President-elect Biden continues building his Cabinet, but his pick for defense secretary leaves some supporters cold. Administration officials drag their feet on the transition as Trump’s lawyers mount increasingly absurd and dangerous efforts to overturn the election. And the White House tries to rally support for a controversial weapons sale to the United Arab Emirates as the Gulf Arab states look ahead to a Biden administration that may be more skeptical of close ties. Hosted on Acast. See ac...
Dec 10, 2020•53 min•Ep. 291
A top Iranian nuclear scientist is assassinated. Everyone gets pardons this Christmas! And the attorney general takes steps to ensure the investigation of the Russia probe continues in the Biden administration. Plus, the gang welcomes special guest Noah Efron of "The Promised Podcast." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 03, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 290
We're off this week for Thanksgiving, but we're bringing you back four years ago to reflect on the day after the 2016 election. What national security themes drove Donald Trump's supporters? What challenges did we anticipate Trump would face in forming a government? And what did we get right? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 25, 2020•50 min•Ep. 289
President Trump fires the country’s top election security official because he won’t go along with his lies about a stolen election. Promising news about coronavirus vaccines raises important questions about who should get it first, and where. And President Trump prepares to draw down troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 18, 2020•50 min•Ep. 288
Joe Biden is elected president, but Donald Trump refuses to concede, and the transition to a new administration is rocky. Attorney General Bill Barr authorizes federal prosecutors to investigate potential voter fraud. And the gang takes questions from our live audience! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 12, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 287
President Trump falsely declares victory and asserts the election was fraudulent. What havoc could he raise as states continue to count ballots? Some of the most dreaded threats of foreign interference didn’t materialize, but other danger may lie ahead. And Trump may be defeated, but Trumpism may be alive and kicking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 04, 2020•54 min•Ep. 286
Americans head to the polls in the face of a virus and potential disruptions at polling places and beyond. Whoever wins next Tuesday, the period between Election Day and the inauguration is bound to be rocky. And we’ll take a big picture look at the national security challenges that the next president will face, whoever he is. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 28, 2020•59 min•Ep. 285
Rudy Giuliani finds himself at the center of a misbegotten effort to interfere in the 2020 election. American diplomats and intelligence officers complain they’re being left in the cold after mysterious attacks. And the Trump administration sends an unusual envoy to Syria to discuss U.S. hostages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 21, 2020•58 min•Ep. 284
A Justice Department investigation into whether Obama-era officials improperly requested the identities of individuals from intelligence reports ends with a whimper. An investigation into the shooting of a protestor in Portland raises questions about the federal government’s use of force. And CyberCommand takes down a Russian botnet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 14, 2020•53 min•Ep. 283
President Trump tests positive for the coronavirus and the White House becomes a hot zone. Justice Department officials were “a driving force” behind an immigration policy that separated families at the border with Mexico. And two ISIS militants are charged in the murder of American hostages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 07, 2020•53 min•Ep. 282
Trump tells a white nationalist group to “stand by” as he further tries to erode confidence in the November elections, this time from the presidential debate stage. Election officials are bracing for a wave of litigation and shenanigans when Americans head for the polls. And new information about Trump’s taxes reveal he’s massively in debt, adding to long-standing fears that his finances make him vulnerable to manipulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 30, 2020•58 min•Ep. 281
A top member of the Mueller team says the special counsel “could have done more” to hold Trump accountable. A career government official accuses the White House of improperly trying to stop John Bolton from publishing his memoir. And the CIA is clamping down on intelligence about Russia, according to a new report. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 23, 2020•53 min•Ep. 280
A Trump-aligned political organization is accused of running a troll farm. The No. 2 on the team investigating the origins of the Russia probe quits, reportedly over concerns that the investigation is being politicized. And Israel signs an historic accord with two Arab states, as a fight over weapons sales to the UAE looms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 17, 2020•53 min•Ep. 279
Multiple news organizations report that Trump has disparaged combat veterans, calling them “losers” and “suckers.” A senior Homeland Security official says he was told to stand down on the threat of Russian election interference. And the legal battle continues over whether a former White House counsel must testify before Congress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 09, 2020•55 min•Ep. 278
Shootings in Kenosha and Portland raise new concerns about violent protests in the U.S. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn is not yet free of the justice system. And a prominent Russian opposition leader has been poisoned with a nerve agent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 02, 2020•55 min•Ep. 277
The Senate Intelligence Committee issues its long-awaited—and very long—report on Russian electoral interference in 2016 and the counterintelligence risks in the Trump campaign. The GAO determines that the leadership is serving illegally. And Belarussians have taken to the streets in protest against another stolen election by long-time strongman Alexander Lukashenko. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 19, 2020•54 min•Ep. 276
Russia wants to “denigrate” Joe Biden and China would prefer Trump lose in November, viewing him as “unpredictable,” the nation’s top election security official says. An investigation by The New York Times raises questions about whether intelligence officials are softening their views on Russia to avoid upsetting Trump. And Biden picks Kamala Harris as his running mate. We look at her national security positions and how those issues will or won’t influence the 2020 campaign. Hosted on Acast. See...
