Chairman Jim Risch on Foreign Policy, Nuclear Energy, and America's Future | 13th & Park

Senator Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and one of Washington's most experienced voices on global affairs, joins 13th and Park for a wide-ranging conversation on American foreign policy, nuclear energy, veterans, and the state of the republic. Risch opens with a stark assessment of the world order, describing a deepening divide between democracies and autocracies and arguing that the central challenge of the 21st century is for both sides to coexist without going to war. He reflects on how the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan damaged American credibility abroad, and offers his view that it was a precipitating factor in Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. On China, Risch frames the recent presidential visit as a necessary reset, one built not on agreement but on the practical need to get along. The conversation shifts to nuclear energy, where Risch explains why Idaho has been at the center of the industry since 1951 and why small modular reactors and micro reactors represent a genuine renaissance in clean, reliable power. He connects this directly to the exploding energy demands of artificial intelligence and the European shift away from Russian gas. He also speaks personally about his work on behalf of Idaho veterans, including a breakthrough conversation with President Trump that finally unlocked funding for a long-delayed veterans home in Boise. Risch closes with reflections on his career, from his days as Ada County's prosecuting attorney at age 27 to his current role shaping U.S. foreign policy alongside a president he describes as far more deliberate and thoughtful in private than what the public sees. Through 37 elections alongside his wife Vicki, Risch remains clear-eyed and unhurried, convinced that America's messy democratic experiment is built to last. Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:24 Welcome: 37 Elections with Vicki 1:45 Global Tensions and Trump's Foreign Policy 3:08 Senate Foreign Relations Committee 4:10 Biden's Weakness and Afghanistan 5:14 China and the Global Divide 7:24 Nuclear Energy Renaissance and the ARC Act 10:32 Supporting America's Veterans 12:45 Public Lands in Idaho 14:07 Career Reflections: Prosecutor to Senator 15:01 Knowing Trump Behind Closed Doors 17:37 The Daily Cards and Legacy 19:14 America's Resilience and Closing Thoughts Follow Us! X: https://x.com/13thandPark IG: https://www.instagram.com/13th_and_park/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/13thandpark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@13th_and_park Follow Jim Risch X: https://x.com/SenatorRisch X: https://x.com/SenateForeign IG: https://www.instagram.com/senatorrisch/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorJimRisch/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SenatorJamesRisch Website: https://www.risch.senate.gov/ #jimrisch #senaterisch #foreignpolicy #senateForeignRelations #nuclearenergy #idahopolitics #trumpforeignpolicy #ukraine #chinapolicy #veterans #publiclands #smallmodularreactors #usenate #americanpolitics #13thandpark #politicalpodcast #washingtondc