Senator Chris Murphy Talks National Defense Authorization Act

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Talks
Episode: Senator Chris Murphy Talks National Defense Authorization Act
Host: David Gura (Bloomberg)
Guest: Senator Chris Murphy (Democrat, Connecticut)
Date: July 16, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded at the Aspen Security Forum, centers on Senator Chris Murphy’s analysis of the current US foreign policy crisis in the Middle East, the ongoing war involving Iran, Israel, and Lebanon, and the domestic political reverberations for the Biden (noted as Trump in transcript, possible error or alternate history) administration. The discussion explores US leverage over Israel, the war’s political and economic costs, party divisions over national security, election integrity, and Murphy's vision for the future of the Democratic Party.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Middle East Crisis: Iran, the Strait, and Sanctions

• Situation Recap: Senator Murphy frames the current conflict as “the most significant foreign policy disaster in the last 20 years.” (01:11)
• US airstrikes on Iran have resumed, with Iran controlling the Strait (presumably of Hormuz), leveraging strait access for sanctions relief.
• Murphy critiques the US’s position as forced to offer “billions of dollars” in sanctions relief to Iran and pressure Israel to halt its war with Lebanon to regain access to the strait.

Notable Quote:

“This war should have never started. It’s hard to figure out what to do now because it’s kind of like asking somebody now that the raw egg is splattered over the floor, how do you put it back together?”
—Senator Chris Murphy (01:21)

2. US Administration’s Foreign Policy Competence

• Criticism of Diplomacy: Murphy is sharply critical of the Trump administration’s handling of the crisis, citing “plain old incompetence” and inexperience among key diplomats. (02:29)
• Suggests need for experienced diplomatic intervention or involvement from US allies (Europe, Gulf states).

Notable Quote:

“Its primary diplomats with Iran are the president’s son in law and a guy who was a real estate developer two seconds ago who’s never done diplomacy. So it’s not surprising they’re failing.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (02:33)

3. Domestic Political Impact and Republican Shifts

• Cost of War: The war’s economic impact is emphasized—higher gas, diesel, and fertilizer prices, with a federal budgetary impact of “$100 to $200 billion.” (03:22)
• Murphy predicts Republicans will move to cut domestic funding—schools, transportation, nutrition—to fund the war.
• He notes increased Republican dissent, referencing an unprecedented Senate resolution to end the war, blocked on procedural grounds.

Notable Quote:

“For the first time ever, about three weeks ago, we passed a resolution in the Senate to end the war. It ultimately was stymied...but there is evidence that Republicans are starting to wake up.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (03:53)

4. US-Israel Relations and Leverage

• On Leveraging Aid: Murphy discusses using US defense support as leverage to persuade Israel to halt its campaign in Lebanon.
• States reluctantly that direct pressure may now be necessary given the urgency of opening the strait and minimizing US harm. (04:37)

Notable Quote:

“If it is a precondition to getting the strait open, then we have to consider using that tool because as long as the strait is closed, it is American citizens, families, that are bearing the cost.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (05:03)

5. Foreign Policy and Domestic Elections

• Unpopularity of War: The war is “deeply unpopular” among Americans and is now a voting issue, particularly with economic fallout unlikely to be resolved before November elections.

Notable Quote:

“Most of the time foreign policy doesn’t matter in elections until it’s sometimes the only thing that matters. And I do think that this election, it’s going to be on the ballot.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (05:32)

• Incompetence in Policy: Murphy criticizes a cease fire agreement as “just an example of incompetence,” claiming the administration signed it without Israeli participation and inadvertently handed control of the strait to Iran. (05:53)

6. Democratic Party Divisions and Debate Over Israel

• Debate is Healthy: Murphy defends intra-party debate about Israel as proof of party health, while predicting Republican failure due to lack of internal debate.

Notable Quotes:

“Part of the reason that the Republican Party is about to get their clock cleaned in this election is they don’t have any division.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (06:42)

“I’m somebody that wants a strong U.S. relationship with Israel...What Netanyahu is doing is not serving that objective. He is...going to end up recruiting more enemies of Israel...”
—Senator Chris Murphy (07:07)

7. Threats to Election Integrity

• Concerns Over Democracy: Murphy expresses alarm at the president’s (Trump) rhetoric regarding election fraud, suggesting it could threaten a “free and fair election.”

Notable Quote:

“If he is trying to build the case to put troops out in the polling places, he will likely be stopped by the Supreme Court and then we will see whether our democracy collapses.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (08:11)

• Calls for Republican colleagues to denounce such attacks on democracy, warning of an unprecedented “rhetorical attack on democracy.” (08:36)

8. Murphy’s Vision for Democratic Party & Society

• Message of Community & Dignity: Drawing from his book, Crisis for the Common Good, Murphy emphasizes restoring community and purpose, addressing issues like social disconnection and the harmful effects of technology.

Notable Quote:

“We’ve got to sort of preach a gospel of happiness about how people can wake up every day and feel like they have real dignity and meaning in their work.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (09:32)

• Future Strategy: Murphy advocates for aggressive Democratic action on technology regulation, especially around AI and social media, to appeal to families seeking protection for their children.

• On Presidential Run: Murphy jokes it’s “a little too early” to think about running for president, pointedly adding, “We’re not even sure that we’re going to have a democracy in 2028.” (10:14)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:50 | Opening on US strikes in Iran and overview of crisis | | 02:29 | Critique of US administration’s handling of crisis | | 03:22 | Discussion of economic & political impact in US | | 04:37 | Leverage over Israel via defense relationship | | 05:31 | War’s impact on midterms; unpopularity and voting issues | | 06:22 | Democratic Party debate over Israel, intra-party health | | 07:42 | Concerns about election malfeasance, presidential speech | | 08:54 | Vision for Democratic Party & new book "Crisis for the Common Good" |

---

Notable Quotes

On the Situation:

“This war should have never started. It’s hard to figure out what to do now because it’s kind of like asking somebody now that the raw egg is splattered over the floor, how do you put it back together?”
—Senator Chris Murphy (01:21)

On US Diplomacy:

“Its primary diplomats with Iran are the president’s son in law and a guy who was a real estate developer two seconds ago…So it’s not surprising that they’re failing.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (02:33)

On Democratic Party Debate:

“I’m somebody that wants a strong U.S. relationship with Israel…I do believe in the preservation and protection of a Jewish state in the Middle East. What Netanyahu is doing is not serving that objective.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (07:07)

On the Dangers to Democracy:

“This is a really dangerous moment, and I’m really worried that so many of my Republican colleagues are quiet about it. You know, their party is a cult right now.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (08:29)

On Restoring Community:

“We’ve got to sort of preach a gospel of happiness about how people can wake up every day and feel like they have real dignity and meaning in their work.”
—Senator Chris Murphy (09:32)

---

Memorable Moments

• Murphy’s candid metaphor on the state of Middle East policy: “the raw egg is splattered over the floor…” (01:21)
• Open frustration with US diplomatic appointments: “a guy who was a real estate developer 2 seconds ago…never done diplomacy.” (02:33)
• Blunt electoral predictions: “I am pretty confident…Democrats are going to do very well.” (06:53)
• Stinging warning on the state of democracy: “We’re not even sure that we’re going to have a democracy in 2028.” (10:16)

---

Summary prepared for listeners interested in current national security challenges, US-Israel relations, party politics, and Senator Murphy’s vision for a more connected and purposeful America.

Transcript

[IBM Representative]

So there's a lot of noise about AI, but time's too tight for more promises. So let's talk about results. At IBM, we work with our employees to integrate technology right into the systems they need. Now a global workforce of 300,000 can use AI to fill their HR questions, resolving 94% of common questions, not noise. Proof of how we can help companies get smarter by putting AI where it actually pays off, deep in the work that moves the business. Let's create smarter business. IBM,

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts, radio news.

[David Gura]

We stay on national security and defense and we head back to the Aspen Security Forum. That's where we find David Gura. He's the co host of Bloomberg this Week and he also is the co host of the Big Take podcast. He's sitting down with Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

Hey David, we got word that just a few minutes ago the US Resumed strikes on Iran. And I guess I'd like to start there if I could. The situation we find ourselves in, the plasticity of the president's policy toward the region right now and your latest thinking on sort of where we are and where things are headed.

[David Gura]

I didn't know that we had stopped our strikes. This war restarted about a week ago. It shows no signs of ending. This is the most significant foreign policy disaster in the last 20 years. Iran effectively has control of the strait. They are going to have control of the strait for the long run. As a price of opening that strait. They want all the sanctions released, which is going to put a lot of new money into their economy, but also allow them to send money out to their proxy groups in the region. This war should have never started. It's hard to figure out what to do now because it's kind of like asking somebody now that the raw egg is splattered over the floor, how do you put it back together? But it seems as if the United States is going to have to pay that vig billions of dollars to Iran in sanctions relief and we're going to have to prevail upon the Israelis to permanently stop the war with Lebanon. And if those two things happen, maybe we can get that strait reopened. I have no confidence that ultimately there's going to be any bigger deal between the United States and Iran. I don't think they're going to make any commitments on the nuclear program. So I guess the best we can ask for right now is to just stop the shooting, get the strait reopened. And we're still seemingly far away from

[Senator Chris Murphy]

that as we look at Humpty Dumpty There on the floor. Do you think the administration gets that? Are they still confident that they can stare down Iran, I guess, and find some solution by doing that?

[David Gura]

Yeah, I think we sort of can't over hype the degree that just plain old incompetence plays in this story. I mean, the Trump administration doesn't know what it's doing. Its primary diplomats with Iran are the president's son in law and a guy who was a real estate developer 2 seconds ago who's never done diplomacy. So it's not surprising that they're failing. They are going to either have to put actual adults, like experienced diplomats in charge or they're just going to have to step out of the way and ask are your European friends or our Gulf friends to come in and, you know, try to seal an ultimate deal on reopening the strait. So I have very little confidence that this crowd that's in charge of our national security is going to be able to get anything done.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

We've seen in recent weeks your colleagues on the other side of the aisle, many of them expressing more reservations about this. Do you detect a real change kind of in their position as this is attenuated, as it plays out?

[David Gura]

I mean, this is, of course a deeply unpopular war. The American people don't support the war. They want it to end. And they're paying the price, not just in higher gas prices and higher diesel prices and higher fertilizer prices, but, but also in the cost of the budget. You know, this is 100 billion to $200 billion. And what is going to happen is that Republicans are going to cut funding for schools, for transportation, for nutrition in order to pay for the war. That's part of the reason that the American public don't want it. So as you get closer to the election, this becomes an issue that I have to deal with because this will be an issue where voters are going to say, are you for the war or against it? And it's going to matter in their choices. So, yes, I expect that you will get more Republicans saying time to end the war. For the first time ever, about three weeks ago, we passed a resolution in the Senate to end the war. It ultimately was stymied by some procedural moves in the Senate, but there is evidence that Republicans are starting to wake up.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

You mentioned Israel a moment ago. And I go back to that memo of understanding, which it seems was not worth the paper that it was, it was printed on. I think the principal president would, would agree with that. Now, Israel, of course, not a party to those conversations. And I'm curious how you look at the US Power to persuade Israel to scale back, pull back its campaign in Lebanon and change tack.

[David Gura]

I think you'll have to use the leverage that we have and the leverage that we have is our defense relationship. So long as Israel believes that the Trump administration is going to continue to feed them the weapons and the intelligence that they need to carry out war on Lebanon, they're going to continue to carry out that war. That's a very blunt tool. It took me a long time to accept it as a tool to try to influence their behavior in Gaza. But if it is a precondition to getting the strait open, then we have to consider using that tool because as long as the strait is closed, it is American citizens, families that are bearing the cost.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

Let's talk a bit about that pull to domestic politics here. And you mentioned it's a deeply unpopular. How do you see that playing out in the months ahead? And how do you and your fellow Democrats kind of maybe capitalize is not the right word to use there, but, but highlight the fact that it's as unpopular as it is with the electorate.

[David Gura]

You know, what I found in my time in politics is that most of the time foreign policy doesn't matter in elections until it's sometimes the only thing that matters. And I do think that this election, it's going to be on the ballot. Even if Trump were to get the strait reopened today, the cost of a gallon of gasoline or fertilizer is not going to come down to any reasonable level by November. So it will be a voting issue. And the president's foreign policy incompetence. And that agreement you mentioned, that cease fire agreement was just an example of incompetence. Right. He signed an agreement committing Israel to do something without Israel at the table. He apparently by accident signed an agreement that actually gave control of the strait permanently to Israel. Excuse me, to Iran. His foreign policy disasters are, I think, going to be relevant this November.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

I had Ambassador Rahm Emanuel here earlier and he really seemed to welcome having this debate about US Israel relations going into the midterms and the general election on the heels of that. Do you likewise? I mean, there's a lot of ink being spilled here about the degree which there's division in the Democratic Party, there's debate about Israel, how healthy that that might be. Where do you fall on that?

