---
title: "Power Chat – Ferial Haffajee and Breitbart's Joel Pollak on democracy, foreign policy, and power"
description: "In this episode of Power Chat, Daily Maverick associate editor Ferial Haffajee sits down with Joel Pollak – a South African-born American conservative commentator, author, and senior editor-at-large at Breitbart News."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "PODCAST"
author: "Ferial Haffajee"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/ferialhaffajee/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-30-power-chat-ferial-haffajee-and-breitbarts-joel-pollak-on-democracy-foreign-policy-and-power/"
published: "2025-03-30T10:59:35"
updated: "2025-03-31T12:17:23"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 57
---

# Power Chat – Ferial Haffajee and Breitbart's Joel Pollak on democracy, foreign policy, and power

> In this episode of Power Chat, Daily Maverick associate editor Ferial Haffajee sits down with Joel Pollak – a South African-born American conservative commentator, author, and senior editor-at-large at Breitbart News.

By Ferial Haffajee · Published 30 March 2025, 12:59 SAST · Updated 31 March 2025, 14:17 SAST

## Key points
- In a cerebral tête-à-tête that dances through the minefields of US democracy, Trump’s tumultuous reign, and South Africa’s diplomatic pirouettes, the duo serves up a spicy dish of power politics that leaves us wondering if the world is a stage or just a comedy of errors in this brave new global order.
- A high-stakes debate delves into the intricacies of US democracy and the implications of the Trump presidency.
- South Africa's foreign policy is scrutinized in the context of evolving global dynamics.
- The conversation highlights the critical nature of sovereignty and ideology in international relations.
- Future US-SA relations are examined, emphasizing the need for strategic alignment amid shifting power structures.

## Content

Their conversation explores US democracy, the Trump presidency, South Africa’s foreign policy, and the future of US-SA relations in a high-stakes debate on power, sovereignty, and ideology in a shifting global order.

[YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z96UkW7SM7E)

[Media](https://player.simplecast.com/64546d96-22f8-47eb-bcd8-8fb1f1c36a94?dark=true)

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Produced by: Emilie Gambade & Bernard Kotze

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