H.R. McMaster on America’s Foreign-Policy Choices

No audio? Hover over the video player, and tap the Click to Unmute button.

Already an FP Subscriber?

On-demand recordings of FP Live conversations are available to FP subscribers.

H.R. McMaster served as former President Donald Trump’s national security advisor for all of 13 months. In a new book, At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House, he candidly describes his old boss’s flaws and foreign-policy foibles. But McMaster is also critical of the Biden administration on a range of issues, particularly how it has handled Afghanistan and Iran.

McMaster is a military historian who served in the military for 34 years. He joined FP Live to describe how he assesses global threats and crises and what the White House needs to do to combat them.

Video clips from this event

  • McMaster weighs in on the first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris: “very performative rather than formative.”

  • McMaster explains that he doesn’t want to endorse a candidate because of his military service and because he trusts the American voters to read the record.

  • Strongmen like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping know how to push Trump’s buttons, and so McMaster prepped him by playing to his contrarian nature.

Read the Transcript

United States President Donald Trump sits at a table in a dark suit and red tie to the right of National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster.

The Harris-Trump Debate Taught Us Very Little About U.S. Plans for the World

H. R. McMaster, a former national security advisor, opens up on the global issues he wished the candidates would discuss.

Insider  |  Ravi Agrawal

Go to the FP Live Podcast page

Prefer to listen? Follow the FP Live podcast for the entire conversation, plus other in-depth discussions, wherever you get your podcasts.

Related

Upcoming

Back to the FP Live landing page

 Discussions

On-Demand from FP Live

The Trump-Xi Summit

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to great fanfare but left with little to show for it. What does the Trump-Xi summit reveal about the balance of power between the world’s two biggest economies?

China scholar Rana Mitter joined FP Live’s Ravi Agrawal to debrief on what was gained from this diplomatic mission.

Watch Now

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

Is Russia the Winner in Iran?

While much of the world is suffering from the spike in energy prices, Russia has enjoyed a rare windfall from increased oil revenues. Alexander Gabuev argues that U.S. President Donald Trump’s moves in Iran and Venezuela are not only a boon to Russian interests but also will push Moscow into a deeper partnership with Beijing. The director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal to explain how Russia is navigating a moment of particular global flux.

Watch Now

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

Inside Iran

How are regular Iranians coping with months of war and economic pressure? How have U.S. and Israeli attacks changed their perception of their own government? Journalist Ali Hashem spent weeks in Tehran since the war began and argues that Iran’s current leaders have adapted and unified over the course of the conflict. Hashem sat down with FP Live’s Ravi Agrawal to discuss what he’s been seeing and hearing in the country.

Watch Now

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

FP Live: The Ask-Me-Anything Edition

On a special ask-me-anything episode, regular host Ravi Agrawal will take stock of a world at war. What does the Iran conflict mean for the global economy or traditional alliances? More than a year into U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, how are world leaders navigating his leadership? And what of the U.S.-China relationship? FP Live’s executive producer, Dana Sherne, turned the tables on Agrawal, taking questions from FP subscribers and viewers alike.

Watch Now

  1. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

  2. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews.

    ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER?

Foreign Policy’s forum for live journalism, convening experts and world leaders.

Contact FP Live

Enter your email address to manage your FP Live notifications preferences.

Manage your FP Live notifications preferences:

Your email address:

Not You? Log Out

All FP Email Preferences Subscribe

H.R. McMaster on America’s Foreign-Policy Choices

Add to Calendar:

Loading graphics