Each week here at Foreign Policy, we interview one person for an intimate, narrative-driven conversation about something timely and important in the world. Our guests are people who have participated directly in events, either as protagonists or eyewitnesses. We get them to tell a story about their…
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Listeners of FP's First Person that love the show mention:The First Person podcast by The Foreign Policy is an engaging and insightful show that delves into various topics related to international affairs. Hosted by David Rothkopf, the podcast features in-depth discussions with experts in their respective fields, providing listeners with valuable insights into global issues.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the intelligent and thought-provoking discussions it offers. The guests invited on the show are knowledgeable and well-informed, offering unique perspectives on current events and foreign policy matters. The conversations are deep and meaningful, allowing listeners to gain a greater understanding of complex issues facing humanity today.
Moreover, the podcast covers a wide range of topics, ensuring that there is something for everyone interested in international affairs. Whether it's discussions on global politics, economic policies, or social issues, the First Person podcast leaves no stone unturned. This diversity makes it a well-rounded source of information for individuals looking to expand their knowledge on different aspects of the world.
However, one aspect that could be improved is the frequency of new episodes. While the discussions are informative and engaging, the release schedule can be inconsistent at times. It would be beneficial for listeners if there were more regular uploads so they can stay up to date with current events and ongoing debates.
In conclusion, The FP's First Person podcast provides an excellent platform for intelligent discussion on some of the most pressing global issues today. With its knowledgeable guests and diverse range of topics covered, it offers valuable insights into international affairs. Although there is room for improvement in terms of release schedule consistency, overall, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding and engaging with matters pertaining to foreign policy.
43 percent of voters under 30 supported U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, a 7 percent jump in support from both the 2016 and 2020 elections. What's underpinning this rightward shift among young voters? Conservative commentator and journalist Emily Jashinsky shares her take. Plus, Ravi's One Thing on the Israel-Hamas deal over hostages and an end to hostilities. Megan DuBois: The Shape-Shifting MAGA Hat Adrian Karatnycky: An Emerging Trump Doctrine? Emma Ashford: Four Explanatory Models for Trump's Chaos Emma Ashford: If Trump Is Neither Hawk nor Dove, What Is He? Howard W. French: Trump Is Ushering in the Era of the Strongman Stephen M. Walt: How Assassinations Became Normal Again Julian E. Zelizer: Why Don't Younger Americans Vote? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuesday marks two years since Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, Israel has decimated Gaza in what many independent organizations are calling a genocide and attacked several countries in the region. How have all of these events impacted the world? FP columnist Stephen M. Walt sits down with Ravi Agrawal to share his take. John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt: The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy Stephen M. Walt: Meet the New Middle East, Same as the Old Middle East Steven A. Cook: The Delusions Driving U.S. Policy in the Middle East Pankaj Mishra: How Gaza Shattered the West's Mythology Emma Ashford: What Was the Tipping Point on Gaza? John Haltiwanger: Why Israel's War in Gaza Has Been So Deadly for Journalists Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With increased polarization and ongoing budgetary disputes, the U.S. government does not seem to be acting in the way that the American forefathers intended. Host Ravi Agrawal brings on historian Jill Lepore to share more. Lepore is a professor at Harvard University and the author of We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on the U.S. government shutdown. Rishi Iyengar: How a U.S. Government Shutdown Could Impact Washington's Foreign Policy John Haltiwanger: Why America's ‘Unusual' Democracy Leads to Shutdown Andrew O'Donohue: The U.S. Judicial Crisis Is Uniquely Dangerous Stan Veuger: Americans Need to Acknowledge Their Unwritten Constitution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Qatar often presents itself as a neutral mediator in the world's trickiest problems, but on Sept. 9, its sovereignty was violated as Israel launched a strike to assassinate top Hamas leaders in Doha. Will Qatar change its strategy? No, explains Majed al-Ansari, the spokesperson of the country's Foreign Ministry, at a live event with host Ravi Agrawal along the sidelines of the 80th U.N. General Assembly. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on a feeling that seems in rare supply but was surprisingly abundant in New York this week: hope. Mina Al-Oraibi: Qatar Strike Creates Rift but Not Rupture in Gulf-Israel Ties Matthew Duss: Recognize Palestine, Then Put Real Pressure on Israel Ravi's interview with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Ravi's interview with Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How is Europe navigating the Trump administration and a troubling moment in the trans-Atlantic relationship? FP Live host Ravi Agrawal sits down with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, on the sidelines of the United Nations' annual meetings to discuss relations with Washington, Russia's war in Ukraine, recognizing Palestine, and dealing with China. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on a spate of countries recognizing Palestine. South China Morning Post: China Tells EU it does not want to see Russia lose its war in Ukraine: Sources Sam Skove: Trump Makes U-Turn on Ukraine Rhetoric Christian Caryl: Europe Is on Its Own With Russia Now Ravi Agrawal: How Europe Is Navigating Trump Agathe Demarais: Europe's Hippopotamus Strategy for Handling Trump Caroline de Gruyter: Europe Has Found Its True Language Anchal Vohra: Trump's Trade Deal With Europe Is Already Unraveling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development this year left countries scrambling, with many analysts going as far as calling the shutdown inhumane. But values were never the real driver of the global development agenda, says FP columnist Adam Tooze—it was actually about power. Now that the United States has stepped back, can China fill the void? Does it want to? Tooze sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to discuss his piece “The End of Development” in FP's latest print issue. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on the global connections to the Charlie Kirk killing. Alejandro Reyes: Why Charlie Kirk's White Nationalism Resonated With Some Nonwhites Abroad Adam Tooze: The End of Development Adam's economics podcast: Ones and Tooze Daniela Gabor: How Big Finance Ate Foreign Aid Henry Tugendhat and James Palmer: Can China Replace USAID? David C. Engerman: The Problem With the Global South's Self-Help Push Suparna Chaudhry: Why the World Turned on NGOs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin has a plan for the U.S. Democratic Party. She's promoting what she calls a “war plan” to revive the middle class as a way for her party to not only challenge President Donald Trump—and win the future for America. She joins host Ravi Agrawal to game out how to put her vision into action. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on the Russian drones fired into Polish airspace earlier this week. Council on Foreign Relations: A New Vision for America's National Security Julian E. Zelizer: Why Democrats Should Proceed to the Center With Caution Matthew Duss: Democrats Should Reclaim the Anti-War Mantle From Trump Christian Caryl: Russia Just Attacked NATO. Again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
FP columnist Emma Ashford makes the case that we're entering a post-unipolar world—that countries can sense that the United States is no longer an unchallenged superpower. If that's the case, how should Washington adapt its foreign policy? Ashford sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to discuss her new book, First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on South Korea's latest soft power hit, KPop Demon Hunters. Ravi Agrawal: Is America Now Merely the First Among Equals? Emma Ashford: Passing the Baton in Europe Stephen M. Walt: The Realist Case for Global Rules Michael Hirsh: Why Everyone in Washington Is a ‘Realist' Now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The relationship between the world's two largest democracies—India and the United States—could be in trouble. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly embraced his Russian and Chinese counterparts at a summit this week, shortly after the Trump administration pushed ahead with sky-high tariffs on Indian exports. Is New Delhi considering a shift in its geopolitical posture? Former Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao sits down with host Ravi Agrawal. Plus, One Thing from Ravi on China's massive military parade this week. Nirupama Rao: Strategic Autonomy Is Nothing to Fear C. Raja Mohan: Modi, Lee, and Trump's Nobel Prize Obsession Sam Roggeveen: China's Military Is Now Leading Rudra Chaudhuri: Can India and the U.S. Repair Their Relationship? Anchal Vohra: India Is Struggling to Figure Out Trump Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We talk a lot about Iran on this show, but we don't often hear from Iranian leaders. I wanted to change that this week—and so I asked Mohammad Javad Zarif to come on the program. Zarif played a major role in crafting Iranian foreign policy over the last 15 years, as foreign minister from 2013 to 2021 and as the lead negotiator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. While Americans perceived him as the diplomatic face of Iran, at home he was seen as a reformer trying to hold off the hard-liners. Zarif served as Iran's vice president of strategic affairs from 2024 to earlier this year, but he's now out of government and a bit more free to express his opinions. He spoke with me about the June war between Israel and Iran and the prospects for diplomacy with the Trump administration. Mohammad Javad Zarif: The Time for a Paradigm Shift Is Now Trita Parsi: The Next Israel-Iran War is Coming Steven A. Cook: In the Middle East, a Cold War Redux? Charli Carpenter: Why the Nuclear Taboo Is Stronger Than Ever Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The United States and China are constantly looking for a leg up in their rivalry for geopolitical primacy. But what if the real advantage lies in adopting a bit of the other's culture? A new book makes the case that while China has become an engineering state obsessed with building, the United States has become a lawyerly society focused on procedures and blocking. Can they learn from each other? Author and scholar Dan Wang sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss his new book, Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future. Dan Wang: Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future Ravi Agrawal: Why China's Tech Dominance Is Not Inevitable Bob Davis: America's Flailing Industrial Policy Can Take Lessons From China James Palmer: A Guide to Censorship in China Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Trump-Putin summit on Friday, followed by Monday's unprecedented White House meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky and seven other European leaders, has left analysts wondering whether recent diplomacy will result in an end to hostilities—or if it's all just pageantry. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Sergey Radchenko sit down with Ravi Agrawal to debrief these two high-level meetings. Kendall-Taylor is a former CIA analyst and a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Radchenko is a Johns Hopkins University professor and the author of To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power. Ravi Agrawal: Grading Trump's Ukraine Diplomacy Ivo H. Daalder: Russia and Ukraine Are as Far Apart as Ever Stephen M. Walt: Trump Has No Idea How to Do Diplomacy Rishi Iyengar: Key Takeaways From Trump's Meeting with Zelensky Keith Johnson: 7 Lingering Questions After the Trump Ukraine Summit Michael Hirsh: Trump's Putin Gambit Failed—but Maybe It Was Still Worth Trying Sergey Radchenko: Not Unprecedented but Unprincipled Christina Lu: ‘There's No Deal Until There's a Deal' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
European leaders, having agreed to spending 5 percent of their GDP on defense, now must decide where that money goes. What factors should they consider to make sure the money leads to the continent's growth and a cutting-edge defense industrial base? Ravi Agrawal sits down with Jared Cohen, the president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs, to discuss. Note: This discussion is part of a series of episodes brought to you by the Goldman Sachs Global Institute. Ravi's Recommendations: Amitav Acharya: Pharaohs, Maharajas, and the Making of a Multipolar World Robert Kagan: The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World Additional Reading: Ravi Agrawal: NATO Is Avoiding a Difficult Conversation Jared Cohen: Don't Bet Against the Dollar Justin Logan: Trump Shouldn't Settle for European Spending Pledges Kori Schake: Is NATO Dead? Matthew Kroenig: A Division of Labor Between Europe and Asia Won't Work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Harvard University professor and economist Dani Rodrik first questioned in the late 1990s whether globalization had gone too far. He joins FP Live to share his take on the Trump administration's tariffs and how to navigate a historically turbulent moment in global trade. Jamieson Greer: Trump's Trade Representative: Why We Remade the Global Order Dani Rodrik: Where Is the Global Resistance to Trump? Ravi Agrawal: How to Navigate Trump's Tariffs Cameron Abadi: Are Tariffs the American Brexit? Keith Johnson: Trump's Long-Promised Tariffs Upend Global Trade Peter Coy: No Need for Hoarding Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As images of starvation in Gaza continue to circulate online, unequivocal support for Israel may be waning in the West, with Britain, Canada, and France moving to formally recognize Palestine in recent weeks. How might this shift the status quo in the region? Daniel Levy, former Israeli peace negotiator and co-founder of J Street, sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Stephen A. Cook: Why Recognizing Palestine Is Meaningless or Even Harmful Stephen M. Walt: Meet the New Middle East, Same as the Old Middle East Rob Geist Pinfold: Israel Is Sowing Chaos to Secure Displacement in Gaza Oz Katerji: Britain's Palestine Action Ban Is a Dangerous Overreach Aaron David Miller and Lauren Morganbesser: Netanyahu's Hold on Power Is Slipping. Will Trump Help? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Labubus and Chinese soft power to U.S. President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on Ukraine, join host Ravi Agrawal for another FP Live Ask-Me-Anything. Ravi Agrawal: Trump is Ushering In a More Transactional World Henry Tugendhat and Janes Palmer: China Isn't Ready to Replace USAID Howard W. French: The U.S. Can No Longer Stave Off Competition From China Alexandra Sharp: Trump Announces a 25 Percent Tariff on India Rishi Iyengar: The Trump Trade Tracker Graham Allison: Is This the Start of a U.S.