The Truth of the Matter

CSIS’ Jen Sciubba joins the podcast to discuss the announcement that India has overtaken China as the largest country and what it means for the world.

In this episode, former United States National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley joins the podcast to discuss his new book, “Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama.”Hand-Off details the Bush administration’s national security and foreign policy as described at the time in then-classified Transition Memoranda prepared by the National Security Council experts who advised President Bush. Thirty of these Transition Memoranda, newly declassified and here made public for the first time, provide a detailed, comprehensive, and first-hand look at the foreign policy the Bush administration turned over to President Obama. In a postscript to each memorandum, these same experts now in hindsight take a remarkably self-critical look at that Bush foreign policy legacy after more than a dozen years of watching subsequent administrations attempt to deal with the same vexing agenda of threats and opportunities— China, Russia, Iran, the Middle East, terrorism, proliferation, cyber, pandemics, and climate change—an agenda that still dominates America’s national security and foreign policy.The book makes public for the first time a set of 30 newly declassified Transition Memoranda that were prepared by President Bush’s National Security Council staff for the incoming Obama administration to outline the key foreign policy challenges it would face.

CSIS’s Cameron Hudson joins the podcast to discuss the outbreak of civil violence in Sudan, its causes, and the humanitarian crisis because it.

CSIS’s Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss the horrific imprisonment of Wall Street Journal Russia correspondent Evan Gershkovich and his prospects for release. 

CSIS’s Marti Flacks joins the podcast to discuss President Biden’s upcoming 2nd Summit for Democracy.On Tuesday, March 28th, CSIS will host a half-day Forum as part of the 2023 Summit for Democracy spotlighting the critical impact of the private sector on democracy around the world and spotlighting commitments that companies are making to advance democracy. This official Summit side event will feature senior government officials, corporate executives, and civil society leaders.

CSIS’s Lily McElwee and Maria Snegovaya join the podcast to discuss the Xi-Putin summit in Russia, and what it means for the United States. 

Charles Edel, a Senior Advisor at CSIS and expert on AUKUS, sheds light on the groundbreaking defense pact between Australia, the UK, and the US. He delves into the strategic significance of nuclear-powered submarines, signaling a major military shift for Australia. The conversation also touches on the geopolitical complexities of the alliance, especially regarding China's reactions. Furthermore, Edel addresses the challenges AUKUS faces, from funding issues to workforce shortages, highlighting the urgency for strategic collaboration in advanced technologies.

CSIS’s James Andrew Lewis joins the podcast to discuss the bipartisan discussions surrounding U.S. policy on TikTok, whether the Chinese are using it as a vehicle to spy on Americans and our government, and what we should do about it.

Dr. Stephen J. Morrison joins the podcast to discuss the ongoing confusion over Covid’s origins and what it means for U.S. and global pandemic preparedness going forward.

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss his new report which shows that Russia has suffered more deaths in the Ukraine war than all other wars combined that Russia has waged since WWII.