The Josh Hammer Report

Josh Hammer

Newsweek Opinion Editor And Host,
"The Josh Hammer Show"

This week, my column used the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine to ask five tough questions to the "Washington uniparty" on where things stand in that stalemate of a conflict—and, perhaps more importantly, where we as U.S. taxpayers should hope our government goes from here. My questions to the "Washington uniparty" and the Beltway foreign policy "blob" are: (1) "What is the meaning of 'as long as it takes?'"; (2) "Is the U.S. national interest in the conflict synonymous with Ukraine's national interest?"; (3) "Is the U.S. fearful of all-out war with Russia?"; (4) "Has the U.S. learned anything about 'endless wars?'"; and (5) "What is the U.S.'s long-term plan to deal with Russia?"

Read the column to hear my elaboration on these questions (and some of my own answers), but I think these are the crucial questions we need to ask our leadership in Washington, D.C.

I've had two new podcast episodes since our last newsletter.

In the latest episode this week, it was a thrill to host Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on the day of launching his new book, The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival. We discussed the various policies on which Florida has led the way, from COVID to education to anti-wokeism to the fight against illegal immigration. Florida, the nation's third-largest state, has been transformed from a purple state to a red state under Gov. DeSantis's leadership, and he explained his secrets to success during our conversation. Newsweek also has a report on our conversation that you can check out, but give this special-edition episode with our highest-profile guest thus far a listen.

In last Friday's episode, I monologued about the not-very-good Middle East legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, now in declining health, before being joined by my friend and "NatCon Squad" podcast cohost Ben Weingarten. Ben and I focused on China for most of the conversation, including the recent spy balloon fiasco and the harrowing possibility of an impending People's Liberation Army invasion of Taiwan. We then discussed Ben's thesis of anti-wokeism as the glue that can hold the Republican Party coalition together.

Go ahead and listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In terms of media appearances over the past week, I joined "Bo Snerdley's Rush Hour" on WABC to talk about Democrats and 2024, joined "Rob Schmitt Tonight" on Newsmax to discuss Nayib Bukele's dramatic crackdown on gangs and violent crimes in El Salvador, and (as usual) co-hosted the Edmund Burke Foundation's most recent episode of the "NatCon Squad" podcast.

In terms of public appearances, I will be speaking at CPAC in Washington, D.C., this Friday, March 3, on the topic of Israeli judicial reform, as well as the fight against antisemitism here and abroad. Next week, I have four public events in Texas: I will be giving conservatism-themed talks at Houston Christian University next Tuesday and the University of Dallas next Thursday via the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and Young Conservatives of Texas, and have two other legal-themed events in Dallas while I am in town (both of which will pertain to my "common good originalism" thesis). If you are a local and would like to attend, email me below for further details. Oh, and my debate with Alan Dershowitz in Miami Beach last night (also on the topic of Israeli judicial reform) went well!

Our highlighted right-leaning Newsweek op-eds this week include selections from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), former Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Jonathan Schanzer, Troup Hemenway, and Martin Kulldorff and Jay Bhattacharya.

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Spotlight

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE VIA GETTY IMAGES

Questions for the Washington Uniparty on Ukraine, One Year Later

President Joe Biden's surprise visit to Ukrainian premier Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv earlier this week was an unmistakable sign of solidarity with Ukraine on the one-year anniversary of Russian kingpin Vladimir Putin's reckless, unjust invasion. To the extent Biden's aim was to send such a symbolic message to Moscow and its allies, he succeeded.

Unfortunately, Biden's trip, especially seen in concert with recent similar actions such as Zelensky's December speech before a joint session of Congress and even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) sartorial choice to wear a Ukrainian flag-colored necktie to Biden's State of the Union address earlier this month, raises a number of discomfiting questions about the Washington, D.C. uniparty's seemingly interminable commitment to prolonging this Eastern European quagmire. On the one-year anniversary of the culmination of Europe's first extended land war since World War II, here are some pressing questions for establishment politicians from both major political parties.

1. What is the meaning of "as long as it takes?" In Kyiv, Biden reiterated that the U.S. "will remain with Ukraine as long as it takes." This presumably entails both a moral and, more relevant, fiscal commitment—indeed, Biden promised a new tranche of military aid to Ukraine, on top of the $113 billion in aid U.S. taxpayers dispensed with in 2022, and on top of recently announced top-tier materiel such as Patriot missile defense systems. But items such as Patriot missile defense systems and M142 HIMARS rocket launchers don't grow on trees; resources are necessarily scarce, and each additional item we ship off into a proxy war against a nuclear-armed hegemon necessarily depletes our own military arsenal. Furthermore, America is massively indebted with soaring annual budget deficits. And Chinese President Xi Jinping surely grins as America strips bare our military and ships off the parts to Europe, not Asia. So how long is "as long as it takes"—and, related, do we simply not care at all about the costs?

Read The Full Column