Shield of the Republic

The Bulwark

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. We probe beyond the hive mind of Washington conventional wisdom on national security and foreign affairs.

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Today · 55 min
America's Critical Infrastructure is Under Attack
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. Reminder: Shield of the Republic will be going independent soon! Subscribe at shieldoftherepublic.com and follow @ShieldPod on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. 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.
August 3 · 1 hr 13 min
The Iranian Doom Loop (w/ Robert Parkinson)
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.
July 27 · 58 min
Ukraine's Defense Shake Up
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.
July 20 · 45 min
The Anti-Strategic President
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.
July 13 · 1 hr 5 min
NATO's Annual Circus Comes to Turkey
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.
June 22 · 58 min
Rising Antisemitism is a Dark Omen for Society (w/ Deborah Lipstadt)
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.
June 15 · 1 hr 8 min
The Iranian Regime Isn't Going Anywhere (w/ Kenneth Pollack)
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.
June 8 · 1 hr 2 min
North Korea's New Nuclear Doctrine
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.
June 1 · 38 min
The Never-ending Iran Negotiations
Eliot joins Eric from the shores of Lake Champlain to break down the latest administration jackassery before pivoting to the ongoing negotiations with Iran. They also discuss Russia's recent drone and missile barrage directed at Kyiv which included an Oreshnik missile capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads. Eric outlines his new CSBA monograph on nuclear command, control, and communications in the context of deterring both Russia and China as nuclear peers. To close out the show, Eric provides commentary on the Kenyan government's rejection of US efforts to open a quarantine facility for Americans who have contracted Ebola, John Cornyn's primary loss, and the prospects for the administration's Cuba policy. Eric's Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications Monograph: https://csbaonline.org/uploads/documents/CSBA8429_(Three_Body_Problem_Report)_final.pdf Eliot's Latest in The Atlantic (Gift Link): https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/05/words-war/687343/?gift=KGDC3VdV8jaCufvP3bRsPvaB1GNTRUB7dNFTvrxKF_o&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
May 25 · 1 hr 8 min
Trump's Regime Change Plan for Cuba
Eliot and Eric discuss the current state of the Iran negotiations, the apparent US-Israeli plan to install Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a Delcy Rodríguez-type figure early in the war, and Reuters' report on the ongoing hollowing out of U.S. diplomacy. They assess Trump's apparent designs in Cuba, noting the indictment of Raul Castro, and the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Caribbean. Finally, they touch on Turkey's deepening fall into authoritarianism and Putin's visit to Beijing before turning to guest Marc Bennetts, journalist and author of THE DESCENT: Witnessing Russia's Spiral Into Madness Under Putin. The Descent: Witnessing Russia's Spiral into Madness Under Putin: https://a.co/d/01fuFsvu Inside the Unravelling of US Diplomacy Under Trump: https://www.reuters.com/investigations/inside-unraveling-us-diplomacy-under-trump-2026-05-21/ Early War Goal Was to Install Hard-Line Former President as Iran’s Leader: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/us/politics/iran-israel-us-leader-ahmadinejad.html Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
May 18 · 1 hr 6 min
Ending the War Will Require Force
Eric and Eliot survey a wide range of jackassery, highlighting Trump's bizarre attack on longtime Mitch McConnell aide Robert Karem. They discuss Trump's gross mismanagement of the Department of Defense as exemplified by the US Army budget shortfall due to National Guard deployments to US cities and the border. They debate the intelligence community's leaked assessment of Iran's surviving missile and launcher capabilities and what advice they would give to a hypothetical "normal" administration on how to successfully extricate from Iran. They also review the Trump-Xi Summit in China, assess trump's designs on Cuba, and discuss the broader implications of Turkey's newly unveiled ICBM. Eric on the Reagan Defense Build Up (Gift Link): https://thedispatch.com/next-250/peace-through-strength-reagan-250/?gift_key=e0d7f3be6686eb5a&gift_ref=3886671&utm_source=giftlink&utm_campaign=membergift&utm_medium=copy_link Eric on Turkey's New ICBM: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/turkey-new-missile-is-a-symbol-of-gobal-chaos-erdogan-yildirimhan-icbm-saha-trump-europe-russia-ukraine-iran-israel-nato Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
