Patrick Cronin appears on the Defense and Aerospace Podcast to discus political chaos in Washington and its impact on international relations, Chinese and Russian influence operations (minute 17), and Beijing’s sensitivity to soft power—from soccer star Lionel Messi’s snub during a football match in Hong Kong to Taylor Swift’s immense popularity (minute 37).
Caption
Cover: Edited version of US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps aircraft along with US Army Patriot missile batteries line up on the runway for an elephant walk during a routine operational readiness exercise at Kadena Air Base in Japan on May 6, 2025. (US Air Force)