Month: June 2022

Briefings

Background Briefing: June 20, 2022

On By gram

 

The Face of Trump’s GOP on Display at the Texas Republican Convention

We begin with Saturday’s Texas Republican convention which provided a full-on display of the face of Trump’s GOP and where it would take the country with resolutions passed to reject the 2020 election results, do away with all gun control and demonize gays and transgender Americans. Joining us to discuss how Donald Trump has radicalized the Republican Party’s base is Jeremi Suri, who holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is a professor of history and public affairs. He is the co-host of the podcast “This is Democracy” and the author and editor of a number of books including The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office and the forthcoming, Civil War by Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy.

 

Biden Will Get Nothing in Return For Bowing to the Sociopathic Crown Prince

Then we look into the dissolution of Israel’s ruling coalition and how Biden will be meeting with Prime Minister Lapid in his upcoming July visit that includes a trip to Saudi Arabia which is already controversial. Joining us is Dr. Trita Parsi, the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a professor of political science at Georgetown University and the co-founder and former President of the National Iranian American Council. His books include, Losing An Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy and we discuss his article at NBC News, “The real reason for Biden’s capitulation to the Saudi Crown Prince.”

 

Far Right Gains and Ruling Party Loses in French Elections

Then finally we look into the results of the French parliamentary election which saw a tenfold increase in the seats won by the far-right party of Marine LePen while President Macron’s ruling party came up 44 seats short of a majority in the National Assembly meaning there will be political paralysis unless Macron can find a coalition partner. Joining us is Philippe Marlière, a professor of French and European politics at University College, London. In 2007, he was awarded the Marcel Liebman Chair in political science by the Université Libre de Bruxelles. His main publications are about the French Socialist Party, French politics and European social democracy.