"In the National Interest" is a podcast that explores the intersection of foreign and defense policy, national security, and U.S. politics. It is not about world affairs, but about American interests and the realist approach needed to promote them. What actually constitutes true realism is, of course, a source of controversy. And so, the series promotes fresh debate by featuring a variety of leading experts from government, industry, journalism, and academia, many of whom may at times disagree with each other. Each episode is hosted by Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of The National Interest magazine, and published by the Center for the National Interest.
Are Trump's Venezuela Strikes in the National Interest? (w/ Greg Priddy)
In the early hours of January 3, the Trump administration conducted audacious strikes on Caracas that culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At the heart of the operation's rationale is the controversial belief that Venezuela's vast oil reserves can be unlocked for U.S. oil companies under American control. Experts have cast serious doubt on whether this strategy makes economic or strategic sense, pointing to Venezuela’s heavy crude, high production costs, and security risks.
In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with Greg Priddy (https://cftni.org/expert/greg-priddy/), a senior fellow at the Center for the National Interest. Priddy consults for corporate and financial clients on geopolitical risk and previously served as Director for Global Oil at Eurasia Group.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin (https://pixabay.com/users/lexin_music-28841948/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=115672%22%3EAleksey) from Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/music//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=115672%22%3EPixabay%3C/a%3E)
21 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT
A House of Dynamite (w/ Gen. Glen VanHerck)
The new film A House of Dynamite offers a terrifying portrayal of how quickly a nuclear war might erupt and how the United States might respond. Looking beyond this Hollywood depiction, how real has the threat of nuclear war actually become, from adversaries’ expanding arsenals to warning-system vulnerabilities? What would a modern nuclear exchange actually look like? Are America’s defenses adequate for the world we live in today? And how can the U.S. deter adversaries without stumbling into escalation or miscalculation?
In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with retired U.S. Air Force General Glen VanHerck. He most recently served as Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) from 2020 to 2024. Gen. VanHerck retired from the Air Force in 2024 after more than 36 years of service.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin (https://pixabay.com/users/lexin_music-28841948/) from Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/music/)
10 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT
Democracy vs. the Kremlin (w/ Shelby Magid)
Moldova’s recent elections dealt another blow to Moscow’s influence, but can its fragile democracy withstand the Kremlin’s next moves? Across Eastern Europe, Ukraine fights for survival, Georgia teeters between Brussels and Moscow, and Russian interference looms over them all. What tools does Vladimir Putin still have to destabilize the region—and how can Europe and the United States help defend its newest democracies without overreaching?
In this episode, Jacob Heilbrunn speaks with Shelby Magid, Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. Magid previously served at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and at the International Federation for Human Rights’ office in The Hague, where she worked with the International Criminal Court and conducted research on human rights violations.
Music by Aleksey Chistilin (https://pixabay.com/users/lexin_music-28841948/) from Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/music/)
Inside a recent episode
Are Trump's Venezuela Strikes in the National Interest? (w/ Greg Priddy)
Published 9 Jan 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] I mean usually people counting reserves on lean -slued things that are considered economically producible. Reserves that are within the boundaries of what the market might bear for production costs, but that doesn't really say much about where the market is today. And so the point that I've made about this is the production costs that Venezuela for the heavy oil deposits are quite high and the market is actually down and pretty well supplied right now. And so in a nutshell that the investment case for this is not as strong as it would have been say 20 years ago. What about the nature of the oil? […]
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