The Truth of the Matter

CSIS's Jon B. Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the complex set of options that Israel and the United States are facing to secure peace in the Middle East.

The New York Times’ David Sanger joins the podcast to discuss his best-selling new book, “New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West.”

Expert on international relations Eliot Cohen discusses Iran's missile attack on Israel and its broader geopolitical implications. The podcast delves into Iran's provocative behavior, nuclear ambitions, Israel's strategy in Gaza, Western response to security threats, and the need for a comprehensive strategy in dealing with Iran's actions.

CSIS’ Chris Johnstone joins the podcast to discuss next week’s official visit to the United States by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as well as the trilateral leaders’ summit between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. 

CSIS’ Kari Bingen and Heather Williams join the podcast to discuss Russia’s new space-based anti-satellite weapon, its violation of the Outer Space Treaty and what steps the U.S. can take to mitigate the risks.

CSIS' Dan Byman joins the podcast to discuss his new report which examines several scenarios in which democratic government might consider before using deepfakes to advance their foreign policy objectives. Read full report at this link

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill discusses her recent trip to the Munich Security Conference, her encounter with President Zelensky, and the urgent need for action in response to the crisis. She also talks about her sponsorship of legislation to protect Americans from TikTok's national security threats, highlighting bipartisan consensus on the issue.

 CSIS’ Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss his new report which explains how China’s defense industrial base is operating on a wartime footing, while the U.S. defense industrial base is largely operating on a peacetime footing. Overall, the U.S. defense industrial ecosystem lacks the capacity, responsiveness, flexibility, and surge capability to meet the U.S. military’s production and warfighting needs. Unless there are urgent changes, the United States risks weakening deterrence and undermining its warfighting capabilities.

CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen joins the podcast to discuss how domestic terrorism is on the rise and what the United States can do to counter it.

Admiral James Stavridis, a retired four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy and former commander of NATO and SOUTHCOM, and award-winning author Elliot Ackerman, contributor at The Atlantic and veteran of the U.S. Marines, join the podcast to discuss their new novel, “2054,” which explores where the United States could find itself in the middle of this century. “2054” is a sequel to New York Times bestseller “2034.”