On April 28, David Firestein was a guest on “Pro and Con,” a popular live, Mandarin-language one-hour talk show on the Voice of America. Firestein offered commentary on President Donald Trump’s first 100 days and, also, on the Administration’s approach to China and Russia, as well as the triangular dynamics between the United States, China and Russia.

Firestein observed that though the Republican Party controls the White House and the United States Congress, and though the majority of Supreme Court Justices were also appointed by Republicans, passing major legislation, such as health care or immigration reform, remains challenging owing to deep intra-GOP rifts. Firestein also noted that his earlier prediction of broad continuity in U.S. policy toward China is seemingly thus far being borne out, while President Trump’s stated desire to improve relations with Russia has been thwarted, owing to the unexpected political fall-out from the Russian involvement in the U.S. 2016 presidential campaign alleged by U.S. agencies and other observers.  

Among non-native speakers of Chinese, Firestein is among the most frequently invited and widely recognized commentators on U.S. politics and foreign policy on the air today. The Voice of America Mandarin Service has over half a million YouTube subscribers.