Hello and welcome to The Spectator's Americano podcast, a series of discussions about American politics and the Trump presidency in 2017.

I'm Freddie Gray and I'm Deputy Editor of the Spectator. Today I'm joined by Daniel McAdams, who is executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity,

and we're going to be talking about Trump, the interventionist. Daniel, I think it's fair to say that

on the non-interventionist right or the non-interventionist left as well, there was some hope that

one of the upsides of a Trump presidency would be that America would be less interventionist in foreign affairs.

I think it's fair to say that doesn't seem to be the case. Would you agree?

I think the early indications are not very good. And you're absolutely right. Not only the non-interventious right and left,

but I would say a great degree of libertarians in general are beyond left and right, held their noses and voted

for Trump, particularly because of what he said about Russia.

You know, the idea of getting along with Russia, many believe it is so important that they

would accept some of his other faults.

Unfortunately, with his early picks to fill up his cabinet and other key posts and his early policy positions,

it doesn't look like that will be fulfilled.

Yes.

And also there seems to be a certain amount of cooperation with Saudi Arabia that we didn't expect,

isn't that right?

Well, it is interesting.

You know, the Saudis were key financiers of the Hillary Clinton campaign.

I think they gave $25 million to the Clinton Foundation.

And we're seen as openly supporting Hillary Clinton because particularly precisely,

because she had a very hawkish view of what U.S. policy should be in Syria and toward

Russia by indirection. So that's why the visit between President Trump

...