George Washington, commander of the Continental Army, was the first President of the United States. In addition to setting the tradition of two terms for the American presidency, George Washington established the norm of civilian control of the military before he even became president. On March 15, 1783, the officers under his command met to […]
National Security reporter and author Tim Weiner and Sentinel host Jim Lawler discuss how the Trump Administration’s politicization of our national security institutions, attacks on our constitution and rule of law, and betrayal of our allies are putting us in danger of losing our civil liberties at home and increasing our national security threats abroad. […]
Host Jim Lawler interviews Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author Tim Weiner about the state of U.S. national security, democracy, and the intelligence community amid unprecedented political upheaval. Listen here or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts! Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 390 former senior […]
The Trump administration has from the start nominated some spectacularly unqualified people for senior jobs. A few were so preposterous, like Florida Congressman and sexual predator Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, that even the MAGA Republicans in Congress vetoed them. But others who were equally bad were duly approved and still inhabit top positions, including […]
“These are the times that try men’s souls” is the famous opening line of The American Crisis I (often referred to as The Crisis), a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine and published on December 19, 1776. On February 17, 2026, Judge J. Michael Luttig spoke at the invitation of the New York City Bar, to […]
The Steady State often speaks of the need for what we have come to call “Strange Bedfellows.” The phrase is intentionally plainspoken. It describes a simple but powerful idea: that the preservation of democratic institutions depends on coalitions that cut across policy preferences, demographics, geography, profession, culture, and even long-standing political disagreements. In ordinary times, […]
Episode Summary: Host Peter Mina interviews Bill Braniff and Dexter Ingram, two renowned experts on countering extremism through prevention and who issue a red alert on the executive branch’s reallocation of resources and attention from counterterrorism to domestic paramilitary efforts against immigrants. Aggressive tactics verge on racial cleansing, using white supremacist symbolism and arguments to […]
Host Peter Mina interviews Bill Braniff and Dexter Ingram. Mr. Braniff, the Executive Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University, previously served as Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, overseeing the federal government’s primary efforts to prevent targeted violence and domestic […]
THE STEADY STATE FEB 14, 2026 On the same day that Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado addressed the Munich Security Conference to plead for Venezuela’s democratic future, President Trump stood on the White House lawn and called his relationship with Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodríguez “a 10.” Machado warned that Rodríguez remains “closely […]
Two questions plague many of us whether we come from the world of national security, philosophy, political science, clergy, journalism, commerce or anyone who reflects on the reality of what America is becoming. They are questions that should pose unsettling intrusions into our daily routines, and they will long beset our progeny if not dealt […]