School of War podcast host Aaron MacLean is joining CBS News and Paramount-owned The Free Press, serving as national security analyst for the network and columnist for the site.
MacLean will debut with The Free Press on Thursday, with a livestream featuring Ret. Gen. Frank McKenzie on the war with Iran.
MacLean served in the Marines for seven years, and was deployed to Afghanistan as an infantry officer from 2009 to 2010.
MacLean is a former faculty member of the U.S. Naval Academy and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, the conservative think tank. He also served as senior foreign policy adviser and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR).
Aaron MacLean
Hudson Inst
MacLean is the latest contributor hired by CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss. The network announced a new roster of contributors in January, as part of Weiss’ new strategy for the news division.
His dual roles at CBS News and The Free Press, a center right site focused on commentary and analysis, reflects some of Weiss’ changes at the network. When she joined last year to lead the news division, Paramount also purchased The Free Press, which she founded, and links to it are now featured on CBSNews.com.
Weiss said in a statement, “Decisions made in war rooms and combat zones around the world affect all of us. There is no voice more authoritative, or more equipped to make sense of these policies and choices, than Aaron.”
