1. EachPod

Ep. 59 | Trump's Global Chess Game, Trade Deals, Ukraine Escalation, and Gaza Stalemate

Author
Meseidy Rivera and Rachel Reeves
Published
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Episode Link
https://riveraandreeves.substack.com

Trump's going full dealmaker mode across the globe while the media reluctantly admits they were dead wrong about his trade strategy. 'm joined by friend of the podcast Amanda Peterson of Amanda Talks Geopolitics to break down Trump's first 6 months of foreign policy wins and stumbles - from his massive EU trade deal that's got European leaders sitting pretty and praising him like he's their new best friend, to the game-changing agreements with Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines that are reshoring American manufacturing and filling our coffers.

But it's not all winning - we're diving deep into the messy realities of Ukraine (spoiler: Trump's getting more hawkish), the Gaza humanitarian crisis that Israel can't seem to solve, and why China's still playing puppet master in conflicts worldwide. Plus, we'll explain why Europeans suddenly love buying American energy instead of funding Putin's war machine, and how Trump's "escalate to de-escalate" strategy might actually work.

The media is trash, diplomacy is back, and we have zero patience for their doom-and-gloom predictions that keep falling flat.

Connect with Amanda


Episode Highlights

  • Trump's EU Trade Deal Dominance - European leaders are literally sitting at his Scottish golf resort praising his negotiation skills while agreeing to a massively one-sided deal that benefits America.
  • Ukraine Strategy Shift - Trump's moved from "we're friends with Putin" to greenlighting long-range strikes on Moscow and sending more Patriots than requested, with surprisingly little MAGA backlash.
  • Gaza's Impossible Equation - Two years in, Hamas won't surrender, Israel's losing the PR war, and 70% of Israelis want this conflict over, but nobody has a clear path to victory.
  • Energy Independence Victory Lap - Europe's finally ditching Russian energy for American oil and gas, cutting off Putin's war funding while boosting our economy.
  • Media Meltdown Continues - The same outlets predicting economic disaster from tariffs are now reluctantly admitting Trump's trade strategy is actually working, including Bill Maher eating crow.


Listen Ad Free

Love what you’re hearing and want even more? Join us as a paid supporter on Substack! As a subscriber, you’ll unlock ad-free podcast episodes, full access to our archives, and exclusive subscriber-only perks like bonus content, behind-the-scenes updates, and our in-the-moment reaction videos. Plus, you’ll be directly supporting our mission to cut through the media spin and deliver sharp, honest analysis every week.

Subscribe now

Your subscription helps us stay independent and keep creating the content you love. So why wait? Support the show and subscribe today!


Get R&R Merch!

Our official merchandise store is NOW OPEN! 🛍️ We've launched with our first four items to get things started, including coffee mugs, oversize t-shirt and a tote bag. You can check out everything available right now.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Opening Remarks

00:32 Podcast Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:38 Discussion on Trump's Trade Deals

02:32 Impact of Trade Deals on Global Politics

06:03 Media's Reaction to Trade Deals

08:48 Details of the EU Trade Deal

10:13 US-EU Trade Relations and Tariffs

12:41 Trump's Foreign Policy Strategy

14:56 Economic Impact of Trade Deals

19:57 US-Ukraine Relations and Military Support

42:49 Conflict in Gaza and Israel

44:29 Steve Whitcoff's Stance on Hamas and Qatar

46:12 Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

47:53 Israel's Military Strategy and Global Perception

51:45 Internal and External Political Dynamics

01:01:39 The Druze Conflict in Syria

01:05:42 Trump's Foreign Policy and Global Peace Deals

01:14:39 Critique of Trump's Administration

01:23:37 Podcast Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts


Connect

Meseidy - Instagram | X | Email - [email protected]

Rachel - Instagram | X | Email - [email protected]



Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/rivera-and-reeves/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Share to: