Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Sadanand Dhume, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, CFR

We Discuss:

• Why U.S.-India relations have been uncertain since mid-2025 after having slowly strengthened over many years.
• How the second Trump administration’s early actions and India’s multipolar diplomacy forced substantive confrontations thatTrump and  Modi’s personal relationship could not overcome.
• Why U.S.-India trade negotiations stalled and the Trump administration imposed tariffs, despite India repeatedly offering concessions.
• How the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict and Trump’s claim of forcing a ceasefire put Modi in a domestic political bind.
• How Pakistan’s prominent role in brokering the U.S.-Iran ceasefire has amplified Indian anxieties about a U.S.-Pakistan thaw.
• Why Trump’s talk of a Group of Two with China undermines its strategic desire to strengthen India as a counterweight to Chinese power.
• What the state of the Quad—an informal security dialogue among the United States, Australia, India, and Japan—and the United States’ de-emphasis of the Indo-Pacific framework reveal about U.S. strategy in Asia.
• How Modi is normalizing ties with China and whether there is a limit to normalization given the Himalayan border dispute and China’s efforts to constrain India’s growth.
• How India’s dependence on Russian arms has fallen over time, and why India is increasingly skeptical that Russia can act independently of China.
• Why Modi has resisted domestic political pressure to challenge Trump, and what that restraint reveals about India’s calculation of its long-term national interest.
• Where the greatest opportunity lies to rebuild the U.S.-India relationship, and why tech cooperation and Silicon Valley represent the most natural and promising place to start.

Mentioned in the Episode:

“How People in 24 Countries View India,” Pew Research Center

Mathew George, Katarina Djokic, Zain Hussain, Pieter D. Wezeman, and Siemon T. Wezeman, “Trends In International Arms Transfers, 2024,” Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Alvin Wang Graylin, Senior Fellow for Technology, Asia Society; Digital Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; Professor of AI/Tech Policy, University of Washington

We Discuss:

• Whether the framing of an AI "race" with China is accurate or helpful, and why it may be producing costly policy distortions.
• The concept of AGI (artificial general intelligence) and the thesis that underpins U.S. policy.
• China's focus on broad industrial adoption over frontier model development.
• How U.S. export controls and visa restrictions spurred the innovations behind DeepSeek.
• Why China turned down the offer to purchase NVIDIA H200 chips.
• Why Beijing regulates AI more extensively than either the United States or Europe.
• The Trump-Xi discussions on AI safety guardrails and the shared interest in preventing non-state bad actors from weaponizing AI.
• The economic bubble risk posed by rapidly rising data center costs.

Mentioned on the Episode:

China's "AI Plus" Initiative, State Council of China, August 2025

China's New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, State Council of China, 2017

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/the-myth-of-the-ai-race

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Author, Dangerous Nation: America’s Place in the World From Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century and The Ghost at the Feast: America and Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941

We Discuss:

• Why Robert Kagan argues that Americans misunderstand their own history and have long been a “dangerous nation” rather than an insular one.
• How American foreign policy debates have always been entangled with domestic politics, and what the polarized fights of the founding era reveal about the true norm of American political life.
• Which forces have consistently pulled the United States outward, producing an oscillation between intervention and retrenchment.
• Why the era of American imperialism following the Spanish-American War, including the humanitarian motives behind U.S. intervention in Cuba, is among the most misunderstood chapters of U.S. history
• Why Americans tend to enter wars with enthusiasm only to sour on them afterward.
• Whether the United States is forgetting the lessons of the postwar order.
• What the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence should teach Americans about the fragility of liberal democracy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Robert Kagan, Dangerous Nation: America’s Place in the World From Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century, Knopf

Robert Kagan, The Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900–1941, Knopf

Robert Kagan, The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World, Knopf

Walter Lippmann, U.S. Foreign Policy: Shield of the Republic, Little, Brown

Norman Angell, The Great Illusion, G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man, Free Press

James A. Field Jr., “American Imperialism: The Worst Chapter in Almost Any Book,” American Historical Review

“Declaration of Independence,” National Archives

George Washington, “Farewell Address,” 1796

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/lessons-from-250-years-of-us-foreign-policy

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Enter the CFR book giveaway by July 8, 2026, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Women in Power by Linda Robinson. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Linda Robinson, Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy, CFR; Author, Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism

We Discuss:

• Why women's political representation has stalled at roughly 27 percent in the world's legislatures.
• How right-wing authoritarianism and the normalization of violent misogyny have combined to create ferocious headwinds for women in politics.
• Whether women govern differently from men, and what the research reveals about their attentiveness to health, education, welfare, and climate issues.
• Why rolling back women's rights is central to authoritarian and right-wing movements, and why playing the "misogyny card" proves so effective, even among women voters.
• Why some of the most prominent nationalist movements—in Italy, France, and Germany—are led by women, and how right-leaning figures like Giorgia Meloni complicate the picture.
• How authoritarian governments use hybrid warfare and gendered disinformation against women leaders, including Chinese campaigns against Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen and Russian campaigns against Moldova's Maia Sandu.
• Which common themes emerge among successful women leaders.
• Which policy reforms could strengthen both democracy and women's political participation.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Linda Robinson, Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism, Columbia University Press

Sanna Marin, Hope in Action: A Memoir About the Courage to Lead, Scribner

“Freedom in the World 2026: The Growing Shadow of Autocracy,” Freedom House

“Expanding Representation: Reinventing Congress for the 21st Century,” American Academy of Arts and Sciences

“TAKE IT DOWN Act (S.146),” U.S. Congress

“The Digital Services Act,” European Commission

“First Five,” HBO Max

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/women-in-power

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Liana Fix, Senior Fellow for Europe, CFR

We Discuss:

• The state of the battlefield in Ukraine after four and a half years of war.
• How Ukraine’s drone strategy has evolved from frontline attacks to strikes deep inside Russia.
• Why Russia has failed to achieve its goals on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.
• Growing frustration among the Russian elite and what it signals about Putin's position.
• What U.S. intelligence sharing still provides Ukraine and why direct military aid has effectively ended.
• How European countries have filled the military support gap left by the United States.
• Whether European support for Ukraine is politically sustainable.
• What escalation options Putin has left.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Jack Watling, "Ukraine Turns the Tide," Foreign Affairs

Sauli Niinistö, "Safer Together: Strengthening Europe's Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness," European Commission

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/ukraine-turns-the-tide

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Thomas J. Bollyky, Bloomberg Chair in Global Health; Senior Fellow for International Economics, Law, and Development; and Director of the Global Health Program

We Discuss:

• The current state of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and why the case count was already high by the time authorities reported it.
• Why governments are often slow to report cases during outbreaks, and what delayed reporting may have cost in this instance.
• Why the WHO has discouraged trade and travel restrictions.
• How the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO is shaping a more limited response.
• Whether China is stepping in to fill the global health leadership gap left by U.S. institutional withdrawal.
• What the politicization of mRNA vaccine technology means for the U.S. ability to respond to future outbreaks that require rapid vaccine deployment.
• How artificial intelligence creates opportunities to accelerate global health responses, but also introduces new risks like engineered pathogens.

Mentioned on the Episode:

CDC Health Alert: Ebola Disease Outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, May 19, 2026

WHO Disease Outbreak News: Ebola caused by Bundibugyo Virus, DRC and Uganda, May 21, 2026

WHO Declaration of Public Health Emergency of International Concern, May 17, 2026

Bollyky et al., "Assessing COVID-19 pandemic policies and behaviours and their economic and educational trade-offs across US states from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022: an observational analysis," The Lancet

CDC Mobilizes International Response Following Ebola Disease Outbreak, May 18, 2026

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/americas-ebola-preparedness

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a yearlong series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Benn Steil, Senior Fellow and Director of International Economics, CFR

We Discuss:

• How the British Empire’s rapid collapse in early 1947 forced the United States to assume responsibility for Western European security.
• What George Marshall’s six weeks of negotiations in Moscow revealed about Soviet intentions in Germany and Western Europe.
• How Marshall deliberately crafted the plan’s offer to include the Soviet Union while ensuring Soviet leader Joseph Stalin would reject it.
• How Congress, controlled by Republicans, was persuaded to support a massive foreign aid program from a Democratic administration.
• Whether the Marshall Plan's $13 billion actually explains Western Europe’s economic recovery in the late 1940s.
• What role NATO played in making the Marshall Plan work, and why the French and British insisted on security guarantees before cooperating.
• Why security has to precede economic reconstruction—and what Afghanistan and Iraq  reveal about ignoring that lesson.
• What Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.’s 1947 prediction about sustained alliances tells us about the stakes of U.S. foreign policy today.

Mentioned on the Episode:

The 10 Best and Worst Decisions in U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations

Benn Steil, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War

George Kennan’s Long Telegram, February 22, 1946

“Sinews of Peace (‘Iron Curtain’ Speech).” at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, March 5, 1946.

Harry Truman, “The Truman Doctrine,” Address to Congress, March 12, 1947

George C. Marshall, Commencement Address at Harvard University June 5, 1947

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-at-250-the-marshall-plan

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, CFR

We Discuss:

• Why U.S. policy has historically treated engagement with Africa as an option rather than a strategic priority.
• How Africa's demographic growth is reshaping its position in the global order.
• Why maritime chokepoints around Africa are increasingly critical to global commerce.
• How other powers, including China, Turkey, and the Gulf states, are outpacing the United States in building African partnerships.
• What Africa's critical mineral resources mean for the green transition and for African domestic politics.
• How the United States can balance working with political elites while remaining relevant to broader African publics.
• What the diminished U.S. response to the current Ebola outbreak reveals about American policy choices.
• Why job creation should be the organizing principle for any coherent U.S. strategy toward the continent.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Michelle Gavin, "The New African Power Map," cfr.org

Michelle Gavin, The Age of Change: How Urban Youth Are Transforming African Politics

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/why-the-us-needs-an-africa-strategy

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Nicholas Burns, Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; Former U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (2021–2025)

We Discuss:

• Whether the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing represented a genuine diplomatic breakthrough or merely a cooling of tensions without resolving underlying conflicts.
• What the dueling U.S. and Chinese post-summit statements reveal about each country's divergent priorities and negotiating strategies.
• How significant the summit's economic deliverables—agricultural sales commitments, Boeing aircraft sales, and a potential tariff truce—actually are.
• How Xi Jinping's early and deliberate warning about Taiwan set the tone for the summit, and what his decision to leak that statement mid-meeting signals about Chinese tactics.
• Whether President Trump's equivocation about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the One China policy constitutes a major strategic mistake and what it means for American credibility with allies in the Indo-Pacific.
• What the presence of Putin in Beijing immediately after Trump's visit reveals about Chinese strategic alignments.
• Why an emerging U.S.-China dialogue on artificial intelligence regulation could prove to be the most consequential and underappreciated outcome of the Beijing summit.
• What concrete benchmarks—from tariff agreements to arms sales to Chinese follow-through on commitments—will determine whether this summit actually put U.S.-China relations on a more stable footing.

