Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was one of the first foreign leaders to publicly congratulate Donald Trump on his electoral victory in November 2024. There are hopes that the two leaders might build a close personal relationship – yet, there are also sources of friction and challenges. Prabowo is a leader who wishes to build the capacity of his country to exert more power on the international stage, but this would necessarily involve deeper engagement with China. Developments such as Indonesia’s admission to BRICS may sour Trump’s view of the country, while Indonesia’s lack of a presence in Washington may make it difficult for the two governments to reinforce their ties. Washington’s de-emphasis on the impacts of climate change might also be a disappointment for Indonesian leaders.

Join us for part one of this two-part episode, as we sit down with Dr Yohanes Sulaiman, Associate Professor in International Relations at Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani, Indonesia, to discuss the trajectory of US-Indonesia relations under Trump 2.0.