In this Tea Leaves episode, Kurt and Rich sit down with John Gans, Director of Communications and Research for Perry World House and former chief speechwriter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter at the Pentagon. Kurt and Rich chat with John about his new book, “White House Warriors: How the National Security Council Transformed the American Way of War” and dive into the inner workings of the National Security Council (NSC).
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The Iran Conflict is Reversing America’s Strategic Pivot
March 20, 2026
Newsletter
One of the major bipartisan pursuits within the U.S. government over the last two decades has been to redirect military, ...
Kurt Campbell and Christopher Johnstone in APNews on Takaichi-Trump meeting
March 19, 2026
Media Mentions
Trump is expected to put “enormous pressure” on Takaichi, said Kurt Campbell, the former U.S. deputy secretary of state in ...
Kurt Tong in Politico on U.S.-Japan summit: ‘The Iran conflict creates an overlay of anxiety for the meeting’
March 18, 2026
Media Mentions
Tong argued that if it hadn’t been for Taiwan and Iran, “the visit would have been downright celebratory.” Takaichi and ...
Mehu Sitepu quoted in Associated Press on Trump’s trade deal with Indonesia
March 18, 2026
Media Mentions
The agreement requires ratification by Indonesia’s parliament before it can take effect. That adds another “layer of uncertainty,” said Mehu ...