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- [00:00]
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- [00:33]
Bloomberg Podcast Announcer
Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio news. You're listening to the Bloomberg Balance of Power podcast. Catch us live weekdays at noon and 5pm Eastern on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app. Listen on demand wherever you get your podcasts or watch us live on YouTube.
- [00:55]
Joe Matthew
We prepare to spend some time with Don Levy knowing that there is a huge conversation not only in New York, but here in Washington, D.C. and in political circles around the country about the New York mayoral race. The name Mamdani gets people worked up for better or worse. And when you look at the polling numbers in the mayoral race, there's a reason why Donnie is way out ahead in this four way contest, according to the latest from Siena. This is the Siena Research Institute at Siena University and our good friend don levy. Donnie 46%, a 22 point advantage over Cuomo 24% Curtis Sliwa 15% Eric Adams 9% so you know how this goes. And then you consider what President Trump has been saying about this. Well, guess what, maybe the President is onto something here. Because if in fact he did get Eric Adams to drop out and Curtis Lee were to drop out, this becomes a real contest. The big if, as Don writes, is what would happen if both Sliwa and Adams were to drop out of the race. And he's with us right now, back by popular demand, the director of the Siena Research Institute at Siena University, America's pollster, Don Levy. Mr. Levy, welcome back. It's great to see you. What do the numbers look like when you get two to drop out?
- [02:17]
Don Levy
Well, fabulous to be with you, Joe. It's a race, Karen. Mayor Adams and Curtis Leo were to drop out. Right now former Governor Cuomo gets about 77% of both of those candidates votes, if indeed they do drop out. And suddenly we've got a race that's 48 for Mamdani and 44 for Governor Cuomo. If indeed, it's a two way race. An enormous if, but in that hypothetical race, that's what would happen. So what we're seeing is that voters who currently favor either Adams or Slila they much more inclined to go with Cuomo than they are to move over to Mandani, despite the fact that Manny currently in that four way race, as you point out, has an enormous 22 point lead. He leads with young voters. He leads in the vote rich boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. And right now, even amongst black voters, a former real bastion of votes for Governor Cuomo, the governor, the former governor does no better than pull, even with Mandami, even amongst black voters in New York City.
- [03:29]
Joe Matthew
Fascinating. Now, you call this the big if scenario for a reason. We don't know that this is going to happen. But Don, I bet your phone's been ringing. This poll is going to put pressure on Curtis Sliwa and Eric Adams, who was reportedly talking to President Trump about an ambassadorship. What are you hearing in response to these numbers?
- [03:48]
Don Levy
Well, absolutely, those numbers are eye catching. Certainly it points out that Mr. Mazani has a ceiling, if you will. He gets 46% in a four way. He only gets 48% in a two way. So that big if is truly a big if. But can it happen? And indeed, even if both of those candidates were to decide to drop out, time is quite short. They could very well still be on the ballot and still pull some votes even, even if they say to their voters, please don't vote for me. Currently, both Adams and Sliwa say they're in the race. They're not anywhere near an endorsement of former Governor Cuom. So it remains a certainly something that we're all wanting to talk about, but it doesn't seem to be reality, at least today on September 10th.
- [04:39]
Joe Matthew
That's okay. That's right. But we've got some time as you're suggesting, Curtis Sliwa, I mean, look, Eric Adams is one thing and I know that he's got a complicated relationship with Donald Trump. People can read into that as they want. He did hold an event last week saying, no, we're staying in the race. And that's what you say until you drop out of the race. Curtis Sliwa is a different factor here though, isn't he? I mean, he's the perpetual candidate for mayor. He's got a whole makeover, he's dropped the beret. He doesn't look like somebody who wants to end this fight. What do you think?
- [05:08]
Don Levy
Yeah, he's the Republican nominee and I think he takes a great deal of pride in that. He's getting the lion's share of Republican vote in New York City, albeit that's a small percentage across the Big Apple. But right now there really isn't any noise about Sliwa dropping out. Even, you know, some of the few influencers who do have slew, his ear, John Casamatitis being one of them, you know, a grocery store, you know, tycoon. He is even saying that he's not personally trying to push Leo out of the race. And remember, this hypothetical two race has got two ifs. Even if current Mayor Adams were to drop out, that's not enough votes. That according to our poll, to move Cuomo into a competitive position, he needs both. If simply Adams drops out and if he continues and if Cuomo does garner 77% of the Adams vote, that doesn't even get him halfway to making up this 22 point gap that he currently suffers.
- [06:08]
Joe Matthew
Well, so you just answered my next question. They both got to drop to make this work. Unless, of course, things change on the ground. Really interesting story in the New York Times, Don Levy. Some of New York's biggest business leaders convened a Tuesday morning event for an urgent gathering in support of Andrew Cuomo, saying the time to act is now. Some of the richest landlords in the city got together in the Seagram Building at the pool room. I don't know if you hang out in the pool room, Don, you can tell us. It's pretty exclusive, I understand, to plot the path to City Hall. What role will money play in closing a four point gap if these two drop out?
- [06:49]
Don Levy
Well, certainly I didn't get an invitation to that meeting. You know, the one thing that our poll is telling us is that there are a lot of New Yorkers, a majority New Yorkers, who feel as though Andrew Cuomo would be an effective mayor. Everybody knows who Andrew Cuomo is. Everybody saw him as longtime governor of the state of New York. And actually more voters feel as though he would be effective because than do Mr. Mandani. You know, a small gap, but that's where Cuomo strength is. The second place where Cuomo has some strength is of those voters who feel as though crime is the number one issue there. Cuomo does particularly well. But when you turn the table on affordability, as our current governor was discussing a few minutes ago, that's where Madani has tremendous strength. Of those voters who feel that affordability, the cost of living is the number one issue, that's where Mandani does extremely well. And it's, I don't really see right now how additional money flowing to Cuomo, additional ads that would be generated by that, by those dollars is going to bridge that gap right now. Currently Mr. Donnie has a positive favorability with voters, but Andrew Cuomo has a negative favorability for Mandani is seen as inspirational. He's seen as someone who cares about people like you. He's seen as having good character. Despite the New Yorker's belief that Andrew Cuomo would be effective, he trails Mandani and he trails by quite a bit on issues like character, empathy and inspirational qualities.
- [08:28]
Joe Matthew
Wow, this is really interesting. We've only got about 30 seconds left here, Don, but to your point, and you put numbers on this, overall support for some of the things that Republicans and even Democrats criticize Mondami for. Rent freeze, rent stabilized apartments 70% support free buses. There we go. 60% increasing taxes on the wealthy 68%. If Andrew Cuomo found himself in a head to head here, he'd have to move to the left.
- [08:55]
Don Levy
No, he would have to move to the left and he'd have to try to do pop the balloon that is Madame's support. There is a weakness there. Two thirds of New Yorkers feel as though it's unlikely that Mandami, if elected, will get all those, those programs across the finish line. So I think that Cuomo is going to run on effectiveness, realism. I can get things done, I can keep you safe and I can accomplish things that actually can be done rather than just promising things that can't be done. There's a bit of an opening for him there.
- [09:29]
Joe Matthew
Levy Siena Research Institute we missed you, Don. This is Bloomberg. Stay with us on Balance of Power. We'll have much more coming up after this.
- [09:40]
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- [10:17]
Bloomberg Podcast Announcer
You're listening to the Bloomberg Balance of Power podcast. Catch us live weekdays at noon and 5pm Eastern on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app. You can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station. Just say Alexa play Bloomberg 11:30 Crab.
- [10:37]
Joe Matthew
On the menu last night for President Trump and most of the cabinet was there. They they packed in the motorcade. Imagine if you were going to your neighbor's house, literally your next door neighbor's house and you got in the car and drove there for dinner. That's what they did last evening. Despite the fact that the President says there is literally no crime Left in Washington D.C. the quote, I wouldn't have done this three months ago. Now it's as safe as there is. Joe's Stone Crab. Maybe you've been there. If you visited Washington D.C. you know, they've got the. The original was in Miami. I think there are a couple around the country. But the one here in Washington is like a block away from the White House. And it's become a big MAGA hangout. It's a big place to see and be seen and spend a lot of money, a lot of bucks on expensive wine, steak and crab. They all rolled out last night. The President was there, the Secretary of Defense, Vice President, the Secretary of State, to make a point that you could walk outside freely and go spend a lot of money at an expensive restaurant one block away from the White House. Here's the President on his way in.
- [11:46]
Donald Trump
I wouldn't have done this three months ago, four months ago. I certainly wouldn't have done it a year ago. This was one of the most unsafe cities in the country. Now it's as safe as there is in the country. So we're here with cabinet members having dinner and everybody should go out. The restaurants now are booming. People are going out to dinner where they didn't go out for years. And it's a safe city. And I just want to thank the National Guard.
- [12:12]
Joe Matthew
Okay, I just got to say this because I actually live here. Washington D.C. is one of the best restaurant cities in the country. Wasn't always like that, but it is now. And people go out. You can't even get a seat in a restaurant. That's been the case since I came back to town five years ago. Just want to be clear about that. And yeah, sometimes the wife and I go to Joe's Stonecrab Never had to worry too much about security because again, it's a block from the White House. And there's a big question right now about what comes next. Because by the way, today is the day that the 30 day federalization or whatever we're calling it, the federal takeover of law enforcement here in the District of Columbia expires and the President promised last evening to announce the next city. It won't be Chicago. He said he's likely going to go to a red state where he feels the presence of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops are more welcome. So let's get to the Panel hear about this a little bit. Rick Davis is with us, Bloomberg Politics contributor of course, Republican strategist and partner at Stone Court Capitol. And we add the voice of Ophira Yeheskel, director of External affairs at the Democratic Governors Association. Ophira, welcome to our conversation. Rick. It's great to have you. I bet Rick, you've been to Joe's a couple of times here in Washington D.C. was that progress for the president to be able to dine there last evening?
- [13:33]
Rick Davis
Well, I think for the president to go out to any restaurant in Washington D.C. is progress. I mean other than the restaurant steak joint in his old hotel, the Trump Hotel. In his first term this is the first time he's been out to a restaurant in Washington. So you know, I guess he was afraid of the high crime even though he has the biggest security detail on the face of the earth and but he felt safe enough to go. Joe's glad he was there. It's good for the restaurant business in Washington. It's, it has been relatively slow to recover from COVID but as you point out now it's thriving and we want to continue to thrive because we think people would benefit themselves by coming and visiting Washington and going to places like Joe's. I would say Joe's in Miami has better stone crabs but plenty to eat.
- [14:28]
Joe Matthew
On the menu that's for sure. You know, we've come a long way from McDonald's. Remember on the campaign trail the president had the apron on. He was hanging out the takeout window there the drive thru. He was making fries with the he had a blast that day. You get a large stone crab. I'm just looking at the market card here. It was 94, 95 last night, pound and a half. Alaskan red king crab is $175 and they got everything. So pull me in off the ledge here. Ofira. I don't know if you dare go out to eat in Washington, but it does kind of make you wonder. Rick's right. That was the first time this president has ever gone out to eat anywhere other than his own hotel in Washington. Would he feel differently if he went out more?
- [15:14]
Ophira Yeheskel
Well, I think you said that he had crab on the menu but I think there was egg on his face. The reception that he got.
- [15:20]
Joe Matthew
You did that?
- [15:20]
Ophira Yeheskel
Yes, I had to. And there was no love for him at the either to make another pun. I think the reception he's getting when he goes out in public has not been great and kind of been a reflection of how people are feeling about his agenda. But to your point as well, I was going out to restaurants in D.C. this is a great food city. But I know restaurant owners in this town have been saying actually the presence of the National Guard here has been a decrease on people feeling the ability to go out. And so, you know, the mission's over according to him. But I think there obviously is work to do on public safety. But I think the manner in which he's going about it has proved a little unpopular.
- [15:55]
Joe Matthew
Well, the mission is over and so is the 30 day period here. There appears to be no appetite in Congress to extend this. It would take an act of Congress and some form of legislation. The speaker says he doesn't want to do that. But Muriel Bowser, the mayor of the city is in a peculiar position here and she says that she'll continue to work with the White House. What's this going to look like months from now?
- [16:15]
Ophira Yeheskel
Well, I think collaboration is always a good thing. We want to see people working together and that includes with the President. I think that governors also would welcome working in tandem with the President. I think the difference here is the president's taking a lot of this action without collaborating and working together with folks, state and local leaders who know the places best. And I think that is really what's proved unpopular. I think state and local leaders know exactly what they need to keep people safe, know what kind of resources are necessary. And I think the way he's been deploying the National Guard has kind of gone against that.
- [16:46]
Joe Matthew
Well, it looks like we're going to be going somewhere, Rick, and we might find out today. President told reporters last evening is finalizing negotiations with a Republican run state instead of going to Illinois. A lot of folks think that might be Louisiana, where we would find New Orleans, of course, for a crackdown. The attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News last night they are a progressive city referring to Chicago and they don't want the president's help. That's on them. So we're going to a city who wants us there. What's going to happen next here with Donald Trump following the D.C. experiment? Rick?
- [17:19]
Rick Davis
Yeah, look, I mean it's as you described. We'll wait and see. I doubt if it's going to be too much of a surprise. I know the governor of Louisiana has been actually soliciting the president, please come down here. I mean, bring your troops. We'll have Gail time. We'll go to Commander's Palace. Maybe Donald Trump will dine out one more time. And, and yet, yeah, I mean, look, the experiment worked. In D.C. right. Muriel Bowser, I think, is the one to watch here, not Donald Trump. She actually figured out how to handle Donald Trump coming in, you know, and sort of mowing down the. The. The standards under which we thought the government was going to interact with the D.C. community. And now it's over. I mean, ostensibly, the speaker said, we're out of here. No more reason to have an emergency. And in a Republican administration, in a state like Louisiana, these troops who are America's best, should be welcomed with open arms and hopefully they'll have a nice impact on the New Orleans crime scene or anywhere else they go. Right. And I think that the Bowers are example of not making it a battle line in politics is a much better approach to dealing with what is a very, very intrusive federal government.
- [18:44]
Joe Matthew
Yeah. I wonder if the National Guard troops we're seeing right now patrolling the streets of Washington will still be there tomorrow. We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds. A lot of them have been spending time picking up trash and directing traffic. From what we've seen, by the way, Brendan and I agree, if the president's going to New Orleans, he's got to go to Friday lunch at Galatoise. This has really become a very hungry program. Ophira, if it's not Illinois, you're, of course, coming to us from your perch at the Democratic Governors Association. Is this a huge win for JB Pritzker? Is this another model of how to approach Donald Trump?
- [19:17]
Ophira Yeheskel
Well, I think J.B. pritzker used his voice and platform to do what he said, which was protect the people of Illinois. And I would remind people watching at home, the commander in chief of the National Guard is the governor, not the President of the United States. Which is why I keep harping on this. If Governor Pritzker saw the need to deploy the National Guard in Illinois, I think that's one thing. But he was very clear that he in no way made that request and did not want that from the president. And so I think, yeah, victory for him. And frankly, I think the President of the United States should continue respecting the authority of all governors and how they choose to utilize their National Guards.
- [19:50]
Joe Matthew
Yeah. You wonder, Rick, if we could get to a position where you've got a governor with his National Guard standing off against troops that the president sent into a state. The different cities or any city is different than Washington, D.C. when it comes to this. Then again, we saw what happened in L. A, so how would that direct the president from choosing the next spot to deploy These troops.
- [20:14]
Rick Davis
Well, I think is right. I mean, I think you want to respect the governor's rights. And, you know, it's nice to be on a program with a Democrat who thinks states rights are a big issue. I think they are, too, and I applaud that approach. And again, I think that the last thing you want to do, and maybe the Pritzker example is the way to go, but it didn't work for California. And Gavin Newsom basically took the same approach. Don't come here. These are my troops. And he got bowled over and he lost in court. And so rather than fight that fight, I think Donald Trump, who wants to use crime as an issue politically, right, that's what this is all about. And he's found a mechanism to do that with government resources that ultimately he can control. And I think that Democrats have to find a better way than to just, you know, look like they're getting in this trap on crime again, where it's like, no, no, we're fine here. You know, in Chicago, where 54 gun violations were counted last weekend, nobody's going to buy that at the ballot box. So don't give Donald Trump too much room on crime because he's going to take it and he's taking it right now.
- [21:35]
Joe Matthew
We'll announce it probably tomorrow. He said when he came out of Joe's Stone crab last night, we're working it out with the governor of a certain state that would love us to be there. It's New Orleans importance, right? Is that what you're expecting?
- [21:46]
Ophira Yeheskel
You'd know better than me, Joe?
- [21:47]
Joe Matthew
Yeah, well, if you've got a red state in the city with a crime issue, it seems like that might be the one. As Rick mentioned, the governor of Louisiana has actually been asking for it. That's the path of least resistance, it seems to me. If we're going to keep doing this.
- [22:00]
Ophira Yeheskel
Right, and I remember there was CNN reporting about this, that there are several cities in bred states that have higher crime rates in Washington, D.C. where maybe this approach would be welcomed.
- [22:09]
Joe Matthew
Does that give the president credibility to go into a city in a red state or a city with a Republican mayor and make a stand here?
- [22:18]
Ophira Yeheskel
Well, again, I think this is up to local leaders. So if, if the governor of Louisiana says he'd like to work with the president in this manner, great. But I would also go back to what Rich said. Governor Newsom was actually successful in court suing President Trump over his deployment of the National Guard into California. I think the court system did agree.
- [22:35]
Joe Matthew
With that was an overreach really interesting conversation. Ophelia Heskel and Rick Davis stay with us. On Balance of Power will have much more coming up after this.
- [22:47]
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- [23:23]
Bloomberg Podcast Announcer
You're listening to the Bloomberg Balance of Power podcast. Catch us live weekdays at noon and 5pm Eastern on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app. You can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station. Just say Alexa play Bloomberg 11:30 remarkable.
- [23:43]
Joe Matthew
Story overseas breaking out in Poland. This emerged late yesterday as NATO fighter jets were forced to shut down Russian drones, a swarm of Russian drones that violated Poland's airspace just as Russia was attacking targets in Ukraine. NATO officials, Poland's military reporting this Wednesday, a rare clash realizing these were unmanned drones between Moscow and militaries from NATO. We did hear from NATO's Secretary General Mark Ruda, on the Poland attack. Let's listen to what he said.
- [24:18]
Rick Davis
The North Atlantic Council met this morning.
- [24:21]
Joe Matthew
And discussed the situation in light of Poland's request for consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia's reckless behavior. A full assessment of the incident is ongoing. What is clear is that a violation last night is not an isolated incident, ruta said. Polish F16s, Dutch F35s, Italian AWAC surveillance aircraft were all involved in responding to the breach of of Polish airspace. With us now to talk about this and other hotspots in the world is Michael Allen, managing director at Beacon Global Strategies, former special assistant to President George W. Bush in the national security sector. Michael, it's great to have you here. We go again with a new area of concern and realizing that Vladimir Putin likes to push the line here a little bit, but we're invoking an article 4. What does that mean for the state of NATO and what did Vladimir Putin just do?
