In just the first four months of the Trump administration, several pillars of American foreign policy have been upended — USAID dismantled, most foreign aid frozen, and the rules-based international trade system thrown into disarray. Could nuclear policy be next?
To find out, I spoke with Alexandra Bell, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a former senior State Department official on nuclear issues. She breaks down the key decisions facing the administration — and the risks tied to some of the options on the table, particularly around missile defense. We also unpack the state of nuclear diplomacy with Russia and China, and why forcing trilateral arms control talks is likely a dead end.
This conversation is a clear-eyed look at the current state of play in Trump’s nuclear policy — and where it may be headed next.
We recorded this live at the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference. More conversations are coming soon. To catch them live, subscribe below or get the Substack app.
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