Mentioned on the Episode:

"Joint Statement Following Discussions with Leaders of the People's Republic of China (Shanghai Communiqué)" U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian

"President Reagan's Six Assurances to Taiwan" Congressional Research Service

"Readout of President Joe Biden's Meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China" The White House

"Taiwan Relations Act" Pub. L. 96–8, enacted April 10, 1979

"United States-China Joint Communiqué on United States Arms Sales to Taiwan" Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

"U.S.-PRC Joint Communiqué (1979)" U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-trump-and-xi-didnt-settle-in-beijing

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Rush Doshi, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and Director of the China Strategy Initiative

We Discuss:

• Whether the Trump-Xi summit will represent continuity or a new phase in the U.S.-China relationship.
• How China assesses the military and economic balance of power with the United States.
• What last year's trade war revealed and how it produced the current period of managed competition.
• As Rush Doshi puts it: “I don’t think there’s going to be a large structural breakthrough.”
• What deliverables the Trump administration is seeking from the summit, and why negotiations are focused on process mechanisms and stability.
• How China has responded to the U.S.-Iran war and why it has stayed on the sidelines despite having clear strategic interests.
• Why China welcomes U.S. entanglement in foreign conflicts but fears their effects on global trade and resource access.
• Why China is more exposed than the United States freedom of navigation threats and naval chokepoints.
• Why President Biden never traveled to Beijing, and how China is framing Trump's visit.
• Why American CEOs are joining Trump's trip, and what role they play in the summit.
• Whether the U.S. and China will negotiate agreements on artificial intelligence and its role in great power competition.
• How China has treated seemingly mutually-beneficial crisis communication channels as negotiation ploys in return for U.S. concessions. 
• Whether Taiwan will be on the agenda, what concessions China is seeking, and how U.S. policy shifts could affect internal Taiwanese politics on unification.
• How a so-called Board of Trade and other bilateral mechanisms could formalize a lasting state of managed trade between the two countries

Mentioned on the Episode:

“President Xi Jinping Speaks with U.S. President Donald J. Trump on the Phone” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Evelyn Cheng, “Trump is taking more than a dozen U.S. executives to China. Jensen Huang isn’t one of them,” CNBC

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-and-xi-in-beijing-with-rush-doshi 

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Hosts: 

Rebecca Patterson, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Guest: 

Christy Goldsmith Romero, Former Commissioner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

We discuss:

• How prediction markets are turning the world into a “casino” where you can bet on almost anything, from elections and geopolitics to sports and niche events.
• The evolution of prediction markets from academic tools to mainstream platforms shaping finance, politics, and culture.
• Why these markets sometimes outperform polls, where they fall short, and how they blur the line between forecasting and entertainment-driven gambling.
• As Rebecca Patterson asks: “Are these markets actually useful, or are they just gambling dressed up as forecasting?”
• The legal gray areas that are allowing prediction markets to expand so quickly and the growing risk of manipulation and insider bets.
• An anecdote from France, where someone allegedly tampered with a weather sensor to manipulate the outcome of a prediction market bet.
• How governments and regulators are struggling to keep up.
• Whether these markets truly reflect the “wisdom of crowds” or just loud, well-funded players.

Mentioned on the Episode: 

Anthony M. Diercks, Jared Dean Katz, and Jonathan H. Wright, “Kalshi and the Rise of Macro Markets,” Federal Reserve Board

“The Future of Financial Services Regulation: A Conversation with CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero,” Brookings Institution 

Adam Hoffer and Jacob Macumber-Rosin, “Expanded Sports Betting Legalization Would Generate Billions in Tax Revenue,” Tax Foundation

Andy Serwer, “Charles Schwab CEO Explains Why Investing Works—and Gambling Doesn’t,” Barron's

Want to keep up with The Spillover? Sign up to receive an email alert when new episodes are released.

The Spillover is a production of the Council on Foreign Relations. The opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the hosts and guests, not of the Council, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Michael Mandelbaum, Professor Emeritus of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Author, The American Way of Foreign Policy: Ideology, Economics, Democracy

We Discuss:

• Whether the United States can be said to have a coherent foreign policy "personality".
• How geographic and geopolitical advantages have historically enabled a more ideological U.S. foreign policy than most countries can afford.
• Whether ideology in U.S. foreign policy represents genuine conviction or merely a veneer for self-interest. 
• What the post-Cold War era reveals as the "golden age of foreign policy of ideas”.
• What drives the persistent American tendency toward economic statecraft, sanctions, and “mirror imaging”.
• How public opinion, interest groups, political parties, and elections influence foreign policy decisionmaking.
• Whether President Trump's foreign policy fits within—or represents a departure from—the three enduring American traditions in U.S. foreign policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

The American Way of Foreign Policy: Ideology, Economics, Democracy by Michael Mandelbaum (Oxford University Press, 2025)

Embargo Act of 1807

George W. Bush, Second Inaugural Address, January 20, 2005

Vice President JD Vance, Remarks at the Munich Security Conference, February 14, 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Remarks at the Munich Security Conference, February 14, 2026

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/how-to-build-an-american-foreign-policy

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

H.W. Brands, Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History, The University of Texas at Austin

We Discuss:

• What drove the United States toward assertive foreign policy in the 1890s.
• Who the "jingoes" were and how American leaders pushed for American power abroad.
• Whether access to China drove American interest in Spain's Pacific empire.
• Why the USS Maine explosion changed the political calculus for entering a war with Spain.
• What the Teller Amendment accomplished and what its drafters failed to anticipate.
• Whether the annexation of the Philippines was ultimately the least-bad option for the Filipino people.
• What the Spanish-American War's legacy reveals about how the United States became—and chose to remain—a global power.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Monroe Doctrine, December 2, 1823

McKinley's First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1897

Theodore Roosevelt, Naval War College Address, June 2, 1897

The Teller Amendment, April 19, 1898

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-at-250-the-spanish-american-war

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, CFR

We Discuss:

• What transpired during the U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad.
• Whether both sides abandoned their own preconditions before talks began.
• How unusually senior and small the negotiating delegations were.
• What the logic and mechanics of the U.S. naval blockade are.
• Why other countries have not joined the blockade and may resist it.
• What the Arab Gulf states are privately urging Washington to do.
• Whether Israel and the U.S. share the same goals regarding the Iranian regime.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026

Harry Sekulich and Kate Whannel, "Starmer Says UK Will Not Join Trump's Blockade of Iran's Ports," BBC

Defense Technical Information Agency, "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities," October 1, 2007

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-comes-next-after-failed-us-iran-talks

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Thomas Graham, Distinguished Fellow, CFR

We Discuss:

• Whether Russia and Iran are true allies, or simply friends of convenience.
• How decades of rivalry and recent convergence shaped the current Moscow-Tehran relationship.
• Why Russia's strategic partnership with Iran excludes a mutual defense obligation.
• What role Russian intelligence sharing may be playing on the Middle East battlefield.
• How rising oil prices help Russia in the short term but carry serious long-term economic risks.
• Whether keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed serves Moscow's interest.
• How Operation Epic Fury has stalled peace negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war, and complicated weapons supply to Kyiv.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, July 14, 2015

Russia-Iran Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, January 17, 2025

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/russias-stakes-in-the-iran-war

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief, The National

We Discuss:

• Whether Gulf states supported or opposed the war with Iran and their role in the intensive diplomatic efforts to avoid conflict before it began.
• How Iran’s retaliation expanded the war into the Gulf, targeting civilian infrastructure, energy hubs, and global transit points.
• The scale of drone and missile attacks across the region, and what they reveal about modern asymmetric warfare.
• Who is actually in charge in Iran, and how the IRGC is shaping decision-making and escalation.
• Why regime change in Iran remains unlikely, despite internal unrest and external pressure.
• Why Gulf leaders don’t want a simple ceasefire, but rather a long-term security reset that addresses Iran’s missile and drone programs.
• How the war is stress-testing Gulf economies and their long-term bets on stability, globalization, and diversification.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, July 14, 2015

Vibhu Mishra, "Security Council Adopts Gulf-Backed Resolution Condemning Iran Attacks; Russia Bid Fails," United Nations News

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/gulf-states-under-fire

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

• Why U.S. allies are refusing to join the Iran war, and what that signals about weakening alliance cohesion and growing strategic independence.
• How the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil flows, is already reshaping the global economy and raising the stakes for every U.S. partner. 
• Europe’s balancing act, publicly rejecting the war while quietly enabling U.S. operations through military bases.
• Japan’s pragmatic hedging, supporting the U.S. diplomatically while using constitutional limits to avoid direct military involvement. 
• The cascading global risks of the conflict, from energy shocks and inflation to refugee flows and rising geopolitical instability. 
• The long-term erosion of U.S. soft power, especially among younger generations in Europe and shifting public sentiment in Japan. 

Mentioned on the Episode:

“Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks at the Munich Security Conference,” The White House

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio Delivers Remarks to the Munich Security Conference,” U.S. Embassy in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

“G7 Statement on Support to Partners in the Middle East,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/why-allies-arent-following-on-iran

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman, Alex Leary, and Vera Bergengruen, "Trump Knew the Risk of Iran Blocking the Strait of Hormuz. He Still Went to War," Wall Street Journal

Hugo Lowell, "U.S. Only Has 25% of All Patriot Missile Interceptors Needed for Pentagon’s Military Plans," The Guardian

Seth Jones, "Empty Bins in a Wartime Environment: The Challenge to the U.S. Defense Industrial Base," Center for Strategic and International Studies

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/the-strategy-gap-in-iran

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Winston Churchill, "Letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt," December 8, 1940

Council on Foreign Relations, The 10 Best and 10 Worst Decisions in U.S. Foreign Policy

Charles Lindbergh Testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, January 23, 1941

Lynne Olson, Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America’s Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941

Wendel Wilkie Testimony to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, February 10, 1941

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-250-the-lend-lease-act

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Michael Birnbaum, John Hudson, Karen DeYoung, Natalie Allison, and Souad Mekhennet, “Push from Saudis, Israel, Helped Move Trump to Attack Iran,” Washington Post

Dalia Dassa Kaye, Enduring Hostility: The Making of America's Iran Policy

Zolan Kanno-Younge, David Sanger, and Tyler Pager, “Trump Says War Could Last Weeks and Offers Contradictory Visions of New Regime,” New York Times

Michael Scherer, “I Have Agreed to Talk,” The Atlantic

Donald Trump Truth Social Post, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY”

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-chooses-war-with-iran

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Marc Caputo, “Exclusive: Rubio's Secret Squeeze on Raul Castro's Cuba,” Axios

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/cuba-on-the-brink

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.

Mentioned on the Episode:

James M. Lindsay, The Ten Best and Ten Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions, CFR.org

Richard Nixon, “Asia After Vietnam,” Foreign Affairs

Jeremi Suri, Henry Kissinger and the American Century

Jeremi Suri and Zachary Suri, Democracy of Hope

Jeremi Suri and Zachary Suri, This Is Democracy

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-250-nixon-goes-to-china

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/the-new-saudi-strategy

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

“Live From Davos: Exclusive Interview With Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent,” Human Events Daily with Jack Posobiec

Mark Carney, “Principled and Pragmatic: Canada’s Path,” Office of the Prime Minister of Canada

“Canada's Arctic Foreign Policy,” Government of Canada. Updated March 25, 2025

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/canada-hedges-against-the-united-states

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trumps-greenland-ambitions

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Christopher McKnight Nichols, Promise and Peril: America at the Dawn of a Global Age

Joshua Kurlantzick, A Great Place to Have a War

CFR.org, The Ten Best and Ten Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-250-best-worst-us-foreign-policy-decisions

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Matthew Kroenig, “To Get to Peace in Ukraine, Trump Should Play the Nuclear Card,” Foreign Policy

Matthew Kroenig, “Trump Has a Strategy for Venezuela,” Foreign Policy

Matthew Kroenig, “Trump Should Oust Maduro,” Foreign Policy

Matthew Kroenig, “Trump Was Right to Oust Maduro,” New York Times

Matthew Kroenig, “Two Cheers for the National Security Strategy,” Foreign Policy

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-foreign-policy-at-one-year-with-matthew-kroenig

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Antonio Maria Delgado, ”The U.S. Gamble on Chavismo: How a Once-Unthinkable Pact Could Stabilize Venezuela,” Miami Herald

Will Freeman, “The Shock Waves of Venezuela: How Maduro’s Capture Could Transform Latin America,” Foreign Affairs

Jason Lange, ”A Third of Americans Support U.S. Strike on Venezuela, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds,” Reuters

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/washingtons-venezuela-strategy-after-maduro-with-will-freeman 

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

"2025 National Security Strategy of the United States of America," The White House

Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, “The Price of Trump’s Power Politics,” Foreign Affairs

Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, The Empty Throne: America's Abdication of Global Leadership

Rebecca Lissner, “America’s Quasi Alliances,” Foreign Affairs

Matthias Matthijs and Nathalie Tocci, "How Europe Lost: Can the Continent Escape Its Trump Trap?" Foreign Affairs

Brad Setser, "How German Industry Can Survive the Second China Shock," Center for European Reform

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/listener-mailbag-2025-review-carla-anne-robbins-and-matthias-matthijs

This is the ninth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Mark Bowden, "The Crumbling Foundations of America's Military," The Atlantic

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-americas-crumbling-defense-industrial-base-kathleen-hicks

This is the eighth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

Mentioned on the Episode:

"2025 National Security Strategy of the United States of America," The White House

Rebecca Lissner, Will Freeman, Liana Fix, Steven Cook, Michelle Gavin and Paul Stares, “Unpacking a Trump Twist of the National Security Strategy,” CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-trumps-national-security-strategy-rebecca-lissner

This is the seventh episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Economic Security: Winning the Race for Tomorrow’s Technologies

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-economic-security-challenge-jonathan-hillman

This is the sixth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

Mentioned on the Episode:

U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, "2025 Annual Report to Congress"

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-chinas-campaign-reshape-global-order-hal-brands-and-michael-kuiken

This is the fifth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Bethany Allen and Jenny Wong Leung, "Trump's Crackdown on Chinese Students Ignores a Startling New Reality," New York Times

Raffaele Huang, "Chinese Officials Urge Firms to Shun Nvidia AI Chip," Wall Street Journal

Arjun Kharpal, "China’s Key Weapons in Its AI Battle With the U.S.—Massive Huawei Chip Clusters and Cheap Energy," CNBC

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-us-china-chip-war-chris-mcguire

This is the fourth episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-ai-espionage-and-influence-jessica-brandt

This is the third episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Michael C. Horowitz and Lauren Kahn, “The Cost of the AGI Delusion,” Foreign Affairs

Radha Iyengar Plumb and Michael C. Horowitz, “What America Gets Wrong About the AI Race,” Foreign Affairs

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-new-weapons-war-michael-horowitz

This is the second episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Thomas Shugart, "Blue Planet, Red Planet: A New World of Contested Maritime Power," The Shugart Update

Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Dome: It's Past Time for an Emergency Anti-Drone Hardening Program," The Shugart Update

Thomas Shugart, "Forging Ahead: The PLA Shows Us What It Wants Us to See," The Shugart Update

Thomas Shugart, "Has China Been Practicing Preemptive Missile Strikes Against U.S. Bases?" War on the Rocks 

Thomas Shugart, "Mind the Gap, Part 2: The Cross-Strait Potential of China’s Civilian Shipping Has Grown," War on the Rocks

Thomas Shugart, "There Are No Magic Beans: Easy Options to Deter China Militarily Do Not Exist," War on the Rocks 

Thomas Shugart, "The United States Can’t Afford to Not Harden Its Air Bases," War on the Rocks

Thomas Shugart, "Trends, Timelines, and Uncertainty: An Assessment of the Military Balance in the Indo-Pacific," Center for a New American Security

Timothy A. Walton and Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Sky: Air Base Hardening in the Western Pacific," Hudson Institute 

We Are China, "Forging Ahead - Episode 1: Orders Are Sacred 第一集《军令如山》," Youtube.com

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-americas-next-battlefield-thomas-shugart

This is the first episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Rush Doshi, The Long Game: China's Grand Strategy to Displace American Order, Oxford University Press

David J. Lynch, The World’s Worst Bet: How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong (And What Would Make It Right), PublicAffairs

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-china-reckoning-rush-doshi

Mentioned on the Episode:

William Manchester, American Ceasar: Douglas McArthur, 1880-1964, Back Bay Books

Kori Schake, The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States, Polity

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: 

https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/civil-military-relations-under-trump-kori-schake

Mentioned on the Episode:

Elliott Abrams, "The Teaching of Hate in Jordan," CFR.org

Naftali Bendavid, Scott Clement, and Emily Guskin, "Many American Jews Sharply Critical of Israel on Gaza, Post Poll Finds," Washington Post

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/two-years-since-october-7-elliott-abrams-ed-husain

Mentioned on the Episode:

James Madison, “Federalist No. 51,” The Federalist Papers

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/legality-trumps-drug-boat-strikes-matthew-waxman

Mentioned on the Episode:

Liana Fix and Erin D. Dumbacher, “Russia Tests NATO With Poland Drone Breach,” CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/russia-violates-nato-airspace-liana-fix

Mentioned on the Episode:

Phillip L. Swagel, “Effects of Lower Launch Costs on Previous Estimates for Space-Based, Boost-Phase Missile Defense,” Congressional Budget Office

Todd Harrison, “How Much Would a Space-Based Missile Interceptor System Cost and Does It Make Sense?” American Enterprise Institute

Todd Harrison, “Is Trump’s Golden Dome a Brilliant Idea or a Gilded Boondoggle?” American Enterprise Institute

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/golden-dome-missile-defense-system-todd-harrison

Enter the CFR book giveaway by September 23, 2025, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Age of Change by Michelle Gavin. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/africas-urban-youth-revolution-michelle-gavin

Mentioned on the Episode:

Paul J. Angelo, From Peril to Partnership: U.S. Security Assistance and the Bid to Stabilize Colombia and Mexico, Oxford University Press

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at:

https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/brewing-troubles-colombia-roxanna-vigil

Mentioned on the Episode:

John Ikenberry, “A New U.S. Grand Strategy: The Case for Liberal Internationalism, With G. John Ikenberry," The President's Inbox

John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, “The Case for Offshore Balancing: A Superior U.S. Grand Strategy,” Foreign Affairs

Barry Posen, Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy, Cornell University Press

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-case-realist-foreign-policy-stephen-walt

Mentioned on the Episode:

Michael Kimmage, Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability

Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman, “The Limits of Putin’s Balancing Act," Foreign Affairs

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trump-putin-summit-michael-kimmage

This episode was originally released by The President’s Inbox on January 21, 2025.

Mentioned on the Episode

Hal Brands, The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World

H. J. Mackinder, “The Geographical Pivot of History,” The Geographical Journal

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/eurasia-challenge-hal-brands

Mentioned on the Episode:

Joshua Kurlantzick, Beijing’s Global Media Offensive 

Joshua Kurlantzick, “Thailand and Cambodia’s Ceasefire: Will It Stop War When Elites Want Conflict?,” CFR.org 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/cambodian-thai-border-clash-josh-kurlantzick

Mentioned on the Episode:

Liana Fix,  “Can NATO Keep It Together?” Foreign Policy

Liana Fix, “How the Berlin Bubble Failed in the Ukraine War,” Internationale Politik

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/donald-trumps-russia-ultimatum-liana-fix

Mentioned on the Episode:

Oliver Stuenkel,  BRICS and the Future of Global Order

Oliver Stuenkel, IBSA: Rise of the Global South

Oliver Stuenkel, Post-Western World

Oliver Stuenkel, “In Rio, BRICS Tries to Play It Safe," Foreign Policy

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/brazil-brics-oliver-stuenkel

Mentioned on the Episode:

William Henagan, “Reauthorizing DFC: A Primer for Policymakers,” CFR.org

William Henagan, “Sovereign Funds and American Investment Strategy: How to Responsibly Create a U.S. Strategic Investment Fund,” CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/future-us-foreign-aid-william-henagan

Mentioned on the Episode:

Elliott Abrams, If You Will It: Rebuilding Jewish Peoplehood for the Twenty-First Century

Elliott Abrams, "Meanwhile, Hamas Is Killing Civilians Who Seek Food," CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/elusive-ceasefire-gaza-elliott-abrams

Mentioned on the Episode:

Bernard Bailyn, The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Paul Revere’s Ride”

Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution

Jack N. Rakove, Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America

Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretive History of the Continental Congress

1619 Project, New York Times

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/fourth-july-jack-rakove

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/answering-your-questions-us-airstrikes-iran-erin-dumbacher

Mentioned on the Episode:

Sarang Shidore, “Spheres of Influence Are Not the Answer,” Foreign Policy

Sarang Shidore, “The Quiet Development Shaking America’s Power,” New York Times

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-return-spheres-influence-sarang-shidore

Mentioned on the Episode:

Steven A. Cook, “Israel Is Going for the Death Blow on Iran,” Foreign Policy

Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East

Steven A. Cook, “The World’s Criticism Doesn’t Bother Israel,” Foreign Policy

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/israel-strikes-iran-steven-cook

Mentioned on the Episode:

Edward Luce, In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India

Edward Luce, Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent

Edward Luce, The Retreat of Western Liberalism

Edward Luce, Zbig, The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski: America's Great Power Prophet

Zbigniew Brzezinski, Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the 21st Century

Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Fragile Blossom: Crisis and Change in Japan

Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/zbigniew-brzezinski-edward-luce

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/china-philippines-standoff-derek-grossman

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/united-states-and-south-africa-reuben-brigety

Mentioned on the Episode:

Šumit Ganguly, “What Is the Risk of a Conflict Spiral Between India and Pakistan?” Foreign Policy

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/india-pakistan-crisis-sumit-ganguly

Mentioned on the Episode:

Karim Sadjadpour, “Iran Wants to Avoid Both Peace and War With the United States. Trump Isn’t Having It," Emissary

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/iran-nuclear-talks-karim-sadjadpour

Mentioned on the Episode:

Zoe Liu, “How China Armed Itself for the Trade War,” Foreign Affairs

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/us-china-trade-war-zoe-liu

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-first-100-days-carla-anne-robbins-matthias-matthijs

Mentioned on the Episode:

Varun Sivaram, Taming the Sun

Varun Sivaram, “We Need a Fresh Approach to Climate Policy. It’s Time for Climate Realism," CFR.org

“The Moral Assumptions Embedded in Economic Models of Climate Change,” The Economist

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/climate-change-realism-earth-day-2025-varun-sivaram

Mentioned on the Episode:

Will Freeman, “A New Monroe Doctrine Is Unlikely to Work for the US in South America,” Financial Times

Will Freeman, “Securing the Panama Canal Requires Diplomacy,” Americas Quarterly

Donald J. Trump, “The Inaugural Address,” January 20, 2025

Donald J. Trump, “Truth Social Post,” December 21, 2024

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-plan-panama-canal-will-freeman

Mentioned on the Episode:

Dmitri Alperovitch, World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the Twenty-First Century

Jeffrey Goldberg, "The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans," The Atlantic

Admiral Samuel Paparo, "USINDOPACOM Commander Adresses Honolulu Defense Forum," February 14, 2025.

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/confronting-china-challenge-dmitri-alperovitch

Mentioned on the Episode:

Sophia Besch, "A Zeitenwende for Germany's Defense Industry," U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute

Sophia Besch and Erik Brown, "Who's Going to United Europe on Defense?" Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Sophia Besch and Tara Varma, “A New Transatlantic Alliance Threatens the EU,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/germanys-rearmament-sophia-besch

Mentioned on the Episode: 

Edward Fishman, Chokepoints: American Power in an Age of Economic Warfare

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-era-economic-warfare-edward-fishman

Mentioned on the Episode: 

Mvemba Dizolele, Into Africa, Center for Strategic and International Studies

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/conflict-eastern-congo-mvemba-dizolele

Mentioned on the Episode: 

Council on Foreign Relations, Securing Space: A Plan for U.S. Action 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/us-space-policy-nina-armagno-jane-harman

Mentioned on the Episode: 

Jane Perlez and Rana Mitter, with Lingling Wei, “Journalists in China,” Face-Off: The U.S. vs. China

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/reporting-china-jane-perlez

Mentioned on the Episode: 

Scott Bessent, “Economic Partnership Will Protect the Ukrainian People and the US Taxpayer,” Financial Times

Heidi Crebo-Rediker, “The Art of a Good Deal: Ukraine’s Strategic Economic Opportunity for the United States,” CFR.org

Rush Doshi, “The Trump Administration’s China Challenge,” Foreign Affairs

Liana Fix, “Partners in Peacemaking: How the United States and Europe Can End the War in Ukraine," CFR.org 

Michael Froman and Charles A. Kupchan, “Supporting Ukraine Is in Trump’s Interest,” Project Syndicate 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-peace-plan-ukraine-liana-fix-charles-kupchan

Mentioned on the Episode: 

Tanvi Madan, Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relations During the Cold War

Tanvi Madan, “India Is Hoping for a Trump Bump,” Foreign Affairs

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/modi-meets-trump-tanvi-madan

The Interconnect, a new podcast series from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Stanford Emerging Technology Review, brings together leading minds in cutting-edge technology and foreign policy to explore recent ground-breaking developments, what's coming over the horizon, and the implications for U.S. innovation leadership.

In this featured episode, Stanford Emerging Technology Review Faculty Council Member Mark Horowitz and CFR’s technologist-in-residence Sebastian Elbaum discuss where chip manufacturing is heading, how hardware advances are powering the new artificial intelligence (AI) era, and what the United States should prioritize in order to sustain its leadership in this crucial domain.

Host

Martin Giles, Managing Editor of the Stanford Emerging Technology Review

Guests

Mark Horowitz, chair of the Electrical Engineering Department at Stanford University

Sebastian Elbaum, the Technologist in Residence at the Council on Foreign Relations

Mentioned on the Episode: 

Robert Kaplan, Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis

Robert F. Worth, “Narendra Modi’s Populist Facade Is Cracking,” The Atlantic

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: 

https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/world-permanent-crisis-robert-kaplan

Mentioned on the Episode:

Adam Segal, The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age

Adam Segal and Sebastian Elbaum, "Artificial Intelligence Priorities for the Next Administration," CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/deepseek-upends-ai-competition-adam-segal

Mentioned on the Episode

Steven Cook, “Israel and Hamas Reach Cease-Fire, but Will the War End?” CFR.org

Steven Cook,  “Israelis and Palestinians Both Lost Their Futures,” Foreign Policy

Steven Cook, The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/gaza-ceasefire-steven-cook

Mentioned on the Episode

Hal Brands, The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World

H. J. Mackinder, “The Geographical Pivot of History,” The Geographical Journal

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/eurasia-challenge-hal-brands

Enter the CFR book giveaway by January 28, 2025, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of When the World Closed Its Doors by Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here.

Mentioned on the Episode

Edward Alden, The Closing of the American Border: Terrorism, Immigration, and Security Since 9/11

Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman, When the World Closed Its Doors: The COVID-19 Tragedy and the Future of Borders

Alessandro Caiumi and Giovanni Peri, "Immigration's Effect on US Wages and Employment Redux," National Bureau of Economic Research

Council on Foreign Relations, The Work Ahead: Machines, Skills, and U.S. Leadership in the Twenty-First Century

Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye, Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition

Anna Maria Mayda, Francesc Ortega, Giovanni Peri, Kevin Shih and Chad Sparber, "The Effect of the H-1B Quota on Employment and Selection of Foreign-Born Labor," National Bureau of Economic Research

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-immigration-policy-edward-alden-transition-2025-episode-9

Mentioned on the Episode

Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, “Tehran May Tempt Trump With Talks,” Wall Street Journal

Mike Pompeo, “After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy,” Speech at the Heritage Foundation

Ray Takeyh, The Last Shah: America, Iran and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty

Ray Takeyh, “The Untold Story of Jimmy Carter’s Hawkish Stand on Iran,” Wall Street Journal

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/iran-reacts-trumps-victory-ray-takeyh-transition-2025-episode-8

This episode first aired: August 20, 2024

Mentioned on the Episode 

Stephen Heintz, “A Logic for the Future: International Relations in the Age of Turbulence,” Rockefeller Brothers Fund

John F. Kennedy, “Commencement Address at American University,” June 10, 1963

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/case-multipolar-pluralism-stephen-heintz

This episode first aired: July 30, 2024

Mentioned on the Episode 

“A New U.S. Grand Strategy: The Case for Liberal Internationalism, With John Ikenberry,” The President’s Inbox

Richard Haass, Foreign Policy Begins at Home: The Case for Putting America’s House in Order

Charles A. Kupchan, Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World

Jake Sullivan, “Renewing American Economic Leadership”

Jake Sullivan, “The Sources of American Power: A Foreign Policy for a Changed World,” Foreign Affairs

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-case-liberal-realism-charles-kupchan

Mentioned on the Episode

Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Sovereign Funds: How the Communist Party of China Finances Its Global Ambitions

Zongyuan Zoe Liu, “Why China Won't Give Up on a Failing Economic Model,” Foreign Affairs 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/china-reacts-trumps-election-zoe-liu-transition-2025-episode-7

Mentioned on the Episode

Sheila Smith, Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power 

Sheila Smith, "Governing from Weakness: The LDP Under Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru," The Diplomat

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/japan-reacts-trumps-victory-sheila-smith-transition-2025-episode-6

Mentioned on the Episode

Will Freeman and Javier Corrales, “How Organized Crime Threatens Latin America,” Journal of Democracy

Claudia Sheinbaum, “Claudia Sheinbaum’s Defiant Letter to Donald Trump: A Blueprint for a New Era in US-Mexico Relations,” Pressenza International Press Agency

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/latin-america-reacts-trumps-election-will-freeman-transition-2025-episode-5

Mentioned on the Episode

“A Second China Shock, With Brad Setser,” The President’s Inbox

Liana Fix, “NATO and Ukraine: The Peril of Indecision,” Survival

Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “The Ukraine Scenarios,” Foreign Affairs

Matthias Matthijs, “Europe’s Leadership Void,” Survival

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/europe-reacts-trumps-victory-liana-fix-and-matthias-matthijs-transition-2025-episode-4  

Mentioned on the Episode

“Trump and the Middle East, With Steven A. Cook (Transition 2025, Episode 2),” The President’s Inbox

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/trumps-national-security-appointees-christopher-m-tuttle-transition-2025-episode-3 

Mentioned on the Episode

Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East

Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, The Empty Throne: America's Abdication of Global Leadership

Jared Kushner, Breaking History: A White House Memoir

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trump-and-middle-east-steven-cook-transition-2025-episode-2 

Mentioned on the Episode

Stephen Hadley, Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/staffing-new-administration-stephen-hadley-transition-2025-episode-1 

Mentioned on the Episode

Daniel R. DePetris and Jennifer Kavanaugh, “The ‘Axis of Evil’ is Overhyped,” Foreign Policy

Richard Fontaine and Andrea Kendall-Taylor, “The Axis of Upheaval: How America’s Adversaries Are Uniting to Overturn the Global Order,” Foreign Affairs 

Walter Lippmann, U.S. Foreign Policy: Shield of the Republic

The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/axis-autocracies-challenge-jennifer-kavanagh-and-andrea-kendall-taylor-election-2024  

Mentioned on the Episode

Robert Atkinson and Liza Tobin, "The Missing Piece in America's Strategy for Techno-Economic Rivalry with China," Lawfare

The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org

Jake Werner, "A Program for Progressive China Policy," Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/china-challenge-liza-tobin-and-jake-werner-election-2024-episode-6

Mentioned on the Episode

Council on Foreign Relations, China's Belt and Road: Implications for the United States

Council on Foreign Relations, U.S.-Taiwan Relations in a New Era: Responding to a More Assertive China

Oriana Skylar Mastro, “The Pivot That Wasn’t,” Foreign Affairs

Oriana Skylar Mastro, “This Is What America Is Getting Wrong About China and Taiwan,” New York Times 

Oriana Skylar Mastro, Upstart: How China Became a Great Power

David Sacks, “Taiwan’s Trump Conundrum,” CFR.org.

The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/taiwan-challenge-oriana-mastro-and-david-sacks-election-2024-episode-5

Mentioned on the Episode

Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East

Jake Sullivan, “The Sources of American Power,” Foreign Affairs

The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/middle-east-challenge-steven-cook-and-amy-hawthorne-election-2024-episode-4   

Mentioned on the Episode 

Edward Alden, Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy

When the World Closed Its Doors: The Covid-19 Tragedy and the Future of Borders- https://global.oup.com/academic/product/when-the-world-closed-its-doors-9780197697818?cc=us&lang=en& 

David Autor, Anne Beck, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson, “Help for the Heartland? The Employment and Electoral Effects of the Trump Tariffs in the United States,” National Bureau of Economic Research

The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trade-challenge-edward-alden-and-ana-swanson-election-2024-episode-3

Mentioned on the Episode 

Alice C. Hill, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19

Varun Sivaram, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet

The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/climate-challenge-alice-hill-and-varun-sivaram-election-2024-episode-2 

Mentioned on the Episode 

Liana Fix, “NATO and Ukraine: The Peril of Indecision,” Survival

Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “The Ukraine Scenarios,” Foreign Affairs

The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org

Thomas Graham, Getting Russia Right

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/russia-challenge-liana-fix-and-thomas-graham-election-2024-episode-1 

Enter the CFR book giveaway by September 24, 2024, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here. 

Mentioned on the Episode

Max Boot, “Reagan Didn’t Win the Cold War,” Foreign Affairs 

Max Boot, Reagan: His Life and Legend

Max Boot, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam

Shreya Chattopadhyay and Miguel Salazar, "22 Nonfiction Books to Read This Fall," New York Times

Edmund Morris, Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation About Christmas and the Situation in Poland"

Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger"

Ronald Reagan, “Remarks at a Ceremony Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, D-Day"

“Ronald Reagan, Mastermind,” Saturday Night Live

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/ronald-reagan-us-global-leadership-max-boot

Mentioned on the Episode

Steven Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/a-wider-middle-east-war-with-steven-cook

Mentioned on the Episode

Liana Fix, “NATO and Ukraine: The Peril of Indecision,” Survival

Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage, “The Ukraine Scenarios,” Foreign Affairs

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ukraines-attack-kursk-liana-fix