Day: June 17, 2026

Even if Trump Has Given Away the Store, Diplomacy is Better Than Continuing to Fight a Lost War

We begin with the White House having to release the text of the so called peace deal with Iran they kept secret after it was leaked and, although it is clear the US lost Trump and Netanyahu’s war, and none of the stated objectives appear to have been achieved, except that the oil will flow and the price at the pump will go down, ending a war on whatever terms is better than continue fighting in a lost cause. Joining us is Robert Malley, who served in senior Middle East positions in the administrations of Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Biden and was President and CEO of the International Crisis Group. He was a lead negotiator on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and later served as a special U.S. envoy for Iran under President Joe Biden. Currently a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at Yale University’s Jackson School, his latest book is Tomorrow Is Yesterday: Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel/Palestine.

The Price the U.S. Will Pay for Trump’s Hubris, Hegseth’s Incompetence and Netanyahu’s Mendacity

Then we assess the price that the U.S. will pay for Trump’s hubris, Hegseth’s strategic incompetence and Netanyahu’s mendacity and speak with Joshua Shifrinson, a Professor at the Center for International Security Studies at The University of Maryland and a non-resident Senior Foreign Policy Fellow at The Cato Institute. His research focuses on U.S. grand strategy, the durability of NATO, U.S. relations with its allies during and after the Cold War, and the rise of China. He is the author of Rising Titans, Falling Giants: How Great Powers Exploit Power Shifts.

In Shelving His New DNI and FISA Deal, Trump Makes Clear That Rigging the Next Election is His Top Priority

Then finally, with Trump shelving his new DNI pick and FISA deal to pressure congress to take up his election rigging SAVE America Act, displaying what his top priority is, we speak with David Walbert who has litigated dozens of election cases, including landmark cases before the supreme court. He has taught constitutional law at Emory University, testified before Congress on voting legislation, and most recently authored Stealing Elections, American Style, which will be published by Bloomsbury on September the third.