Prior to his appointment as the Hoover Institution’s Fouad and Michelle Ajami senior fellow, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster served as the 26th Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. In the second installment of this Area 45 podcast, McMaster discusses why he joined the Trump White House, how he oversaw the National Security Council, and grades himself on his performance.
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Articles
President Trump, like many of his predecessors, finds himself mired in the Middle East against his will. At some point, the energy transition will make the Middle East less central to global security than it has been for the past eighty years.
September 10, 2026
Articles
The Witkoff-Kushner shuttle between Moscow and Kyiv ended, predictably, without a breakthrough — and Andrew Michta argues the failure reveals something deeper than bad luck at the table.
September 9, 2026
Podcasts
The 9/11 attacks on the US were 25 years ago this week and, while there hasn’t been a second such shock, questions remain as to the Free World’s preparedness, whether a divided America can rediscover unity, and the strength of international alliances. Phillip Zelikow, the Hoover Institution’s Botha-Chan senior fellow and executive director of the 9/11 Commission, discusses lessons learned from the attack.
September 11, 2026 • 0 Min Listen
