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Welcome to hell, because we’ve reached the hot war phase of the second Trump presidency. Or have we?

In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* What has actually happened, both since 2018, and just in the past couple weeks, and why it’s so unlikely to have left the U.S. and the world better off.

* Is there any upside to Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu using and playing each other in a way that undermines both of their political goals?

* What’s the least worst and worst worst possible near-medium term outlook?

Then, behind the paywall, how opponents of Trump and his war can balance political and substantive objections? Is it possible to oppose/criticize/mock Trump for his spastic, failed policy without driving him toward further hostilities? Is that even a consideration Democrats should heed? What about the fact that Trump and his administration lied to justify the attacks? That the strikes were illegal? That they may lead to American civilian deaths?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian on how Trump’s evolution from shitty president who posts a lot to shitty president who wields dictatorial power should bring an end to the Democratic tick of brushing off all of his outrages as “distractions.”

* Matt’s 21 thoughts on Trump’s Iran war.

* Chris Murphy: 8 Things You Should Know About Trump's Strikes on Iran.