Day: February 5, 2026

Briefings

Background Briefing: February 5, 2026

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Why Did Tulsi Gabbard Sit on the Most Top Secret Whistleblower Complaint the IC’s IG Determined Required “Urgent Concern” For 8 Months? 

We begin with a whistleblower complaint from inside the Intelligence Community lodged in May of 2025 that charges highly classified intelligence was restricted for political purposes. The IC’s Inspector General considers the complaint the most top secret that he has dealt with which requires “urgent concern” yet it was locked in a safe by the DNI Tulsi Gabbard for 8 months and has only just reached the Gang of 8 to evaluate. However, the lawyer for the whistleblower is concerned that what the bi-partisan heads of the House, Senate and Intel Committees are finally getting from Gabbard may not accurately reflect the whistleblower’s complaint. Joining us is Scott Horton, a former lecturer at Columbia Law School and is a contributing editor at Harper’s in legal affairs and national security. He serves on the American branch of the International Law Association, and has represented a variety of journalists and whistleblowers.

 

The Last and Only Nuclear Arms Control Treaty Between the U.S. and Russia Ended Today

Then with the last and only nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia officially ending today, we speak with Jon Wolfsthal, the Director of Global Risk at The Federation of American Scientists, a senior adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security and member of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. He previously served as Special Assistant to President of the United States Barack Obama for National Security Affairs and is a former senior director at the National Security Council for arms control and nonproliferation. He also served from 2009-2012 as Special Advisor to Vice President Biden for nuclear security and nonproliferation and as a director for nonproliferation on the National Security Council. During his government service, he has been involved in almost every aspect of U.S. nuclear weapons, deterrence, arms control, nonproliferation policy, including having helped negotiate and secure the ratification of the New START arms reduction agreement with the Russian Federation. He is the co-author, with Joseph Cirincione, of Deadly Arsenals: Tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction.

 

Trump’s Delusional and Idiotic Call to Resume Nuclear Testing

Then finally we examine Trump’s musing that he will resume nuclear testing and speak with Daryl Kimball, the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association and publisher and contributor for the organization’s monthly journal, Arms Control Today. For more than two decades, he has led the organization’s research and policy advocacy on a range of issues, including cancellation of new nuclear weapons programs, the conclusion of the 2015 P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran, and the negotiation and ratification of the 2010 New START agreement. Previously, he was the executive director of the Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers and the Director of Security Programs at Physicians for Social Responsibility.