#12 Elizabeth N. Saunders: How Trump Broke 70 Years of American Foreign Policy

Is Congress irrelevant in U.S. foreign policy? Is bipartisanship a myth? And what happens when the biggest threat to a NATO ally might be the United States itself?This week on The Next Best, I'm joined by Elizabeth Saunders, professor at Columbia University and author of The Insider's Game: How Elites Make War and Peace. We unpack how American foreign policy really works — not in theory, but in practice.From the slow erosion of congressional war powers after World War II to the sweeping authorities passed after the September 11 attacks. From Harry S. Truman and the myth of Cold War unity to Donald Trump threatening Greenland.This conversation cuts through nostalgia and looks at the raw politics of power.We discuss:• Why Congress keeps giving away authority — and why it can't claw it back• The structural political advantage of "hawks" over "doves"• Whether Trump has fixed foreign policy beliefs (spoiler: he does)• Why Trump and Greenland may have been a turning point for NATO• The internal camps shaping Trump's decisions — and what a President JD Vance might mean for Europe• Whether congressional Republicans would ever break with him• Will Europe's rearmament outlast Trump?One key argument: Trump isn't a "peace president." He's comfortable with force — drones, bombing, special operations — but reluctant to launch large-scale wars with U.S. casualties. That distinction matters.If you care about how war powers actually function, why sanctions are easy to impose but nearly impossible to remove, and whether Europe's rearmament will outlast Trump — this episode is for you.The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus offers deep dives into geopolitics and international relations. We provide serious political commentary on foreign policy challenges, modern warfare, and global security.🔔 Subscribe for more analysis: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBestPod📺 Watch our most popular video: https://youtu.be/OhI17ztUvzY