This episode explores a central paradox of 2026: global instability is accelerating just as Donald Trump’s political power appears to be weakening. Using Francis Fukuyama’s argument that Trump has already reached “peak power,” we examine how domestic resistance, electoral headwinds, and institutional pushback are eroding his ability to govern—even as his policies continue to fuel conflict at home and abroad.

Drawing on recent analyses from the Council on Foreign Relations, Chatham House, and the European Council on Foreign Relations, the episode asks whether a weakened U.S. president can survive mounting domestic and international crises—and what this means for allies, especially Europe and Ukraine, in a world no longer anchored by reliable American leadership.

Bibliography

Chatham House. 2025. The World in 2026. Video podcast. December 19, 2025.
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/12/world-2026-chatham-house-video-podcast.

Council on Foreign Relations. 2025. Conflicts to Watch in 2026. New York: Council on Foreign Relations.
https://www.cfr.org/report/conflicts-watch-2026.

European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). 2025. “Only Europe Can Save Ukraine from Putin and Trump — But Will It?” December 2025.
https://ecfr.eu/article/only-europe-can-save-ukraine-from-putin-and-trump-but-will-it/.

Fukuyama, Francis. 2025. “Don’t Panic, Trump Is Flagging.” Persuasion, December 17, 2025.