In this era of uncertainty, knowledge is power. Hosted by Dr. Seth G. Jones, The Last Line of Defense breaks down and analyzes the latest national security news. Each episode provides practical solutions to the toughest national security questions—from war and peace around the world to the role of emerging technology in defense.
Produced by Marla Hiller.
When Will America Wake Up? The House Intelligence Chair on Homeland Threats
Host Seth Jones sits down with United States Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR), chair of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), to discuss next-generation threats to the American homeland. Drawing on HPSCI’s recently published Review of the 9/11 Commission Report, Chairman Crawford highlights the growing security challenges posed by China, drones, and misinformation. He also discusses the need to better integrate local and state governments within the country’s national security architecture, and what’s at stake for the American people’s freedom and security.
11 Sept 2026
Are Americans Ready for the Next 9/11?
Host Dr. Seth Jones sits down with Dr. Dan Byman, director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at CSIS and professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Drawing on his experience in the U.S. intelligence community, the 9/11 Commission, and the Joint 9/11 Inquiry Staff of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, Dr. Byman offers his reflections on the attacks, the United States' response in Afghanistan and the global war on terror, evolving threats to the homeland today, and the lessons that Americans should draw to improve national resilience and prepare for future crises.
4 Sept 2026
Are Soldiers Obsolete? How Autonomy Will Define the Coming Conflict with China
Host Seth Jones sits down with Frank Kendall, former Secretary of the U.S. Air Force and former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, to discuss his new book, Lethal Autonomy: The Future of Warfare Whether We Like It or Not. They explore China’s military modernization and the challenge it poses to U.S. and allied forces in the Asia-Pacific, along with lessons from past military-technology “offsets.” Kendall examines how autonomous systems will reshape the way the United States designs, equips, and employs its forces, discusses the future of land and surface warfare, and explains the imperative for technological innovation to strengthen deterrence and help prevent great-power conflict.
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