School of War
The Free Press
In School of War, CBS News National Security Analyst and Free Press columnist Aaron MacLean sits down with secretaries of state, top military historians, war planners, and key political decision-makers to help understand the lessons of war.
Tune in as School of War takes you to the front lines.
Aaron MacLean is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Visit our Substack for episode transcripts
Follow along on Instagram
Tune in as School of War takes you to the front lines.
Aaron MacLean is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Visit our Substack for episode transcripts
Follow along on Instagram
Episodes
Mentioned books
30 snips
May 12, 2026 • 38min
Trump Heads to China: Who Has the Upper Hand? With Dan Blumenthal
Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on U.S.-China relations and Taiwan. He breaks down Trump's Beijing summit goals and how Iran tensions complicate them. Short takes on China’s leverage in the Middle East, economic and AI competition, and why Taiwan’s security and industrial supply chains matter for future power balances.
54 snips
May 8, 2026 • 55min
America’s Coming Population Crash—and China’s, with Nicholas Eberstadt
Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy and demographics expert, explores shrinking populations and aging societies. He discusses America’s birth decline and a global birth crash. He contrasts per-capita prosperity with national strength, examines China’s severe depopulation, and considers AI, longevity, and how institutions must adapt to demographic change.
31 snips
May 4, 2026 • 44min
Is Trump Forcing the Strait of Hormuz Open? With Rich Goldberg and Garrett Exner
Garrett Exner, former Marine and naval analyst, and Rich Goldberg, national security adviser on Iran and maritime policy, unpack tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. They explain Project Freedom, discuss safe lanes, escorts and missile risks. They debate whether ceasefire holds, who might finance transits, and the economic and strategic pressures shaping next moves.
25 snips
May 1, 2026 • 53min
NORAD and Protecting America From Nuclear Attack, With Lance Blythe
Lance R. Blyth, command historian for NORAD and USNORTHCOM and former Marine infantry officer, offers a brisk tour of North American air defense history. He discusses Cold War origins, the SAGE computer revolution, Cheyenne Mountain realities, false-alarm lessons, post‑9/11 shifts, and how Canada, drones, cruise missiles, China, and Russia shape today’s continental defense.
42 snips
Apr 27, 2026 • 59min
The Attempt on Trump’s Life and Political Violence in America, with Douglas Murray
Douglas Murray, journalist and author of On Democracies and Death Cults, provides a front-row account of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and the chaos that followed. He examines security gaps, Secret Service responses, and the trade-offs of tighter, Israeli-style protection. Conversations probe the shooter’s manifesto, media influence, historical parallels to political violence, and civic hygiene in modern activism.
19 snips
Apr 24, 2026 • 55min
How the British Army Learned to Win, with Huw Davies
Huw Davies, Associate Dean and Professor of British Military History at King’s College London and author of The Wandering Army, explores 18th-century military change. He talks about how battlefield failure spurred reform. He traces the rise of light infantry from colonial fights. He examines officer learning, informal knowledge networks, and what past reforms mean for drones and modern warfare.
67 snips
Apr 21, 2026 • 39min
Has America Fought Well in the Iran War? With Mick Ryan
Mick Ryan, retired Australian Major General and military studies fellow, offers sharp analysis on the Iran war and its wider implications. He examines U.S. performance, alliance choices, and battlefield adaptations. He discusses the strategic risks to the Strait of Hormuz, the role of AI in warfare, and what rivals like China and Russia are learning. He maps possible paths forward and geopolitical consequences.
31 snips
Apr 17, 2026 • 54min
The Future of Warfighting Technology Is Now with Aviv Shapira
Aviv Shapira, co-founder and CEO of Xtend and former Israeli Air Force officer, built AI-enabled drone and robotics software from competitive drone racing to defense tech. He talks about drone swarms, human-guided autonomy, VR teleoperation, tunnel and degraded-comm operations, skills-based swarm architecture, control ratios, ethical safeguards, and how this tech is deployed and protected.
27 snips
Apr 15, 2026 • 44min
How Trump’s Blockade of Iran Actually Works with Sal Mercogliano
Sal Mercogliano, a maritime historian and analyst who runs the What’s Going on with Shipping channel, explains how the U.S. distant blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is being executed. He walks through ISR tagging, convoying and boarding options. He discusses deployed naval assets, risks with Iranian mines and shadow fleets, and the diplomatic and economic consequences, including China’s role.
12 snips
Apr 14, 2026 • 48min
The Strategic View From the Baltic Sea with General Michael Claesson
General Michael Claesson, Sweden’s Supreme Commander and career armor officer, offers a compact strategic tour of Baltic security. He discusses how Crimea shifted Sweden’s posture, the logic behind joining NATO, the multi-domain lessons from Ukraine, Russia’s gray-zone tactics and vulnerabilities, and Europe’s duty to strengthen collective defense.
