The Truth of the Matter

Philip Luck, director of the CSIS Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business, joins the podcast to discuss the new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, their potential impact on industry and consumers, and other ways to address China's impact on the global economy.

Noam Unger, director of the CSIS Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative, joins the podcast to discuss the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and potential geopolitical or national security impacts that could follow.

CSIS’s economics program director Philip Luck joins the podcast to talk about the Trump administration’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, and how those nations may respond.

Michaela Simoneau, associate fellow for global health security at CSIS, joins the podcast to discuss the recent outbreak of bird flu in the United States, the red flags that researchers watch for to determine whether a disease could become a pandemic, and the tools available to stop the spread of the virus.

In this crossover episode with AI Policy Podcast, Andrew and Greg discuss the origins of Chinese AI Company DeepSeek (0:55), the release of its DeepSeek R1 model and what it means for the future of U.S.- China AI competition (3:05), why it prompted such a massive reaction by U.S. policymakers and the U.S. stock market (14:04), and the Trump administration's response (24:03).

Catherine Nzuki, associate fellow in the CSIS Africa Program, joins the podcast to discuss the impact of new policies—like U.S. withdrawals from the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement—on Africa, how African nations can use great power competition between the United States and China to their advantage, and her new CSIS podcast, The Afropolitan. Please listen to the African tu...

Paul B. Stares, General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins the podcast to discuss the results of CFR’s 2025 Preventive Priorities Survey, which predicts more serious and more likely conflict contingencies than any other survey in its 17-year history.

In this special crossover episode with the AI Policy Podcast, Andrew, Greg, and CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program Director Joseph Majkut discuss the Biden administration's Executive Order on Advancing United States Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure. They consider the motivation for this measure and its primary goals (1:07), its reception among AI and hyperscaler co...

In this crossover episode with the AI Policy Podcast, we break down the release of the Biden administration's Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion. We discuss the rationale for this latest control (0:52), and its reception among major AI and semiconductor firms (8:14), U.S. allies (17:15), and the incoming administration (19:48). 

Vincent Rigby, former national security and intelligence adviser to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and non-resident senior adviser in the CSIS Americas Program, joins the podcast to discuss Trudeau’s announcement of his resignation, why it happened, and what comes next for Canada.

This podcast episode of The Truth of the Matter features Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, ranking member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The discussion covers bipartisan efforts to address U.S.-China competition in technology, economics, and national security, including TikTok's legal challenges, the risks o...

Eva Dou, technology policy reporter at The Washington Post, joins the podcast to discuss her new book, House of Huawei: The Secret History of China’s Most Powerful Company, as well as U.S. suspicion of the company and why it worries policymakers.

CSIS’s Norman Roule, who served for thirty-four years in the Central Intelligence Agency, managing significant programs relating to the Middle East, joins the podcast to discuss the actors that enabled the Assad regime to survive for so long, how bureaucratic rot in Russia and Iran enabled Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to move south so quickly, and actions the U.S. can take to support peace in the re...

CSIS’s Natasha Hall joins the podcast to discuss the rot inside the Assad regime, the country’s new power center and the internal tensions that remain.

CSIS’s Jon Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the dramatic developments in Syria, the external actors involved, and potential U.S. approaches.

CSIS’s director of the Missile Defense Project Tom Karako joins the podcast to talk about missile escalations in the Ukraine Russia war, plus how missiles are critical to the conflicts in the Middle East.

Joseph Majkut, director of the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program, joins the podcast to discuss the intersection of AI and energy policy, AI’s huge energy requirements, and how to finance infrastructure development to meet these energy needs. Watch CSIS’s recent event on the intersection of AI and energy policy here.

In this episode, we discuss what AI policy might look like under the second Trump administration. We dive into the first Trump administration's achievements (0:50), how the Trump campaign handled AI policy (3:37), and where the new administration might fall on key issue areas like national security (5:59), safety (7:37), export controls (11:27), open-source (14:04), and more. 

Aspen Strategy Group executive director Anja Manuel joins the podcast to discuss issues surrounding AI and national security, and a new series of original papers and op-eds called “Intelligent Defense: Navigating National Security in the Age of AI.” The papers are authored by Aspen Strategy Group members including: Manuel, Mark Esper, General David Petraeus, David Ignatius, Nick Kristof, Steve Bow...

In this episode, Andrew Schwartz, Victor Cha, and distinguished guests discuss the Kremlin's motivations, the potential impacts on the battlefield in Ukraine, what North Korea is likely to receive in return, how Beijing may perceive this development, and more.

Aram Nerguizian, CSIS senior associate and an expert on the Levant, joins the podcast to discuss the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah’s current political and military capabilities, and the impact of the conflict on the Lebanese people.

In this special episode, Andrew and Gregory C. Allen discuss the National Security Memorandum on AI the Biden administration released on October 24th, its primary audience and main objectives, and what the upcoming U.S. election could mean for its implementation. 

Suzanne Spaulding, director of the CSIS Defending Democratic Institutions Project, joins a special crossover episode with CSIS’s Smart Women, Smart Power podcast to discuss election security, the role of election officials, and how to fight disinformation as early voting begins across the nation.

Charles Edel, CSIS Senior Adviser and Australia Chair, and Kathryn Paik, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Australia Chair, join the podcast to discuss their new Foreign Affairs article on how China is dominating foreign policy in the Pacific. Read the article - The Peril of American Neglect in the Pacific

Seth Jones, President of the CSIS Defense and Security Department and Harold Brown Chair in Strategy, joins the podcast to discuss the data on increasing violence between Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran presented in a new CSIS publication. Latest CSIS analysis on escalating war between Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran