Baker School and Brookings Institution Discuss Foreign Affairs with Bob Corker
Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School) Professor Krista Wiegand opened the school’s final installment of a lecture series examining key issues at stake during the 2024 presidential election with a simple question. “Why should Americans care about foreign affairs?
The question was posed to Bob Corker, a former U.S. Senator from Tennessee who chaired the Senate Foreign Relations committee from 2015 to 2019, during a fireside chat with Wiegand and Brookings Institution Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Program Suzanne Maloney. In his answer, Corker asked the audience to think locally, suggesting if something violent was happening down the road from the UT campus, the administration and citizens of UT would be very concerned that violence might spread to reach the University’s boundaries and impact its citizens. Corker said that is the lens Americans should view foreign affairs through, noting that the U.S. makes up about 4 percent of the world’s population and 26 percent of its gross national product. Trade and free passage around the world enable this country to generate the standard of living Americans are used to, so what happens in the world impacts our daily life.
As the discussion continued, Maloney and Wiegand asked questions critical to foreign issues, including U.S.-China relations, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict in the Middle East. Corker said the conflicts must be a priority for the upcoming administration. He sees Ukraine as being the defining moment in the next 12 to 18 months, believing a settlement is possible, while our rivalry with China will continue for years as it has been. Corker said he believes the conflict in the Middle East will be determined by Israel’s prime minister and what he does, but that the U.S. will have some supporting role.
Corker was asked how the next administration, no matter who it is, should prioritize these conflicts. His answer was that they all need to be a priority as they directly impact the quality of life for people in the U.S.
For the second portion of the night, Wiegand was joined by Brookings’ Visiting Fellow for the Center on the United States and Europe Tara Varma, and Brookings’ Senior Fellow and Director of Research Michael O’Hanlon. Executive Editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel Joel Christopher moderated the panel, asking each panelist what they believed was the biggest challenge facing the U.S.
Wiegand pointed to the tension rising surrounding China and Taiwan. With the U.S. and China’s relationship deteriorating over the last few years, she only sees that continuing unless something drastic happens. O’Hanlon agreed that China demands the most vigilance. However, he believes we can manage that situation if we can maintain good policy. In doing so, the U.S. focus its attention to two leaders that he feels are more reckless – Vladimir Putin in Russia and leaders in Iran.
Varma’s concerns are on a broader scope, which she approached as a question of whether the U.S. wants its alliances and partnerships. The answer, which she believes would be different for each of the presidential candidates, will influence the outcomes of the conflict the U.S. is facing. Wiegand used an example regarding China and Taiwan to show how the two administrations would differ and what the effects would be.
The U.S. has no formal partnership with Taiwan; however, it has articulated that if they are attacked, America would support them. Wiegand noted this understanding was driven by steadfast alliances in that region. If Vice President Kamala Harris were elected, Wiegand said such conflict would likely result in military engagement in coordination with allies. If former President Donald Trump were elected, it would be difficult to predict a response as he has spoken about isolating the U.S. from international affairs. Something that would set a precedent, impacting our allies, partnerships, and adversaries. Our allies would be left to handle conflicts on their own, which could have far reaching impacts. Wiegand said adversaries of the U.S. are watching the election closely and could see that as an open door to move forward with other intrusions.
Varma believes that Europeans must be prepared to do a lot more work, no matter what the outcome of the election. In her campaign, Harris has spoken about wanting the U.S. partnerships to grow and is committed to security guarantees. Trump’s rhetoric takes a more concerning approach, something Varma believes Americans and Europeans should not look past. Based on comments during his campaign, Varma said the security of Europe would be threatened if Trump is elected.
Both Corker and the panel of experts agree that if the U.S. isolates itself, or makes a threat of it, it could trigger or provoke adversaries into action. Regardless of which administration is in office, the experts believe it is in the best interest of the American people to continue to nurture and develop alliances and partnerships.
Watch Senator Corker and the panel’s discussion on the Baker School’s YouTube channel here.