- [25:24]
Michael Allen
Well, this is a very serious incursion by the Russians. I think it is designed to test NATO's resolve and we also have to look at the context that we're in. We are, and seemingly Trump is more frustrated with the Russians of late, we're looking at what do security guarantees look like? Does that include a Western tripwire force inside of Ukraine, something that Vladimir Putin has warned us against doing? And we're also apparently getting more serious about sanctions. So I think what they're trying to do, Putin in particular, is to warn us of the dangers of confrontation, to intimidate us and to fracture our resolve. That's got to be what he's after right now, because I think he feels rather defensive because he sees Trump seemingly realizing that they're disrespecting the United States and turning on us.
- [26:14]
Joe Matthew
The United States is part of Naito, in theory. There is a question lately as the US Starts to pull some of the security aid in Eastern European countries that border Russia, but just how tight that resolve is? What does Donald Trump do next?
- [26:29]
Michael Allen
I think this is where we're going. The rubber is going to meet the road. You've heard Trump in years past insist that Naito begin to pay their fair share. Trump won that at the beginning of his term. So I think he's flipped a little bit. I don't think think he wants to get out of NATO. I think he wants to see the Europeans step up. He feels like this is something he's achieved already as part of his national security foreign policy. But this is just the type of exigency that the Russians are trying to test us with, which is, do faraway items or incursions or attacks. Does that implicate US national security? Should it. Should American soldiers be involved in this type of work? That's the type of debate he wants to provoke here within the United States because he knows we have sort of neo isolationist sentiment right now, doubting about America's role in the world.
- [27:20]
Joe Matthew
The reaction from at least one Republican on Capitol Hill, Joe Wilson of South Carolina posted on X. Russia is attacking NATO ally Poland with Iranian drones less than a week after the president hosted the Polish president at the White House. This is an act of war. Is that how you see this?
- [27:38]
Michael Allen
No, I don't want. We need to see if this continues and we need to. I mean, obviously we need to take it seriously. But calling it an act of war I think goes way too far.
- [27:48]
Joe Matthew
It's hard to back up from that, isn't it?
- [27:49]
Michael Allen
It's hard to. There's no other place to go that suggests that we need to hit back militarily immediately. I don't. I don't think that's right at all. Let's see if this is part of a larger aggressive pattern. They have had minor incursions in the past. I think this is the most major of them. Let's see where this goes. There's no doubt that people are signaling to the Russians today.
- [28:09]
Joe Matthew
Easy.
- [28:10]
Michael Allen
Be careful. Don't provoke us. You can't win this. But let's see if this continues.
- [28:15]
Joe Matthew
Where do you. Where do the Europeans go from this? Emmanuel Macron, Giorgia Maloney, Christian Friedrich Merz, I should say where. What are they thinking right now?
- [28:24]
Michael Allen
I think they're thinking this renews the spirit and the conflict conviction that we developed at the beginning of the second Trump administration that we really need to spend more, revitalize our defense industrial base and have greater agency over our own security within Europe because Russia is aggressive. Even if the United States isn't trying to back away from Europe, which I think we are, even under Trump, if not getting out of NATO, I think they're thinking to them themselves, this is a serious situation. This is going to continue, and we have got to pay more and do more in service of our own security.
- [29:04]
Joe Matthew
It sounds like the president is wondering exactly what this means as well. He posted on Truth Social, what's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones? Here we go. Exclamation point. I don't know where we're going there, Michael, but there are questions about where we're going with Israel as well.
- [29:21]
Michael Allen
Yeah.
- [29:22]
Joe Matthew
After striking Doha targets in Doha yesterday, where the actual negotiators were and the largest US Base in the Middle east is located, the president has made clear that he's angry about it. He posted on Truth Social, not a decision made by me. What does he do with Benjamin Netanyahu on this one?
- [29:39]
Michael Allen
Well, I think he's frustrated with Netanyahu because Trump feels like he's getting closer to a hostage deal. He had just put out a big tweet on Sunday afternoon saying Israel's agreed to a certain set of criteria. Now it's Hamas's turn. And I think he sees what Netanyahu is doing is boat rocking. It's not that it should be completely surprising that the Israelis are engaging in yet another decapitation strike of a leadership target in a terrorist organization. But this was a little bit surprising, the timing of it all. The United States is in the harness trying to negotiate a good deal. I understand we had a terrorist attack in Jerusalem authored by Hamas the day before the attack. But still, this just feels like it's something that's testing the president's patience at a moment when Israel ought to be looking of how are we going to settle this down. But they're, they're clearly not, at least Netanyahu, clearly not in that frame of mind.
- [30:39]
Joe Matthew
There are very few places in the Middle east where cease fire negotiations can actually happen with actual representatives of Hamas. Doha is one of the very few places where that can occur. Is this a message that a ceasefire is ultimately off the table or not doable?
- [30:56]
Michael Allen
Possibly. But there's another way to look at it too, which is, I think that the Israelis have been frustrated throughout that they're negotiating with people who are in luxury hotels in a faraway city from Hamas. I think they have felt that if they were negotiating with someone inside of Gaza who was suffering, who was under pressure, who was dodging bullets and bombs, that they may be more conditioned to compromise sooner than the political leadership who have nothing to do with the wartime instruments inside of Gaza. So maybe there's an argument in the medium term that as long as you're taking hardliners off the chessboard, maybe this will be easier to get from A to B.
- [31:38]
Joe Matthew
What do you make of the lack of notification? The reporting from Axios makes you wonder that the US Actually saw Israeli aircraft on the move, inquired, and we were told the missiles had already been launched. That's not the way this is supposed to work, is it?
- [31:50]
Michael Allen
You would think that we would have had greater, we would have moved more in concert on this. The Israelis must have known that Trump wasn't going to like this very much. Even if we don't like it. I didn't like the suggestion of the United States saying we're going to call Qatar and warn them. This is coming to me. That's not what was appropriate in this type of situation.
- [32:14]
Joe Matthew
We shouldn't have expected that call.
- [32:16]
Michael Allen
Well, I think now the Israelis are thinking it's smart that we didn't do that call because we can't necessarily trust the White House to keep it to ourselves. I mean, if they're telling us something in confidence and we're saying we'll go call the targets of the, of the bomb, I don't know. That doesn't feel right to me.
- [32:32]
Joe Matthew
Should we be bracing for fallout from Iran, from the Houthis, from Lebanon? What are the ripple effects here?
- [32:40]
Michael Allen
So Iran, I think, is still trying to figure out what weapons they do have. I know they're going to bounce back sooner or later with their proxy forces. I don't know that they're ready yet. I still think Hezbollah is on its back foot. If anything happens, I think it would come from the Houthi. There might be a longer term implication for bombing Doha that the Israelis will have to press. But you know, as the Israelis are fond of saying, they have seven fronts ongoing in their wars within the Middle east and they have to keep their enemies sort of on their back foot.
- [33:13]
Joe Matthew
Yeah, it's great to have you back, Michael. Don't be a stranger. Michael Allen, always with interesting thoughts from Beacon Global Strategies, I'm Joe Matthew in Washington. We'll point you to the late edition of Balance of Power. Senator Mike Rounds will be joining Creedy and I. That starts at 5:00pm Eastern Time. We'll distill what else has happened today in the Capitol. Alongside Kriti Gupta, I'm Joe Matthew. We'll see you back here a couple of hours only on Bloomberg TV and Radio. Thanks for listening to the Balance of Power podcast. Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And you can find us live every weekday from Washington D.C. at Noontime eastern@bloomberg.com.
- [33:51]
Bloomberg Podcast Announcer
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