Aspen Security Forum Goes to Washington

Martial law declared in South Korea, government collapses in European countries, a complicated presidential transition in the U.S., and much more-this chaotic global landscape was the backdrop for the 2024 Aspen Security Forum: DC Edition, where decision-makers and thought leaders from Washington, DC and beyond came together on December 4, 2024, to discuss solutions to the most pressing national security and foreign policy challenges of our time.

The day featured an array of distinguished leaders and experts who discussed a range of priorities, including foreign policy challenges for President Trump's second administration, the transatlantic relationship, the Israel-Hamas war, the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, and more.

The program featured conversations with leaders and experts such as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell; DOGE Co-Chair Vivek Ramaswamy; UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed; U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen; and a panelof ASG Rising Leaders. Keep reading for a few key takeaways from the day's discussions.

The national security consequences of an inadequate U.S. presidential transition would be very serious.

Presidential transitions can be a critical time for national security, as a new administration inherits policies and plans from the previous one and must quickly get up to speed to protect the nation from foreign and domestic threats. Though we only have "one president at a time," discussions about President-elect Trump's defense strategy and foreign policyhave already begun in anticipation of January's inauguration.

Former U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley felt encouraged by the recent meeting between President Biden and President-elect Trump. "The most important element of the transition […] is face-to-face conversations among the departing staff and the incoming staff," said Hadley. His 2023 book Hand-Offdetails the Bush administration's national security and foreign policy transition to the Obama administration, as documented in formerly classified transition memos.

But the executive branch is not the only thing to keep in mind during the transition. "The Senate in particular is on trial right now. If it flunks, […] it will be irrelevant. If the Senate loses its 'advise and consent' power, its budgetmaking power, and its ability to decide whether or not this country is going to war, I'm not sure what its function is. It's really, really worrying me," said Jane Harman, former nine-term congresswoman from California.

There may be broad bipartisan support for improving government efficiency, but how to achieve it remains controversial.

Former 2024 Republican U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy took the stage at ASF: DC to discuss DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency,a presidential advisory commission aimed at tackling and restructuring the federal bureaucracy, increasing government efficiency, and minimizing unnecessary federal expenditures.

Ramaswamy, who has been appointed a co-chair of DOGE alongside Elon Musk, outlined the initial goals of the commission in a conversation with Axios Founder Mike Allen. "Focus one is what can be done through existing executive authority to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse."

"I think one of the things that has been encouraging about seeing DOGE come into existence is how nonpartisan and even apolitical the interest in this mission has been," he said. "If you run a company, you look at ROI. If you look at the taxpayer as a shareholder, you ask: Are we getting the highest possible ROI?"

But as Anja Manuel, executive director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum, pointed out, the percent of the U.S. population that works for the federal government has steadily gone down since the Nixon administration, and about 70% of those who work for the federal government work in national security agencies. If DOGE seeks to make the massive reductions they are promising, it would be difficult to do so without making significant cuts to national security.

The United Nations continues to play an important role in humanitarian relief.

Amina Mohammed is the deputy secretary-general of the United Nations and chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group. Much of her role right now revolves around the current Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and how the UN can effectively and efficiently deliver aid.

CNN's Chief National Security Correspondent Alex Marquardt alluded to recent accusations that not enough aid was being provided. Mohammed countered: "We bring as much aid as we can to those crossings, and I think that's unfair for us-the trucks are there, the food is there, the aid is there. But it takes extraordinary amounts of effort to get it through the crossings."

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, is a relief and human development agency that provides assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees. But the agency's future is threatened by allegations of collaboration with Hamas, as well as potentially the incoming U.S. presidential administration.

"Anything that has been said against UNRWA, we've looked into. We have held people to account," Mohammed shared. "But by and large, UNRWA is indispensable. 16,000 visits a day is what UNRWA does. This is Palestinian people, Palestinian families. And I think that we need to take cognizance of that. Today it's not providing the same services as it was a year ago. Today's services are to amputees, children, women, people who don't know [about] tomorrow. And this is all UNRWA. Without it, it would be chaotic."

As far as the incoming U.S. presidential administration and how it will impact the United Nations, Mohammed is looking at the bigger picture.

"This will not be the first time that we've engaged with a member state that perhaps doesn't agree with where the UN is today, but we need to have that discussion. We need to engage," she emphasized. "This is more than one state, this is 196 states. Each has a voice. They might not all have the same muscle. But it's important that that space is there and everyone hears it. I hope that when the new administration comes in, as they have before, they are listening."

A lot is changing within many European Union countries at the moment, which could affect the transatlantic relationship.

The afternoon featured a high-level panel of European officials in conversation with Financial Times U.S. Managing Editor Peter Spiegel about the future of Europe and transatlantic relations, highlighting the many European governments facing serious inflection points.

Just a few hours prior to the panel, the French government collapsedafter a no-confidence vote in the French prime minister. Clément Beaune, the former minister of state for European affairs in France, confessed that he foresees it being "a bumpy road" from now until the next French presidential election in 2027. But regardless of the prime minister, the big trends "will remain" as far as European policy and foreign policy, including working with the United States.

"As you know, there is a difference between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron on a lot of topics, but President Macron was one of the first to call Donald Trump after he was re-elected. […] The real concern if I'm being honest is 2027. If Le Pen […] is elected, it is a big change in France's relations to the EU and NATO."

Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to the Chancellor of Germany, Jens Plötner, emphasized that while there is always talk of transatlantic crises, these are "particularly challenging times." "A lot is changing, and that is not a good thing," he said. "There is a very strong underlying current of liberal democracies being under pressure, being challenged. I think we have a lot of soul searching to do as to the deeper reasons."

"People feel that the institutions of democracy as we know them are not taking into consideration what they feel are their most pressing issues. […] I am not so pessimistic because I am utterly convinced that at the end of the day, that is what makes our democracies strong, that they have the power of regeneration and questioning themselves," Plötner said. While German leadership in Europe is "very complicated," said Plötner, he believes that regardless of the German election outcome, he expects continuity in the democratic mainstream parties' approach to transatlantic relations.

To view more sessions including a fireside chat with Senator Chris Van Hollen and more, watch the full stream of the event on our YouTube channel. Follow the Aspen Security Forumon X/Twitterand LinkedInor subscribe to The Weekly Leaffor updates about the next Forum, which will take place Tuesday, July 15 - Friday, July 18, 2025 in Aspen, Colorado.

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