Shield of the Republic

Eric and Eliot discuss serious threats that Trump continues to make against Denmark and the possibility that the administration might use military force to seize Greenland. They also examine the seizure of the ghost fleet tanker Bella, the risks of inadvertent conflict with Russia, and ongoing negotiations in Paris over the future of the war in Ukraine. The conversation explores the odds that Russia can continue fighting in 2026 given immense battlefield losses, the country’s cratering economy, and shifts in Ukrainian domestic politics. Finally, they turn to the intensifying protests in Iran, contrasting them with earlier waves of public revulsion against the regime in the late 1990s, 2009, 2017–18, and 2022–23, and discuss what indicators might suggest the regime is truly coming apart at the seams.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 holiday break with a special episode breaking down all things Venezuela. They discuss the Trump administration's raid in Caracas to capture Nicholas Maduro, the legal and constitutional basis for the operation, and the differences from past interventions in Panama and Iraq. The two also examine the next steps in Venezuela and the administration's prospects of success in "running" the country.Eliot's latest in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/trump-hegseth-venezuela-military/685530/?gift=KGDC3VdV8jaCufvP3bRsPhkQGhz7GxTTEE7TT-QEa0Y&utm_Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.Become a Bulwark Youtube Plus Member here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4Hp1KbGw4e02N7FpPXDgQ/join

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-securityMike 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.