Podcast / American Prestige / Jan 13, 2026

Can American Power Be Redeemed?

On American Prestige: Shadi Hamid on American hegemony and whether it can be a force for good.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Can American Power Be Redeemed? w/ Shadi Hamid | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek are joined by Shadi Hamid, columnist at The Washington Post and author of The Case for American Power, to talk about American hegemony and Hamid’s argument for it as a morally preferable and potentially reformable force in international politics. They discuss Gaza and the crisis of liberal internationalism, democracy and self-correction, American decline, China and Russia, intervention and restraint, the Middle East exception, Libya and “humanitarian war,”and whether it is possible to separate the “good” uses of American power from the bad.

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Donald Trump boards Air Force One before departing Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan on January 13, 2026.

Donald Trump boards Air Force One before departing Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan on January 13, 2026.

(Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)

Danny and Derek are joined by Shadi Hamid, columnist at The Washington Post and author of The Case for American Power, to talk about American hegemony and Hamid’s argument for it as a morally preferable and potentially reformable force in international politics. They discuss Gaza and the crisis of liberal internationalism; democracy and self-correction; American decline, China and Russia; intervention and restraint; the Middle East exception; Libya and “humanitarian war”; and whether it is possible to separate the “good” uses of American power from the bad.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Can American Power Be Redeemed? w/ Shadi Hamid | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek are joined by Shadi Hamid, columnist at The Washington Post and author of The Case for American Power, to talk about American hegemony and Hamid’s argument for it as a morally preferable and potentially reformable force in international politics. They discuss Gaza and the crisis of liberal internationalism, democracy and self-correction, American decline, China and Russia, intervention and restraint, the Middle East exception, Libya and “humanitarian war,”and whether it is possible to separate the “good” uses of American power from the bad.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Daniel Bessner

Daniel Bessner is an historian of US foreign relations, and cohost of American Prestige, a podcast on international affairs.

Derek Davison

Derek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.

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