Hey everyone, before we dive into today's episode, I want to tell you about an upcoming event

in San Diego that you won't want to miss if you're in the vicinity. On Friday, March 21st,

talking San Diego, the series of live conversations we inaugurated last year, we'll be welcoming

Maureen Dowd, the esteemed Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times

columnist for a conversation anchored in her new book, Notorious. For tickets and more information,

visit TalkingSandiego.net. talking san diego dot net welcome to talking feds a roundtable that brings together prominent former federal

officials and special guests for a dynamic discussion of the most important political and legal topics of the day.

I'm Harry Littman.

Our episode this week is dedicated to foreign policy, and it couldn't be more timely.

While much of the country, perhaps lawyers especially, have been consumed with Trump's all-out assault on constitutional

norms and the rule of law at home. He's been no less destructive abroad, wielding his

sledgehammer against the global alliances that have anchored U.S. security and influence

for some 75 years. Trump yanked the rug out from under

Ukraine, pedaling vicious lies about the country and its president. He's treated our closest allies

like disobedient schoolchildren, demanding they, quote, do more while he coeses up to Vladimir Putin.

And he seems unconcerned, if not outright complacent about China's amassing the military and

economic power to challenge the U.S. for global dominance.

Trump's instincts run directly counter to the very values that have defined American

leadership for decades.

His foreign policy doesn't seem to be guided by democracy, diplomacy, or even strategic

strength.

Rather, it seems to be driven by an almost reflexive admiration for autocrats and strongmen.

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