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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is poised to become the country’s most powerful public health official. What will his “Make America Healthy Again” movement mean for the future of US health policy? On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down RFK Jr.’s MAHA agenda and how it could reshape government agencies, medical institutions, and Big Pharma. The MAHA-verse is sprawling, bringing together people on both sides of the political spectrum who want to take on big medicine, eliminate processed foods, remove toxins from the environment, and curb vaccine mandates. The MAHA worldview blends traditional wellness ideas with deep skepticism towards the mainstream medical establishment, which can often verge on conspiracy and medical advice at odds with established science—like raw milk and unfluoridated water. Why does it matter? Because Donald Trump has embraced it. Just like MAGA remade the GOP, MAHA could remake healthcare, wielding enormous influence over not just the health department, but also the CDC, FDA, NIH, and USDA.
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
The ex-president has reached a deal with CAA, one of Hollywood's most storied agencies.
What projects can we expect from the Kid from Scranton? #PUPPETREGIME
Ian's Quick Take: Hi everybody. Ian Bremmer here and a Quick Take for today on USAID, the US Agency for International Development, which is in the process of being shut down. Nearly all Washington staff have been put on leave, they're closing missions abroad, the State Department moving to evacuate all staff around the world. Why should we care? Does this matter? This agency was set up back over 50 years ago, 1961, by then President John F. Kennedy, and it was meant to coordinate the distribution of foreign aid for the United States all over the world and differentiate that from military support that was provided by the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the US isn't providing charity, that's not what foreign aid is, that it should be providing support for US national interests. And I agree that it should be providing support for US national interest, but it is important to recognize that actually when USAID was set up, it was set up in part as charity, that President Kennedy's position was that the United States had a moral obligation to support poorer people, and poorer countries around the world. They are fellow human beings, after all, and the United States has historically benefited massively from developing resources all around the world, and frequently, the people that lived in those countries didn't get very much as a consequence, and the US has benefited massively, as have other wealthy countries, from industrialization, and putting carbon into the atmosphere that now poor countries can't do because of climate change, and we're saying, "We need to transition," but the US, of course, has gotten the benefits of that historically.
You know, my view is, I'm okay with charity. I actually think that helping save lives with food and medicine for millions of people and especially babies and children. I mean, even if it did nothing for the United States directly, I would be okay with spending some of the money of American taxpayers on that, especially as opposed to say a war in Afghanistan or the latest sort of bomber program that is expensive and more than the Americans need. So, I push back on the US should never do charity argument. But leaving that aside, you don't need that argument to focus on the importance of USAID.
And I want to, before I get into the national interest side, I do want to say I am empathetic with why it is unpopular. Because at a moment when so many average Americans feel like the US government has not taken care of them, and this is why you see so much backlash against all of the illegal immigrants that have not been addressed by administrations for many years, and why there's so much backlash against the US establishment, whether it's Democrat or Republican, in saying, "What about the average working American? What about our healthcare? What about our public school system? What about things that you should care a lot more about than sending aid to brown people around the world?" Which is essentially what USAID is mostly doing. I get that. And in that regard, it's an easy target for Trump. It's a particularly easy target for Elon Musk. I would ask first, "Why tax cuts for and regulations written by billionaires in the United States before poor people and Americans?" That would be my higher priority if I was really, really angry and antagonized by how badly money is being spent in the US. But that's a different story.
The point is you don't need to make the argument of charity. It is very clear that US foreign aid supports America's economic and national security interests. It is growing markets for consumers, for American businesses and products all over the world. The US has the biggest businesses. It has the biggest market. It benefits the most from other countries around the world having more capacity to sustainably consume and engage with those businesses. America benefits in having more health security by containing disease and pandemics because those diseases and pandemics don't suddenly stop at the American border. The US benefits from aid that reduces insurgencies creating instability that leads to more illegal migration all over the world, many of whom ultimately end up in the United States. It creates more economic opportunity and safety and security in origin countries. And that is a carrot that matters. It's not just about sticks. It's a carrot for economic statecraft that gives the Americans more influence as opposed to say the Russians, or more importantly the Chinese.
Because getting rid of USAID and cutting back on all these programs creates a vacuum. And that is an opportunity for adversaries. I've already seen ministers from large African countries who have their American programs getting cut off, reaching out immediately to their counterparts, ministers in China saying, "Are you willing to send in the programs to replace the Americans that are leaving?" And China doesn't have the economic wherewithal, the Americans do, but they certainly will seize opportunities that are economically useful to them, long-term, because they have a much longer-term perspective on these things than a US administration that's gone in four years. So I worry about that.
