As geopolitical tensions remain high and the Trump administration reshuffles key national security roles, retired Army Special Forces officer and former Pentagon official Steven Bucci joined Chicago’s Morning Answer to offer insight into the administration’s strategy and emerging concerns abroad.
The biggest change in Washington this week was President Trump’s announcement that Senator Marco Rubio will serve as interim National Security Adviser, replacing Mike Waltz, who is being nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. While some in the media have framed the move as a demotion, Bucci described it as a strategic pivot to quell lingering controversy around Waltz and the administration’s earlier encrypted communications scandal.
“The UN role is important,” Bucci acknowledged, “but it’s not as central to national security operations as the adviser post.” He added that Trump likely sought to “defuse” the ongoing distraction while retaining Waltz in a prominent position.
Bucci cautioned, however, that Rubio—already serving as Secretary of State—should not remain in the National Security Adviser role for long, noting the dual position is historically fraught. “It’s a heavy lift. The only one who’s done both was Kissinger, and that wasn’t seen as particularly effective,” he said.
As speculation swirls about who might ultimately fill the post, Bucci cast doubt on potential candidates like Stephen Miller and Michael Anton, suggesting the former is more suited to domestic policy roles and expressing reservations about the latter’s foreign policy profile.
Turning to international affairs, Bucci responded to Trump’s recent remarks on the war in Ukraine. Trump declined to outline specific red lines, prompting questions about his commitment. Bucci defended the approach, noting that ambiguity can be a strategic asset. “You don’t always want your adversaries to know exactly where your line is unless you’re ready to enforce it,” he said.
Nonetheless, he admitted that if the U.S. were to withdraw support entirely, Ukraine could eventually fall to Russia. “They’ll keep fighting, but over time the Russians could wear them down,” he warned. Strategic interests, including access to mineral resources, make such an outcome particularly unpalatable to U.S. policymakers. “We need those minerals. We definitely don’t want them in Russian or Chinese hands.”
Bucci predicted that the conflict will continue in its current form for now, with Trump “laying down markers” and exploring avenues toward peace while remaining noncommittal on broader military support changes.
Later in the interview, Bucci addressed a growing trend among America’s allies that he finds deeply concerning: efforts to silence conservative political movements through surveillance or legal mechanisms. The recent decision by Germany to grant its spy agency authority to monitor the Alternative for Democracy (AfD) party was a key example. Rubio publicly condemned the move, calling it “tyranny in disguise.”
Bucci agreed, warning that Europe’s liberal establishment is increasingly willing to use authoritarian tools to suppress right-wing opposition. “It’s disturbing,” he said. “We don’t want our allies drifting into fascist behavior, even if they call it progressive.”
He noted that similar anti-opposition measures have been taken in France, Brazil, and Romania—often justified by fears of extremism but suspiciously timed to target popular conservative figures or parties. Bucci pointed out the irony in such actions mirroring the very anti-democratic tactics these governments claim to oppose.
“These moves didn’t really start until conservative parties gained traction again,” he observed, drawing parallels to attempts in the U.S. to delegitimize political opponents through labels and legal challenges. “The people under totalitarian regimes can spot the difference. They know the real thing when they see it.”
While acknowledging that the U.S. has limited influence over the domestic politics of sovereign allies, Bucci emphasized the importance of monitoring these developments. “We may not be able to stop it, but we should be concerned,” he said.
With national security leadership in flux, a global war still raging in Europe, and allied democracies experimenting with aggressive legal action against their own political rivals, Bucci’s analysis offered a candid assessment of the challenges facing American foreign policy—and the unpredictable months ahead.