Caption
A US flag flies off the stern of a tour boat at the Port of Los Angele in California on July 31, 2025. (Getty Images)
Walter Russell Mead
Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship
At A Glance:
Walter Russell Mead is the Ravenel B. Curry III distinguished fellow in strategy and statesmanship at Hudson Institute.
Biography
Walter Russell Mead is the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at Hudson Institute, the Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft with the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida, and the “Global View” columnist at the Wall Street Journal. From 1997 to 2010, Mr. Mead was a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, serving as the Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for US foreign policy from 2003 until his departure. He is a member of Aspen Institute Italy.
His book, Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2004), was widely hailed by reviewers, historians, and diplomats as an important study that will change the way Americans and others think about American foreign policy. Among several honors and prizes, Special Providence received the Lionel Gelber Award for best book in English on international relations in 2002. In 2012, the Foreign Policy Research Institute awarded him its Benjamin Franklin Prize for his work in the field of American foreign policy.
Mr. Mead’s book, God and Gold: Britain, America and the Making of the Modern World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007), is a major study of 400 years of conflict between Anglophone powers and rivals ranging from absolute monarchies like Spain and France through Communist and Fascist enemies in the twentieth century to al-Qaeda today. The Washington Post and the Economist listed it as one of the best books of the year.
His most recent book, The Arc of A Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022), is a bold history of the US-Israel relationship that examines the origins of American support for Israel and the relationship’s impact on past, present and future US policy. Mr. Mead discusses, among other things, the forgotten history of left-wing support for Zionism, the foundation of the state of Israel, the myth of the “Israel lobby” and the rise of the Sunbelt coalition in US politics.
Mr. Mead writes on a wide variety of subjects ranging from international affairs to religion, politics, culture, education and the media. He has contributed to a wide variety of leading American journals ranging from Mother Jones to GQ and frequently appears on national and international radio and television programs.
Mr. Mead is an honors graduate of Groton and Yale, where he received prizes for history, debate, and his translation of New Testament Greek. He has traveled widely in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America, and often speaks at conferences in the United States and abroad. He is a founding board member of New America, and also serves on the board of Aspenia. He is a native of South Carolina and lives in Washington, DC.
Featured Research
23
April 2025
Past Event
Event Update | India’s Role in the Global Economy
Featured Speakers:
Ajay Seth
14
May 2024
Past Event
Motwani Jadeja US-India Dialogue Series | The Defining Partnership of the Twenty-First Century: US-India Relations
Featured Speakers:
08
May 2024
Past Event
The Future of the Atlantic Alliance with David Lammy and Jim Risch
Featured Speakers:
Rt Hon David Lammy
Senator James E. Risch
08
May 2024
Past Event
The Future of the Atlantic Alliance with David Lammy and Jim Risch
Walter Russell Mead, David Lammy, and Jim Risch discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the transatlantic community and the future of the special relationship.
Featured Speakers:
Rt Hon David Lammy
Senator James E. Risch
16
November 2023
Past Event
On War: Thucydides and Current Strategic Dilemmas | Policy Certificate Program
Featured Speakers:
16
November 2023
Past Event
On War: Thucydides and Current Strategic Dilemmas | Policy Certificate Program
The Hudson Institute Political Studies Policy Certificate Program gathers talented early and mid-career professionals for advanced study of public policy and national security led by policy experts and experienced government officials.
Featured Speakers:
27
October 2023
Past Event
Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine
Featured Speakers:
General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Ret.)
Andrew Roberts
29
September 2023
Past Event
India’s Role in a New Pacific Order
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Stephen E. Biegun
Jayant Sinha, MP
Vice Admiral (Ret.) Shekhar Sinha
Moderator:
29
September 2023
Past Event
India’s Role in a New Pacific Order
Join Hudson Institute and the India Foundation for an invitation-only event focused on the role Washington and the American business community can play in strengthening bilateral economic and strategic relationships between the US and India.
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Stephen E. Biegun
Jayant Sinha, MP
Vice Admiral (Ret.) Shekhar Sinha
Moderator:
28
September 2023
Past Event
NATO and the Franco-American Alliance
Featured Speakers:
Muriel Domenach
28
September 2023
Past Event
NATO and the Franco-American Alliance
Join Walter Russell Mead, the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow at Hudson Institute, and France’s ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Muriel Domenach, for a conversation on the Russia-Ukraine War and its implications for European security, the future of NATO and European defense, the transatlantic relationship, and the European and American responses to China.
Featured Speakers:
Muriel Domenach
06
June 2023
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Kurt Campbell
Featured Speakers:
Kurt Campbell
06
June 2023
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Kurt Campbell
On June 6, please join Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council Kurt Campbell and Hudson Institute Distinguished Fellow Walter Russell Mead for a discussion on United States foreign policy and America’s role in the world. Dr. Campbell will offer his perspective on American strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.
Featured Speakers:
Kurt Campbell
08
March 2023
Past Event
Book Talk with Robert Kagan: The Ghost at the Feast
Featured Speakers:
Robert Kagan
08
March 2023
Past Event
Book Talk with Robert Kagan: The Ghost at the Feast
Join Hudson Institute Distinguished Fellow Walter Russell Mead for a discussion with historian Robert Kagan on his new book, The Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900–1941.
Featured Speakers:
Robert Kagan
11
August 2022
Past Event
The Arc of a Covenant: A Conversation with Walter Russell Mead and Michael Doran
Featured Speakers:
25
July 2022
Past Event
Virtual Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Robert Kagan
Featured Speakers:
Robert Kagan
24
June 2022
Past Event
Virtual Event | War, Ukraine, and a Global Alliance for Freedom
Featured Speakers:
Michael R. Pompeo
19
April 2022
Past Event
Virtual Event | The Ambassador’s Series: A Conversation with French Ambassador Philippe Étienne
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Philippe Étienne
17
November 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | Book Talk with Andrew Roberts: The Last King of America
Featured Speakers:
30
April 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | A Conversation with Australian Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos
22
March 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | Is There a Future for the American Middle Class?
Featured Speakers:
Michael Lind
15
March 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | Ambassadors Series: A Conversation with Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu
15
March 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | Ambassadors Series: A Conversation with Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu
Hudson Institute will host Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the United States, for a discussion on U.S.-India relations and Indian foreign
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu
23
February 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | Is “Average” Over? The Information Revolution and the Middle Class
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Tyler Cowen
08
December 2020
Past Event
Video Event | The Ambassador’s Series: A Discussion with Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba
Featured Speakers:
Yousef Al Otaiba
04
December 2020
Past Event
Video Event | World in Danger: A Conversation on the Future of Europe with Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger
04
December 2020
Past Event
Video Event | World in Danger: A Conversation on the Future of Europe with Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger
**__Please be advised: This event will premiere LIVE on this page at 12:00 p.m. EDT, Friday, December 4.__**
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion w
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger
19
November 2020
Past Event
Video Event | James A. Baker III’s Washington: A Conversation with Peter Baker and Susan B. Glasser
Featured Speakers:
Peter Baker
Susan B. Glasser
19
November 2020
Past Event
Video Event | James A. Baker III’s Washington: A Conversation with Peter Baker and Susan B. Glasser
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion with Peter Baker and Susan B. Glasser, coauthors of the recently published The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life
Featured Speakers:
Peter Baker
Susan B. Glasser
11
November 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Grand Strategy in a New Age of Geopolitics with Edward Luttwak
Featured Speakers:
Edward Luttwak
11
November 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Grand Strategy in a New Age of Geopolitics with Edward Luttwak
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion with Edward Luttwak on geopolitical challenges that have emerged in the 21st century
Featured Speakers:
Edward Luttwak
26
October 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Discussing the Future of the Liberal World Order with Robert Kagan
Featured Speakers:
Robert Kagan
26
October 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Discussing the Future of the Liberal World Order with Robert Kagan
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion on the state of the liberal world order and the future of U.S. foreign policy with Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow
Featured Speakers:
Robert Kagan
23
October 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Making the Middle Class Wealthier: A Conversation With Joel Kotkin
Featured Speakers:
07
October 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Senator Tom Cotton
Featured Speakers:
25
September 2020
Past Event
Video Event | What Makes the Middle Class Ticked: A Conversation with Mickey Kaus
Featured Speakers:
Mickey Kaus
23
September 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Senator Marco Rubio
Featured Speakers:
Senator Marco Rubio
23
September 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Senator Marco Rubio
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion with Senator Marco Rubio on U.S. relations with China, Latin America and Iran. The event will also address the
Featured Speakers:
Senator Marco Rubio
21
July 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Boosting the Middle Class and Improving the Environment: A Discussion with Michael Shellenberger
Featured Speakers:
Michael Shellenberger
21
July 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Boosting the Middle Class and Improving the Environment: A Discussion with Michael Shellenberger
**__This event will premiere on this page at 12:00 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, July 21.__**
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion with Michael Shellenberger,
Featured Speakers:
Michael Shellenberger
09
July 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Former Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken
Featured Speakers:
Antony Blinken
09
July 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Former Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken
This event will premiere on this page at 12 p.m. EDT, Thursday, July 8.
Join Hudson Institute for a conversation with former Deputy Secretary of Stat
Featured Speakers:
Antony Blinken
07
July 2020
Past Event
Video Event | China's Attempt to Influence U.S. Institutions: A Conversation with FBI Director Christopher Wray
Featured Speakers:
07
July 2020
Past Event
Video Event | China's Attempt to Influence U.S. Institutions: A Conversation with FBI Director Christopher Wray
**__This event will premiere on this page at 10:30 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, July 7. To submit a question, email [email protected].__**
Join Hudson Institut
Featured Speakers:
11
May 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Discussing the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security with Jake Sullivan
Featured Speakers:
Jake Sullivan
11
May 2020
Past Event
Video Event | Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Discussing the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security with Jake Sullivan
Please be advised: This event will be premiering at 12:00 p.m. EDT, Monday, May 11.
Join Hudson Institute for a discussion on America’s future role
Featured Speakers:
Jake Sullivan
07
April 2020
Past Event
Video Livestream | A Conversation with Ambassador Emily Haber on Germany's Coronavirus Response Efforts
Featured Speakers:
Emily Haber
07
April 2020
Past Event
Video Livestream | A Conversation with Ambassador Emily Haber on Germany's Coronavirus Response Efforts
**__Please be advised: This event will be livestreamed only starting at 9:30 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, April 7.__**
**__If you have questions for our paneli
Featured Speakers:
Emily Haber
03
March 2020
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Kurt Campbell
Featured Speakers:
12
November 2019
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Discussion with U.S. Senator Todd Young
Featured Speakers:
Senator Todd Young
21
October 2019
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy
Featured Speakers:
Senator Chris Murphy
24
July 2019
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
Featured Speakers:
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
14
May 2019
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney
Featured Speakers:
Representative Liz Cheney
25
March 2019
Past Event
The Ambassadors Series: A Discussion with Ambassador Danny Danon
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Danny Danon
19
March 2019
Past Event
The Ambassadors Series: The Romanian Presidency and the European Union
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador George Maior
15
March 2019
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with Jake Sullivan
Featured Speakers:
Jake Sullivan
09
January 2019
Past Event
The Ambassadors Series: Opportunities and Challenges for U.S.-South Korean Relations
Featured Speakers:
Cho Yoon-je
John Walters
09
January 2019
Past Event
The Ambassadors Series: Opportunities and Challenges for U.S.-South Korean Relations
Hudson Institute will host Cho Yoon-je, the Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to the United States, for a discussion about the current state of U.S.-So
Featured Speakers:
Cho Yoon-je
John Walters
27
November 2018
Past Event
The Ambassadors Series: Former Israeli Ambassador Discusses the Evolving U.S.-Israel Relationship
Featured Speakers:
Dore Gold
26
November 2018
Past Event
The Ambassadors Series: British Ambassador Discusses the Evolving U.S.-U.K. Relationship
Featured Speakers:
Sir Kim Darroch
07
November 2018
Past Event
The Ambassadors Series: German Ambassador Discusses the Evolving U.S.-German Relationship
Featured Speakers:
Emily Haber
05
November 2018
Past Event
The Crisis of Freedom in America: A Conversation with Os Guinness
Featured Speakers:
Os Guinness
01
November 2018
Past Event
Melting Pot or Civil War: A Conversation with Reihan Salam on Immigration in the U.S.
Featured Speakers:
Reihan Salam
29
October 2018
Past Event
The Ambassadors Series: French Ambassador Discusses the Evolving U.S.-French Relationship
Featured Speakers:
Gérard Araud
John Walters
04
September 2018
Past Event
The Age of Nationalism: A Conversation with Yoram Hazony
Featured Speakers:
Yoram Hazony
13
July 2018
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Walter Russell Mead
Featured Speakers:
Dan Coats
03
July 2018
Past Event
Mexican Ambassador Discusses the Evolving U.S.-Mexico Relationship
Featured Speakers:
His Excellency Gerónimo Gutiérrez Fernández
26
June 2018
Past Event
Poland, NATO, and the Future of Eastern European Security
Featured Speakers:
The Honorable Anna Maria Anders
28
February 2018
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Senator Chris Coons & Walter Russell Mead
Featured Speakers:
Senator Chris Coons
26
February 2018
Past Event
Taking Stock of Trump’s Foreign Policy After Year One
Featured Speakers:
Rebeccah Heinrichs
29
January 2018
Past Event
Maritime Strategy in a New Era of Great Power Competition
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Seth Cropsey
19
October 2017
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Senator Cory Gardner & Walter Russell Mead
Featured Speakers:
Senator Cory Gardner
19
April 2017
Past Event
Reforming Ukraine: A Conversation with Minister of Finance Oleksandr Danyliuk
Featured Speakers:
Oleksandr Danyliuk
21
February 2017
Past Event
Grand Strategy In The Age of Trump
Featured Speakers:
Eliot Cohen
Hal Brands
21
November 2016
Past Event
The American Moment in the Middle East--from Eisenhower to Trump
Featured Speakers:
Ray Takeyh
21
July 2016
Past Event
Are Plutocrats Drowning Our Republic?
Featured Speakers:
Tyler Cowen
Nils Gilman
Kurt Volker
Jeffrey Winters
21
July 2015
Past Event
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: Senator John McCain & Walter Russell Mead
Featured Speakers:
Senator John McCain
07
May 2015
Past Event
The Islamic State's Religious Cleansing and the Urgency of a Strategic Response
Featured Speakers:
His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan
The Reverend Benedict Kiely
Mark L. Movsesian
Sarkis Boghjalian
Michael J.L. La Civita
His Excellency, Bishop Gregory John Mansour
Kirsten Powers
The Reverend Johnnie Moore
Mindy Belz
Joseph Kassab
07
May 2015
Past Event
The Islamic State's Religious Cleansing and the Urgency of a Strategic Response
Is there any hope that religious minorities can remain in the Middle East? A conference with Nina Shea, Cardinal Dolan, and Walter Russell Mead.
Featured Speakers:
His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan
The Reverend Benedict Kiely
Mark L. Movsesian
Sarkis Boghjalian
Michael J.L. La Civita
His Excellency, Bishop Gregory John Mansour
Kirsten Powers
The Reverend Johnnie Moore
Mindy Belz
Joseph Kassab
18
March 2015
Past Event
Dialogues on American Strategy and Statesmanship: Senator Tom Cotton and Walter Russell Mead
Featured Speakers:
21
January 2015
Past Event
France After the Charlie Hebdo Attacks
Featured Speakers:
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President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on September 29, 2025. (Getty Images)
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Displaced Palestinians move southward in the central Gaza Strip following renewed Israeli evacuation orders on September 18, 2025. (Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Getty Images)
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A protester burns a flare at Place de la Republique during a part of a Bloquons Tout (Let’s Block Everything) demonstration in Paris on September 10, 2025. (Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in the Oval Office on February 13, 2025. (Getty Images)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping greet each other during a welcoming ceremony of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin on August 31, 2025. (Getty Images)
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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is seen with Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, European Central Bank Governor Christine Lagarde, and Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey on August 22, 2025, near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (Natalie Behring via Getty Images)
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(Screenshot via Fox News)