Trump’s Building a New Axis of Evil—With America In It

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes – "Trump’s Building a New Axis of Evil—With America In It"

Release Date: February 25, 2025

In this episode of Bulwark Takes, hosts Tim Miller and Andrew Egger delve into the United States' recent actions and stances within the United Nations, particularly focusing on resolutions concerning Russia and Ukraine. They critically analyze the implications of the US aligning with nations perceived as antagonistic on the global stage and examine the broader consequences for international diplomacy.

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1. Introduction to Current UN Resolutions

Tim Miller opens the discussion by highlighting the ongoing debates within the United Nations regarding Russia's military actions:

"[00:16] We wanted to talk to you about some happenings in the UN today. There were dueling resolutions and the US was on the side of our good friends in these resolutions in Belarus and North Korea and Hungary and also Israel and Russia."

Andrew Egger emphasizes the prominence of Russia in these resolutions:

"[00:35] Russia, the big one for this particular resolution."

The hosts explain that two contrasting resolutions were presented: a European-backed resolution demanding Russia's immediate withdrawal, and a US-backed resolution urging the end of the war without explicitly condemning Russia or affirming Ukraine's territorial integrity.

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2. Analysis of UN Votes and US Alignment

Tim Miller provides a breakdown of the voting results:

"[01:13] So the final vote there was 93 to 18 with 65 abstentions. So there are only 18 countries that were like, no, we do not agree that Russia should withdraw its forces."

He expresses concern over the US siding with countries that are broadly viewed negatively on the international stage, including Belarus and Russia. Miller reflects on his affinity for the UN but laments the current state where the US appears to support "bad, bad people."

Andrew Egger concurs, criticizing the performative nature of the US's stance:

"[02:23] It's not saying, well, the UN is one thing, but we have to be realists. No, we're gonna actually be performative villains when we do our cosplay at the UN."

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3. Critique of US Foreign Policy and Diplomacy

The conversation shifts to the Trump administration's handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Tim Miller voices frustration over the lack of substantive negotiation strategies:

"[05:06] The thing that's been bugging me about this lately is like, they've been asked several times what Russia is being asked to give in this negotiation... they all keep seeming like they're surprised by the question."

He criticizes the administration for failing to impose concessions on Russia, thereby undermining Ukraine's position. Andrew Egger adds that Trump's personal dynamics with allies like Zelenskyy are detrimental:

"[06:12] ...as the further this has gone on and the more he's been willing to just give in to everything Russia wants on this stuff."

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4. Interactions with Allies: The Macron-Trump Dynamic

Tim Miller references a specific incident involving French President Emmanuel Macron and President Trump:

"[07:20] ...we had a little fact check, a little live fact check from Macron on Trump."

Miller critiques Trump’s dismissive attitude towards allies who are actively supporting Ukraine, as evidenced by Macron’s defense of European financial aid to Ukraine. The hosts highlight how Trump's confrontational behavior strains international relationships, making allies hesitant to support US initiatives.

"[08:05] ...if it's an ally, it's like, you have been, you know, sucking off of us too long and slipstreaming behind us for too long. You've had it too easy for too long. And darn it, we're not gonna put up with it anymore."

Andrew Egger underscores the negative impact of Trump's rhetoric on diplomatic relations:

"[09:10] ...Trump will just say something like that... you can see as he's talking, Trump just kind of sitting there, seething at him."

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5. The Emergence of a "New Axis of Evil"

The title of the episode is explored through the lens of the US's evolving international alliances. Tim Miller introduces the concept humorously with references to the Micronesian country Palau:

"[10:27] ...Palau might be my favorite country in the new axis of evil... they're Russophiles, but they're part of our new team with Hungary and Belarus and Niger and Venezuela."

This segment illustrates the troubling trend of the US aligning with nations that challenge global stability, either through direct support of adversaries like Russia or by fostering toxic alliances.

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6. Conclusion: The Future of US International Relations

As the episode wraps up, Tim Miller and Andrew Egger reflect on the dire state of US foreign policy. They express skepticism about the administration's ability to navigate complex international challenges effectively, fearing that the current trajectory could isolate the US and embolden global adversaries.

