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Intelligence Matters

Former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon looks back on his Career

Intelligence Matters

CBS News

Politics, News, Government

4.73.3K Ratings

🗓️ 3 October 2017

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this week's episode of Intelligence Matters, former acting Director of the CIA Michael Morell speaks with former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon about his distinguished career in government: working as a top security advisory in the White House, his thoughts on U.S. President Barack Obama and his advice for the current administration on the most pressing security concerns of our time. As he looks back on his career, Donilon describes an unlikely route to national security and foreign policy. From getting his start in 1977 working for U.S. President Jimmy Carter as a young aid right out of college, to seeing through Carter's transition to private life. As Donilon talks about Carter's influence, he cites him as the first of a handful of mentors who were crucial in helping forge his path into public service. As a young Tom Donilon set his sights on opening a consulting firm, it was former Secretary of State Warren Christopher helped propel the young attorney into the political arena. He served as National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama from 2010-2013 where he was responsible for the coordination and integration of the administration's foreign policy, intelligence, and military efforts. Tom Donilon is vice chair of the international law firm of O'Melveny and Myers. He is a leading national security expert with deep experience in geopolitics, cybersecurity, financial services, and corporate governance.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey, Prime members, you can listen to Intelligence Matters ad-free on Amazon Music.

0:05.6

Download the app today.

0:07.0

I'm Candace DeLong, and on my new podcast, Killer Psychie Daily, I share a quick 10-minute

0:12.8

rundown every weekday on the motivations and behaviors of the cold-blooded killers you

0:18.1

read about in the news.

0:19.8

Listen to the Amazon Music Exclusive Podcast Killer Psychie Daily in the Amazon Music

0:25.5

app.

0:26.5

Download the app today.

0:31.0

You have to put in place a process that has the confidence of your colleagues.

0:39.0

I tell people that I never saw politics in a situation room, and they say, come on.

0:46.6

Iran.

0:47.6

It would be a very serious mistake for the United States to withdraw from this deal.

0:53.8

We haven't really to date put together the most serious pressure campaign we could in

0:57.9

North Korea.

0:58.9

People say, well, they can't be pressured.

1:00.6

Truth is, we haven't tried yet.

1:05.6

This is Intelligence Matters with Michael Morrell, a joint production of the cipherbrief.com

1:10.5

and CBS News.

1:11.6

I'm cipherbrief CEO and publisher Suzanne Kelly.

1:15.8

In this podcast, the former acting director of the CIA speaks with top leaders who talk

1:20.3

candidly about what they've seen and what they think it means for global security.

1:24.9

As a former CIA analyst, Morrell is uniquely skilled at asking the right questions and

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