Shield of the Republic

Eric and Eliot begin with reflections on recent domestic political developments and the "horseshoe theory" uniting political extremes around isolationism and anti-Israeli sentiment. They then discuss the ongoing negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz and the difficulties the Iranian government and Trump administration have created for themselves. From there they move to the recent cyberattacks on American water systems and the seemingly blasé response by both the Trump administration and the larger public. The two also highlight Russia's ongoing hybrid war with Europe and the tightening links among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. They revisit the continuing degradation of Turkish democracy before wrapping up with thoughts on the recent migrant surge into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
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Congressional Budget Office Analysis of the Trump-Class Battleship:
https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2026-08/62550-battleships.pdf
CSIS Report on Low Munition Stocks:
https://www.csis.org/analysis/six-reasons-why-united-states-low-munitions
IISS Report on Russia's Hybrid War Operations:
https://www.iiss.org/research-paper/2025/08/the-scale-of-russian--sabotage-operations--against-europes-critical--infrastructure/
Garry Kasparov on the DSA:
https://open.substack.com/pub/persuasion1/p/the-dsa-is-a-menace?r=24onkh&utm_
Kathy Gilsinan on the GOP's Groyper Problem:
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/01/heritage-foundation-young-republicans-groypers-hiring-01006937
Tucker Carlson's Manifesto:
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/06/tucker-carlson-third-party-israel-trump
Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Eric begins with major show news before pivoting to the jackassery of the week with Eliot. They then analyze Trump's interactions with Bibi Netanyahu and Vladimir Zelensky at Lindsey Graham's funeral and discuss the ways in which the Iranian and Ukrainian wars are increasingly intertwined. The two discuss Iran's ongoing unwillingness to "take yes for an answer" as evidenced by their recent strikes across the region. Historian and Professor Robert Parkinson then joins the show to discuss his recent book Tyrants and Rogues: Understanding the Declaration of Independence. Parkinson explains his focus on the twenty-seven colonial grievances listed in the Declaration, the crown's misjudgments in attempting to address colonial discontent, and Thomas Jefferson's additional two grievances that were edited out--among other topics.
Greg Jaffe & Kate Kelly in the New York Times on Adm. Daryl Caudle:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/26/us/politics/caudle-navy-hegseth-parlatore-promotion.html
Tyrants and Rogues: Understanding the Declaration of Independence
https://a.co/d/0bPfR7hl
Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Eliot returns from his trip to western Canada to review the latest jackassery with Eric. The two discuss recent developments surrounding a potential U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement and contextualize it against the history of U.S. non-proliferation and counter-proliferation efforts. They also reflect on their personal experiences with the late Senator Lindsey Graham and examine his legacy. From there they turn to the latest updates from Ukraine, including President Zelensky's dismissal of Defense Minister Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi. Finally, they consider the ongoing likelihood of escalation in Iran.
Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Eric welcomes back friend of the show Professor Hal Brands, the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. The two discuss Hal's recent work, beginning with his column in Bloomberg dissecting the key strategic errors that Trump has made in the ongoing war with Iran. Hal then breaks down his recent essay with Michael Beckley in Foreign Affairs, which examines global conflict through the lens of "heartland" and "rimland" coalitions. Finally, they turn to Hal's latest edited volume which brings together essays by a large group of scholars considering the many ways that AI may change the nature of international affairs, the conduct of war, and global order. 
Hal Brands' latest in Bloomberg:
https://www.aei.org/op-eds/trumps-iran-blunder-shows-strategy-can-defeat-firepower/
Hal Brands & Michael Beckley's latest in Foreign Affairs:
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/heartland-vs-rimland-beckley-brands
The Geopolitics of AI: Power, Conflict, and the Future of Global Order:
Free PDF via Johns Hopkins University Press 
Hard copy via Amazon
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 catch up for the first time in a month after returning from overseas. They break down the latest jackassery, from Graham Platner's campaign implosion to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gifting revolvers and live, gold-plated ammunition to the heads of state at the recent NATO summit. They assess the NATO summit more broadly and note the caveats to Trump's promise to provide Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missile defense interceptors. Eric unpacks his recent Bulwark piece on the conspiracy of silence at the gathering related to Turkey's democratic backsliding. They also discuss recent investigations into China's assistance to Russia's war effort, the state of the "ceasefire" with Iran, and Rahm Emanuel's speech in Tel Aviv. Finally, they trade observations from their travels to France and Eastern Europe.
Eliot's latest in the Atlantic (gift link):
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/07/america-france-enduring-relationship/687844/?gift=KGDC3VdV8jaCufvP3bRsPg9Zn56KAT0A_Vk94nJcGVU&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
Eric's latest in the Bulwark:
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-one-word-trump-wont-say-in-turkey-nato-summit-democracy-human-rights-europe-erdogan
Nate Swanson on Iran overplaying its hand:
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/iran-won-war-may-lose-peace
Howard Altman on the problems with the Ukraine Patriot licensing deal:
https://www.twz.com/land/ukraine-built-patriot-missiles-wont-be-defending-the-countrys-skies-anytime-soon
Michael Weiss, Roman Dobrokhotov, and Christo Grozev on China and Russia's targeting of Starlink:
https://theins.press/en/inv/294635
Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.