Clearer Than Truth

Nathan Kiker & George Bogden

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.

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71 episodes
Updated Wednesday

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Episodes71

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Sep 8, 2025 · 29 min
Ryan Hass
Ryan Hass is an American foreign policy analyst and diplomat currently serving as the director of the John L. Thornton China Center and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution. A former U.S. diplomat, he held senior roles including Director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolian Affairs at the National Security Council during the Obama administration, and served in diplomatic posts in Seoul and Beijing. Hass is a prolific author whose recent works include Stronger: Adapting America’s China Strategy in an Age of Competitive Interdependence (Yale University Press, 2021) and U.S.–Taiwan Relations (Brookings Institution Press, 2023), and he continues to shape conversations on U.S.-East Asia relations through Brookings and major media outlets . Support the show
Aug 21, 2025 · 44 min
Einat Wilf
Einat Wilf is an Israeli intellectual, author, and former Knesset member (2010–2013), known for her insightful work on Zionism, Israeli education, and foreign policy. She has held roles as an intelligence officer in the IDF, foreign policy adviser to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and strategic consultant at McKinsey & Company. A Harvard (BA), INSEAD (MBA), and Cambridge (PhD) alumnus, Wilf is the author of several books including We Should All Be Zionists (2022) and the co-authored The War of Return (2020). Support the show
Aug 20, 2025 · 44 min
Jon Lee Anderson
Jon Lee Anderson is an acclaimed biographer, investigative reporter, and war correspondent currently writing for The New Yorker, where he has been a staff writer since 1998. Over his distinguished career, he’s reported from conflicts across the globe—including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Liberia, Angola, Mali, and more—and contributed to major outlets like The New York Times, Harper’s, Life, and The Nation. Anderson is also a respected author, known for his definitive biography Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life (during which he located Che’s hidden burial site), The Fall of Baghdad, Guerrillas, and The Lion’s Grave: Dispatches from Afghanistan. His latest book To Lose a War: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban is out now. He has been recognized with prestigious honors, including the Maria Moors Cabot Prize for excellence in Latin American reporting. Support the show
Jul 30, 2025 · 29 min
Graham Markiewicz
Graham Markiewicz is the Executive Director of the Security and Democracy Forum and a seasoned national security policy advisor. He served as defense policy adviser for U.S. Senate, deployed twice to Afghanistan as an infantry officer, and previously held staff roles on Capitol Hill. A graduate of West Point and Boston College Law School, he combines military experience, legal expertise, and public policy leadership in his current work to strengthen democratic institutions and security governance. Support the show
Jul 29, 2025 · 38 min
Demkó Attila
Demkó Attila is a Hungarian security policy expert, former diplomat, and historian based in Budapest. He holds a PhD in history and political theory from Eötvös Loránd University and has trained at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the Manfred Wörner Foundation. From 1999 to 2018, he served in senior roles in Hungary’s Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence—including leading the Defence Policy and Planning Departments and representing Hungary to NATO in Brussels. Demkó is also a celebrated author under the pen name "David Autere," whose bestselling novel Máglyatűz (“Bonfire”) imagines Russia leveraging ethnic conflict across Central Europe . Since 2018 he has contributed regularly to Mandiner and currently directs the Strategic Foresight Program at the John Lukács Institute, MCC, focusing on European security dynamics amid the war in Ukraine. Support the show
Jul 23, 2025 · 34 min
Yaroslav Trofimov
Yaroslav Trofimov is the Chief Foreign‑Affairs Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, reporting on global conflicts since 1999. Born in Kyiv, he has spent much of the past three years on the frontlines of the Russian‑Ukraine war and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his coverage in both 2022 and 2023. His recent nonfiction, Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine’s War of Independence (Penguin Press, Jan 2024), was a finalist for the Orwell Prize and won the Peterson Literary Prize. He’s also the author of No Country for Love, a historical novel rooted in Ukrainian family history. Support the show
Jun 22, 2025 · 37 min
Dana Stroul
Dana Stroul is Director of Research and Shelly & Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a role she assumed in February 2024. From 2021 to 2023, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, leading U.S. defense policy amid crises like the Israel–Hamas War and Iran’s regional actions. Prior roles include senior staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (2013–2018), co-chairing the bipartisan Syria Study Group, and work in the Defense Department, U.S. Embassy in Cairo, and think tanks. She holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. Support the show
Jun 9, 2025 · 41 min
Eliot A. Cohen
Eliot A. Cohen is a leading authority in international security and strategic affairs. He holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at CSIS and is Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins SAIS, where he served as dean from 2019 to 2021. Previously, he was Counselor of the U.S. State Department under Secretary Condoleezza Rice (2007–2009), advising on Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia. A prolific author, his works include Supreme Command, Conquered into Liberty, The Big Stick, and The Hollow Crown, and he contributes to The Atlantic and major national media. Support the show
