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US Foreign Policy

How the US Public Sees the State of the Union Amid Worsening Global Tensions

Analysis
by Dina Smeltz

Recent surveys show a rise in American skepticism of the Trump administration’s approach to domestic and foreign policy. The Council explores where they stand on the economy, immigration, alliances, and more.

The chamber of the House of Representatives is seen at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, as it is prepared for President Donald Trump to give his State of the Union address Tuesday night
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Public Opinion

From Munich to the Board of Peace, the Trump Administration Struggles to Reassure its Transatlantic Partners; The Supreme Court Pushes Back  

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

The United States and Europe are scrambling to reform their partnership. It is an open question as to whether the transatlantic partnership can continue to be an anchor for international order as the rest of the world presses rapidly ahead.

President Donald Trumpl listens during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace
Mark Schiefelbein / AP
US Foreign Policy

A Healthier Alternative to Trump's Tariff Obsession

Analysis
by Jim O'Neill

The US Supreme Court struck down US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. History offers a potential path forward for the economy.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden
Mark Schiefelbein / AP
Global Economy

A New and Dangerous Era for US-China Ties

Analysis
by Evan Medeiros

With Washington prioritizing deal-making over competition, Beijing’s confidence is growing—and the risk of miscalculation is rising. Could China use America’s time-out from strategic competition to surpass it economically, technologically, and geopolitically?

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk in front of people waving American and Chinese flags
Andrew Harnik / AP
US Foreign Policy

The West Under Pressure: Inside Munich 2026

Podcast
Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast

The Observer's Giles Whittell and ECFR's Dr. Jana Puglierin unpack what this year's Munich Security Conference revealed.

Marco Rubio at MSC
Alex Brandon / Pool AP
Defense and Security

The Age of Kleptocracy

In the News
Foreign Affairs
Alexander Cooley

"US foreign policy is now largely subordinate to the private interests of the president and his retainers," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon write.

A gold presidential seal in the Oval Office
Alex Brandon / AP
US Foreign Policy

Trump Admin Reveals First-of-Its-Kind Funding Data in Elite College Crackdown

In the News
Axios
Alexander Cooley

Senior Nonresident Fellow Alexander Cooley tells Axios that the Department of Education painting foreign funds to US colleges as a national security issue is "misleading."

 President Donald Trump holds a signed an executive order relating to school discipline policies as Education Secretary Linda McMahon stands behind him at the Oval Office.
Alex Brandon / AP
US Foreign Policy

How the World Is Acclimating to the Trump Doctrine

In the News
Bloomberg
Leslie Vinjamuri

"Leaders understand that they have a whole lot to gain from trying to manage the disruption," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri tells Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua.

Leslie Vinjamuri appears in the Bloomberg studio US Foreign Policy

The Upside to Donald Trump's Unorthodoxy

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

After months of punitive US tariffs, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi announced a trade deal between the world’s two largest democracies. But India has been following a now familiar pattern—building resilience in the face of a disruptive Washington.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks as President Donald Trump listens during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington.
Ben Curtis / AP
US Foreign Policy

The Trump Administration's New National Defense Strategy Expands the US 'Homeland'

Analysis
by Kathleen Hicks

The new strategy "suggests a very geographically grounded way of thinking about defense," former US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks told the Council. She explains what it could mean for China, the war in Ukraine, and US alliances—and what comes next.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stands at a podium with a logo at the Pentagon.
Mark Schiefelbein / AP
US Foreign Policy