Foreign Policy Live

Ian Bremmer on One Year of Trump 2.0

What is driving U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy in his second term? Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer says it is the “law of the jungle ... it’s always been about power.” Bremmer sits down with Ravi Agrawal to share his assessment of Trump 2.0 and what the coming months could look like. Plus, Ravi’s One Thing on U.S universities and immigration. New York Times: Chinese Universities Surge in Global Rankings as U.S. Schools Slip [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/us/harvard-global-ranking-chinese-universities-trump-cuts.html] Steven A. Cook: Faulty Assumptions About Iran Have Driven a Failed U.S. Policy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/15/faulty-assumptions-about-iran-have-driven-a-failed-u-s-policy/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=ZmF1bHR5LWFzc3VtcHRpb25zLWFib3V0LWlyYW4taGF2ZS1kcml2ZW4tYS1mYWlsZWQtdS1zLXBvbGljeQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Marc Lynch: Why a U.S. Attack on Iran Would Backfire [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/14/american-attack-iran-backfire-trump-protests/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=YW1lcmljYW4tYXR0YWNrLWlyYW4tYmFja2ZpcmUtdHJ1bXAtcHJvdGVzdHM=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] A. Wess Mitchell: The Grand Strategy Behind Trump’s Foreign Policy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/14/trump-western-hemisphere-national-security-strategy-geopolitics-china-russia-venezuela-greenland-spheres-of-influence/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtd2VzdGVybi1oZW1pc3BoZXJlLW5hdGlvbmFsLXNlY3VyaXR5LXN0cmF0ZWd5LWdlb3BvbGl0aWNzLWNoaW5hLXJ1c3NpYS12ZW5lenVlbGEtZ3JlZW5sYW5kLXNwaGVyZXMtb2YtaW5mbHVlbmNl&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Oliver Stuenkel: The EU-Mercosur Deal Is a Hedge Against the Donroe Doctrine [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/14/eu-mercosur-trade-deal-trump-donroe-doctrine/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=ZXUtbWVyY29zdXItdHJhZGUtZGVhbC10cnVtcC1kb25yb2UtZG9jdHJpbmU=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] The Atlantic: Is the Iranian Regime About to Collapse? [https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/01/iran-revolution-protests-collapse/685578/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Case for Trump’s Venezuela Plan

What comes next after U.S. President Donald Trump’s shocking capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro? Does Trump have a day-after plan? Most experts say no. But FP columnist Matthew Kroenig disagrees, arguing in a recent piece for Foreign Policy that a plan is coming into focus. He shares his take with Ravi Agrawal. Plus Ravi’s One Thing on the nationwide protests in Iran. Alireza Nader and Nik Kowsar: Iran’s Currency Crisis Could Be the Regime’s Downfall [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/09/iran-protests-rial-currency-economy-crisis/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aXJhbi1wcm90ZXN0cy1yaWFsLWN1cnJlbmN5LWVjb25vbXktY3Jpc2lz&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Matthew Kroenig: Trump Has a Strategy for Venezuela [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/07/trump-venezuela-democracy-oil-transition/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtdmVuZXp1ZWxhLWRlbW9jcmFjeS1vaWwtdHJhbnNpdGlvbg==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Matthew Kroenig: Two Cheers for the National Security Strategy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/11/national-security-strategy-trump-economic-political-democracy/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bmF0aW9uYWwtc2VjdXJpdHktc3RyYXRlZ3ktdHJ1bXAtZWNvbm9taWMtcG9saXRpY2FsLWRlbW9jcmFjeQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Matthew Kroenig: Trump Should Oust Maduro [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/07/trump-maduro-venezuela-democracy-intervention/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtbWFkdXJvLXZlbmV6dWVsYS1kZW1vY3JhY3ktaW50ZXJ2ZW50aW9u&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Vasabjit Banerjee and [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/07/venezuela-military-army-strikes-politics/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dmVuZXp1ZWxhLW1pbGl0YXJ5LWFybXktc3RyaWtlcy1wb2xpdGljcw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod]Maria I. Puerta Riera [https://foreignpolicy.com/author/maria-i-puerta-riera/]: Venezuela’s Military Won’t Surrender Its Privileges Easily [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/07/venezuela-military-army-strikes-politics/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dmVuZXp1ZWxhLW1pbGl0YXJ5LWFybXktc3RyaWtlcy1wb2xpdGljcw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] David Ignatius: Trump Might Have His Hubris Checked in Venezuela [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/06/trump-venezuela-military-operation-hubris/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtdmVuZXp1ZWxhLW1pbGl0YXJ5LW9wZXJhdGlvbi1odWJyaXM=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Venezuela’s Future and Other Conflicts to Watch in 2026

Comfort Ero joins FP Live for her annual analysis of the 10 conflicts to watch this year [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/31/10-conflicts-2026-gaza-ukraine-venezuela/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=MTAtY29uZmxpY3RzLTIwMjYtZ2F6YS11a3JhaW5lLXZlbmV6dWVsYQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod].  Plus Ravi’s One Thing on the stunning capture of Nicolás Maduro and the future of Venezuela. Ravi Agrawal: 5 Unanswered Questions About Trump’s Venezuela Plan [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/05/trump-venezuela-operation-unanswered-questions-maduro-international-law/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtdmVuZXp1ZWxhLW9wZXJhdGlvbi11bmFuc3dlcmVkLXF1ZXN0aW9ucy1tYWR1cm8taW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbC1sYXc=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Comfort Ero and Richard Atwood: 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2026 [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/31/10-conflicts-2026-gaza-ukraine-venezuela/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=MTAtY29uZmxpY3RzLTIwMjYtZ2F6YS11a3JhaW5lLXZlbmV6dWVsYQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Casey Michel: Annexing Greenland Would Be a Strategic Catastrophe [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/06/greenland-annex-trump-denmark-strategic-catastrophe/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Z3JlZW5sYW5kLWFubmV4LXRydW1wLWRlbm1hcmstc3RyYXRlZ2ljLWNhdGFzdHJvcGhl&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Christopher Sabatini: Trump Has No Real Plan for Venezuela [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/04/venezuela-maduro-trump-machado/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dmVuZXp1ZWxhLW1hZHVyby10cnVtcC1tYWNoYWRv&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Emma Ashford: Venezuela Might Be Where Trump’s Luck Runs Out [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/05/venezuela-trump-us-military-intervention-regime-change-south-america/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dmVuZXp1ZWxhLXRydW1wLXVzLW1pbGl0YXJ5LWludGVydmVudGlvbi1yZWdpbWUtY2hhbmdlLXNvdXRoLWFtZXJpY2E=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Jesse Marks: Trump’s Venezuela Attack May Give China Cover on Taiwan [https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/06/china-taiwan-maduro-venezuela-sovereignty-norms/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2hpbmEtdGFpd2FuLW1hZHVyby12ZW5lenVlbGEtc292ZXJlaWdudHktbm9ybXM=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Looking Ahead to 2026

We begin 2026 with a look ahead. New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker joins host Ravi Agrawal to share his take on what’s to come in the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Looking Back at 2025

New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker sits down with Ravi Agrawal for a 2025 review. What have we learned from the first year of the Trump administration’s second term? And how have the White House’s foreign-policy choices in particular differed from previous presidencies? Vanity Fair Exclusive: Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the “Junkyard Dogs”: The White House Chief of Staff on Trump’s Second Term (Part 1 of 2) [https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]