Caption
President Donald Trump delivers a speech about the economy at Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern, New York, on May 22, 2026. (Getty Images)
Caption
President-elect Donald Trump during a rally at the DeltaPlex Arena, December 9, 2016 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Grand Strategy is the idea that there is a collection of diplomatic, military, and economic policies that deliberately seek to advance the state's interest abroad. Does the United States have a Grand Strategy in foreign affairs? With or without a Grand Strategy, how should Washington use the tools at its disposal to pursue American interests? In his new book, The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power and the Necessity of Military Force, former State Department official Eliot Cohen expresses skepticism about the cohesive nature of America’s guiding foreign policy principles. Dr. Cohen nevertheless argues that United States foreign policy requires a credible threat—and the occasional use of military force—to be effective.
On Tuesday, February 21, Dr. Cohen joined Hudson Institute Distinguished Scholar Walter Russell Mead for a conversation about Grand Strategy and President Trump with Hal Brands and Charles Edel.
Related Events
15
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How to Transform the Japan Self-Defense Force for Twenty-First-Century Deterrence
Featured Speakers:
David Byrd
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Masashi Murano
15
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How to Transform the Japan Self-Defense Force for Twenty-First-Century Deterrence
Join report authors Bryan Clark and David Byrd, in conversation with Masashi Murano, for a discussion of the report's principal findings and their implications for how Japan should design and resource its future defense force.
Featured Speakers:
David Byrd
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Masashi Murano
15
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Code as Witness: COVID Origins, Scientific Accountability, and Preventing the Next Pandemic
Featured Speakers:
John P. Walters
Steven Quay
Senator Roger Marshall
David Asher
15
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Code as Witness: COVID Origins, Scientific Accountability, and Preventing the Next Pandemic
Join Hudson as David Asher sits down with Dr. Quay for a fireside chat. Senator Roger Marshall, who has been a leading voice for stronger oversight of high-risk biological research, will open the program by framing the stakes for Congress, national security, and public health.
Featured Speakers:
John P. Walters
Steven Quay
Senator Roger Marshall
David Asher
18
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Deterring Russia and China: Securing America’s Nuclear Future
Featured Speakers:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Brandon Williams
18
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Deterring Russia and China: Securing America’s Nuclear Future
Join Senior Fellow and Keystone Defense Initiative Director Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration Brandon Williams for a discussion on the administration's priorities in strengthening the US nuclear enterprise.
Featured Speakers:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Brandon Williams
18
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Advancing American Interests through Trade, Investment, and Commercial Diplomacy: A Conversation with Under Secretary of Commerce William Kimmitt
Featured Speakers:
David Feith
William Kimmitt
Joel Scanlon
18
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Advancing American Interests through Trade, Investment, and Commercial Diplomacy: A Conversation with Under Secretary of Commerce William Kimmitt
Join Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt for a discussion with Senior Fellow David Feith on how the Trump administration’s trade and investment strategy is reshaping economic partnerships with allies across areas like industrial policy, digital services, and strategic competition.
Featured Speakers:
David Feith
William Kimmitt
Joel Scanlon
Related Research
Caption
(Screenshot via Fox Business)
Caption
(Screenshot via Fox News)
Caption
(Screenshot via NewsNation)
