Interesting Times: Elbridge Colby on Trump’s Hard-Nosed Grand Strategy

America’s strategy, according to Elbridge Colby, is shifting from open-ended burden-sharing to flexible realism. In this condensed recap of Ross Douthat’s conversation on Interesting Times with Ross Douthat, you’ll hear how Colby frames Trump’s grand strategy across China, Iran, Europe, and NATO: allies like Germany, Japan, and France should spend more, China should be deterred through a stronger defense posture in the first island chain, and Iran should face sustained military pressure, sanctions, and interdiction. The discussion also explores Russia and Ukraine, Europe’s growing responsibility for conventional defense, and why Colby believes the U.S. is “marking things to market” with allies and rivals alike. If you want a fast breakdown of geopolitics, national security, defense policy, and the future of the alliance system, this summary gives you the key ideas in minutes. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.