Eric and Eliot discuss Pete Hegseth's job security amidst the ongoing war with Iran. They recap his contemptuous testimony at a House Armed Services Committee budget hearing and Vice President Vance's efforts to distance himself from the war through planted stories. They then turn to King Charles III and Queen Camilla's visit to the United States and review the King's speech to a joint session of Congress. Finally, they discuss recent military developments in southern Lebanon, including Hezbollah's fiber-optic drone capabilities that highlight the changing nature of war.

Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.