The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer

Vox Media Podcast Network
  • 4.7 (351)
  • 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. 6d ago

    Why Zelensky Fired His War Chiefs & Where Trump's Iran War Goes Next

    Zelensky just fired his defense minister, his top general, and his prime minister in a single reshuffle — and thousands of Ukrainians poured into the streets. Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer unpack what's really driving it: a generational war over how to fight, Zelensky's wariness of rivals who outshine him, and a reckoning over corruption in military procurement. They trace how Ukraine's homegrown drone industry — now the front line of the war — grew out of a 2023 "tech sprint," and why it may soon make Ukraine one of the world's largest arms exporters. Then, Iran. With the ceasefire dead and the Strait of Hormuz closed, Jake and Jon reopen their "options memo" — keep striking, cut a deal, go for a knockout blow, or walk away.  Subscribe to The Long Game on Substack for access to exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more: https://thelonggame.substack.com/ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. 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: Danylo Antoniuk/Anadolu via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Why Zelensky Fired His War Chiefs & Where Trump's Iran War Goes Next

  2. 6d ago ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    Kash Patel’s Russia Trip & Andy Burnham's Foreign Policy

    In this subscriber-only mailbag, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer take two listener questions. First: FBI Director Kash Patel is reportedly planning an October trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg. How unusual is that — and why would an FBI director go to Russia? Jake and Jon on the "highly suspect" two-city tour, Patel's taste for quasi-tourist official travel, the risk of an FSB propaganda win, and the slim chance there's a serious purpose behind it. Then: what to make of Andy Burnham becoming UK prime minister. With a thin foreign policy record and no relationship with Trump, the early tells are his appointments — Jonathan Powell staying on as National Security Advisor, Ed Miliband as foreign secretary, and John Healy, who once resigned over defense spending, now running the budget as chancellor. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Have a question for Jake and Jon? Email longgame@voxmedia.com. Join The Long Game+ on Apple Podcasts for exclusive podcast segments. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network.

    Kash Patel’s Russia Trip & Andy Burnham's Foreign Policy

  3. Jul 15

    Trump’s Election Playbook, Explained by Jocelyn Benson

    Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to discuss the security of the 2026 midterm elections — just a day before President Trump’s primetime Thursday address, expected to focus in part on “election integrity.” They discuss Trump’s claims about noncitizen voting, the SAVE Act, efforts to access state voter rolls, the dismantling of federal election security infrastructure, and whether federal agents could be deployed to polling places. Then Jake and Jon debate whether Russia might escalate against NATO as Ukraine gains ground — and what that would mean for the alliance. For subscribers to the Long Game+ on Apple: Jake and Jon break down the latest on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, including the unraveling ceasefire and Trump’s decision to reimpose a blockade of Iranian exports. Subscribe to The Long Game on Substack for access to video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Photo credit:  Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Trump’s Election Playbook, Explained by Jocelyn Benson

  4. Jul 13 ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    Trump’s new ‘Fairness Fee’ in the Strait of Hormuz

    The fragile U.S.–Iran ceasefire appears to be collapsing — and the Strait of Hormuz is back at the center of the crisis. In this special subscriber-only segment, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer break down the latest developments: renewed U.S.–Iran tension, President Trump’s proposed “fairness fee” on cargo moving through the Strait, Iran’s claim of control over key shipping routes, and whether the U.S. can still shape the outcome. They also assess the bigger questions: Did the U.S. and Iran ever agree on what the deal actually meant? Who can better withstand the economic and political pressure? And will Gulf countries and global companies start working around Washington — and around the Strait itself? Thanks for subscribing to The Long Game. Send us your questions and comments to longgame@voxmedia.com. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, consider upgrading to the Long Game+ for exclusive access to exclusive subscriber-only segments. Photo credit: July 10, 2026 (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

    Trump’s new ‘Fairness Fee’ in the Strait of Hormuz

  5. Jul 9

    Heather Cox Richardson on Democracy, Alliances, and America's Future

    Historian and author of the “Letters From An American” newsletter Heather Cox Richardson joined Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to discuss the historical roots of today's political moment, the relationship between American democracy and U.S. global leadership, the future of the international order, and what a new foreign policy for the 21st century could look like. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. For exclusive podcast segments, become a member of the Long Game on Substack or Apple.  Show notes are available here. Transcript here. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Heather Cox Richardson on Democracy, Alliances, and America's Future

  6. Jul 1

    America at 250: A Net Assessment (w/ Robert Kagan)

    As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, how should Americans assess the country's strength, its democracy, and its role in the world? Recorded live at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer are joined by historian and foreign policy scholar Robert Kagan for a wide-ranging conversation on America's future. Drawing on four decades of writing about American power and the international order, Kagan argues that the United States is living through two historic shifts at once: a renewed struggle over American identity at home and a retreat from the global leadership that defined the post-World War II era. Topics covered: Whether the United States is entering a genuinely multipolar world The future of NATO, Europe, China, and Taiwan Democratic backsliding and the resilience of American institutions What America's role in the world should look like over the next quarter century Jake and Jon also challenge Kagan on Iraq, Iran, the use of American power abroad, and whether the United States can rebuild trust with its allies after the Trump era. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. For exclusive podcast segments, become a member of the Long Game on Substack or Apple.  Show notes are available here. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. Transcript here. Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    America at 250: A Net Assessment (w/ Robert Kagan)

  7. Jul 1 ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    The Most Overrated President in History, According to Robert Kagan

    This week, paid subscribers get a bonus conversation featuring a lightning round with historian Robert Kagan. Following their net assessment of America at 250, recorded live at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Jake and Jon shift gears with a series of rapid-fire questions, revealing a more personal side of one of America's leading foreign policy thinkers through his takes on history, books, baseball, presidents, and more. New episodes drop weekly — follow The Long Game on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://pod.link/1850526014 Subscribe to The Long Game on Substack for exclusive transcripts, and more. Watch episodes of The Long Game on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podlonggame Follow The Long Game on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podlonggame TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podlonggame

    The Most Overrated President in History, According to Robert Kagan

  8. Jun 24

    Timothy Snyder on Iran, Ukraine, and the Future of Freedom

    Historian and “On Tyranny” author Timothy Snyder joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to discuss the Iran war and ceasefire negotiations, the state of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, how Ukraine has transformed drone warfare, what these wars reveal about the limits of American military power, and what a positive vision of freedom looks like for the United States as it approaches its 250th anniversary.  Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Show notes are available here. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. Transcript here. Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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About

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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