“A New Club Of Thugs”— The Weekly Roundup

What will BRICS expansion mean for the United States?  Is your pension paying for China’s aircraft carriers?  How did China spend four years conducting an influence campaign on the biggest social media platforms before they were caught? Why do Republican voters think Donald Trump has the best chance at beating Joe Biden in 2024? Join our host, Ron Steslow, as he explores the latest political news with this week’s guests: Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Hagar Chemali (Former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN). Segments to look forward to: (02:44) The BRICS Summit and expansion (08:01) Breaking down the biggest news about the U.S. China Relationship  (12:44) China’s real estate market crisis  (22:40) Is your pension fueling the Chinese military and surveillance state?  (35:30) Meta executes its largest ever removal of accounts linked to a four-year-long Chinese influence campaign  (:50) Why Republicans Don’t want to be saved by Donald Trump  [Politicology+] How Artificial Intelligence will shape our elections and be a tool for bad actors on the world stage. Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/HagarChemali You should check out Oh My World on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ohmyworldwithhagarchemali Related reading: Segment 1:  CBS News—The 4 biggest moments from this week's BRICS summit — and why they matter - CBS News CNN—BRICS expansion is a big win for China. But can it really work as a counterweight to the West? | CNN CNN—China's Xi unexpectedly skipped a key BRICS event. No one is saying why CNBC—China's property giant Evergrande files for bankruptcy protection in Manhattan court WP—Opinion | Rep. Mike Gallagher: U.S. investment in problematic Chinese companies has to stop - The Washington Post NYT—Meta’s ‘Biggest Single Takedown’ Removes Chinese Influence Campaign - The New York Times SCMP—Republican candidates talk ‘tough on China’ as Trump skips first debate Segment 2:  NYT—The Thing Is, Most Republicans Really Like Trump - The New York Times Jonathan Last—Joe the Plumber and Partisan Schadenfreude The Atlantic—The Fourteenth Amendment Fantasy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices