Insights
Join 450+ former national security and intelligence officials as they break down today's most complex issues. Bound by a shared oath to defend the Constitution, The Steady State provides the expert commentary you need to navigate uncertain times.
The Influence Machine
Honduras: A case study in the growing convergence of presidential power, Silicon Valley capital, and political influence.
Hold Fast : Cybersecurity and the Ordinary Voter
The Ballots Are Secure. The Battlefield Around Them Is Not.
When Walking Away Wasn’t an Option
A personal account of 9/11, duty, and the defense of the Homeland
NO AMNESTY BY AMNESIA
America cannot repair what it refuses to remember, investigate or confront and must learn the difference between accountability and revenge.
How to Interfere With an Election: Let’s Count the Ways
Gerrymandering. Voter restrictions. Federal intrusion. Mail-ballot chaos. The 2026 playbook is getting longer.
It Couldn’t Happen Here…Until it Did
The authoritarian playbook is unfolding in America—and the warning signs are hiding in plain sight.
The Cascade
How Loyalty Becomes Disloyalty, Institutions Become Targets, and Citizens Become the Last Line of Defense
You Can’t Rename Your Way to Respect
What “Lake America” says about maps, diplomacy, and the politics of insult.
Civic Witness Series - Questions from the Attic
How do institutions rebuild trust after years of people feeling talked at instead of listened to?
Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot - How to Tell if a Candidate Respects the Rule of Law
A clear measure of a candidate’s commitment to the rule of law is what they do when the answer is “no.”
Some Honors Should be Bigger Than a President
Doris Miller earned his place in American history under fire. Why would we consider taking his name off an aircraft carrier?
She Wasn’t Crazy. She Was Convinced.
What a 1983 encounter with a Hitler admirer taught me about political devotion. I recognize it in America today.
The Signal You Send is the Policy You Make
For decades, U.S.-South Korean exercises have communicated readiness, resolve, and mutual commitment. Abruptly weakening them—without clear strategy or allied consultation—risks telling North Korea, South Korea, and China something Washington may not intend: that American reliability is conditional.
“Maybe” Is Not A Strategy
Trump says Iran is in a “so good” situation. Six months into the war, Washington still cannot explain what winning looks like.
Civic Witness Series - Questions from the Attic
How do institutions rebuild trust after years of people feeling talked at instead of listened to?