Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor at the School of International Relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the recent BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro and what Brazil sees as the group’s purpose.   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

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 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

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 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

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 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

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 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

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: 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

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 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

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.org/podcasts/tpi/china-philippines-standoff-derek-grossman

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-states-and-south-africa-reuben-brigety

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

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, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/iran-nuclear-talks-karim-sadjadpour

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 President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/us-china-trade-war-zoe-liu

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-100-days-carla-anne-robbins-matthias-matthijs

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 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

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 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

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, and how the United States should respond.   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

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   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

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:    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

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 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