Shows / Vandenberg Flash Focus
Vandenberg Flash Focus
Move beyond the headlines with fast & focused expert analysis on breaking news and big stories in foreign policy & national security. We help you understand the context and policy implications of the stories you see every day from around the world. In each episode, we sit down with an expert to break down a developing global news story—what's happening, why it matters, and how the United States should respond. For more information on the Vandenberg Coalition, visit our website…
Episodes
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 75 | Farm Security is National Security
Chinese entities have infiltrated American industry across the country by masquerading as Western companies. A new report from America First Policy Institute…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 74 | Shedding Light on Russia's Biowarfare Program
A death in a Siberian anti-plague laboratory and the ensuing quarantine of two hundred people have sparked widespread concern over Russia’s biological weapons…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 73 | Antisemitism and National Security
The current rise in antisemitism in the United States is extremely alarming and revealing. Beyond historical animus and general stereotypes, contemporary…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 72 | A Look Back at UNGA Week
The United Nations General Assembly High Level Week came and went, leaving in its wake no shortage of fiery speeches, secretive bilateral meetings, and clogged…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 71 | Axis of Aggressors
America is not confronting its adversaries one at a time: the United States faces a group of nations working collectively to weaken American power at home and…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 70 | Chairman Xi in DC
Last week, President Trump welcomed Chairman Xi Jinping to Washington for their second of four meetings this calendar year. It was heavy on pageantry but low…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 69 | Dragon in the Americas
China’s activities in Latin America have evolved from just economic engagements dating back to the late 2000s to encompass larger strategic goals across…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 68 | Getting the U.S. Alliance System Right
The U.S. alliance system has been a frequent topic of debate over the years- who our allies should be, what they should bring to the table, and whether they…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 67 | Reconnaissance on Communist Cuba
Before launching Operation Epic Fury against Iran, the focus of many within the national security world was whether President Trump would take action against…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 66 | Can We Make AI Safer?
While it is critical that the United States maintains our advantage over China in the development and deployment of critical technologies—including and…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 65 | Ukraine Can Stand Up
Lately, most conversations within the conservative national security circles regarding Europe have focused on whether our European allies and partners are…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 64 | Mr. Trump Goes to China
Last week, the whole world watched President Donald Trump travel to Beijing to meet with Chairman Xi Jinping for a high stakes summit. With conflict in the…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 63 | Energy (Dominance) is Power
Many Americans are thinking about U.S. action against Iran at least in part based on how it is affecting prices at the gas pump, especially after threats by…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 62 | Cash for Gold, for Delcy
While conversations surrounding the Venezuelan economy understandably center around oil, another critical resource is often overlooked: gold. For years…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Special Episode: The Vandenberg Coalition at Five Years
April 28, 2026, marks the fifth anniversary of The Vandenberg Coalition’s founding. Over the last five years, conservative foreign policy has seen meaningful…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 61 | “Seeing My Father Again”: The Story of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri
Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri is the founder of Zion Church, one of the largest independent churches in China. Frightened by his influence and belief in something…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 60 | A Return to the Stars
For the first time since 1972, the United States left Earth’s orbit en route to the Moon as part of the Artemis II Mission. While the astronauts aboard the…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 59 | China's Weaponization of Trade
In recent years, China has increasingly used economic bullying in attempts to obtain concessions from other governments and the private sector. In a new book…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 58 | Tumult Surrounding Tehran
Iran is in the headlines once again, for two important reasons. First, large numbers of brave Iranians continue to take to the streets in the face of…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 57 | Takaichi’s Triumph
Last Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party secured a sweeping two-thirds majority in Japan’s Lower House following snap…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 56 | The PLA Purge
Last week, Chinese leader Xi Jinping placed his most senior general, Zhang Youxia, under investigation, deepening what has become one of the most sweeping…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 55 | China's Great Heist
According to The Great Heist: China’s Epic Campaign to Steal America’s Secrets—a new book by David Shedd and Andrew Badger—one critical but often overlooked…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 54 | Leveraging “The American Edge” for the Defense Industrial Base
In the last year, China’s defense industrial base produced fighter jets faster than the United States, doubled its inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 53 | Time to Go, Maduro
The United States has continued to pressure the Maduro regime with F-18 flyovers, the seizure of oil tankers, and new sanctions on Venezuelan entities…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 52 | A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War
The United States faces serious cyber vulnerabilities from its principal adversaries—China, Russia, and Iran. In her report “A Playbook for Winning the Cyber…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 51 | Gaza Ceasefire and Palestinian Statehood
A few weeks ago, President Trump secured the release of all 20 remaining living hostages in Gaza and reached a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 50 | Strikes in the Caribbean
Right now, all eyes remain on the Caribbean, where President Trump’s buildup of military forces has raised significant questions about American intentions and…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 49 | The Soft Power Battleground
The United States has plenty of work ahead of us if we want to win the global soft power battleground in the fight against China, Russia, and Iran. With good…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Special Episode: The Future of Conservative Foreign Policy Feat. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL)
The Vandenberg Coalition's Executive Director Carrie Filipetti sat down with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) to talk about the national security challenges facing…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 48 | The Super Bowl of Foreign Policy Speeches
