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This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

President Trump and U.S. Foreign Policy

A second Donald Trump administration faces serious foreign policy challenges. CFR offers a full suite of resources to keep track of developments on critical issues and the U.S. role in the world.

U.S. President Donald Trump attends his inaugural parade inside the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.

Leading Stories

The 2024 Election and Foreign Policy

Trump’s Foreign Policy Views

View our guide to President Donald Trump’s positions on major global issues, including climate change, immigration, and trade.
U.S. President Donald Trump wears a red "Make America Great Again" hat.
  • Tariffs and Trade

    Panelists discuss the potential impacts of President Trump’s proposed trade policies on global supply chains and analyze shifts in U.S. trade policy over the last eight years.

    A truck drives past Cosco and China Shipping shipping containers in the Port of Miami in Miami, Florida.
  • Distinguished Voices Series With H. R. McMaster

    Lt. General (ret.) and former U.S. National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster discusses the geopolitical dynamics that the second Donald Trump administration will confront.

    Lt. General (ret.) H. R. McMaster speaks at CFR in Washington, DC.
  • U.S. Governance and the Presidential Transition

    Experts discuss the importance of a peaceful transfer of power, potential challenges facing the incoming administration, and strategies to prevent leadership gaps in essential roles.

    U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House.

Immigration

The U.S. Immigration Terms to Know

The U.S. immigration system is complex, consisting of various laws, policies, and programs. Here’s what to know about immigration under a second Donald Trump administration.
A Border Patrol agent processes asylum seekers at an improvised camp in California near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Conflict in the Middle East

The Difficult Path Toward Peace

The announced cease-fire and hostage release deal still has many pitfalls. CFR experts discuss what it will take to sustain a truce between Israel and Hamas and next steps.
A Palestinian boy sits near the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Al Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Event

The Role of Tariffs

What Are Tariffs?

Recent U.S. presidents have turned to tariffs to support local industries amid economic confrontation with China. Here’s how these taxes work and how they’ve been used historically.
An employee works at a steel factory in China’s Shandong Province, in January 2024.

Global and Public Health

What Does the World Health Organization Do?

Since its postwar founding, the UN agency has garnered both praise and criticism for its response to international public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
A nurse working with the WHO prepares Ebola vaccines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Climate Change

How the L.A. Fires Show the Need for Climate Realism

The wildfires scorching the region around Los Angeles are likely to be the most expensive in history. But, future climate change-related disasters will certainly top them in cost. Here are some steps to limit the damage.
A U.S flag flies as fire engulfs a structure while the Palisades Fire burns during a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles, California, in January 2025.

The Russia-Ukraine War

How Much U.S. Aid Is Going to Ukraine?

Nine charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.
Ukrainian national flags flutter in front of a heavily damaged apartment building in the frontline town of Orikhiv, Ukraine.

China

Trump’s China Challenge

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the incoming Trump administration’s approach, the central challenge it faces is clear: positioning the United States to outcompete China as a critical window in the competition begins to close.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China.
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