Cheap Talk

Why Trump thought there might be a deal with Russia; the obliteration of Iran’s nuclear program; speaking truth to power; deterrence failure and pushing Iran toward nuclear weapons; Iran’s modest response to the attacks; enforcement within the NPT; implications for regional and global security; and Marcus reflects on why he was so wrongThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Check out our online store at https://cheaptalk.shop.Please send us your questions or comments!Get a free WHOOP and one month free when you join with this link. (Or use referral code B663EDA6 when signing up.)Further Reading:Gram Slattery, Jonathan Landay and Andreas Rinke. 2025. “The 'land swap' that wasn't: Inside Trump's frantic dash for Ukraine peace.” Reuters. See all Cheap Talk episodes

Thank you to our listeners for joining us for five seasons and 100 episodes! Cheap Talk returns for Season 6: Advice for new college students; the Trump-Putin summit spectacle; analyzing Trump’s body language; the challenges of studying summitry; the Trump administration’s unique approach to high-level meetings; a typology of leader diplomacy; Zelensky’s DC visit; the Trump administration’s overall posture toward the conflict; and Marcus would be happy to say nothing at allThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Check out our online store at https://cheaptalk.shop.Please send us your questions or comments!See all Cheap Talk episodes

Cheap Talk’s Season 5 finale: Everyone is cheating their way through college; remembering Joe Nye; interpreting President Trump’s big beautiful phone call with Vladimir Putin; evaluating the Golden Dome missile defense system; missile defense and strategic stability; and Marcus is looking forward to season 6We’re mostly taking the summer off from podcasting (unless something big happens), but we’ll be back to our regular weekly schedule in the fall. In the meantime, please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Check out our online store at https://cheaptalk.shop.Please send us your questions or comments.Further Reading:Picture of Trump and Zelensky at the Vatican.See all Cheap Talk episodes

Some good arguments against AI use in the classroom; how students are actually using AI; the idea of AI as a learning coach; other models for AI use by students; testing out an AI prediction coach; the balance between coaching and just doing the work for you; issues to consider before deploying AI in the classroom; and Marcus does math without a calculatorTry the AI prediction coach described in the podcast (requires a free ChatGPT login)The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Check out our online store at https://cheaptalk.shop.Please send us your questions or comments!Further Reading:Anthropic. 2025. Anthropic Education Report: How University Students Use Claude.See all Cheap Talk episodes

Iran nuclear talks are a marathon, not a sprint; three models for an Iran nuclear agreement; the role of technical expertise in nuclear negotiations; snap-back sanctions as a point of leverage; the demise of Iran’s proxy network; a regional solution to the nuclear problem; President Trump’s metrics for a successful deal; and Marcus says chafing is for amateursThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Check out our new 👊🇺🇸🔥 t-shirt, mug, and hat and support the podcast at https://cheaptalk.shop!Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Please send us your questions or comments!Further Reading:Matthew Kroenig. 2025. “There’s Only One Good Iran Deal.” Foreign Policy.Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 2015.See all Cheap Talk episodes

The resumption of Iran nuclear talks; direct vs. indirect negotiations; the administration’s confusing messaging around the goals of talks; what kind of a deal is actually achievable; President Trump’s potential advantages in trying to reach a deal; and Marcus looks ahead to 2032The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Check out our new 👊🇺🇸🔥 t-shirt, mug, and hat and support the podcast at https://cheaptalk.shop!Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Please send us your questions or comments!See all Cheap Talk episodes

Normalizing national security-related Signal chats; blaming Siri for revealing the Signal chat; what is the plan with US tariff policy; trade deficits are normal and fine; anti-expert public opinion; political dimensions to the tariff story; bringing manufacturing back to the United States; the domestic politics of tariffs; and Marcus is running a trade deficit with Fresh MarketThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Check out our new 👊🇺🇸🔥 t-shirt, mug, and hat and support the podcast at https://cheaptalk.shop!Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Please send us your questions or comments!See all Cheap Talk episodes

High-level US government deliberations on the Signal app; the true beliefs of our national security leaders; why using Signal for national security discussions is a bad idea; classified information and Signal’s security; the use of emoji in formal work settings; and Marcus is more of a WhatsApp personThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Please send us your questions or comments!Further Reading:Jeffrey Goldberg and Shane Harris. 2025. “Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal.” The Atlantic. Dan Black. 2025. “Signals of Trouble: Multiple Russia-Aligned Threat Actors Actively Targeting Signal Messenger.” Google Threat Intelligence.See all Cheap Talk episodes

Trip report from the 2025 International Studies Association Annual Conference; the reasons to attend academic conferences; whether diplomats will embrace virtual reality diplomacy; the usefulness of AI in diplomacy; teaching people to use AI; and Marcus goes out for deep dish pizzaThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Please send us your questions or comments!See all Cheap Talk podcasts

