The hottest National Security Substack posts right now

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Top U.S. Politics Topics

Trump’s Voters Will Back an Iran Strike

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 241 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. MAGA leaders push a noninterventionist line, but many of their voters don't actually share that view.
  2. Recent polls show large support among Trump voters for military action: about half would back action in Iran, 61% of 'MAGA Republicans' favored intervention there, and 65% supported military action in at least one country.
  3. American attitudes toward foreign intervention shift with events, so the political right can be isolationist at times and interventionist at others, surprising its ideologues.

Former CIA operative attempted to introduce DEA asset to Colombian FTO in Curaçao, according to U.S. attorneys

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 569 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
📰 News National Security
  1. Former CIA operative Robert Sensi and ex‑DEA official Paul Campo are accused of laundering millions and facilitating large drug deals for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, including converting cash into cryptocurrency and paying for hundreds of kilograms of cocaine.
  2. Prosecutors say Sensi tried to arrange a meeting in Curaçao between a DEA confidential source (posing as a CJNG member) and a representative of a U.S.‑designated Colombian foreign terrorist group. He allegedly discussed sourcing weapons like rifles and even C‑4 explosives.
  3. U.S. attorneys filed WhatsApp messages and other evidence, including many seized phones, to oppose Sensi's bail and argue that his travel and actions show he remains a flight and public‑safety risk despite his age and medical problems.

America is losing the physical technologies of the future

Noahpinion • 15294 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🕹 Technology National Security
  1. America is falling behind in key physical technologies like electric vehicles and renewable energy. This is a big deal for the country's future power and economic success.
  2. The shift in focus towards electrical technologies is often viewed through the lens of climate change rather than national power. This misunderstanding could hurt America's position in global technology.
  3. Countries like China are gaining an advantage in these technologies, which could impact America's leadership in the world. It's essential to prioritize these innovations beyond just climate talk.

How Trump/USA Is Helping Putin Kill Ukrainians

Phillips’s Newsletter • 147 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Some U.S. actions under Trump are effectively aiding Putin and are argued to be contributing to Ukrainian casualties.
  2. Patriot anti‑air systems are presented as the single most important, advanced, and expensive layer of Ukraine’s integrated air defenses and are combat‑tested.
  3. Ukrainians and analysts are increasingly saying they were ‘played’ by the U.S., showing how political and arms decisions can undermine Ukraine’s defense.

Bipartisan Coalition Finally Tells Europe, and the FBI, to Shove It

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 11592 implied HN points • 21 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A bipartisan group in the U.S. is pushing back against foreign demands for encrypted user data. This marks a significant change in the way American leaders view privacy and security.
  2. The UK's Investigatory Powers Act allows its authorities to access encrypted data, making it easier for them to monitor citizens. This has raised concerns about privacy and government overreach.
  3. For years, there wasn't much opposition to government requests for encryption access. Now, key politicians are rekindling the debate, which could lead to stronger protections for user privacy.
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Why Iran’s Kurds Want Trump to Strike

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 180 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Kurds in Iran largely avoided joining the protests because they saw security forces were heavily armed and ready to shoot, fearing a deadly crackdown.
  2. Kurdish opposition leaders are explicitly calling for international, especially American, support or strikes to help overthrow the Iranian regime.
  3. The regime proved more resilient than some outsiders suggested, since its security forces prepared in advance to suppress mass demonstrations after the economic crisis triggered unrest.

The Dossier's State Of The Union Preview

The Dossier • 66 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The economy and affordability will be front and center, with the president trying to reassure voters because economic concerns could sway the midterm elections.
  2. Tariffs and a recent Supreme Court ruling are driving policy moves, prompting plans for new 10% global tariffs and other workarounds to limit the court’s impact.
  3. Foreign policy will be a major theme, focusing on Iran (from negotiations to possible limited strikes) along with a ‘peace through strength’ message and updates on the Ukraine war and hemispheric actions.

