Diplomatic Immunity

Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity is a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. We bring you "frank and candid" conversations on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision makers globally. We talk to current and former diplomatic officials, scholars, and analysts and seek to understand how best to foster international cooperation in an age of global crises. Hosted by Dr. Kelly McFarland Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Abdalla Nasef Design by Rebecca McFarland and Alistair Somerville Music by Gabe Swarts This podcast is supported by funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Bridging the Gap Initiative.

Empire, Roosevelt, and Mark Twain with Stephen Kinzer 07/09/2026

Another breakdown in British Politics 06/25/2026

How the Confederacy almost Survived: King Cotton and Queen Victoria 06/18/2026

The World Cup Comes to Trump's America 06/11/2026

The King's Visit, Trump's China Trip & US-Iran 05/14/2026

Historian Amy Greenberg on The Mexican-American War: America's Forgotten Conflict | Road to 250 05/07/2026

Historian Amy Greenberg on The Mexican-American War: America's Forgotten Conflict | Road to 250 In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with Dr. Amy Greenberg, professor at Penn State and author of A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico, to explore one of the most consequential — and least remembered — wars in American history. We trace the origins of the Mexican-American War from the Texas Revolution and the annexation debate, through James K. Polk's deliberate provocation of conflict, to the rogue diplomacy of Nicholas Trist, whose defiance of presidential orders ultimately shaped the modern American Southwest. Topics covered: How US settlers in northern Mexico set the stage for Texas independence Why Texas remained unannexed for nearly a decade James K. Polk: the first "dark horse" president and the architect of Manifest Destiny The deliberate start of war — and Polk's lies to Congress Abraham Lincoln's spot resolutions and the rising anti-war movement The forgotten figure John Hardin and his connection to Lincoln's rise The US occupation of Mexico City and the "All of Mexico" movement Nicholas Trist's defiant negotiation of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Why there is no monument in Washington, DC to this war — and why America forgot it 📚 A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln and the 1846 U. S. Invasion of Mexico: Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 7 May, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Follow and Support our work: 🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations. /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/41209040

Historian Lindsay Chervinsky on the Monroe Doctrine & John Quincy Adams | America at 250 04/23/2026

Historian Lindsay Chervinsky on the Monroe Doctrine & John Quincy Adams | America at 250 In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, host Kelly McFarland sits down with presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, to explore one of the most consequential partnerships in American foreign policy history: James Monroe and his Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams. They dig into the origins of the Monroe Doctrine, why Adams famously turned down a British alliance offer, and what it actually meant to declare the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European imperial expansion in 1823. From the Adams-Onís Treaty to the Greek War of Independence, this conversation reveals just how much of early American foreign policy was shaped by Adams' extraordinary global experience — and why his vision remains remarkably relevant today. Topics covered: The Monroe-Adams partnership and the post-War of 1812 landscape The Adams-Onís Treaty and the acquisition of Florida The origins and three components of the Monroe Doctrine Why did Adams reject the British alliance offer Adams' famous July 4th address: "America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy" John Quincy Adams' presidency and his forward-thinking approach to Latin American alliances Why the Monroe Doctrine keeps coming back — and why context matters Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 20 April, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy 🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations. /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/40980370

Iran Talks, Hungary's Election Surprise & the Shifting Global Order 04/16/2026

History Professor on James Madison and the War of 1812 | Diplomatic Immunity 04/09/2026

Road to 250: Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy 03/30/2026

Georgetown Professor on the War in Iran 03/19/2026

Three-time Pulitzer finalist Anand Gopal on his new book, Days of Love and Rage 03/12/2026

Three-time Pulitzer finalist Anand Gopal on his new book, Days of Love and Rage What happens when ordinary people try to build a democracy from scratch in the middle of a civil war — and what happens when it falls apart? In this episode, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with journalist and author Anand Gopal, a three-time Pulitzer finalist, to discuss his new book Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution. The book follows six individuals in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, where residents overthrew the Assad regime in 2012 and launched a remarkable 18-month experiment in participatory democracy, before inequality, economic crisis, and the rise of ISIS tore it apart. In this conversation: How 50 protesters grew into a citywide movement that toppled a dictatorship The assemblies, newspapers, and civic organizations that emerged from 40 years of authoritarian silence Why economic inequality — not just tyranny — proved to be democracy's greatest threat How ISIS recruited ordinary, secular Syrians through populist rhetoric, not just ideology The role of women in the revolution and the double battle against both the regime and patriarchal norms What Syria's story tells us about radicalization, democratic fragility, and the long arc of revolution Lessons from comparing Syria's struggle to the French Revolution About the Guest: Anand Gopal is a journalist and author who has covered Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria for over a decade. His new book Days of Love and Rage is based on eight years of reporting and nearly 2,000 interviews. It was published on March 3rd. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on March 9, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy 🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations. /episode/index/show/diplomaticimmunity/id/40413975