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Eric and Eliot discuss Trump’s latest reversals on Greenland before pivoting to the recently released National Defense Strategy. They dissect the many flaws of the NDS, including North Korean–style adoration for the President, a lack of explanation for how its stated goals would be achieved, and the total omission of Taiwan. The two also speculate about how Xi Jinping’s recent purge of General Zhang Youxia could impact the Indo-Pacific in the near future, before closing with an assessment of whether Trump is on the cusp of military action against Iran.

Eric on the National Defense Strategy:
https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-national-defense-strategy-europe-china-homeland/

Eliot on the National Defense Strategy:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/unserious-national-defense-strategy/685784/

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.