I think that USAID has been America's principle interlocutor with civil society in developing countries. And to the extent that we care about those countries having systems that are more aligned with the values and standards that the United States has historically promoted, then you don't want to undermine that and allow the Chinese to come in, which has very little interest in civil society, indifferent to civil society. It's a source of intelligence for the United States. And we've seen that even if it's sometimes uncomfortable for the local governments who aren't necessarily in favor of that. It is true that all USAID projects are probably not going to ultimately be killed, that the State Department is going to take it over and Marco Rubio has said that, "There's a lot of corruption in USAID, and a lot of this money is misspent, and is spent badly, and breaks executive orders," and I am sure that is true, and I am sure that that corruption needs to be addressed. It wouldn't surprise me. The US is an incredibly bloated government system. But shooting first and asking questions later tends to kill innocencts. And that is of course the approach here. And the reality is, that Elon and Trump and their ability to act and be destructive is much greater than the damage control that the secretary of state can do at this moment. And the State Department just does not have the people or the infrastructure to execute on a lot of these programs once USAID is shut down.
And the message that this is really sending to allies is that the United States is an unreliable partner. You cannot count on it. That what they say to you in one administration is not going to be consistent in a second administration, in a way that is not true with other countries, most other countries, around the world. And so I continue to believe, as I did before Trump was inaugurated, that the US is going to see a lot of wins. A lot of countries are going to bend to his will because he's more powerful and he's willing to use that power directly. But that does not mean that the United States will long-term succeed in a law of the jungle approach, an approach which is all stick and no carrot, even when the stick is very, very big, but you can't wield it effectively for a long period of time. And other countries are learning that carrots are kind of smart. I mean, the Chinese originally perfected the all stick and no carrot approach and then saw that the United States was more effective in a lot of countries because they also had economic statecraft. They also had these commercial levers, and so the Chinese started saying, "Oh, we need to figure out how to deliver aid to a lot of these countries, doesn't have to be transparent, can work right with the governments, but ultimately that's going to give us more influence in these countries." And that is something that President Trump and his administration in the early weeks at least seemed to be jettisoning.
So I think this is Pennywise pound foolish. I think it is short-term beneficial to Trump and will look like a win for him and his base and long-term will undermine US power around the world and will of course make the world a less stable place. So on balance, I think this is a problem. It's not something that I think is going to go well. I would love to be proven wrong. I'll be watching it carefully and I think it's a good thing to be debating.
So that's it for me, and I'll talk to you all real soon.
Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.
What does Putin mean when he says Europe "will stand at the feet of the master"?
It means that he loves to troll his adversaries. Don't you remember when he said that he actually thought Biden would be a better president from Russia's perspective than Trump? He trolls. It's all misinformation. It's propaganda. It's all served to undermine and show that he's powerful, and he can say whatever he wants. And of course, he would love to see a fight between the Americans and their allies, whether it's the Nordics on Greenland or it's Canada on 51st state, or it's Panama on the canal, or it's Europe on tariffs. And he wants to undermine the countries that gets a divide and conquer kind of response from Putin. And that is what he is doing when he trolls the Europeans.
What's next for Panama after deciding to exit China's Belt and Road Initiative?
Well, certainly, of all the countries that are facing a deeply asymmetric relationship on the back of threats from President Trump, Panama is high on that list. And they really are trying to find a way to avoid tariffs and avoid the Americans squeezing them on the canal. And an easy way to do that, because they've heard this now directly from Trump and from Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is that the Chinese have too much influence over transit. And that is particularly true through these port facilities that a Hong Kong-based company, read, China, is in charge of. And so, they are opening investigations into the contract and into how they engage there. And they're also saying they'll pull out of Belt and Road. All of that is clearly going to upset and antagonize the Chinese. And I think that the Panamanians are very, very comfortable showing that they are going to orient much more towards the United States, given how much more they rely on the Americans.
How would a potential Turkey defense pact with Syria reshape power dynamics in the Middle East?
Given who's on the ground in Syria and the fact that the Americans are likely to pull out the over 2,000 troops they have there, and that Trump has said it's really up to Turkey to maintain that relationship, they were the ones that were closest to the rebels that ended up defeating, overthrowing Assad's regime. Not surprised at all that that is where the diplomacy is heading. But that doesn't mean that it's going to be stable, and it certainly doesn't mean that the Kurds on the ground are going to be handled well. And that will be what we need to watch carefully. But Turkey, a NATO ally that has a lot of influence across the region and particularly now on the ground with Syria, I think that'll be relatively stable given the support from the United States. That's it for me, and I'll talk to you all real soon.
On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb offers a cautiously optimistic outlook on US policy toward Ukraine under Trump’s leadership. Joining Bremmer on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Stubb highlights his conversations with the Trump administration, emphasizing that the president’s messaging to Putin is firm and strategic. He believes Trump is focused on securing a deal and expresses confidence that any agreement will ultimately benefit Ukraine.
On the issue of territorial concessions, Stubb draws from Finland’s own history, recalling how his country lost 10% of its land to the Soviet Union but retained its independence. While acknowledging the importance of territory, he argues that Ukraine’s priority must be securing its sovereignty and long-term stability. He sees Ukraine’s recent counteroffensive as a strategically valuable, albeit risky, move that strengthens its negotiating position. Ultimately, he insists this is a long game, and ensuring Ukraine’s security beyond the immediate conflict is the primary goal.
Watch full episode: Europe's new future with Trump 2.0
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
As Donald Trump returns to the White House, European leaders are reassessing their reliance on the United States for security and economic stability. In a wide-ranging conversation on GZERO World, Ian Bremmer sits with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. They discuss the evolving role of Europe in an era of shifting alliances, economic uncertainty, and rising geopolitical risks. In other words, Europe's role in a Trump 2.0 era. Stubb expresses cautious optimism about Trump’s approach to Russia and Ukraine but underscores the need for Europe to take greater responsibility for its defense and technological leadership.
Stubb also acknowledges that Europe is facing a moment of reckoning. Leaders like Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte calling for increased defense spending and reduced reliance on U.S. security guarantees. Stubb agrees that Europe must strengthen its strategic position but remains wary of the region’s economic competitiveness, particularly in technology, where the US holds a clear advantage.
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
- Envisioning Europe's path forward with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola ›
- Trump will keep supporting Ukraine but demand more of NATO: report. ›
- Europe's reaction to US election win: Gloom and despair ›
- Meloni joins Trump at Mar-a-Lago — with Europe’s economy on the line ›
- Europe plans for Putin & Trump 2.0 ›
Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: A Quick Take on the US-Canada relationship, which, right now, is on ice. And I don't mean the hockey kind. Trump, the tariff-man, cometh. Some 25% across the board on Canada, on Mexico too, except on Canadian oil, that's only 10%. Why? Why 10% on oil? Because that's actually what makes up Canada's surplus with the United States. So, wouldn't you actually hit that sector harder if you were trying to balance the budget? And the answer is, of course, no. That's like saying Canada's a friend and China's an enemy, and so wouldn't you hit the Chinese harder than the Canadians instead of the Chinese only 10%, the Canadians 25%, Mexico 25%, but that's also not the case. Why? Because China can cause a lot more damage to the United States. And so therefore, President Trump has to be more careful. Canada, Mexico, a lot smaller, much easier to punch down against the Canadians, even if it's technically punching up, given where they sit geographically. And except for oil, where the United States gets 4 million barrels a day, which is much more than the US gets from the rest of the world combined. And that quality of crude, only replaceable in terms of the kind of crude it is from Venezuela with massive sanctions and run by a dictator, and they've destroyed much of their own oil sector, so that's not a capability, which means that the Canadians can't send it anywhere else, the Americans can't buy it anywhere else, but the US is more powerful, so Trump thinks he can get away with it.
So, why? If it's not about oil and it's not really about the trade surplus, then why is it that Trump is doing this? What he says, is it's about fentanyl and illegal migrants, that the Canadians are not policing their border. Again, doesn't make a lot of sense. It makes more sense for Mexico, and again, there's a big question about whether the smartest thing to do is, you know, shoot first and ask questions later, or negotiate credibly first and not undermine the economies, the much weaker economies of your friends. But when it comes to Canada, the argument doesn't make sense at all. Fentanyl, we're talking about on average every year about 10 kilos of fentanyl that is interdicted at the border, which is, by the way, that's every year from Canada. That's less than what you see in Mexico every day. So, it's way under 1% of the total.