"[11:45] ...We’re gonna do more research on Palau, and we'll get back to you on this for our next video."

The hosts sign off with a call to action for listeners to stay informed and engaged, underscoring the importance of understanding and challenging the shifts in US international alliances.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tim Miller [00:35]: "Russia, the big one for this particular resolution."

• Andrew Egger [02:23]: "It's not saying, well, the UN is one thing, but we have to be realists. No, we're gonna actually be performative villains when we do our cosplay at the UN."

• Tim Miller [05:06]: "It is totally nonsensical to see all of these people who are like, oh, you guys want to live in this fantasy land where Ukraine is likely to win this war."

• Andrew Egger [09:10]: "...if it's an ally, it's like, you have been, you know, sucking off of us too long and slipstreaming behind us for too long."

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This episode of Bulwark Takes provides a critical examination of the United States' current foreign policy trajectory, particularly in relation to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its broader implications for international diplomacy. Through incisive analysis and candid discussion, Tim Miller and Andrew Egger shed light on the challenges facing global alliances and the potential consequences of America's shifting stance on the world stage.

Transcript

[Tim Miller]

Hey guys, it's Tim Miller from the Bulwark. I'm here with my buddy Andrew Egger. I'm in dc. I was here for the principal's first conference. You might have heard about that. There was a bomb threat and a lot of other weird stuff happened. The proud boys came. But we're here, we're fighting the fight. We're principled.

[Andrew Egger]

Still alive.

[Tim Miller]

Still alive and principled. We wanted to talk to you about some happenings in the UN today. There were dueling resolutions and the US was on the side of our good friends in these resolutions in Belarus and North Korea and Hungary and also Israel and Russia.

[Andrew Egger]

Russia, the big one for this particular resolution.

[Tim Miller]

So that's our team. Now, the two resolutions. One was a European backed resolution demanding Russia immediately withdraw its forces. And then there was a US backed resolution that urged the end of the war without mentioning that Moscow had been the aggressor or that Ukraine's territory was. Which should be kept.

[Andrew Egger]

Yes, basically the resolution that had been introduced by Ukraine and others, one of the things that it suggested was that Ukraine has internationally recognized borders and that should probably retain those internationally recognized borders. The US resolution did not include that language.

[Tim Miller]

This is something. So the final vote there was 93 to 18 with 65 abstentions. So there are only 18 countries that were like, no, we do not agree that Russia should withdraw its forces. Russia should keep its forces wherever they want. And as we mentioned, they were basically the worst countries in the world. And us and I guess Israel, depending on which side of that you're on. That's not great. I mean, I don't. I guess at least I'm saying. And at some level, I was a model UN kid. So I do love the UN more than I think most people of conservative progeny. I just have an affinity for it as being a model UN nerd. Even still, some of this stuff is silly. And there's not that big of a difference between the model UN and real UN sometimes. And yet it's like it is, I think speaks to how alarming it is that we are just at this point, not just resentful of the international community or not hostile to some of their excesses, but actively siding with the bad, bad people.

[Andrew Egger]

Right, right. It's not saying, well, the UN is one thing, but we have to be realists. No, we're gonna actually be performative villains when we do our cosplay at the un. You know what I mean? Yeah. And I totally agree. When you rattled off that list, when that list came out, this morning it was like, oh, okay, I guess these are our global friends now for at least certain really important international matters. That's kind of a cool place to.

[Tim Miller]

Be in performative villainry. Yeah, that's a good way to put it. That's bad. We're like Jafar, right?

[Andrew Egger]

Right, yeah, they're all over there. Kind of like Elise Stefanik. She's not confirmed yet, but she's at her home every day sort of practicing her evil cackle and that kind of thing so she can roll it out later.

[Tim Miller]

At times like this, the least Stefanik thing is interesting. She hasn't confirmed yet and I was trying to figure out why and we looked into this and the Senate Republicans have been like saving her for the end of the confirmations because the House is such a shit show right now that Republicans have a three vote majority and they can't pass anything. So they're like, if we keep her in there a little while, maybe we'll be able to get the budget passed. I do think that's kind of interesting. But we have like a stand in replacement or temporary. Not replacement, but like temporary ambassador. Beyond kind of the performative villainry aspect of it. What are the other things that make you like the most? Are you alarmed? Are you angered? Are you disgusted? Talk to me about your feelings.

[Andrew Egger]

Yeah, I mean, it's just I'm bewildered more than anything else and I have been by this who thing because the whole position of the Trump administration is the Biden administration couldn't end this war. But we're going to. Right? And they're talking again as though it's this. They're gonna do the kind of the hard nosed realism that Joe Biden wasn't willing to do that Volodymyr Zelenskyy doesn't wanna do with his own country. But there's no reason, even if you kind of cede that Ukraine is going to have to not go back to its own borders, that there's no real way to go back to that, or that even if you cede that Vladimir Putin's gonna get some of the stuff that he wants out of the end of this war, and that it's worth doing that for the cost in order to get peace, you still don't have to grant all of Putin's terms and grant all of his framing of the entire thing. You don't have to tread lightly around him and be nice and get mad at people who say he's the aggressor cuz he invaded Ukraine. I mean, it's Just, it's totally nonsensical to see all of these people who are like, oh, you guys want to live in this fantasy land where Ukraine is likely to win this war? And yeah, we'd really like Ukraine to win the war. That'd be nice. That'd be cool. But at the very. Can't we agree that the very bare minimum would be just to acknowledge very basic facts about reality if we're going to be realists about the whole thing, this is.

[Tim Miller]

Right. This kind of fires me up on. The thing that's been bugging me about this lately is like, they've been asked several times what Russia is being asked to give in this negotiation. Like Trump's been asked Rubio Waltz. I think Vance was also asked on cbs and they don't have an answer. And they all keep seeming like they're surprised by the question. Kind of you would think that they could just have a fine talking point about this, but how? So not only are they granting all of Russia's arguments, it doesn't seem like they're even doing the hard nose negotiation, even within the mega frame. I would not be for this. I'm a Zelensky dead ender. But I would understand if they're like, okay, we're gonna really deal this out and we're gonna get some minerals and Russia's gonna have to give up this land and Russia's gonna be punished with this sanction and Ukraine's gonna give up that land and we're gonna cut a deal. Like, the only people being asked to give anything is Ukraine and us.

[Andrew Egger]

Yeah, yeah. And you can kind of see in the way that you always see with Trump, you can see that that sort of viewpoint kind of metastasizing in real time because he's, as always, is kind of filtering everything through the lens of who he thinks is being nice to him and who he thinks is being mean to him. So even though, you know, just a couple months ago he still had a lot of good things to say about Zelenskyy because he felt like Zelenskyy helped him out a lot the first time he was impeached, the further this has gone on and the more he's been willing to kind of just like give in to everything Russia wants on this stuff. And the more Zelensky has been kind of like, oh, well, I guess maybe we're gonna have to go it alone without the United States help, then you see Trump kind of like getting mad about that. He's like, well, oh my gosh, don't you realize how much help we've been giving you all this time, and now you're gonna treat me like this? Well, I'm just gonna. I'm gonna go with Russia even harder. And that's how we're doing. Our international diplomacy now is like, through his id. And it's very cool.

[Tim Miller]

This takes us to the other topic I wanted to get to related to this. So back after we shamed ourselves at the un, Macron and Trump were meeting and we had a little fact check, a little live fact check from Macron on Trump. I don't know. Have you seen this? Let's watch this together.

[C]

Just so you understand, Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They get their money back? No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total defaults, and it was like the US loans guarantee grants, and we provided real money, to be clear.

[Tim Miller]

So, yeah, I mean, to your point there about his id, you see, like, Trump gets, like, mad at Macron again. Like, he is mad at the people that are supposed to be our allies. He's like, making fun of them. He's doing a little hand gesture, like, whatever, when Macron is like, no, we actually have been giving aid to Ukraine and we have been doing the thing that you been fucking asking for 10 years about, like, putting more money into the military. And so we're doing all this and still you seem to be siding with.

[Andrew Egger]

The other guys, right? And you can, like actively see in this clip kind of the bind and the no win situation that guys like Macron end up in, because Trump will just say something like that, right? And then the decision tree is, do I just let him get away with saying that completely untrue thing about how we're not pulling our weight in this war effort? Or do I correct him? Kind of show him up here in front of everybody, get like a kind of a chuckle out of the pool reporters. And then you can kind of see as he's talking, Trump just kind of sitting there, seething at him. And, you know, actively whatever, like remaining pro Euro brain cells he has, he's like, killing them off on the spot, right? So it's like, it's. And this is the way he approaches every interaction with all of our allies. It's like, it's like, if it's an ally, it's like, you have been, you know, sucking off of us too long and slipstreaming behind us for too long. You've had it too easy for too long. And darn it, we're not gonna put up with it anymore. And if it's an adversary, he's like, the sky's the limit. We could do anything. We can make any deal. You know, this is gonna be great. We're gonna get in there and we're gonna deal. And it's just, and it's this completely ass backwards way of doing the new international order that I guess we all get to live in.

[Tim Miller]

And the Dan Crenshaws of the world and the waltzes, they'll be like, well, you don't. And Vance said this, you don't need to poke the bear. You can be just nice to him. You can just suck up to him. And again, Macron, a lot of these guys have been doing what Trump wants and like, and like going along with his ridiculous demands and they still get nothing out of it. So eventually it's kind of like, well, why, like, why should they do this? Like, maybe Zelensky should poke Trump in the eye now. Like, I don't know, like, what is he getting out? What was he getting out of the suck up routine?

[Andrew Egger]

Right, right. And that's kind of the main thing. It's like, it's, it's really the only big difference is, is that now we are getting it with the added kind of indignity of the ritual humiliation of Zelensky that Trump is going along with you know, every day on his Truth Social account now, just like spouting, I mean, can you imagine being Ukrainian right now and just like, you're already kind of like suffering these, like, kind of grinding, slow battlefield losses. And now not only is the US about to pull the plug and actively siding with your enemy in all of these different ways, he also just can't shut up about how kind of wounded and hurt his feelings are about how Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been treating him. I mean, it's just this insane, insane reality that we all live in now, which is like, I mean, it's like everything else that's happening right now, it's like if we were not actively living through it, it would just be like this stupid idea that nobody would even contemplate.

[Tim Miller]

I know you're religious, so you might fight with me, but it is a point for us being in a simulation. This is not really real, actually, at all. There's a teenager up there in the sky who's making us do all this. My final point for you, unless you have a thought on our simulation that you want to share, I took a closer look at the 18 votes against, and we also have A vote from the. I'm going to hide this from you so you can't watch it. Where the audience can see the country is Palau. Palau was one of the 18 that voted with us and Belarus and the world's worst people. Can you tell me one fact about Palau? P A L A U.

[Andrew Egger]

No, I cannot tell you a single.

[Tim Miller]

Fact about Paul Okala. It's a country in Oceania, and they have a great flag. Look at this flag. We'll put the flag up on the screen. Blue with a yellow circle. This is. Look at that flag. That is a cool flag.

[Andrew Egger]

What are we talking about? You're right. That's a cool flag.

[Tim Miller]

That is a cool flag. Well, I just.

[Andrew Egger]

I'm glad. Glad we have some cool flags in our new axis of evil in which we are participating.

[Tim Miller]

I'm learning Palau might be my favorite country in the new axis of evil, though. They're part of Micronesia, and who knows why? They're Russophiles, but they're part of our new team with Hungary and Belarus and Niger and Venezuela, and that's what we've got.

[Andrew Egger]

That might have a little more to do with China than Russia, Palau. Or more cinephiles than Russia Russia.

[Tim Miller]

We're gonna do more research on Palau, and we'll get back to you on this for our next video.

[Andrew Egger]

Yeah.

[Tim Miller]

Everybody else, subscribe to the feed. I hope you enjoyed this in our fancy studio digs here in D.C. i'll be back at home with the pinto beans tomorrow, so we'll see y'all then. Peace.