While historical revisionists of the left wish to define America solely by its flaws, and reduce everything about it to the story of slavery and racism, revisionists of the right have cast doubts on the ideals of the American founding themselves. In his book Land of Hope, Wilfred McClay shows why and how American patriotism should be reclaimed, that the United States has always been animated by the interplay between its universalist ideals and its particular loyalties, and that its history can be taught in a way that acknowledges its sins while instilling faith in its promise. McClay discusses this and much more—from Abraham Lincoln’s religious development to W.E.B. Du Bois and the New York Times’s “1619 Project”—in conversation with Meir Soloveichik. (Video, 70 minutes.)

In a statement released on social media on Monday, the president-elect declared that if the hostages held by Hamas are not released before his inauguration, “there will be all hell to pay” for those who “perpetrated these atrocities against humanity.” But will Hamas take such a threat seriously? And, even if Donald Trump decides to convert his words into actions after taking office, exactly what steps could he take? Ron Ben-Yishai writes:

While Trump lacks direct military options against Hamas—given Israel’s ongoing actions—he holds three powerful levers to pressure the group into showing some flexibility on the hostage deal or to punish it if it resists after his inauguration. The first lever targets Hamas’s finances, focusing on its ability to fund activities after the fighting ends. This extends beyond Gaza to Lebanon and other global hubs where Hamas derives strength. . . . Additionally, Trump could pressure Qatar to cut off its generous funding and donations to the Islamist organization.

The other levers are also financial rather than military: increasing sanctions on Iran to force it to pressure Hamas, and withholding aid for the reconstruction of Gaza until the hostages are released. In Ben-Yishai’s view, “Trump’s statement undoubtedly represents a positive development and could accelerate the process toward a hostage-release agreement.”