President Trump is slated to speak at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) next week. Though many say it is unlikely that UNGA will reap anything…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 47 | The Report of the Commission on Unalienable Rights at Five Years
After the Reagan administration, the issue of human rights has come to be captured and dominated by the left, with it now being seen as largely synonymous with…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 46 | TikTok: China’s Digital Fentanyl
While many are familiar with the national security case for forcing ByteDance to divest or banning TikTok altogether, its assault on America’s children is just…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 45 | Global Swing States and the New Great Power Competition
With the future of the global order hinging on the outcome of today’s great power competition, a group of multi-aligned states has emerged with a growing…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 44 | The Right’s 1939 Project
A small but loud faction of the New Right has attempted to hijack the conservative movement to normalize age-old hatreds, conspiracies about U.S. national…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 43 | A United Nations for the United States
The United Nations has sparked significant debate within the foreign policy community. Though the founding ideals of the UN, as championed nearly 80 years ago…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 42 | After Rising Lion and Spiderweb: U.S. Vulnerabilities and CCP Sabotage
Ukraine through Operation Spiderweb and Israel through Operation Rising Lion surreptitiously smuggled drones behind enemy lines and successfully neutralized…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 41 | Trump’s Magical Mystery Middle East Tour
President Trump’s eventful trip to the Middle East marked the first major international visit of his second term, featuring stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Special Episode: 80 Years Since V-E Day
80 years ago today, Nazi forces issued an unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers, marking the official end of World War II in Europe. Victory in Europe…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 40 | Taiwan on the Line
As tensions rise in the Taiwan Strait following China’s latest round of large-scale military exercises, questions surrounding Taiwan’s defense readiness and…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 39 | Iran’s Puppets Playing Pirates
Emboldened by its patron, Iran, Houthi drone and missile attacks have disrupted international shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023. In response, the…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 38 | Americans Reject The TikTok Trojan Horse and Big Brother ByteDance
In early February, The Vandenberg Coalition worked with award-winning polling company J.L. Partners to survey a representative sample of registered voters to…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
A Conservative Strategy for Countering Russia
In this special episode, we mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022 by revisiting the Vandenberg Coalition…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 37 | Solving the Middle East: Policy Recommendations for the New Administration
The policies of the Biden administration not only failed to extinguish the foreign policy fires consuming the Middle East; they actively accelerated them…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 36 | The Unholy Alliance Between UNRWA, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad
Despite the high-minded and noble ideas upon which they were founded, multilateral institutions like the United Nations have been hijacked by actors…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 35 | Adiós, Assad: The U.S. Reaction to Events in Syria
In a stunning turn of events, a collection of rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an entity designated by the United States and numerous countries…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 34 | The Financial Fight: An Economic Strategy to Defeat the CCP
For decades, the repressive Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has weaponized its position in the global economy to build geoeconomic leverage, fund its military…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 33 | Picking Putin's Pockets: How to Fix America's Sanctions Towards Russia
Russia remains one of America’s most destructive adversaries, as displayed by its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and ongoing efforts to wage…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 32 | What to Expect When You’re Expecting Trump: Foreign Policy in the 119th Congress
Republican control of the White House and majorities in both branches have set the stage to implement President Trump’s foreign policy agenda. What can we…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 31 | Anatomy of a Hurricane Response
Brian Cavanaugh, former Senior Director for Resilience Policy on the National Security Council (NSC), current Senior Vice President at American Global…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 28 | One Year Since October 7th: Lessons for Israeli and American Security
Elliott Abrams, Chairman of the Vandenberg Coalition, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and former Special Representative for Iran and…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 29 | One Year Since October 7th: Iran’s Destabilization Campaign
Gabriel Noronha, Executive Director of POLARIS National Security, Fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), and former Special…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 30 | One Year Since October 7th: Antisemitism in America
Bonnie Glick, Advisory Board Member of the Vandenberg Coalition, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and former Deputy…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 27 | Recess is Over: Keeping the CCP out of the Classroom
Michele Perez Exner, Director of Federal Affairs for Parents Defending Education, joins us for another special “China Week” edition of Flash Focus. Michele…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 26 | Theft and Espionage: Defending Against the CCP’s Economic Warfare
Brian Cavanaugh, former Senior Director for Resilience Policy on the National Security Council (NSC), current Senior Vice President at American Global…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 25 | Cracking Kursk: Dissecting Ukraine’s Surprise Offensive
Mick Mulroy, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, co-founder of the Lobo Institute, and Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board member joins Flash…
Vandenberg Flash FocusEp. 24 | American Strength: Exploring the NDS Commission’s Findings
In our latest episode of Vandenberg Flash Focus, we discuss the newly released report from the National Defense Strategy Commission, which was mandated by…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 23 | “For Us This is Life:” Venezuela’s Future After Fraud
In this episode of Flash Focus Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti is joined by the Chairman of the Vandenberg Coalition, Elliott Abrams, who…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 22 | Brewing Conflict at Second Thomas Shoal
Zack Cooper, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, lecturer at Princeton University, and a member of the Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 21 | Protecting the Future of NATO
Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, Vice Chair of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy & Security, former Under Secretary of State for Global…
- Vandenberg Flash Focus
Ep. 20 | Convergence of Dictatorships: Putin and Kim’s Burgeoning Alliance
Dr. Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a distinguished university professor…