France Descends Into Chaos

Tommy Vietor (0:00)

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Welcome back to Pod Save the World. I'm Tommy Vietor.

Ben Rhodes (2:02)

I'm Ben Rhodes.

Tommy Vietor (2:02)

Ben, we are two weeks out from our midterm elections here in the US and about a week out from the Israeli elections. Their first election since the October 7th attacks. Feels like some pretty monumental political events in a tight time frame there.

Ben Rhodes (2:15)

Yeah, and great closing argument for Trump to endorse the man who talked him into the war that has driven up the price of gas.

SPEAKER_3 (2:23)

Yeah.

Ben Rhodes (2:23)

I'm sure that's really going to help those Republicans who are trying to run away from the war in Iran.

Tommy Vietor (2:27)

Right. So for those who didn't see, over the weekend Trump officially endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, which should surprise no one in practice. But in the past, US presidents have not officially endorsed in Israeli elections because they didn't want to be received as meddling.

SPEAKER_3 (2:40)

Yeah.

Tommy Vietor (2:40)

Trump doesn't give a shit about that. In a true social post, Trump called Netanyahu, quote, a great warrior prime minister and an even greater partner for peace in combating the Islamic Republic of Iran. Some real Orwellian language there, Ben. He also called him strong, brave, and brilliant.

Did you see Bibi release a response where he's sitting in front of a fighter jet? Very subtle.

Ben Rhodes (3:03)

He's done multiple ones now.

My favorite is this is a man that is kind of incapable of showing human emotion. And he's trying really hard. He's like, my dear Donald, I was so moved by your endorsement. And it's just so slimy and inauthentic.

Tommy Vietor (3:19)

And he's sitting like in an airplane hanger or something. He's like, here are the bombs we're about to drop right after the election. Did you notice that JD Vance specifically declined to endorse Netanyahu?

Ben Rhodes (3:29)

Oh, my favorite is he says he doesn't endorse in foreign elections. He says the man who campaigned for Viktor Orban.

Tommy Vietor (3:35)

Went over to Germany, met with only the AFD. Yeah, no, I don't endorse.

Ben Rhodes (3:38)

Oh, I don't get involved in foreign elections. Yeah.

Tommy Vietor (3:40)

I mean, also Axios reported today, I believe, that on Monday, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, had a secret meeting with Netanyahu in Israel. So I hope everybody's excited for the war to ramp back up right after the midterms.

Ben Rhodes (3:53)

Or maybe there'll be a little bombing before the Israeli election. Just give Netanyahu another little chef's kiss to the endorsement.