Pope Leo’s call for peace evidently didn’t sit well with President Trump. He lashed out and called the Pope bad for foreign policy, while Vice President JD Vance lectured the pontiff to be careful when opining on matters of theology.

The president’s next move in Iran is a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but is it an effective strategy to force negotiations, or could it backfire and possibly embolden China?

Also, what Viktor Orban’s fall as Hungary’s leader could tell us about the health of far-right movements.

Plus, we chat with Sarah Isgur about her new book that takes us inside the Supreme Court, “Last Branch Standing.”

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene

Guests:

• Mike Dubke, veteran GOP communications strategist and advisor. He was the White House Comms Director under Donald Trump in 2017 - @MikeDubke
• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

President Trump wanted the Iran War to end quickly after six weeks of fighting, and so he issued a dire threat: submit or he will “end an entire civilization.” Now we’re in a fragile two-week ceasefire for negotiations. The White House says the warning was necessary to get us to this point, but critics called it reckless.

Congress also returns to DC after its two-week recess, and it’s back to the continuing standoff on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. What can we expect from a legislative branch that was already struggling to get much done before a midterm election year?

Plus we reflect on the meaning of the Artemis mission and whether it puts all our partisan battles in perspective.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene

Guests:

• Mike Dubke, veteran GOP communications strategist and advisor. He was the White House Comms Director under Donald Trump in 2017 - @MikeDubke
• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee

President Trump gave a speech this week about the Iran War to say he’s going to finish dismantling the country’s regime. But he also added that this regime seems pretty reasonable. We focus on what’s actually taking place: The U.S. role in the world has shifted dramatically, Russia and China seem to be benefitting from U.S. actions, the American economy seems vulnerable and Trump’s standing with his party seems to be changing.

President Trump is also trying to redefine the meaning of U.S. citizenship. Should being born here automatically mean you’re a citizen? The President thinks not, and the question is now before the Supreme Court.

And Trump has used a lot of words to trash the news media in our country. A top administration official thinks it’s been way more than a war of words – he’s doing a victory lap. We talk about all that with Liz Bruenig on the left and Sarah Isgur on the right.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene

Guests:

• Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic - @ebruenig
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons