Inside Trump’s National Security Playbook
Insider insights from the architect of Trump’s 2017 National Security Strategy.
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Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
About the Episode
President Trump’s second-term national security strategy is coming, and it could reshape US foreign policy from China to Europe to the Middle East. Nadia Schadlow, former Deputy National Security Advisor and architect of Trump’s original Strategy, breaks down what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and what it all means for allies and rivals under Trump 2.0.
About the Speakers
Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
Dr. Nadia Schadlow is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and a co-chair of the Hamilton Commission on Securing America’s National Security Innovation Base. Dr. Schadlow was most recently US deputy national security advisor for strategy. In that capacity she led the drafting and publication of the 2017 National Security Strategy of the United States.
President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She brings nearly 30 years of experience working at the intersection of international affairs, research, policy, and public engagement.