Foreign Policy Live

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]

Will the U.S. Attack Venezuela?

Tensions continue to rise off the coast of Venezuela as U.S. President Donald Trump orders a blockade on sanctioned ships to and from the country. James Story served as the U.S. ambassador in Caracas under both the Trump and Biden administrations, and he shares his predictions on what might happen next.  Plus Ravi’s One Thing on India, Pakistan, and 2025’s great U.S. policy pivot.  Keith Johnson: Trump’s Venezuela Fixation Is Not About the Oil [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/02/trump-venezuela-fixation-oil-regime-change-maduro/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtdmVuZXp1ZWxhLWZpeGF0aW9uLW9pbC1yZWdpbWUtY2hhbmdlLW1hZHVybw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Alexandra Sharp: Trump Intensifies Pressure Campaign on Venezuela [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/01/trump-us-military-boat-strikes-venezuela-caribbean-hegseth-war-crimes/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtdXMtbWlsaXRhcnktYm9hdC1zdHJpa2VzLXZlbmV6dWVsYS1jYXJpYmJlYW4taGVnc2V0aC13YXItY3JpbWVz&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Emma Ashford and Evan Cooper: Trump Should Stick to His Guns on Venezuela [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/26/trump-resist-regime-change-venezuela/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtcmVzaXN0LXJlZ2ltZS1jaGFuZ2UtdmVuZXp1ZWxh&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec&tpcc=fpl_pod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The New (Sovereign) Wealth of Nations

Is the growth of sovereign wealth funds, especially in the Middle East, transforming geopolitics? Jared Cohen, co-head of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute, sat down with FP’s Ravi Agrawal to discuss why sovereign funds are so pivotal today.  Note: This discussion is part of a series of episodes brought to you by the Goldman Sachs Global Institute.  Jared Cohen and George Lee: The New Wealth of Nations [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/03/instrumental-capital-sovereign-wealth-funds-gulf/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aW5zdHJ1bWVudGFsLWNhcGl0YWwtc292ZXJlaWduLXdlYWx0aC1mdW5kcy1ndWxm&pid=CW3657086] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

One-on-one with Hillary Clinton

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sits down with Ravi Agrawal in front of a live audience at the annual Doha Forum in Doha, Qatar. The two discussed the Trump administration’s just-released National Security Strategy, the impacts of U.S. foreign policy around the world, women’s rights, how Democrats can revive their fortunes, and also a controversy over remarks Clinton recently made about why young Americans are shifting their views on Israel.  Plus: Ravi’s One Thing on Trump’s National Security Strategy Ravi Agrawal: Hillary Clinton: ‘Congress Has Abdicated Its Responsibility’ [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/08/hillary-clinton-doha-forum/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aGlsbGFyeS1jbGludG9uLWRvaGEtZm9ydW0=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Rishi Iyengar and Christina Lu: Trump’s New National Security Strategy Goes Full ‘America First’ [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/05/trump-national-security-strategy-america-first/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtbmF0aW9uYWwtc2VjdXJpdHktc3RyYXRlZ3ktYW1lcmljYS1maXJzdA==&pid=CW3657086] Nathalie Tocci: Does Europe Finally Realize Its Alone? [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/05/national-security-strategy-2025-trump-europe-russia-ukraine-war/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bmF0aW9uYWwtc2VjdXJpdHktc3RyYXRlZ3ktMjAyNS10cnVtcC1ldXJvcGUtcnVzc2lhLXVrcmFpbmUtd2Fy&pid=CW3657086] Daniel W. Drezner: Foreign-Policy Fantasy Literature [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/21/inside-situation-room-us-foreign-policy-clinton-yarhi-milo-trump/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=aW5zaWRlLXNpdHVhdGlvbi1yb29tLXVzLWZvcmVpZ24tcG9saWN5LWNsaW50b24teWFyaGktbWlsby10cnVtcA==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

How Critical Minerals Explain Trump’s Policy

Name a consistent throughline in the Trump administration’s foreign policy. The answer could very well be the global scramble for critical minerals. What are they and why are they so important? Why is China so far ahead and how can the United States catch up? Mining expert Gracelin Baskaran sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Plus Ravi’s One Thing on Trump’s attacks on boats off the coast of Venezuela. Ravi Agrawal: The Minerals That Drive Trump’s Global Agenda [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/02/the-minerals-that-drive-trumps-global-agenda/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dGhlLW1pbmVyYWxzLXRoYXQtZHJpdmUtdHJ1bXBzLWdsb2JhbC1hZ2VuZGE=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Christina Lu: Trump’s Chaotic Agenda Has a Critical Through Line [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/26/trump-rare-earth-critical-mineral-resource-ukraine-greenland-canada/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtcmFyZS1lYXJ0aC1jcml0aWNhbC1taW5lcmFsLXJlc291cmNlLXVrcmFpbmUtZ3JlZW5sYW5kLWNhbmFkYQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Rishi Iyengar: The Countries Courting Trump With Critical Minerals [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/28/trump-critical-minerals-deals-rare-earths-list-japan-china/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtY3JpdGljYWwtbWluZXJhbHMtZGVhbHMtcmFyZS1lYXJ0aHMtbGlzdC1qYXBhbi1jaGluYQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Alasdair Phillips-Robins: Xi May Have Miscalculated on Rare Earths [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/24/rare-earths-china-export-controls-miscalculated/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cmFyZS1lYXJ0aHMtY2hpbmEtZXhwb3J0LWNvbnRyb2xzLW1pc2NhbGN1bGF0ZWQ=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Patrick Schröder: Why Rare Earths Are About to Cost a Lot More [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/27/rare-earths-price-export-controls/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cmFyZS1lYXJ0aHMtcHJpY2UtZXhwb3J0LWNvbnRyb2xz&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Rachel Oswald: Republicans Criticize Hegseth for Deadly Caribbean Double Strike [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/02/republicans-criticize-hegseth-caribbean-strike/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cmVwdWJsaWNhbnMtY3JpdGljaXplLWhlZ3NldGgtY2FyaWJiZWFuLXN0cmlrZQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Emma Ashford and Evan Cooper: Trump Should Stick to His Guns on Venezuela [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/26/trump-resist-regime-change-venezuela/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtcmVzaXN0LXJlZ2ltZS1jaGFuZ2UtdmVuZXp1ZWxh&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Ellen Knickmeyer: U.S.-Led Regime Change Is Usually Disastrous [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/01/venezuela-iraq-regime-change-trump/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dmVuZXp1ZWxhLWlyYXEtcmVnaW1lLWNoYW5nZS10cnVtcA==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Keith Johnson: Trump’s Venezuela Fixation Is Not About the Oil [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/02/trump-venezuela-fixation-oil-regime-change-maduro/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtdmVuZXp1ZWxhLWZpeGF0aW9uLW9pbC1yZWdpbWUtY2hhbmdlLW1hZHVybw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]