The hottest Foreign Policy Substack posts right now

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The 1979 Playbook

European Straits • 23 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. A late-cycle shock in the Middle East is hitting an already fragile economy, driving oil above $90 and adding fresh inflationary pressure while jobs and growth soften.
  2. We’re in the maturity phase of the tech-led paradigm, where slowing productivity, high public debt, and institutional decay mean shocks are amplified and monetary options are constrained.
  3. The United States has a history of misreading Iran, and recent strikes appear driven more by domestic politics than clear strategy; asymmetric warfare economically favors Iran and the crisis could either hasten a new global order or merely prolong the old one.

Top Link 1006 US labour market cooling. The 2nd Mexican-American war. Monsters of justice and "Bonnie be good".

Chartbook • 486 implied HN points • 07 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The US labor market is cooling as corporations trim payrolls, suggesting slower hiring and rising economic risk.
  2. There are growing concerns about escalating tensions between the United States and Mexico, framed starkly as a potential “second Mexican-American war.”
  3. Debates about justice and public morality are foregrounded, using images like “monsters of justice” and “Bonnie be good” to question how society judges behavior.

Israel (and America) are fighting a new kind of war in Iran

Unreported Truths • 40 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Israel and the U.S. are carrying out a deliberate campaign to kill or decapitate Iran’s military and intelligence leadership using signals intelligence, spying, airpower, and precision strikes.
  2. This is a new, radical kind of warfare — aimed at disabling a country’s command structure from the top while trying to avoid mass civilian casualties, an approach enabled by modern technology.
  3. Whether it will work is unclear: success depends on stopping Iran from plugging leaks and on whether its leaders will keep risking death rather than surrendering, and Iran can still wield leverage through things like closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel Apologists Hasten To Use Bondi Shooting To Attack Anti-Genocide Activists

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2514 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Killing civilians is clearly wrong — whether it happened at Bondi Beach or in Gaza.
  2. Many supporters of Israel are using the Bondi attack to blame peaceful pro‑Palestine protesters and push for limits on speech, instead of blaming the actual shooters or the policies that radicalize people.
  3. Opposing Israel’s violent actions and calling out potential genocide is not the same as endorsing terrorism, and there’s a real danger that this attack will be used to further suppress protests and free expression in Australia.

They Feign Concern About Pro-Palestine Chants In Order To Shut Down Pro-Palestine Protests

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1909 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. People who back the establishment often pretend they’re worried about protest chants or methods as a way to shut down pro-Palestine protests.
  2. This is a common tactic: critics will attack the way people protest rather than the issues those protests raise, which keeps the status quo intact.
  3. Across countries and institutions, arrests, laws, and censorship are being framed as safety concerns but actually make it harder to criticize Israel; watch their actions, not their words.
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How Tehran Whitewashes Its Crimes Abroad

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 268 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Iran’s security forces carried out a brutal, deadly crackdown on widespread protests. This repression occurred alongside a deliberate effort to crush dissent on the ground.
  2. The government seeded social media and state outlets with a narrative that the protests were the work of foreign intelligence like the CIA and Mossad. That messaging was used to justify the crackdown and paint protesters as foreign agents.
  3. The information campaign wasn’t just for domestic audiences but aimed at international allies and global conversations to whitewash the killings and shape foreign opinion. The regime pushed propaganda abroad to deflect blame and discredit dissidents.

HOISTED FROM THE ARCHIVES: Anchoring Your Thoughts Against the Blizzard of Trumpist Lies Is Very Important for You!

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 146 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Practice everyday mental hygiene: ground your thinking in reality, question fear‑mongering, and use critical thinking so you don’t get pulled into lies.
  2. Trust and amplify careful fact‑checking (for example reputable reporters’ fact checks) to expose false claims and correct misleading narratives, including misleading claims about Ukraine’s gratitude.
  3. Know the authoritarian playbook — fear, division, media and court capture, lies, and rewriting history — and actively defend free press, independent courts, freedom of assembly, education, and international allies.

Top Links 1005 India's geopolitical centrality. Pomegranates from Afghanistan. Old Mexico & "The Earth's Precariousness".

Chartbook • 486 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. India is becoming geopolitically central and is shaping global politics and trade in new ways.
  2. Energy ties between Russia, India, and the UAE are realigning into a new geometry that is shifting power and supply relationships.
  3. Pieces like Afghan pomegranates and reflections on old Mexico point to local economic and cultural stories that also highlight wider concerns about the Earth's environmental precariousness.

