Editing Center for the National Interest (section)

==Notable Events and Controversies==
2016 Trump Speech: The Center hosted Donald Trump’s first major foreign policy address in 2016, leading to a fellow’s dismissal for criticizing the decision in an op-ed. The Trump campaign’s interactions with Simes and the Center were investigated during the 2017–2019 Mueller probe, which found no wrongdoing but reportedly caused financial strain.

Maria Butina Case: Posts on X from 2019 allege the Center aided Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin in influencing U.S. officials via the NRA, part of Russia’s influence operations. The Senate Finance Committee investigated these claims in 2019, but no conclusive evidence of misconduct was confirmed in the provided sources.

Pro-Russia Allegations: Some X posts criticize the Center for pro-Russia stances, particularly under Simes, labeling it a conduit for Russian influence. These claims remain unverified by primary sources and reflect sentiment rather than established fact.