Deputy Secretary of State and BFF Fellow Christopher Landau joined The Ben Franklin Fellowship for a “fireside chat” moderated by BFF Co-Founder Matt Boyse. The event was hosted at the Hudson Institute, where Matt is a Senior Fellow, and brought together a large audience of BFF Fellows and Members and Hudson Institute scholars.

Deputy Secretary Landau covered a wide range of topics, including President Trump’s strong confidence in Secretary Rubio and the current State Department leadership, the Administration’s America First foreign policy agenda, commercial diplomacy, and the importance of public diplomacy—especially the power of social media.

A central theme of his remarks was that U.S. foreign policy must always begin with the national interest and the security of the American people in mind. Deputy Secretary Landau, the son of a career Foreign Service Officer, also spoke about his deep appreciation for public service. He hopes one of his lasting contributions will be strengthening the Foreign Service and making it more effective.

He also reflected on the differences between the first and second Trump Administrations — particularly within the bureaucracy — and recognized the positive role The Ben Franklin Fellowship is playing in supporting reform-minded professionals committed to American diplomacy.