EXCLUSIVE: CIA Must Reveal What It Knows About Epstein, Says Congresswoman

Public • 150 implied HN points • 17 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The CIA told Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer it could not locate any agency-originated records linking the CIA to Epstein between November 5, 1999 and July 25, 2011.
  2. Rep. Nancy Mace says the CIA likely does have records, citing Epstein's ties to people involved in the Iran‑Contra scandal and his contacts with powerful diplomats and officials, including former CIA Director William Burns and a UK official.
  3. Mace and three other Republican lawmakers forced a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but that bill does not require intelligence agencies like the CIA to disclose what they know.

The information space around military AI is being weaponized against us

Weaponized • 83 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Focusing the debate on whether a human stays “in the loop” narrows the issue and hides the bigger question of whether advanced AI should be embedded into military decision-making at all and who should control or oversee it.
  2. Media and political framing are substituting simpler questions for harder governance issues, which concentrates power in the executive branch and a few private AI firms while sidelining Congress and public oversight.
  3. Integrating AI into defense systems dramatically expands surveillance and inference capabilities in ways that threaten civil liberties, and existing laws don’t address unexplainable AI inferences or the need for new safeguards before deployment.

China’s Stealth War Has Already Begun

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 881 implied HN points • 16 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. China is running a coordinated, stealth campaign to weaken the U.S. across economic, technological, informational, diplomatic, and gray-zone military areas while avoiding open warfare.
  2. The Chinese state uses subsidies, forced technology transfers, and state-directed investments to seize control of critical supply chains and strategic industries like rare earths, batteries, pharmaceuticals, and advanced sensors.
  3. Beijing also manipulates international institutions, pressures allies, and exploits platforms and algorithms to shape global opinion and keep the U.S. divided and unsure how to respond.

2025: A Jewish Perspective

In My Tribe • 622 implied HN points • 24 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Israel wants peace but faces deep rejectionism from militant movements that refuse a Jewish state, so responsibility for many civilian deaths lies with groups like Hamas rather than Israel.
  2. Older right-leaning Jews welcome moves against campus antisemitism and DEI and appreciate strong US support for Israel, but they fear heavy-handed tactics could alienate allies and that American backing may not be durable.
  3. Rising antisemitism reflects a broader ideological crisis where Jews become scapegoats, and the suggested remedy is stronger security measures — more intelligence, strict law enforcement, and aggressive action against terrorists — rather than just education.

March 7, 2026

Letters from an American • 31 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The president’s public demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and shifting goals show chaotic decision-making with little planning for the aftermath, escalating violence and risking wider regional conflict and global disruption.
  2. The administration is pushing military-style interventions in the Western Hemisphere—calling for an anti-cartel coalition, convening right-wing allies, and openly threatening Cuba—which signals expanded U.S. aggression beyond the Middle East.
  3. Lawmakers and reporters warn that the president’s actions often align with Russian interests, and concerns about ties linked to the Epstein files and reports of Russia aiding Iran raise serious national security and motive questions.

With largest build-up since Iraq, Trump threatens to go to war for Israel

Aaron Mate • 139 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The U.S. has mounted the largest military build-up in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion, concentrating about one-third of the Navy — including two aircraft carriers — around the Persian Gulf.
  2. The administration is pressuring Iran to abandon its missile deterrent aimed at Israel while offering no sanctions relief.
  3. Even though the president says talks could produce a deal in days, the big build-up and his past behavior make some form of U.S. military action against Iran likely.

OSD 366: More on the government as a prohibited person

Open Source Defense • 45 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Militaries will exclude suppliers — and even deeply nested parts of the supply chain — they think could be compromised, because clever attacks can hide in hardware or software layers.
  2. There’s a real tension between legitimate government limits on its own procurement and civilians’ right to choose tools, which becomes acute when those tools are important for civilian defense.
  3. AI is pushing most software from a low-control category into a high-control one, so many civilian technologies may soon face stronger government interest and could either make civilian defense much more powerful or much more restricted.

