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THE TRUMP TRANSITION: Key Appointees and Global Reaction

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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other world leaders pose for a group photo after the first session of the G-20 Leaders’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other world leaders pose for a group photo after the first session of the G-20 Leaders’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18.

Brazil Puts a Global South Spin on the G-20

The summit in Rio made progress on addressing economic inequality, but Trump’s shadow loomed over the proceedings.

Latin America Brief
Catherine Osborn
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Sept. 26.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Sept. 26.

Biden’s Complicated Ukraine Legacy

A vital but halting supply of military aid has opened up the U.S. president to criticism from all sides.

Situation Report
Amy Mackinnon
Trucks move past cargo containers at a port in Bayonne, New Jersey, on Oct. 15, 2021.
Trucks move past cargo containers at a port in Bayonne, New Jersey, on Oct. 15, 2021.

The Case for Trump’s Tariffs

Conservative economist Oren Cass explains how the president-elect has created an “enormous amount of space for new thinking.”

Insider
Ravi Agrawal
Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 08, 2019.
Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 08, 2019.

Trump’s Executive Picks Are Radical, but Not Unprecedented

The tradition of appointing cabinet leaders who hate their jobs dates back to Ronald Reagan.

Analysis
Julian E. Zelizer

Recent

The World Reacts to Netanyahu’s ICC Arrest Warrant
World Brief
Alexandra Sharp

What in the World?
Quiz
Syd Kuntz

The Enduring Resonance of the Kamikaze Pilot
Dispatch
Alexander Wooley

The Only Way to Achieve Lasting Peace in Ukraine
Excerpt
Eugene Finkel

The Trump Transition

A photo collage illustration shows Donald Trump in profile against red striped background on a beige field. At left is the White House. At right, shipping containers, barricades used in war, and a cloud from a bomb attack in Gaza.
A photo collage illustration shows Donald Trump in profile against red striped background on a beige field. At left is the White House. At right, shipping containers, barricades used in war, and a cloud from a bomb attack in Gaza.

Key Appointees and Priorities

FP’s ongoing updates from staff and contributors.

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi addresses the Republican National Convention from Washington on Aug. 25, 2020.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi addresses the Republican National Convention from Washington on Aug. 25, 2020.

Trump Picks Pam Bondi for Attorney General
DORAL, FLORIDA - JULY 09: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) listens to former President Donald Trump speak at a campaign rally at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 09, 2024 in Doral, Florida. Trump continues to campaign across the country. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
DORAL, FLORIDA - JULY 09: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) listens to former President Donald Trump speak at a campaign rally at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 09, 2024 in Doral, Florida. Trump continues to campaign across the country. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Rubio Could Reshape the U.S. Role in Latin America
Mike Huckabee in a suit and tie stands in front of a stone hotel with arced windows in Israel.
Mike Huckabee in a suit and tie stands in front of a stone hotel with arced windows in Israel.

Trump Picks Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel
Sen. Marco Rubio listens during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 27, 2021.
Sen. Marco Rubio listens during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 27, 2021.

What Trump’s Cabinet Picks Mean for South Asia
U.S. President Donald Trump holds up an official document with people surrounding him.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds up an official document with people surrounding him.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Trump’s Tariffs But Were Afraid to Ask
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

What an Even More Hawkish China Policy Could Look Like

Asia & the Pacific

A commuter on a motorbike covers his face with cloth amid thick smog on a street in Lahore, Pakistan, on Nov. 20.
A commuter on a motorbike covers his face with cloth amid thick smog on a street in Lahore, Pakistan, on Nov. 20.

Toxic Smog Threatens India and Pakistan
South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman

Trump 2.0 Could Give China a Headache in Southeast Asia

Indians Are Seeking Work in War Zones

How Can the West Handle the Taliban?

China

Indian Army personnel at Bumla pass on the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh on Oct. 21, 2012.
Indian Army personnel at Bumla pass on the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh on Oct. 21, 2012.

Why Have China and India Suddenly Come Together?
Argument
Kanti Bajpai

Mass Attacks in China Spark Concern, Censorship

Where Does China Stand With the Next White House?

The New U.S. Arctic Strategy Is Wrong to Focus on China

Middle East & Africa

Displaced Palestinians gather amid tents flooded by heavy rain at a makeshift camp in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Jan. 27.
Displaced Palestinians gather amid tents flooded by heavy rain at a makeshift camp in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Jan. 27.

The U.S. Must Support Gaza Before Winter
Argument
Sarah E. Parkinson, Feroze Sidhwa

To Protect the ICC, Its Chief Prosecutor Must Step Aside

Jihadi Violence Looms Over Ghana’s Election

Anglicanism Is in Its Worst Crisis Since Henry VIII

Europe

People wear white protective suits and gloves with black goggles as they sit aboard a ship.
People wear white protective suits and gloves with black goggles as they sit aboard a ship.

How Britain Poisoned Its Own Soldiers
Review
James Bloodworth

Alan Moore Wants You to Invent Your Own God

New Missiles Won’t Change Ukraine’s Broken War Math

It’s Time for Ukraine to Make the Best Peace It Can

Americas

Milei smiles and waves. A U.S. flag is to the side of him.
Milei smiles and waves. A U.S. flag is to the side of him.

Why Emerging Powers Are Welcoming Trump’s Victory
Analysis
Christopher S. Chivvis, Beatrix Geaghan-Breiner

The Key to a Successful Trump Energy Agenda Is Electricity

The Great Deportation of 2025

5 Bipartisan Actions to Protect America’s Mineral Supply Chains
Foreign-Policy-Paid-Marketing-Election-Liberty-Homepage
Foreign-Policy-Paid-Marketing-Election-Liberty-Homepage

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GRAFENRHEINFELD, GERMANY - JUNE 11: Steam rises from the Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant as electricity pylons stand before it at night on June 11, 2015 near Grafenrheinfeld, Germany. The Grafenrheinfeld plant, which is owned by German utilitiy E.ON and has been in operation since 1981, is scheduled to cease operation later this month on June 27. Germany is withdrawing itself from nuclear energy reliance and has established ambitious goals for increasing its capacity of renewable energy sources. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
GRAFENRHEINFELD, GERMANY - JUNE 11: Steam rises from the Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant as electricity pylons stand before it at night on June 11, 2015 near Grafenrheinfeld, Germany. The Grafenrheinfeld plant, which is owned by German utilitiy E.ON and has been in operation since 1981, is scheduled to cease operation later this month on June 27. Germany is withdrawing itself from nuclear energy reliance and has established ambitious goals for increasing its capacity of renewable energy sources. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

What’s Wrong With Our Environmental Politics?

FP’s Cameron Abadi discusses what the world can learn from contrasting paths toward mitigating climate change, and COP29 takeaways.

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The Case for Trump’s Tariffs
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Geopolitical Risk in a Trump 2.0 World
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How to Navigate Trump’s Foreign Policy
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How History Will View Trump’s Return

FP Insider logo Subscribe for access to exclusive articles, insights, and more

Trucks move past cargo containers at a port in Bayonne, New Jersey, on Oct. 15, 2021.
Trucks move past cargo containers at a port in Bayonne, New Jersey, on Oct. 15, 2021.

The Case for Trump’s Tariffs
Insider
Ravi Agrawal
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, on Aug. 8.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, on Aug. 8.

How Countries and Companies Are Planning for Trump
Insider
Ravi Agrawal
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 31, 2020.
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 31, 2020.

How Much Do Trump’s Personnel Choices Matter?
Insider
Ravi Agrawal

In the Magazine

Current Issue: Fall 2024 Archives
The cover of the Fall 2024 print issue of Foreign Policy magazine.
letters-president-america-election-nicolas-ortega-illustration-3-2
letters-president-america-election-nicolas-ortega-illustration-3-2

Letters to the Next President

No matter who wins the White House, these nine thinkers from around the world would like a word.

Analysis
Catherine Ashton, Jason Bordoff, Arancha González, Martin Kimani, Mark Malloch-Brown, Joseph S. Nye Jr., Danny Quah, Nirupama Rao, Joseph E. Stiglitz

Is 2024 Really the Most Important Election in History?

Democracy—and the global system—might not be so easily dismantled.

Essay
Michael Hirsh

The Top International Relations Schools of 2024, Ranked
Infographic
Irene Entringer García Blanes, Susan Peterson, Michael J. Tierney

Revisiting Chinese Empire
Review
Bethany Allen

FP Columnists

Weekend Reads

A close-up image of Noam Chomsy wearing a dark jacket on a dark background.
A close-up image of Noam Chomsy wearing a dark jacket on a dark background.

Noam Chomsky Has Been Proved Right

The writer’s new argument for left-wing foreign policy has earned a mainstream hearing.

Review
Stephen M. Walt
Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a press conference.
Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a press conference.

Why Mexico Picked a Woman President First
Analysis
Carin Zissis
An Israeli soldier watches settlers build a new house on Aug. 21, 1991 for the expansion of the Jewish settlement in the West Bank city of Hebron.
An Israeli soldier watches settlers build a new house on Aug. 21, 1991 for the expansion of the Jewish settlement in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Settler Colonialism Isn’t What You Think It Is
Review
Ran Greenstein
A man with a dirty face and hands in workman's clothes and cap smokes a cigarette in front of a blue train with Cyrillic type on ti.
A man with a dirty face and hands in workman's clothes and cap smokes a cigarette in front of a blue train with Cyrillic type on ti.

The Soviet Trains That Sidetracked the Baltic States
Analysis
Grant Wyeth

In Case You Missed It

A selection of paywall-free articles

An illustration shows piles of shipping containers and symbols of industry as protectionist islands in a sea.
An illustration shows piles of shipping containers and symbols of industry as protectionist islands in a sea.

America’s Zero-Sum Economics Doesn’t Add Up

Industrial policy and subsidies are nothing new and can be useful. But shutting off from the world will have consequences.

Essay
Adam Posen
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.