Top Links 999 Mississippi rice in trouble. The enshittification of American power. PCF HQ & the making of the Indian constitution.

Chartbook • 615 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Mississippi and other American rice farmers are in serious trouble, with crop losses and economic strain threatening rural livelihoods. This could have wider impacts on food supply and local economies.
  2. U.S. power is undergoing an 'enshittification' where its effectiveness and legitimacy are eroding because of internal dysfunction and poor policy choices. That weakening makes American global influence less reliable.
  3. The PCF headquarters played a significant role in the making of the Indian constitution, showing how political organizations shaped the founding legal framework. Understanding that role helps explain key constitutional choices.

HOISTED FROM THE ARCHIVES: Unleash Chiang Kai-Shek

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 84 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The slogan "unleash Chiang" referred to Chiang Kai‑shek and was a right‑wing Cold War line imagining he could be unleashed to retake mainland China.
  2. George H. W. Bush used "unleash Chang" as a joking, ironic taunt on the tennis court to mock that rhetoric, but his sons later repeated the phrase without understanding its origin.
  3. Jeb Bush’s "mystical warrior Chang" gag shows how political figures can parrot slogans without historical knowledge, revealing troubling political ignorance and historical amnesia.

Imperial Boomerang

The Chris Hedges Report • 848 implied HN points • 25 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Tactics of militarized force used abroad are being turned inward and used against people at home. This creates a domestic climate of state terror similar to war zones.
  2. Much of society tolerated or celebrated these brutal methods when they targeted foreigners or marginalized groups. That complicity made it easier for the same tactics to be deployed domestically.
  3. Systems of surveillance, impunity, and militarized policing were perfected on occupied and demonized populations and are now ready for broad use. That means ordinary people can face the same lethal, arbitrary force once reserved for others.

What's going to happen to Ukraine now?

Noahpinion • 30412 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The current situation in Ukraine may lead to a Finland-like scenario, where Ukraine could lose some territory but still maintain its independence and democracy. This would be a strategic victory for Ukraine despite the tactical losses.
  2. Recent shifts in American political support mean that while direct aid from the U.S. might change, Ukraine is still capable of defending itself and building its own military resources. They are determined to fight against the invasion.
  3. Negotiations with Russia might focus on reaching a peace deal that allows for ongoing Ukrainian independence, despite the narrative that favors Russia. A balance may be struck where both sides can find a way to end the conflict without total defeat.

Our Unserious President

Slack Tide by Matt Labash • 203 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The president is acting unserious, focusing on gold drapes and ballroom plans instead of treating a new military action with the solemnity it requires.
  2. The administration’s reasons for the war keep shifting while people are dying—U.S. service members and innocent civilians, including schoolgirls—showing real consequences behind the rhetoric.
  3. This mix of vanity and shifting justifications exposes misplaced priorities and hollow patriotism, and true patriotism should involve honestly questioning leaders and policies.

Trump Told Iranian Protesters Help Was on the Way. What Happened?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 565 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Trump publicly warned Iran the U.S. was "locked and loaded" if the regime shot protesters, but no U.S. strike followed the subsequent deadly crackdown.
  2. Officials say a key practical reason for not striking is that U.S. missile defense and strike resources are depleted, which limits options for rapid retaliation.
  3. Instead of punishing the regime for the massacre, U.S. envoys are meeting with Iranian officials to negotiate about the nuclear program and support for terrorism rather than the protesters' fate.

Bahrain: Behind the News

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 145 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Bahrain is ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa family that seized control in the 18th century and has stayed in power with the political and military backing of Britain and the United States.
  2. The government practices sectarian policies that marginalize the indigenous Shia majority—blocking access to housing, jobs, and citizenship—and deliberately naturalizes foreign Sunnis to change the demographics and staff loyal security forces.
  3. Deep corruption and inequality fuel unrest: migrant workers face abuse, Western expats often get better treatment, and protests are met with arrests, torture, and other harsh repression.

Trump + AI = ?

Nonzero Newsletter • 463 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. AI progress is accelerating faster than most people realized, and that sudden speed is raising public anxiety and the need for urgent policy responses.
  2. Many big AI risks are international in nature, so managing them will require cooperation between the US and China rather than only national rules.
  3. It’s plausible that political incentives — a high-profile AI scare, the promise of political credit, and a willingness to make deals — could push Trump to back international AI governance and accept regulation he’d previously resisted.

