On September 12, I traveled with my colleague Michael Brendan Dougherty to Washington, D.C., for a broad discussion and debate focused on some of the thorniest challenges the United States faces abroad: “World in Crisis: National Security Priorities for the Next Administration.”

Michael was joined by Dan Caldwell, from the think tank Defense Priorities, on “Team Restraint.” John Callahan, an adjunct professor with the Institute of World Politics, joined me on “Team Energetic Foreign Policy.” Both Michael and I are grateful to the Institute of World Politics and National Review Institute for hosting this event and to the Lafayette Company for helping to put it together.

For those of you who want to skip around to the highlights, here are some time stamps to help you navigate the debate:

4:40: Opening statements.

19:30: The war in Ukraine and U.S. policy toward Russia.

36:20: U.S.-Israel relations after the 10/7 massacre and America’s posture toward Iran.

52:35: Is there a cold war with China, and what can be done about it?

1:06:15: Questions from the audience.