-China Friendship? Stephen M. Walt: Trump's Missed Opportunities Are Piling Up Sushant Singh: Trump Is Pushing India to Submit to China Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, joins FP Live to assess the Trump administration's shifting policies on Ukraine and how that could impact the ongoing war. McFaul is currently a professor at Stanford University and writes the McFaul's World newsletter. Michael Hirsch: The Enduring Mystery of Trump's Relationship with Russia Luke Coffey: Trump's Ukraine Shift Sends the Right Signal to Putin Christian Caryl: Democracy is Ukraine's Most Powerful Weapon Franz-Stefan Gady: The Air Battle That Could Decide the Russia-Ukraine War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The U.S. dollar has declined by more than 10 percent this year. Is the fall just a normal fluctuation, or is it a sign of something much more worrying? How seriously should we take threats to the dollar's dominance as the world's reserve currency? Economist Kenneth Rogoff shares more. Rogoff is a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund and the author of Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider's View of Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance, and the Road Ahead. Kenneth Rogoff: How Low Can the Dollar Go? Ravi Agrawal: What the Dollar's Decline Reveals About America Foreign Policy magazine's Summer 2025 Print Issue Peter Coy: Trump's Trade Contradictions Come Home to Roost Keith Johnson: America's Economic Warfare is Sowing Its Own Demise Jared Cohen: Don't Bet Against the Dollar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
U.S. foreign-policy coverage often focuses on the Middle East, China, or Europe. So, what is the view from what is sometimes called the world's biggest invisible country? Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populated country and third-biggest democracy, gets surprisingly little attention. How is Jakarta navigating a changing world? Former Indonesian Vice Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal joins FP Live. Derek Grossman: Why Rubio's Asia Visit Was a Total Bust Oliver Stuenkel and Margot Treadwell: Will Trump's Unpredictable Foreign Policy Boost BRICS? Salil Tripathi: How Will Prabowo Lead Indonesia? Christopher S. Chivvis and Beatrix Geaghan-Breiner: How Washington Should Manage Rising Middle Powers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman sits down with Ravi Agrawal to debrief this week's meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Friedman is also the author of From Beirut to Jerusalem, among other books. Thomas L. Friedman: How Trump's ‘Big, Beautiful Bill' Will Make China Great Again Thomas L. Friedman: If This Mideast War Is Over, Get Ready for Some Interesting Politics Thomas L. Friedman: How the Attacks on Iran Are Part of a Much Bigger Global Struggle Adrian Karatnycky: An Emerging Trump Doctrine? Daniel C. Kurtzer and Aaron David Miller: Less Gloating and More Diplomacy Are Needed to Heal the Middle East Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Journalist Edward Luce is the author of a new biography on President Jimmy Carter's national security advisor Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet. He joins FP Live to share how this grand strategist's legacy still shapes foreign policy today. Theodore Bunzel: Where Have All the Geostrategists Gone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does India view a shifting world order? Former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss New Delhi's vision in a period defined by geopolitical flux and several global conflicts. Menon is also the author of Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy. Sumit Ganguly: Kashmir Attack Shatters Illusion of Calm Shivshankar Menon: A New Cold War May Call for a Return to Nonalignment C. Raja Mohan: India Sees Opportunities as Trump Jettisons the Western Order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
FP Live host Ravi Agrawal is on the ground at the NATO summit in The Hague this week. He shares his take on how European leaders pledged to increase their defense spending in a bid to please U.S. President Donald Trump. But where is that money going to come from? Insider: A Debrief on the NATO Summit Ravi Agrawal: NATO Is Avoiding a Difficult Conversation NATO Public Forum LIVE Fabian Hoffmann: A Russia-NATO War Would Look Nothing Like Ukraine Edward Lucas: America Will Miss Europe's Dependence When It's Gone Philip H. Gordon and Rebecca Lissner: How Trump Can Reset His Failed Ukraine Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Conflict broke out between Israel and Iran on Friday, with Israel launching an attack on Iran's nuclear and military facilities and Iran responding in turn. Vali Nasr, a Middle East expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University, sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Nasr is the author, most recently, of Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History. FP Staff: Israel Strikes Iran Iselin Brady and Daniel