Divided America is Vulnerable in War

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 5251 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Divided opinions in America make the country weaker when it comes to dealing with war. It’s hard to focus on fighting when people can't agree.
  2. Trump's recent military action in Iran has raised concerns about his decision-making and whether it fits with his past promises of avoiding new conflicts.
  3. America's ability to go to war now faces more challenges than before, as internal disagreements may prevent a united front in global matters.

It's 2024: Are We Going To Make It?

Emerald Robinson’s The Right Way • 6130 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. America is seen as a post-constitutional nation by some, with the federal government having no clear limitations.
  2. There are concerns about the infiltration of communism in American society, with examples like rigged elections and foreign interference.
  3. The urgency for unity and support for independent journalism is emphasized as a means to combat perceived threats and challenges.

The China Commission's Report

ChinaTalk • 340 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Congress should drive durable U.S.-China policy and consider a unified economic statecraft entity to coordinate export controls, sanctions, and investment screening so decisions don't get stuck in competing agencies.
  2. Supply chain resilience must be a core national security priority because choke points like rare earths, active pharmaceutical ingredients, printed circuit boards, and legacy semiconductors give China leverage; the U.S. should fund processing, diversify sources, and use tools like equity stakes and price floors.
  3. The long-term tech race in quantum, biotech, and space needs big, sustained investments, tighter intelligence integration, and better enforcement (for example whistleblower programs and targeted controls) to prevent China from gaining decisive advantages.

Let's Start 2026 with a Bang

The DisInformation Chronicle • 460 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The U.S. State Department announced bans and potential deportations for individuals tied to efforts to censor and suppress American viewpoints, including the leader of the Center for Countering Digital Hate.
  2. Leaked internal CCDH documents showed the group’s leadership pursued goals like “killing Musk’s Twitter” and prompting EU/UK regulation, suggesting political aims beyond fighting online hate.
  3. Those revelations generated major media and public attention across the Atlantic, led to a BBC interview, and triggered tangible government and diplomatic consequences.

The Future of Economic Security with Dan Kim and Chris Miller

ChinaTalk • 296 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
🕹 Technology National Security
  1. A modest CHIPS budget can’t fully de-risk the U.S. from foreign suppliers, so policy should aim for resilience — building key clusters, mature-node capacity, and capability — rather than unaffordable self-sufficiency.
  2. Measure economic security with clear metrics like the Four Cs (capacity, capability, competition, criticality) and practical goals such as minimizing “time to recovery,” while creating institutions and incentives to execute and coordinate industrial strategy.
  3. There’s a trade-off between invention (high-value innovators) and fast-following scale-ups: both matter for national power, and friend-shoring or managed dependence can be strategic tools alongside export controls and international partnerships.

The AI Surveillance Debate Is Missing the Most Dangerous Part

Weaponized • 47 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Current surveillance laws and contracts mostly regulate what data can be collected and stored, not how that data can be analyzed or what can be inferred from it.
  2. Powerful AI systems can extract sensitive, predictive insights from existing datasets, meaning the government could learn far more about people without collecting any new information.
  3. The OpenAI–DoW agreement and existing oversight don’t address this analysis-and-inference blind spot, which could lock in rules that expand government knowledge and threaten civil liberties.

No, "tactical surprise" is not a good reason to ignore the Constitution, Congress, or the American people before starting a war (ANY war, not just the one we're in now)

Unreported Truths • 19 implied HN points • 15 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, so presidents shouldn’t skip Congress or the public just to preserve a claimed tactical advantage.
  2. Arguments that lawmakers will leak plans or that debate would give the enemy time are weak and don’t justify hiding broad war aims from Congress.
  3. Pure tactical surprise rarely delivers lasting victory, and military success alone can’t solve political problems, so leaders should require clear goals, risks, and timelines before committing to war.

Land War or Self-Terrorism?

Thinking about... • 743 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The idea of 'self-terrorism' suggests that provoking chaos can be used to tighten control over people. This can lead to creating a situation where violence is exploited for political gain.
  2. There are fears that mass deportations and militarization of cities could mirror historical events that led to authoritarianism. It's important to recognize these patterns to prevent repeating them.
  3. Awareness of these threats is crucial. Identifying the tactics used to manipulate public fear can help protect democracy and resist authoritarian movements.

Foreign Lobbying Is Booming in Trump’s Washington

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 102 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Foreign governments and companies are spending big on Washington lobbyists to get access to the Trump administration.
  2. Since the 2024 election there have been over 380 new foreign lobbying registrations, a higher total than in the comparable period under any of the last seven presidents.
  3. Critics say this boom clashes with "America First" goals, because tariff fights and new trade deals are creating lucrative opportunities for lobbyists to influence policy.

OSD 365: The government doesn’t like being a prohibited person

Open Source Defense • 66 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
🕹 Technology National Security
  1. The Defense Department can brand an AI firm a “supply chain risk,” which would ban the firm from selling to the government and bar contractors from using its products — a designation that can effectively kill a company.
  2. Private companies can and sometimes do refuse to sell to government customers to force the government to earn their cooperation, but that stance risks losing access to the biggest buyers and can be a corporate death sentence.
  3. AI is becoming a new frontier for civilian defense, like a Second Amendment arm, so whether companies or the government set product rules now will shape who has the advantage in the future.

March 5, 2026

Letters from an American • 32 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The president is acting unpredictably and trying to personally influence foreign leaders and military decisions, pressuring allies and claiming authority over other countries' leadership.
  2. The administration is facing growing legal and political setbacks at home, with courts ordering tariff refunds, lawsuits over new trade measures, and prosecutors backing away from politically driven inquiries.
  3. Testimony about the homeland security department exposed accusations of corruption, obstruction, and the politicized labeling of opponents as "domestic terrorism," prompting bipartisan outrage and calls for accountability.

Trump Keeps His Promise on Iran. The World Is Safer for It.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 4623 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Trump promised to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons and acted on that promise with a military strike.
  2. The U.S. used powerful bombs to hit Iran's nuclear sites, which other countries might not have been able to damage as effectively.
  3. Despite some opposition from within his team, Trump made a bold choice to protect global safety.

I Don’t Want My Father to Be a Martyr Behind Bars

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 714 implied HN points • 16 Dec 25
🌐 International National Security
  1. Jimmy Lai, a 78-year-old pro-democracy activist, was convicted under Hong Kong’s National Security Law and now faces life in prison.
  2. His daughter is grieving and pleads with authorities not to make him a “martyr behind bars,” while still hoping he will come home.
  3. The National Security Law is described as draconian and arbitrary, being used to crush dissent with very high conviction rates and harsh prison conditions like prolonged solitary confinement.

Former CIA station chief requests imprisonment delay to prevent 'grave physical harm' from drug traffickers at FDC Miami

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 447 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26
📰 News National Security
  1. A 69-year-old former CIA chief asked to delay his prison surrender, saying placement in FDC Miami would expose him to “grave physical harm” because many inmates are accused narcotics offenders from South America.
  2. He was convicted and sentenced to two concurrent 366-day terms for selling access to classified information through the lobbying firm BGR; the case drew sharp criticism from some former colleagues while his lawyer highlighted his prior covert service.
  3. After legal filings, the Bureau of Prisons corrected his facility designation on January 5 and his counsel withdrew the transfer motions, a development that occurred alongside other high-profile detention disputes such as the Robert Sensi matter.

The U.S. Needs Israeli Innovation for Our Defense

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 602 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. American security relies on Israeli experience, technology, and close collaboration because those contributions make the United States safer.
  2. There is a sharp divide in conservative circles, with some saying Israel is an ally and others calling it a liability that drags the U.S. into wars.
  3. Critics ask what the U.S. gets from the relationship, but the practical defense benefits of partnering with Israel are presented as clear reasons to maintain it.

