As the Trump administration continues to prepare for armed conflict against Iran, the following article co-authored by The Steady State member Robert Bruce Adolph and published in Small Wars Journal remains very relevant. Abstract This article examines the growing tensions between constitutional loyalty and presidential authority in the second administration of Donald J. Trump, particularly […]
Episode overview Over the past few years, many Americans have started asking whether they can still trust the FBI. Host Lauren C. Anderson frames that question as “not a partisan question” but “a democratic one,” arguing that the Bureau’s credibility depends on discipline, restraint, and staying out of politics—grounded in process, evidence, and the rule […]
Host Lauren Anderson interviews three former Senior FBI Officials about the FBI’s value to society and the damage caused by its politicization. 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 national security professionals. Our membership […]
“The world has entered a period of wrecking-ball politics,” began the Munich Security Report 2026, setting the stage as the world’s national security elites convened in the vibrant southern German city some 30 miles north of the Bavarian Alps. “Sweeping destruction — rather than careful reforms and policy corrections — is the order of the […]
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, […]