Throughout March and April, Pope Leo XIV began speaking out against the war in Iran and the violence, saying it was an “unjust war.” Shortly after 60 Minutes aired an episode with Catholic officials criticising the war, President Trump started attacking the Pope on social and then shared the now-infamous image of Trump as a Christ-like figure.

Why are both the Pope and Donald Trump so focused on speaking out against each other? What is the political fallout of the “Jesus Trump” image? Is this war of words unique or just par for the course?

Associate Professor David Smith joined Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss these questions. David teaches American Politics and Foreign Policy at the USSC and is also an expert on the history of religious persecution in America.

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Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Space exploration has recaptured the public imagination. The successful Artemis II mission to the Moon heralds a new era of human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since the 1970s. The United States, China and other global space powers are now racing to return to the Moon and beyond.

But what role could Australia play in this 21st century space race? What are the opportunities and challenges in outer space? And why does anything that happens up there even matter down here on Earth?

Space expert Dr Kathryn Robison, Lecturer in American Studies at the United States Studies Centre and Senior Research Fellow at the Australasian Centre for Space Governance, joined USSC Senior Research Associate Samuel Garrett on the USSC Briefing Room to answer these questions.

Recommended reading:

• Harnessing Australia’s space strengths for the Alliance by Dr Kathryn Robison and Isobel Haddow

Amid rising global tensions, Taiwan continues to be a regional flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific. What is the current state of Australia-Taiwan relations? What challenges does Taiwan face in a new security era? How should regional allies and partners engage with Taiwan on its own terms — and what could this mean for China’s grand strategy?

Professor Peter Dean, Senior Advisor for Defence Strategy at the United States Studies Centre, and Professor Bec Strating, Director at the La Trobe Centre for Global Security, joined the USSC Briefing Room to discuss these questions. Along with other Australian security experts, Professor Dean and Professor Strating co-authored a new report in February: Australia-Taiwan relations: Policy options and priorities for engagement.

Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat