The Alexander Hamilton Society of Ohio will host a foreign policy debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris at the Ohio Union on Friday. Credit: Nathan Mader | Lantern File Photo
Two Washington, D.C., political experts will debate the foreign policy views of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday at an event hosted by the Alexander Hamilton Institute of Ohio.
The debate will be held Friday at 7 p.m. in the Ohio State Union Student Alumni Conference Room. Derek Mitchell, former U.S. ambassador to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, will represent Harris, while Matthew Kroenig, professor of government at Georgetown University and Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, will represent Trump. Attendees posed questions to both speakers.
Jack Swartz, president of the Alexander Hamilton Society, said the debates will cover a variety of foreign policy issues and aim to determine which candidates are ready to lead America abroad.
“I don’t think there’s enough light on foreign policy, and I don’t think there’s as much clear understanding of foreign policy among college students as I would like. So this is a good opportunity to do that.” said Swartz, also number four. He spent his first year majoring in political science and international relations, he said.
Swartz said the Alexander Hamilton Society, specifically the Ohio State chapter, is an organization that promotes student involvement in foreign policy, holds weekly roundtable discussions, and hosts events focused on international relations throughout the semester. said.
As for Friday’s debate, Kroenig, who is also a senior director at the Atlantic Council, said he will speak on issues that span the entire planet.
“I’m going to give my own views, not those of the Atlantic Council or Georgetown as an organization, but I’m being asked to defend Trump’s foreign policy,” Kroenig said. “We’re probably going to be talking about wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, what to do about world trade, what to do about defense spending and the defense budget. So I think we’re going to cover a lot of ground. Masu.”
Mitchell, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former director of the National Institute for Democracy, said he wants to openly discuss foreign relations with students.
“We’ll see what people ask and want to discuss,” Mitchell said. “I’m not an official representative of the Harris campaign, so I’ll speak based on my observations. I know (Kroenig) the guy on the other side of the debate, and he’s been here in Washington as well, so I hope to have meaningful conversations with students about international affairs.”
Swartz, who organized the debate, said he came up with the idea when he learned the association had hosted a similar event before the 2016 presidential election.
“We came up with this idea in 2016, and it was kind of original to us,” Swartz said. “I don’t know if we held one in 2020, but we hold debate-style events more often than that, rather than presidential-related events.”
Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Kroenig have been involved with the Alexander Hamilton Society for quite some time, and Mr. Kroenig said he currently serves as an advisor to the Georgetown University chapter. Additionally, he said both have been speaking at Alexander Hamilton Society events around the country in recent years.
Swartz said Kroenig and Mitchell were selected to participate in the upcoming debate because of their involvement in the community.
“The (Alexander Hamilton Society) has a library of (Alexander Hamilton Society) affiliated speakers,” Swartz said. “We have worked with Dr. Kroenig in the past. Ambassador Mitchell is a great speaker and they are both really knowledgeable, so it was an easy choice.”
Mitchell said he is looking forward to answering students’ questions and getting out of Washington.
“I’m just looking forward to interacting with the students,” Mitchell said. “I like being away from Washington because it can be a bubble. I talk to students, listen to their questions, hear what they’re thinking, talk about U.S. foreign policy and the challenges that exist there. I love being very honest about my observations.
Similarly, Kroenig said he feels it’s important to discuss foreign relations with students outside of Washington, which is a big reason he looks forward to visiting the Ohio State campus. said.
“I’m fortunate to be in Washington, D.C., so I get to talk about foreign policy all day every day,” Kroenig said. “I know that outside of Belt and Road, sometimes students at great universities like Ohio State are not part of the foreign policy discussion every day. Two experts, (Mitchell) and myself, I think having the house there and sharing our opinions will help educate the student body.”
More broadly, Kroenig said he feels discussing international relations is important for the country as a whole.
“What I personally get out of (doing the debate) is that it’s a mission, and that’s why I oversee the (Alexander Hamilton Society) chapter at Georgetown.” Kroenig said. “The decisions our leaders make are important because we are a democracy and the United States is the most important and most powerful country in the world. It is important that the people of our democracy discuss these issues. I think that is important.”
Similarly, Mitchell said he wants students to understand how important their role is in the upcoming presidential election.
“I consider this election to be the most important of my life,” Mitchell said. “The national and international stakes are so high that I want students to realize the importance of voting. Just because I’m a Democrat doesn’t mean I’m on Harris’ side.”
Swartz said he looked forward to hearing a more detailed conversation about Harris and Trump’s views on international affairs.
“I look forward to hearing more in-depth discussions about foreign policy,” Swartz said. “At presidential debates, because of the limited speaking time and the fact that you’re in front of such a large audience, you get a very shallow view of what they’re really thinking. I don’t think so. We now have a better idea of the candidates.”
