The John Batchelor Show

1919 VERSAILLES PART 1 Foreign Policy Strategy and Diplomacy Mary Kissel evaluates post-midterm American foreign policy, emphasizing executive branch continuity despite major congressional shifts. She addresses European energy vulnerability, defense reliance on the United States, and Russian covert influence efforts. She also reflects on the diplomatic impropriety of high-profile political endorse...

European Geopolitics and Transatlantic Relations Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus McCotter assess European reactions to the American midterm elections and the G7summit discussions. They analyze Middle Eastern realignments, ongoing European disunity over Ukraine diplomacy, heavy dependence on American security, and the domestic challenges facing European governments from rising populist parties. (2)

1909 BRUSSELS European Geopolitics and Transatlantic Relations Judy Dempsey and Thaddeus McCotter assess European reactions to the American midterm elections and the G7summit discussions. They analyze Middle Eastern realignments, ongoing European disunity over Ukraine diplomacy, heavy dependence on American security, and the domestic challenges facing European governments from rising populist part...

1906 EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE SAN FRANCISCO PART 2 Analyzing Economic Growth and Politics Liz Peek discusses strong American economic growth, highlighting rising GDP figures and robust consumer spending despite public gloom. She criticizes ham-fisted tariffs and the economic drag of the Iran war. She also examines the political rise of Democratic Socialists of America candidates in major urban election...

ALASKA PART 1 Analyzing Economic Growth and Politics Liz Peek discusses strong American economic growth, highlighting rising GDP figures and robust consumer spending despite public gloom. She criticizes ham-fisted tariffs and the economic drag of the Iran war. She also examines the political rise of Democratic Socialists of America candidates in major urban elections such as Los Angeles. (1)

1700 CHINA LADY MATA HARI WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS Midterms Data Centers Chinese EspionageJohn Batchelor and Thaddeus McCotter analyze the midterm election blue wave, citing voter dissatisfaction with national administration policies and affordability. Jim McTague then examines local political opposition to artificial intelligence data centers and Chinese espionage concerns surrounding Nvidia...

1914 NIAGARA PEACE CONFERENCE CONTENTS OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW  11-9-2026                                                                                  -11-9 Israeli Coalition Building and Conflict Malcolm Hoenlein, with Thaddeus McCotter, details General Gadi Eisenkot receiving the mandate to form Israel's next coalition government. The discussion highlights concerns over future American mi...

 SYRIA 1900  Syrian Military Deployment Saudi Security Ahmad Sharawi analyzes conflicting reports regarding Syrian military deployments to Saudi Arabia and Yemen amid the escalating Houthi conflict. He evaluates the regional Mecca Pact deterrence agreement, Saudi financial backing for Syria, and the tactical limits of Syrian troops facing specialized adversaries. (12)

1960 BEIRUT Lebanese Diplomacy and Security Challenges David Daoud, with Bill Roggio, analyzes the sudden expulsion of Lebanon’s consul general in Detroit over statements praising the 1983 Marine barracks bombing. The discussion also evaluates illegal explosives seizures, pilot-zone verified disarmament frameworks, and persistent enforcement gaps within the Lebanese Army. (11)

1932 OTTAWA COMMONS Bilateral Relations After Midterm Elections Conrad Black assesses Canadian perspectives following the US midterm elections, noting relief over shifting congressional influence in the border states. He addresses trade friction caused by tariff policies, joint Arctic defense cooperation, and positive prospects for normalized bilateral trade negotiations. (10)

1918 European Security Negotiations in Focus John Hardie and Bill Roggio detail upcoming trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on postwar European security arrangements and formal security guarantees for Ukraine. The conversation addresses persistent Russian efforts to extract major NATOconcessions, sidelined European negotiators, and ongoing Russian strikes on infrastructure. (9)

1767 ARABIA Houthi Attacks Threaten Saudi Stability Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio analyze escalating Houthi strikes against critical Saudi Arabian infrastructure, including the iconic Aramco tower. The dialogue details threatened investor confidence, battlefield advances near Taiz, coordinated Iranian regional strategy, and serious risks to Vision 2030. (8)