The Afrikaners Welcomed to America—and the Ukrainians Forced to Leave. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 431 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
đź“° News Foreign Policy
  1. America’s refugee policy is being applied selectively: some groups, like white South African Afrikaners, were welcomed but now struggle with poor housing and scarce support, while many Ukrainians who fled war are stuck in legal limbo or forced to leave after relief programs were paused.
  2. A large DOJ release of Jeffrey Epstein-related videos contains disturbing footage that exposes more of his network, but the files are massive and hard to search or browse.
  3. Drones are moving into everyday life with cheap, practical uses—pizza delivery, disaster relief, even catching car thieves—signaling a fast-growing drone age with broad social effects.

The Australian Israel Lobby Is Flat-Out Saying They Want A Ban On Criticism Of Israel

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2007 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Leaders of the Australian Israel lobby are openly calling for bans on protests and limits on speech that criticise Israel, and they want prosecutions for what they call hate speech.
  2. Those leaders claim criticism of Israel motivates antisemitic violence and are using that claim to push for tougher enforcement, more surveillance (especially of Muslim communities), and even jail for offenders.
  3. The Bondi Beach attack is being used as a pretext for the government to expand restrictions on free speech and online content, which could lead to broader authoritarian measures to police criticism of Israel.

March 13, 2026

Letters from an American • 30 implied HN points • 14 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The administration temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil to try to ease soaring oil prices, a move that critics say directly benefits Russia and drew pushback from G7 allies.
  2. The U.S. military campaign against Iran is expanding without a clear political goal and has mixed messaging from leaders. That approach risks wider disruption, including closure of the Strait of Hormuz and increasing civilian casualties.
  3. Key decisions show poor preparation and weakened oversight: negotiators lacked technical expertise, offices that limited civilian harm were slashed, and internal dissent and aggressive rhetoric are raising legal and ethical concerns about how the war is being run.

Grand Illusion

The Chris Hedges Report • 1183 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Declining empires turn to war and the worship of strength, believing violence can restore past greatness, but that obsession ultimately demands self-sacrifice and destroys the empire.
  2. Leaders who prefer force over diplomacy gut institutions of soft power and staff key posts with cronies, leaving the country unable to understand others or manage complex alliances.
  3. Constant militarism and imperial overreach erode domestic democracy and invite international blowback, risking isolation, backlash, and eventual collapse.

Chartbook 419 The old new Cold War is dead. Long live the new old Cold War: The political logic of Trumpian strategy.

Chartbook • 1702 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The 2025 National Security Strategy moves away from an ideological "new Cold War" with China and Russia and instead emphasizes economic competition with China and bargaining over spheres of influence with Russia.
  2. The administration treats Europe as an ideological battleground, actively courting the European far right and framing European culture wars as the same struggle as in the U.S., a stance that risks fragmenting pro-American support in Europe.
  3. This approach echoes old Cold War-style U.S. interference in European politics, but with a twist: MAGA rejects the traditional Atlanticist liberal consensus and lacks consolidated hegemony at home or abroad, making the strategy unstable and risky.

The Right-Wing Troll Who Would Be Governor. Plus. . . 

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 421 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. A young, very online right-wing candidate has built a cult-like following among disaffected young men, showing how trollish internet culture can translate into real political energy.
  2. Big Food’s corporate power and lobbying are major drivers of rising childhood obesity, and experts argue only sweeping policy changes will curb the crisis.
  3. Dark-money donations, threats to press freedom, platform harms, and major labor actions together suggest institutions are under strain and accountability is weakening.

Sunday Strip: Convoy to Cuba

Who is Robert Malone • 26 implied HN points • 15 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The Republican Party is jeopardizing its midterm chances by ignoring the voters who elected them and failing to address issues important to their MAHA-aligned base.
  2. Some climate activists are being called out as hypocritical for pushing to allow fossil-fuel imports to Cuba despite previously arguing against fossil fuel use.
  3. Fundraising drives framed as "Free Cuba" efforts to send oil are being portrayed as grifts that would prop up the Cuban regime rather than genuinely help the Cuban people.

How we'll know if Trump is going to sell America out to China

Noahpinion • 33118 implied HN points • 13 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Export controls on technology, especially semiconductors, are really important for keeping the U.S. ahead of China. If Trump stops these controls, it could mean he's not serious about standing up to Chinese power.
  2. There are doubts about Trump's commitment to manufacturing jobs, as his previous promises may not hold true. His tariffs might just be for show and could even hurt U.S. manufacturing instead of helping it.
  3. China is a serious threat to U.S. dominance, and the way Trump handles trade and technology policy will be key in determining the future relationship between the two countries.

Trump’s Dangerous Greenland Game

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 913 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. His muscular, unilateral foreign policy has produced big wins, like strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, pressure that helped free hostages, and the raid that captured Venezuela’s leader.
  2. His push to acquire Greenland and petulant diplomacy have created a diplomatic crisis with allies, risking immediate political fallout.
  3. Alienating allies could turn those victories into strategic liabilities, because long-term security often depends on sustained cooperation with partners.

Trump Finds the Golden Mean in Venezuela

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 1414 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Replacing a leader can change how a regime behaves even if its official ideology stays the same, because individual leaders bring different goals and risk tolerances.
  2. Leaving the new acting leader in place instead of trying to rebuild the whole government is a cautious, gradualist choice that avoids the big costs and dangers of instant regime reconstruction.
  3. The new leader appears more pragmatic, having pursued pro-market steps and made conciliatory moves, so U.S. leverage and credible threats could push Venezuela toward better policies and cooperation.

Venezuela: The Precedents

Thinking about... • 1029 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The U.S. action in Venezuela continues a long pattern of choosing foreign leaders to advance American interests rather than promoting genuine democracy, and the sensible response would be to hold or recognize legitimate elections.
  2. Forcibly removing a leader does not reliably create stability or democracy — the Iraq example shows occupations breed chaos and can force occupiers to cooperate with the very forces they claimed to overthrow; backing violence undermines legitimacy and invites unpredictable resistance.
  3. Ignoring international law and using foreign interventions as tools for domestic political gain makes the U.S. resemble authoritarian powers and risks normalizing violence at home, so courts, journalists, Congress, and elections must check that logic.

Niall Ferguson: The Truth About Trump's National Security Strategy

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2198 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. A national security strategy is a written roadmap and not automatically a binding doctrine, so it shouldn’t be treated as the final word on policy.
  2. The document criticizes European allies for low defense spending and economic decline, warning their societies face serious risks.
  3. It frames U.S. policy around preserving American primacy, prioritizing national strength and openly calling out allies’ shortcomings.

Resistance 101 Documentary Trailer (COMING FEB. 21)

The Chris Hedges Report • 216 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Italian dockworkers have organized strikes and large demonstrations to block arms shipments to Israel in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
  2. Their actions are a direct response to international institutions and governments that have refused to confront the violence.
  3. These industrial disruptions are offered as a model of resistance that could spread to other countries and possibly influence efforts to end the genocide.

MAGA freaks out over Taylor Swift

Today's Edition Newsletter • 10593 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. President Biden issued a threat to Iran-backed militias following the deaths of US soldiers in a drone attack.
  2. Campaign developments show Trump's desperation as economy performs well under Biden and Nikki Haley criticizes Trump.
  3. MAGA extremists are in panic over the possibility of Taylor Swift endorsing Biden, showing fear of young voter motivation.

The Mad Stamp Collector

Thinking about... • 828 implied HN points • 11 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. A possessive, aggressive approach to friends destroys trust and ends helpful cooperation.
  2. Existing alliances and agreements already give access and security when needed; asking and cooperating works far better than trying to seize things.
  3. Trying to claim or bully allied territory can break alliances, weaken national security, and hand advantage to rival powers.

The Epstein Saga: Rod Dreher, Nellie Bowles, and Robby Soave on the Files and the Fallout. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 500 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The huge release of Epstein files has kept his crimes and elite connections at the center of public life, and how people interpret those documents can fuel widespread anger, conspiracy, or calls for major social change.
  2. Dumping millions of unvetted pages and media risks dragging innocent people into the scandal and exposing victims, creating a dangerous precedent where gossip and unverified claims spread with real consequences.
  3. The fallout reaches beyond the files themselves — journalists face scrutiny for past contacts, and the episode ties into larger debates about accountability, institutional trust, AI-powered watchdogs, and politicization of public institutions.

