The new film A House of Dynamite offers a terrifying portrayal of how quickly a nuclear war might erupt and how the United States might respond. Looking beyond this Hollywood depiction, how real has the threat of nuclear war actually become, from adversaries’ expanding arsenals to warning-system vulnerabilities? What would a modern nuclear exchange actually look like? Are America’s defenses adequate for the world we live in today? And how can the U.S. deter adversaries without stumbling into escalation or miscalculation?In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with retired U.S. Air Force General Glen VanHerck. He most recently served as Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) from 2020 to 2024. Gen. VanHerck retired from the Air Force in 2024 after more than 36 years of service.Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay
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Democracy vs. the Kremlin (w/ Shelby Magid)
Moldova’s recent elections dealt another blow to Moscow’s influence, but can its fragile democracy withstand the Kremlin’s next moves? Across Eastern Europe, Ukraine fights for survival, Georgia teeters between Brussels and Moscow, and Russian interference looms over them all. What tools does Vladimir Putin still have to destabilize the region—and how can Europe and the United States help defend its newest democracies without overreaching?In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with Shelby Magid, Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. Magid previously served at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and at the International Federation for Human Rights’ office in The Hague, where she worked with the International Criminal Court and conducted research on human rights violations.Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay
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Moldova's Frozen Conflict (w/ Daniel Runde)
Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Moldova delivered a clear victory for the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), led by sitting President Maia Sandu. Can economic incentives and Western investment now help transform Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria from a Russia-leaning outpost into a partner in reconstruction and EU integration? Do the election results signal that the enclave’s oligarchs and younger voters are shifting toward Europe? And what options remain for Vladimir Putin as his traditional levers of influence in the region slip away?In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with Daniel Runde, a senior adviser at BGR Group and author of The American Imperative: Reclaiming Global Leadership Through Soft Power (Bombardier Books, 2023). Runde previously served as a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and has advised the U.S. government, foreign ministries, international bodies, and Fortune 500 firms.
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Effectively Banning the Muslim Brotherhood (w/ Robert Silverman)
Calls to ban the Muslim Brotherhood have resurfaced in recent years, especially amid its links to Hamas and violent offshoots across the Middle East. Is it a political movement, a terrorist network, or both? How should the U.S. balance democratic principles with the need to confront groups that shift between ballots and bombs? And what tools exist to cut off its funding and influence?In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with Robert Silverman, the editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune. Previously a senior Foreign Service officer, Silverman served in nine overseas assignments, including in Iraq, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Riyadh. From 2013 through 2015, he was the elected president and chairman of the board of the 16,000-member American Foreign Service Association.Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice? American Politics from Buckley to Trump (w/ Sam Tanenhaus)
What does the life of William F. Buckley, Jr. reveal about the deeper currents shaping American politics? In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with Sam Tanenhaus, a former editor of The New York Times Book Review and the author of the new biography “Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America” (Random House, 2025). Together, they examine how outsider campaigns, cultural backlash, and the performance of political authenticity have reshaped both the right and the left. Is Trump the culmination, or corruption, of Buckley's movement? Has the liberal establishment lost its hold not just on power, but on the language of ideas itself? And in a time of ideological confusion and institutional decay, is today's chaos a break from the past or its inevitable result?Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay
"In the National Interest" is a podcast that explores the intersection of foreign and defense policy, national security, and U.S. politics. It is not about world affairs, but about American interests and the realist approach needed to promote them. What actually constitutes true realism is, of course, a source of controversy. And so, the series promotes fresh debate by featuring a variety of leading experts from government, industry, journalism, and academia, many of whom may at times disagree with each other. Each episode is hosted by Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of The National Interest magazine, and published by the Center for the National Interest.
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