If the U.S. stumbles into a war with Iran, it’ll be largely one of John Bolton’s making. The national security adviser appears to be running the foreign policy show at the White House and has a taste for regime change in several countries, including Iran. Who’s the surprising person inside the administration reining him in? And can the U.S. recover from four years of antagonizing our allies and expanding our enemies list?

Guest: Dexter Filkins, staff writer at the New Yorker

Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks

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