Trump, the UN Charter, and the Strange Politics of International Law
February 17, 2026
1 hr 4 min
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1,622 of 1,730
February 17, 2026
Trump, the UN Charter, and the Strange Politics of International Law
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American Politics Episodes Around February 17, 2026
Episode 1,622 of 1,730 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
Trump, the UN Charter, and the Strange Politics of International Law
Summary
International law scholars are often among the sharpest critics of the Trump administration—but what if the usual story misses something essential? In this episode, RBI interim director Eli Karetny speaks with NYU international law professor Robert Howse about Trump’s complicated relationship with the UN Charter system, from Gaza to Venezuela and Iran. The conversation also turns to political theory: Leo Strauss’s reputation as a neoconservative godfather, the shadow of Carl Schmitt, and how today’s MAGA New Right recycles older anxieties about liberalism, virtue, and masculinity.
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