What the Hell Is Going On

What the Hell Is Going On

By AEI Podcasts

The American Enterprise Institute’s Danielle Pletka and Marc Thiessen address the questions we’re all asking in their podcast, “What the Hell Is Going On?” In conversational, informative and irreverent episodes, Pletka and Thiessen interview policymakers and experts, asking tough, probing questions about the most important foreign policy and security challenges facing the world today.

12/04/25

WTH Are We Letting China Steal All Our Secrets? David Shedd Explains.

Over the last decade, China has carried out the largest illicit transfer of capital, innovation, data, and technology in human history. One of the most overlooked elements of this heist is the role of industrial espionage and the theft of corporate sRead more

11/26/25

WTH Is it: Insubordination or Sedition? John Yoo Explains.

Between the pardoned turkeys and those running loose on Capitol Hill, controversy over insubordination and sedition seem to be on the menu this holiday. The six Democrats who posted a video addressed to service members sowed chaos and confusion aboutRead more

11/20/25

WTH Is Going on With Trump's China Deal? Scott Lincicome Explains.

For Donald Trump, China has served as a major justification for economic protectionism, highlighting our dependencies and need to onshore products with national security implications. But that’s the talk. The reality is more dismal: a less-than-hawkiRead more

11/13/25

WTH Would Any Republican Consider Ending the Filibuster? Martin Gold Explains.

The legislative filibuster is one of the most important guardrails against the tyranny of the majority that exists in the United States Senate. Despite this critical function, both parties have, at various times, entertained the idea of eliminating tRead more

11/07/25

WTH: How Do We Keep Neo-Nazis Out of the Conservative Movement? Eli Lake Explains.

The fever swamps of the alt-right have crept upstream. Fringe figures are making their way onto increasingly mainstream platforms, spreading ideological contagion to impressionable young audiences. Having long covered the creeping antisemitism of theRead more

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