Fp's The Editor's Roundtable (the E.r.)

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 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

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 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

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 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

**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. Frenc

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: quince.com/fplive 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

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 [email protected]. 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 ab

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 Brought to you by: https://incogni.com/foreignpolicy. Use promo code "foreignpolicy" to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan. 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

“I don’t give up on Trump. I do think that, for the wrong reasons, we can get him to do the right things” says former Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth. Roth sits down with Ravi Agrawal to share his take on human rights today amid democratic backsliding, ongoing conflict, and a new U.S. administration on the world stage. Roth led Human Rights Watch for nearly 30 years and is the author of Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments. Suggested reading (FP links are paywall-free): Transcript: Can the World Do Anything About Conflict in 2025? Pankaj Mishra: How Gaza Shattered the West’s Mythology Matthew M. Kavanagh and Luis Gil Abinader: Abolishing USAID Is Both Unconstitutional and Disastrous Brought to you by: https://incogni.com/foreignpolicy. Use promo code "foreignpolicy" to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices