What the Hell Is Going On - podcast cover

What the Hell Is Going On

AEI Podcastswww.aei.org
The American Enterprise Institute’s Danielle Pletka and Marc Thiessen address the questions we’re all asking in their podcast, “What the Hell Is Going On?” In conversational, informative and irreverent episodes, Pletka and Thiessen interview policymakers and experts, asking tough, probing questions about the most important foreign policy and security challenges facing the world today.

Episodes

WTH Is Going On With Antisemitism at Harvard? The Free Press’s Maya Sulkin Explains

Harvard has finally released its 311-page report on the antisemitism Jewish students face on one of America’s most elite college campuses. The stories of Jews being forced to conceal outward displays of their religion, being shut out of academic and extracurricular spaces alike, and facing systemic harassment are horrifying. However, the intensity of the antisemitism at Harvard is also unsurprising. And the manner in which this report was released indicates the university has no real intention o...

May 08, 202543 minEp. 316

WTH Are Young Gen Z Voters Turning Conservative? The Yale Youth Poll’s Milan Singh Explains

Gen Z may not be the liberal base of support many on the left hoped they would be. Today, there is a growing split between voters under 30, with 22-29 year olds favoring Democrats by 6.4 points and 18-21 year olds favoring Republicans by almost 12 points. As America’s youngest voters are growing up in the age of COVID lockdowns, social media, and cancel culture, conservative and MAGA ideology is emerging as the new counter-culture, giving young men in particular an opportunity to escape the worl...

May 01, 202545 minEp. 315

WTH is Happening With Ukraine’s Peace Talks? Frederick W. Kagan Explains

As President Trump continues to try to end the war in Ukraine, Russia is playing for time. For as long as the U.S. continues to support Ukraine, Russia’s military effort will remain weak and unsustainable. But if Russia is able to stall in negotiations, and degrade American and Western support for Ukraine, they could very well emerge victorious. How should Ukrainian leadership respond to continued American attempts at war-ending negotiations? And what are the consequences if America withdraws it...

Apr 24, 202555 minEp. 314

WTH is Going On in the Negotiations With Iran? Elliott Abrams Explains

Following a surprise Oval Office announcement by President Trump during Bibi Netanyahu’s trip to Washington, the United States has once again restarted negotiations with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. Thanks to Israeli attacks on Iranian air defenses and its proxies, coupled with crippling U.S. sanctions, Iran has never been weaker and America has never had more leverage over the Islamic Republic. However, Iran’s nuclear program is also significantly larger and more advanced than it was ...

Apr 17, 202554 minEp. 313

WTH Extra! Does Trump Have a Tariff Strategy? Dany and Marc Discuss

On this episode of WTH Extra! Dany and Marc discuss Dany’s article, #WTH The Tariff Tsunami . No one should be surprised by Trump’s tariff war. The real question is, what is the President trying to accomplish? Some in the administration argue that the tariffs create leverage to bring about a myriad of free trade agreements the U.S. would not be able to get otherwise. Others argue tariffs will bring back American manufacturing. And some presidential advisors just seem to love tariffs for the sake...

Apr 10, 202533 minEp. 312

WTH: Are Nationwide Injunctions the New Lawfare Against Trump? John Yoo Explains

President Trump’s executive actions are being blocked left, right, and center by federal courts issuing nationwide injunctions – or orders for the government to halt a given policy that judges deem unlawful. However, the constitutionality of these national injunctions is up for debate. Should the Supreme Court decide that judicial policy pronouncements are indeed unconstitutional, what will that mean for Executive power? Could it mean that Congress will need to resume doing the work it has shirk...

Apr 03, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 311

WTH? A European Supreme Allied Commander of NATO? Kori Schake Explains

President Trump is reportedly considering abandoning America’s longstanding role commanding NATO forces as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), changing the U.S. combatant command structure, and canceling modernization plans for U.S. Forces Japan. While it’s true that Europe needs to step up to the plate on its own defense needs, abandoning the SACEUR position would place U.S. troops under foreign command, give Washington less leverage over our allies, and weaken deterrence. How can Trump b...

Mar 27, 202557 minEp. 310

WTH: Britain’s Net Zero Push is Economic Suicide. Robert Bryce Explains

UK residents are currently paying some of the highest prices in the world for electricity. How did Brits go from being an energy superpower to showering in the gym because it’s too expensive to heat water at home? Perhaps because both Labour and Tory politicians are banning the production and use of cheap hydrocarbons in the pursuit of a “Net Zero future.” How is Net Zero irreparably damaging Britain’s economy? And what does the UK example mean for other states attempting to permanently phase ou...

Mar 20, 202553 minEp. 309

WTH is Going On With Trump, Tariffs and the Economy? Michael Strain Explains

The fundamentals of the economy are strong. So why is the Dow Jones down and fears of a recession up? Perhaps because President Trump is rocking the economic boat by threatening tariffs on historic trading partners, only to rescind them the same day; taking a chainsaw to government expenditures when he should be using a scalpel; and talking about structurally changing the U.S. economy. Will Trump’s disruptive approach to the international economy enrich Americans in the long run? Or are the tari...

Mar 13, 202556 minEp. 308

WTH Canada Would Be a Terrible 51st State. Colin Dueck Explains

Canada’s economy is in the toilet, has an electorate that is overwhelmingly left wing, and a healthcare system that encourages physician assisted suicide over basic treatment. Canada’s systemic problems have meant that Canadian voters were slowly starting to wake up, and were on track to deliver a blow-out for the conservative party in the next elections. But while Trump’s tariff threats have been omnipresent, his threat to make Canada the “51st state” rallied Canadians around the flag and aroun...

Mar 06, 202557 minEp. 307

WTH Extra! About That Trump-Zelensky Meeting… Dany and Marc Discuss

Partisans believe that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “ambushed” in the Oval Office. The story is rather different. In fact, President Trump was genuinely enthusiastic about signing a minerals deal with Zelensky that would enrich both nations and vest the United States in Ukraine’s future. But Zelensky, acting on poor advice or out of his own stubbornness and exhaustion, used the Oval Office meeting to challenge Trump and Vice President Vance in front of American media, leading to a ...

Mar 03, 202546 minEp. 306

WTH Do the California Fires Teach Us About the Need to Invest in Climate Adaptation? Bjorn Lomborg Explains

California has invested tens of billions of dollars in preventing climate change, billions more than California’s investment in adapting to the effects of climate change and directly preventing disasters. And now, the devastation of the recent Los Angeles wildfires is further proof that governments need to focus on protecting citizens through cheap and simple investments in climate adaptation rather than expensive and inefficient investments in climate change prevention. Bjorn Lomborg is the pre...

Feb 27, 202555 minEp. 305

WTH: Megyn Kelly On Trump 2.0 and Our New Political Era

Donald Trump’s first weeks in office have been beyond busy. With a flurry of executive orders and other actions, he is remaking the federal government and American society writ large at lightning speed. In this special WTH episode, Megyn Kelly shares her feelings about Trump 2.0, the direction of the country under his leadership, and how his approach the second time around differs from the first. How is Trump remaking the country in his own image? And how durable will his legacy be once he leave...

Feb 20, 202543 minEp. 304

WTH Can We Do to Prevent a Second China Shock? Professor David Autor Explains

China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, normalizing trade relations with the PRC, was billed to the American public as a rising tide that lifts all boats. But decades later, many of the manufacturing workers who lost their jobs to cheaper Chinese goods have not recovered. And while the first “China shock” left millions of textile and low-skill manufacturing workers without a job, Chinese trade practices are now targeting sectors crucial to American prosperity and national security. How ...

Feb 13, 202559 minEp. 303

WTH is Going On With the UK’s “Grooming Gangs”? Dominic Green Explains

For decades, police, politicians, and community leaders alike covered up what is likely the largest peacetime organized crime spree in British history: The sexual grooming, exploitation, and trafficking of minors by predominantly Pakistani Muslim migrant communities. While new light is now being shed on this scandal by Elon Musk and brave journalists in Britain, there is an untold number of victims who will likely never see proper justice. How did British fixation on community relations lead to ...

Feb 06, 20251 hr 4 minEp. 302

WTH is Going On With Birthright Citizenship? Adam White Explains

On President Trump’s first day in office, he issued an executive order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” attempting to change the current understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment by declaring that the children of illegal immigrants or people on temporary visas born in the United States are not granted citizenship. While many Americans may agree that the unfortunate realities of “birth tourism” and “anchor babies” in the U.S. need to be curbed or stopped, Trump’s...

Jan 30, 20251 hr 7 minEp. 301

WTH Extra, 300th Episode Edition! Trump Finally Gets His Honeymoon. Dany and Marc Discuss

In the 300th episode of What the Hell is Going On? Dany and Marc discuss Marc’s column in the Washington Post , Donald Trump finally gets his honeymoon . When Trump first entered the Oval Office in 2017, the Democratic Party was in full “resist” mode, Trump was a Washington outsider, and protests engulfed America’s capital. Today, Trump enters office understanding the levers of government and how to wield them, issuing a flurry of executive orders and memoranda putting federal employees back to ...

Jan 23, 202535 minEp. 300

WTH: Russia is Weaker Than Most Believe. George Barros Explains

Many who follow Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have come to the same conclusion: Russia can defeat Ukraine with its “incredible” strength. However, Russia is much weaker than even many in the American media let on. The Russian military is bleeding troops for minor gains on the battlefield, running out of men to fight, and has so little equipment it’s turning to movie studios to recoup donated Soviet military equipment from the 1950s. How long can Putin continue his illegal war on Ukraine? How can ...

Jan 16, 202555 minEp. 299

WTH: Jimmy Carter Was Our Worst Modern Ex-President. Steven Hayward Explains

While many understand the failures of the late Jimmy Carter’s presidency, he is often referred to as our “best ex-president” because of his humanitarian and diplomatic efforts following his loss to President Reagan. However, the rose-colored glasses through which many Americans view his post-presidency ignore his disastrous meddling in foreign affairs and blatant antisemitism since leaving office. Despite his humanitarian efforts, Jimmy Carter was not the elder statesman his allies alleged him t...

Jan 09, 202544 minEp. 298

WTH Extra! Who Gets Ukraine’s $26 Trillion In Gas and Minerals? Dany and Marc Discuss

In this episode of WTH Extra! Dany and Marc discuss Marc’s column in the Washington Post, Does Trump want Putin to get Ukraine’s $26 trillion in gas and minerals? Ukraine is a mineral superpower, with some of the largest reserves of 117 of the 120 most widely used minerals in the world. And with the help of U.S. assistance, Ukraine has successfully defended roughly 80 percent of its known mineral deposits. If the U.S. continues to help Ukraine secure and develop its natural minerals, we can not ...

Dec 23, 202437 minEp. 297

WTH Do Americans Not Trust Experts? AEI President Robert Doar Explains

Americans have lost faith in the expert class, and in some cases, for good reason. So-called “experts” didn’t just destroy livelihoods during the COVID pandemic or make China rich through normalized trade relations, they also looked down upon and antagonized the American people in the process. What role will experts play in the second Trump administration? And how can the expert class begin to regain the trust of the American people? Robert Doar is the president of the American Enterprise Instit...

Dec 19, 202450 minEp. 296

WTH is Going On In Syria? The New Lines Institute’s Hassan Hassan Explains

In roughly ten days, opposition forces in Syria were able to accomplish more than they did in a decade and topple the tyrannical Assad regime. But as the dust settles, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – the U.S. designated terrorist organization that led the march to Damascus – will have to prove that it has moved on from its anti-Western Jihadist ideology and is committed to rebuilding a Syrian state that meets the needs of its people. Why did Assad’s regime collapse so quickly? And what does the future o...

Dec 10, 20241 hr 10 minEp. 295

WTH: Biden Pardons Hunter! Professor Jonathan Turley Explains

After repeatedly pledging to the American people that he would not pardon his son Hunter, Joe Biden gave his son one of the most sweeping pardons in presidential history. The presidential pardon power has a long history of abuse, but never before has a pardon been so broad, over such a long period of time, and issued by someone possibly implicated in the case. Why did Biden choose to pardon his son now? And what does the pardon mean for the future of political lawfare? Jonathan Turley is the Sha...

Dec 06, 202448 minEp. 294

WTH Extra! Martial Law in South Korea? Zack Cooper Explains

Late Tuesday night South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, accusing the opposition party of “legislative dictatorship” and vowing to eradicate “pro-North Korean anti-state forces.” Almost as suddenly as martial law was declared, the legislature voted unanimously for it to end – sending the very military forces that attempted to lock down the National Assembly packing. What do Yoon’s actions mean for the future of South Korean politics? How might a collapse of South Korea’s con...

Dec 05, 202448 minEp. 293

WTH is Going On With the World’s Looming Depopulation Crisis? Nicholas Eberstadt Explains

For the first time since the Black Death in the 1300s, the world is heading towards an era of depopulation. And for the first time in human history, this era of depopulation will be by choice. All over the world, women are choosing to have fewer and fewer children even as medical advances continue to prolong life. The result will be that people born today will live in graying societies in which the elderly and retired vastly outnumber the young and employed who are critical in supporting older g...

Nov 27, 202454 minEp. 292

WTH is Trump Trying to Recess Appoint Cabinet Members? John Yoo Explains

Many of President-elect Donald Trump’s announced cabinet nominees are well respected and will likely have an easy path to Senate approval. Others, not so much. So Trump has proposed doing something no president has ever done before: Skirting the Senate approval process altogether via recess appointments. This appointment scheme delegitimizes Trump’s cabinet picks, sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations, and is likely unconstitutional. John Yoo is the Emanuel Heller Professor of La...

Nov 21, 20241 hr 6 minEp. 291

WTH Should Democrats Learn from Trump's Victory? Ruy Teixeira Explains

President Donald Trump made gains among nearly every single demographic group in his historic victory, particularly with Hispanic and young voters. As the Democratic Party asks itself how it lost to Trump – a man they cast as a dictatorial threat to Democracy itself – it will have to look inward and realize it has moved from being the “party of the kitchen table” to the “party of the faculty lounge.” Working middle-class voters don’t identify with a party that spends more time criticizing anyone...

Nov 14, 202458 minEp. 290

WTH Extra! Trump Wins! Dany and Marc Discuss

For the first time since 1892, a former president has regained the office he lost. President. In a landslide victory, Donald Trump won an extremely diverse coalition worried about the state of America’s economy and southern border. The Democratic Party, meanwhile, lost ignominiously and will have some soul-searching to do in the wake of failed identity politics and attempts to cast Trump and his supporters as a threat to American ideals. Who are the voters that drove Trump to victory? How might ...

Nov 07, 202435 minEp. 289

WTH: Does Trump Support Legal Immigration? Ramesh Ponnuru and Michael Strain Debate

President Donald Trump has routinely said he supports immigration, as long as it’s legal, including when Marc interviewed the former president for the Washington Post . Then in the pages of National Review , Marc’s AEI colleagues Michael Strain and Ramesh Ponnuru debated the extent to which Trump supported legal immigration during his presidency and now on the campaign trail. So, we are bringing Strain and Ponnuru onto the pod to debate the extent of Trump’s support for legal immigration, and ho...

Oct 31, 20241 hr 1 minEp. 288

WTH Extra! Israel Strikes Iran! Frederick W. Kagan Explains

On this episode of WTH Extra! Dany and Marc speak to Fred Kagan about Israel’s strike against Iran over the weekend, retaliating against Iran’s unprovoked October 1 missile barrage against the Jewish state. Israel’s strike, involving over 100 aircraft, effectively took out Iranian air defense systems and decimated Iran’s missile production capabilities. However, either because of Israel’s strategic calculation or pressure from President Biden, Israel chose not to target Iran’s nuclear or oil pro...

Oct 29, 202443 minEp. 287
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