Jake Sullivan on How Foreign Policy Should Resonate at Home

A conversation on how foreign policy should improve the lives of average Americans and what went and what wrong in US relations with China, Russia, and the Middle East.

Yesterday, former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan joined me in Chicago for an in-depth discussion on foreign policy and the Biden Administration’s efforts to steer a stable course through choppy waters. We talked about Sullivan’s perspective on how foreign policy needs to be focused more centrally on how America’s global engagement can improve the lives of everyday Americans and the policy changes that were necessary to make that real.

We also delved into the Biden administration’s approach towards China — including how to communicate clearly about the risks of changing the status quo with respect to Taiwan; towards Russia — and the efforts to dissuade Russia from launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and, once it did, to ensure it could not succeed; and towards the Middle East — including the efforts to halt the fighting in Gaza.

It was an insightful conversation, with deep introspection about what worked and what didn’t and important contrasts with how the Trump administration is dealing with a similar set of challenges. To watch, click on the picture above.