Episode 8: How Trump Transformed the National Security Strategy

Every administration publishes a National Security Strategy. Critics tear it apart, cheerleaders celebrate it, and almost nobody stops to ask what peace through strength actually means as a defense posture.

In this episode, Doug Truax and Will Thibeau trace the idea from si vis pacem, para bellum through Reagan's proof of concept, then define the strategy's America First posture: name real interests, put the homeland first, shift the burden to allies, and size the force to the threats that matter.

Then they get into where strength ends and adventurism begins — why the forever wars spent America's strength and then blamed strength for the empty account, and why deterrence abroad is downstream of seriousness at home, from recruiting and standards to the industrial base.