Fault Lines

Today, Jess, Les, Amy, and Andrew discuss the rising concerns over DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot positioning itself as a competitor to OpenAI, Gemini, and other U.S.-developed platforms. The U.S. has banned DeepSeek from federal systems, and South Korea recently announced it will block new downloads, with both countries underscoring data privacy and national security concerns. Is China pulling ah...

Today, Les, Amy, Andrew, and Jess break down the latest push for peace in Ukraine as negotiations unfold in Saudi Arabia. With President Trump advocating for talks, uncertainty looms over who is involved—Ukraine’s role remains unclear, and European allies are scrambling to protect their interests with an emergency summit in Paris. Are these talks the first step toward ending the war, or is the Wes...

Today, Jess, Bishop, and Algene unpack Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington and his high-profile meetings with both President Trump and Elon Musk. With defense cooperation, tariffs, energy imports, and tech visas on the table, the visit signals growing ties between the U.S. and India—wrapped in a public display of political friendship. Will this “bromance” lead to deeper defen...

Today, Martha, Les, Morgan, and Jess unpack the latest developments in the Middle East and King Abdullah of Jordan’s visit to Washington, D.C. With Trump’s Saturday deadline for the release of Israeli hostages looming, tensions are rising as the Arab League prepares to meet and as Egypt and Jordan weigh their response to Trump’s push for them to take in displaced Palestinians. What impact will Tru...

Today, Les, Martha, Bishop, and Jeffery discuss the latest developments in Sudan, where over 200,000 people have died in the ongoing conflict between government forces and the RSF. While Sudanese forces have secured Khartoum and are discussing the political future, the fight is far from over, as RSF forces still hold Darfur. With Russia backing Sudan’s military and Iran creeping in, the battle for...

Today, Martha, Morgan, and Jess break down Donald Trump’s controversial proposal for Gaza—relocating Palestinians while the U.S. oversees reconstruction. With pushback from Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia and mixed reactions in Israel, the plan raises critical questions about feasibility, diplomacy, and regional security. Who, if anyone, is willing to take responsibility for Gaza? Could this plan...

Today, Jess, Martha, Les, and Morgan discuss upheaval at USAID as the agency faces sweeping changes under the Trump Administration. With the freezing of nearly all foreign assistance, most USAID employees reportedly placed on leave, and international staff ordered to return to the U.S., the future of U.S. foreign assistance is in question. What role does USAID play in advancing U.S. interests abro...

Episode 409: Tariff Turmoil: Trump’s Trade War and Its Global Fallout Today, Morgan, Martha, and Jess discuss President Trump’s latest move to impose sweeping tariffs using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), citing illegal migration and fentanyl as justification. The plan includes 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10% on China, which has prompted retaliatory measures from...

Today, Martha, Matt, Bishop, and Andrew break down the latest Russia-Ukraine developments, the growing pressure on Putin, and the rising costs of war. They examine the strength of the Western alliance, the effect of sanctions against Russia, the Nord Stream 2 fallout, and whether boosting U.S. energy production could curb Europe’s reliance on Russian oil. As modern warfare evolves, hybrid conflict...

Today, Bishop, Amy, Marc, and Algene discuss the chilling effect and confusion created by the Trump administration’s broad pause on federal programs, including those at State, USAID, and domestic initiatives funded through federal grants. With confusion over what can move forward and what funding is on hold, the uncertainty is rippling across the government. Given some of the uncertainty it’s crea...

Today, Jess, Morgan, Amy, and Matt dive into the weekend’s hot story regarding Colombia’s refusal to accept U.S. military planes carrying deported immigrants.  This refusal resulted in President Trump announcing tariffs and sanctions targeting the country, Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s announcement of retaliatory tariffs, and a late night statement from the White House indicating that B...

Today, Morgan, Les, Marc, and Amy discuss President Trump’s decision to revoke security clearances for officials who signed the Hunter Biden laptop letter and to withdraw protective details for former officials like Mike Pompeo, Brian Hook, and John Bolton. Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is reorganizing the National Security Council. What message do these actions send to alli...

