What’s the Left’s Vision for Foreign Policy After Trump?
Jun 9, 2026
Summary
Ezra Klein interviews Matt Duss about a potential Democratic foreign policy rupture driven by the Gaza war. Duss argues the Biden administration’s unconditional support for Israel failed morally and strategically, urging a shift toward conditioning aid and empowering Palestinian self-governance. They discuss how this crisis reflects broader public disillusionment with endless wars and elite disconnect, creating an opening for a values-based progressive foreign policy.
Topics discussed
Intro: Death of a Salesman Broadway revival
Gaza, Democratic primaries, and the rise of anti-war sentiment
Reckoning with Biden's foreign policy and Gaza support
Critique of unconditional aid and the military-industrial complex
Defining a values-based foreign policy vs. realism
Trump's 'rigged system' narrative and anti-war politics
Abraham Accords, Oct 7, and the failure of diplomacy
Ukraine, China, and the debate over American primacy
Ads: Proof on Broadway and Precise Probiotics
Elite impunity, the rules-based order, and international law
Congressional war powers and executive overreach
Neoliberalism, trade, and economic anxiety
Left nationalism, immigration, and border policy
Anti-corruption as a unifying foreign policy goal
Book recommendations and closing thoughts
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