June 18, 2025 • 6 mins
Today, H.R. McMaster discusses Israel’s war against Iran and its implications for American foreign policy with national news anchors; Zohar Palti outlines the strategic objectives Israel hopes to accomplish with its strike campaign; and a special episode of Matters of Policy & Politics engages pollsters in a conversation about what worked and what didn’t in the 2024 election, and how the political landscape may shift headed into the next presidential campaign.
View the full report here: Hoover Daily Report | June 18, 2025
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>> Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Hoover Daily Report, Ideas Advancing Freedom.
It's Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
>> Speaker 2 (00:06):
Today, HR McMaster discusses Israel's war against Iran and
its implications forAmerican foreign policy.
In multiple media appearances, Zohar Paltioutlines the strategic objectives
Israel hopes to accomplishwith its strike campaign.
And a special episode of matters of Policyand Politics, and engages pollsters in
(00:27):
a conversation about what worked andwhat didn't in the 2024 election.
And how the political landscape mayshift headed into the next presidential
campaign.
>> Speaker 1 (00:36):
Iran is in survival mode after Israel's outstanding strikes.
Senior fellow HR McMaster joinedAmerica's Newsroom on Fox News to analyze
America's position inthe Israel-Iran conflict.
McMaster notes the importance of thinkingahead to anticipate the second and
third-order effects ofany potential strike.
The former national security advisoralso recounts the astonishing scope and
(01:00):
success of the Israeli campaign againstthe Iranian nuclear supply chain.
Considering how Iran may respond toongoing strikes, McMaster acknowledges
the possibility of militia groupsattacking US forces in the Middle East.
At the same time, McMaster maintains thatIran's proxy forces are largely spent and
the regime itself is in survival mode.
(01:22):
He concludes that the Trumpadministration and
Israel must carefully weightheir goals for the campaign and
commends President Trump's rejection ofRussia's attempt to mediate the conflict.
McMaster also discussed the warin Iran on CBS News and CNN.
>> Speaker 2 (01:38):
Israel's Iran Campaign in context, writing in a forum for
the Washington Institute forNear East Policy,
distinguished Visiting Fellow Zohar Paltioutlines the objectives and
significance of Israel's ongoingmilitary strikes in Iran.
In Palti's view, the objective of Israel'scampaign is to prevent Iran from acquiring
(01:59):
a nuclear weapon and to permanently alterthe regime's behavior in the region.
Palti, a former head ofthe Mossad Intelligence Directorate,
further notes that Iranhas not experienced
aerial bombardment since the endof the Iran-Iraq War in 1988.
Combined with the fact that Israelachieved air superiority over Iran in two
(02:21):
days, Palti suggests that Iran'smilitary underperformance has presented
a profound shock to the regime andits public.
>> Speaker 1 (02:29):
Pollsters' perspectives did 2024 realign US politics beyond
the age of Trump?
Last year's US presidential electionhad plenty of historical quirks.
An incumbent president dropped out of therace soon before his party's convention
and for only the second time,a former president returned to office.
Opinions differ as to the campaign'slong term effect on America's political
(02:52):
landscape.
In a special edition of Matters ofPolicy and Politics hosted by Hoover,
distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen,a bipartisan slate of leading pollsters
comment on the state ofAmerica's two political parties.
They provide perspectiveson the 2024 election,
including assessments of what did anddid not work in terms of messaging.
(03:13):
How voting bloc shifted andwhether Democrats can rebrand and
rebound by 2028 to take on antiwoke Republicans once again.
The pollsters also assess the chances ofTrump style politics outlasting its term
limited namesake.
This episode is presented inpartnership with Hoover's center for
Revitalizing American Institutions.
>> Speaker 2 (03:33):
America's Word War with China One China Principle versus
One China Policy.
For Hoover's militaryhistory in the news column,
visiting fellow Miles Mao Chun Yu andexplains the important differences
between China's One China principle andthe United States' One China policy.
As Yu stresses, quote, Beijing's One Chinaprinciple is a sweeping,
(03:54):
uncompromising assertion.
There is only one China,Taiwan is an inseparable part of it, and
the PRC alone has the rightto rule over all of it.
Conversely, quote the United States OneChina policy is a model of deliberate
ambiguity and principled restraint.
Yu says that Beijing aims to erasethe differences between the two
(04:15):
similar-sounding ideas as part ofa global disinformation campaign,
to portray any recognition ofTaiwan's autonomy as separatism,
to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.
And to paint the United States and
other democratic nations asreckless saboteurs of peace.
>> Speaker 1 (04:32):
Moments but
not necessarily momentum writingat California on your mind.
Bill Whalen surveys the aftermath ofCalifornia Senator Alex Padilla's
forcible removal last week froma Los Angeles news conference with federal
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The episode quickly became one ofPadilla's highest profile moments in his
(04:53):
time in the Senate thus far,Whalen argues, partly because in terms of
legislative accomplishment,Padilla is mostly missing in action.
Other events quickly surpassedPadilla's arrest in LA, leading Whalen
to ponder whether California's governorunderstands the lesson that glory and
the political spotlight are transitory.
Applying this political wisdom tothe governor's presidential ambitions and
(05:18):
continued California policydisappointments, Whalen concludes by
asking, can Newsom's moment translateto momentum locally, not nationally.
>> Speaker 2 (05:27):
Featured Hoover Publication Lessons for
American Immigration Policy from the past.
Many observers argue that the current U.S.immigration policy is broken.
Can it be fixed?
By examining past Americanimmigration debates,
research fellow Cody Nagar argues,we can identify three fundamental
principles that make policy moresimplicity, selectivity, and locality.
(05:51):
Nagor maintains that applying theseprinciples to current debates would lead
to a better andmore responsive immigration policy,
benefiting both current andfuture Americans.
>> Speaker 1 (06:01):
That's your Hoover Daily report for Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
Each weekday we bring you research,analysis and commentary focused on public
policy, national security, and the ideasshaping American society and government.
The Hoover Institution at StanfordUniversity is grounded in constitutional
principles with a commitmentto sustaining the safeguards
(06:22):
of the American way of life.
Thank you for listening.
For links to all the articles andinterviews mentioned today,
visit hoover.org/hdr.
Welcome to the Hoover Daily Report, Ideas Advancing Freedom.
It's Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
>> Speaker 2 (00:06):
Today, HR McMaster discusses Israel's war against Iran and
its implications forAmerican foreign policy.
In multiple media appearances, Zohar Paltioutlines the strategic objectives
Israel hopes to accomplishwith its strike campaign.
And a special episode of matters of Policyand Politics, and engages pollsters in
(00:27):
a conversation about what worked andwhat didn't in the 2024 election.
And how the political landscape mayshift headed into the next presidential
campaign.
>> Speaker 1 (00:36):
Iran is in survival mode after Israel's outstanding strikes.
Senior fellow HR McMaster joinedAmerica's Newsroom on Fox News to analyze
America's position inthe Israel-Iran conflict.
McMaster notes the importance of thinkingahead to anticipate the second and
third-order effects ofany potential strike.
The former national security advisoralso recounts the astonishing scope and
(01:00):
success of the Israeli campaign againstthe Iranian nuclear supply chain.
Considering how Iran may respond toongoing strikes, McMaster acknowledges
the possibility of militia groupsattacking US forces in the Middle East.
At the same time, McMaster maintains thatIran's proxy forces are largely spent and
the regime itself is in survival mode.
(01:22):
He concludes that the Trumpadministration and
Israel must carefully weightheir goals for the campaign and
commends President Trump's rejection ofRussia's attempt to mediate the conflict.
McMaster also discussed the warin Iran on CBS News and CNN.
>> Speaker 2 (01:38):
Israel's Iran Campaign in context, writing in a forum for
the Washington Institute forNear East Policy,
distinguished Visiting Fellow Zohar Paltioutlines the objectives and
significance of Israel's ongoingmilitary strikes in Iran.
In Palti's view, the objective of Israel'scampaign is to prevent Iran from acquiring
(01:59):
a nuclear weapon and to permanently alterthe regime's behavior in the region.
Palti, a former head ofthe Mossad Intelligence Directorate,
further notes that Iranhas not experienced
aerial bombardment since the endof the Iran-Iraq War in 1988.
Combined with the fact that Israelachieved air superiority over Iran in two
(02:21):
days, Palti suggests that Iran'smilitary underperformance has presented
a profound shock to the regime andits public.
>> Speaker 1 (02:29):
Pollsters' perspectives did 2024 realign US politics beyond
the age of Trump?
Last year's US presidential electionhad plenty of historical quirks.
An incumbent president dropped out of therace soon before his party's convention
and for only the second time,a former president returned to office.
Opinions differ as to the campaign'slong term effect on America's political
(02:52):
landscape.
In a special edition of Matters ofPolicy and Politics hosted by Hoover,
distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen,a bipartisan slate of leading pollsters
comment on the state ofAmerica's two political parties.
They provide perspectiveson the 2024 election,
including assessments of what did anddid not work in terms of messaging.
(03:13):
How voting bloc shifted andwhether Democrats can rebrand and
rebound by 2028 to take on antiwoke Republicans once again.
The pollsters also assess the chances ofTrump style politics outlasting its term
limited namesake.
This episode is presented inpartnership with Hoover's center for
Revitalizing American Institutions.
>> Speaker 2 (03:33):
America's Word War with China One China Principle versus
One China Policy.
For Hoover's militaryhistory in the news column,
visiting fellow Miles Mao Chun Yu andexplains the important differences
between China's One China principle andthe United States' One China policy.
As Yu stresses, quote, Beijing's One Chinaprinciple is a sweeping,
(03:54):
uncompromising assertion.
There is only one China,Taiwan is an inseparable part of it, and
the PRC alone has the rightto rule over all of it.
Conversely, quote the United States OneChina policy is a model of deliberate
ambiguity and principled restraint.
Yu says that Beijing aims to erasethe differences between the two
(04:15):
similar-sounding ideas as part ofa global disinformation campaign,
to portray any recognition ofTaiwan's autonomy as separatism,
to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.
And to paint the United States and
other democratic nations asreckless saboteurs of peace.
>> Speaker 1 (04:32):
Moments but
not necessarily momentum writingat California on your mind.
Bill Whalen surveys the aftermath ofCalifornia Senator Alex Padilla's
forcible removal last week froma Los Angeles news conference with federal
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The episode quickly became one ofPadilla's highest profile moments in his
(04:53):
time in the Senate thus far,Whalen argues, partly because in terms of
legislative accomplishment,Padilla is mostly missing in action.
Other events quickly surpassedPadilla's arrest in LA, leading Whalen
to ponder whether California's governorunderstands the lesson that glory and
the political spotlight are transitory.
Applying this political wisdom tothe governor's presidential ambitions and
(05:18):
continued California policydisappointments, Whalen concludes by
asking, can Newsom's moment translateto momentum locally, not nationally.
>> Speaker 2 (05:27):
Featured Hoover Publication Lessons for
American Immigration Policy from the past.
Many observers argue that the current U.S.immigration policy is broken.
Can it be fixed?
By examining past Americanimmigration debates,
research fellow Cody Nagar argues,we can identify three fundamental
principles that make policy moresimplicity, selectivity, and locality.
(05:51):
Nagor maintains that applying theseprinciples to current debates would lead
to a better andmore responsive immigration policy,
benefiting both current andfuture Americans.
>> Speaker 1 (06:01):
That's your Hoover Daily report for Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
Each weekday we bring you research,analysis and commentary focused on public
policy, national security, and the ideasshaping American society and government.
The Hoover Institution at StanfordUniversity is grounded in constitutional
principles with a commitmentto sustaining the safeguards
(06:22):
of the American way of life.
Thank you for listening.
For links to all the articles andinterviews mentioned today,
visit hoover.org/hdr.
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