America Abroad Has Never Been About Charity. It’s About Our National Interests.
OPINION — The president’s top national security officials, in the now infamous Signal chat about a planned U.S. bombing of Houthi sites aimed at reopening the […] More
national security
OPINION: Assessing the State of our National Security
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION – I had the pleasure of delivering the opening address at the recent Cipher Brief HONORS Dinner where we recognized some […] More
The National Security Rationale for U.S.-Funded Academic Research
OPINION — Since World War II, the federal government and American universities have developed a deep, symbiotic relationship. That relationship is now threatened. In an effort […] More
Tariffs Delivered the Jolt – Now Comes the Build
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — Bold moves lead to bold outcomes. President Trump understood that reshaping global trade would bring short-term pain, including market volatility and […] More
The Latest
Expert Q&A: The Global Security Risks That Come with Tariffs
EXPERT Q&A — President Donald Trump’s raft of global tariffs came into effect early Wednesday – an unprecedented move that punished U.S. allies and adversaries alike […] More
Allies Weigh In On The Future Under Trump 2.0
EXPERT INTERVIEWS – Over the past two and a half months, as President Donald Trump’s administration has upended long-standing policies and assumptions about America’s role […] More
Abrupt Changes at the top of the National Security Agency Risk Destabilization
EXCLUSIVE CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — The Cipher Brief was the first to report on Thursday in the weekly Dead Drop column that Director of the […] More
Trump’s Tariffs Have National Security Implications Too
EXPERT INTERVIEWS — President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs have spared no nations, slammed several longtime allies, and sent global markets into a tailspin. They will likely […] More
Dismantling VOA and other U.S. Media is a Strategic Mistake
OPINION — President Ronald Reagan believed in the power of communication. He aimed to inform a global audience about American values and find ways to provide […] More
Is the U.S. Military Ready for Tomorrow’s Wars?
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — One of the most profound impacts of the war in Ukraine has less to do with the frontlines and diplomatic negotiations, and […] More
The Signal ‘Disaster,’ and Ensuring It Doesn’t Happen Again
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — When the heads of the intelligence community (IC) came to Capitol Hill Tuesday to present the Annual Threat Assessment, they were […] More
Intel Chiefs Detail Top Threats – and Get a Grilling Over Signal Leak
SPECIAL REPORT – The U.S. Intelligence Community’s (IC) annual assessment of threats facing the U.S. puts narcotics trafficking at the top of the list – […] More
The National Security Impact of Shutting Down USAID
OPINION — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long served as a critical instrument of American soft power, delivering humanitarian assistance, promoting economic […] More
Missing in Musk’s DOGE Operation: Transparency
OPINION — “Well, we actually are trying to be as transparent as possible. In fact, we post our actions to the DOGE [Department of Government […] More
Wanted: More Investment in Diplomacy and National Security Education
OPINION — We live in an era of geopolitical uncertainty, our world order beset by disruptive leaders, unpredictability in time-honored military and trade alliances, and the […] More
The Global Shift To Authoritarianism
OPINION — Based on my numerous assignments abroad, my work for the late Director of Central Intelligence William Casey as his Special Assistant and subsequent work […] More
JD Vance’s Munich Speech Played Loose with Facts
OPINION — “This December, Romania straight up cancelled the results of a presidential election based on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous […] More
After China’s DeepSeek Breakthrough, Time to ‘Rethink the Equation’ in AI
EXPERT INTERVIEW — World leaders and tech executives are gathered in Paris for the latest global summit on artificial intelligence. The French AI summit, co-hosted by […] More
Trump is Right to Prioritize Homeland Missile Defense
OPINION — President Trump issued an executive order, “The Iron Dome for America,” on January 27, jumpstarting a major effort to deploy and maintain a “next […] More