What the Hell Is Going On

The Democratic Party just enjoyed its most successful midterm elections since 1974. Traditionally red states have flipped blue, which will carry lasting consequences for future presidential elections. The poll results reveal broad dissatisfaction among voters with Trump’s economy, governance, and corruption, and with the President himself. Join us to unpack the race outcomes, the reasons behind th...

In this episode, we are joined by Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade to discuss the themes of his new book, Uniting the States: Six Crucial Moments That Forged the American Miracle. We explore pivotal events that have shaped American history and national identity. Our discussion connects stories of the American founding to modern foreign policy lessons and unity today. How does modern patriotism look compar...

In this episode, Dr. Dominic Green joins us from the United Kingdom to discuss mounting protests and violence raging across Europe. It’s been a tumultuous month in France in particular, with Paris and other cities engulfed in fire fueled by radical groups. We examine the broader implications of this upheaval for democratic values and societal norms. Is Europe a distant issue, or a precursor to wha...

We are joined by Luke Jacobus, one of AEI’s own, to highlight how China’s spies leverage the LinkedIn networking platform to recruit Americans to pass them sensitive knowledge. MSS agents use artificial intelligence to impersonate consultants and pay U.S. clearance holders for national security information. How effective is this recruitment method? What are potential countermeasures? To what exten...

In this episode, we are joined by Chris Miller for a clear-minded and sobering discussion of the future of AI. The geopolitical competition between the United States and China in the field of artificial intelligence is the arms race of the 21st century, yet in this case, the product is self-improving. Some warn it could end humanity, while others refute these claims as exaggerations. So, what is t...

Jason Miyares, former attorney general for the state of Virginia, joins us to discuss Virginia’s hard political shift leftward — skyrocketing taxes, sanctuary cities — and the impact of these policies on its eight million citizens. We weigh rising crime rates, extreme constitutional amendments, and the end of purple Virginia. What the hell are the consequences of this governance? How the hell is t...

In honor of NYC’s least favorite week, we are joined by Brett D. Schaefer to analyze the ongoing United Nations General Assembly meeting. How the hell is this institution serving American interests? Together with Brett, we discuss the President’s address, weird US shenanigans, the threats to American interests posed by international governance, and the importance of U.S. oversight. The United Nati...

What the hell is happening with U.S. defense technology? Chris Brose, the President and Chief Strategy Officer of defense tech firm Anduril joins us to talk about how private defense companies are innovating and revolutionizing American national security, America’s lousy defense acquisition habits, and what we can learn from Ukraine and the war with Iran. The traditional US defense industrial base...

On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we hosted a live recording of the podcast, What the Hell Is Going On? , featuring former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and former Deputy National Security Adviser J. D. Crouch II. Both Mr. Hadley and Dr. Crouch were serving in the Bush administration on that terrible day. Together, we discuss the attacks, the global war on terror, t...

In our back-to-school episode, we welcome the return to D.C. by diving straight into the upcoming midterm elections. Who the hell is running? What the hell do they believe in? Where the hell are particularly crucial races? Between the Iran War, heightening antisemitism, the increasingly popular DSA, and possible AI bubble, American voters have no shortage of issues to weigh at the polls. We are pl...

What the hell is Beijing doing to seduce Washington? Join us for the last in our summer book series for a discussion with Dr. Audrye Wong for a conversation about her new book, Subversion and Seduction: China’s Economic Statecraft . How the hell has Beijing gained influence inside the United States? What the hell are their carrots and sticks? We debrief the state of China’s seduction campaign and...

In the third part of our What The Hell summer reading series, Judge Roy Altman joins us for a discussion on the questions posed in his book, “Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law.” What the hell are the charges? Who the hell are the plaintiffs? Altman applies his legal and ethical training to put Israel on trial. Together, we analyze the ultimate question: guilty or no...

In the second edition of our What the Hell summer reading series, John Spencer shares stories from his latest book, “Twenty Times I Almost Died: Life Lessons from the Edge of Survival.” From fighting swarms of killer bees in Panama, to 25 years in the military, to conducting war research in Gaza, Spencer has consistently pushed the line. WTH does a person take away from these experiences? We discu...

Kicking off our annual What the Hell summer book series, Hussain Abdul-Hussain discusses his new book, "The Arab Case for Israel: And Other Essays from a Distant Conflict". Having grown up in Beirut and in Baghdad surrounded by anti-Israel rhetoric, Hussain recounts his journey from accepting the region's conventional wisdom to concluding that normalization with Israel is one of the Arab world's g...

America is on track to become a "net mortality society," where deaths outnumber births. As births plummet to almost 25% below replacement, the United States faces a future with a shrinking population, and the consequences extend far beyond the American family. Nicholas Eberstadt argues that falling birth rates reflect a deeper cultural shift away from marriage, family, and the institutions that ha...

On this episode of WTH Live! Stephen Hadley, Robert O’Brien, and Michèle Flournoy join Marc on the Aspen Security Forum stage to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trump's foreign policy scorecard. In a frank and bipartisan discussion on what should come next, especially in Ukraine, Iran, and Venezuela, and what the Trump Doctrine has evolved to represent, Marc asks the panelists to fairly...

Donald Trump's on again off again deal making with the Iranians has hit another flashpoint this week as exchanges of fire on commercial shipping and US military bases in the region stymied negotiations before their 60 day deadline. Although large-scale combat has subsided, the conflict between the United States and Iran is far from over. Nick Carl argues that Tehran has emerged from the war with a...

As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, fundamental questions about the Constitution and the balance of power are once again at the center of American politics. John Yoo joins to examine the Supreme Court's landmark term, arguing that its recent decisions have restored presidential authority over the administrative state, clarified the constitution...

President Trump has publicly speculated that resuming military operations against Iran could trigger an economic catastrophe, warning of soaring gas prices and even a global depression. It is rumored that senior officials within the administration are driving this narrative in an effort to steer Trump away from finishing the conflict, as fears of Iranian long term impact on global oil markets appe...

Over the weekend, the United States signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran to begin negotiations on a nuclear deal. To understand what a good deal would entail, it is important to assess the status of Iran's nuclear weapons program following Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury, as well as the timeline on which Tehran could produce a weapon despite these setbacks. David Albright argues...

While the world’s attention has been fixed on the war in Iran, the battlefield in Ukraine has largely shifted in Kyiv’s favor. ISW’s George Barros joins us to explain how Ukrainian innovations in drone warfare, logistics, and battlefield technology have slowed Russia’s advance, increased Russian casualties, and created new opportunities for Ukrainian counterattacks. These developments are especial...

In his relentless pursuit of a deal with Iran, Donald Trump has now returned to military escalation, resuming combat operations and warning that the United States will seize Iran’s key oil export hub on Kharg Island. This so-called moderate ceasefire signals a renewed campaign of punishing strikes on Iran until it agrees to terms set by the administration’s negotiating team. As Miad explains, howe...

We’re now in the eighth week of a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The Trump Administration is stuck in a holding pattern as Iranian negotiators continue to ignore US redlines and both sides insist on their own superior leverage. The unfortunate reality is that many in the Trump Administration are being fed a false calculus and discredit the ability of the US military to maintain the blockade, open t...

The United States has poured billions into the United Nations to fund relief works, but not all that money goes where you might think. Years of impunity have allowed murder, rape, kidnapping and fraud to flourish in the UN system, yet the UN Secretary General and his team have stonewalled investigations, invoked "privileges and immunities" to shield employees, and protected the worst of the worst....

With the 2030 Census fast approaching, battles over redistricting and congressional apportionment continue to take shape. As population shifts continue, driven by migration from blue states to red states and the influx of illegal immigrants into sanctuary cities, both parties are looking to secure a larger share of political representation in the decade ahead. At the center of the debate is the De...