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Clearer Than Truth
The wisdom of former Secretary of State Dean Acheson inspires our podcast. It emphasizes clarity while examining the intricate global issues of today for a diverse audience. In a world where time is limited, this podcast aims to distill complex ideas into straightforward narratives, making them not just comprehensible but in Acheson’s words, “clearer than truth.” The podcast, much like other news-oriented shows, is committed to keeping listeners updated on breaking global events. Airing once every few weeks, it dissects the latest news, featuring insights from experts around the world. From discussions on significant geopolitical developments to the passage of controversial laws, this podcast provides concise yet comprehensive analyses.
Episodes
79 episodes
James M. Lindsay | Distinguished Senior Fellow | Council on Foreign Relations
James M. Lindsay joins Clearer Than Truth for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of American power and the international system the United States helped build. Lindsay is a longtime scholar of U.S. foreign policy and the policymaking ...
Joby Warrick | Two-Time Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize | Author of "The Jackal"
Joby Warrick returns to Clearer Than Truth to discuss his new book, The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos the World's First Super-Terrorist. A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Washington Post, Warrick has spent deca...
Richard Overy | Fellow of the British Academy | Renowed Military Historian | Author of Why the Allies Won
Richard Overy is one of the world's leading historians of the Second World War and the history of warfare. In this episode of Clearer Than Truth, Overy draws on decades of research to examine one of the most enduring questions in international ...
Robert Zoellick | Former World Bank President
Robert Zoellick, former U.S. Trade Representative, Deputy Secretary of State, and President of the World Bank, joins Clearer Than Truth for a wide-ranging conversation about globalization, trade, American power, and the future of the i...
Declan Walsh | Pulitzer Prize Recipient | Chief Africa Correspondent, The New York Times
Africa is becoming increasingly central to the global order, yet many of its conflicts and political shifts remain overlooked in Western discourse. On this episode of Clearer Than Truth, Nathan speaks with Declan Walsh, Pulitzer...
H.W. Brands | Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Finalist | Preeminent Presidential Historian
Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and acclaimed presidential historian H.W. Brands joins Clearer Than Truth to explore what history can teach us about American leadership, democracy, and the presidency.Brands discusses wha...
Arne Westad | Author of The Coming Storm, Preeminent Cold War Scholar
Arne Westad, one of the world’s leading historians of international history and the Cold War, joins Clearer Than Truth to examine the geopolitical forces reshaping the world.Westad argues that today’s rivalry between the United ...
Mike Rogers | Former Commander of US Cyber Command | Former Director of the National Security Agency
Admiral Mike Rogers joins hosts Nathan Kiker and George Bogden to assess how cyber deterrence, disinformation, and rapid advances in AI are reshaping strategic competition. Rogers argues that the United States’ most consequential vulnerability ...
Julian Zelizer | Professor of History at Princeton | CNN Political Analyst
Julian Zelizer joins Nathan Kiker and George Bogden to assess how polarization and party dynamics have reshaped U.S. governance—and why that matters for foreign policy, markets, and national security. He argues that political parties are indisp...
Bojan Pancevski | Chief European Political Correspondent, The Wall Street Journal
Bojan Pancevski, Chief European Political Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and author of The Nord Stream Conspiracy, unpacks the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines and its far‑reaching strategic consequences. The episode centers on ...
Benjamin Alarie | CEO of Blue J Legal and co-author of Superjustice: The Future of Law
Benjamin Alarie joins hosts Nathan Kiker and George Bogdan to examine how rapidly improving AI systems can strengthen the administration of law—starting with tax, where complexity, volume, and inconsistency have long constrained access to justi...
David Ignatius | Associate Editor, The Washington Post
David Ignatius assesses how a fragmenting international order is reshaping U.S. strategy, allied cohesion, and day‑to‑day security. He argues the Middle East is settling into a harder-edged equilibrium: Iran’s hardliners have gained leverage de...
Brad Thor | NYT Bestselling Author of Choke Point
Brad Thor returns to the show to discuss his latest thriller, Choke Point, a geopolitical suspense novel that explores one of the most consequential strategic questions of the 21st century: what happens if China gains control over the world's m...
Dr. Michael Auslin – Stanford Hoover Institution Fellow & Author of National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America
Dr. Michael Auslin, historian, Hoover Institution fellow, and author of National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America, joins the show to explore the remarkable journey of America's founding document as the nation ...
Mark Galeotti - Author of over 25 books on Russia; Director of Mayak Intelligence
Mark Galeotti is one of the world’s foremost experts on Russia, an honorary professor at University College London, director of Mayak Intelligence, and author of more than 30 books on Russian history, intelligence, and organized crime. His late...
Douglas Brunt - New York Times Best-Selling Author
Douglas Brunt is a New York Times bestselling author, and host of the podcast Dedicated. His latest book, The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel, uncovers the forgotten story of the Nobel family’s oil empire — a business that once rivaled Rockefeller...
Ryan Crocker - Former U.S. Ambassador
Ryan Crocker is one of the most distinguished diplomats in modern American history, serving as U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, and Kuwait over a decades-long diplomatic career at the center of U.S. foreign policy...
David McCloskey - Co-Host of The Rest is Classified
David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst and presidential briefer, now a bestselling author and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is Classified. He is the author of acclaimed spy novels including Damascus Station, Moscow X, and The Persian.
Kenneth Rogoff - Professor of International Economics at Harvard University
Kenneth Rogoff is a professor of international economics at Harvard University and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund. One of the world’s most influential economists, his work spans financial crises, central banking, and ...
Robert Kaplan | Preeminent Geopolitical Analyst & Author
Robert Kaplan is a bestselling author and geopolitical analyst, known for works like The Revenge of Geography. A longtime foreign affairs correspondent for The Atlantic, he has also advised the Pentagon and served as a leading voice in strategi...
Nataliya Gumenyuk | CEO & Founder of the Public Interest Journalism Lab (PIJL)
Nataliya Gumenyuk is a Ukrainian journalist, documentary filmmaker, and CEO & founder of the Public Interest Journalism Lab, as well as co-founder of The Reckoning Project. She is one of the leading voices documenting war crimes and pursuin...
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Branko Milanović | Former Lead Economist at the World Bank
Branko Milanović is one of the world’s leading economists and a former lead economist at the World Bank. Known for his groundbreaking work on global inequality, Milanović has spent decades analyzing how wealth and power shift across countries a...
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Charles Kupchan | Senior Fellow and Director of European Studies
Charles Kupchan is a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He previously served on the National Security Council under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, help...
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Ram Charan | Author of China's 90% Model
Ram Charan is a world-renowned business advisor, speaker, and author who has spent decades coaching top CEOs and boards across the globe. He is the author of more than 30 books, including the bestseller Execution, and his latest, C...
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Mohammed Soliman | Senior Fellow at The Middle East Institute | Director at McLarty Associates
Mohammed Soliman is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, director at McLarty Associates, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He is also the author of West Asia: A New Grand Strategy for the Mid...
