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The President’s Inbox: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Council on Foreign Relations
A rising China. War in Europe. A warming planet. The United States faces a complex and rapidly changing world. The President’s Inbox goes beyond the headlines as host James M. Lindsay speaks with leading experts about how the United States should respond to global challenges and opportunities that are shaping the future.
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- 5 days ago39 min
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, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Rohinton Medhora, Professor of Practice at McGill University and Distinguished Fellow at the Center for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI) We Discuss: Whether the latest U.S. tariffs mark a genuine “rupture” in the U.S.-Canada relationship or just another rough patch in a partnership that goes back more than a century. How a nine-year arc—from the NAFTA renegotiation to USMCA—led to today’s standoff, and why Ottawa sees the U.S. national security rationale for steel and aluminum tariffs as a betrayal. How a mid-August deal collapsed, and what Canadian negotiators mean by the “ghost in the room.” Why Prime Minister Mark Carney chose to retaliate “elbows up” rather than follow Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s more conciliatory approach. How Canada’s “messy and noisy” federation—from Doug Ford’s Ontario to Alberta’s secessionist stirrings and Quebec’s election—shapes Ottawa’s room to maneuver. Whether energy exports are the “elephant in the room,” and how far Canada could go in using them as leverage. How Ottawa is courting U.S. governors, senators, and public opinion in states that depend on cross-border trade. What the unresolved fight over digital technology means for where the U.S.-Canada relationship heads next. Mentioned on the Episode: Ronald Reagan, “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade,” Ronald Reagan Presidential Library For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/elbows-up-how-canada-is-fighting-trumps-tariffs Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
- 1 weeks ago35 min
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, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Walter Russell Mead, Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship, Hudson Institute We Discuss: Why the September 11 attacks were such a pivotal moment in the history of U.S. foreign policy, and how they are understood by those who lived through them in comparison to younger Americans. How the attacks shattered a post-Cold War sense in the United States that “history had ended,” with the world moving inevitably toward greater freedom and prosperity. Whether the "Global War on Terrorism" reflected the idiosyncrasies of the Bush administration, or something more fundamental about how the United States responds to attacks. How the Bush response to 9/11 compares to Franklin D. Roosevelt's response to Pearl Harbor. Why the United States found it so hard to leave Afghanistan and Iraq, and how mission creep turned those military campaigns into open-ended nation-building projects. How "liberal fundamentalism" shaped an overconfident belief that American values could be easily applied to other, complicated societies. Why Americans tend to treat foreign policy as a solvable problem rather than a set of chronic issues to be managed. The fate of the Jeffersonian impulse in American foreign policy, and what lessons Mead hopes 2028 presidential candidates will take from the legacy of September 11. Mentioned on the Episode: Walter Russell Mead, Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World, Knopf Walter Russell Mead, Power, Terror, Peace, and War: America’s Grand Strategy in a World at Risk, Knopf Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago, Harper & Row Walter Russell Mead, “The Return of Geopolitics: The Revenge of the Revisionist Powers,” Foreign Affairs George F. Kennan (“X”), “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” Foreign Affairs “The National Security Strategy of the United States of America (September 2002),” The White House For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-the-us-got-wrong-in-the-war-on-terror Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
- 2 weeks ago31 min
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, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Stephen Sestanovich, George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies, CFR We Discuss: What is actually known about CIA Director John Ratcliffe's unannounced trip to Moscow, and how the visit became public. Whether Ratcliffe's conspicuous arrival by military aircraft across the Latvian border suggests the publicity was deliberate rather than a failed attempt at secrecy. Competing explanations for the visit's purpose, from warning Russia against escalation to sending a message on Iran. How unusual it is for a CIA director to make such a trip, and how it compares to Bill Burns's 2021 visit to Moscow. How the intended audiences for the visit may include not just the Kremlin but also Russian and European elites, as well as the U.S. Congress as it weighs a new Russia sanctions bill. Whether the trip is part of an effort to relieve domestic political pressure on Donald Trump, who faces demands to get tough on Russia. How the Trump administration has struggled to reconcile firmness toward Russia with openness to diplomacy, including ambiguity surrounding the Alaska summit and a proposed tripartite summit. Mentioned on the Episode: Vladimir Putin, with Nataliya Gevorkyan, Natalya Timakova, and Andrei Kolesnikov, First Person: An Astonishingly Frank Self-Portrait by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, PublicAffairs Barak Ravid, “CIA Director Ratcliffe Floated Trump-Putin-Zelensky Summit During Moscow Visit, Sources Say,” Axios “Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 (S.1241),” U.S. Congress For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/the-cia-directors-not-so-secret-trip-to-moscow Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
- 3 weeks ago34 min
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, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Steven A. Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, CFR We Discuss: Who, if anyone, is winning the six-month war with Iran, and how freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's ability to menace its neighbors, and its incentives to pursue a nuclear weapon have all evolved. Why the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program remains unknown, and why Tehran now has every incentive to dash toward weaponization. How the war's decapitation strikes produced leadership change rather than genuine regime change, leading to a situation in which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the hardest of Iran’s hardliners now call the shots in Tehran. Whether the supposed split between Iranian "moderates" and "hardliners" is real or a Western construct that makes the regime more intelligible. What President Donald Trump's "economic D-Day" is meant to achieve, and why it remains uncertain that economic isolation will lead to regime collapse. Whether U.S. bluster carries real costs, and how doubts about U.S. credibility have pushed Gulf partners to look elsewhere for their security. What the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey actually signals, and whether it represents an alternative to an American-sponsored regional order rather than a true Article 5-style pact. Why the United Arab Emirates was left out of the Mecca agreement, and what the rift between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh reveals about fractures within the Gulf. Where the region is headed as the U.S.-led Middle East order comes to an end, and whether a diminished U.S. role and greater regional agency is a good thing. Mentioned on the Episode: Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East, Oxford University Press Steven A. Cook, “The U.S.-Led Middle East Order Is Over. The Mecca Agreement Proves It.,” Council on Foreign Relations Steven A. Cook, “After Iran, It’s Time for the United States to Leave the Middle East,” Foreign Policy Marc Lynch, “The End of the American Middle East: Iran and the Last Gasp of a Failed Order,” Foreign Affairs Robert Kagan, “Iran Unleashed,” The Atlantic For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/six-months-of-war-with-iran Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
- Aug 19, 202633 min
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, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Michael C. Horowitz, Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation and Director of the Defense and National Security Program, CFR We Discuss: Whether news reports of a serious depletion of U.S. high-tech weapons stocks are accurate, and how far inventories have been drawn down. The distinction between defensive interceptors, such as Patriot and THAAD, and offensive standoff weapons, such as Tomahawks and ATACMS, and how long each takes to produce. How the roots of the munitions crisis trace back to decisions in the 1990s—including the "Last Supper" defense industry consolidation—that prioritized quality over quantity. Why President Donald Trump's argument that the shortage stems from Biden-era weapons transfers to Ukraine misses deeper structural causes. How chokepoints—from Chinese rare-earth dominance to consolidated tier-two and tier-three suppliers—make ramping up production slow and costly. Why the Pentagon has been slow to shift its acquisition strategy despite nearly a decade of warnings about renewed great power competition, and how "not invented here" attitudes compound the problem. Whether budget austerity would spur innovation or choke it, and how "precise mass" could revitalize U.S. capabilities within a two-year window. How much the current drawdown threatens deterrence at a moment when the United States is left without an aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific. Mentioned on the Episode: Rush Doshi, Erin D. Dumbacher, William Henagan, Michael C. Horowitz, and Samuel Lazarus, “Out of Ammo: A Two-Year Sprint to Rebuild the American Arsenal and Deter China,” Council on Foreign Relations “One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1),” U.S. Congress Michael C. Horowitz, “Battles of Precise Mass: Technology Is Remaking War—and America Must Adapt,” Foreign Affairs Erin D. Dumbacher, Michael C. Horowitz, and Lauren Kahn, “Will Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful’ Defense Spending Last?” Council on Foreign Relations For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/washingtons-missile-shortage Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
- Jul 22, 202633 min
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, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Will Freeman, Fellow for Latin America Studies, CFR We Discuss: What the Trump administration is ultimately seeking to accomplish with its Cuba policy. How secondary sanctions differ from the existing trade embargo. What life on the ground in Cuba looks like today, with a mass economic crisis including widespread malnutrition and near-total electricity blackouts. Whether ordinary Cubans blame the United States or their own government for the crisis. Whether Cuba's government is attempting to pivot toward a China-style state capitalist system. What Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA) is, why it controls so much of Cuba's economy, and who actually benefits from it. Whether the Trump administration's pressure is targeting GAESA directly. Why a Venezuela-style external coup or regime collapse is harder to engineer in Cuba. Mentioned on the Episode: "Cuba's 176 Market-Liberalization Measures," NBC News, June 20, 2026 "July 11, 2021 Protests in Cuba," WOLA, July 2022 "Miami Herald Investigation: GAESA's Secret Dollar Reserves," Miami Herald, August 6, 2025 For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/maximum-pressure-on-cuba Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
- Jul 15, 202634 min
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 importance of the relationship, and what it could take to put it back on track. Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Sadanand Dhume, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, CFR We Discuss: Why U.S.-India relations have been uncertain since mid-2025 after having slowly strengthened over many years. How the second Trump administration’s early actions and India’s multipolar diplomacy forced substantive confrontations thatTrump and Modi’s personal relationship could not overcome. Why U.S.-India trade negotiations stalled and the Trump administration imposed tariffs, despite India repeatedly offering concessions. How the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict and Trump’s claim of forcing a ceasefire put Modi in a domestic political bind. How Pakistan’s prominent role in brokering the U.S.-Iran ceasefire has amplified Indian anxieties about a U.S.-Pakistan thaw. Why Trump’s talk of a Group of Two with China undermines its strategic desire to strengthen India as a counterweight to Chinese power. What the state of the Quad—an informal security dialogue among the United States, Australia, India, and Japan—and the United States’ de-emphasis of the Indo-Pacific framework reveal about U.S. strategy in Asia. How Modi is normalizing ties with China and whether there is a limit to normalization given the Himalayan border dispute and China’s efforts to constrain India’s growth. How India’s dependence on Russian arms has fallen over time, and why India is increasingly skeptical that Russia can act independently of China. Why Modi has resisted domestic political pressure to challenge Trump, and what that restraint reveals about India’s calculation of its long-term national interest. Where the greatest opportunity lies to rebuild the U.S.-India relationship, and why tech cooperation and Silicon Valley represent the most natural and promising place to start. Mentioned in the Episode: “How People in 24 Countries View India,” Pew Research Center Mathew George, Katarina Djokic, Zain Hussain, Pieter D. Wezeman, and Siemon T. Wezeman, “Trends In International Arms Transfers, 2024,” Stockholm International Peace Research Institute For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
- Jul 8, 202638 min
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, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Alvin Wang Graylin, Senior Fellow for Technology, Asia Society; Digital Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; Professor of AI/Tech Policy, University of Washington We Discuss: Whether the framing of an AI "race" with China is accurate or helpful, and why it may be producing costly policy distortions. The concept of AGI (artificial general intelligence) and the thesis that underpins U.S. policy. China's focus on broad industrial adoption over frontier model development. How U.S. export controls and visa restrictions spurred the innovations behind DeepSeek. Why China turned down the offer to purchase NVIDIA H200 chips. Why Beijing regulates AI more extensively than either the United States or Europe. The Trump-Xi discussions on AI safety guardrails and the shared interest in preventing non-state bad actors from weaponizing AI. The economic bubble risk posed by rapidly rising data center costs. Mentioned on the Episode: China's "AI Plus" Initiative, State Council of China, August 2025 China's New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, State Council of China, 2017 For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/the-myth-of-the-ai-race Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
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About The President’s Inbox
A rising China. War in Europe. A warming planet. The United States faces a complex and rapidly changing world. The President’s Inbox goes beyond the headlines as host James M. Lindsay speaks with leading experts about how the United States should respond to global challenges and opportunities that are shaping the future.
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