Experts in the News | Miller Center

Why is the US government trying to ban TikTok?

“It does an address an issue that we do face within in a US context—the problem is it only addresses a small part of that issue. And by only addressing a small part of the weakness of US data governance, there are a lot of other apps or platforms that could fill the same role or very similar roles that TikTok is playing," says Aynne Kokas.

Aynne Kokas

US Foreign Policy and Power with Professor Jeff Legro

In May 2024 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Jeff Legro, University Professor at the University of Richmond, and Visiting Professor at the Phelan US Centre for 2023-24. They spoke about the US’ role as a “unipolar” country in the world, conceptions of sovereignty, both in the US and abroad, the potential future of US foreign policy, and the relationship between nuclear weapons and globalization.

Jeffrey Legro

Trump's trial showed the legal system works, but his rhetoric has left scars

Trump's claims of an unfair trial reverberate through the Republican Party and the right-wing media environment, the experts said, reflecting and amplifying the persistence and effectiveness of his narrative. "Almost the entire Republican Party has gotten in line. … They say things like, 'Oh, this is how he speaks, it's not what he means,' even though there's evidence to suggest that this is exactly what he means," said Jennifer Lawless, a political scientist at the University of Virginia. "I think they give permission to voters to say, 'All right, well, it's not going to be as dangerous as I might expect.'"

Jennifer Lawless

He has been accused of having "deadly attitudes". But the black sheep of the Kennedy family can decide the US presidential election

Barbara Perry discusses independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s influence on the 2024 presidential election.

Barbara Perry

Bloomberg Balance of Power: Supreme Court Gun Ruling

Barbara Perry, professor in Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, shares her thoughts on how the presidential debate might shape results in November.

Barbara Perry

Polarisation, liberalism and the future US president

At the Estoril Political Forum, University of Virginia Professor John Owen focused on the high level of polarisation in the United States, which has in effect become an almost evenly divided 50:50 country.

John Owen