How Henry Kissinger Accumulated and Wielded Power

The Washington Roundtable revisits an episode recorded after Henry Kissinger’s death, in November, 2023. Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer and Evan Osnos evaluate Kissinger’s controversial legacy, share anecdotes from his time in and around Washington, and discuss how he continued to shape U.S. foreign policy long after leaving the State Department. “There are not that many hundred-year-olds who insist upon their own relevance and actually are relevant,” Glasser says. This week’s reading: “ Henry Kissinger’s Hard Compromises ,” by Evan Osnos “ Why Washington Couldn’t Quit Kissinger ,” by Isaac Chotiner This episode was originally published in December, 2023. To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker , visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send in feedback on this episode, write to themail@newyorker.com with “The Political Scene” in the subject line. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices