Global Stakes: Trump vs. Harris and the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy

REGIONAL STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL STUDIES PROGRAMME

About the Webinar

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, the webinar explores the potential foreign policy trajectories of presidential candidates Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris. Both candidates are established figures in the international arena, yet each presents distinct characteristics to their prospective foreign policies that merit close examination. Both candidates are expected to maintain a firm stance on China and uphold protectionist policies, but their worldviews and diplomatic styles differ significantly. Trump’s earlier presidency was marked by a transactional and often adversarial stance towards multilateralism, U.S. alliances and global trade. Should he return to office, how might he further advance his “America First” doctrine? Conversely, while Harris is expected to build on Biden’s legacy, her personal and professional experiences and perspectives may introduce deviations from Biden, including a potentially stronger emphasis on progressive and liberal values. This webinar will examine the potential foreign policy directions of both candidates, assessing their impact on U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, U.S.-China relations, and engagement with Southeast Asia, and identify the opportunities and challenges that Southeast Asian countries may face depending on the election outcome.

About the Speaker

Dr Michael Jonathan Green is CEO of the United States Studies Centre in Sydney, Australia and Non-Resident Senior Advisor and Henry A. Kissinger Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington D.C.. He was previously Senior Vice President for Asia at CSIS and is on leave from Georgetown University where he served as Director of Asian Studies and Chair in Modern and Contemporary Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He served on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) at the White House from 2001 through 2005, first as Director for Asian Affairs and then as Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Asia. He is the author of By More Than Providence: Grand Strategy and American Power in the Asia Pacific Since 1783 (Columbia University Press 2017), among other books. His most recent publication is Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Abe Shinzo (Columbia University Press 2022).

Registration

This webinar will be delivered online entirely. To join us, please register here to receive your unique link.

Please note that each registration is good for only one login at any one time during the event.