We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
Top US national security threat: the myth of the stolen election
David Sanger knows a thing or two about national security. After all, it's his beat at the New York Times.
So what does he think is the biggest threat to America's national security right now?
An "insider threat" to the stability of the election system coming not from Russia, not from China, and not from North Korea. The biggest menace is Americans willing to engage in political violence, Sanger tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
Watch the GZERO World episode: US threat levels from foreign and domestic enemies
- US political violence increases; Democrats seek Jan 6 ... ›
- Democrats hope to use Jan 6 Trump focus to gain edge in midterms ... ›
- The Graphic Truth: Dem/GOP voters' very different views of Jan 6 ... ›
- US threat levels from foreign and domestic enemies - GZERO Media ›
- US national security depends on domestic progress - GZERO Media ›
US threat levels from foreign and domestic enemies
The Biden administration finally released its long-anticipated National Security Strategy, basically America's biggest threats — foreign and domestic.
The No. 1 external enemy is not Russia but rather China. It also emphasizes the homegrown threat of Americans willing to engage in political violence if their candidate loses at the ballot box.
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to David Sanger, who knows a thing or two about national security because it's his beat at the New York Times.
His take on China? Taiwan's status as a semiconductor superpower may be staving off a Chinese invasion.
On Russia, Sanger discusses how Kyiv and the world face the paradox that the better Ukraine gets at resisting Russia, the more likely it is that Vladimir Putin will consider launching a tactical nuke. “If the Russians use a tactical nuclear weapon in a conventional war and essentially get away with … then all of a sudden, the taboo about using nuclear weapons in a conventional conflict is gone,” he says.
Meanwhile, America should not lose sight of the "insider threat" to its democracy, particularly with midterms just days away.
Podcast: America at risk: assessing Russia, China, and domestic threats
Listen: From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to China’s vision for a new global order, there’s plenty keeping President Joe Biden’s national security officials up at night. On the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer and New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger break down the top foreign and domestic threats outlined in the Biden administration's recently released National Security Strategy document.
According to the report, the No. 1 external danger is not Russia but rather China. Sanger explains why he believes Taiwan's status as a semiconductor superpower may be staving off a Chinese invasion. As for the Russia-Ukraine war, Sanger talks about the "Ukraine paradox" - the better Ukraine gets at resisting Russia, the more likely Vladimir Putin might launch a tactical nuke (and, Sanger notes, he might just get away with it.)
But the biggest threat to America's national security could well be at home —an “insider threat" to the stability of the election system coming from Americans willing to engage in political violence.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.- US foreign policy and consequences of midterm elections - GZERO ... ›
- The geopolitics of the chips that make your tech work - GZERO Media ›
- Standing up for democracy and the truth: Former US national ... ›
- The US-China economic competition is heating up, says investor ... ›
- The biggest threats to US national security, foreign and domestic - GZERO Media ›
Who cares if Elon Musk bought Twitter?
Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.
Might Congress take actions against members of Congress who play down threats for political reasons?
I suspect not. Obviously very disturbing that we are so tribal, we are so polarized that when you see political violence against people like Nancy Pelosi, the Paul Pelosi thing, knocked unconscious by a hammer, a guy goes into his house... And Gabby Giffords and Steve Scalise. This is getting normalized in the United States, and it should never be normalized. And in part it is because if it doesn't happen to your side, you don't pay attention to it. It's not such a big deal. That's not where the country needs to be, but it is where we are presently given just how dysfunctional this feeling of, "If you're not with me, you're my enemy," politically inside the United States. This is a natural impact of that occurring.
How long can China continue its zero-COVID policy?
Well, right now, zero-COVID is a bigger deal for disrupting the Chinese economy than it was before the Party Congress. I'm not in any way surprised by that and their vaccines are not effective. They still haven't vaccinated the over-eighties to a significant degree. They believe, and they're probably right, that their hospitals would be overwhelmed even in major second-tier cities if they were to just let the virus rip. And as a consequence of that, that means, I mean, right through 2023, as we see, you're still going to see stop, start in zero-COVID. But now they can make it more targeted, which means through surveillance, they can have a very quick reaction in lockdowns. And it doesn't have to be an entire city, it can be more of apartment complexes and neighborhoods and the rest. So less of an impact over time on the whole Chinese economy, but still, because of how transmissible this disease is, zero-COVID is going to be a very significant drag on Chinese growth.
Elon officially owns Twitter. How is it sinking in?
Ah, I see what you did there because he brought a sink, right? Brought a sink actually into Twitter. Who cares? I don't think it's as big of a deal as many do. Because yes, you're going to see more hate speech on Twitter, but I suspect that when that happens, a whole bunch of economic interests are going to kick in. Companies will say, "No, this is not something we're willing to support." They'll put pressure on and it's going to be run like a corporation focusing on profitability. There is a question of what happens if Elon fires a whole bunch of people and there's no longer any content moderation, their capabilities have been reduced. But again, on balance, I suspect that, as much as this is a hobby for Elon personally, in terms of being on Twitter, it is less of that in terms of how this runs as a significant business going forward. I wouldn't have recommended that he buy it because I think it's a big geopolitical headache for a guy that has too many of them. But I suspect that ultimately Twitter either doesn't change that much or becomes less important. If that's true it would be because of competition, not because he's running it. That's it for me. I'll talk to y'all soon.
- The Graphic Truth: Twitter doesn't rule the social world - GZERO Media ›
- What is China's zero COVID policy? - GZERO Media ›
- US political violence increases; Democrats seek Jan 6 ... ›
- Hard Numbers: South Korean tragedy, US political violence, deadly ... ›
- Twitter's scent of Musk - GZERO Media ›
- How long can China's zero-COVID policy last? - GZERO Media ›