The new film A House of Dynamite offers a terrifying portrayal of how quickly a nuclear war might erupt and how the United States might respond. Looking beyond this Hollywood depiction, how real has the threat of nuclear war actually become, from adversaries’ expanding arsenals to warning-system vulnerabilities? What would a modern nuclear exchange actually look like? Are America’s defenses adequate for the world we live in today? And how can the U.S. deter adversaries without stumbling into escalation or miscalculation?

In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with retired U.S. Air Force General Glen VanHerck. He most recently served as Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) from 2020 to 2024. Gen. VanHerck retired from the Air Force in 2024 after more than 36 years of service.

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay