Fault Lines

National Security Institute
  • 4.4 (41)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Fault Lines, the National Security Institute’s flagship podcast, gets you quickly up to speed, three-times-a-week, on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America. Our regular cast of foreign policy experts includes NSI Deputy Executive Director Martha Miller, NSI Senior Fellows Lester Munson and Morgan Viña, and Director of the NSI CTC - Howard University Cybersecurity Clinic Jessica Jones.  Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Episode 540: The Holiday Special - Unwrapping 2025

    12/22/2025

    Episode 540: The Holiday Special - Unwrapping 2025

    Episode 540: The Holiday Special - Unwrapping 2025 Today, Jessica, Jamil, Morgan, Lester, Les, Lipsey, Matthew, and Marc take stock of a consequential year in U.S. national security. From President Trump’s push to brand himself as a “peace president”—highlighted by multiple diplomatic agreements and the Gaza peace plan—to moments of hard power, including U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, 2025 defied easy labels. The team reflects on undercovered but significant developments as well: the dismantling of the U.S. foreign assistance architecture, growing concern over advanced technology transfers to China, sweeping changes to the federal workforce through DOGE, and a renewed focus on the Western Hemisphere, particularly Venezuela and Haiti. Looking ahead to 2026, what will ultimately shape U.S. national security: the trajectory of Ukraine, a recalibration of China policy, or the domestic pressures of a midterm election year? Are tariffs becoming a permanent tool of U.S. leverage or a temporary negotiating tactic? And as the administration continues to reshape how American power is exercised, which lessons from 2025 will matter most? @jamil_n_jaffer @nottvjessjones @lestermunson @WashingtonFlack @morganlroach Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    44 min

  2. 12/19/2025

    Episode 539: Live from RNDF: Ambassador Yui

    Episode 539: Live from RNDF: Ambassador Yui As part of our crossover series of Fault Lines and CTRL+F, “Modern Deterrence: Allies, Innovation, and the Future of Defense,” recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jess and Jamil sit down with Ambassador Yui, Taiwan’s Representative to the United States. With more than 35 years of diplomatic experience—including senior leadership roles in Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and postings across Europe, Latin America, and the U.S.—Ambassador Yui offers a uniquely informed view of the shifting security landscape in the Indo-Pacific and Taiwan’s evolving role within it. How does Taiwan assess the current deterrence environment amid intensifying PLA activity and hybrid pressure from Beijing? Where are the biggest opportunities, and remaining obstacles, in United States–Taiwan defense, economic, and technological partnership? And as Taiwan advances major modernization efforts, from asymmetric defense to cyber resilience and semiconductor security, what should Washington understand about the capabilities, priorities, and challenges shaping Taiwan’s strategic future? @jamil_n_jaffer @nottvjessjones Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  3. 12/17/2025

    Episode 538: Live from RNDF: Mina Faltas and Dmitri Alperovitch

    As part of our crossover series of Fault Lines and CTRL+F, “Modern Deterrence: Allies, Innovation, and the Future of Defense,” recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jess and Jamil sit down with Washington Harbour Partners Founder and Chief Investment Officer Mina Faltas - with a surprise appearance from NSI Advisory Board Member and Silverado Policy Accelerator co-founder Dmitri Alperovitch. Together, they explore how private capital, technological innovation, and strategic competition are reshaping the future of American and allied deterrence.  How are investors evaluating risk in an era defined by U.S.–China rivalry, hybrid conflict, and accelerating breakthroughs in technology? What role should private capital play in national security, and where is the market still mispricing geopolitical and regulatory risk? And as cyber and space become more central to modern conflict, how can the U.S. and its allies strengthen resilience and build the next generation of deterrence? @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/pPe4xGxqF2w Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min

  4. 12/15/2025

    Episode 537: Live from RNDF: Congressman Don Bacon

    As part of our crossover series of Fault Lines and CTRL+F, “Modern Deterrence: Allies, Innovation, and the Future of Defense,” recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jamil and Jess sit down with Congressman Don Bacon, retired Air Force Brigadier General and chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation.  How should Congress prioritize modernization as China, Russia, and other adversaries accelerate their investment in emerging technologies? What lessons from Ukraine should shape U.S. doctrine, acquisitions, and alliance cooperation? And how should the U.S. think about offensive cyber, AI-enabled capabilities, and the future of deterrence in a rapidly evolving threat landscape? @jamil_n_jaffer @morganlroach Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/eU3qAdj1P6M  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min

  5. 12/12/2025

    Episode 536: Live from RNDF: Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster

    As part of our crossover series of Fault Lines and CTRL+F, “Modern Deterrence: Allies, Innovation, and the Future of Defense,” recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jess and Morgan sit down with Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, former U.S. National Security Advisor. Drawing on insights from his decades of service and his work shaping the U.S. military’s future force, McMaster helps us understand what’s truly new in today’s era of great-power competition and rapid technological change - and why this moment might be when Russia is at its weakest.  (If I am remembering correctly talked a lot about Russia) How should policymakers think about deterrence in a world where battlefields stretch from Europe to the Indo-Pacific to cyberspace? What historical “rhymes” matter most right now? What gives McMaster confidence in America’s ability to compete and what keeps him up at night? @nottvjessjones @morganlroach Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/UPUQgEVSV08  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min

  6. 12/10/2025

    Episode 535: Live from RNDF: Dan Jablonsky

    As part of our crossover series of Fault Lines and CTRL+F, “Modern Deterrence: Allies, Innovation, and the Future of Defense,” recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Morgan and Jess speak with Dan Jablonsky, CEO of Ursa Major. They discuss how startups and nontraditionals are reshaping the defense technology landscape, the strategic importance of next-generation rocket propulsion, and the role of manufacturing innovation in strengthening U.S. and allied capabilities.  What role should industry play in modern deterrence? How can the United States accelerate adoption of cutting-edge systems while building trust between government and industry? And as emerging threats—from hypersonics to hybrid conflict—challenge traditional military advantage, how can U.S. innovators help maintain the technological edge that underpins American and allied security? @morganlroach @nottvjessjones Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/9__6jFUFYoY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    21 min

  7. 12/08/2025

    RNDF Special Series: Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy

    As part of our crossover series of Fault Lines and CTRL+F, “Modern Deterrence: Allies, Innovation, and the Future of Defense,” recorded live at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Jamil, Morgan, and Jess discuss the Trump Administration’s newly released National Security Strategy. They break down the major pillars of the strategy, from the administration’s call for “peace through strength” and its renewed emphasis on economic security, reindustrialization, and energy dominance, to its focus on burden-shifting with allies, deterring adversaries, and reasserting U.S. primacy in key regions, including the Western Hemisphere, the Indo-Pacific, and Europe. What does this strategy signal about the Trump Administration’s priorities heading into 2026? How does it reshape America’s approach to allies, competitors, and emerging technologies? And what does it reveal, explicitly and implicitly, about the administration’s theory of deterrence in an age defined by simultaneous regional crises and great-power rivalry? Check out these sources that helped shape our fellows’ discussions:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf @morganlroach @jamil_n_jaffer @nottvjessjones Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/xxSDkMBoVl8  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    20 min

  8. 12/03/2025

    Episode 533: Five Hours in Moscow: Diplomacy, Dead Ends, and What Comes Next

    Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and Amy dig into the latest round of U.S.-Russia peace talks after Vladimir Putin spent nearly five hours behind closed doors with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. No breakthrough occurred, but the stakes keep rising: Putin says Russia is “ready” for a conflict with Europe, Ukraine is grappling with corruption scandals and the resignation of Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Sudan is offering Moscow a Red Sea naval base, and the Senate’s sanctions bill is still stalled. Did anything new actually from the talks? What should we make of the economic incentives reportedly being floated in some of these negotiations? What would it take for the U.S. to move this conflict toward an endgame? Check out these sources that helped shape our fellows’ discussions:  @nottvjessjones @lestermunson @amykmitchell @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here?  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.  And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/r3iwMur3tQ0  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    9 min
See All (552)

4.4
out of 5
41 Ratings

About

Fault Lines, the National Security Institute’s flagship podcast, gets you quickly up to speed, three-times-a-week, on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America. Our regular cast of foreign policy experts includes NSI Deputy Executive Director Martha Miller, NSI Senior Fellows Lester Munson and Morgan Viña, and Director of the NSI CTC - Howard University Cybersecurity Clinic Jessica Jones.  Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    National Security Institute
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    552
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © A National Security Institute Podcast
  • Show Website
    Fault Lines

You Might Also Like