The disastrous return of face-to-face diplomacy between Trump and Zelensky; the ambush theory of international diplomacy; should this meeting have been an email; a stark signal to Europe and other allies; and Marcus’ rooms have feelsThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!Further Reading:Marcus Holmes and Nicholas Wheeler. 2025.  “Trump and Zelensky: when face-to-face diplomacy goes wrong it can be disastrous – especially if the whole world is watching.” The Conversation. See all Cheap Talk episodes

Five things we did this week; small signs of pushback against Elon Musk; foreign policy implications of DOGE; security risks from merging government computer systems; efficiency vs. other priorities in government; what’s in a place name; the fleeting nature of place names in a digital world; maps as arbiters of truth; Mapquest does not care; and Marcus’ rose is off the budThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!Further Reading:Mapquest’s “Gulf of Something” websiteSee all Cheap Talk episodes

A bad week for Ukraine and transatlantic relations; Trump’s mini-feud with Zelensky; a bargaining approach to the question of whether Zelensky could have avoided war; the return of spheres of influence; reassuring words from Vladimir Putin; Europe’s appetite for securing a post-conflict Ukraine; and Marcus embraces rationalismThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!Further Reading:James D. Fearon. 1995. “Rationalist Explanations for War.” International Organization 49(3): 379–414.See all Cheap Talk podcasts

The Trump administration’s early moves and their implications for US foreign policy; hollowing out expertise in the civil service; the loss of USAID; Trump’s designs on the Gaza Strip; tough signals to Ukraine on upcoming negotiations; and Marcus is already working on the op-edThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!See all Cheap Talk podcasts

Pandas are back in our nation’s capital; DeepSeek challenges the AI status quo; TikTok remains in legal limbo; how TikTok is like Bed Bath & Beyond; and Marcus is always up for a little China talkThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!Further Watching/Reading/Listening:Giant Panda Cam from the Smithsonian’s National ZooGiant Pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao Play in the SnowEthan Mollick. 2025. “Which AI to Use Now: An Opinionated Guide.” One Useful Thing. Cheap Talk Podcast with Jaime Settle. 2024. “Mostly Golden Retriever Videos.”

The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!

New products (and discounts!) in the Cheap Talk online store at cheaptalk.shop; heterarchy in international relations; rebel advances in Syria; continuing popular protests in Georgia; the German Chancellor visits Ukraine; and Marcus hates hand-washing coffee mugsThe Cheap Talk store has been restocked with new t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and stickers, perfect for the IR enthusiast in your life. All new designs are on sale for a limited time. Order before 12/16 with expedited shipping to receive your items by Christmas.Cheap Talk is taking a holiday break, but will be back with new episodes in January. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please send us your questions or comments!Further Reading/Listening:Check out the research of Kyuri Park at kyuripark.comDan Maliniak on Cheap Talk

Cheap Talk records live from Williamsburg, Virginia with the students of William & Mary’s Government 204 course, Introduction to International Politics, answering questions about Ukraine, face-to-face diplomacy, the international relations paradigms, North Korea, and more; and Marcus had a good time(Our apologies for some audio issues this week—we hope you enjoy the podcast anyway. We will be back with our usual crystal clear audio next time.)The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!

Moritz Graefrath joins Cheap Talk to discuss the new international relations board game World Order; the role of IR theory in the design of the game; how board games can teach us about the world; the state of board games today; some recommendations for getting started in gaming; and Marcus doesn’t play board gamesMoritz Graefrath is a Security and Foreign Policy Postdoctoral Fellow at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute. He is an academic advisor for the new board game World Order, available for backing on Kickstarter until December 5.The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Please send us your questions or comments!See all Cheap Talk episodes

What to expect from the new Trump administration’s foreign policy; uncertainty about Trump’s foreign policy views; new risks for Ukraine; fewer limits on Israeli action in the Middle East; tariffs and trade barriers with China; poor prospects for cooperative efforts on climate change; hope for a new deal with North Korea but worries about South Korean security; the important role of foreign policy professionals in government; and Marcus will allow an opening statement if he gets a rebuttalThe opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted. Please send us your questions or comments!See all Cheap Talk episodes

Dan Maliniak joins Cheap Talk to discuss the recent elections in the country of Georgia; evidence of irregularities; how much of this is Russia’s fault; European identity in Georgia; the path forward from here; the little-known fact that wine started in Georgia; what the US can do; and Marcus is a big Dave Matthews Band guyDan Maliniak is an associate professor of government at W&M. Check out his research on Google Scholar.The opinions expressed on this podcast are solely our own and do not reflect the policies or positions of William & Mary.Please subscribe to Cheap Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified when new episodes are posted.Please send us your questions or comments!Further Reading/Watching:Jesse Driscoll and F. Daniel Hidalgo. 2014. “Intended and unintended consequences of democracy promotion assistance to Georgia after the Rose Revolution.” Research & Politics 1(1).Dave Matthews Band. 2024. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.