Donald Trump interviewed by Pete Hegseth, now his pick for Defense Secretary, on Fox & Friends at the White House, Washington, D.C., April 6, 2017 (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Yes, Donald Trump Is A Threat to Ireland’s Security

US Election 2024: The Reality Check for American Liberalism

UPDATE 1522 GMT:

An extract from my interview with GB News, answering their question as to whether Donald Trump is “racist” and/or “fascist”:

UPDATE 0804 GMT:

An extract from my interview with Al Arabiya English, explaining how some Republicans in Congress may be pushed to point where they oppose Donald Trump:

Trump is waging war on US system. He’s trying to break the Justice Department, the Treasury, the military.

It’s one thing for Republicans to support Trump on a particular piece of legislation. Will they support him if he tries to curb the powers of Congress?

UPDATE, NOV 15:

I joined The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 on Thursday afternoon to highlight the risks in Donald Trump’s choices of Cabinet members and advisors.

At the same time, I knock back the Trumpist cheerleading and false claims of Nana Akua, a host for the hard-right UK outlet GB “News”.

I contrast Trump’s win in 2024 with his defeat in 2020. Then evaluate his appointments on a case-by-case basis, with his goal of controlling or even taking down US agencies and the military.

And I confront Akua’s support — “I don’t care if it’s horrible” — for Trump’s declaration that he will deport millions of undocumented immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers.

Nana Akua just throws that out without considering that each of those 12 million people is not a “terrorist” or a “criminal”.

Many of them have been working in the United States for years. Many of them are on the path to green cards or residency, and you’re going to rip that away from them because you’re going to stigmatize all immigrants.

Listen to Discussion from 11:12

UPDATE 1721 GMT:

I joined The Pat Kenny Show on Dublin NewsTalk for a 20-minute deep dive into Trump’s choices for his Cabinet.

I summarize how Trump moved from Republican legislators to grifters like Elon Musk to the ominous selections of Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Matt Gaetz.

I think Tulsi Gabbard is genuine in her belief that the US and NATO are the source of all ills. She has not only defended Vladimir Putin. She has defended Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, who has killed 100,000s of his people over the past 13 years.

But there are some, including in intelligence agencies, who believe she has been compromised by the Russians.

I also consider the destructive role of the xenophobic and anti-immigrant Stephen Miller, now Deputy Chief of Staff: “He is doubling down on his hostile approach, because he believes Trump was wrongly pushed out of office by the 2020 election.”

UPDATE 1622 GMT:

I spoke with BBC Radio Ulster on Thursday morning about the danger behind the craziness of Trump’s Cabinet nominees and advisors.

Along the way, I knock back the attempt of Trump spokesperson Greg Swenson to praise his leader for being “disruptive”, and to portray his attempt to undermine US agencies as “reform”.

Interestingly, Swenson distances himself from the nomination of Matt Gaetz as Attorney General before resuming his cheerleading of Trump.

I discuss Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s quest to fire US commanders and the risk of pro-Kremlin and pro-Assad activist Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. Then I review Elon Musk’s “PR stunt”.

You should not defend Trump as a “disruptor” and pretend that is good. Trying to rip apart the fundmentals of an effective US Government — that’s not disruptive. That’s dangerous.

Listen to Discussion from 1:57.53

UPDATE, NOV 14:

I spoke with UK and Irish outlets on Wednesday afternoon about the move in Donald Trump’s picks of Cabinet members and advisors from “hardliners” to “grifters” to craziness.

I discuss the naming of Fox TV pundit Pete Hegseth, with no apparent qualifications but a pledge to purge military commanders, as Defense Secretary. I take apart the “PR stunt” of Elon Musk as co-chair of the “Department of Government Efficiency”, which is not a department and has nothing to do with efficiency.

Listen to BBC 5 Live from 1:41.14

Alongside Cate Martel of The Hill, I explain to Matt Chorley:

In the first phase, the Trump team went for hardline loyalists among legislators. But it has rapidly returned to Trump’s chaotic and unpredictable pattern.

You have some nominees who are blatant political appointees to protect Trump. Then you have the unusual declarations: Musk to head up an advisory committee to grab headlines and promote his interests from SpaceX to Bitcoin, and Hegseth as part of the Trumpist agenda to gut US agencies and bend them to Trump’s will.

Listen to RTE Radio 1 from 38:08

I speak with Cormac Ó hEadhra about the encounter between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the White House.

As we look beyond this meeting, including Trump’s Cabinet appointments, we can see Trump trying to tear down the US system.

So if you are the Democrats, you want to uphold that system and say it is bigger than any one person.

I then point to the dangers of the Hegseth appointment with a “possible purge of the US military”.

Why the purge? Because of Trump’s hatred and resentment, including of former generals who served in his first-term White House and of the military’s refusal to support his coup attempt on January 6, 2021.

I conclude with a summary of the motives behind the PR stunt with Musk and the “Department of Government Efficiency”.

ORIGINAL ENTRY, NOV 13: I joined Monocle Radio’s The Briefing to talk about the ominous signs from Donald Trump’s initial picks for his Cabinet.

Listen from 2:07:

The interview with Vincent McAviney was conducted before those signs turned crazy and even dangerous. Fox TV pundit Pete Hegseth was named Defense Secretary, as the Trump camp threatens to fire generals and admirals. Entrepreneur Elon Musk was named to lead the new “Department of Government Efficiency” — which isn’t a department but a PR initiative to promote Musk’s business and bitcoin interests and the Trumpist attempt to co-opt and undermine US agencies.

In Tuesday’s discussion, I consider Trump’s possible choice for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio, and his confirmed choices of Rep. Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor and Rep. Elise Stefanik as UN Ambassador.

Trump is pulling in people from the legislature with the idea that they are more likely to bend the knee rather than those who have been in the civil service or even those in Republican think tanks.

The Trump team are demanding absolute loyalty.

I consider the effects of these appointments on US policy towards Ukraine, where Trump is threatening to cut aid to Kyiv amid the 32 1/2-month Russian invasion; Israel’s open-ended war on Gaza; the 65-year embargo on Cuba; and possible conflict with China.

EA on Times Radio Specials and on BBC : Putin Wins, Ukraine Loses in US Election