Today, Martha, Les, and Jes dive into the ongoing battle over TikTok. After Congress passed bipartisan legislation forcing TikTok to divest from ByteDance, the Supreme Court upheld the decision. However, President-elect Trump’s Day 1 Executive Order paused enforcement, proposing a 50% ownership deal with 72 days for review. Can TikTok operations truly be secured to address national security concer...

Today, Les, Martha, Morgan, and Algene discuss the Gaza-Israel ceasefire and hostage deal, marking a turning point 15 months into the conflict. Brokered with negotiators from both the Biden and Trump administrations, this agreement demonstrates rare unity across the political divide. With hostages and Palestinian prisoners set to be exchanged in phases, and Israeli forces withdrawing from key area...

Today, Morgan, Les, Martha, and Jess discuss this week’s national security nomination hearings, happening less than a week before Donald Trump is sworn in as president. This week, Pete Hegseth, nominee Secretary of Defense, Marco Rubio for Secretary of State; and John Ratcliffe for CIA Director, are all under the spotlight. Are Trump’s choices a sign of a cultural shift in the Pentagon, what are t...

Today, Jess, Martha, Morgan, and Amy delve into President-elect Trump’s recent comments on the strategic importance of Greenland and the Panama Canal to U.S. national security. His refusal to rule out the use of military force to secure these regions has raised eyebrows, ignited debate, and brought renewed attention to key geopolitical areas where the U.S. faces increasing competition from Russia...

Today, Martha, Les, Jess, and Bishop discuss the resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after nine years in office, leaving him as a caretaker PM until a new leader is selected. This leadership change raises questions about Canada’s future role on the global stage and its evolving relationship with the United States. Will Trudeau’s successor be ready to navigate challenges like Trum...

Today, Martha, Les, Jess, Matt, and Morgan reflect on the most significant foreign policy event of 2024 and explore its potential impact on global affairs in 2025. From emerging power struggles to unexpected alliances, they share bold predictions that could shake up the international stage next year. What region or issue will dominate headlines in 2025? What’s their biggest wish for U.S. foreign p...

Recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jess and Martha interview Sharon Weinberger, the national security and foreign policy editor at The Wall Street Journal . She is an expert on the national security space, military science, and technology. She has published three books on military technology and weapons research, including her latest book, “ The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story...

Recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Martha and Les interview Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors, and a Co-Founder, former Chief Executive Officer, and now Chair of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Prior to her role at CNAS, she served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy during the Obama administration where she was the prin...

Recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Morgan and Jess interview Vibhav Altekar Co-Founder and Vice President of Software at Saronic Technologies, a defense technology company dedicated to advancing naval warfare through cutting-edge technological solutions.  How has the geopolitical atmosphere changed the maritime domain? What are the reasons for the recent influx of investment...

Recorded after the Reagan National Defense Forum, Martha and Les interview Amb. Robert O’Brien, the co-founder and chairman of American Global Strategies and a former National Security Advisor for the Trump Administration. Before becoming National Security Advisor, he was appointed special envoy for Hostage affairs. What is President Trump’s “peace through strength” approach? Should America be con...

Recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Morgan and Martha interview Representative Jim Himes (D-CT-4) who serves as Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and as a member of the House Committee on Financial Services. Prior to serving in Congress, Himes ran the New York City branch of The Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing...

Recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Morgan and Les interview Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the Defense Modernization Caucus to discuss opportunities for strengthening national security through emergent technologies.  What spurred the creation of the Defense Modernization Caucus? Are we going fast enough in our defense moder...

Recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jess and Les interview Rep. John Moolenaar (MI-02) who serves as Chairman of the House Select Committee on China. In his role as Chairman, he leads the Committee’s work addressing strategic competition between the U.S. and China, including tackling issues such as China’s trade practices and intellectual property theft, human rights abuses, and ot...