In Episode 14 of The Ben Franklin Fellowship's JUNTO Podcast, BFF Co-Founder and Chairman Phillip Linderman sits down with Ambassador J. Peter Pham for an in-depth discussion on Africa, China, critical minerals, the Sahel, great power competition, and the future of America First foreign policy.

As global competition intensifies, Africa has become a strategic battleground for influence, resources, security partnerships, and economic development. Ambassador Pham shares his unique perspective on China's growing presence across the continent, the collapse of Western influence in parts of the Sahel, and how previous U.S. policies contributed to instability and the effective "loss" of key Sahel states.

The conversation also examines the impact of ideological foreign policy priorities on America's relationships with African governments, incl ...