Ben Rhodes

Yeah, she flubbed the Taiwan question.

But look, the benefit for her is to just get some reps, right?

She's out there.

She's not been in a conference like this.

You're not going to nail every answer.

She does need to bone up on Taiwan.

But like, I'm glad she was there.

What did you think of AOC?

And what did you think of kind of the way in which the Democrats seem to be groping for not just the person for 2028, but a message that can resonate on the world stage?

Yeah, they were definitely the two people that the Europeans were interested in.

And in a strange way, I mean, it's super early, but they feel like the two most interesting people to be watching now.

You're right about Gaza.

And I mean, to me, it's not just Gaza.

as important as the issue is, and we're about to talk about Gaza and the West Bank, it's also, that is the litmus test to me as to whether you have any morality in your foreign policy.

Correct.

You can't carve out a genocide.

You can't say we're for a rules-based order, but we will arm a government committing genocide over here.

Okay, Eamon, let's turn to the occupied West Bank, where Netanyahu's far-right coalition government has moved to expand and solidify Israeli control and really squeeze the West Bank.

And let's be clear, the goal here is not subtle.

We had the finance minister, Smotrich, who's usually the id of this right-wing government, say about these recent steps, we are deepening our roots in all parts of the land of Israel.