May 11 · 58 min
Trump is Destroying Our Diplomatic Corps
Eric and Eliot lament the firing of 200 Foreign Service officers and the recent large-scale exodus of senior diplomats from public service. They discuss the impact of the Trump Administration's diplomatic malpractice including the handling of Operation Freedom and their own disagreements about it. They assess the likely costs of ensuring Iran is not left in control of the Strait of Hormuz and the inevitable long-term future US presence in the Persian Gulf. They also consider the impact of the UK local elections and the collapse of support for Keir Starmer's Labour Party. Finally, they address the US troop withdrawals from Germany and Vladimir Putin's worsening political, economic, and personal situation. Eric & Frank Miller on Withdrawing From Germany: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/withdrawing-troops-from-germany-is-own-goal-trump-merz-nato Secretary Hegseth's Defense Budget Video: https://x.com/SecWar/status/2052396775797891417?s=20 Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
May 4 · 50 min
Pete Hegseth’s Long War Disaster
Eric and Eliot discuss Pete Hegseth's job security amidst the ongoing war with Iran. They recap his contemptuous testimony at a House Armed Services Committee budget hearing and Vice President Vance's efforts to distance himself from the war through planted stories. They then turn to King Charles III and Queen Camilla's visit to the United States and review the King's speech to a joint session of Congress. Finally, they discuss recent military developments in southern Lebanon, including Hezbollah's fiber-optic drone capabilities that highlight the changing nature of war. Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
April 27 · 58 min
Can Iran Take More Pain Than Us?
Eric and Eliot review an extended buffet of jackassery before turning to the current state of affairs in Iran. They assess the prospects for a negotiated settlement to the war, and whether we could end up in a "no war, no peace" situation. They also discuss the mutual incomprehension that leaders in both countries exhibit regarding the interests and intentions of the other, Iran's new collective leadership in the wake of Ali Khamenei's death, and the structural similarity to the situation faced by Soviet leaders after the death of Stalin. Finally, they respond to reports that the administration is considering deporting to the Democratic Republic of the Congo roughly eleven hundred Afghans in Qatar who were evacuated in 2021 amidst the US withdrawal. Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
April 20 · 1 hr 8 min
Eliot's Return & Schrodinger's Strait
Eric welcomes Eliot back from his sojourn in Spain to break down the latest jackassery from the administration. They discuss the current state of the Iran war, including the somehow simultaneously open and closed Strait of Hormuz, the ongoing negotiations, and how China factors into the conflict. Turning to Europe, they assess Viktor Orban’s electoral defeat in Hungary and the blow it strikes against Trump, Vance, MAGA, and the European right writ large. The conversation also covers the U.S.’s diminishing support for Ukraine and the battlefield situation amidst Russia’s spring offensive. They wrap up with thoughts about the broader European reaction to Trump’s continued threat to withdraw from NATO and Trump’s architectural plans for the nation’s capital. Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
April 12 · 57 min
Trump's Path of Destruction (w/ Mona Charen)
Eric welcomes The Bulwark's own Mona Charen back to the show to discuss the week's developments. They cover the President's meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the Vice President's trip to Hungary before pivoting to Vance's new diplomatic assignment to negotiate an end to the war with Iran. They assess the potential impact on Vance's political aspirations and the splits in MAGA world over the war. They also discuss the role Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu played in persuading Trump to go to war and the catastrophic damage that Bibi has done to Israel's support in the U.S. Finally, they examine the Trump administration's hostility to Catholicism and rebuke recent comparisons between presidents Trump & Reagan. Eric's Latest in The Dispatch: https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-threats-abandon-nato/ Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
April 6 · 1 hr
The Cost of Boots on the Ground (w/ Mike Nelson)
Eric welcomes retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer, and Penn Washington's Chief of Staff and Director of Communications, Mike Nelson to the show. They discuss the President's White House speech to sell the Iran war to the American people, and its failure to address a number of important questions. They discuss Mike's recent Dispatch article on the risks and benefits of different proposed courses of action for U.S. military forces on the ground in Iran, including the difficulties surrounding any mission to extricate the regime's remaining Highly Enriched Uranium, the potential risks to forces of seizing Kharg Island, the prospect for seizing the smaller islands like Abu Musa, the Tunbs, or Larak, and whether or not the juice would be worth the squeeze in providing an off-ramp to end the war. Finally, they address both the legality and advisability of attacks on Iranian infrastructure and how the Iranians might react to such a campaign. What a Ground Operation Might Look Like in Iran (Gift Link): https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-iran-ground-invasion-kharg-uranium-hormuz/?gift_key=38f86079ed7f33cb&gift_ref=3886671&utm_source=giftlink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=membergift Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
March 30 · 59 min
Trump Needs Approval for This War (w/ Michael O'Hanlon) | Shield of the Republic
Eric welcomes Michael O'Hanlon, the Philip Knight chair in defense and strategy at the Brookings Institution, and author of To Dare Mighty Things, and a recent op-ed in the Financial Times on the Trump administration's $200 billion supplemental budget request to fund the Iran War. They discuss whether there is a unique American "way of war" or "way of strategy," and the accomplishments of U.S. grand and defense strategies in the post-World War II era and whether Trump is undoing those achievements. They also examine why limited force operations are sometimes hard to avoid, and the role of American pragmatism and innovation in allowing the U.S. to successfully adapt under fire on the battlefield. They close with a conversation about Congress's role in setting defense strategy and the role it could play in setting limits to "boots on the ground" in Iran and investing in the defense industrial base to increase its productive capacity to replenish the enormous stocks of precision munitions and missiles that have been expended in the war. Congress must not give Trump a blank cheque for the Iran war (Gift Link): https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/ce6a9f97-9f47-414b-856b-ab82972c6c20 To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution: https://www.amazon.com/Dare-Mighty-Things-Strategy-Revolution/dp/0300279930
March 23 · 58 min
Iran and the Roots of Islamist Terror (w/ Jason Burke)
Eric and Eliot open by analyzing the decapitation campaign against Iran's leadership, the knock-on consequences of the war's energy disruptions, and the Gulf states' reaction to the war. They also explore how the PRC will incorporate lessons from the war, and how depleted U.S. munitions stocks will be refilled. They then turn to special guest Jason Burke, author and longtime national security correspondent at The Guardian. They discuss Jason's effort to explain the origins of contemporary Islamist terrorism in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the role technology played in the evolution of terrorism, and the transition from secular to religious terrorism in the twentieth century. The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s: https://a.co/d/09FMRU7U Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
March 15 · 1 hr 2 min
How Does The Iran War End?
Eric and Eliot continue to wrestle with the ongoing Iran war, examining the media coverage surrounding it, the tactical successes the joint forces have had, the inexplicable failure to provide counter-drone defense to US forces, the baffling inattention to mine storage facilities that may have led to mines being seeded in the Gulf, and the enormous expenditure of munitions that may leave the US vulnerable if military operations were required in other theaters. They also discuss how the war might be concluded, likely downstream consequences, and the prospect that President Trump may shift his focus to Cuba, where President Diaz-Canel has confirmed that quiet negotiations with the US have been going on for some time. Eliot's Latest in The Atlantic on Air Campaigns (Gift Link): https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/03/air-campaign-military-primer/686294/?gift=KGDC3VdV8jaCufvP3bRsPqEbYdfKy52g6Ojp5VlDiRo&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

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