Trump’s Tariffs, China and Nationalism | Walter Russell Mead w' Deputy PM John Anderson

Apr 8, 2025
Join John Anderson as he speaks with Walter Russell Mead, distinguished historian and foreign policy expert, recorded on April 8, 2025. As President Trump escalates his tariff war—threatening a 50% hike on China—Mead unravels the strategy behind this divisive move. Their dialogue spans the potential consolidation of American authority, the transformation of global trade, and the erosion of the post-World War II framework.

Mead delivers a detailed geopolitical analysis, illuminating Trump’s objectives, Australia’s strategic position in a volatile Indo-Pacific, and the implications of China’s expanding naval presence. The discussion extends to Mead’s work, The Arc of a Covenant, which traces the deep U.S.-Israel connection amid evolving global currents. Offering perspectives on sovereignty, economic upheaval, and America’s role in world leadership, this episode provides a vital lens on the forces redefining our era.

Walter Russell Mead is the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at Hudson Institute, the Global View Columnist at The Wall Street Journal, and the James Clarke Chace Professor of Foreign Affairs and Humanities at Bard College in New York. He is also a member of Aspen Institute Italy and board member of Aspenia.

Before joining Hudson, Mr. Mead was a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations as the Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy. He has authored numerous books, including the widely-recognized Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2004). His latest book is entitled The Arc of A Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Future of the Jewish People.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0:00 - Introduction and Trump’s Tariff Escalation
3:32 - Analyzing Trump’s Consolidation of Power
10:22 - Decline of the Post-War Global Framework
15:26 - Economic Impacts: Inflation and Disruption
27:15 - Tariffs as a Strategic Fiscal Tool
34:47 - Australia’s Role in Indo-Pacific Tensions
43:55 - China’s Military Expansion and Taiwan
54:52 - Beijing’s Perspective on Trump’s Strategy
1:03:07 - U.S.-Israel Relations in Trump’s Era
1:09:35 - America’s Path: Renewal or Decline

Trump’s New World Order: Tariffs, China and Nationalism | Walter Russell Mead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3KeZkDkJ_Q