Book Forum 

# *Reclaiming America First*

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Date and Time 

November 17, 2026 2 - 5 PM EST 

Location 

Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 

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[Register](https://register.cato.org/reclaiming-america-first/register) 

##### Featuring 

[![Justin Logan cropped portrait new](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2023-08/Justin-Logan-cropped.jpg?itok=1xXiDWfG)](/people/justin-logan) 

[Justin Logan](/people/justin-logan)

Director of Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute

[ 

](https://x.com/JustinTLogan) [ 

](mailto:jlogan@cato.org) 

![Sumantra Maitra headshot](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2024-06/Sumantra-Maitra-cropped.jpeg?itok=lnJ0vO2Q) 

Sumantra Maitra 

Washington Fellow, Institute for Peace and Diplomacy

[ 

](https://twitter.com/MrMaitra) 

![Reid Smith](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-10/reid-smith-modified.png?itok=5iApNCyI) 

Reid Smith 

Vice President, Foreign Policy, Stand Together

[ 

](https://twitter.com/reidtsmith) 

![Stephen Wertheim](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2024-11/stephen-wertheim%20Cropped.jpg?itok=4L3y0Ys6) 

Stephen Wertheim 

Senior Fellow, American Statecraft Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

[ 

](https://twitter.com/stephenwertheim) 

![Ian Ward Photo](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-11/ian-ward-photo.png?itok=yuyGdX-n) 

Ian Ward 

Reporter, *Washington Post*

[ 

](https://twitter.com/ianwardreports) 

![Mark Episkopos](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-10/MARK-EPISKOPOS-modified.png?itok=5tSyemPX) 

Mark Episkopos 

Research Fellow, Eurasia Program, Quincy Institute

[ 

](https://twitter.com/MEpiskopos) 

![Arta Moeini](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-10/Arta-Moeini-modified.png?itok=QzdVEfiy) 

Arta Moeini 

Managing Director, US Operations, and Research Director, Institute for Peace and Diplomacy

[ 

](https://twitter.com/ArtaMoeini) 

![Emily Jashinsky](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-10/Emily-Jashinsky-modified.png?itok=yFqFlinH) 

Emily Jashinsky 

*UnHerd*, Breaking Points

[ 

](https://twitter.com/emilyjashinsky) 

“America First” has become a hollow political slogan redefined by the day to suit individual personalities. The Trump administration has abandoned the “predisposition to non-interventionism” promised in its National Security Strategy and its commitment to ending America’s forever wars. The Iran war has deepened divisions in Washington over US grand strategy, the US-Israel relationship, and America’s broader posture in the Middle East. This event launches a volume from the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy that assesses America First in light of the first two years of this Trump administration. On the first panel, leading scholars will examine whether and how foreign policy shaped voter priorities in the midterms and the implications for the future of US foreign policy. The second panel will assess what the Iran war means for the future of America First foreign policy. A reception will follow.

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### Schedule

2:00 - 2:15 PM 

**Opening Remarks**

2:15 - 3:30 PM 

**Panel I: The US Midterms, Foreign Policy, and America First**

**Justin Logan**, Cato Institute 
**Sumantra Maitra**, Institute for Peace and Diplomacy 
**Reid Smith**, Stand Together 
**Stephen Wertheim**, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 
Moderated by **Ian Ward**, *Washington Post*

3:30 - 3:45 PM 

**Break**

3:45 - 5:00 PM 

**Panel II: The Iran War and Its Implications**

**Mark Episkopos**, Quincy Institute 
**Arta Moeini**, Institute for Peace and Diplomacy 
**TBD** 
Moderated by **Emily Jashinsky**, *UnHerd*, Breaking Points

5:00 

**Reception**

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).