The United States has four tools in its national security toolbox — military power, political persuasion, economic statecraft, and cultural attraction — and Trump has damaged the American brand, which weakens all four.
Emanuel outlines the four pillars of American national security power and argues that Trump's damage to the American brand has weakened the country's political, economic, and cultural influence globally. ✦ AI generated
Rahm Emanuel · All-In Podcast · 2026-08-13 · original ↗
starts at this moment · 8:33
“Is that a different view than the Obama era notion that we should be exporting American culture, American democracy, I think was the framing. And that then opened the floodgates to exporting our culture wars.”
The United States of America, like every country, has four tools in their national security toolbox. One is military power, second is political persuasion, third is economic statecraft and fourth is cultural attraction... I actually think this president has hurt the American brand, our economic statecraft, our market, our technology, our universities and research national labs that is a piece of our economic statecraft is a piece of our national security and our ability. You know, there was a great story the other day by David Graham, but gentlemen, only the United States could get Russia and Ukraine around the table. There is no other world power. Our political persuasion to do that is an asset in our national security toolbox.
verbatim transcript · starts at 8:33
8:33fourth is cultural attraction. And you're saying that, I mean, I think America's culture large, not just Hollywood. Um, the American brand is a cultural attraction or was. I actually think this president has hurt the American brand, our economic state craft, our market, our technology, our universities and research. Uh, uh, national labs that is a e piece of our economic state craft is a piece of our national security and our
9:06ability. You know, there was a great story the other day by David Graham, but gentlemen, only the United States could get Russia and Ukraine around the table. There is no other world power. Our political persuasion could to do that is an asset in our national security toolbox. If you wanted to do the reason I laid out in my speech in the Middle East in Israel, the 23 state solution,
9:28China, Russia or Europe cannot do that. Only we can do that. Now, we have a massive polit political military power. each uh I happen to think it's not prepared for the future. That's on both parties. I was also present at one at them. I think we got so enamored with the war on terror we lost sight of the trans transformation that was happening on the battlefield and the technologies.
9:51You can see that in the drone area as an example. Neither Iran or Ukraine have a navy and they both control waterways near their fronts. Tells you everything you need to know that you're not fighting two wars, you're fighting two different types of wars and we got to get ready for that. So to me, this also is a slightly sickness of all you guys in media, which is where do we point the
10:13blame? I don't think Obama representing our cultural attractions around the globe. I do think America being popular around the globe is a political asset that then you use. Now that America's brand under Trump is in the toilet, that actually hurts America and its political power, its economic state crap, and its military capabilities. Simple. So I don't kind of say, you know, I don't think that we were
10:40exporting those cultural things and therefore that's where this problem came. I don't that's not how I see the point of origin or what has happened here. >> Fair enough. Can I just ask one thing on China? So China's been historically >> It's your podcast. You can ask whatever you want. It's whether I It's what it's whether I answer it. >> Well, I'm just here for Jason at his
10:59pleasure. But um [laughter] like so >> you're doing fine, sweetie. Keep >> that that's true for both of us. >> Okay. Well, thanks. Um Jason's going to have me back. Okay. So, as as I look at China, historically, it's been about this manufacturing base, this energy production capacity, right? I often reference they're on their way to 8 terowatt of electricity production. We're kind of sitting around one,