Stephen M. Walt

Stephen M. Walt is a columnist at Foreign Policy and the Robert and Renée Belfer professor of international relations at Harvard University.

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Articles by Stephen M. Walt
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and US President Donald Trump walk through the Cross Hall to the East Room on their way to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and US President Donald Trump walk through the Cross Hall to the East Room on their way to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

Trump Has No Idea How to Do Diplomacy

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
A woman walks past a billboard, put up by the Coalition for Regional Security, displayed in Tel Aviv on June 26.
A woman walks past a billboard, put up by the Coalition for Regional Security, displayed in Tel Aviv on June 26.

Meet the New Middle East, Same as the Old Middle East

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Donald Trump holds gold scissors as he prepares to cut a red tape tied between two stacks of papers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Dec. 14, 2017.
Donald Trump holds gold scissors as he prepares to cut a red tape tied between two stacks of papers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Dec. 14, 2017.

Trump’s Missed Opportunities Are Piling Up

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
U.S. President Donald Trump kisses Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after addressing a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025 in Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump kisses Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after addressing a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025 in Washington.

Why Trump Keeps Betraying His Base

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
People use their phones to take a photo of the empty space on a wall of portraits.
People use their phones to take a photo of the empty space on a wall of portraits.

How Trump Will Be Remembered

Essay
Stephen M. Walt
President Donald Trump and his national security team meet in the Situation Room of the White House, Saturday, June 21, 2025.
President Donald Trump and his national security team meet in the Situation Room of the White House, Saturday, June 21, 2025.

The War for Trump’s Ego

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in front of a map of the Middle East during a press conference at the Government Press Office (GPO) in Jerusalem on September 4, 2024.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in front of a map of the Middle East during a press conference at the Government Press Office (GPO) in Jerusalem on September 4, 2024.

Israel Can’t Be a Hegemon

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
A TV screen shows a clip from the Ukraine's Operation "Spider's Web" inside Russian territory during a news conference at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington on June 4, 2025.
A TV screen shows a clip from the Ukraine's Operation "Spider's Web" inside Russian territory during a news conference at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington on June 4, 2025.

Ukraine’s Drone Attack Doesn’t Matter

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
U.S. President Donald Trump attends the U.N. Climate Action Summit at U.N. headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23, 2019.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends the U.N. Climate Action Summit at U.N. headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23, 2019.

The Realist Case for Global Rules This article has an audio recording

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Donald Trump leaves after a meeting with EU officials at EU headquarters, on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels on May 25, 2017.
Donald Trump leaves after a meeting with EU officials at EU headquarters, on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels on May 25, 2017.

How Europe Should Deal With Trump

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
The U.S. flag over the White House is lowered to half-staff.
The U.S. flag over the White House is lowered to half-staff.

How the United States Can Regain the World’s Trust

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after spending the weekend at Mar-a-Lago.
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after spending the weekend at Mar-a-Lago.

How to Ruin a Country

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Donald Trump looks up as he sits beside China's President Xi Jinping during a tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing on Nov. 8, 2017.
Donald Trump looks up as he sits beside China's President Xi Jinping during a tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing on Nov. 8, 2017.

Asia Is Getting Dangerously Unbalanced

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks before a capacity crowd at a rally for his campaign on April 10, 2016 in Rochester, New York.
Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks before a capacity crowd at a rally for his campaign on April 10, 2016 in Rochester, New York.

Trump Is Not a Revolutionary

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Donald Trump holds solar eclipse glasses.
Donald Trump holds solar eclipse glasses.

What I Got Wrong About Trump’s Second Term

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
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