A New Multilateralism
Essay
Gordon Brown
Chinese soldiers in Belarus for military training.
Chinese soldiers in Belarus for military training.

Asian Powers Set Their Strategic Sights on Europe
Analysis
C. Raja Mohan
An illustration shows Russian President Vladimir Putin on a television set with spinning lines behind him for a story about Russia's TV propaganda.
An illustration shows Russian President Vladimir Putin on a television set with spinning lines behind him for a story about Russia's TV propaganda.

A Day Inside Putin’s Surreal Television Empire
Analysis
Anastasia Edel
An illustration shows half faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin for a story about a ChiRussia alliance.
An illustration shows half faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin for a story about a ChiRussia alliance.

The China-Russia Axis Takes Shape
Analysis
Bonny Lin
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.

No, the World Is Not Multipolar
Essay
Jo Inge Bekkevold
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.

6 Swing States Will Decide the Future of Geopolitics
Analysis
Cliff Kupchan

Subscribers’ Picks

Donald Trump on a stage at a campaign rally. Behind him are multiple American flags and an image of him with the words "Trump will fix it."
Donald Trump on a stage at a campaign rally. Behind him are multiple American flags and an image of him with the words "Trump will fix it."

The 10 Foreign-Policy Implications of the 2024 U.S. Election

What to think about Trump 2.0.

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Putin visits Russian tank factory
Putin visits Russian tank factory

Russia’s War Economy Is Hitting Its Limits

Key weapons are running out as Moscow tries to mobilize ever more labor and resources.

Analysis
Marc R. DeVore, Alexander Mertens
A long dock stretches into the water at a port in Peru. Massive blue cranes are perched along its length, and one behind the camera has lifted a metal shipping container, so it hangs at the top of the image against a pale gray sky.
A long dock stretches into the water at a port in Peru. Massive blue cranes are perched along its length, and one behind the camera has lifted a metal shipping container, so it hangs at the top of the image against a pale gray sky.

The Belt and Road Isn’t Dead. It’s Evolving.

In Latin America, China is saying goodbye to big bets and bridges in favor of a new approach.

Analysis
Mie Hoejris Dahl
Two people sit on the steps in front of a red door in Beijing. Above them is the Chinese flag.
Two people sit on the steps in front of a red door in Beijing. Above them is the Chinese flag.

Beijing Has Already Prepared for Trump’s Return

China is readying for known challenges and unknown risks.

Analysis
Lizzi C. Lee

Books

Sam Altman speaks into a microphone onstage at an event, flanked on either side by a group of five men and one woman in suits. A screen behind him shows the Open AI logo.
Sam Altman speaks into a microphone onstage at an event, flanked on either side by a group of five men and one woman in suits. A screen behind him shows the Open AI logo.

How Technology Ruined Democracy

Two new books issue fresh warnings about Silicon Valley ahead of the U.S. election.

Review
Rishi Iyengar
A grid of 10 small books and two larger books, all being released in November.
A grid of 10 small books and two larger books, all being released in November.

The Novels We’re Reading in November
Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
The cover of Kevin Rudd's "On Xi Jinping," with an illustrated image of Xi.
The cover of Kevin Rudd's "On Xi Jinping," with an illustrated image of Xi.

What Will a Post-Xi China Look Like?
Excerpt
Kevin Rudd
The book cover for Paper Soldiers by Saleha Mohsin
The book cover for Paper Soldiers by Saleha Mohsin

How the Dollar Became a Double-Edged Sword
Review
Carey K. Mott
The book cover for Quarterlife by Devika Rege
The book cover for Quarterlife by Devika Rege

How Modi’s Rise Divided India’s Young People
Review
Somak Ghoshal
This article is adapted from The CIA: An Imperial History by Hugh Wilford (Basic Books, 384 pp., $35, June 2024).
This article is adapted from The CIA: An Imperial History by Hugh Wilford (Basic Books, 384 pp., $35, June 2024).

Why CIA Conspiracy Theories Won’t Go Away
Excerpt
Hugh Wilford
The book cover for a biography of Lula
The book cover for a biography of Lula

How Lula’s Party Reshaped Brazil
Excerpt
Fernando Morais

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Visual Stories

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US-Election-trump-graphics-voter-turnout-1500x100-HP-override

6 Charts That Explain the 2024 U.S. Election

From the perpetual campaign cycle to turnout, we examined how the Nov. 5 vote compared with those in other countries this year.

Infographic
Claire Schnatterbeck, Anusha Rathi
Four men, three with prosthetic legs, wear bike helmets and t-shirts as they stand in a parking lot, gathered around a bicycle held up by the man second from the right. The sky above is a dim, dark blue; it seems to be either dawn or dusk.
Four men, three with prosthetic legs, wear bike helmets and t-shirts as they stand in a parking lot, gathered around a bicycle held up by the man second from the right. The sky above is a dim, dark blue; it seems to be either dawn or dusk.

Meet the Para-Cyclists Riding for Gaza

The Sunbirds’ story began with tragedy but has evolved into one of resilience.

Dispatch
Jonathan Rashad

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