Rational Security

By The Lawfare Institute

What's Rational Security about?

A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters hosted by Shane Harris of the Wall Street Journal and featuring Brookings scholars Tamara Cofman Wittes, Benjamin Wittes, and Susan Hennessey.

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The "Confirm and Deny" Edition

02.24.2021

President Biden’s nominees for attorney general and CIA director mostly sail through their confirmation hearings. The administration kickstarts policy on Iran, with an eye towards salvaging a nuclear deal. And the Supreme Court rules that a New York grand jury ...

Rational Security episodes:

02.24.2021 The "Confirm and Deny" Edition President Biden’s nominees for attorney general and CIA director mostly sail through their confirmation hearings. The administration kickstarts policy on Iran, with an eye towards salvaging a nuclear deal. And the Supreme Court rules that a New York grand jury ...
02.17.2021 The "Not Guilty but Sort of Guilty" Edition It's our 300th episode! The Senate acquits Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. Rolling blackouts in Texas offer a glimpse of climate insecurity to come. And the Pentagon delayed promoting two female generals to four-star commands over fears of ...
02.10.2021 "The Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Does Impeachment" Edition President Trump’s impeachment trial begins in the Senate as a prosecutor in Georgia investigates efforts to overturn the election. President Biden sets out to “revitalize” national security and foreign policy in his administration. And the U.S. is (cautiously) rejoining world ...
02.03.2021 The "Impeachment: Part Two" Edition The Senate prepares to try former President Trump on charges of inciting a riot at the Capitol. A military coup in Myanmar deals a potentially crushing blow to democracy. And how do you solve a problem like Marjorie Taylor Greene?
01.27.2021 The "Domestic in the Extreme" Edition The storming of the Capitol on January 6 has exposed the long-simmering threat of domestic extremism in the United States. How will the Biden administration combat it? Protests break out across Russia as a prominent dissident returns home. And can ...
01.21.2021 The "Let’s Never Do That Again" Edition Joe Biden takes the oath of office to become the 46th President of the United States. We’ll look at how Donald Trump spent his last day in office and how Biden is spending his first.
01.13.2021 The "So Not-Nice They Impeached Him Twice" Edition The House impeaches President Trump—again—for his role in stoking an attack on the Capitol. President-elect Biden announces more national security appointments, including his nominee to lead the CIA. And Mike Pompeo breaks some diplomatic furniture on the way out the ...
01.06.2021 "The Peaceless Transition of Power" Edition A normally procedural session of Congress dissolves as protestors descend on Washington and occupy the Capitol. A new crackdown on pro-democracy forces in Hong Kong will complicate the incoming Biden administration’s approach to China. And how will a (barely) Democrat-controlled ...
12.31.2020 The "F--- This Year" Edition President Trump issues another round of pardons, raising expectations that his family members and maybe Trump himself will be next. As 2020 comes to a merciful close, we’ll take a look back at the big national security stories that didn’t ...
12.17.2020 The "Disbarred" Edition Attorney General Bill Barr exits the stage. Did he leave before Trump could fire him? A massive computer hack attributed to Russian intelligence may have exposed dozens of companies and government agencies. And in the face of that and other ...
12.10.2020 The "Stocking the Cabinet" Edition 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 ...
12.03.2020 The "You Get a Pardon and You Get a Pardon!” Edition 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 ...
11.25.2020 "The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives (Revisited)" Edition 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 ...
11.18.2020 "The Firings Will Continue Until Morale Improves" Edition 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 ...
11.12.2020 The "Peaceful(ish) Transfer of Power" Edition 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 ...
11.04.2020 The "Still Counting" Edition 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 ...
10.28.2020 The “Buckle Your Seatbelts” Edition 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 ...
10.21.2020 The “That’s Rudy!” Edition 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 ...
10.14.2020 The "Unmasked at Last" Edition 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. ...
10.07.2020 The “Don’t Let it Dominate You” Edition 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 ...
09.30.2020 The "Sh*t Show" Edition 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 ...
09.23.2020 The “Could Have Done More” Edition 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 ...
