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PODCAST

Memos to the President

Ylli Bajraktari, Special Competitive Studies Project - SCSP, SCSP

Memos to the President is a podcast series from the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), dedicated to providing bold, actionable ideas to the current U.S. administration. Hosted by SCSP’s CEO Ylli Bajraktari, it features conversations with experts and leaders on critical issues related to national security, technology, and economic competitiveness.

technology

All Episodes

00:20:00

Rye Barcott on Service, Bipartisanship, and Political...

Memos to the President ·

2026/10/01

Rye Barcott, Marine veteran, With Honor co-founder, and author of Courage Can Save Us, joins Memos to the President to discuss the difference between bravery and courage, how a veterans-led group works across party lines in Congress, and why he believes service is important to American civic life.Rye also shares his perspective on a recent bipartisan congressional delegation to Ukraine and the debate over sanctions legislation in the House, discusses how social media disinformation can affect

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00:40:13

Episode 48: A Conversation with Leopoldo López &...

Memos to the President ·

2026/07/23

Leopoldo López is a Venezuelan political leader and human rights advocate who spent over six years as a political prisoner of the Maduro regime, before escaping Venezuela in 2020. He currently serves as co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, uniting pro-democracy movements against authoritarianism worldwide.Félix Maradiaga is a Nicaraguan academic, human rights defender, and former presidential candidate who was arbitrarily imprisoned for 611 days before being exiled by the Ortega regime. He is

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00:32:25

Episode 47: A Conversation with Taro Kono, Former...

Memos to the President ·

2026/07/09

In Tokyo, SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari and VP for Global Affairs Joe Wang sat down with Taro KONO — former Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, and Digital Minister of Japan, and one of the most influential figures in the LDP — for a wide-ranging conversation on Japan’s place in a rapidly shifting world. The conversation covered four major themes shaping Japan’s strategic future:The Geopolitical Landscape: Kono traces how China’s rise changed everything — from its WTO accession to its

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00:28:40

Episode 46: Shigeru Kitamura on the U.S.-Japan...

Memos to the President ·

2026/06/30

In Tokyo, SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari and Vice President for Global Partnerships Joe Wang sat down with Mr. Shigeru Kitamura, former National Security Advisor of Japan and one of the most respected voices in Japanese national security and intelligence. The conversation covers four major themes shaping the future of the US-Japan alliance and the broader international order. G7 and the Fragmentation of the World Order: Kitamura breaks down why the Évian G7's real achievement was recognizing that

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00:36:04

Episode 45: Conversation with Indian Secretary S....

Memos to the President ·

2026/06/20

On the margins of the India-US Forum in New Delhi, SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari sat down for a new episode of Memos to the President with S. Krishnan, Secretary of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), alongside SCSP Senior Advisor Dr. Sameer Lalwani. Secretary Krishnan is leading one of the most transformative tech efforts in the world today. As the architect of India's digital future, he is steering a $10 billion semiconductor strategy and deploying 40,000 GPUs to

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00:42:35

Episode 43: Jensen Huang on Generative Computing,...

Memos to the President ·

2026/04/30

In this episode of Memos to the President, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang discusses the shift from retrieval-based computing to a generative paradigm driven by human intent. Huang argues that the U.S. must lead the "five-layer cake" of AI to trigger a massive re-industrialization that brings high-skilled manufacturing back to the West. He counters fears of job displacement, explaining that AI automates specific tasks while increasing the demand for the human purpose of innovation. The conversation also

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00:37:52

Episode 43: Senator Mike Rounds and Chris Malachowsky...

Memos to the President ·

2026/03/19

In this special episode of Memos to the President, recorded live at the SCSP AI + Education Summit, SCSP CEO Ylli Bajraktari sits down with U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) and NVIDIA Co-Founder Chris Malachowsky to discuss the profound intersection of artificial intelligence, workforce development, and global competitiveness. The conversation centers on the urgent need for the United States to lead the AI revolution. With the ink "barely dry" on this technology, Senator Rounds and Malachowsky

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00:32:02

Episode 42: Dr. Dario Gil on The Genesis Mission, AI,...

Memos to the President ·

2026/02/23

In this episode of Memos to the President, SCSP CEO Ylli Bajraktari sits down with Dr. Dario Gil, the Undersecretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).As a former senior executive at IBM and now the leader of America's scientific powerhouse, Dr. Gil oversees 17 National Laboratories and over 40,000 scientists. The conversation focuses on the "Genesis Mission", a bold national initiative designed to double the productivity of the U.S. research and development engine by fusing AI,

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00:17:33

Episode 41: General Carsten Breuer and Benedikt...

Memos to the President ·

2026/02/19

In this special episode of Memos to the President, recorded live at the Munich Security Conference, SCSP CEO Ylli Bajraktari is joined by a very special co-host: Benedikt Franke, CEO and Vice Chairman of the Munich Security Conference. Together, they sit down with General Carsten Breuer, the Chief of Defense of the German Bundeswehr, to discuss the most dangerous security environment in 40 years.The conversation centers on the "2029 Culmination Point." General Breuer provides a candid assessment of

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00:44:32

Episode 40: Dhruva Jaishankar on The Future of...

Memos to the President ·

2026/02/10

In this episode of Memos to the President, Ylli sits down with Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of ORF America, to take a deep dive into the complex and evolving role of India on the world stage.Recorded in late January 2026, the conversation explores how India is navigating its relationship with a "pure competitor" in China and a shifting partnership with the United States. Jaishankar provides an expert assessment of why India's generation of strategic thinkers is more "bullish" than ever,

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00:24:51

Episode 39: Secretary Chris Wright on Seizing the...

Memos to the President ·

2025/11/04

In this episode of Memos to the President, Ylli sits down for a second time at the AI+ Fusion Summit with the United States Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright. In their conversation, Secretary Wright urges prioritizing fusion alongside AI and quantum, rebalancing energy spending, and previews the DOE’s next six months.Watch Memos to the President.Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.

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00:30:30

Episode 38: A Conversation with Brian Moore

Memos to the President ·

2025/10/16

In this episode, SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari sits down with Brian Moore, Chief Policy Officer at Bot Auto, to unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping the auto industry and the broader U.S. industrial base. They discuss what it takes to deploy AI responsibly at scale—from transforming manufacturing and logistics to ensuring safety, transparency, and workforce readiness. Moore shares insights from Bot Auto’s work at the intersection of technology and policy, where innovation meets

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00:27:48

Episode 37: A Conversation with Luke Murry

Memos to the President ·

2025/10/10

Luke Murry, former National Security Advisor to Speaker Kevin McCarthy and now Head of Government Affairs at Marvell Technology, joins host Ylli Bajraktari on the National Mall to discuss his career trajectory, the evolution of U.S.-China tech competition, and the intersection of government and the private sector.Watch Memos to the President on YouTube.Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.

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00:26:27

Episode 36: Palmer Luckey

Memos to the President ·

2025/09/26

In this episode, Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries, discusses his journey from Oculus VR to focusing on national security. He explains his decision to enter the defense industry in 2017, highlighting the challenges of the time, including the tech industry's reluctance to work on military problems and its dependence on China. Luckey emphasizes Anduril's mission as a defense products company, contrasting it with traditional contractors, and details some of their autonomous systems like

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00:31:02

Episode 34: A Conversation with Amos Yadlin & Avner...

Memos to the President ·

2025/09/22

On this episode of Memos to the President, host Ylli Bajraktari is joined by retired Major General Amos Yadlin and Avner Golov from MIND Israel to discuss the evolving role of technology in global affairs. They analyze the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East and the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship, proposing a new model for technological cooperation.Watch Memos to the President on Youtube.Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies

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00:38:10

Episode 35: A Conversation with Omran Sharaf

Memos to the President ·

2025/09/22

On this episode of Memos to the President, host Ylli Bajraktari is joined by His Excellency Omran Sharaf, the UAE's Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Technologies and Science. They discuss the UAE's technological journey, including the strategic "Hope" Mars Mission, and the future of the U.S.-UAE relationship, proposing a new model for technological cooperation.Watch Memos to the President on Youtube. Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.

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00:25:58

Episode 33: A Conversation with Mike Kuiken

Memos to the President ·

2025/09/04

In this special episode of Memos to the President, recorded on the National Mall, Ylli Bajraktari sits down with Mike Kuiken, a veteran of Capitol Hill with over two decades of experience. The conversation traces Mike's journey from a staff assistant to becoming the National Security Advisor for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. They discuss how major events like 9/11 shaped his career, his pivotal role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and how he witnessed the shift in national security

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00:20:07

Episode 32: A Conversation with Jack Clark

Memos to the President ·

2025/07/29

In this episode of Memos to the President, recorded at last week’s AI+Science Summit, host Ylli Bajraktari sits down with Anthropic’s Jack Clark for a conversation on the international AI landscape, the national security risks of AI, and more!Check out Memos to the President on YouTube!Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.

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00:36:16

Episode 31: A Conversation with Jensen Huang

Memos to the President ·

2025/07/14

In this episode of Memos to the President, Ylli sits down with NVIDIA CEO, Jensen Huang. Their conversation goes to the heart of the strategic challenges and opportunities facing the United States. They discuss the coming waves of AI, from generative to physical and agentic AI; the immense energy required to power this new age; the future of work in a world augmented by AI; and the defining geopolitical issue of our time: the U.S.-China technology competition.Check out their conversation on the SCSP

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00:29:30

Episode 30: A Conversation with JP Allain

Memos to the President ·

2025/07/08

In today's episode of Memos to the President, Ylli had the opportunity to speak with Dr. JP Allain, Associate Director for Fusion Energy Sciences at the Department of Energy. They discuss the future of fusion energy, and the benefits that a 'moonshot' program could have to jump start plans to have the fusion ecosystem running in the 2030's. Discover the vision that Dr. Allain has for the future of the United State's energy development, and to stay competitive with China.Check out their conversation

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50 results

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