Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy
Summary
Ross Douthat interviews Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, who defends the Trump administration’s “flexible realism” foreign policy. Colby argues that the U.S. is successfully pressuring allies to increase defense spending while pursuing a strategy of denial against China and degrading Iran’s military capabilities. He rejects claims of stalemate in the Middle East and emphasizes that European nations are now taking greater responsibility for their own security in the Ukraine conflict.
Topics discussed
Introduction and guest background
Defining the Trump administration's grand strategy
China policy, Taiwan, and the first island chain
Military strategy and maritime warfare capabilities
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Middle East strategy: Iran conflict and regional stability
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Russia-Ukraine war and European defense burden sharing
NATO 3.0 and European military industrial base
Canada relations, Mark Carney, and the Monroe Doctrine
Realism in foreign policy and alliance dynamics
Conclusion and final ad break
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