09.17.2020 The "Trump Trolls" Edition 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 ...
09.09.2020 The "Summer is Definitely Over" Edition 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 ...
09.02.2020 The "Cruel Summer" Edition 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 ...
08.19.2020 The "Near Abroad" Edition 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 ...
08.12.2020 The "Russia and Running Mates" Edition 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 ...
08.05.2020 The "Dangerous Tweets" Edition 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.
07.29.2020 The "Barr, Portland, Pompeo, Camera, TV" Edition 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 ...
07.22.2020 The "Not-So-Secret Police" Edition 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 ...
07.16.2020 The "Tick Tock for TikTok" Edition 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.
07.08.2020 The "Blob Bloblob" Edition 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 ...
07.01.2020 The "Bounty Hunters" Edition 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 ...
06.24.2020 The "Very Low Barr" Edition 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. ...
06.18.2020 "The Stache Strikes Back" Edition 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. ...
06.10.2020 The "Day Late and a Dollar Short" Edition 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 ...
06.04.2020 The "America is Hurting" Edition Americans have taken to the streets in dozens of cities to protest the death of George Floyd, police brutality, and systemic racism. Trump has focused his attention on looting and violence, which he calls “domestic terror” and insisted governors “dominate” ...
05.27.2020 The "Blue Exclamation Point" Edition 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 ...
05.21.2020 The "Pompeo in the Dog House" Edition 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 ...
05.14.2020 The "Ask Us Anything—Live!" Edition 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.
05.07.2020 The "You Too Can be the DNI" Edition Congressman John Ratcliffe faces questions from the Senate in his quest to become the next director of national intelligence. Americans are detained in an apparent botched invasion of Venezuela. And former national security adviser Michael Flynn claims he was set ...
04.30.2020 The "Blame it on Beijing" Edition Democrats and Republicans finally have something to agree on: China deserves more scrutiny for how it has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim Jong Un is alive, maybe. And the courts take up the argument on whether Congress can sue the ...
04.23.2020 The “A Little Government is a Dangerous Thing” Edition Protests break out against states’ stay-at-home orders. China is linked to a disinformation campaign about the coronavirus. And Israel forms a unity government.
04.15.2020 The "Contact Tracing" Edition State officials say tracing the contacts of people infected with the coronavirus will help keep it from spreading. The Trump administration withdraws funding from the World Health Organization. And Russia takes advantage of confused U.S. policy on Libya.
04.09.2020 The “Ready, Aim, Fire Everyone!” Edition President Trump removes two independent inspectors general, including the one at the center of his impeachment. The acting Navy Secretary is out after he removed the captain of an aircraft carrier who complained that his sailors were at risk from ...
04.02.2020 The “Don’t Be a Maskhole” Edition State and local governments are on the frontlines of the fight against the coronavirus. But there’s a lot the federal government can, and arguably should, be doing. What is the pandemic showing us about the strengths of a democracy versus ...
03.26.2020 The "Flatten the Curve" Edition It took weeks for administration officials to persuade Donald Trump that the coronavirus posed a significant threat to the United States. Did those delays hinder the fight against the virus? The coronavirus may pose a threat to democratic values, as ...
03.18.2020 The "Social Distancing" Edition Much of normal life has ground to a halt. We’ll reflect on the state of the pandemic and how it’s affecting us. What exactly happened to a White House office set up to respond to pandemics? And Congress kicks the ...
03.11.2020 The "My Corona" Edition As the coronavirus spreads, U.S. officials face a public health crisis and the threat of economic recession. The World Health Organization has officially declared coronavirus a pandemic. How are other countries responding, and what can the U.S. learn from them? ...
03.05.2020 "The Second Time’s a Charm" Edition President Trump picks Congressman John Ratcliffe—again—to be the new director of national intelligence. The United States signs a peace deal with the Taliban. And an appeals court rules that former White House Counsel Don McGahn does not have to testify ...

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