Podcast
Target USA Podcast by WTOP
Hosted by WTOP | Hubbard Radio · EN
Whether its terrorists, anarchists, cyber criminals or nation states, America has a target on its back. WTOP National Security Correspondent J.J. Green investigates the threats facing the U.S., the people behind them, the agencies fighting them and their impact on Americans.
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
533 | Robert Wilkie: Winning in Ukraine and Iran Is the Key to Containing China
5d ago00:26:11Tap to summarizeFormer Veterans Affairs Secretary and former senior Pentagon official Robert Wilkie joins Target USA to argue that today's wars are not isolated conflicts—they are interconnected fronts in a global struggle led by Russia, Iran, and China. Wilkie explains why NATO remains indispensable, why Ukraine is America's best defense investment, why Iran's threat extends far beyond the Middle East, and why the Pentagon needs sweeping reform to prepare for the next era of great-power competition. He also outlines what he would tell President Trump to do now to reshape America's national security strategy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →532 | The Shooting Stopped. The Countdown Didn't: Inside the Fragile U.S.-Iran Deal
2w ago00:15:14Tap to summarizeThe U.S. and Iran have agreed to stop fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the toughest issues—including Iran's nuclear program and sanctions relief—have been pushed into future negotiations. The next 60 days could determine whether this is the start of peace or just a pause in the conflict. Former eSecreteary of Defense Leon Panetta joins us t explain the problemsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →531 | The Ambassador Who Biked the Ukraine War Front Line
3w ago00:28:28Tap to summarizeAfter four years covering the war in Ukraine, I've rarely encountered intelligence as insightful as that gathered by retired Swedish Ambassador Lars Freden. Instead of relying on reports and briefings, he rode a bicycle more than 1,000 miles along the front line—twice. In this episode, he shares what he saw, what he learned, and the human reality of a war that continues to reshape Europe.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →530 | DEAL OR THE DELUSION? Inside Trump's Struggle to End the Iran War
4w ago00:16:20Tap to summarizeThe military operation was a success. The strategy may have been a failure. In this episode, Gordon Gray is the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, examines how the Trump administration may have underestimated Tehran, why negotiations continue to stall, and whether the White House is now looking for a face-saving exit rather than a decisive victory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →529 | Putin’s Pressure Point — Estonia Says Russia Is Weaker Than It Looks
May 2800:23:40Tap to summarizeIn this explosive episode, Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna delivers a stark warning about Russia’s growing instability and the escalating battle over the Baltic Sea. He explains how Moscow accidentally exposed its direct ties to the shadow fleet used to evade sanctions, why Russia is reacting “painfully” to Ukrainian deep strikes, and why Putin may now be more vulnerable than at any point since the war began. Tsahkna also discusses NATO, the weakening Russian economy, rising tensions inside the Kremlin, disinformation operations targeting the Baltics, and why Europe believes strategic patience, not rushed negotiations, is the key to ending the war.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →528 | The US War With Iran: A Conflict With No Clear Winner
May 1600:17:21Tap to summarizeWhere does the US war with Iran stand? One day there's talk of peace; the next they are shooting at each other. Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's former Ambassador to the US and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, says there is no clear winner, and that may never change.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →527 | Inside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting: America's New Threat Environment
May 700:20:34Tap to summarizeA rare insider look at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. Former Secret Service Deputy Director A.T. Smith explains how the attack unfolded. He breaks down the security response, failures, and lessons learned. And he warns America is entering a far more dangerous political era.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →526 | The War in Iran: A Stalemate is unfolding
Apr 3000:23:58Tap to summarizeGrant Rumley, Meisel Family Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute, and Nick Redman, Director of Analysis at Oxford Analytica from Dow Jones explain why the negotiations appear to have slowed almost as much as the shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →525 | The U.S.–Iran Crisis, the Hormuz Blockade, and Donald Trump's fight with the Pope
Apr 1600:24:24Tap to summarizeThe U.S.–Iran crisis has entered a volatile new phase—and the stakes are rising fast.In this episode, Ambassador Gordon Gray, veteran diplomat and the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, breaks down the reality behind the rhetoric: from President Donald Trump’s inflammatory messaging to the strategic consequences unfolding in the Persian Gulf.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →524 | Civilization on the Brink? Trump’s Threat, the Stepdown, and the New Geometry of Power
Apr 900:28:21Tap to summarizeIn one of the most volatile stretches of the Iran conflict, a warning came from President Donald Trump that “a whole civilization will die” if escalation continued, followed by a sudden stepdown into a cease-fire framework.In this episode, we sit down with Ambassador Gordon Gray, Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Affairs at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, to unpack how we got there.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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