H.R. McMaster
Retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and Hoover Institution senior fellow. He hosts Hoover’s Today's Battlegrounds, interviewing leaders and experts on international affairs and security.
France’s Political Fragmentation Deepens Its Debt and Security Challenges
Former French ambassador Philippe Étienne argues that France’s political fragmentation is making it harder to address mounting debt and competing demands for public spending, while raising the prospect of a 2027 presidential run-off between the populist right and left. In a discussion with H.R. McMaster, he warns that deeper polarization could weaken social cohesion and complicate France’s response to European security challenges, including Russia’s efforts to divide Western democracies and the need to sustain support for Ukraine.
The Declaration Made Independence a Risky Decision, Not an Inevitable Outcome
Michael Auslin, a Hoover Institution distinguished research fellow and author of *National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America*, argues that the Declaration’s significance lies partly in the uncertainty surrounding its creation: in 1776, the colonies had no guarantee they would win the war or remain united. He traces how an improvised act of separation became a lasting standard for judging whether government acts legitimately.
Russia’s Repression Reveals the Limits of Putin’s Claim to Popular Support
Vladimir Kara-Murza argues that the Kremlin’s repression of opponents undermines its claim that Russians support Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. In a discussion with H.R. McMaster, he says Western governments repeatedly accommodated Putin as he tightened control at home and expanded aggression abroad, and urges them to target regime officials while supporting Russians who oppose the government.