LSE: The Ballpark | American foreign policy in the age of Trump with Professor Walter Russell Mead

About this episode

The episode discusses Donald Trump's foreign policy with Professor Walter Russell Mead, focusing on its implications and historical context.

To talk about Donald Trump’s foreign policy, in February 2026 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Walter Russell Mead, the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at the Hudson Institute, the Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft with the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida, and the “Global View” columnist at the Wall Street Journal. Their discussion covered Trump’s highly activist foreign policy and his approach to the western hemisphere as a strategic foundation for American power as well as the performative politics of his “America First” rhetoric. Professor Mead also puts President Trump in historical context, drawing draws parallels with Andrew Jackson and James Polk. They also talked about the major challenges ahead for Donald Trump, including the US-China relationship and US domestic politics after the 2026 midterms and on how other countries can navigate his transactional approach. This episode was produced by Chris Gilson and Avan Fata. Further reading and resources The Rise of the Tech Hamiltonians – The Atlantic – 24 January 2026…

People in this episode

Guest: Walter Russell Mead

Topics covered

• American foreign policy
• Trump administration
• US-China relations
• America First rhetoric
• historical context
• strategic foundation

Keywords

• Trump foreign policy
• America First
• US-China relationship
• historical parallels
• strategic politics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hudson Institute, University of Florida, Wall Street Journal

Places: US, China

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