TikTok is just the beginning

Noahpinion • 27118 implied HN points • 15 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. TikTok is facing potential shutdown in the U.S. because of a law that requires foreign apps to be sold to American buyers. If the owner doesn't comply, the app could be removed from stores for new downloads.
  2. The Chinese government prefers to control TikTok rather than let it be sold or used freely in America. They believe it's too important to lose, even if it means shutting it down altogether.
  3. Concerns about TikTok focus on privacy issues and how it might be used to spread propaganda. Evidence suggests that the app can suppress negative content about China and promote pro-government views.

Ah, Good Old War Propaganda

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2291 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Major media outlets often manufacture consent for imperial agendas, shaping stories to justify wars and demonize targeted leaders rather than simply inform the public.
  2. Narrative control is systemic and deliberate: owners, state broadcasters, think tanks, algorithms and billionaire-backed tech shape what people see to protect the imperial status quo.
  3. The antidote is grassroots action—expose propaganda, promote media literacy, and help others recognize manipulation so truth can challenge the existing power structure.

As War Rages, Jake Tapper Reminds Us Zohran Mamdani Is Muslim And Muslims Are Scary

JoeWrote • 54 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Mainstream media is using agenda-setting and framing to steer attention away from American and Israeli military actions by promoting other stories as more important. This makes real wartime atrocities seem less urgent to the public.
  2. Coverage of a Muslim politician was framed in ways that imply suspicion or links to terrorism, relying on Islamophobic tropes rather than evidence. Reporters and pundits treated his faith as if it made him inherently suspect.
  3. The intense focus on the mayor functions as a distraction and a way to defend the status quo, using fear of Muslims to shift sympathy away from victims of violence. This propaganda-style framing helps normalize or obscure aggressive policies abroad.

How Bari Weiss pushes propaganda to please the powerful

The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby (of Vooza) | Sent every Tuesday • 712 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
đź“° News Foreign Policy
  1. Bari Weiss presents herself as a free-speech, reformed-liberal voice but uses that posture to promote wealthy tech, libertarian, and pro-Israel figures while relentlessly criticizing the left.
  2. New ownership and executives with close ties to rich, pro-Israel donors are steering editorial priorities to amplify their political and business interests.
  3. That shift has led to selective sourcing, uneven reporting and criticism, and a loss of credibility and viewers for the network.

Mean Mr. Mustache

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 7269 implied HN points • 20 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Thomas Friedman used to have a fun and charming writing style, which many feel is missing now. It's sad to see that change.
  2. There's a lot of criticism towards the CIA's actions during Trump's presidency, highlighting issues of trust and responsibility. Critics argue that the CIA's past behavior could complicate current negotiations.
  3. The shift in opinion pieces reflects a broader change in public discourse, moving from light-hearted conversations to more serious and scolding tones. Many readers miss the old, more engaging style of discussion.

New Issue Of JOHNSTONE: The Empire Stole Venezuela

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1136 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Powerful countries are intervening in Venezuela to seize its oil and strip the nation of its sovereignty.
  2. The Monroe Doctrine is an old, made-up imperial rationale rooted in racist thinking and doesn’t legally or morally justify invasions.
  3. Mindless parroting of pro-empire slogans helps cover up these actions, and the empire is actively working to dominate and silence opposition across Latin America.

Israel, Its Lobby, and the Iran War

John’s Substack • 16 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. The Israel lobby still strongly shapes U.S. policy. It has lost control of the public conversation, and many now believe the U.S. was pulled into the Iran war by Netanyahu and the lobby.
  2. A senior U.S. official resigned, saying he could not support the Iran war and arguing the conflict began because of pressure from Israel and its American lobby.
  3. The war appears to be in a stalemate with no clear way for the U.S. to end it or win it, and there is no obvious viable exit strategy.

Rubio Calls For The End Of A Tolerant, Democratic Europe And The Crowd Goes Wild

Phillips’s Newsletter • 357 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy
  1. Marco Rubio urged Europe to abandon its tolerant, liberal democratic model in favor of smaller, nationalistic, Trump-aligned states, and his remarks were met with enthusiastic applause.
  2. He portrayed the pre-Trump, rules-based international order as a dangerous 'delusion,' blaming migration, trade, and liberal tolerance for Western decline and pitching a Trump-led renewal as the solution.
  3. Rubio downplayed Russia and China as central threats and signaled willingness to accept a Ukraine settlement that keeps Russia content, implying a U.S. pivot away from guaranteeing European security.