Hour 2: Trump Scales Back South Korea Exercises | Prof. Robert Parkinson on Tyrants and Rogues
Podcasts > Shake It Off with Mert & Lucas Live
https://am970theanswer.com/radioshow/shake-it-off-with-mert-lucas-live
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTubeMonday, August 31, 2026
Our second hour opens with a discussion of President Trump’s order to substantially reduce annual joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his relationship with Kim Jong Un, the high U.S. costs, and Seoul’s refusal to join efforts against Iran. The move sparked sharp bipartisan criticism, raised questions about alliance reliability amid strong public support for the partnership on both sides, and fueled debate over whether “America First” strengthens or undermines long-standing deterrence against North Korea. The show then wraps with an interview featuring Prof. Robert Parkinson, a Binghamton University historian specializing in the American Revolution, whose new book Tyrants and Rogues examines the 27 specific grievances in the Declaration of Independence and the British figures behind them on the document’s 250th anniversary.