14 APRIL

Policing the police

The pain in Minneapolis is palpable. As the trial for the murder of George Floyd nears its conclusion another Black man was killed by police in the state. Daunte Wright was shot in what police claim was a mix-up between a Taser and a gun on Sunday, less than 10 miles from where Derek Chauvin is on trial and about 12 miles from where George Floyd died. The officer responsible and her police chief have since resigned. Protests erupted on Monday night in Minneapolis, reminiscent of the scenes from June last year.

President Biden taps into his officials to brief the press on a number of contentious issues, but he made a public statement on Monday, calling for ‘peace and calm’ and saying that while the pain is real, "it will not justify violence and/or looting."

These tensions come as the Biden team enters the home stretch of its first 100 days in office. Major wins for the administration include the passage of the American Rescue Plan, the vaccination of more than 72 million Americans (more than 187 million doses), issuing executive orders on gun control and the successful confirmation of 21 out of 23 Cabinet appointees requiring Senate approval. However, chances of delivering other major campaign promises appear slim as racial tensions, COVID-19 surges and negotiation over the American Jobs Plan dominate the administration’s time and attention. To get the latest analysis on President Biden's first 100 days in office, be sure to visit our First 100 Days hub.

NEWS WRAP

US to withdraw from war

Afghanistan withdrawal | All US combat troops will withdraw from Afghanistan with the deadline set for September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks. President Biden will declare an end to US participation in what has been its longest war, overruling warnings from military advisors that the move could spark a resurgence of terrorist threats. Congress is divided on the decision, with many Democrats praising the withdrawal while some Republicans argue it will create undue risks to American security. READ MORE HERE
A dumb slur | Donald Trump issued harsh criticisms of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other GOP members of Congress during a Republican donors event speech. The former president allegedly called McConnell a "dumb son of a b**ch" for not fighting to overturn the 2020 election result and also took aim at his former vice president, Mike Pence, for not rejecting legally certified votes for Biden. READ MORE HERE
Investigating Supreme Court reforms | President Biden signed an executive order establishing a study of structural changes to the US Supreme Court. Over six months, the 36-member commission will examine a range of issues including expanding the court, term limits for Supreme Court Justices, and the Court's case selection, rules and practice. READ MORE HERE
Gaetzgate | An indicted associate of embattled Rep. Matt Gaetz has been cooperating with the Justice Department on its investigation into his conduct and that of others since last year, according to reports. Former Florida tax official Joel Greenberg allegedly told investigators he and Gaetz gave women gifts or money in exchange for sex. The DOJ is investigating an array of allegations against the men, including sex trafficking and sexual acts with a minor. Gaetz continues to deny allegations and refuses to resign amid the unfolding scandal. READ MORE HERE
Inevitable compromise | President Biden concedes "compromise is inevitable" on the funding of his US$2 trillion infrastructure package but insists inaction is not an option. The proposal has been met with widespread opposition from Republicans, who are highly skeptical of Biden's promise of bipartisanship on the legislation. The president is set to meet with both GOP and Democrat lawmakers to establish a way to move forward. READ MORE HERE

Policing in America is on trial here [...] Derek Chauvin has done more damage to policing in America than any issue since I’ve been alive.

Joseph Giacalone, Ret. NYPD Sergeant SDS
Washington Post | 12 April 2021

NATO EXPERTS TALK SERIES | 29 APRIL

The global challenge: Building resilient citizens in an age of disinformation

Presented in partnership with the NATO Public Diplomacy Division

The United States Studies Centre has partnered with the NATO Public Diplomacy Division to bring you "NATO Expert Talks." This series of talks with USSC and NATO experts will explore the challenges ahead of NATO and Australia and propose areas where furthering and deepening cooperation can offer solutions.

Join us for the first instalment in the series on building societal resilience by fighting the rising threat of disinformation. How have NATO and its member states fared so far and what is NATO’s strategy in fighting disinformation? How has Australia performed on this front? What can NATO and Australia learn from each other?

The panel discussion brings together NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Baiba Braže and USSC Non-Resident Fellow Dr Jennifer S. Hunt to explore how disinformation and propaganda, pursued by state and non-state actors, aims to erode the trust and credibility of democratic institutions and systems. The discussion will be moderated by USSC Lecturer and NATO Defense College Partners Across the Globe Fellow Dr Gorana Grgic.

WHEN:
Thursday, 29 April, 4pm AEST (Sydney) 2pm AWST (Perth)
Thursday, 29 April, 8am CEST (Brussels, BE / Rome, IT)

COST:
Free but registration is essential.

You can also subscribe to have event invitations and reminders sent straight to your inbox, so you never have to miss an event!

REGISTER NOW

ANALYSIS

The trial of Derek Chauvin

Reflections for Australia

Victoria Cooper
Research Administrator

The trial of Derek Chauvin, charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the killing of George Floyd in May last year, is groundbreaking. This is the first televised trial in a Minnesota court room. The National Guard is activated. The world is watching. And with police and protestors clashing for a second night, the tension on the streets of Minneapolis is palpable.

As the prosecution’s case in the trial of Derek Chauvin nears its end, the piercing testimony of Minneapolis Chief of Police Medaria Arradondo is salient. While his testimony confirmed that Chauvin’s use of force violated department policy and has been lauded as a slam dunk for the prosecution, the unprecedented nature of the testimony is equally a reminder of systemic problems that make police testimonies like Arrandondo’s so rare.

Prosecutors in police misconduct cases are known for coming up against the Blue Wall of Silence — a term used to describe the unspoken loyalty rule that sees police officers protect one another by providing false testimony, turning off body cameras, and refusing to cooperate with investigators when charges of misconduct are laid against their colleagues.

This culture of cover-ups makes the successful prosecution of police brutality arduous and uncommon. While around 1,000 Americans are fatally shot by police annually, according to data collected to May 2020, only 110 law enforcement officers have ever been charged with murder or manslaughter, and only 42 have been convicted. The fact that Chauvin was brought to trial at all can be considered exceptional.

This is an excerpt from an article by Victoria Cooper. Click below to read the full article.

BY THE NUMBERS

The risks of isolationism

State of the United States polling

For decades researchers have measured isolationism in US public opinion with the proposition “America would be better off if we just stayed home and did not concern ourselves with problems in other parts of the world.” Across three USSC surveys we see an increase in isolationist views in US public opinion, but again with a distinctly partisan character.

In mid-2019, we observed that one-third of Trump voters expressed isolationist views, comfortably ahead of the 22 per cent rate among Clinton voters. By October 2020, all groups reported an increase in isolationism: 29 per cent among Biden voters and 37 per cent among Trump voters.

The outcome of the November 2020 election appears to have prompted a massive uptick in isolationism among Trump voters to 59 per cent, no doubt a reaction to Biden’s early actions in reversing some key Trump policies, rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization, and promising to restore more conventional relations with American allies and partners. Non-voters and supporters of minor parties and independents also moved towards isolationism between October 2020 and January 2021. Biden voters’ levels of isolationism are unmoved through the election period, further suggestive of the political character of the reaction among Trump voters and non-voters.

For more polling insights from the United States and Australia, read our flagship publication, State of the United States: An evolving alliance agenda.

VIDEO

SOTUS2021
Transforming the alliance agenda for defence challenges

Were you not able to make it to our State of the United States Conference in Canberra? Together with the PerthUSAsia Centre, we hosted an in-person half-day event to mark the launch of our State of the United States: An evolving alliance agenda joint report. One of the live discussions, Transforming the alliance for collective defence challenges, is now available for replay on our YouTube channel.

The panel featured:

Greg Moriarty - Secretary, Department of Defence
Michael Goldman - Charge d’Affaires, US Embassy Canberra
Dr Huong Le Thu - Senior Analyst, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI)
Ashley Townshend - Foreign Policy & Defence Program Director, United States Studies Centre
Brendan Thomas-Noone - Foreign Policy & Defence Program Research Fellow, United States Studies Centre

Watch the full event HERE.

Catch this and other recent webinars on the USSC YouTube channel!