May 31, 2019
From 'mein Mädchen' to 'leader of the free world,' Angela Merkel is winding down her political career
President Donald Trump was the 2019 commencement speaker at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Thursday.
“In all things and ways, we are putting America first, and it’s about time,” Trump told the graduating class of just under1,000 cadets. “And we are restoring the fundamental principle that our first obligation and highest loyalty is to the American citizen. No longer will we sacrifice America’s interests to any foreign power. We don’t do that anymore.”
Across the country at Harvard University, new graduates heard a very different message on commencement day.
“Changes for the better are possible if we tackle them together,” Germany's Angela Merkel told the graduating seniors in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “If we want to go it alone, we could not achieve much. More than ever, our way of thinking and our actions have to be multilateral rather than unilateral.”
Listen to Julianne Smith's full conversation on PRI's The World.
More from CNAS
-
Navigating the Deepening Russia-China Partnership
Reports
In virtually every dimension of their relationship, cooperation between Beijing and Moscow has increased....
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & David Shullman
-
Navigating the China-Russia Partnership
Video
As Beijing and Moscow continue to pursue military, technological, and political cooperation, how can Washington answer the challenge?...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & David Shullman
-
Engaging the Public on Foreign Policy, with Mayor Frank Scott and Alan Salazar
Podcast
Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. and Alan Salazar join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how their communities in Arkansas and Colorado engage with foreign policy issues...
By Frank Scott, Jr. & Alan Salazar
-
Broadening the Transatlantic Partnership to Address the China Challenge
Commentary
Addressing the China challenge will require broadening beyond the transatlantic partnership and bringing Indo-Pacific partners to the table....
By Carisa Nietsche
