The President’s Inbox

William Henagan, a research fellow at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current state of U.S. foreign aid programs after President Donald Trump’s reforms.   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...

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the war’s ripple effects across the Middle East.   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 Wh...

Jack Rakove, the William Robertson Coe professor of history and American studies and professor emeritus of political science and law at Stanford University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why the United States declared independence in 1776 and its meaning for the country today.    Mentioned on the Episode:   Bernard Bailyn, The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution   Henry Wad...

Erin Dumbacher, Stanton Nuclear Security Senior Fellow at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the U.S. attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities, what the strikes accomplished, and how the conflict might evolve.   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

Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether a return to great power spheres of influence is practical in the twenty-first century.   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...

Steven Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s attacks on Iran’s senior military leadership and on its nuclear infrastructure.   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: A...

Edward Luce, U.S. national editor and a columnist for the Financial Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what we can learn from the life, career, and writings of Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter.   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...

Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at RAND and professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the confrontations between China and the Philippines over their competing claims in the South China Sea and the consequences for the United States. For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.or...

Reuben Brigety, President of Busara Advisors and U.S. Ambassador to South Africa from 2022 to 2025, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss relations between Washington and Pretoria in the wake of last week’s meeting between President Donald Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa. For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/united-stat...

Šumit Ganguly, senior fellow and director of the U.S.-India Program at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the origins and consequences of the recent military clash between nuclear powers India and Pakistan.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Šumit Ganguly, “ What Is the Risk of a Conflict Spiral Between India and Pakistan? ” Foreign Policy For an e...

Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ongoing talks between the United States and Iran over Iran’s nuclear program.   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, vis...

Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg senior fellow for China studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss China’s response to President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes and what it means for the future of U.S.-China relations.   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 P...

Carla Anne Robbins, senior fellow at the Council, and Matthias Matthijs, senior fellow for Europe at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to answer questions from CFR’s audience about President Donald Trump’s foreign policy during his first one hundred days in office.    For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trumps-first-1...

Varun Sivaram, senior fellow for energy and climate and Director of the Climate Realism Initiative at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of the global environment and U.S. climate policies on the occasion of Earth Day 2025.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Varun Sivaram, Taming the Sun   Varun Sivaram, “ We Need a Fresh Approach to Climate Policy. It’s Time for Climate...

Will Freeman, fellow for Latin America studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss President Donald Trump’s calls for the United States to retake control of the Panama Canal.   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...

Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, co-founder and former chief technology officer of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, and author of World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the Twenty-First Century , sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States, its impact on U.S. interests, an...

Sophia Besch, a senior fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Germany’s ambitious rearmament plans amidst deepening concerns about the U.S. commitment to European security.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Sophia Besch, " A Zeitenwende for Germany's Defense Industry ," U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute...

Edward Fishman, senior research scholar and adjunct professor at Columbia University and author of Chokepoints: American Power in an Age of Economic Warfare, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the United States’ expanded use of financial and trade sanctions in recent years and whether they have enabled Washington to accomplish its foreign policy objectives.   Mentioned on the Episode:    E...

Mvemba Dizolele, senior fellow and director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the renewed fighting in the Eastern Congo that pits the M23 rebel group backed by Rwanda against the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.   Mentioned on the Episode:    Mvemba Dizolele, Into Africa , Center for Strategic...

Nina Armagno, retired United States Space Force lieutenant general, and Jane Harman, former congresswoman and president emerita of the Wilson Center, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the increasing importance of space as a commercial opportunity and strategic vulnerability for the United States.   Mentioned on the Episode:    Council on Foreign Relations, Securing Space: A Plan for U.S. A...

Jane Perlez, a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and a longtime foreign correspondent for the New York Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the decline of foreign reporting from Beijing and its consequences for U.S.-China relations.   Mentioned on the Episode:    Jane Perlez and Rana Mitter, with Lingling Wei, “ Journalists in China ,” Face-Off: The U.S. vs. China F...

Liana Fix, CFR fellow for Europe, and Charles A. Kupchan, CFR senior fellow and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, sit down with James M. Lindsay on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to discuss Trump's evolving policy toward Ukraine.   Mentioned on the Episode:    Scott Bessent, “ Economic Partnership Will Protect the Ukrainian People and the US Taxpay...

Tanvi Madan, senior fellow in the Center for Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the White House meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump and what it says about current and future state of U.S.-India relations.   Mentioned on the Episode:    Tanvi Madan, Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relati...

Emerging technologies are transforming international relations and our country’s economy. So how do we connect science and engineering labs with Washington and the world of business?    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 recen...

Robert Kaplan, acclaimed journalist and author of Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the world’s growing interconnectedness is likely to produce greater conflict and chaos. This episode is the sixth in a continuing TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.   Mentioned on the Episode:    Robert Kaplan, Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis   Robert F....