Hi, I'm Ravi Agrawal, Foreign Policy's Editor-in-Chief. This is FP Live.

It is January and it is 2026. Happy, happy new year. Now, I've taped this episode a couple of weeks earlier, and this is part two of our annual

Toofur, looking back and ahead.

Today, the things to watch in 2026.

As I mentioned last time, so much of geopolitics today is dependent on which way Washington

goes.

So we're bringing back Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent of the New York

Times to talk about his beat and what he sees in his crystal ball. Now, Peter's covered six

U.S. presidencies, and 2026, he says, is shaping up to be a fascinating and potentially pivotal year.

The United States will turn 250. It will have midterm

elections in November, which may change the balance of power in Congress, and therefore maybe

add some checks and balances to anything President Donald Trump does. And the U.S. will also host,

with Canada and Mexico, the Soccer World Cup, an event that

will test not only relations in North America, but also bring to the forefront the issue of

immigration, as the Trump administration imposes travel restrictions. So without further ado,

let's dive in. Peter, welcome back to the show.

Thank you for having me. Happy New Year.

Happy New Year to you as well. And I should make clear we're taping this actually on Thursday,

December the 18th. So if something does get dated, there you are. I have to start with the United States and domestic stuff.

How do you think Trump is going to mark the country's 250th anniversary?

Well, I think he couldn't be happier to be the president who's going to be in office when this happens.

He loves nothing more than a big show.

...