
A Veteran Diplomat On Trump’s Second Term And American Norms
From Tales from the first tee by Rich Easton
May 31, 2026 · 48 min
About this episode
A former Republican diplomat discusses the implications of a presidency based on loyalty rather than limits.
Send us Fan Mail A former Republican, Vietnam veteran, and longtime US diplomat joins us for a blunt look at what breaks first when a presidency runs on loyalty instead of limits. We talk about the “guardrails” that used to stop bad ideas in their tracks and what it means when those guardrails disappear: fewer people willing to say no, more governing by unilateral moves, and more public retaliation aimed at critics. Along the way, we challenge ourselves to listen outside our algorithm and ask...
People in this episode
Host: Rich Easton
Guest: Vietnam veteran
Topics covered
- politics
- diplomacy
- loyalty
- governance
- criticism
- American norms
Keywords
- Trump
- diplomacy
- Vietnam veteran
- governance
- loyalty
- American norms
- criticism
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Republican, US
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