USSC Briefing Room

The White House has recently released America’s AI Action Plan: Winning the race and, in launching the plan, President Trump said, “America is the country that started the AI race. And as President of the United States, I’m here today to declare that America is going to win it.”   How much of the AI Action Plan is about competing with China? What is in the plan and what’s missing? What could or sh...

Before he even took office for his second term, President Trump began pushing for what became known as the 'Big Beautiful Bill' (BBB). Rather than taking a piecemeal approach to legislation, he wanted to take Republicans’ majority in Congress and push for one piece of sweeping legislation. On the 4th of July 2025, he signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law.   What is (and isn’t) in the BBB? How...

When President Trump’s war on international trade barriers kicked-off, the sweeping scale and scope of his tariffs were staggering. But even after Liberation Day, there’s one proposed tariff that seems to have caught many by surprise – the 100% tariff on any US films produced in different countries.   From The Matrix to The Fall Guy , Australia has been a destination of choice for many US films, s...

Economic security is becoming increasingly important amidst growing geopolitical tensions. In light of China's 2010 rare earth mineral export restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on supply chains, Japan has prioritised not only strengthening supply chain resilience and market competitiveness but also building up Japan's geo-economic influence to counteract foreign economic pressure thro...

Initial results of Elbridge Colby’s AUKUS review are expected soon, but this feeds into broader conversations around increasing defence spending and even the role Australia can play in Trump’s “Golden Dome” project.   Where have we seen shifts and continuity from Biden to Trump in defence policy? How can Australia thread the needle to negotiate best outcomes for AUKUS by looking at Golden Dome and...

In the third episode in our series on Unpacking Trump 2.0 we sat down with USSC Senior Economic Adviser Dr John Kunkel to talk about tariffs under President Trump. Where did President Trump’s love of tariffs come from? Are they effective? And how can US trading partners respond? For more on this topic, check out Dr Kunkel’s write-up for Unpacking Trump 2.0, Tariffs: Uncertainty abounds . Subscribe...

This year’s NATO Summit is held in The Hague with the backdrop of strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and significant changes in the US relationship with Ukraine. How is this year’s summit different from last year? How will the United States engage with the forum? What outcomes might we see from the summit this year?   USSC’s Non-Resident Senior Fellow Jane Hardy and Senior Lecturer in US Politics and...

Dealmaking is one of the defining characteristics of the Trump 2.0 presidency. And this is perhaps most obvious in critical minerals. From the critical minerals deal with Ukraine to the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China, critical minerals are front of mind for this administration. Why are critical minerals so important to President Trump and is this different to the Biden administrati...

In his first few months in office, President Trump has followed a markedly different course in his second term compared to his first. How far can Trump’s “move fast and break things” approach to governing get him? What is happening behind the headlines? What can Australia and other US allies do in response? To answer these questions, USSC is releasing Unpacking Trump 2.0 , a guide for US allies an...

When Democrats lost the 2024 election, questions immediately swirled around President Biden and his decision to run again. Just as a new book critical of Biden was about to launch, a spokesperson for the former president announced he had just been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.   What role did Biden’s decision to first run and then withdraw from the 2024 presidential race pl...

In December 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and had military troops surround the National Assembly before reversing that decision following an immediate backlash and widespread protests. On 4 April 2025, South Korea’s Constitutional Court announced its verdict to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon, ending 18 weeks of political uncertainty in Seoul. With Presid...

When US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz set up a Signal group chat to coordinate principals for discussions on a US strike on the Houthis in Yemen, he had no idea that the Editor in Chief for The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was part of the chat and would later share the content of their group chat with the world. Former White House National Security Council Senior Director for Asia and USSC C...

A critical component and potential vulnerability of AUKUS is Australia’s manufacturing capability. And even beyond AUKUS, the 2023 Defence Strategic Review cited the need for a whole-of-nation uplift in manufacturing and investment to fulfil Australia’s defence objectives. What is the state of play for defence manufacturing and investment in Australia? What changes are needed? How could the change...

Since President Trump took office for a second time on 20 January 2025, he has driven an unprecedented level of sweeping governmental change. One of the first and most drastic changes was to the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The Trump administration has cancelled the majority USAID contracts, eliminated 1,600 positions and almost the entire workforce is on administrative leave....

Dr Mara Karlin joined us on the USSC Briefing Rood podcast to talk about her book The Inheritance: America’s Military After Two Decades of War .    What impact did the extended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on the US military? What lessons have been learned since this time? And how prepared is the US now for future wars?   Dr Karlin discussed these questions and the conclusions she reached in...

Three years ago, Russian troops invaded Ukraine with air strikes and a ground invasion from the North towards Kyiv, the South from Crimea and the East from the Donbas. Many expected Ukraine to have to surrender almost immediately and give up significant territory to Russia. However, global allies quickly united to support Ukraine through providing weapons and constraining Russia through severe san...

Around the time of President Trump’s first indictment, USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe released his latest book, Trump’s Australia: How Trumpism changed Australia and the shocking consequences for us of a second term . Now, less than two years later, President Trump was elected again, this time as a convicted felon. Bruce has just released an updated version of his book following the e...

As President Trump commences his second term in office, he faces a far more contested geopolitical environment than during his first term. From an unresolved war in Ukraine to the war in Gaza, many items will be on Trump’s foreign policy agenda whether he likes it or not.   How could he seek to end the war in Ukraine? What level of priority should be placed on relations with China? What should all...

India has accelerated port infrastructure projects to counter China’s Belt and Road initiative and enhanced connectivity and trade facilitation could boost GDP from 0.4% to 10.6% in South Asia. In an era of heightened competition, improved port infrastructure is one of the most effective ways to diversify and de-risk supply chains, yet Australia has been notably absent from Indian Ocean infrastruc...

When talking about AUKUS, a majority of Australians think it is a good idea for Australia to have nuclear-powered submarines, but much of the public debate is around the cost and whether it is worth the money. One of the most significant aspects of AUKUS is the fact that the United States is agreeing to share some of its most sensitive nuclear technology with Australia, but this requires not just...

Republicans have secured control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress authorises the budget, they have exclusive power to declare war and regulate foreign commerce and they authorise important foreign policy appointees. Even before the next Congress is sworn in, we are seeing Congress flex their power in considering President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees. What will be th...

After months of speculation and one of the most tumultuous campaigns in history, we now know that we will have a second Trump term, beginning on 20 January 2025. How did what looked like a coin-toss election lead to such a resounding outcome? What can we expect to see in a Trump 2.0 administration? What should allies and partners do now to prepare? To discuss these issues, on Monday of last week w...

AI, energy security, critical minerals and supply chain issues are all inextricably linked with each other and with US competition with China. Erik Jacobs held several roles in the Trump administration including as policy coordinator for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Strategic Planning and Policy and as a policy advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Nationa...

From Iran’s hack of the Trump campaign to Taylor Swift deepfakes, technology is posing a more overt threat to the US presidential election. At the same time, it is unlocking new opportunities for innovation, economic growth and even record-breaking campaign strategies.   How have we seen technology affect the US presidential election this year? Where are the Trump and Harris campaigns on technolog...

In September, the United States Studies Centre released its annual public opinion polling report, Allies and partners poll 2024: Australia the United States and Japan converge on alliance and China despite US election uncertainties . The report surveyed Australian, American and Japanese public opinion on everything from AUKUS and industry policy to regulating AI and fighting disinformation. How mu...