Rational Security

By The Lawfare Institute

News & Politics Government & Organizations National

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 “You Can’t Fire Me, I Q...

09.12.2019

Donald Trump and John Bolton finally part ways. The CIA had a spy in the upper reaches of the Kremlin, then got him out of Russia. And Trump’s Middle East peace negotiator calls it quits.

Rational Security episodes:

09.12.2019 The “You Can’t Fire Me, I Quit!” Edition Donald Trump and John Bolton finally part ways. The CIA had a spy in the upper reaches of the Kremlin, then got him out of Russia. And Trump’s Middle East peace negotiator calls it quits.
09.04.2019 The "'Surprised,' 'Stunned,' and 'Shocked'" Edition A new inspector general report faults former FBI Director Jim Comey for how he handled memos about his meetings with Donald Trump. The CIA isn’t so sure about a White House plan to expand its presence in Afghanistan. And National ...
08.28.2019 The "What’s Past is Prorogue" Edition British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suspends parliament as the Brexit deadline looms. World leaders push back—maybe?—on President Trump at the G7 summit. And Trump tells aides that he’ll pardon them if they have to break the law to build his ...
08.14.2019 The “Skyfall” Edition Susan and Shane are away, so Ben and Tamara are joined by special guests Scott Anderson and Quinta Jurecic. A Russian missile test accident kills scientists and raises questions. Hong Kong and Kashmir are both in crisis, and the United ...
08.07.2019 The “It’s the Terrorism, Stupid” Edition A series of shootings renews the discussion and debate around domestic terrorism. The U.S.-China trade war raises big questions about America’s role as a global power. And the United States faces a make-or-break moment in Syria.
07.31.2019 The “You Too Can Be the DNI!” Edition President Trump said he will nominate a junior congressman and prominent Mueller critic as the next director of national intelligence. CIA Director Gina Haspel has become a bulwark between the White House and the intelligence community. And investigators probe connections ...
07.25.2019 The “I Refer You to the Report” Edition Bob Mueller finally had his close up. Was he ready for it? Did he change any minds? Did we learn anything new about his investigation? We’ll talk about Mueller’s testimony this week before two congressional committees, and ask where do ...
07.23.2019 The Report: Part I: Active Measures We have a special treat for you in the Rational Security feed. Last week, Susan and Ben shared an Object Lesson with you: the podcast The Report, a deep dive narrative look at the contents of the Mueller investigation. We've ...
07.17.2019 The "Back to the Future" Edition Joe Biden lays out his foreign policy agenda. The Trump administration issues new rules for asylum seekers. And Julian Assange reportedly had some curious guests at the Ecuadorian embassy.
07.10.2019 The "Special Relationship" Edition The British ambassador to the U.S. resigns after his candid opinions on President Trump are leaked. Federal prosecutors intensify their investigation of a top Trump fundraiser. And a malicious conspiracy theory about a murdered DNC staffer was planted by Russian ...
07.03.2019 The "OMG20" Edition President Trump takes his show on the road to Osaka, Japan, for a meeting of world leaders. A man at the center of the Russia probe has disappeared, and conspiracy theorists have tried to fill the void. And a consulting ...
06.26.2019 "The Bitch is Back" Edition President Trump prepares to strike Iran in retaliation for downing a U.S. drone, but says he pulled back to spare Iranian lives. Former special counsel Robert Mueller is subpoenaed to testify to Congress. And the National Security Agency, yet again, ...
06.19.2019 The "Acting" Edition The acting secretary of defense has been replaced by another acting defense secretary, and much of the rest of the government is vacant as well. Congress and the Trump administration are still butting heads over oversight matters and compliance with ...
06.13.2019 The "Utterly Shaneless" Edition Shane is off gallivanting elsewhere, so we wiped our bitter tears and did a show without him. Sophia Yan—yes, that Sophia Yan—phoned in from a Chinese airport on her way to Hong Kong to talk about ongoing protests and violence ...
06.05.2019 The "Washed Up Psychos" Edition Robert Mueller speaks! What does it mean for the future of investigations and possible impeachment hearings? Bill Barr is given new authorities to declassify information about the Russia probe. And Jared Kushner says he finally has a plan for Middle ...
05.22.2019 The 'No Way, Huawei' Edition The Trump administration moves to block a Chinese telecom giant. White House counsel Don McGahn is a no-show at a congressional hearing. And the president is considering pardons for military service members convicted of murder.
05.16.2019 The 'Drumbeat of War' Edition Tensions with Iran escalate amid new intelligence suggesting U.S. personnel in the Middle East could be at risk. The Russia investigation is now under investigation by a federal prosecutor. And two senior Homeland Security officials tried to halt a mass ...
05.08.2019 The "Privileged Executive" Edition The White House asserts executive privilege over the Mueller report, and House Democrats move to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt. Republicans revive allegations of spying on the Trump campaign. And Israel says it attacked a building housing Hamas’ ...
05.02.2019 The “Eating Your Soul in Small Bites” Edition Special Counsel Robert Mueller told the attorney general that he failed to convey the “context, nature, and substance” of his investigation. Rod Rosenstein steps down from the Department of Justice and bids President Trump a fond farewell. And is John ...
04.25.2019 The “Mueller Time” Edition The Special Counsel’s report has finally been released. After reading the report and thinking about the findings, we’ll discuss what impressed us most and what happens next.
04.17.2019 The "Calm Before the Storm" Edition Julian Assange is taken into British custody, and the United States wants him to stand trial here. President Trump vetoes a resolution to end U.S. military involvement in the civil war in Yemen. And Attorney General Bill Barr says there ...
04.10.2019 The "Purge" Edition The White House launches a purge at the Homeland Security Department. Some prosecutors in Robert Mueller’s office are frustrated by the attorney general’s portrayal of their report. And the Trump administration designates Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign ...
04.03.2019 The "Mar-a-Lago Thumb Drive Lady" Edition A White House official claims more than two dozen denials for security clearances were overturned. Six months after Saudi agents killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi, what has changed in the U.S-Saudi relationship? And oversight committees gear up for the post-Mueller era.
03.28.2019 The "Still Waiting for the Mueller Report" Edition This week: What else?! The gang talks about Bill Barr's summary of the Mueller report. What did the special counsel say about a Trump campaign conspiracy with Russia? What did he say about obstruction of justice by the president? And ...
03.20.2019 The "Domestic is Global" Edition The killing of 50 Muslims by a white supremacist in New Zealand prompts us to reconsider the meaning of domestic terrorism. The Pentagon identifies projects it will cut to pay for President Trump’s border wall. And the Trump administration revokes ...
03.14.2019 The "Lock Him Up" Edition Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is heading to prison, and facing new charges. If you thought the Arab Spring was over, think again. And a massage parlor owner with suspected links to the Chinese government was reportedly selling access ...
03.07.2019 The "Sensitive Compartmented Kushner" Edition Why does senior White House adviser Jared Kushner have a security clearance? President Trump comes back from a summit meeting with Kim Jong Un empty-handed. And the NSA has apparently stopped a controversial surveillance program that collected Americans’ phone records.
02.28.2019 The “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!” Edition President Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testifies to Congress. Adam Schiff signals he’s coming after all the Russia probe documents. And U.S. Cyber Command hits back at a Russian troll farm.
02.20.2019 The "Overcoats" Edition President Trump says his intelligence director is “not loyal” and may want to fire him. Trump administration officials pushed a plan to sell nuclear power plants to Saudi Arabia. And hackers hit Australian political parties.
02.14.2019 The "Home Stretch?" Edition Is Robert Mueller nearing the end of his Russia probe? The administration moves to block Chinese telecom giant Huawei. And you too can have your own private Mossad!
02.06.2019 The "Peace and Legislation or War and Investigations" Edition President Trump delivers his second State of the Union address. Meanwhile, prosecutors send a subpoena to Trump’s inaugural committee. And the president is feuding with his intelligence chiefs—again.
01.31.2019 The "Stone Cold Polar Vortex" Edition Roger Stone is indicted in the Mueller probe. Venezuela teeters on the brink of economic and political collapse. And American hackers help the UAE build a cyber army.
01.24.2019 The "Uninvited Co-Conspirator" Edition BuzzFeed drops a bomb that turns out to be more of a dud. Or is it? The president’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, could be doing more harm than good for his client. And Congress takes aim at the administration’s Russia-friendly policies.
01.17.2019 The "Raising the Barr" Edition Senators question attorney general-nominee Bill Barr over the Mueller probe. Two new stories shed more light on President Trump’s troubling relationship with Russia. And the president contemplated pulling out of NATO.
01.10.2019 The "No One’s Shutting Us Down" Edition President Trump takes his pitch for border security to the American people in an Oval Office address. John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are on the road doing high stakes diplomacy, but do they actually speak for the president? And the ...
01.03.2019 The "New Year New You" Edition How will a new Cabinet, and a new Congress, face the major national security challenges of 2019? An American businessman is arrested in Russia and charged with espionage. And Sen. Elizabeth Warren is exploring a run for the White House. ...
12.20.2018 The "Syria Later" Edition The future of Brexit is...anyone’s guess. A sealed subpoena and a courtroom smackdown: The latest on L’Affaire Russe. And the U.S. announces it’s withdrawing troops from Syria.
12.13.2018 The "Smocking Gun" Edition There have been big moves in the Russia investigation. We'll put this week’s pieces together. U.S. tensions with China escalate following the arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive. And the Saudi crown prince has duped White House adviser Jared ...
12.06.2018 The “Very Legal and Very Cool” Edition Robert Mueller says that Michael Flynn has cooperated extensively in multiple investigations, including about Russian interference in the election. A new guilty plea from Michael Cohen changes our understanding of Trump’s ties to Russia. And is Israel getting ready for ...
11.29.2018 “The World is a Very Dangerous Place!” Edition Paul Manafort heads to sentencing amid revelations that he has lied to the special counsel, cooperated with Trump’s legal team, and may have met with Julian Assange. The president stands by Saudi Arabia and its crown prince whom the CIA ...
11.15.2018 The "Cocoon of Bitterness and Resentment" Edition Battle lines are drawn over Matthew Whitaker’s appointment as acting attorney general. President Trump, stung by election losses, picks fights with America’s closest allies. And is North Korea deceiving the U.S. in nuclear weapons negotiations?
11.08.2018 The "Blue Sessions" Edition President Trump asks for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ resignation. And Democrats retake the House, while Republicans expand their majority in the Senate.
11.01.2018 The "Every Day Feels Like Halloween" Edition Attempted bombings and a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue once again force us to confront domestic terrorism. Top U.S. officials call for a ceasefire and peace talks in Yemen. And a bizarre and apparently fake attempt to spear Special Counsel ...
10.25.2018 The "Russia on the Ballot" Edition Possible package bombs are sent to prominent Democratic political figures and Trump administration critics. And we’ll wrap up the Russia story so far and ask what it means for the midterm elections.
10.18.2018 The "Rogue Killers" Edition The disappearance of a Washington Post journalist becomes a foreign policy crisis for the Trump administration. U.S. and European intelligence officials say Iran may be planning attacks in Europe. And the U.S. embraces a major expansion in foreign aid to ...
10.11.2018 The "Nikki, We Hardly Knew Ye" Edition A prominent journalist and critic of the Saudi regime goes missing in Istanbul. Nikki Haley says she’s resigning as the U.N. ambassador. And tech companies push back against a story about a massive hardware hack.
10.04.2018 The “This Is Not a Test” Edition The Trump administration accuses China of a massive propaganda campaign in the United States. Facebook suffers a serious hack that exposes 50 million users. And, all laughing aside, what do we make of the administration's performance at the U.N. General ...
09.26.2018 The "Should Rod Stay or Should He Go" Edition Will Rod Rosenstein remain as the deputy attorney general, and what does that mean for the Russia probe he oversees? Tensions hit a fever pitch with China amid an escalating trade war. And the president addresses the U.N. General Assembly.
09.21.2018 The "Four-Letter Words that Start with F" Edition Paul Manafort pleads guilty and agrees to cooperate in the Russia investigation, and Mike Flynn gets a sentencing date. The Justice Department tells two Chinese media companies to register as foreign agents. And Trump declassifies more material about the surveillance ...
09.13.2018 The "Follow Your Lodestar" Edition John Bolton comes out swinging in his first major speech as national security adviser. Is Russia behind a mysterious string of illnesses at U.S. diplomatic facilities? And Trump administration officials met with coup plotters in Venezuela.

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