The Chris Hedges Report

Episode: The Predatory Hegemon (w/ Stephen Walt)

Date: February 24, 2026
Host: Chris Hedges
Guest: Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Hedges interviews Stephen Walt about the phenomenon of "predatory hegemony" in contemporary American foreign policy, particularly under the Trump administration. The conversation delves deeply into shifts in the U.S. global role, the erosion of alliances, the weaponization of economic and diplomatic power, and the domestic and international consequences of a self-serving, authoritarian approach to hegemony. Drawing on Walt’s Foreign Affairs article and his scholarship, they explore historical precedents, the decline of U.S. soft power, and the dangers of consolidating authoritarian rule at home and abroad.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Predatory Hegemony: Definition & Application

• Chris Hedges introduces "predatory hegemony" as a new stage in U.S. foreign policy, characterized by policies that are “mercenary” and “prey on weaker states, even if these states are longtime allies.” (00:09)
• Walt defines Trump’s approach as fundamentally unpredictable and focused on short-term gain rather than longer-term stability or strategic thinking, noting the absence of precedent for such “predatory acts” against close allies. (04:00)

Quote – Stephen Walt (04:00):
“Trump's done that with just about everybody, including some of America's closest allies, where all of these relationships are supposed to be structured and arranged so that the United States is getting the lion's share of the benefits... That's quite new. We really haven't seen that before by an American president.”

2. The Trump Doctrine: Business Tactics in Foreign Policy

• Hedges and Walt draw direct lines from Trump’s failed business methods—ruthless, transactional, often unreliable—to diplomatic practice, resulting in increasing reluctance among foreign partners to engage the U.S. (05:39)
• Walt warns of diminishing trust and alternative alignments by traditional allies, who are beginning to “de-risk” their dependence on the U.S. by seeking other partnerships, particularly with China. (06:56–09:10)

Quote – Stephen Walt (06:56):
“Even countries that would like to work with the United States… will decide it's just not worth the risk... because those other parties are going to actually keep their promises, the deal will actually stick.”

3. Roots in the Unipolar Era: Hubris & Overreach

• Walt places the current predicament in context, describing the post-Cold War era’s “hubris” and America’s careless, self-assured pursuit of global leadership, with little regard for the costs or consequences of NATO enlargement, endless wars, or the effects of “hyper globalisation” at home. (10:18)
• This “hubris” generated backlash domestically and internationally, setting the stage for Trump’s electoral rise. (09:10–13:36)

Quote – Stephen Walt (10:18):
“Democracy was the only game in town... And that was the mindset of the 1990s and the aughts. And I think it led us first of all to NATO enlargement without realizing that that was eventually going to provoke a direct confrontation with Russia.”

4. The Populist Bond: Trump’s Rhetoric and Anti-Elite Authenticity

• Trump’s outsider status and performative anti-elite stance are seen not as genuine critiques but as an effective way to channel and harness public anger. (13:36–14:20)
• Walt on Trump’s rhetorical skill: He’s “tactically very flexible,” learning to adopt applause lines as policy, and “never sounds smarter than his audience.” (14:20)

5. Shattering of Alliances & Erosion of Soft Power

• Walt forecasts a Europe increasingly drawn together, seeking independence from U.S. influence, and pursuing new alliances (e.g., revisiting relations with China). (16:26)
• The loss of “soft power”—the ability to inspire and attract rather than coerce—is attributed to both the denigration of American global leadership and an increasingly naked pursuit of advantage. (21:20–22:45)

Quote – Stephen Walt (22:45):
“People will tolerate that mailed fist if it's got the velvet glove on it, and if the United States is ... seen as primarily a benevolent force, not just out for gaining every single advantage.”

