For decades, global trade operated under a relatively stable set of rules — but today, that framework is under pressure. Under the second Trump administration, tariffs have expanded, alliances have shifted, and institutions like the World Trade Organization have faced new challenges. What does this rapidly evolving U.S. trade policy mean for everyday Americans, global partnerships, and the future of the international trading system?

Tony Payan, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is joined by nonresident fellows Simon Lester and David Gantz to examine how trade policy shapes prices, jobs, and diplomacy — and why tariffs have become a defining feature of the second Trump administration’s economic strategy.

Featured:

• Tony Payan: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan
• David Gantz: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/david-gantz
• Simon Lester: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/simon-lester

This conversation was recorded on February 19, 2026.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

What are “critical minerals,” how are they used, and why do they matter for national security? In an era of globalized supply chains, how vulnerable is the United States to disruptions?

Michelle Michot Foss, former fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, joins Ambassador David M. Satterfield to examine how rare earth elements underpin civilian products, advanced technologies, and military equipment. She also discusses why national security hinges on industrial capacity as much as military strength and outlines potential strategies for securing access to essential materials.

Featured:

• Michelle Michot Foss, Ph.D.
• Ambassador David M. Satterfield

Mentioned in this episode:

• Gabriel Collins and Michelle Michot Foss, “Critical Minerals and Materials Geoeconomics: Lessons and Ideas From Past Wars and Strategic Competitions,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

This conversation was recorded on Feb. 9, 2026.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

The Trump administration has touted its tariff strategy as a historic economic success, citing record stock market highs, falling trade deficits, and “virtually no inflation.” But what do the numbers actually show? In this episode of “Baker Briefing”, Ambassador David Satterfield sits down with John W. Diamond, director of the Baker Institute’s Center for Tax and Budget Policy, to examine the data behind the administration’s claims. They break down who really pays for the tariffs, what is driving GDP growth, and whether inflation has truly fallen. This conversation offers an objective assessment of how tariffs are reshaping the U.S. economy and who ultimately benefits as a result.

Featured:

• Ambassador David M. Satterfield
• John W. Diamond, Ph.D.

Mentioned in this episode:

• President Donald J. Trump, “My Tariffs Have Brought America Back,” Wall Street Journal.
• “The Two-Handed Economist” podcast, hosted by John W. Diamond.

This conversation was recorded on Feb. 10, 2026.

You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.