Rational Security: The “Third Time’s a Charm” Edition
The Lawfare Podcast
The Lawfare Institute
4.7 • 6.4K Ratings
🗓️ 6 August 2023
⏱️ 79 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week on Rational Security, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by co-host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week's YUGE national security news, including:
- “So THAT’s What the Insurrection Act is For.” Former President Trump has been indicted for conspiring to overthrow the results of the 2020 election, including through the insurrection on Jan. 6. And while they haven’t been charged, the indictment names six co-conspirators who were allegedly willing to go to the mat—including former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, who, in one of the darkest moments in the indictment, suggested that the Insurrection Act would be used to deploy the military against anyone who protests the Trump administration’s actions. What does this indictment mean, historically and politically? And where will the trial go from here?
- “The Spy Who Nagged Me.” The intelligence community is knocking on Congress’s door, hat in hand, asking once again for the renewal for the controversial-but-essential section 702 surveillance authority. But odds seem slimmer than ever this year, not least because the political dynamics around federal law enforcement and intelligence changed so dramatically over the course of the Trump administration. What are the odds of renewal? And what conditions are likely to come if it happens?
- “Hunter and the Fox.” President Biden’s son Hunter, who has wrestled with substance abuse and mental health issues, is back in the news for at least attempting to plead guilty to an array of criminal offenses—and for congressional testimony alleging that he parlayed access to his father into lucrative business deals. The stories have become a mainstay in conservative media circles and right-wing attacks on President Biden. But how much is smoke and how much is fire?
For object lessons, Alan recommended the period thriller “Operation Mincemeat” and its focus on Colin Firth's double-breasted period suits. Quinta sang the praises of the Star Wars section at Disneyland, Galaxy's Edge. Scott endorsed “The Thief Collector,” a charming documentary about a real-world heist and a retired couple's dark double-life. And Ben celebrated his decision to bring "The Orb" out of retirement for the big Trump indictment.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The following podcast contains advertising to access an ad-free version of the LawFair |
| 0:07.2 | podcast become a material supporter of LawFair at patreon.com slash LawFair, that's patreon.com slash |
| 0:16.8 | LawFair. Also check out LawFair's other podcast offerings, rational security, chatter, LawFair |
| 0:25.6 | no bull, and the aftermath. |
| 0:37.6 | I'm G. Cokatakis, intern at LawFair with an episode of Rational Security for August 6th, |
| 0:44.1 | 2023. For today's episode, the team at LawFair decided to cross-post this week's episode |
| 0:50.4 | of Rational Security. A podcast hosted by Scott R. Andersen, Quinted Jurassic, and Alan |
| 0:55.9 | Rosenstein, in which they covered the week's big national security news stories. Today's |
| 1:01.4 | episode is entitled The Third Times a Charm Edition. This week, Andersen, Jurassic, and Rosenstein |
| 1:08.5 | sat down with LawFair Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittis to discuss former President Donald |
| 1:13.5 | Trump's indictment for conspiring to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. The odds of |
| 1:18.6 | Congress renewing Section 702, the legitimacy of stories concerning Hunter Biden's alleged |
| 1:24.1 | criminal activity, and more. This is Rational Security. |
| 1:32.0 | Guys, I'm really sleepy. Last night was a lot. It was a long night. It was awesome, though. |
| 1:37.6 | Your definition of awesome is very different than my definition of awesome. No, the definition |
| 1:42.5 | of a good day is when something big happens and you do awesome work on it, and that was yesterday. |
| 1:52.3 | Perhaps. I then had a toddler freak out of me from three hours from the hours of two |
| 1:56.7 | a.m. to five a.m. So it was just like being at Mar-Lago. Yeah, I've got to know, yeah. |
| 2:04.0 | Less Fox News on the background. Well, we were waiting for the indictment to come down. I was |
| 2:08.9 | actually on a plane with a toddler who was screaming over and over again. I want my treat, |
| 2:14.5 | which I felt like really captured the vibe in a number of different ways. Was there catch-ups |
| 2:19.3 | around at the wall? There was no catch-up that I saw. You know what? Good for the parent for |
... |
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