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The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Vox Media Podcast Network
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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- Yesterday1h 9m
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
- 1 weeks ago1h 11m
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
- 2 weeks ago1h 7m
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
- 3 weeks ago1h 10m
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
- 4 weeks ago1h 11m
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
- Apr 29, 20261h 10m
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
- Apr 22, 20261h 18m
Debating the War in Iran and U.S. Strategy (w/H.R. McMaster and Matt Pottinger)
H.R. McMaster and Matt Pottinger, former National Security Adviser and Deputy National Security Adviser to President Trump in his first administration, join Jake and Jon for a wide-ranging conversation on Iran, China, and how national security decisions get made at the highest level. Drawing on their time in the White House, they debate the decision to go to war with Iran, the nature of Iran’s nuclear program, and what a successful outcome would even look like. As McMaster puts it, “a lot of times you’re looking at the least bad option.” 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
- Apr 16, 20261h 15m
John Kerry on Iran, Israel, and Diplomacy
Former Secretary of State John Kerry, who has spent more time negotiating with Iranian leaders than anyone, joins Jake and Jon to discuss the marathon diplomacy efforts that resulted in the JCPOA, Trump’s decision to strike Iran, the likelihood of a deal, the prospects for a two state solution between Israel and Palestinians, and the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Then, Jake and Jon discuss Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s surprising defeat in Hungary’s election and what his loss means for the MAGA movement, Trump’s relationship to Europe’s far right, and Ukraine. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Watch the video of this episode on YouTube. For show notes and transcripts, find and follow us on Substack. Email Jake and Jon at longgame@voxmedia.com. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Photo credit: Thomas Imo/Photothek via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
About The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer
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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