War on the Rocks
War on the Rocks is a center-leaning national politics show with a strong focus on international relations and defense policy.
What This Tone Is Based On
The tone scores on this page come from analyzing how this show covers each political figure it mentions. Below is the breakdown of how many of those reads were positive, neutral, or negative.
Net media tone Slightly Negative across 53 figure-in-episode tone reads (not audience/impressions).
How War on the Rocks Differs from Other Shows
Compared to 137 outlets · Sep 2025–Aug 2026Overall this show runs in line with the rest of the media — mean tone -0.09 vs the media's -0.07.
- Vladimir Putin-0.02more critical vs. other showsShow↓↓ -0.36Other shows↓↓ -0.3410 eps
Delta = this show's tone toward the figure minus the average across all 137 other tracked outlets that covered them ≥3 times, Sep 2025–Aug 2026.
Positive = friendlier here; negative = harsher.
Editorial Identity
The editorial fingerprint of this center politics show — who it elevates, who it goes after, and where it breaks from the pack.
War on the Rocks is a policy-driven show that delves deeply into international relations, with a particular emphasis on Russia, Ukraine, and China. The program tends to critically assess global leaders, especially those involved in contentious geopolitical issues. It operates with a skeptical lens, often questioning the narratives and actions of figures like Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The show is characterized by its analytical approach, prioritizing policy discussions over character assessments.
The show provides a relatively supportive platform for figures like Pete Hegseth, reflecting a more favorable stance compared to the broader media landscape. It also gives significant attention to national security and defense, highlighting these as crucial areas of interest.
War on the Rocks is notably critical of Donald Trump, covering him with a tone significantly harsher than the media average. The show also scrutinizes Vladimir Putin, focusing on his military strategies and territorial claims in Ukraine. This critical stance extends to the broader issues of Russia & Ukraine and China's geopolitical maneuvers.
War on the Rocks stands out for its intense focus on policy, dedicating a substantial portion of its coverage to international relations and defense, far exceeding the average media outlet. Its critical approach towards figures like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, combined with a more nuanced view of Xi Jinping, marks it as an outlier in its editorial framing. The show’s lift in covering Russia & Ukraine and China issues underscores its commitment to these topics.
Who War on the Rocks boosts and attacks
Tracked figures split by this show's average tone toward them, each with the clips behind the call — tap a quote to jump to the audio.
War on the Rocks's prime targets are Vladimir Putin.
“absent real compelence leaning on Russia much harder than we are right now, it's hard for me to see how Vladimir Putin abandons his current position, which is just to keep fighting, because reportedly at least, he really thinks he can still take the Donbos.”
“Vladimir Putin, of course, visited. She, I thought, somewhat desperately a few days after Trump did, came home without a deal on that new gas pipeline that's supposed to bring more natural gas from Western Siberia into northern China, which I think was the main Russian goal of that trip, from what I've read at least.”
“I lay the blame for that very much at Vladimir Putin's door and the way he has emphasized the necessity of the defense economy.”
Thin sample — 10 analyzed episodes across these figures; treat the split as directional.
Coverage Volume
Transcribed episodes per week — last 26 weeks
Sentiment Trajectory
Average weekly tone toward figures — green favorable, red critical
Top Issues War on the Rocks drives
Top Issues ranked by lift — how much harder this show pushes an issue than the average outlet. ≥ 1.25× over-indexes.
War on the Rocks pushes Russia & Ukraine hardest — 9.3× the average outlet's rate of coverage.