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
An actor portrays President George Washington as he poses for a selfie with visitors at the Mount Vernon Estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia, on Feb. 22, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
An actor portrays President George Washington as he poses for a selfie with visitors at the Mount Vernon Estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia, on Feb. 22, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

America Can’t Be Trusted Anymore

Voice
Stephen M. Walt
Donald Trump gestures before a meeting in the Oval Office on Oct. 19, 2017. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Donald Trump gestures before a meeting in the Oval Office on Oct. 19, 2017. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

How to Start a War in 5 Easy Steps

Voice
Stephen M. Walt
John Bolton, then-U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speaks to the media at the U.N. in New York on Nov. 13, 2006. (Michael Nagle/Getty Images)
John Bolton, then-U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speaks to the media at the U.N. in New York on Nov. 13, 2006. (Michael Nagle/Getty Images)

Welcome to the Dick Cheney Administration

Voice
Stephen M. Walt
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un attending an art performance dedicated to nuclear scientists and technicians. (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un attending an art performance dedicated to nuclear scientists and technicians. (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Give North Korea All the Prestige It Wants

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Stephen M. Walt
Vladimir Putin talks to former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev before a press conference in Germany. (JOCHEN LUEBKE/AFP/Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin talks to former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev before a press conference in Germany. (JOCHEN LUEBKE/AFP/Getty Images)

I Knew the Cold War. This Is No Cold War.

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Stephen M. Walt
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the United Nations on Dec. 15, 2017. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the United Nations on Dec. 15, 2017. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The State Department Needs Rehab

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Stephen M. Walt
2018_TRIP_walt
2018_TRIP_walt

America’s IR Schools Are Broken

Feature
Stephen M. Walt
A nuclear bunker in Northern Ireland on February 4, 2016. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
A nuclear bunker in Northern Ireland on February 4, 2016. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

The World Doesn’t Need Any More Nuclear Strategies

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Stephen M. Walt
U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 21, 2017. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 21, 2017. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump’s Sound and Fury Has Signified Nothing

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Stephen M. Walt
(Getty Images/Zak Bickel illustration for Foreign Policy)
(Getty Images/Zak Bickel illustration for Foreign Policy)

The Islamic Republic of Hysteria

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
U.S. President Donald Trump with other world leaders on the first day of the G-20 economic summit on July 7 in Hamburg, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump with other world leaders on the first day of the G-20 economic summit on July 7 in Hamburg, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Who’s Afraid of a Balance of Power?

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Stephen M. Walt
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department on November 20, 2017. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department on November 20, 2017. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Rex Tillerson Is Underrated

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Stephen M. Walt
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 9 in Beijing, China. (Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 9 in Beijing, China. (Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump Isn’t Sure If Democracy Is Better Than Autocracy

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Stephen M. Walt
A member of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) removes an Islamic State flag in the Syrian town of Tabqa on April 30. (DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images)
A member of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) removes an Islamic State flag in the Syrian town of Tabqa on April 30. (DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

What the End of ISIS Means

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Stephen M. Walt
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the military at Joint Andrews Air Force base, Maryland on September 15. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the military at Joint Andrews Air Force base, Maryland on September 15. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The Donald Trump-Kaiser Wilhelm Parallels Are Getting Scary

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Stephen M. Walt
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