The President’s Inbox

By Council on Foreign Relations

Each episode of The President’s Inbox explores a foreign policy challenge facing the United States.... more

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FAQs about The President’s Inbox:

How many episodes does The President’s Inbox have?

The podcast currently has 390 episodes available.

The President’s Inbox episodes:

June 10, 2026America’s Ebola Preparedness, With Thomas Bollyky
This episode unpacks how a major Ebola outbreak in Central Africa exposed critical gaps in global health surveillance and assesses U.S. preparedness for future biological threats.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
Thomas J. Bollyky, Bloomberg Chair in Global Health; Senior Fellow for International Economics, Law, and Development; and Director of the Global Health Program

We Discuss:
The current state of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and why the case count was already high by the time authorities reported it.
Why governments are often slow to report cases during outbreaks, and what delayed reporting may have cost in this instance.
Why the WHO has discouraged trade and travel restrictions.
How the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO is shaping a more limited response.
Whether China is stepping in to fill the global health leadership gap left by U.S. institutional withdrawal.
What the politicization of mRNA vaccine technology means for the U.S. ability to respond to future outbreaks that require rapid vaccine deployment.
How artificial intelligence creates opportunities to accelerate global health responses, but also introduces new risks like engineered pathogens.

Mentioned on the Episode:

CDC Health Alert: Ebola Disease Outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, May 19, 2026

WHO Disease Outbreak News: Ebola caused by Bundibugyo Virus, DRC and Uganda, May 21, 2026

WHO Declaration of Public Health Emergency of International Concern, May 17, 2026

Bollyky et al., "Assessing COVID-19 pandemic policies and behaviours and their economic and educational trade-offs across US states from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022: an observational analysis," The Lancet

CDC Mobilizes International Response Following Ebola Disease Outbreak, May 18, 2026

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/americas-ebola-preparedness

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.
...more
37min
June 03, 2026America at 250: The Marshall Plan, With Benn Steil
This episode unpacks how the Marshall Plan transformed postwar Western Europe and why security, allied cooperation, and forward thinking were the real keys to its enduring success.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a yearlong series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
Benn Steil, Senior Fellow and Director of International Economics, CFR

We Discuss:
How the British Empire’s rapid collapse in early 1947 forced the United States to assume responsibility for Western European security.
What George Marshall’s six weeks of negotiations in Moscow revealed about Soviet intentions in Germany and Western Europe.
How Marshall deliberately crafted the plan’s offer to include the Soviet Union while ensuring Soviet leader Joseph Stalin would reject it.
How Congress, controlled by Republicans, was persuaded to support a massive foreign aid program from a Democratic administration.
Whether the Marshall Plan's $13 billion actually explains Western Europe’s economic recovery in the late 1940s.
What role NATO played in making the Marshall Plan work, and why the French and British insisted on security guarantees before cooperating.
Why security has to precede economic reconstruction—and what Afghanistan and Iraq reveal about ignoring that lesson.
What Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.’s 1947 prediction about sustained alliances tells us about the stakes of U.S. foreign policy today.

Mentioned on the Episode:

The 10 Best and Worst Decisions in U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations

Benn Steil, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War

George Kennan’s Long Telegram, February 22, 1946

“Sinews of Peace (‘Iron Curtain’ Speech).” at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, March 5, 1946.

Harry Truman, “The Truman Doctrine,” Address to Congress, March 12, 1947

George C. Marshall, Commencement Address at Harvard University June 5, 1947

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-at-250-the-marshall-plan

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.
...more
41min
May 27, 2026Why the U.S. Needs an Africa Strategy, With Michelle Gavin
This episode unpacks how Africa's demographic surge, critical mineral wealth, and expanding security threats are reshaping its relevance to U.S. foreign policy in the twenty-first century.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, CFR

We Discuss:
Why U.S. policy has historically treated engagement with Africa as an option rather than a strategic priority.
How Africa's demographic growth is reshaping its position in the global order.
Why maritime chokepoints around Africa are increasingly critical to global commerce.
How other powers, including China, Turkey, and the Gulf states, are outpacing the United States in building African partnerships.
What Africa's critical mineral resources mean for the green transition and for African domestic politics.
How the United States can balance working with political elites while remaining relevant to broader African publics.
What the diminished U.S. response to the current Ebola outbreak reveals about American policy choices.
Why job creation should be the organizing principle for any coherent U.S. strategy toward the continent.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Michelle Gavin, "The New African Power Map," cfr.org

Michelle Gavin, The Age of Change: How Urban Youth Are Transforming African Politics

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/why-the-us-needs-an-africa-strategy

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.
...more
36min
May 20, 2026What Trump and Xi Didn't Settle in Beijing, With Nicholas Burns
This episode unpacks the key discussion points from the U.S.-China summit, including Taiwan, the Iran war, AI regulation, and the future of U.S.-China relations.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
Nicholas Burns, Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; Former U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (2021–2025)
We Discuss:
Whether the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing represented a genuine diplomatic breakthrough or merely a cooling of tensions without resolving underlying conflicts.
What the dueling U.S. and Chinese post-summit statements reveal about each country's divergent priorities and negotiating strategies.
How significant the summit's economic deliverables—agricultural sales commitments, Boeing aircraft sales, and a potential tariff truce—actually are.
How Xi Jinping's early and deliberate warning about Taiwan set the tone for the summit, and what his decision to leak that statement mid-meeting signals about Chinese tactics.
Whether President Trump's equivocation about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the One China policy constitutes a major strategic mistake and what it means for American credibility with allies in the Indo-Pacific.
What the presence of Putin in Beijing immediately after Trump's visit reveals about Chinese strategic alignments.
Why an emerging U.S.-China dialogue on artificial intelligence regulation could prove to be the most consequential and underappreciated outcome of the Beijing summit.
What concrete benchmarks—from tariff agreements to arms sales to Chinese follow-through on commitments—will determine whether this summit actually put U.S.-China relations on a more stable footing.
Mentioned on the Episode:
"Joint Statement Following Discussions with Leaders of the People's Republic of China (Shanghai Communiqué)" U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian

"President Reagan's Six Assurances to Taiwan" Congressional Research Service

"Readout of President Joe Biden's Meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China" The White House

"Taiwan Relations Act" Pub. L. 96–8, enacted April 10, 1979

"United States-China Joint Communiqué on United States Arms Sales to Taiwan" Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

"U.S.-PRC Joint Communiqué (1979)" U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-trump-and-xi-didnt-settle-in-beijing

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.
...more
36min
May 13, 2026Trump and Xi in Beijing, With Rush Doshi
This episode unpacks President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, the first by a sitting U.S. President in nearly a decade, as the United States and China work through a tense period of détente.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
Rush Doshi, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and Director of the China Strategy Initiative

We Discuss:
Whether the Trump-Xi summit will represent continuity or a new phase in the U.S.-China relationship.
How China assesses the military and economic balance of power with the United States.
What last year's trade war revealed and how it produced the current period of managed competition.
As Rush Doshi puts it: “I don’t think there’s going to be a large structural breakthrough.”
What deliverables the Trump administration is seeking from the summit, and why negotiations are focused on process mechanisms and stability.
How China has responded to the U.S.-Iran war and why it has stayed on the sidelines despite having clear strategic interests.
Why China welcomes U.S. entanglement in foreign conflicts but fears their effects on global trade and resource access.
Why China is more exposed than the United States freedom of navigation threats and naval chokepoints.
Why President Biden never traveled to Beijing, and how China is framing Trump's visit.
Why American CEOs are joining Trump's trip, and what role they play in the summit.
Whether the U.S. and China will negotiate agreements on artificial intelligence and its role in great power competition.
How China has treated seemingly mutually-beneficial crisis communication channels as negotiation ploys in return for U.S. concessions.
Whether Taiwan will be on the agenda, what concessions China is seeking, and how U.S. policy shifts could affect internal Taiwanese politics on unification.
How a so-called Board of Trade and other bilateral mechanisms could formalize a lasting state of managed trade between the two countries

Mentioned on the Episode:

“President Xi Jinping Speaks with U.S. President Donald J. Trump on the Phone” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Evelyn Cheng, “Trump is taking more than a dozen U.S. executives to China. Jensen Huang isn’t one of them,” CNBC

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-and-xi-in-beijing-with-rush-doshi

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.
...more
38min
May 06, 2026The Spillover: Are Prediction Markets Forecasting Tools or Virtual Casinos?
Prediction markets have grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. This episode asks whether they are powerful forecasting tools or gambling platforms in disguise—and what their rise means for how risk and information are priced.

Hosts:

Rebecca Patterson, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Guest:

Christy Goldsmith Romero, Former Commissioner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

We discuss:
How prediction markets are turning the world into a “casino” where you can bet on almost anything, from elections and geopolitics to sports and niche events.
The evolution of prediction markets from academic tools to mainstream platforms shaping finance, politics, and culture.
Why these markets sometimes outperform polls, where they fall short, and how they blur the line between forecasting and entertainment-driven gambling.
As Rebecca Patterson asks: “Are these markets actually useful, or are they just gambling dressed up as forecasting?”
The legal gray areas that are allowing prediction markets to expand so quickly and the growing risk of manipulation and insider bets.
An anecdote from France, where someone allegedly tampered with a weather sensor to manipulate the outcome of a prediction market bet.
How governments and regulators are struggling to keep up.
Whether these markets truly reflect the “wisdom of crowds” or just loud, well-funded players.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Anthony M. Diercks, Jared Dean Katz, and Jonathan H. Wright, “Kalshi and the Rise of Macro Markets,” Federal Reserve Board

“The Future of Financial Services Regulation: A Conversation with CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero,” Brookings Institution

Adam Hoffer and Jacob Macumber-Rosin, “Expanded Sports Betting Legalization Would Generate Billions in Tax Revenue,” Tax Foundation

Andy Serwer, “Charles Schwab CEO Explains Why Investing Works—and Gambling Doesn’t,” Barron's

Want to keep up with The Spillover? Sign up to receive an email alert when new episodes are released.

The Spillover is a production of the Council on Foreign Relations. The opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the hosts and guests, not of the Council, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
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48min
April 29, 2026How to Build an American Foreign Policy, With Michael Mandelbaum
This episode unpacks three enduring pillars that have defined U.S. foreign policy from the nation’s founding to today: ideology, economic statecraft, and democratic accountability.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
Michael Mandelbaum, Professor Emeritus of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Author, The American Way of Foreign Policy: Ideology, Economics, Democracy

We Discuss:
Whether the United States can be said to have a coherent foreign policy "personality".
How geographic and geopolitical advantages have historically enabled a more ideological U.S. foreign policy than most countries can afford.
Whether ideology in U.S. foreign policy represents genuine conviction or merely a veneer for self-interest.
What the post-Cold War era reveals as the "golden age of foreign policy of ideas”.
What drives the persistent American tendency toward economic statecraft, sanctions, and “mirror imaging”.
How public opinion, interest groups, political parties, and elections influence foreign policy decisionmaking.
Whether President Trump's foreign policy fits within—or represents a departure from—the three enduring American traditions in U.S. foreign policy.

Mentioned on the Episode:

The American Way of Foreign Policy: Ideology, Economics, Democracy by Michael Mandelbaum (Oxford University Press, 2025)

Embargo Act of 1807

George W. Bush, Second Inaugural Address, January 20, 2005

Vice President JD Vance, Remarks at the Munich Security Conference, February 14, 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Remarks at the Munich Security Conference, February 14, 2026

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/how-to-build-an-american-foreign-policy

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.
...more
33min
April 22, 2026America at 250: The Spanish-American War, With H.W. Brands
This episode unpacks the causes, key events, and consequences of the Spanish-American War, highlighting how it shaped U.S. foreign policy into the modern era.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a year-long series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
H.W. Brands, Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History, The University of Texas at Austin

We Discuss:
What drove the United States toward assertive foreign policy in the 1890s.
Who the "jingoes" were and how American leaders pushed for American power abroad.
Whether access to China drove American interest in Spain's Pacific empire.
Why the USS Maine explosion changed the political calculus for entering a war with Spain.
What the Teller Amendment accomplished and what its drafters failed to anticipate.
Whether the annexation of the Philippines was ultimately the least-bad option for the Filipino people.
What the Spanish-American War's legacy reveals about how the United States became—and chose to remain—a global power.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Monroe Doctrine, December 2, 1823
McKinley's First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1897
Theodore Roosevelt, Naval War College Address, June 2, 1897
The Teller Amendment, April 19, 1898

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/america-at-250-the-spanish-american-war

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.
...more
39min
April 15, 2026What Comes Next After Failed U.S.-Iran Talks, With Elliott Abrams
This episode unpacks the U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad and the prospect of a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, CFR

We Discuss:
What transpired during the U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad.
Whether both sides abandoned their own preconditions before talks began.
How unusually senior and small the negotiating delegations were.
What the logic and mechanics of the U.S. naval blockade are.
Why other countries have not joined the blockade and may resist it.
What the Arab Gulf states are privately urging Washington to do.
Whether Israel and the U.S. share the same goals regarding the Iranian regime.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026

Harry Sekulich and Kate Whannel, "Starmer Says UK Will Not Join Trump's Blockade of Iran's Ports," BBC

Defense Technical Information Agency, "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities," October 1, 2007

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-comes-next-after-failed-us-iran-talks

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.
...more
33min
April 08, 2026Russia’s Stakes in the Iran War, With Thomas Graham
This episode unpacks the opportunities and risks Moscow is facing amid the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran.

Host:
James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:
Thomas Graham, Distinguished Fellow, CFR

We Discuss:
Whether Russia and Iran are true allies, or simply friends of convenience.
How decades of rivalry and recent convergence shaped the current Moscow-Tehran relationship.
Why Russia's strategic partnership with Iran excludes a mutual defense obligation.
What role Russian intelligence sharing may be playing on the Middle East battlefield.
How rising oil prices help Russia in the short term but carry serious long-term economic risks.
Whether keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed serves Moscow's interest.
How Operation Epic Fury has stalled peace negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war, and complicated weapons supply to Kyiv.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, July 14, 2015

Russia-Iran Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, January 17, 2025

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/russias-stakes-in-the-iran-war

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.
...more
36min

FAQs about The President’s Inbox:

How many episodes does The President’s Inbox have?

The podcast currently has 390 episodes available.

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