Aug 12, 2020•59 min•Ep. 275
The Homeland Security Department compiles “intelligence reports” on protestors and journalists—including the tweets of our own Ben Wittes. Massive explosions in Beirut compound that country’s political and economic crises. And officials are increasingly warning about foreign interference in November’s election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 05, 2020•53 min•Ep. 274
Attorney General Bill Barr testifies before Congress—about a lot. State and federal officials negotiate how to remove federal forces from Portland amid continuing protests. And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo faces his own day on the Hill after a blistering report on State Department dysfunction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 29, 2020•49 min•Ep. 273
Federal officers descend on protestors in Portland, over the objections of state and local officials. Why did Trump choose this city, and what does he hope to gain from this expanding campaign of federal authority? And the U.S. hits back at Chinese spies, indicting two hackers and shuttering a consulate in Houston. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 22, 2020•56 min•Ep. 272
Chinese tech giants once again find themselves in the crosshairs of Western governments. The CIA has expanded its operations in cyberspace. And intelligence veterans warn that repairing the U.S. relationship with Russia is a fool’s errand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 16, 2020•59 min•Ep. 271
The Trump administration issues new restrictions on immigration in response to the coronavirus pandemic. A major witness in the impeachment hearings retires amid concerns the White House might try to block his military promotion. And progressives mount an effort to shape the future of national security—sometimes to the dismay of the Biden campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 08, 2020•57 min•Ep. 270
Trump’s aides say they never briefed him about a Russian plot to kill U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Former aides say the president has been “delusional” in his dealing with foreign leaders. And as the coronavirus continues spreading, some federal workers are being furloughed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 01, 2020•52 min•Ep. 269
Bill Barr's Justice Department is accused of politicizing law enforcement across an astonishing array of subject matters. A federal appeals court orders the judge in the Michael Flynn case to dismiss charges against the former national security advisor—at Barr’s request. And Israel is getting ready to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 24, 2020•55 min•Ep. 268
John Bolton is finally publishing his tell-all book, and the White House is fighting back. A CIA investigation blames “woefully lax” computer security for the biggest leak in the agency’s history. And experts weigh in on how to change U.S. national security to prepare for the next pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 18, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 267
Who ordered what and when as police cleared peaceful protestors from Lafayette Park? Those protests and others in every state have sparked a national debate about policing. And former Trump administration officials speak out against the president, after possibly holding their tongues too long. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 10, 2020•52 min•Ep. 266
Americans have taken to the streets in dozens of cities to protest the death of George Floyd, police brutality, and systemic racism. President Trump has focused his attention on looting and violence, which he calls “domestic terror” and insisted governors “dominate” the protestors. The gang talks about the role of the military and the Insurrection Act, the role of Bill Barr and the Justice Department, and Trump’s use of other federal forces as America heads into another day of public demonstrati...
Jun 04, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 265
Twitter starts fact-checking President Trump as social media companies face calls to ramp up their election security efforts. China again encroaches on Hong Kong, this time using the pandemic as cover. And the judge in Michael Flynn’s case is told to explain his delay in granting a motion to dismiss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 27, 2020•55 min•Ep. 264
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in hot water over the firing of an inspector general. A newly declassified email shows that Barack Obama wanted the Russia investigation handled “by the book.” And around the world people are slowly emerging from lockdowns and quarantines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 21, 2020•59 min•Ep. 263
This week, the Rational Security gang is joined by listeners from around the world for a special live show. Unmasking, China, life after Trump/under Biden—we took listeners' questions and shared stories about how we're spending our time during the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 14, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 262
