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The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer

Vox Media Podcast Network
  • 4.7 (328)
  • 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.

  1. What the World Cup Reveals About Global Politics (w/ Franklin Foer)

    4d ago

    What the World Cup Reveals About Global Politics (w/ Franklin Foer)

    As the World Cup kicks off, what can soccer tell us about the state of the world? Franklin Foer, author of “How Soccer Explains the World,” joins the show to discuss why the world's most popular sport remains one of the best lenses for understanding nationalism, globalization, identity, and political power. More than twenty years after the book's original publication, Foer reflects on how globalization reshaped the game, why national identity remains a powerful force, and what the World Cup reveals about today's geopolitical landscape. Topics covered:  Why globalization often strengthened nationalism rather than weakened it The possibility of a U.S.-Iran World Cup showdown on American soil The roles of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the growing intersection of sports and geopolitics President Trump’s relationship with FIFA Subscribe to The Long Game on Substack for exclusive video content, transcripts, and more. This week, paid subscribers receive the inaugural edition of The Wrap, where Jake and Jon share what they're reading, revisit something they may have gotten wrong, and discuss the issues they're watching most closely. 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

    48 min

  2. 4d ago ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    The Wrap: Iran, AI, and America's Next Public Health Threat

    This week, we have a special segment for paid subscribers: The Wrap. It is inspired by the daily end-of-day meetings Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer held while serving on the National Security Council. Jake and Jon share their latest reading recommendations, revisit a prediction they may have gotten wrong, and discuss several issues they believe deserve closer attention. Is a return to large-scale U.S. military action in Iran expected? Can AI models improve themselves without human involvement? How concerned should we be about the New World Screwworm? Jake and Jon get into all this and more. This content is exclusively for paying subscribers. Thank you for supporting our work.

    11 min
  3. Is Ukraine Now Winning the War Against Russia? (w/Michael Kofman)

    Jun 4

    Is Ukraine Now Winning the War Against Russia? (w/Michael Kofman)

    More than four years into the Russia-Ukraine war, has the battlefield finally begun to shift? Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer sit down with Michael Kofman, one of the leading analysts of the conflict, fresh off a trip to Ukraine's frontlines. Kofman argues that Ukraine is in its strongest position since 2023 and explains why Russia's grinding offensive may be running out of steam. Together, they discuss how Ukraine used drones and battlefield innovation to offset Russian advantages, why Moscow's military strategy is producing diminishing returns, and what it would take to translate recent developments on the battlefield into a lasting political settlement. They discuss: Why Kofman believes Ukraine has gained the advantage for the first time in years How drones and decentralized defense production have transformed the battlefield Whether Russia can be convinced that continuing the war is futile Subscribe to The Long Game on Substack for exclusive video content, transcripts, and more. This week, paid subscribers will receive a special mailbag segment  where Jake and Jon answer listener questions. 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

    1h 10m
  4. Iran Talks and Trump’s Cuba Strategy w/Ricardo Zúñiga

    May 28

    Iran Talks and Trump’s Cuba Strategy w/Ricardo Zúñiga

    President Trump is simultaneously pursuing peace talks with Iran while escalating U.S. military pressure in the region following recent strikes. Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer revisit the policy options most likely facing the administration and walk through how they would advise the president at this moment of escalation and diplomacy. Then, Ricardo Zúñiga, former Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council and one of the architects of the Obama administration’s opening to Cuba, joins to discuss: The politics behind U.S.-Cuba policy  What Obama was trying to achieve through engagement with Havana How Trump’s approach to Cuba and Latin America has changed in his second term The likelihood that the U.S. will undertake some form of military action in Cuba Whether sanctions and pressure campaigns still create meaningful leverage How Venezuela reshaped U.S. thinking about authoritarian regimes in the hemisphere Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. Show notes are available here. Transcript coming soon. 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

    1h 12m
  5. America’s Cybersecurity Crisis Starts With Software (w/Jen Easterly)

    May 22

    America’s Cybersecurity Crisis Starts With Software (w/Jen Easterly)

    President Trump is preparing to sign a major executive order on AI and cybersecurity at a moment of growing concern over cyber threats from China, Russia, Iran, and criminal ransomware gangs. Jen Easterly, former Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and now CEO of RSAC, the world's largest cybersecurity community, joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to discuss: Why America has a software security problem, not just a cybersecurity problem How insecure software shifted risk from tech companies onto consumers Why AI tools like Mythos and GPT-5.5 Cyber could fundamentally change cyber defense What China’s Volt Typhoon campaign revealed about U.S. infrastructure vulnerabilities How cyber warfare has shaped conflicts in Ukraine and Iran Jake and Jon close the episode with a discussion of the latest developments in the Iran war, rising tensions around Cuba, the Ebola outbreak in the Congo, and President Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. Show notes are available here. Transcript coming soon. 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

    1h 8m
  6. China’s Strategy for Trump (w/Kurt Campbell)

    May 13

    China’s Strategy for Trump (w/Kurt Campbell)

    President Trump heads to Beijing for a high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping at a moment of growing instability in the Middle East and rising anxiety across Asia. In this episode, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell joins Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer to preview the summit and discuss: Why China increasingly believes the United States is in decline Xi Jinping’s read of Donald Trump Whether Trump might shift U.S. policy on Taiwan or semiconductor export controls How the Iran war is factoring into  China’s strategy  What comes next in the U.S.-China competition Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. 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. REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: “How China hopes to win from the war,” The Economist, April 1, 2026. "The Stakes of Trump vs. Xi," Kurt Campbell, Foreign Affairs, May 2026. “Xi Is Planning for China’s Final Victory Over the U.S.,” The New York Times, Julian Gerwirtz, May 13, 2026.  “What a former CIA analyst reveals about a potential China fight,” Max Book Interview with John Culver, The Washington Post, May 11, 2026 “U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities,” Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman, and Jonathan Swan, The New York Times, May 12, 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 10m
  7. Iran War & Trump’s Europe Troop Drawdown: What Comes Next?

    May 7

    Iran War & Trump’s Europe Troop Drawdown: What Comes Next?

    Iran war developments, including new signs of a potential deal, UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC, and what weeks of conflict have revealed about U.S. leverage. In this episode, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer discuss: - Why a deal with Iran may be inevitable but harder to reach now - How markets, military risks, and politics are shaping Trump’s strategy - Warnings about depleted U.S. munitions  - Why the UAE is leaving OPEC and what it says about tensions with Saudi Arabia - A Red Team/Blue Team debate on in U.S. reducing troops in Europe Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Watch the video of this episode on YouTube. Show notes are available here. Transcript available 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

    1h 11m
  8. China’s Engineering State vs. America’s Lawyerly Society (w/Dan Wang)

    Apr 29

    China’s Engineering State vs. America’s Lawyerly Society (w/Dan Wang)

    Dan Wang, author of Breakneck, breaks down the divide between China’s “engineering state” and America’s “lawyerly society” and what that means for the future of U.S.-China competition. Wang joined Jake and Jon before a live audience at the Endless Frontiers conference in Austin, Texas. In this episode: - Why China builds at scale and why the U.S. often struggles to keep up - The strengths and limits of China’s model, from manufacturing to social policy - A closer look at Xi Jinping’s leadership and decision-making - Why “process knowledge” is key to rebuilding American capacity Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Watch the video of this episode on YouTube. Show notes are available here. Transcript coming soon. Join us on Substack. 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

    1h 10m
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4.7
out of 5
328 Ratings

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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