Episodes

  • When Washington Smells Weakness

    When Washington Smells Weakness
    Nov 21 2025
    In this episode, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer cover: - Who gained what after Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince MBS? - How does the corruption scandal inside Zelensky’s government intersects with a new U.S. push for a Ukraine peace deal? - Tabletop: the risks of re-orienting the national-security apparatus to immigration enforcement. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop on Fridays. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available here. References and Supplemental Readings: - “Disrupting the first reported AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign” Anthropic Report, 11/13/25. - “The Risky Movement to Make America Nuclear Again,” Michael Riley in Bloomberg News, 10/30/25. Watch the video of this episode on Youtube. Have a question for Jake or Jon? Email us at letters@cafe.com or leave us a comment on Substack. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • From Terrorist to President

    From Terrorist to President
    Nov 14 2025
    In this episode, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer break down: - Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara’s Oval Office meeting with President Trump, - Trump’s upcoming meeting with Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and the country’s tech diplomacy, and - Trump’s post about U.S. testing nuclear weapons. They also debate whether Israel should mount more strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop on Fridays. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on Substack. Watch the video of this episode on Youtube. Have a question for Jake or Jon? Email us at letters@cafe.com or leave us a comment on Substack. The Long Game is produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Xi and Putin Got Trump’s Number

    Xi and Putin Got Trump’s Number
    Nov 7 2025
    In their first episode, Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer tackle three flashpoints central to U.S. national security interests right now: U.S. / China relations, the Russian - Ukraine War and the situation unfolding in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific Ocean. They close with a discussion about the new Netflix film A House of Dynamite, a story about crisis decision-making that, for two people who’ve lived those moments, hits uncomfortably close to home. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop on Fridays. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on Substack. Watch the video of this episode on Youtube. Have a question for Jake or Jon? Email us at letters@cafe.com. The Long Game is brought to you by the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Introducing The Long Game

    Introducing The Long Game
    Oct 31 2025
    “The Long Game” is a weekly national-security podcast hosted by Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer, former top White House advisers who’ve sat with the president for the classified Presidential Daily Brief and helped turn raw intelligence into real-world policy. Each episode offers an insider’s tour of how consequential decisions get made and why they matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    2 mins