The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer

Vox Media Podcast Network
  • 4.8 (483)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

The Long Game is a weekly national security podcast hosted by Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s National Security Advisor, and Jon Finer, his Principal Deputy—senior aides who sat in on the classified Presidential Daily Brief each morning and translated raw intelligence into policy advice. Each week, Jake and Jon will pull back the curtain on how power really works helping you make sense of the national security stories unfolding today. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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  1. 3d ago

    Anne Applebaum on the Grifters and Ideologues Reshaping US Foreign Policy

    Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to discuss how far-right ideology and private profit have become intertwined in the Trump administration’s approach to the world; the subject of her new cover story for The Atlantic.  They also examine the opaque U.S. oil arrangements in Venezuela, the campaign for political influence in Greenland, and the difficult work of rebuilding American institutions and alliances after Trump. For paid subscribers, Jake and Jon continue their conversation with Anne Applebaum. She details what changes to the White House and the Kennedy Center reveal about political power and culture in Washington.Subscribe to Long Game + on Apple or Substack for access and to support the show.  Access video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Photo Credit: Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Anne Applebaum on the Grifters and Ideologues Reshaping US Foreign Policy

  2. Sep 24

    The U.S.–China Relationship Is Moving in Two Directions

    PHOTO CREDIT China experts Jessica Chen Weiss, David M. Lampton Professor of China Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS, and Julian Gewirtz, fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and senior research scholar at Columbia University, join Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington. What does Xi hope to secure from President Trump—and what should the United States seek in return? Could the current truce become a durable détente, or is the relationship moving in two directions at once: greater stability at the top and deeper competition underneath? And as concern grows about advanced AI, can Washington and Beijing reduce the risks without resolving their fundamental distrust? The conversation also examines Taiwan, rare-earth export controls, China’s expanding global role, and the choices that could shape the relationship long after this week’s summit. For paid subscribers, Jake and Jon break down President Trump’s United Nations General Assembly speech in a special segment. Subscribe to Long Game + on Apple or Substack for access and to support the show.  Access video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Photo Credit:  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The U.S.–China Relationship Is Moving in Two Directions

  3. Sep 24 • The Long Game+ Only

    Bad AI Intel Nearly Sent the U.S. Navy Onto a Chinese Ship

    Reports that the U.S. Navy nearly boarded a Chinese ship after an AI-assisted intelligence assessment wrongly flagged nuclear-related cargo offer a glimpse of how quickly a failure could become an international crisis. In this exclusive segment for The Long Game+ subscribers, Jake and Jon and their guests, China experts Jessica Chen Weiss and Julian Gewirtz, analyze what this near miss means for the future of AI safety and the US-China relationship. They also weigh in on whether Chinese leadership would prefer a President J.D. Vance or a Democratic White House in 2029. If you’re not yet a subscriber to The Long Game+, now is a great time to upgrade. You'll get access to exclusive podcast segments and help support our work. Photo Credit: ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images

    Bad AI Intel Nearly Sent the U.S. Navy Onto a Chinese Ship

  4. Sep 24 ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    Trump’s UN Speech: Iran Threats, Venezuela “Spoils,” and AI “Hoaxes”

    At the United Nations, President Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran, declared that “to the victor belong the spoils” while discussing Venezuela, and dismissed warnings about AI safety as another hoax. In this exclusive segment for The Long Game+ subscribers, Jake and Jon unpack what Trump’s language reveals about how he views American power and how he intends to use it next. They also ask whether this was his last uncontested turn on the world stage before the 2028 campaign shifts attention to who comes next. If you’re not yet a subscriber to The Long Game+, now is a great time to upgrade. You'll get access to exclusive podcast segments and help support our work.

    Trump’s UN Speech: Iran Threats, Venezuela “Spoils,” and AI “Hoaxes”

  5. Sep 17

    U.S. Intelligence Under Assault and the High-Stakes AI Race With China

    Julia Curlee, a former CIA analyst and acting senior director at the National Security Council, joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to explain why she believes America’s intelligence system is being weakened from within. Curlee also discusses her experience briefing Vice President Mike Pence and why she left government after nearly 20 years. After the interview, Then to argue for and against reaching a deal with the U.S. and continuing  Beijing’s open-weight strategy. Access video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Photo Credit : Julia Curlee  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    U.S. Intelligence Under Assault and the High-Stakes AI Race With China

  6. Sep 17 ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    Can America Rebuild Its Intelligence Workforce?

    Former CIA analyst Julia Curlee warns that the loss of experienced intelligence professionals may outlast any one administration. The challenge is not only rebuilding institutions, but restoring the trust needed to bring public servants back. In this excerpt from the full episode, Jake and Jon break down what recovery could require and whether new technology should change how intelligence reaches the president. Available to paid subscribers. Photo Credit: Julia Curlee

    Can America Rebuild Its Intelligence Workforce?

  7. Sep 11 ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    China’s President Xi Takes The World Stage By Storm–What Comes Next?

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has embarked on a rare stretch of state visits around the world. Why now—and what could they reveal about his strategy ahead of his summit with President Trump in Washington later this month? In this paid-subscriber edition of The Wrap, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer go beyond the headlines to explain what they believe will shape the weeks ahead. They also share what they’re watching and reading and take an honest look at their Iran war prediction that may not have held up. Upgrade to hear the kind of candid, forward-looking conversation Jake and Jon once had at the end of the day in the White House. Email Jake and Jon your questions and comments at longgame@voxmedia.com Photo Credit: Khaled DESOUKI / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

    China’s President Xi Takes The World Stage By Storm–What Comes Next?

  8. Sep 10

    25 Years After 9/11: Admiral McRaven’s Warning for America

    25 Years After 9/11: Admiral McRaven’s Warning for America Retired Admiral William H. McRaven, former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and Joint Special Operations Command, joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer as the country marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. McRaven recalls watching the attacks while recovering from a parachute accident, and later planning and executing the operation that brought Osama bin Laden to justice. They also examine why the Trump administration’s unexplained removal of senior military leaders could weaken candid advice and military preparedness; how special operations must adapt from counterterrorism to competition with major powers; and why America’s alliances remain essential to its security. Access video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more on Substack: https://thelonggame.substack.com/ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Photo credit:  TSgt Rob Hazelett, PublicDomain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    25 Years After 9/11: Admiral McRaven’s Warning for America
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The Long Game is a weekly national security podcast hosted by Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s National Security Advisor, and Jon Finer, his Principal Deputy—senior aides who sat in on the classified Presidential Daily Brief each morning and translated raw intelligence into policy advice. Each week, Jake and Jon will pull back the curtain on how power really works helping you make sense of the national security stories unfolding today. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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