Flooding the zone | After America x Follow the Money

President Donald Trump has been issuing Executive Orders and dominating the media cycle, trying to radically reshape America and the world in the process.
On this special crossover episode of After America and Follow the Money, Dr Emma Shortis and Ebony Bennett discuss the role of Elon Musk, Trump’s pause on all US foreign aid, his ability to ‘flood the zone’, and just how much better he is at it this time around.
This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 28 January 2025 and things may have changed since recording.
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Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @EmmaShortis
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennett
Show notes:
‘Think the past will protect Australia from Trump’s future? Think again’ by Emma Shortis, The Sydney Morning Herald (January 2025)
The Pacific Islands: Background and Issues for Congress, Congressional Research Service (November 2024)
Image: Gage Skidmore/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.
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