Ripple Effect

Episode 5: Polarisation, Political Violence and the U.S. Elections

In this episode of Ripple Effect, Michael and Steve talk with Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow at the  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about the state of U.S. democracy and the risk of political violence as the U.S. heads toward the November elections. They break down how we should understand polarisation in U.S. society. They assess the potential risk factors that could contribute to political violence in the run-up and aftermath of the November elections and how they compare to the 2020 elections. They discuss how Washington is navigating the difficult task of promoting democracy abroad while facing its own challenges to its democratic institutions. They also talk about what politicians on both sides of the aisle can do to mitigate the risk of political violence in the near term.

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

For more, check out Rachel’s piece Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States: What the Research Says. You can read more of Crisis Group’s in-depth analysis of the topics discussed in this episode on our United States program page. 

Episode 4: Trump, Biden and the Future of U.S. Multilateralism

In this episode of Ripple Effect, Michael Hanna is joined by Leslie Vinjamuri, U.S. and Americas program director at Chatham House, and Richard Gowan, Crisis Group’s UN director, to talk about how the November elections will affect Washington’s approach to multilateralism and its engagement with the UN. They assess how Washington’s relations with the UN and its partners might change should Donald Trump return to the White House. They also discuss how Trump and Biden might differ in how they would engage with China and Russia at the UN, which countries would welcome a second Trump administration, and what the outcome of the elections could mean for the future of U.S. policy on conflicts and crises around the world.

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Check out Leslie’s op-ed in Foreign Policy, “What Another Trump-Biden Showdown Means for the World”. For more of Crisis Group’s analysis of the topics discussed in this episode, check out our U.S. and Multilateral Diplomacy pages. 

Episode 3: Will Legal Challenges Derail Donald Trump’s Bid for Presidency?

In this episode of Ripple Effect, Steve and Michael talk with Ambassador (ret.) Norm Eisen, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and expert on law, ethics and anti-corruption, about the legal challenges facing Donald Trump in the run-up to the November elections and their potential impact on the ballot. They unpack what’s behind each of the four criminal trials and other litigation currently underway against Trump and whether any of them has the potential to derail his run for the presidency. They look at the risk of a new spike in political violence as Trump’s legal battles unfold. They also discuss how Washington’s allies should navigate the fraught legal environment in the U.S. as the elections draw closer.

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Check out Norm’s latest New York Times monthly column titled “There Is Much More at Stake in Trump’s Manhattan Case Than Just Hush Money”. See also Jack Goldsmith's article in Lawfaree “The Consequences of Jack Smith’s Rush to Trial”. You can find more of Crisis Group’s analysis on U.S. foreign policy on our United States page.

Episode 2: The Future of Republican Foreign Policy

In this episode of Ripple Effect, Steve and Michael talk with Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defence Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. A veteran of the George W. Bush administration and Republican critic of Donald Trump, Kori shares thoughts with Michael and Steve about why Trump’s landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses was not a referendum on Republican foreign policy; how to sell “conservative internationalism” to Trump Republicans; what she finds most worrying about the possibility of a Trump 2.0; what she dislikes about Biden 1.0; and what U.S. allies can do to Trump-proof their foreign policies in advance of the November elections. 

   
Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.    

Check out Kori’s op-ed “The Case for Conservative Internationalism” in Foreign Affairs. You can find more of Crisis Group’s analysis on U.S. foreign policy on our United States page.

Episode 1: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Shadow of the 2024 Elections with Colin Kahl 

In the first episode of Ripple Effect, Steve and Michael talk with Colin Kahl, former under-secretary of defence for policy in the Biden administration, about the United States’ relations with the rest of the world as it moves toward a high-stakes election in November 2024. They discuss the foreign policy that the Biden administration inherited from Donald Trump in 2021, the kinds of changes Trump might make should he return to the Oval Office, and how the United States’ friends and adversaries would greet a second Trump presidency. They also parse how the upcoming election could shape conflict dynamics between Russia and Ukraine, the recent thaw in bilateral relations between the U.S. and China, and even the prospect of a shooting war between the U.S. and Mexico’s drug cartels.  Finally, they look at why the U.S. hasn't joined the global call for a ceasefire in Gaza and the possibilities for U.S. policy shifts as the war’s toll increases. 

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

For more of Crisis Group’s analysis on the topics discussed in this episode, check out our United States page.