Illegal migrants, it's a larger problem from Canada. Here you're talking about roughly 5% of the interdiction on the northern border of illegals coming into the United States compared to 80% from Mexico, and the remainder mostly by sea and occasional air transit. And yes, I'm talking about what is being stopped, not what's getting through, which you can't measure as easily, but it's not like Homeland Security isn't tracking where illegal migrants are actually coming from. And this is not anywhere close to the issue from Canada than it is from Mexico. But that's not really the issue here either because national security issues are more likely to hold up as legal reasons for the US president to invoke IEEPA, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. And so, if you're worried that the court's going to strike down your tariffs because you don't actually have the law behind you, this is the way you couch it.
And also, Trump doesn't really care what arguments he's using. It's to show that he can't and to get his supporters to go with him to make better deals for the US no matter what. But the timing here is strategically horrible for Trump. Canada is at the beginning of an election, and this from Trump is remarkably unifying for the Canadians. Using fake news to justify a trade war and then leaning in to say that Canada can join as a 51st state if they want. Now, there are plenty of Canadians that over the last eight years have supported Trump. Remember the trucker strike, for example. I mean, I certainly see it and I hear it on my trips there, but these are not America First, Canadians. These are Canada First, Canadians, and they don't want the Canadians to fold to Trump. In fact, the only people that I hear saying quietly that they wish the Canadians would fold are the globalists.
They're the corporate and financial elites in Canada that just really want this to go away because it's hurting their profits. And they're trying to find a way to say, "Well, just give him a win. It'll be okay." But I mean, in terms of the average Canadian, no, no, no, no, no, they want their political leaders, whether it's the Conservative Party or the Liberal Party, to stand up to Trump. And that's why you've seen in the last 24 hours, Liberal leaders, whether it's Trudeau, or it's Chrystia Freeland, or Mark Carney, who are the two that are contesting for the premiership, or it's Pierre Poilievre leading the conservative party, or Doug Ford, head of Ontario, who's also a major conservative leader in Canada, and they're all saying the same thing, which is they've got to stand up for Canada, to hit Trump back hard, that they can't take this laying down. And these are also the people that are booing the US National Anthem at hockey games across the country in Canada right now, which I have not seen happen in Canada, frankly, since the US war in Iraq.
I am not someone who opposes tariffs as a matter of course. I think that tariffs can be a useful tool of economic and national security influence. They can help to deal with national security concerns. They can help nudge rebalancing of economies for domestic reasons that matter politically. And we saw some of that during Trump's first term. We saw some of that during Biden's term. But for Trump's first term, he then had strong economic voices internally that were also moderating his behavior, that stopped fights from becoming long-term destructive. People like Robert Lighthizer, who was the US trade rep. Jared Kushner, who was a senior advisor, had a lot of access and influence of course to his father-in-law. Steve Mnuchin, the Secretary of Treasury. That's not remotely the case this time around. That's not what you're seeing from Treasury Secretary Bessent or from Commerce Secretary Lutnick. Much, much weaker, much more divided forces internally.
So instead, you are taking on America's closest friend, most trusted ally, not to mention critically integrated economy with the United States, and you are hitting them in the teeth harder than you are hitting anyone else. And I would argue that this is a big mistake, long-term, for the United States and frankly for everyone but America's adversaries, who will take advantage of weakness of US allies that have been historically very strong, and that have been harder for adversaries to deal with.
So what is it that the United States stands for? And I go back, I think when I was a kid and when I was starting my studies, 1989, Wall comes down, and around the world, people saw that, and they weren't all pro-American, not by a long stretch, but they would still stay that the United States had values, that it was trying to stand for freedom and liberty and a free market economy. Not always consistently, but nonetheless, the general sense that that was something that the United States wanted to be seen as promoting. And today, you go to Canada, or you go to Denmark, or you go to Panama, or you go to Japan, or South Korea, the European Union, you name it, and you ask people what America stands for, and they say, "Power," and they say, "Money," and they specifically say, "Pay for play." And that is penny-wise and pound-foolish for the United States.
And I don't know how US Canada is going to ultimately resolve itself. I don't think it's going to be resolved quickly. I think there will be a lot of economic pain on both sides, a lot more for the Canadians than the Americans because they're in a weaker position, but sooner or later, I think economic interest on both sides will lead to a deal. And I think, I expect that this is not going to lead to a permanent trade war between the Americans and the Canadians, but you would have to go back to pre-war times to find a major country doing more than the US is doing right now, and President Trump is doing right now, to undermine America's closest alliances. That is what's happening here. And I think long-term, this is really not in the interest of the United States, in the interest the American people, and it's certainly not in the interest of having a sustainable and stable world.
So that's it for me. I'll talk to you all real soon and be good.