May 13, 2025 · 33 min
Judy Woodruff
Judy Woodruff is a veteran broadcast journalist with a career spanning over five decades. She served as the anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour from 2013 to 2022, becoming the sole anchor following the passing of co-anchor Gwen Ifill in 2016. Woodruff has covered every U.S. presidential election and convention since 1976 and has held prominent roles at NBC, CNN, and PBS. She is renowned for her insightful political reporting and commitment to journalistic integrity. Currently, she continues her work as a senior correspondent for PBS NewsHour. Support the show
May 6, 2025 · 39 min
Arash Azizi
Arash Azizi is an Iranian writer, historian, and journalist whose work explores the intersections of politics, culture, and society in Iran and the broader Middle East. His latest book, What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom, delves into the aspirations and struggles of Iranians seeking a normal life under a repressive regime. Azizi's insightful analysis sheds light on various forms of activism in Iran, from employment and environmentalism to religious freedom, highlighting the resilience and determination of the Iranian people. His previous works include The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran's Global Ambitions, which examines the life and influence of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Azizi's writings have appeared in numerous publications, and he is recognized for his in-depth reporting and historical perspectives on Iran's contemporary issues. Support the show
May 6, 2025 · 32 min
James M. Scott
James M. Scott is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author renowned for his compelling narratives on military history. His latest book, Targeted: Beirut, co-authored with Jack Carr, delves into the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Lebanon, offering a meticulously researched account based on survivor interviews, military records, and personal documents . Scott's previous works include Black Snow, Rampage, Target Tokyo, The War Below, and The Attack on the Liberty. A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, he currently serves as the Scholar in Residence at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. Support the show
Apr 30, 2025 · 35 min
Philip Zelikow
Philip Zelikow is an American diplomat, historian, and academic, best known for serving as executive director of the 9/11 Commission. He was Counselor of the U.S. State Department under Secretary Condoleezza Rice and has held senior academic roles at the University of Virginia and Stanford’s Hoover Institution. Zelikow’s work spans diplomacy, national security, and the writing of history, with a focus on pivotal global events and the art of statecraft. Support the show
Apr 29, 2025 · 35 min
Chris Whipple
Chris Whipple is a renowned journalist and author, best known for his in-depth analyses of American political institutions. His latest book, Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History, offers a detailed account of the 2024 presidential election, providing insider perspectives on the campaigns of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump. Whipple's previous works include The Gatekeepers and The Spymasters, both of which explore the inner workings of the White House and the CIA, respectively. Support the show
Apr 8, 2025 · 40 min
Ben Hodges
Lieutenant General (Retired) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe (2014–2017), is a Senior Advisor to Human Rights First and NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics. He co-authored Future War and the Defence of Europe and frequently provides analysis on European security matters in international media. Support the show
Mar 25, 2025 · 40 min
Terry McAuliffe
Terry McAuliffe is a seasoned political leader and businessman who served as the 72nd Governor of Virginia. A former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he has been a key figure in national and state politics, focusing on economic growth, job creation, and education. 4o Support the show
Mar 25, 2025 · 45 min
Dr. Andrew A. Michta
Dr. Andrew A. Michta is a Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council and term life member at the Council on Foreign Relations. Support the show
Feb 18, 2025 · 34 min
Rupert Wainwright & David Dodson
In a special episode of Clearer Than Truth, Nathan is joined by Grammy winner Rupert Wainwright (Stigmata, The Fog) and filmmaker David Dodson to discuss their latest collaboration - HEROES UKRAINE Make sure to check out Rupert and David's incredible music video here - https://youtu.be/M5SOkb7M2Ho Support the show
Jan 14, 2025 · 31 min
Saleha Mohsin
Saleha Mohsin is the author of PAPER SOLDIERS, a compelling exploration of financial power and politics. As a Senior Washington Correspondent for Bloomberg News, she covers the intersection of economics and policy, bringing clarity to complex global financial systems. Saleha is also the host of The Big Take DC podcast, where she interviews key decision-makers and thought leaders shaping the nation's capital. Support the show
Dec 18, 2024 · 39 min
Joshua Landis
Joshua M. Landis is an American academic and leading expert on the Middle East, with a particular focus on Syria. He directs the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma and has been the author of the blog Syria Comment since 2004. Support the show
Dec 11, 2024 · 49 min
Kelley Currie
Kelley Currie is an American human rights lawyer and former Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues (2020–2021). She has served as the U.S. Representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council and Acting Deputy U.S. Representative to the U.N. A former senior fellow at the Project 2049 Institute, Currie has held senior roles in the U.S. State Department and various human rights organizations, focusing on security, public policy, and humanitarian issues. Support the show