Clearer Than Truth

Demkó Attila is a Hungarian security policy expert, former diplomat, and historian based in Budapest. He holds a PhD in history and political theory from Eötvös Loránd University and has trained at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the Manfred Wörner Foundation. From 1999 to 2018, he served in senior roles in Hungary’s Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence—including leading the Defence Policy and Planning Departments and representing Hungary to NATO in Brussels. Demkó is also a celebrated author under the pen name "David Autere," whose bestselling novel Máglyatűz (“Bonfire”) imagines Russia leveraging ethnic conflict across Central Europe . Since 2018 he has contributed regularly to Mandiner and currently directs the Strategic Foresight Program at the John Lukács Institute, MCC, focusing on European security dynamics amid the war in Ukraine.Support the show

Yaroslav Trofimov is the Chief Foreign‑Affairs Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, reporting on global conflicts since 1999. Born in Kyiv, he has spent much of the past three years on the frontlines of the Russian‑Ukraine war and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his coverage in both 2022 and 2023. His recent nonfiction, Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine’s War of Independence (Penguin Press, Jan 2024), was a finalist for the Orwell Prize and won the Peterson Literary Prize. He’s also the author of No Country for Love, a historical novel rooted in Ukrainian family history.Support the show

Dana Stroul is Director of Research and Shelly & Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a role she assumed in February 2024. From 2021 to 2023, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, leading U.S. defense policy amid crises like the Israel–Hamas War and Iran’s regional actions. Prior roles include senior staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (2013–2018), co-chairing the bipartisan Syria Study Group, and work in the Defense Department, U.S. Embassy in Cairo, and think tanks. She holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.

Eliot A. Cohen is a leading authority in international security and strategic affairs. He holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at CSIS and is Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins SAIS, where he served as dean from 2019 to 2021. Previously, he was Counselor of the U.S. State Department under Secretary Condoleezza Rice (2007–2009), advising on Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia. A prolific author, his works include Supreme Command, Conquered into Liberty, The Big Stick, and The Hollow Crown, and he contributes to The Atlantic and major national media.

Judy Woodruff is a veteran broadcast journalist with a career spanning over five decades. She served as the anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour from 2013 to 2022, becoming the sole anchor following the passing of co-anchor Gwen Ifill in 2016. Woodruff has covered every U.S. presidential election and convention since 1976 and has held prominent roles at NBC, CNN, and PBS. She is renowned for her insightful political reporting and commitment to journalistic integrity. Currently, she continues her work as a senior correspondent for PBS NewsHour.

Arash Azizi is an Iranian writer, historian, and journalist whose work explores the intersections of politics, culture, and society in Iran and the broader Middle East. His latest book, What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom, delves into the aspirations and struggles of Iranians seeking a normal life under a repressive regime. Azizi's insightful analysis sheds light on various forms of activism in Iran, from employment and environmentalism to religious freedom, highlighting the resilience and determination of the Iranian people. His previous works include The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran's Global Ambitions, which examines the life and influence of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Azizi's writings have appeared in numerous publications, and he is recognized for his in-depth reporting and historical perspectives on Iran's contemporary issues.

James M. Scott is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author renowned for his compelling narratives on military history. His latest book, Targeted: Beirut, co-authored with Jack Carr, delves into the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Lebanon, offering a meticulously researched account based on survivor interviews, military records, and personal documents . Scott's previous works include Black Snow, Rampage, Target Tokyo, The War Below, and The Attack on the Liberty. A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, he currently serves as the Scholar in Residence at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.

Philip Zelikow is an American diplomat, historian, and academic, best known for serving as executive director of the 9/11 Commission. He was Counselor of the U.S. State Department under Secretary Condoleezza Rice and has held senior academic roles at the University of Virginia and Stanford’s Hoover Institution. Zelikow’s work spans diplomacy, national security, and the writing of history, with a focus on pivotal global events and the art of statecraft.

​Chris Whipple is a renowned journalist and author, best known for his in-depth analyses of American political institutions. His latest book, Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History, offers a detailed account of the 2024 presidential election, providing insider perspectives on the campaigns of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump. Whipple's previous works include The Gatekeepers and The Spymasters, both of which explore the inner workings of the White House and the CIA, respectively.​

​Lieutenant General (Retired) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe (2014–2017), is a Senior Advisor to Human Rights First and NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics. He co-authored Future War and the Defence of Europe and frequently provides analysis on European security matters in international media.