listen to an ad-free version right here… or you can watch on YouTube / Listen (and subscribe) on Apple/ Spotify / iHeart / RSS Feed
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Some highlights of my conversation with Phillips O’Brien
Trump only bullies democracies and US allies.
Trump lost the war with Iran.
The Russian attacks on European countries — including the drone attack on Leipzig Airport — are acts of war.
The European response is weak. But are we any different? The Russians are helping the Iranians kill Americans. Trump’s response?
Bonus: Trump’s Edifice Complex w/ Molly Jong-Fast
I joined Molly’s podcast on Friday with some thoughts on Trump’s Arch of Narcissism….
Saturday dogs
By popular demand, another shot of Eli riding out the storm by listening to my wife playing the piano.
And… in the fireplace…
