Recently we have seen cracks forming within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. We are seeing Republican members of Congress push back on issues, like the Epstein files or President Trump’s approach to Ukraine, in the most significant way since he took office in January.

What is causing these rifts within the MAGA movement? Is MAGA whatever President Trump says it is? How are these tensions likely to play out?

Non-Resident Senior Fellow Lester Munson joined Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck to discuss these questions. Lester has held multiple positions on Capitol Hill and is based in DC, at the epicentre of these MAGA tensions.

The United States Studies Centre (USSC) has just released our annual Allies and partners poll.
The USSC polled publics in Australia, the United States, Japan and, for the first time this year, India. This means there was polling data to compare public opinion across all four Quad countries.
Where do the Quad countries stand on Trump, security and the future of the Indo-Pacific? What are the biggest similarities and differences between the Quad countries on foreign policy? How has Trump 2.0 changed US relationships with these countries? How supportive are the four publics of militarising the Quad or sending forces to Taiwan in the event of an invasion?

To discuss these questions, polling authors USSC Senior Research Associates Samuel Garrett and Ava Kalinauskas joined Mari Koeck on the podcast.
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Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

On 2 April 2025, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on most countries around the globe as part of “Liberation Day” but is the president allowed to impose tariffs like that? This is the question the US Supreme Court is considering at the moment.

What were the arguments for and against the presidential power to unilaterally tariff? How are the justices likely to decide? How could their decision impact one of the president’s signature policies?

To consider these questions, we invited ABC’s Planet America Co-Host Chas Licciardello back on the podcast with Director of Impact and Engagement Mari Koeck to take a deep dive into the Supreme Court tariffs case.

If you like a deep dive on Supreme Court issues, you may want to listen to these other episodes with Chas:

• Deep dive into Trump’s Supreme Court immunity hearing with Chas Licciardello
• Trump’s immune. It is so ordered – featuring Chas Licciardello

Check out PEP with Chas and Dr Dave here:

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple

Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

As China’s rapid military modernisation reshapes the regional security landscape, deterrence has become the cornerstone of US and allied strategies in the Indo-Pacific. Former US Marine Corps Commandant General David Berger (ret’d) joined the USSC Briefing Room, reflecting on the bold reforms that transformed the Marine Corps and the growing importance of interoperability with allies like Australia for deterrence.

How do these changes strengthen deterrence? What role does cultural understanding play in preventing conflict? And what does the future hold for US readiness in a contested region?

Recently, a gunman killed four people and wounded eight at a Latter Day Saints (or Mormon) church in Michigan. President Trump described this as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America” – but there are distinct differences between this and other high-profile shootings.

How was this similar to or different from other attacks on religious institutions in America? What are the motivations behind these attacks? Is there a throughline between the assassination of Charlie Kirk and an attack on an LDS church in Michigan?

Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy at the United States Studies Centre David Smith joined the podcast to discuss these questions. He is one of Australia’s leading experts on religious persecution in America and is the author of Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States.

Related content:

• The Michigan church shooting sits within a long history of hatred against Mormons in America
• USSC Briefing Room | Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States

President Trump wants to make American shipbuilding great again. China has significant dominance in shipbuilding with 34% of all ships on water being made in China and 57% of ships under construction being made in China.

How do systems around finance and infrastructure influence global power dynamics? How much of a concern is increasing US shipbuilding? What role does Australia play in the shipbuilding ecosystem?

2025 USSC-American Australian Association Fellow Dr Mary Bridges joined USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck to discuss these issues. Dr Bridges is currently an Ernest May Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and she’s the author of the book Dollars and Dominion: U.S. Bankers and the Making of a Superpower. Her research looks at the intersection of US foreign relations and business history. While in Australia, she conducted research on shipbuilding and infrastructure in both the United States and Australia.

Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

This week Lisa Curtis joins the podcast. She is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Program for a New American Security and she served in the US Government for more than 20 years across the White House National Security Council, CIA, State Department and Capitol Hill.

What has changed in America at home and abroad from a year ago? Are US alliances fit for purpose? Where can US allies go from here?

These were key questions that Lisa Curtis looked at in her panel discussions at Sydney International Strategy Forum 2025. We took a deeper dive into these topics on the podcast.

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Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China this year, his visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding got some of the most media attention.

How did pandas become China’s national treasure and how are they used in diplomacy? Could trade wars or heightened competition with China lead to the removal of pandas from the United States or other countries? What role will this “national treasure” play in future international relations?

Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy at USSC David Smith and Senior Lecturer in Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney Minglu Chen joined the podcast to discuss their recent paper in The Pacific Review titled “Panda diplomacy revisited: state interests and public emotions.”

Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat