Rational Security is a weekly roundtable podcast featuring Shane Harris of the Washington Post and Susan Hennessey, Tamara Cofman Wittes and Benjamin Wittes of the Brookings Institution. It’s a lively and irreverent discussion of news, ideas, foreign policy, and law. There’s always a laugh. Sometimes there’s even scotch. You can subscribe here or on iTunes.
Latest in Rational Security
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 intelligence agents.
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 firm is accused of making the intelligence community less effective.
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, says it improperly collected Americans’ phone records.
Shane and Tamara and Susan are all away—so Rational Security is dominated this week by acting officials. The acting secretary of defense has been replaced by another acting defense secretary, and much of the rest of the government is vacant as well.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 congressional information demands for information. And the New York Times reports that U.S. hackers are in the Russian power grid—and want the Russians to know that they're there.
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 in that city. Kamala Harris urged the indictment of President Trump after he leaves office. And Pete Buttigieg gave a foreign policy speech.
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 East peace.
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.
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 deportation plan, just before they were ousted.
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’ offensive cyber operations.
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 Bolton’s view of foreign policy compatible with the president he serves?