[David Gura]

Well, I mean, broadly, I don't think you're a healthy party unless you're having debate, unless you have division. Part of the reason that the Republican Party is about to get their clock cleaned in this election is that they don't have any division.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

You're confident of that?

[David Gura]

I am pretty confident of that. I mean, they're going to try to cheat their way to win, but I'm confident that if it's a free and fair election, Democrats are going to do very well. Yeah, I think in a healthy political party, you have debate, and we certainly do have a debate in the Democratic Party about what to do with Israel. I mean, I'm somebody that wants a strong U.S. relationship with Israel. I do believe in the preservation and protection of a Jewish state in the Middle East. What Netanyahu is doing is not serving that objective. He is actually, in the long run, going to end up recruiting more enemies of Israel, both terrorist enemies and, and frankly, countries that don't support Israel's existence through his conduct in both Gaza and in Lebanon. That's why I think we have to use blunt tools to get his policy to change.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

You allude to election malfeasance, the potential for that. 7 o' clock local time, 9 o' clock eastern time, the president's going to give a speech to the nation and reportedly will focus on the 2020 election and election irregularities as he sees them. I'll ask you, if you're going to tune into that, but more broadly here, what's the message of that and the danger of it, as you might see it in him, continue to espouse what we know not to be true?

[David Gura]

Well, the danger is that we, for the first time in American history, don't have a free election. I don't know what the president is going to recommend, but if he is trying to build the case to put troops out in the polling places, he will likely be stopped by the Supreme Court and then we will see whether our democracy collapses. And he does not listen to the decision of the Supreme Court. This is a really dangerous moment, and I'm really worried that so many of my Republican colleagues are quiet about it. You know, their party is a cult right now. And I am just still hopeful that some of my Republican colleagues will stand up and when they hear his speech tonight, call it out for what it likely will be the most significant rhetorical attack on democracy on the national airwaves that has ever been made in the history of the country.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

Let me ask you lastly, just about your council, your vision for the Democratic Party. You have a new book out, Crisis for the Common Good, and a lot of the counsel in that book is just for us to come together more through clubs and activities and kind of re engage with the way things used to be. Not wholly leaning on nostalgia, but that's a part of it here. I could ask if you're running for president, I expect you demure on that. But let me ask you sort of how you see the future of the Democratic Party here vis a vis that text, or just how you're thinking about the way your party should take shape here going to the next election.

[David Gura]

Yeah, I mean, I want my. My party to recognize that crisis. People are feeling less meaning and purpose in their lives. They're feeling more disconnected from their family, from their community than ever before. We've got to sort of preach a gospel of happiness about how people can wake up every day and feel like they have real dignity and meaning in their work. How we can control these technologies that are sending their kids into lives of isolation. Our party sometimes, you know, solves very technical problems, like the price of a prescription drug, but doesn't explain to people how that's actually going to make them happier. If we were to lead this November and two years from now with a really aggressive plan on how to control the ravages of social media and AI, a space that, by the way, is open to the Democratic Party right now, like, parents don't know which party to pick if they want to protect their children from AI, that would speak to families in a spiritual way because they feel like they're losing control of their lives at the hands of these new technologies. That's the conversation my book is trying to start in the party thinking of running. I mean, I think it's a little too early because we're not even sure that we're going to have a democracy in 2028. So let's make sure that we have a free and fair election in 2026, and then we'll all make our decisions for 2028.

[Senator Chris Murphy]

Senator Murphy, thank you very much. Senator Chris Connecticut, joining me here at the Aspen Suit Security Forum.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

This episode sponsored by She's Bertie. Every woman knows that feeling. And she's Bertie knows it, too. The just in case feeling. Just in case I hear something. Just in case someone tries the door. Just in case I need to wake up fast. It's not fear, it's awareness. And Birdie Box from She's Bertie was made for exactly that. Birdie Box is a portable travel door alarm designed by She's Bertie for hotels, dorms and Airbnbs and anywhere you're staying away from home. It installs in seconds on the door frame. And if the door is opened, it activates a loud siren and flashing strobe to help draw attention instantly. She's because peace of mind should check in with you Birdie Box by She's birdie visit she's birdie.com that's S-H-E-S-B-I-R-I-E.com and order your Birdie box before your next day away from home.