On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti | Podcast ‘It affects your wiring’: Jake Sullivan on the weight of his work as national security adviser
Oct 6, 2025
Jake Sullivan, former U.S. National Security Advisor, shares insights on the weight of his role from 2021 to 2025. He discusses redefining national security to include values and prosperity. Sullivan warns against the dangers of political violence and reflects on allies' shock after the January 6 Capitol attack. He provides a nuanced take on the U.S. responses to the Israel-Hamas war and the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing local agency in peace terms. Sullivan also highlights the emotional toll of high-stakes decisions and the lessons learned from Afghanistan.
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Broad Definition Of National Security
- National security covers security, prosperity, democracy, and values that sustain the American way of life.
- Supply chains, public health, and climate are integral to modern national security.
Reject Weaponizing Political Violence
- Turning political opponents into enemies and using violence as a pretext is dangerous and familiar to autocracies.
- Leaders must reject political violence without weaponizing it against civil society.
January 6th Shook Global Confidence
- World leaders reacted to January 6th with shock and asked about the stability of American democracy.
- Sullivan says this required humility when the U.S. discusses democratic challenges abroad.