The Biden administration's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan demonstrated a failure of 'whole of government' integration, undermining confidence in their competence.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "So, I think you really saw that profound tension clash in a quite spectacular way in July and then August 2021 where the folks really focused on defense and security are saying we have to get out as fast as possible to keep the troops safe. Incredibly important. The folks uh say from the State Department, the folks looking at diplomacy are saying are effectively saying no, what we need to do is show that we're still supporting that government in Kabell."

  19:35 Watch ↗

Despite being a cornerstone of its foreign policy, the Biden administration's 'integrated deterrence' strategy was unsuccessful in its primary goal of preventing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "Even though I support um the administration's policy on Ukraine, it it seems odd to me to call that a successive deterrence. We didn't deter Russia from invading. I accept that we couldn't deter them, but we also uh they're still fighting. So what have we deterred them from doing? What is the thing that that the successful deterrence was achieved?"

  21:29 Watch ↗

Under the Biden administration, a severe military recruiting crisis worsened, linked to a 20% drop in public support and a 'crisis of caring,' suggesting a failure to maintain the health of the armed forces.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures
• Process-Driven Governmental Failure

• "Uh over the last few years, so 2018 onward, support, public support for the US military has gone down about 20% or so. Now, public support for most government institutions isn't terribly high, but the military was always like anomalously high. So, the fact that there's this change, I think, should trigger a question in all of our brains. We've then seen this recruiting crisis over the last maybe..."

  29:28 Watch ↗

The Biden administration failed to resolve a pre-existing crisis in civil-military relations, presiding over a Pentagon where effective civilian control and basic institutional processes were broken.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "The Pentagon that I walked into at the very beginning of the Biden administration, I think very much was in crisis on that last piece. A number of processes had fallen into disarray. I mean, this is a an entity, an institution of three million people and $850 billion. If you don't have good process, I don't know how you're getting anything done. there was a total lack of collaboration between those in uniform and those out of uniform including at the most uh senior levels and uh frankly the oxygen was stale at best."

  24:41 Watch ↗

The Biden administration was overly cautious and slow in providing military aid to Ukraine, hampered by fears of Russian escalation, which drew criticism for prolonging the conflict and appearing weak.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "And then frankly, there's been a lot of criticism of uh the Biden administration for being too slow to give Ukraine X or Y platform. Um and you know, folks have said the Biden administration has been uh kind of too nervous about these threats."

  44:15 Watch ↗

The Biden administration committed the U.S. to a new, high-risk role in monitoring the fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, creating a dangerous entanglement where violations are certain and the U.S. response is undefined.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "If you followed the Israel Hezbollah ceasefire that was put in place not long ago, what's different about that compared to the 2006 Israel Hezbollah war and the way that ended is now the US is playing a role in monitoring that ceasefire. There will be violations of the ceasefire by both sides. Zero doubt about that. That I feel very confident predicting. Um what is it the United States is willing to do under those circumstances?"

  41:59 Watch ↗

The Biden administration presided over a period with the highest risk of nuclear weapon use in recent history, a terrifying reality that was not adequately communicated or addressed publicly.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "I would say the thing that should really disturb folks is that over the last three years we have been closer to the use of nuclear weapons than at any point in my lifetime. That should be terrifying. And there have been moments where it's been reported on. Uh those have been brief. And then frankly, there's been a lot of criticism of uh the Biden administration for being too slow to give Ukraine X or Y platform."

  43:53 Watch ↗

The Democratic administration's approach to immigration was a significant factor in their 2024 election defeat.

• Ceding Ground on Crime & Immigration

• "it seems to me uh that the reason President-elect Trump won is three-fold. He won on the economy. He won on all things immigration. And he won on identity issues. … what it tells me is that those who are serving are concerned about this those three issues and the approaches that have been taken on them. uh along with huge swats of the American public as well."

  1:00:39 Watch ↗

Democrats lost the 2024 election because their stance on 'identity issues' was unpopular with large segments of the American public.

• Elitist Culture & 'Woke' Alienation

• "it seems to me uh that the reason President-elect Trump won is three-fold. He won on the economy. He won on all things immigration. And he won on identity issues. … what it tells me is that those who are serving are concerned about this those three issues and the approaches that have been taken on them. uh along with huge swats of the American public as well."

  1:00:39 Watch ↗

The Biden administration spent over a billion dollars on naval operations against the Houthis to protect international shipping lanes that primarily benefit Europe and Asia, a significant and potentially politically explosive cost for a mission with limited direct benefit to the U.S.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "when he learns how much effort we're expending patrolling against the Houthi threat. Yes. He and he learns that that's mostly for the sea lanes of communication for Europe and Asia, not for the United States, his head is going to explode … I will just say on the Houthi effort uh it's been more than a billion dollars for the US Navy uh to to try to protect that that waterway over the last year and a half and it's been largely closed to maritime traffic which is wild when you think about it."

  42:58 Watch ↗

Democrats lost the 2024 election because they failed to win over voters on the economy.

• Ineffective Economic & Policy Messaging

• "it seems to me uh that the reason President-elect Trump won is three-fold. He won on the economy. He won on all things immigration. And he won on identity issues. … what it tells me is that those who are serving are concerned about this those three issues and the approaches that have been taken on them. uh along with huge swats of the American public as well."

  1:00:39 Watch ↗

Critics successfully argued that the Biden administration's focus on diversity and so-called 'woke' issues damaged military culture and effectiveness, creating a political vulnerability.

• Elitist Culture & 'Woke' Alienation

• "So, so it seems to me that Hexat's big argument is a culture argument, right? His belief is that the military and the senior military leaders have all been sort of captured by issues involving um like diversity for instance and uh have sort of taken what he and others have termed like this woke approach to how to be effective."

  27:30 Watch ↗

The Biden administration failed to strategically plan for the aftermath of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, leaving the next administration to face undefined but significant expectations for U.S. security guarantees and nation-building efforts.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "What I think they need to think really hard about is what is expected of the United States as conflicts conflict in Europe and conflicts in the Middle East start to wrap up throughout 2025? What what what will folks expect from the United States and the US military? Will they expect things like um security guarantees say for Ukraine? Will they expect things like the United States playing a role to lead um efforts to rebuild the Palestinian Authority Security Service?"

  41:25 Watch ↗

The Biden administration made a questionable decision by appointing a recently retired general as Secretary of Defense instead of a civilian, which was viewed by some as detrimental to civil-military relations.

• Foreign Policy & Security Failures

• "A lot of us thought that uh Secretary Austin is a great American, but but Biden had access to really great civilians, including Michelle Floyeno and many others, Catholics, he could have picked and it would have been better for Civ Mill if he had picked a civilian."

  50:13 Watch ↗