Episodes

  • The King's Visit, Trump's China Trip & US-Iran

    The King's Visit, Trump's China Trip & US-Iran
    May 14 2026
    King Charles visited the White House — and it went exactly as planned. But did it actually matter? In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, we break down King Charles's state visit to the United States, what it reveals about how the British government has learned to work with Trump, and why the royal charm offensive doesn't necessarily translate into real policy wins for the UK. We also cover: Trump's upcoming visit to China and what's at stakeThe latest from the US-Iran conflictThe growing political crisis facing Keir Starmer back home The special relationship is alive — but is it useful? Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 13 May, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Follow and Support our work: https://isd.georgetown.edu/ / gudiplomacy / institute-for-the-study-of-diplomacy / gudiplomacy 🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations. #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #History
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    21 mins
  • Historian Amy Greenberg on The Mexican-American War: America's Forgotten Conflict | Road to 250

    Historian Amy Greenberg on The Mexican-American War: America's Forgotten Conflict | Road to 250
    May 7 2026
    In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with Dr. Amy Greenberg, professor at Penn State and author of A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico, to explore one of the most consequential — and least remembered — wars in American history. We trace the origins of the Mexican-American War from the Texas Revolution and the annexation debate, through James K. Polk's deliberate provocation of conflict, to the rogue diplomacy of Nicholas Trist, whose defiance of presidential orders ultimately shaped the modern American Southwest. Topics covered: How US settlers in northern Mexico set the stage for Texas independenceWhy Texas remained unannexed for nearly a decadeJames K. Polk: the first "dark horse" president and the architect of Manifest DestinyThe deliberate start of war — and Polk's lies to CongressAbraham Lincoln's spot resolutions and the rising anti-war movementThe forgotten figure John Hardin and his connection to Lincoln's riseThe US occupation of Mexico City and the "All of Mexico" movementNicholas Trist's defiant negotiation of the Treaty of Guadalupe HidalgoWhy there is no monument in Washington, DC to this war — and why America forgot it 📚 A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln and the 1846 U. S. Invasion of Mexico: https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-War-Lin... Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 7 May, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Follow and Support our work: https://isd.georgetown.edu/ https://www.instagram.com/gudiplomacy/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-the-study-of-diplomacy/ https://twitter.com/GUDiplomacy 🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations. #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #History
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    39 mins
  • Historian Lindsay Chervinsky on the Monroe Doctrine & John Quincy Adams | America at 250

    Historian Lindsay Chervinsky on the Monroe Doctrine & John Quincy Adams | America at 250
    Apr 23 2026
    In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, host Kelly McFarland sits down with presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, to explore one of the most consequential partnerships in American foreign policy history: James Monroe and his Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams. They dig into the origins of the Monroe Doctrine, why Adams famously turned down a British alliance offer, and what it actually meant to declare the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European imperial expansion in 1823. From the Adams-Onís Treaty to the Greek War of Independence, this conversation reveals just how much of early American foreign policy was shaped by Adams' extraordinary global experience — and why his vision remains remarkably relevant today. Topics covered: The Monroe-Adams partnership and the post-War of 1812 landscapeThe Adams-Onís Treaty and the acquisition of FloridaThe origins and three components of the Monroe DoctrineWhy did Adams reject the British alliance offer Adams' famous July 4th address: "America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy"John Quincy Adams' presidency and his forward-thinking approach to Latin American alliancesWhy the Monroe Doctrine keeps coming back — and why context matters Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 20 April, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy 🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations. #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #History
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    26 mins
  • Iran Talks, Hungary's Election Surprise & the Shifting Global Order

    Iran Talks, Hungary's Election Surprise & the Shifting Global Order
    Apr 16 2026

    In this episode, Kelly and Tristan break down two major stories shaping the world right now - Iran and Hungary.

    Topics covered:

    • U.S.-Iran nuclear talks collapse — why a deal may leave America worse off than before the war
    • The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and the China wildcard
    • Viktor Orbán voted out after 16 years — what it means for the EU and Ukraine
    • Is the global backlash against right-wing populism growing?

    Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 14 April, 2026.

    Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

    For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy

    🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations.

    #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #History
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    24 mins
  • History Professor on James Madison and the War of 1812 | Diplomatic Immunity

    History Professor on James Madison and the War of 1812 | Diplomatic Immunity
    Apr 9 2026

    In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, host Kelly McFarland sits down with Dr. Tyson Reeder, assistant professor of history at Brigham Young University and author of Serpent in Eden: Foreign Meddling and Partisan Politics in James Madison's America (Oxford University Press, 2024 — winner of the 2025 George Washington Prize). Together, they explore the presidency of James Madison as part of our 2026 Road to 250 series, examining key turning points in American foreign policy.

    Topics covered:

    • Who was James Madison and how did he shape early American foreign policy?
    • The Embargo of 1807 — Madison's brainchild and spectacular failure
    • The causes of the War of 1812: Impressment, westward expansion, and partisan politics
    • How foreign powers like Britain and France manipulated American domestic politics
    • The war's inconclusive end and what the U.S. actually gained
    • The road from Madison to the Monroe Doctrine
    • How this destructive cycle of foreign meddling nearly left the founding charters in ashes

    Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 3 March, 2026.

    Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

    For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy

    🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations.

    🎙️ Check out our previous episode: Road to 250: Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy with Frank Cogliano

    Book mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07KGG8HSB

    #ForeignPolicy #JamesMadison #AmericanHistory #Warof1812 #Diplomacy #History
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    34 mins
  • Road to 250: Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy

    Road to 250: Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy
    Mar 30 2026

    In this episode of the Road to 250 series, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with Professor Frank Cogliano of the University of Edinburgh to explore Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy and its lasting impact on America's role in the world.

    Topics covered:

    • The Federalist vs. Democratic-Republican divide over foreign policy
    • Jefferson's "Empire of Liberty" — how he reconciled expansion with Republican ideals
    • The Barbary Wars and Jefferson's willingness to use military force
    • The Haitian Revolution and Jefferson's contradictions on liberty and slavery
    • The Louisiana Purchase and the constitutional debate it sparked
    • The Embargo Act of 1807 and economic statecraft as an alternative to war
    • Jefferson's foreign policy legacy: idealism, pragmatism, and the origins of American multilateralism

    About the guest: Frank Cogliano is a professor at the University of Edinburgh specializing in early American history and the age of Thomas Jefferson. He is the author of Emperor of Liberty: Thomas Jefferson's Foreign Policy (Yale University Press, 2014).

    Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 11 March, 2026.

    Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy

    🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations.

    🎙️ Check out our previous episode: U.S. foreign policy during the Revolution and early Republic with Katherine Statler

    #ForeignPolicy #ThomasJefferson #AmericanHistory #LouisianaPurchase #Diplomacy #History

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    37 mins
  • Georgetown Professor on the War in Iran

    Georgetown Professor on the War in Iran
    Mar 19 2026

    Two weeks into Operation Epic Fury, we break down what's happening, what went wrong, and where this is all heading.

    In this conversation:

    • The unclear end goals: regime change, nuclear disarmament, or ballistic missile elimination?
    • Who's really driving this — the U.S. or Israel?
    • The Strait of Hormuz crisis and why the economic fallout was entirely predictable
    • How Gulf States like Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE are caught in the crossfire
    • Rising oil and food prices hitting pocketbooks worldwide
    • The Houthi wildcard and potential Red Sea disruptions
    • Why this war may actually push Iran closer to a nuclear weapon
    • What Putin gains while the world looks away from Ukraine
    • Can Trump just declare victory and walk away?

    Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on March 17, 2026.

    Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy

    🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations.
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    33 mins
  • Munich Security Conference 2026: Rubio, Europe's Future & Iran Strike Coming?

    Munich Security Conference 2026: Rubio, Europe's Future & Iran Strike Coming?
    Feb 26 2026

    In this episode, we break down the major takeaways from the Munich Security Conference, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a notably softer speech than last year's JD Vance address—but the underlying message remains the same. We analyze speeches from Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Scholz, and others as Europe grapples with its "vacation from history" and debates its future role on the world stage.

    We also discuss the first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, Trump's claim that it will "look over the United Nations," and what this means for international institutions. Finally, we examine the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf as a potential strike on Iran looms—is this a negotiating tactic or the prelude to regime change?

    Topics Covered:

    • Munich Security Conference: Rubio, Macron, Scholz & the future of Europe

    • Board of Peace: Gaza reconstruction or UN replacement?

    • Iran: Analyzing the armada and what comes next

    Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 24, 2026.

    Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy

    🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations.
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    32 mins