Deadline: White House "A week that changed the world forever"
Jan 23, 2026
Alex Tabat, on-the-ground reporter in Minneapolis covering protests and community reactions to ICE actions. Sue Gordon, former senior intelligence official with expertise in alliances and U.S. foreign policy. They discuss allied rebukes to NATO comments, how diplomatic volatility and domestic rule-of-law erosion affect credibility, and heated Minneapolis protests over immigration enforcement.
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Allies Rallied Instantly After 9/11
- Sue Gordon recalls allies' immediate offers of support after the 9/11 attacks, often before public knowledge of U.S. response.
- She highlights that even small, poor countries stood shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. in that moment.
Trust Is The Systemic Currency
- Trust is the operating system of democracies, markets, and alliances, and volatility from leadership erodes that trust.
- Sue Gordon warns that compounding 'errors' from unpredictable leaders degrades systems long before they break.
Public Rebukes Signal Quiet Breaks
- Foreign leaders publicly rebuking the U.S. signals deep, quiet shifts in alliances shaped by long private work.
- Gordon says such breaks are profound because partners weigh consequences before airing them publicly.