Alternate Shots Podcast.

The “real estate doctrine” of American foreign policy.

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We’re back!

In episode 14 of Alternate Shots, Richard Haass and I delve into the new “real estate doctrine” of American foreign policy, discussing the irrelevance of ownership in international relations, particularly in the context of Greenland. Haass critiques the U.S. shift from an approach to allies based on consent to one of coercion under the Trump administration, a shift that has raised fundamental concerns about America’s reliability and intentions. The conversation also touches on the failure thus far of American policy toward Iran.

The discussion discusses in detail the implications of Trump’s speech at Davos, which among other things heightened concerns about his mental acuity and judgment. Haass for his part had nothing good to say about the Board of Peace initiative, be it its mission, membership, or funding model.

The episode concludes with predictions and analysis of Sunday’s NFL matchups, with the co-hosts agreeing on Seattle and going their separate ways on Denver and New England. Haass was right about New England. I couldn’t abandon the Broncos. My brother Joe was the team’s CEO for a decade.

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(‘Alternate Shots’. Richard Haass and John Ellis. Recorded Saturday, 24 January 2026. Produced by Dale Eisinger.)

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If you prefer, you can listen to this episode and all the previous episodes on Apple, Amazon, Spotify and most of the other major podcast platforms.