The Trump Touch - Is America's Leadership Failing?
President Donald Trump's multi-front attempt to remake America and the world is meeting with mixed success. His administration has ended the crisis at the border and is aggressively moving against illegal migrants. But elsewhere the picture is murky. The war in Ukraine rages on, the Middle East continues unsettled and above all, his restless back-and-forth on tariffs and international economics is causing profound damage to faith in U.S. economic stability. And some of his actions suggest an authoritarian style inimical to American values.
On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker sits down with Admiral William McRaven, former head of US special operations, to discuss Trump's leadership. McRaven draws on the themes of his new book, "Conquering Crisis: 10 Lessons to Learn Before You Need Them," to assess the first 100 days of Trump's second term, but also the wider challenges of leadership in crisis.
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38:56
Lessons from Nixon for Trump's New World Order
As the breach between the U.S. and its allies widens following President Trump's Oval Office bust-up with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his imposition of tariffs on Canada and Mexico, what can history tell us about today's tumult?
On this episode of Free Expression, deputy national security advisor to Trump in his first term Nadia Schadlow shares with Gerry Baker the parallels she sees between Donald Trump and Richard Nixon as both faced a tense and rapidly changing international climate. They discuss how Trump and Nixon both believed in peace through strength, in the importance of a global balance of power and in the opportunity provided by negotiation - sometimes with unexpected partners.
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29:53
Peace in Our Time or Dishonorable Surrender?
During the week that marked the three-year anniversary of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Donald Trump met with a flurry of world leaders to discuss ending the war, as well as announcing a potential commercial deal with Ukraine over mineral resources. Meanwhile, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution condemning Moscow’s actions even as Ukrainian forces fought on to expel Russians from their territory. So what does all the activity mean for the future of the conflict and is there any end in sight?
On this episode of Free Expression, military historian and analyst Fred Kagan tells Gerry Baker why Vladimir Putin is the only world leader who doesn’t want the war to end, reviews the latest conditions on the battlefield, and argues the Trump administration should not be willing to give concessions to Russia in the name of peace nor give up on NATO.
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33:55
Donald Trump's Russian Revolution
Has the U.S. flipped sides in the great strategic contest of the last century? With his secretary of state calling for a new "partnership" with Russia, his vice president decrying Western Europe's political condition and the president himself seemingly blaming Ukraine for the war that started on its territory three years ago, Donald Trump seems to be executing one of the most dramatic shifts in American foreign policy. Is this the end of the transatlantic alliance and what might it mean for America's larger strategic goals?
On this episode of Free Expression, international relations scholar Hal Brands and author of a new book. "The Eurasian Century", tells Gerry Baker how a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine was always going to be a goal for the United States no matter who won the 2024 election, how Trump may be trying to prise Russia away from China and why the U.S. still needs NATO and European allies.
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31:28
Are We Facing a Constitutional Crisis?
Donald Trump has been working at a breakneck speed during his first three weeks in office, prompting alarms from his critics that he is plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis. Many of the administration’s executive actions, including abolishing birthright citizenship, and the initiatives launched by Elon Musk and DOGE, have already faced judicial challenges. So is Donald Trump just testing the limits of his power, or is the criticism of his approach warranted?
On this episode of Free Expression, constitutional law professor John Yoo tells Gerry Baker why a more active Congress would prevent Donald Trump from taking such drastic action to get things done, how the Supreme Court will factor into many of these executive orders, and which of those orders might ultimately fail.
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Based on his Wall Street Journal Opinion column "Free Expression," Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks every week with some of the world's leading writers, influencers and thinkers about a variety of subjects. Baker will welcome his guests from the worlds of politics, philosophy, and culture for wide-ranging dialogues that will enlighten and fascinate listeners. Episodes will be released each week.
Ireland