Shield of the Republic

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.

Eliot reviews the week’s jackassery and offers his thoughts on Juneteenth and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He then welcomes Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, distinguished professor at Emory University and prolific author. She explains her background as a historian of the Holocaust, her work documenting Holocaust denial, and her experience being sued by British Holocaust denier David Irving. They discuss her work as Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism from 2022 to 2025, which included efforts to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords and creating the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism. They explore the political and ideological forces behind the current global rise in antisemitism before pivoting to the threat it poses to democracy and the state actors exploiting it to sow division in the United States.
David Irving v. Penguin Books Ltd. and Deborah Lipstadt:
hdot.org

INSS Report on China’s online campaign to sow division in America:
https://www.inss.org.il/publication/china-usa-influence/

George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-06-02-0135

Letter from the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island to President George Washington:
https://www.gwirf.org/files/moses_seixas_letter.pdf

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

With Eric on vacation, Eliot welcomes Kenneth Pollack, VP for Policy at the Middle East Institute, to the show. Ken outlines MEI's mission before providing analysis on the current state of the Iran war. They discuss the difficulty of ending a conflict when both sides believe they are winning, and whether we are on the cusp of significant concessions or escalation. They explore whether the war was a good idea badly executed or a bad idea badly executed. The pair also speculate about what a successfully prosecuted war effort would have looked like before turning to the likely trajectory of the Iranian regime in the future. Ken explains the broader implications of the war for the Gulf States, Israel, China, Russia, and Turkey before closing with a conversation about why the United States cares about the region and why it presents such an enduring challenge.
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 dissect the latest jackassery before pivoting to the war with Iran. They offer differing assessments of the negotiations and discuss the prospects for a lasting ceasefire. Next, they return to the Russia-Ukraine war and reflect on the staggering Russian casualty levels and severe economic toll the war continues to inflict on Russia. They discuss the under-reported and dangerous nuclear developments on the Korean peninsula before closing with the books they're currently reading.
Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.