Baala Shakya, Contributing Photographer

On Tuesday, national defense expert Thomas Mahnken spoke to an audience about the future of national security, especially in light of the recent presidential election.

Mahnken is president of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a defense research organization, and a former deputy official at the Pentagon. He was hosted by the Alexander Hamilton Society and discussed threats that face the U.S. around the world, including in Russia and China. He also spoke about the state of the U.S.’ defense infrastructure, and how it might be affected by the new administration.

“The threats facing the U.S. today are unparalleled in modern times,” Mahnken said.

Mahnken drew on his career background in national security to advocate against isolationism, describing the values of American leadership abroad. In particular, the U.S. and its allies are key in restraining countries like China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, according to Mahnken.

Given China and Russia’s growing strength, said Mahnken, the U.S. should bolster its defense budget, so that it can act effectively.

“Having a defense budget near Cold War levels makes sense,” Mahnken said.

Mahnken also spoke about how the U.S. could internally adapt its defense infrastructure to become more effective.

On the campaign trail, Trump indicated that he would pursue a more isolationist policy, but such a policy is rarely so easy, according to Mahnken.

“Reality is much messier than that,” Mahnken said. “We’re a global power, and that means we have to be involved in at least three key regions — Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.”

Although southern border security is crucial for ensuring sovereignty and stability for Mahnken, he worries that the politicization of the border has led U.S. politicians to overlook other opportunities for partnership with Mexico.

Mahnken also emphasized the importance of the U.S.’ network of allies globally, who he said are essential partners for advancing international policies and trade.

“When we talk about doing more, it’s not just about the government. It’s also about working with the private sector and with industry, and it’s also about working with our allies,” Mahnken said. “We need a greater national effort, and a greater effort working with our allies.”

Additionally, the U.S. needs to think critically about China’s growing strength. Mahnken referenced China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea, which are armed structures that pose a potential threat to the US and its allies.

The U.S. also operates with asymmetrical information in regards to China, Mahnken said. China has far more access to U.S. trade and commerce than the U.S. has to the Chinese economy. According to Mahnken, the U.S. should strive to change this dynamic, in order to compete with China on more equal footing.

The U.S. should also be concerned about collaboration between countries that pose threats to the U.S. and its allies, Mahnken added.

“Long before North Korean soldiers showed up fighting in Russia against Ukrainians, Iranians were sending large numbers of unmanned vehicles to Russia,” Mahnken said.

According to Mahnken, it is clear that the U.S. faces threats from many theaters around the world. It remains to be seen how the Trump administration will deal with them.

Nerea Cal GRD ’28, a political science doctoral student and active-duty military service member, was interested in Mahnken’s talk because the future of the military budget directly impacts her. However, she wished Mahnken could have been more specific in his predictions and advice about national defense.

“It was informative,” Cal said, “but [people like Mahnken, with a background in defense and potentially with access to classified materials] are careful with their answers and how specific they can be.”

Brandon Colas GRD ‘29, also a political science doctoral student and active-duty service member, finds it interesting to think about how national defense will change in the future. 

According to Colas, it is easy to talk about national defense tactics changing, but it is harder to execute in reality.

“Is there social will to implement change and increase the defense budget?” Colas asked.

The Alexander Hamilton Society is based in Washington, D.C., with over 80 chapters on campuses across the country.