Shield of the Republic

Eric welcomes Council on Foreign Relations President Mike Froman to discuss CFR's latest task force report on U.S. economic security. They explore the importance of AI, quantum computing and biotechnology as foundational technologies in today's strategic competition, the effort that China is investing in these technologies, and the market failures that have led the U.S. to underinvest in quantum and biotech. The conversation also covers supply chain vulnerabilities, human capital shortfalls in key areas of technology, and the tension in the Trump administration's effort to address China's growing technological dominance while simultaneously cutting funding for basic research at the NSF, NIH, and other institutions. U.S. Economic Security: Winning the Race for Tomorrow's Technologies: https://www.cfr.org/task-force-report/us-economic-security Mike Froman on Substack: https://mikefroman.substack.com/ Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Eric and Eliot discuss the newly released National Security Strategy's flaws, highlighting its incoherence and hostility to Europe. They note the strategy's unwillingness to identify Russia, China, and Iran as enemies of the United States and the abdication of the U.S. role in maintaining global order. The pair also discuss the latest pressure on Ukraine to capitulate to Russia before welcoming returning guest Representative Jim Himes for a conversation about the Trump Administration's Venezuela policy. Eric on the NSS in The Bulwark: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-national-security-strategy-foreign-policy-defense-allies-china-russia-iran-north-korea Eliot on the NSS in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/12/national-security-strategy-incoherent-babble/685166/?gift=KGDC3VdV8jaCufvP3bRsPhY0neK1oFmUu2ila2ZbOTc&utm_ The 2025 National Security Strategy: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Eric and Eliot return from Thanksgiving to dissect the revelations from the Washington Post about the double-tap strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in September. They discuss whether the strike was a war crime, the resignation of SOUTHCOM Commander Admiral Alvin Holsey, and the administration’s larger objectives in Venezuela. They also address the Department of Defense IG report on Signalgate, and explain why it does not constitute a ‘complete exoneration’. They conclude with a discussion of the Witkoff-Kushner “mission to Moscow”, the corruption crisis in Ukraine that ousted Presidential Chief of Staff Yermak, and the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the Trump cronies lining up to do business deals in Russia once the Ukrainians can be forced into submission. Show Notes: Former White House Counsel Bob Bauer on the Venezuela boat strikes: https://www.execfunctions.org/p/the-boat-strike-presidency Wall Street Journal Report on Witkoff & Kushner's Plans for Peace: https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-u-s-peace-business-ties-4db9b290? Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Eric and Eliot reflect on the memorial service for Vice President Dick Cheney and welcome Brigadier General (ret.) Ty Seidule, author of Robert E. Lee and Me and A Promise Delivered. They discuss the Commission created by Congress in 2020 to replace Confederate commemorations with tributes that better reflect American values, the pushback it faced, and why renaming military bases does not “change history.” The conversation also explores the post-Reconstruction myths behind these commemorations, the enduring appeal of the Confederate battle flag in certain right-wing circles, and the current controversy over reverting base names following efforts by Trump and Hegseth to overturn the Commission’s work. Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause: https://a.co/d/6H1iMaJ A Promise Delivered: Ten American Heroes and the Battle to Rename Our Nation’s Military Bases: https://a.co/d/b99Nvzv Take our quick listener survey and help us make The Bulwark even better. https://bit.ly/bulwarkaudio 

Eric welcomes Michael Hunzeker, associate director of the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, to discuss his new book America’s Taiwan Dilemma, co-authored with Mark Christopher. They explore why a nation’s reputation for credibility matters for deterrence and alliance management, and whether U.S. treaty allies in East Asia truly want Washington to defend Taiwan at all costs. The conversation also examines Taiwan’s globally essential semiconductor industry, the fate of Hong Kong following its integration into China, and how the Trump Administration is reshaping America’s East Asian system of bilateral alliances. America's Taiwan Dilemma: Allies' Reactions and the Stakes for US Reputation: https://a.co/d/6sgYh3D Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.