The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer

Vox Media Podcast Network
  • 4.8 (464)
  • 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.

THE LONG GAME+

Unlock exclusive episodes & support our work

$4.99/month or $49.99/year

  1. 7h ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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?

  4. 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?

  5. 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

  6. Aug 27

    Iran’s “Economic D-Day” and the US-Canada Rupture

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. is entering “the endgame” with Iran, launching what he calls an “economic D-Day.” Closer to home, U.S.-Canada trade talks have collapsed after Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected Washington’s latest demands.  Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer examine whether Operation Economic Outcast can change Iran’s calculus, why China holds the key, and why Canadians are backing a trade fight they expect to hurt. They also stage a Red Team/Blue Team debate over President Trump’s new cyber memo, which allows private companies to conduct offensive operations against foreign cybercriminals. Jon makes the case for the so-called cyber privateers, while Jake lays out the risks. Subscribe to The Long Game+ on Apple podcasts or on Substack for access to exclusive segments. This week, Jake and Jon tackle two listener questions: What should we make of CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unannounced trip to Moscow? And, how did Jake and Jon manage the physical and mental toll of their years as national security advisors?  Video versions of exclusive podcast segments, transcripts, and more available 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 by ANDREJ IVANOV / AFP via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Iran’s “Economic D-Day” and the US-Canada Rupture

  7. Aug 27 ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    The CIA Director’s Moscow Mission

    Why did CIA Director John Ratcliffe make an unannounced trip to Moscow, and why use an intelligence back channel? In this exclusive Mailbag segment for subscribers, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer consider what message Ratcliffe may have carried, from a possible warning about Russian escalation against NATO countries to an Iran-related appeal or a new piece of intelligence demanding immediate attention. Then, Jake and Jon answer a question about how they protected their physical and mental health during years of long hours and interrupted sleep at the White House. Email Jake and Jon your questions and comments at longgame@voxmedia.com Photo by Molly Riley/The White House via Getty Images

    The CIA Director’s Moscow Mission

  8. Aug 7 ·  Bonus • The Long Game+ Only

    The Lance Armstrong Theory of American Politics

    What happens when abuses of power stop shocking the public? In this exclusive segment for Long Game+ subscribers, Patrick Radden Keefe, Jake Sullivan, and Jon Finer examine how outrage fatigue can become a culture of impunity. They discuss President Trump’s willingness to say the quiet part out loud and whether repeated norm-breaking makes corruption feel inevitable. Patrick warns that the cynicism may spread far beyond politics, creating a Lance Armstrong-style logic: If everyone else is cheating, only a fool follows the rules. Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com with your thoughts and questions. Photo by Tim de Waele/Corbis via Getty Images

    The Lance Armstrong Theory of American Politics
See All (53)

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
464 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.

Information

You Might Also Like