Byman: How the Israel-Iran War Might End Steven A. Cook: Israel Is Going for the Death Blow on Iran Jeffrey Lewis: Nuclear Claims Are a Smoke Screen for Hopes of Toppling Iran John Haltiwanger: Iran's Military Just Lost Its ‘Brain Trust' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chinese exports of rare earths, a critical component in manufacturing high-end tech products, emerged as a key sticking point in this week's trade talks between Beijing and Washington. Underpinning all of this is the race for artificial intelligence supremacy. Who is winning this competition? Who is best placed to control the supply chains of all the components that go into the top chips and AI models? Jared Cohen and George Lee, the co-heads of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute, join FP Live. Note: This discussion is part of a series of episodes brought to you by the Goldman Sachs Global Institute. Jared Cohen: The AI Economy's Massive Vulnerability Rishi Iyengar & Lili Pike: Is It Too Late to Slow China's AI Development? Vivek Chilukuri: How the United States Can Win the Global Tech Race Brought to you by: nordvpn.com/fplive (Exclusive NordVPN Deal: Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Drones are playing an increasingly decisive role in conflicts around the world. Coupled with artificial intelligence and other technological advances, the very nature of warfare is transforming in front of our eyes. Are countries and their policymakers prepared? Mara Karlin, former assistant secretary of defense under U.S. President Joe Biden, joins FP Live to share her insights. Karlin is also the author of The Inheritance: America's Military After Two Decades of War. John Haltiwanger: Drones are Transforming South Asian Warfare Stephen M. Walt: Ukraine's Drone Attack Doesn't Matter Christian Caryl: The Ukrainians' New Way of War Mara Karlin: The Inheritance: America's Military After Two Decades of War Stanley McChrystal and Anshu Roy: AI Has Entered the Situation Room Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Gen Z has come of age amid a pandemic, growing polarization, and deep distrust of bureaucratic institutions. How does this shape their political and economic views? Do they still believe in the American Dream? Economic analyst and author Kyla Scanlon joins FP Live to discuss. Suggested reading: Institute of Politics: Spring 2025 Harvard Youth Poll Kyla Scanlon: Gen Z and the End of Predictable Progress Kyla Scanlon: FAFOnomics: How Chaos Became America's Economic Strategy Kyla Scanlon: Dollar Devaluation and the Antisystem Youth Kyla Scanlon: In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work? Kathleen J. McInnis: How to Sell NATO to Gen Z Joseph E. Stiglitz: Big Tech Is Trying to Prevent Debate About Its Social Harms Jeongmin Kim: Why Young Koreans Love to Splurge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Earlier this week, thousands of Palestinians stormed an aid distribution site in Gaza, underlining the ongoing humanitarian crisis there and prompting the question: Why isn't the world doing more? Martin Griffiths served as the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations from 2021 until 2024. He is currently with the Mediation Group International and joins Ravi Agrawal to push for solutions to the multiple crises spanning our globe. Suggested reading: Neha Wadekar: The World's Refugee Relief Is Utterly Broken David E. Rosenberg: The Old War Is Over in Gaza, and a New One Is Underway Michael Hirsh: A New Authoritarian Era in the Mideast? Robbie Gramer: How the U.S. Fumbled Sudan's Hopes for Democracy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
**Hello listeners, an earlier version of this episode contained glitches due to an upload error. If you hear breaks in the audio, please download the episode again for the corrected version. Thanks for listening, and we apologize for the mishap!** Is Trump's Middle East Policy a Break From the Past? Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump visited three countries in the Middle East—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar—on the first scheduled foreign trip of his second term. While many of the headlines from the trip focused on the 747 jetliner Qatar donated for use as Air Force One, it's probably more notable that Trump rejected decades of Western intervention in the region and declared that there would be “no more lectures” from America. Is the Trump administration re-aligning American priorities in the region? F. Gregory Gause, visiting scholar at the Middle East Institute, joins FP Live to discuss why the Gulf monarchies are rising in importance. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Howard W. French: What Trump Got Right in the Middle East Agathe Demarais: The U.S. Economy Is Now Trump Enterprises Michael Hirsh: A New Authoritarian Era in the Mideast? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
U.S. President Donald Trump came to office promising mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, but he hasn't actually hit the numbers he said he would. Is that because it's harder than it sounds, or are more plans in the works? And what will Trump's immigration policy do to America's standing in the world? Janet Napolitano, a former governor of Arizona and secretary of homeland security under President Barack Obama, joins FP Live to share her experience managing the issue of illegal immigration. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Jonathan M. Katz: Trump's Deportation Machine Takes Shape Christina Noriega: Trump's Aid Freeze Is Undermining His Immigration Policy Daniel B. Baer: Trump's Brain Drain Will Be Europe's Gain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Two nuclear-armed countries, India and Pakistan, are locked in their most serious conflict in two decades. Early Wednesday morning, after weeks of pledging to retaliate for the deadliest terrorist attack in more than a decade, India launched missiles across its border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan claims it took down Indian fighter jets and has vowed to respond. FP's Ravi Agrawal asks Tanvi Madan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, how far tensions could spiral. They discuss the options for de-escalation and what role external powers can play. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Ravi Agrawal: How India and Pakistan Can Pull Back From the Brink Rishi Iyengar: A Tale of Four Fighter Jets Sumit Ganguly: What Is the Risk of a Conflict Spiral Between India and Pakistan? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To mark the first 100 days of the second Trump White House, we have a special ask-me-anything episode. Amid a firehose of news, which policies will endure, and which are purely rhetorical? How does Foreign Policy find the signal in the noise? FP Live's executive producer, Dana Sherne, turns the tables on host Ravi Agrawal as he assesses the implications of President Donald Trump's foreign policy. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Ravi Agrawal: Trump Is Ushering In a More Transactional World Stephen M. Walt: Trump Is Not a Revolutionary Daniel Treisman: The Deep Familiarity of Donald Trump Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 29 marks the 100th day of U.S. President Donald Trump's second term. What do foreign policy experts make of his administration's performance so far, as it continues to wage a trade war, reshape long-standing diplomatic relationships with allies and alliances, and advance a new world order? FP columnist Emma Ashford sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Emma Ashford: Four Explanatory Models for Trump's Chaos Emma Ashford and Matthew Kroenig: Is the World Overreacting to Trump? Nicholas Bequelin: The Key to Understanding Trump's Chaotic Foreign Policy John J. Mearsheimer in Foreign Affairs: Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West's Fault Brought to you by: nordvpn.com/fplive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The rollout of the Trump administration's tariffs has rattled markets, prompting questions of what these protectionist policies mean for the global economy moving forward. Two top experts on globalization join FP Live to share their thoughts. Elisabeth Braw is an FP columnist and the author of Goodbye Globalization: The Return of a Divided World. And Eswar Prasad is a trade scholar and professor at Cornell University. We want to hear from you! Help us shape the future of FP Live by sharing your thoughts on the show by clicking here. Contact us anytime at live@foreignpolicy.com. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Transcript: Is the World Going to Deglobalize? Elisabeth Braw: What's the Cost of Doing Business Under Trump? Eswar Prasad: The World Will Regret Its Retreat From Globalization Joseph E. Stiglitz: Play by the Rules Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The U.S.-China trade war has rattled the global economy, and there's little sign of de-escalation. What does this mean for their respective economies? Where does this end? The Council on Foreign Relations' Zongyuan Zoe Liu and the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Scott Kennedy join FP Live to discuss. We want to hear from you! Help us shape the future of FP Live by sharing your thoughts on the show by clicking here. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Scott Kennedy: Why Beijing Thinks It Can Beat Trump Deng Yuwen: Why Beijing Is Standing Up to Trump Howard W. French: Trump's Tariffs Are a Gift to Xi Lili Pike and Christina Lu: Can Washington and Beijing Walk Back Their Trade War? Lizzi C. Lee: How China Should Handle Trump's Tariffs James Palmer: China May Have a Revenge List for Tariff Wars Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze: How Tariffs on China Brought Back Decoupling With a Vengeance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The race is on to dominate the artificial intelligence economy, making the need for safeguards ever more pressing. Jared Cohen, the president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs, joins FP Live to discuss the potential risks and benefits of this growing market—and how so-called geopolitical swing states play an increasingly important role. This conversation was taped earlier this week, before the Trump administration's announcement of the 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs. We want to hear from you! Help us shape the future of FP Live by sharing your thoughts on the show by clicking here. Note: This discussion is part of a series of episodes brought to you by the Goldman Sachs Global Institute. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Jared Cohen: The AI Economy's Massive Vulnerability Jared Cohen: The Next AI Debate Is About Geopolitics Becca Wasser and Josh Wallin: Build Allied AI, or Risk Fighting Alone Peter Dombrowski and Bruce Jones: A New Era of Undersea Conflict Is Here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Two leading economists debate the potential trade-offs of the Trump administration's tariffs that are now roiling markets. Oren Cass, the founder of American Compass, joins Kimberly Clausing, a professor at UCLA, to discuss what this all means for the United States and the global economy. We want to hear from you! Help us shape the future of FP Live by sharing your thoughts on the show by clicking here. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Wendy Cutler: How Countries Should Respond to Trump's Tariffs Bob Davis: Trump Has the Whole Global Trade System in His Sights Michael Hirsh: Tariffs Can Actually Work—if Only Trump Understood How Lili Pike: Trump Threatens China With New 50 Percent Tariffs Joseph Rachman: Trump's Tariffs Crush the ASEAN Economic Model Transcript: The Case for Trump's Tariffs Edward Alden: Trump's Wanton Tariffs Will Shatter the World Economy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Legal scholars argue that the Trump administration's push to curtail the power of the U.S. judiciary mirrors moves by several authoritarian governments around the world. What does this mean for the United States' court system and the rule of law? And what can be learned from global advocacy and civil society defying these trends? Political scientist Andrew O'Donohue joins FP Live to share his findings. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Andrew O'Donohue: The U.S. Judicial Crisis Is Uniquely Dangerous Julian E. Zelizer: Why Republicans Love Strong Presidents David E. Rosenberg: Can Israel's Highest Court Stop Netanyahu? Halil Karaveli: Erdogan Is Trying to Divide and Conquer Turkey's Opposition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Several of the world's wealthiest men stood behind Donald Trump as he was inaugurated for a second term, contradicting his image as a populist president. This prompts the question, how much influence do the wealthy have on U.S. politics? Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy joins FP Live to share his take on the state of U.S. democracy, and whether the United States is becoming more corrupt, to mark the launch of Foreign Policy's latest print issue: “Billionaire Rule.” Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Spring 2025 Print Issue: Billionaire Rule Jodi Vittori: Is America a Kleptocracy? Adam Tooze: Elon Musk's First Principles James Crabtree: How Modi and Trump Treat Billionaires Differently Priya Satia: The Deep Roots of Oligarchy James Palmer: Did China Get Billionaires Right? Andrew O'Donohue: The U.S. Judicial Crisis Is Uniquely Dangerous Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Trump administration has dramatically shifted the United States' long-standing relationship with Europe, pushing it to shore up its own defense. How is the continent grappling with these changes? And what does it mean for its policies, both foreign and domestic? Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Kishore Mahbubani: It's Time for Europe to Do the Unthinkable Transcript: The Speech That Stunned Europe Edward Lucas: Comrade Trump Ivo H. Daalder: It's Time for a New Trans-Atlantic Bargain Michael Hirsh: On Ukraine, Split the Difference Between Trump and Biden Anchal Vohra: Europe's Economic Decoupling From America Is Underway Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Geopolitical risk analyst Ian Bremmer joins FP Live to assess U.S. President Donald Trump's first 50 days in office and how it is impacting the world. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Ravi Agrawal: Trump Is Ushering In a More Transactional World Daniel C. Kurtzer and Aaron David Miller: Lessons from the Trump-Zelensky Confrontation Howard W. French: Trump's Plan for a Greatly Diminished America Daniel W. Drezner: Does the Madman Theory Actually Work? Stephen M. Walt: What I Got Wrong About Trump's Second Term Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With so much of the focus in recent weeks on the Trump administration's policies toward Europe, where does that leave the broader trajectory of the U.S.-China relationship? Expert and former Biden administration official Rush Doshi sits down with Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Doshi is currently the C.V. Starr senior fellow for Asia studies and director of the China Strategy Initiative at the Council on Foreign Relations. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Rush Doshi: Long Game: China's Grand Strategy to Displace American Order Lili Pike: Trump's Europe Shock Creates an Opening for China Lili Pike: Did Biden Get China Right? James Crabtree: Trump Could Make China Great Again Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices