Today's Poll Question: Should the U.S. grow or shrink its footprint in the Middle East? episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 19, 2026 · 13 MIN

Today's Poll Question: Should the U.S. grow or shrink its footprint in the Middle East?

from The Smerconish Podcast · host Michael Smerconish

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Should we be growing or shrinking our footprint in the Middle East? With the Pentagon reportedly reassessing America’s military presence across the region, Michael asks whether decades of bases, troops, and intervention are still making the United States safer. He reflects on his own visit to U.S. military installations in Qatar and Djibouti and examines the strategic dilemma exposed by the conflict with Iran: Does maintaining a massive American footprint deter threats—or help create the very resentment and vulnerability it is meant to contain? Cast your vote at Smerconish.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Today's Poll Question: Should the U.S. grow or shrink its footprint in the Middle East?

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