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Each episode of The President’s Inbox explores a foreign policy challenge facing the United States.
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Is 2026 the New 1914?
This episode unpacks unsettling parallels between today’s increasingly multipolar world and geopolitical conditions on the eve of World War I, and reviews lessons from history about the cost of great-power war. Host: James M. Lindsay (https
Foreign Policy and the 2026 Midterms
This episode surveys the foreign policy stakes of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, from the Iran war and gas prices to tariffs, Ukraine, and Israel. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies
The Iran War and the Midterms
This episode unpacks America’s strategic stalemate with Iran, Trump’s post-midterm options, and how Tehran and the Gulf see the war. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distinguished Se
Will There Be Meddling in the Midterms?
This episode unpacks the ongoing threat of influence and interference operations posed by Russia, China, and Iran as the 2026 U.S. midterm elections approach. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and Da
The Seven Questions Every Military Strategist Must Ask
This episode unpacks what strategy really is, the seven questions every strategist must ask themselves before initiating a military operation, and why war stays so stubbornly unpredictable. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/expert
Trump Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Xi
This episode unpacks Xi Jinping’s high-stakes Washington visit, discussions of “constructive stability,” and tensions over Taiwan, AI, and Iran. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Dist
Elbows Up: How Canada Is Fighting Trump’s Tariffs
This episode unpacks the deepening U.S.-Canada trade war, the collapse of a potential deal to end it, and whether decades of economic integration are rupturing. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and
What the U.S. Got Wrong in the War on Terrorism
This episode unpacks how the September 11 attacks reshaped the U.S. approach to global threats and internal security. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in
The CIA Director’s Not-So-Secret Trip to Moscow
This episode unpacks the potential purposes and implications of CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recent surprise trip to Moscow. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fe
Six Months of War With Iran, With Steven Cook
This episode unpacks the current state of the U.S.-Iran conflict, broader dynamics in the Middle East, and the shifting U.S. role in the region. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Dist
Washington’s Missile Shortage, With Michael Horowitz
This episode unpacks reporting that U.S. munitions stockpiles are dangerously low and lays out the consequences of the shortage both for Washington’s ongoing war with Iran, and for its deterrence of adversaries. Host: James M. Lindsay (http
Maximum Pressure on Cuba, With Will Freeman
This episode unpacks how the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign is accelerating Cuba's economic collapse and what a firsthand trip to the country reveals about life amidst the crisis. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.or
U.S.-India Relations Under Stress, With Sadanand Dhume
U.S.-India relations have struggled despite U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close personal relationship. This episode unpacks why tariffs, security concerns, and a détente with China has reframed the im
The Myth of the AI Race, With Alvin Wang Graylin
This episode unpacks U.S. and Chinese AI strategies, regulation approaches, and the future implications for society and security. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senio
Lessons From 250 Years of U.S. Foreign Policy, With Robert Kagan
This episode unpacks the history of 250 years of U.S. foreign policy and examines patterns of the United States’ engagement with the world. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distingui
Women in Power, With Linda Robinson
This episode unpacks the unique challenges faced by women leaders, their contributions to democracy, and the critical lessons they offer in the fight against authoritarianism. Enter the CFR book giveaway (https://link.cfr.org/join/66n/hp-bo
Ukraine Turns the Tide, With Liana Fix
This episode unpacks whether Ukraine has turned the tide against Russia on the battlefield and assesses the new security relationship between Ukraine and Europe. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and
America’s Ebola Preparedness, With Thomas Bollyky
This episode unpacks how a major Ebola outbreak in Central Africa exposed critical gaps in global health surveillance and assesses U.S. preparedness for future biological threats. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-
America at 250: The Marshall Plan, With Benn Steil
This episode unpacks how the Marshall Plan transformed postwar Western Europe and why security, allied cooperation, and forward thinking were the real keys to its enduring success. To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of in
Why the U.S. Needs an Africa Strategy, With Michelle Gavin
This episode unpacks how Africa's demographic surge, critical mineral wealth, and expanding security threats are reshaping its relevance to U.S. foreign policy in the twenty-first century. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts
What Trump and Xi Didn't Settle in Beijing, With Nicholas Burns
This episode unpacks the key discussion points from the U.S.-China summit, including Taiwan, the Iran war, AI regulation, and the future of U.S.-China relations. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and
Trump and Xi in Beijing, With Rush Doshi
This episode unpacks President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, the first by a sitting U.S. President in nearly a decade, as the United States and China work through a tense period of détente. Hos
The Spillover: Are Prediction Markets Forecasting Tools or Virtual Casinos?
Prediction markets have grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. This episode asks whether they are powerful forecasting tools or gambling platforms in disguise—and what their rise means for how risk and information are priced. Hosts: Reb
How to Build an American Foreign Policy, With Michael Mandelbaum
This episode unpacks three enduring pillars that have defined U.S. foreign policy from the nation’s founding to today: ideology, economic statecraft, and democratic accountability. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m
America at 250: The Spanish-American War, With H.W. Brands
This episode unpacks the causes, key events, and consequences of the Spanish-American War, highlighting how it shaped U.S. foreign policy into the modern era. To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is ded
What Comes Next After Failed U.S.-Iran Talks, With Elliott Abrams
This episode unpacks the U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad and the prospect of a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fel
Russia’s Stakes in the Iran War, With Thomas Graham
This episode unpacks the opportunities and risks Moscow is facing amid the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreig
Gulf States Under Fire, With Mina Al-Oraibi
This episode unpacks how the war with Iran will affect the future of the Gulf countries’ security and economic prosperity. Host: James M. Lindsay (https://www.cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fello
Why Allies Aren’t Following on Iran, With Kristi Govella and Constanze Stelzenmüller
We discuss: • Why U.S. allies are refusing to join the Iran war, and what that signals about weakening alliance cohesion and growing strategic independence. • How the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil
The Strategy Gap in Iran, With Max Boot
Max Boot, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to analyze what tactical and strategic lessons can be drawn from the U.S. and Israeli military operations against Ira