6. Weaponization of Economic Systems and International Institutions

• Control of the global financial system—while not absolute, “a very, very pronounced influence”—is used to bully adversaries and even individuals (e.g., ICC judges, UN rapporteurs) by cutting them off from the system. (19:00–20:42)
• Trump administration’s hostility towards multilateral institutions and the construction of “Potemkin arrangements” (like the “Board of Peace”) are perceived as both attempts to evade constraints and to monetize foreign relations for personal gain. (29:46–31:48)

Quote – Stephen Walt (29:46):
“You should view most of these things roughly the same way one would view Trump University, that it’s a Potemkin arrangement. It's clear that Trump doesn't like international institutions…”

7. The Cult of Personality & Authoritarian Parallels

• Sycophancy and adulation demanded of subordinates and allied leaders are discussed as instruments of consolidating power and discouraging dissent, paralleling classic traits of authoritarian regimes. (31:48–32:16)
• Walt points to the historical dangers of such concentration of power, referencing Athens, European colonial empires, Soviet dominance, and the new American self-approach as uniquely self-defeating. (35:07–35:39)

8. Decline of Diplomacy & Rise of Amateurs

• Walt chronicles the long decline of the State Department's relevance, especially accelerated under Trump, who replaced professional diplomats with loyalists lacking regional expertise and largely abandoned attempts at genuine negotiation or conflict resolution. (38:00–38:53)

9. Strategic Limits of Predatory Hegemony

• Walt observes that Trump's reliance on coercion, threats, and bluffs only work temporarily. Once the U.S. is perceived as unreliable, its leverage diminishes drastically. (42:28–43:00)

Quote – Stephen Walt (43:00):
“You can threaten... once or twice. But ... once you've threatened half a dozen times and never done it, it starts to lose its power.”

10. Consequences: Toward a More Dangerous, Divided World

• Walt foresees a fractured international system—less cooperation, more volatility, reduced economic and public health gains, and a retreat from efforts to address shared challenges like climate change. (45:06)
• The U.S., once the reluctant yet foundational pillar of liberal order, is now “playing for the other team”—normalizing and supporting illiberal, authoritarian regimes around the world. (47:07)

Quote – Stephen Walt (47:07): “You suddenly have the United States ... playing for the other team. Right. And my great hope, of course, is that ... reactions here in the United States will be sufficiently powerful to bring this particular experiment with illiberal democracy, with creeping authoritarianism to a close as quickly as possible...”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Trump's done that with just about everybody, including some of America's closest allies...” – Stephen Walt (04:00)
• “He was just an unreliable partner... Eventually, he just got the reputation of being someone you didn't want to do business with.” – Stephen Walt (06:56)
• “Hubris is, I think, the perfect word...” – Stephen Walt (10:18)
• “He never sounds smarter than his audience. He sounds like a guy you might meet in a bar and who's got opinions and is entertaining…” – Stephen Walt (14:20)
• “People will tolerate that mailed fist if it's got the velvet glove on it…” – Stephen Walt (22:45)
• “You should view most of these things roughly the same way one would view Trump University, that it's a Potemkin arrangement...” – Stephen Walt (29:46)
• “It's very much the kind of cult of personality you see in authoritarian regimes…” – Stephen Walt (32:16)
• “You can threaten to say, you know, if you don't do what I want, we're not going to honor Article 5 of the NATO treaty... But once you've threatened half a dozen times and never done it, it starts to lose its power.” – Stephen Walt (43:00)
• “We are heading for... a significantly more dangerous world. I think we're heading for a world in which you're going to have a series of competing power centers navigating around one another...” – Stephen Walt (45:06)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Predatory Hegemony and Trump’s Business Tactics: 00:09 – 06:56
• US Hubris and Post-Cold War Overreach: 09:10 – 13:36
• Alliance Erosion and Soft Power Decline: 15:49 – 22:45
• Weaponizing the Financial System: 19:00 – 20:42
• Potemkin International Institutions: 29:46 – 31:48
• Historical Parallels to Predatory Hegemony: 35:07 – 35:39
• Decline of Diplomacy: 38:00 – 38:53
• Strategic Limits of Threats and Leverage: 42:28 – 43:00
• Consequences and the Authoritarian Turn: 45:06 – 47:07

Conclusion

This episode presents a sobering analysis of the transformation of the U.S.’s global posture under Trump, described by Stephen Walt as “predatory hegemony”—a mode of dominance that alienates allies, weakens global institutions, and fosters the rise of rival power blocs. Walt draws chilling historical parallels and offers a measured, evidence-based warning about the long-term consequences for American influence, global stability, and the health of democracy both in the U.S. and worldwide.