In Good Faith With Philip DeFranco
Episode: Preston Stewart Walks Us Through The World’s Wars
Release Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Philip DeFranco
Guest: Preston Stewart (geopolitical analyst, West Point grad, veteran, Unclassified podcast host)
Episode Overview
Philip DeFranco sits down with Preston Stewart to analyze the current global landscape of three major wars—Venezuela, Israel, and Ukraine—alongside mounting domestic turmoil in the United States. Through a frank, nonpartisan lens, they break down military strategy, political rhetoric, and public perception, probing whether the US is retreating from its position as a global leader.
Main Discussion Points
1. Venezuela: Escalation and US Involvement
[00:56-11:18]
- US Kinetic Action: Preston highlights the significant escalation from US naval support for Coast Guard missions to direct kinetic military actions, including a recent strike on a cartel boat near Venezuela ([02:52]).
- “We started to see destroyers going down that can carry Tomahawk missiles...then, an actual...drone strike against a cartel boat.” — Preston ([01:34])
- Legal and Strategic Ambiguity: DeFranco raises concerns over the Pentagon’s unclear legal justification for the strike. Stewart notes the administration is relying on emotional appeals and rhetoric rather than delineating true legal authority ([03:42–04:22]).
- “What I'm seeing a lot of is...the legal question is asked and it's answered in an emotional justification way.” — Preston ([04:22])
- Regime Change or Messaging?: Debate about whether the strikes are a path towards regime change in Venezuela, or simply a “bloody the nose” tactic to send a message to cartels and the Maduro regime ([05:33–09:16]).
- “Who's going to stand up and say don't go after the cartels, right?” — Preston ([09:16])
- Likelihood of Escalation: Stewart predicts actual US boots on the ground are unlikely but acknowledges this new, muscular approach is politically popular at home. Military solutions are “not going to stop” drug trafficking ([10:04]).
2. Audience & Media Influence
[11:18-14:27]
- Stewart describes his audience as “mostly American,” politically diverse and highly engaged, with notable foreign engagement during coverage of foreign conflicts ([11:41]).
- He observes audience polarization: “When I talk Israel-Gaza...audience tends to lean more traditionally right...with Ukraine-Russia, more left-leaning.” ([11:41–13:05])
3. Israel: Military Tactics, Doha Strike, and Peace Prospects
[14:27–28:44]
- Israeli Operations & Doha Strike: Stewart praises Israel’s “incredible military proficiency” post–October 7. The recent strike in Doha, targeting Hamas figures, marks a new escalation—violating previously unspoken rules about Qatar-based Hamas leaders’ safety ([14:39–16:40]).
- “Israel just said, enough's enough, we're going to do this.” — Preston ([15:34])
- Perception of US Support: Both agree Trump is the most pro-Israel president in living memory; this “gloves off” approach emboldens Israeli actions, with the US offering little more than “words and...finger wagging” in response ([16:40–18:35]).
- “There's no real pushback from the United States on any of this stuff at this point.” — Preston ([18:35])
- Peace Talks & Forever War: Both are skeptical peace is possible soon; hostages are unlikely to be released, and Israel’s presence in Gaza may become semi-permanent ([21:56–23:34]).
- “It seems more and more like this is becoming a forever war.” — Preston ([23:13])
- US Domestic Impact: Media and public attention are waning; mainline US politics remain unaffected despite online outrage, and politicians are unlikely to shift policy ([24:11–28:44]).
4. Ukraine: Russian Drone Incursions & NATO’s Resolve
[29:10–41:59]
- Russian Drone “Tests” in Poland: Recent Russian drones entered Polish airspace, seemingly as decoys/tests rather than armed attacks ([32:12–35:40]).
- “I think what we're seeing is Russia testing NATO's resolve.” — Preston ([33:41])
- US Response: The US response is muted, with only informal acknowledgment from Trump. Stewart expresses surprise at the lack of official condemnation or action ([36:55–38:11]).
- “This is probably the biggest test for NATO in my lifetime. It seems odd that we're not doing anything about it.” — Preston ([37:27])
- Appropriate NATO Response: Stewart advocates for invoking Article 5 to demonstrate unity, with proportional defensive measures that stop short of war ([38:16–40:05]).
- Trump’s Handling of Ukraine: Stewart criticizes Trump for underestimating the challenge, “shutting off” substantive military aid, and failing to foster a tangible peace process ([40:12]).
- “I don't think President Trump has done very much, if anything at all, to get to a peace deal.” — Preston ([41:59])
5. Evolving US National Defense Strategy & Domestic Militarization
[43:44–49:18]
- “Domestic Missions” in Defense Strategy: Stewart is wary of the Trump administration’s shift to prioritize domestic missions in the National Defense Strategy, especially deploying active military for law enforcement, immigration, or “enemy within” threats ([44:06–45:35]).
- Extremism in the Military: Personal experiences suggest the military is largely apolitical/professional, but increased focus on rooting out extremism is now part of routine training ([46:17–48:48]).
6. America's Global Withdrawal & The Rise of Spheres of Influence
[49:18–54:41]
- US Withdrawal: The US is “definitely withdrawing”—foreign policy is not a voter priority and the administration’s attention has turned inward ([49:18]).
- China’s Strategic Gains: China and other powers are stepping into vacuums left by the US, whether through aid programs or arms sales ([51:23–52:40]).
- “Every little opening, they're finding ways to step in. And why would they not?” — Preston ([51:23])
- Soft Power Abandonment: DeFranco laments the decline of soft power diplomacy in favor of “hard power”—military and economic might ([52:40–53:18])
- Stewart: “To me, it doesn't seem like we're doing that. It just seems like chaos.” ([54:41])
7. NATO Spending: Trump’s Influence and Russia’s Threat
[54:41–58:38]
- Increased Defense Spending: European NATO allies are spending more, which Stewart credits largely to Trump’s public pressure, though he wishes other methods had been used ([55:33]).
- “I do think President Trump is largely responsible for that. I just wish we could have gotten there in a little different manner.” — Preston ([55:33])
- Limitations of Military Readiness: Reaching new defense spending targets will take years; counting homeland-security-type spending inflates the figures ([56:21–57:32]).
- Potential Russian Expansion Beyond Ukraine: Russia’s military isn’t positioned for direct conquest, but “little green men”/hybrid tactics could spark provocations in the Baltics if NATO unity falters ([58:38–59:53]).
Key Quotes & Timestamps
- “Who's going to stand up and say don't go after the cartels, right?”
— Preston Stewart ([09:16]) - “It feels more and more like this is becoming a forever war.”
— Preston Stewart ([23:13]) - “I think what we're seeing is Russia testing NATO's resolve.”
— Preston Stewart ([33:41]) - “This is probably the biggest test for NATO in my lifetime.”
— Preston Stewart ([37:27]) - “To me, it doesn't seem like we're doing that. It just seems like chaos.”
— Preston Stewart ([54:41]) - “Every little opening, they're finding ways to step in. And why would they not?”
— Preston Stewart ([51:23]) - “I do think President Trump is largely responsible [for more NATO spending]. I just wish we could have gotten there in a little different manner.”
— Preston Stewart ([55:33])
Notable Moments
- [03:42]: DeFranco calls out the Pentagon for refusing to clarify legal justification for strikes on cartels.
- [18:35]: Stewart notes US finger-wagging but little real pressure on Israel.
- [37:27]: Stewart doubts the adequacy of US/NATO response to drone incursions into Poland.
- [54:41]: Stewart sharply summarizes the US foreign policy approach as “chaos,” not a “coherent plan.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Venezuela escalation: [00:56–11:18]
- Audience dynamics: [11:18–14:27]
- Israel & Doha strike: [14:27–19:16]
- Peace talks deadlock: [19:16–24:11]
- Ukraine, NATO drones: [32:12–41:59]
- Domestic priorities in US defense: [43:44–49:18]
- US retreat & China’s rise: [49:18–54:41]
- NATO, Russian expansion risk: [54:41–59:53]
Conclusion
This episode delivers an unvarnished assessment of a world in flux: wars multiplying, the US wavering between intervention and retrenchment, and global power dynamics shifting. Stewart’s military and geopolitical expertise grounds DeFranco’s probing questions, leaving listeners with insight (and disquiet) about America's place in an uncertain new world.