1895 VENEZUELA Venezuelan Governance and Regional Instability Alejandro Peña Esclusa discusses Venezuelan public impatience for national elections following Maduro’s capture, noting overwhelming voter support for María Corina Machado. He highlights severe ongoing electrical grid failures, transitional security challenges, and the political persecution in Brazil surrounding Flávio Bolsonaro. (7)

1690 Persian Gulf Conflict Regional Impact Janatyn Sayeh, with Bill Roggio, examines targeted American strikes on Qeshm Island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz aimed at containing the escalating regional conflict. The discussion details Iranian economic pressures, regenerating domestic civic movements, the regime’s reaction to the US midterms, and the impact of urban targeting. (6)

1850-1900 Israeli Coalition Negotiation Process Analysis Samuel Ben-Ur, with Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown, explains President Herzog granting Gadi Eisenkot four weeks to assemble a viable Israeli coalition. The analysis assesses potential outside Arab party support in the Knesset, Likud’s prospects, consensus on the systemic Iranian threat, and ongoing military readiness. (5)

MICHAELANGELO VATICAN CITY Papal Critique and Political Fallout Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown examine Pope Leo XIV’s public criticism of the Iran war and its political fallout for President Trump. The conversation analyzes the geopolitical implications, Vice President JD Vance’s political positioning, and substantial Republican midterm losses tied to inflation. (4)

1906 United States China Trade Friction Alan Tonelson, with Gordon Chang, analyzes firm US warnings to China over unfulfilled rare earth commitments under the Busan agreement. The discussion explores alternative strategic mineral supplies, simplified military procurement, trade truce extensions, and strict Defense Department restrictions on Chinese defense materials. (3)

1900 EXECUTED BOXERS Chinese Espionage Threatens Nvidia Leadership Scott Harold discusses Chinese espionage targeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. He explores the national security risks, intelligence operations, and potential technological compromises involved, and how Beijing pursues advanced American technology while facing scrutiny over export control violations and global supply chain vulnerabili...

1696 JERUSALEM Israeli Coalition Building and Conflict Malcolm Hoenlein, with Thaddeus McCotter, details General Gadi Eisenkot receiving the mandate to form Israel’s next coalition government. The discussion highlights concerns over future American military aid adjustments, Iran’s covert global arms smuggling networks, and severe Houthi strikes targeting Saudi Aramco infrastructure. (1)

1940 SCOTUS Global political analysis and historical parallels dominate the discussions as experts evaluate mounting tensions between modern Western leaders and the Roman Catholic Church, drawing comparisons to medieval disputes over authority. Analysts also examine the aftermath of recent elections in the United States and Israel, highlighting how public dissatisfaction with ongoing military conf...

1909 FORBIDDEN CITY Espionage Scandals and Institutional Rot Comparing the Cambridge Five Soviet spy ring with espionage allegations involving Nvidia’s corporate leadership, Gaius and Germanicus note the difficulty of proving intelligence breaches. They conclude that elite secrecy and institutional rot reflect Montesquieu’s warnings. (3)

1960 INVASION OF CAMBODIA Imperial Parallels and Executive Instability Gaius and Germanicus compare modern executive turmoil to Emperor Nero’s downfall and Richard Nixon’s Watergate crisis. They analyze potential presidential removal, cabinet maneuvering, and foreign policy distractions with Iran amid rising public distrust. (2)

1789 NEW YORK INAUGURATION Londinium Chronicles: Debating the American Republic From Londinium in 92 AD, Gaius (John Batchelor) and Germanicus (Michael Vlahos) view the events of our time through Roman eyes. Enlightenment Thought and American Decay Gaius and Germanicus examine the 18th-century thinkers Montesquieu, Hume, and Madison on republican corruption. Germanicus argues that identity politic...

Norse Voyages Across the Atlantic Ocean Martin Whittock, author of American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America, discusses Scandinavian expansion driven by population growth, disrupted Islamic silver trade, and the pursuit of wealth. He traces westward movement to Iceland, Greenland, and North America. Archaeological findings at L’Anse aux Meadows confirm a Nor...

1945 TOKYO Final Atomic Strikes Force Japanese Surrender — Part Two Evan Thomas, author of Road to Surrender: Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II, details the tense final weeks surrounding the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. President Truman, Secretary Stimson, and Allied leaders wrestled with Soviet entry into the war and postwar diplomacy shaped at Potsdam. In Tokyo...