The Fall of Rome, Updated

Unsafe • 3871 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Evaluation of threats should consider what kills more U.S. citizens.
  2. Americans are being murdered by foreigners in the country and deployments need reevaluation.
  3. Border security should prioritize protecting American citizens and addressing illegal entry.

I Served in the CIA’s Zero Units in Afghanistan

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 922 implied HN points • 28 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The CIA’s Zero Units were teams of Afghan recruits trained and run directly by the U.S. to hunt senior al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, carrying out dangerous missions like night raids.
  2. A person from that program has been accused of a brutal attack, but one individual's actions should not be used to demonize all Afghan partners.
  3. These units created close, complicated ties between U.S. operatives and Afghan fighters and played a central role in counterterrorism efforts after 9/11.

Bill Clinton’s Epstein Problem—and America’s. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 607 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The DOJ's release of Epstein-related photos and documents has renewed intense scrutiny of powerful figures, especially Bill Clinton. It highlights how public pressure and politics can drive disclosure even when no criminal charges are filed.
  2. A major lawsuit claims social media companies knowingly helped create a youth mental-health crisis, likening their behavior to Big Tobacco and using internal documents as evidence. If the case succeeds, it could trigger big legal and regulatory changes for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
  3. Beyond those headlines, the news reflects wider cultural and policy shifts—from critiques of institutional failures after the Brown University shooting to debates about identity and fast-moving changes like federal marijuana rescheduling. These stories show growing tensions over public safety, social norms, and political priorities.

The most dangerous man in America

Comment is Freed • 187 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Stephen Miller is the central power in the administration, shaping policy across immigration, economics, and national security and drafting many recent executive orders.
  2. The brutal Minneapolis killing showed public opinion can force a rare, temporary retreat, but ICE operations and broader repression have largely continued.
  3. Miller links Trump to the radical right and pushes an increasingly authoritarian agenda, and his closeness to the president makes him hard to remove despite repeated controversies.

Lock Him Up!

Slack Tide by Matt Labash • 317 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. People casually talk about Trump’s latest antics, showing how his behavior dominates everyday conversation and the news.
  2. He floated the idea of taking Greenland and then backed off, demonstrating a pattern of making alarming claims and then denying them.
  3. That unpredictability and grandstanding risks undermining international alliances and invites ridicule from other countries.

explaining immigration in one graph

bad cattitude • 224 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Only a small share of immigrants strongly share western cultural values and are clearly beneficial, a larger group might assimilate, and many are poorly aligned or harmful.
  2. Making immigration easier and offering generous benefits removed the hard selector that once favored highly assimilable migrants, which increased dependency, social strain, and political exploitation.
  3. The fix is to prioritize selection for shared values and self‑sufficiency, cut incentive-driven benefits that attract dependents, and honestly address problems so immigration supports flourishing societies.

March 4, 2026

Letters from an American • 30 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Thousands of Epstein-related files are missing or heavily redacted, fueling worries that officials may be concealing information and leading Congress to subpoena Pam Bondi.
  2. The administration attacked Iran without a clear objective or evacuation plan, worsening munitions shortages and losing public support for the war.
  3. Democratic voters are showing high turnout in recent primaries, while Republican rule changes in places like Texas caused confusion and possible voter disenfranchisement.

Richard Danzig on AI and Cyber

ChinaTalk • 266 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Act now: the defense establishment must stop being passive and quickly build real AI expertise, assimilative capacity, and closer partnerships with frontier tech companies to seize a short-lived first-mover advantage in cyber and AI instead of waiting for some distant AGI fix.
  2. Rewire the organization: large, siloed institutions need cultural and structural change so cyber and AI are not underweighted—create dedicated career paths, pool resources for general-purpose systems, and pair bold civilian leaders with open-minded military leaders to drive reform.
  3. Manage co-evolving risks and power: AI is a fast, uneven general-purpose technology that will reshape offense, defense, markets, and human roles, so governments must build capability, governance, and safeguards to limit private dominance, prevent accidents, and avoid dangerous overreliance on machines.