The DSR Network episodes

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Harvard filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration, the NIH moving to ban grants to universities with DEI programs, student loan collections resuming, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is imploding again. We just learned that he shared still more highly sensitive data on a private signal chat. A GOP Congressman just basically called for his resignation. And a former chief Pentagon official who is a Trump supporter himself also tore into Hegseth’s tenure, calling it a “full-blown meltdown.” That triggered a furious response from Donald Trump Jr., who declared this turncoat critic “exiled” from the Trump movement. Other MAGA figures raged at Hegseth’s critics as well. We talked to Juliette Kayyem, a former national security official under Barack Obama. She takes us through this latest scandal and explains why the profoundly unfit Hegseth will become a much, much bigger problem for Trump—with no easy way out for the president. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What could make dramatic, transformational changes in the fight against climate change? One answer -- breakthroughs in the materials sciences that result in even better and cheaper clean energy technologies. Can artificial intelligence tools help produce such breakthroughs? Join host David Sandalow for a deep dive into this topic with Taylor Sparks, a professor at the University of Utah and host of the Materialism Podcast, and Colin McCormick, Principal Scientist at Carbon Direct, a professor at Georgetown University and author of the materials innovation chapter in the Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition). The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss the death of Pope Francis, Defense Secretary Hegseth sharing yet more sensitive information over Signal, the Supreme Court hearing a challenge to Obamacare, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump’s case for leaving Kilmar Abrego Garcia to rot in an El Salvadoran prison continues to collapse. In bizarre, rambling remarks to reporters in which Trump talked about Abrego Garcia’s alleged ties to MS-13, Trump revealed the profound weakness of his own arguments. In particularly ugly fashion, Trump basically admitted he knows little about the supposed evidence linking him to the gang—even though this notion is central to the rationale for refusing to bring him back. Today's guest has done deep research into MS-13: Eric Hershberg, a professor of government at American University and a leading contributor to a major report on the gang. He takes us inside this organization—and explains how implausible the case tying Abrego Garcia to it truly is. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: April 26, 2024 At the Supreme Court and college campuses, leaders aren’t leading. As the court weighs incredibly consequential decisions and colleges grapple with divisive protests, we need clear leadership more than ever. Norm and Kavita discuss this unique problem and where we go from here. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: April 24, 2024 The latest in our series of Bernard L. Schwartz PolicyForum events is here. In conjunction with the New Republic, we host Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for an insightful conversation with DSR Network CEO David Rothkopf and The New Republic Editor Michael Tomasky. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation as Secretary Buttigieg gives his unique insight into some of the greatest challenges facing our country today. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss Secretary Rubio signaling a potential end to US support in Ukraine, Senator Van Hollen meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Trump suggesting a possible easing of the US-China tariff conflict, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an extraordinary escalation of President Trump’s rage at Harvard University, the administration just threatened to block Harvard from receiving foreign students if the university doesn’t provide extensive information on students to the government. Trump also erupted at Harvard on Truth Social, making all kinds of other threats. On another front, GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski openly admitted to a sense of widespread terror of retaliation: “We are all afraid.” We talked to Jeffrey Sachs of Acadia University, a shrewd observer of authoritarianism. He walks us through the details of Trump’s new threat toward Harvard, how it can be challenged, the true nature of Trump allies’ long-term game plan, and whether our institutions will crumble in the face of it all. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re not three months into this presidency and we’re already witnessing our democracy crumble. Trump’s administration continues to bless Putin with political gifts, our president is trying to hijack the IRS to punish Harvard University, and the administration continues to challenge the courts on the Abrego Garcia case. How can our president subvert the rule of law so flagrantly, and dismantle the institutions at the bedrock of our democracy? Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf are back to break down everything from the past week and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down the administration’s campaign against Harvard, Trump’s calls for the Fed chair’s firing, upcoming Ukraine talks with Europe, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s illegal deportations are running into more trouble. A federal judge just declared there’s probable cause to find the administration in criminal contempt over the removal of Venezuelans to El Salvador. Meanwhile, a Democratic Senator went to El Salvador to check on Kilmar Abrego Garcia and got a shocking response. And a new polling analysis has a warning for Trump: On immigration, he’s significantly weaker than he appears. We think all this has the makings of a fiasco for Trump: He is heading toward defying the courts on this issue, in a way that could provoke a large backlash. We talked to New Republic staff writer Melissa Gira Grant, author of a good piece on Trump’s use of spectacle on immigration. She deciphers the new ruling, why it’s pushing us toward a crisis, and how Democrats can try to make it all backfire on Trump. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s foreign policy is really unlike anything we’ve ever seen. So what would some of the most famous foreign policy minds in US history make of it? Ed Luce joins David Rothkopf to ponder this question and discuss his upcoming book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss the WTO’s economic forecast for the year, the administration’s efforts to speed up asylum cases, the White House press pool shakeups, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harvard University has declared that enough is enough, and it’s now openly refusing to buckle to Trump’s command for subservience on multiple fronts. In response, Trump erupted on Truth Social like a petty tinpot dictator, raging that Harvard should lose its tax exempt status and worse. We think this reveals a hidden weakness: Trump and MAGA know that if institutions don’t capitulate to them, and band together to overcome their collective action problem, the Trump-MAGA assault could very well falter. If there’s some way out of our disastrous mess, it partly involves major institutions doing exactly this, in a concerted, sustained way. We talked to Jonathan Friedman, the managing director of the free expression program at PEN America, about the real nature of Harvard’s pushback, the prospects for more institutions following suit, and the potential for a real united front of resistance to disarm MAGA. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover the fallout from the Trump/Bukele Meeting at the White House, the administration’s plan to slash State Department funding, the freezing of $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, Donald Trump met with El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, and in an act of true infamy, the two authoritarian leaders collectively agreed that wrongfully deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia will not be returned to the United States. And in a series of vile rants, Trump clearly telegraphed his intention to defy the Supreme Court, which has directed the administration to facilitate his return. We talked to Asawin Suebsaeng, a senior political reporter at Rolling Stone magazine and an adjunct journalism professor at the University of Cincinnati, who has been reporting on the Trump team’s plans to ramp up the lawless deportations and defy the high court. He explains what he’s learned about Trump’s true long-term intentions, which he terms “horrifying.” Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a lot to criticize about US AI policy, but what has the administration been getting right? Senior VP of Government Affairs for Americans for Responsible Innovation Doug Calidas joins David Rothkopf to break down the Trump administration’s industrial and AI policies, the role of tariffs, and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 10, the International Energy Agency released a major report on energy and AI. The report explores topics including electricity demand for AI, how AI is being used in the energy sector, AI’s role in accelerating energy innovation, the security implications of AI and greenhouse gas emissions from AI. Join host David Sandalow in conversation with Laura Cozzi, IEA's Director for Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks, who designed and directed this landmark report. The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Trump’s plans for tariffs on semiconductors, the administration’s resistance to bringing back illegally deported people, the arrest of a suspect in an arson fire at Governor Shapiro’s residence, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Trump raged for weeks at law firms he regards as personal enemies, a number of them just surrendered to him like falling dominoes. That Trump boasted about this on social media so conspicuously represents a dark turn: He’s warning anyone mulling resistance that it’s time to capitulate. Meanwhile, Alina Habba, a loyal Trump henchwoman who is now interim U.S. Attorney from New Jersey, launched investigations into the state’s governor and attorney general, lodging a dark threat of more to come for those who won’t do Trump’s bidding. We talked to law professor Leah Litman, author of Lawless, a new book about the Supreme Court. She reflects on whether our institutions are folding in the face of Trump’s escalating abuses, which she calls “terrifying,” and what must happen now to prevent the destruction of the rule of law in America. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss China retaliatory tariffs, the Supreme Court saying Trump officials must ‘facilitate’ return of wrongly deported man, a helicopter crash in the Hudson River, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Trump’s supposed tariff “pause,” we still have a 10 percent tariff on most global imports, the trade war with China is intensifying, and markets have plunged again. Fox News figures are aggressively spinning the “pause” as sheer brilliance, propping up Trump’s own posture that he’s got everything running according to plan. Then a Fox correspondent told the truth: Trump got spooked by the bond markets. This shattered Trump’s illusion of command. Meanwhile, his cabinet members are slathering him with desperate flattery, even as Trump voters in focus groups are getting antsy and MAGA personalities are balking. We talked to historian Nicole Hemmer, the author of books on the right wing media and on conservative politics. She explains the deeper reasons for the right’s extraordinary turn toward Trump sycophancy—and why the tensions inside MAGA will worsen. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s tariffs and economic policies are continuing to eviscerate the American economy. The markets are tanking, the administration is actively destroying our social security system, yet Republicans continue to be confirmed. On top of all this, too, Trump’s police state tactics are snatching people off the street in a series of illegal deportations. Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf are back to breakdown this absolute disaster of a week. Tune in for all this and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the loosening of tariffs, Trump and the courts, investigations into anti-Trump former admin, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump’s tariff chaos continues. He just announced a big reversal: For 90 days, the reciprocal tariffs will come down, but a universal 10 percent tariff will remain, and he’s hiking tariffs on China into the stratosphere. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson just moved to prevent the House from voting on whether to rein in Trump’s assertion of unilateral authority to impose the tariffs—a clear abuse of power. This, plus the House GOP gearing up to cut Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars, gives Democrats major political openings. Will they capitalize? We talked to Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, who explains what Trump’s reversal says about his political weakness, why Democrats can seriously contest red-leaning districts next year, and how the party should prosecute the case against Trump’s dictatorial abuses of power. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The stock market is up, the stock market is down, the tariffs are on, the tariffs are off, up is down and black is white. It’s been a whirlwind Wednesday and we’re here to talk about it. First, David Sanger joins David Rothkopf to discuss the administration’s about-face on tariffs. Then, Rosa Brooks and David delve further into Trump’s policies and the courts. Tune in for all this and more here. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss China and the tariffs, a recent pro-Trump Supreme Court decision, Trump's recent comments about the tariffs and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fate of dozens of Venezuelans deported by the Trump administration to a maximum security prison in El Salvador remains in doubt. So does the fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who administration officials admit was removed in error, even as they refuse to return him to the United States. The Supreme Court just issued rulings on these cases, putting a hold on a lower court’s order to reverse Abrego Garcia’s removal, and allowing the deportations of Venezuelans to resume for now. In that second one, Sonia Sotomayor issued a powerful dissent, and buried in it is an alarming warning. We talked to American Immigration Council senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, who expertly demystifies these rulings for us—and explains how Sotomayor laid bare the alarming stakes we face at this fraught moment. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are two crises at moment: one with the rule of law and one with the economy. On this emergency episode of Deep State Radio, two experts on both are here to talk about it alongside David Rothkopf. First, Dahlia Litwick breaks down the ongoing legal crisis in the government. Then, Gillian Tett helps analyze the economic implications of Donald Trump’s tariffs. Tune in here. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss China and the tariffs, a recent Supreme Court decision, Trump's birthday military parade and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the chaos grows around President Trump’s tariffs, the Mad King is now raging wildly in many directions. He erupted over China’s reciprocal tariffs, threatening dark retribution. He exploded at Republicans, because a handful of them are now moving to reign in his power, which he’s not taking well. Faced with this turmoil, Trump insists the tariffs are already getting results. But the arguments don’t add up. Between this and the cracks now showing in GOP support for him, it’s clear that this will get harder for him to hold together. We talked to Kathryn Anne Edwards, an economist and commentator who has a new piece arguing that the coming recession will be entirely a creation of Trump’s policies. She digs into the deeper incoherence underlying all of this madness—and explains why Trump and the GOP won’t be able to paper it over forever. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alp Kucukelbir serves as Chief Scientist at Fero Labs, teaches two courses on AI and climate change at Columbia University, and wrote several chapters in the AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition). Join host David Sandalow in a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Kucukelbir as they discuss the use of AI in advanced manufacturing, educating students in the AI era, how to explain complex AI topics, and more. The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss the weekend fall out of the new Trump tariffs, the DOGE hackathon, Canadian travel and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has more support in rural America than any U.S. politician in decades, and farmers remain overwhelmingly loyal to him. Yet with Trump’s tariffs unleashing a trade war and China striking back with retaliatory tariffs, farmers and their representatives have declared again and again and again that this will be absolutely brutal for them. As one put it, if farmers don’t get a government bailout, they will face “a disaster.” Another says farmers are “shocked.” Meanwhile, nearly a third of Republicans fear Trump’s tariffs will have a negative impact, and fewer than half say Trump’s policies are making them better off. We talked to Tom Schaller, the co-author of the book White Rural Rage, who explains why farmers are set to get screwed so badly, what all this says about the nature of rural support for Trump, and how Democrats should capitalize. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to part 2 of our special event, “The AI Competition: Public Policy Strategies”. The event, co-hosted by MIT Technology Review, brings together some of the leading voices in AI policy from the public and private sectors to role-play these complex issues. These AI leaders play roles in the US, China, and The EU, and enact policies that best align with their roles interests in the AI space. This episode contains the second and final phase of the game. We hope you enjoy this insightful episode. Our Players: US Government Players White House (NSA, AI & Crypto Czar, Assistant to Pres. For S&T) - Doug Calidas, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) Government research institutions (funding) - Stephen Ezell Standards and governance (NIST, DOS, etc.) - Vivek Wadhwa, Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon's School of Engineering at Silicon Valley Regulatory and trade (DOS, Treasury, etc.) - Susan Ariel Aaronson, American author, public speaker, and GWU professor Department of Defense- Daniel Castro, vice president at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) Commerce Department - Anupam Chander, Scott K Ginsburg Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center Intel Community and Cyber Defense - David Mussington, professor of the practice the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, and currently serves as the CISA Executive Assistant Director Congress/State Department - Cameron Kelly, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institutution China players Central Military Committee representatives - Rohit Talwar, founder of FastFuture Intelligence and cyber - Daniel Richardson, President of Indepth Global AI Public/Private Industry - Sarah Myers West, co-director at AI Now Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)/Ministry of Industry and Information technology (MIIT) - David Lin, Senior Director for Future Technology Platforms at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) European Union Governance- Courtney Radsch, Director, Center for Journalism and Liberty at Open Markets Institute Military/Security - Gordon LaForge, senior policy analyst at New America Regulatory - Michelle Nie, EU Tech Policy Fellow at the Open Markets Institute Industrial and research policy - David Goldston, director of government affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council Intelligence Agencies - Rumman Chowdhury, scientist, entrepreneur, and former responsible artificial intelligence lead at Accenture Civil Society Large players (ChatGPT, META, Amazon, Microsoft) - Cody Buntain, Assistant Professor; Affiliate Fellow, UMD Honors College – Artificial Intelligence Cluster Medium players - Ramayya Krishnan, Dean, Heinz College Of Information Systems And Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University Open-source communities - Jay Lee, Clark Distinguished Chair Professor and Director of Industrial AI Center in the Mechanical Engineering Dept. of the Univ. of Maryland College Park Advocacy Organizations - David Goldston, director of government affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council Legal Community - Kahaan Mehta, Research Fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy Universities and academia Large universities - Nita Farahany, Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law at Duke Law Smaller schools - Anand Patwardhan, professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland Medium Universities - Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, CEO and Publisher at MIT Technology Review Government laboratories (Defense, DOE, etc.) - Emily M. Bender, University of Washington Professor This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we cover China’s retaliatory measures on US tariffs, the plummeting stock market, the puzzling dismissal of senior national security officials, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from all over the globe, prompting the markets to implode, he took a question about it on Thursday. He ranted and rambled delusionally about how everything is just great, bizarrely likened the country to a patient that had just undergone surgery without grasping why his metaphor is the opposite of reassuring, and spouted more nonsense about money pouring into our country. On top of all that, his imposition of the tariffs is likely an enormous and grotesque abuse of power. And because of this, the prospects for stopping them are not wholly nonexistent. We talked to congressional scholar Norm Ornstein, who walks us through how Congress can act, what Democrats can do to pressure Republicans to join in doing just that, and why Trump’s engaged in “horrifying folly.” Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s no other way around it - Donald Trump’s tariffs reek of idiocy piled high with stupidity with devastating ramifications for 99% of Americans outside of the filthy rich. Democrats are beginning to make waves, both in the Wisconsin election and with Cory Booker’s filibuster. But is it enough? Or do we need to be doing more, and what does that look like? Tune in as David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein tackle all of this and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join host David Sandalow and Chris James, CEO and Founder of Engine No. 1, as they discuss how to supply the rapidly growing demand for electric power in the United States, Engine No. 1's recent deals with Chevron and Crusoe Energy, and the role of AI in promoting innovation in energy technologies. The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we delve into the new tariffs introduced yesterday from a variety of angles, Elon Musk's new news and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Democrats scored a huge victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, a contest that revolved heavily around Elon Musk’s involvement, Trumpworld is turning on their favorite billionaire. In a striking turn of events, Politico reports that Trump has informed members of his inner circle that Musk will soon be moving on from his multi-faceted role. What’s more, as Musk’s departure looms, White House loyalists and outside allies are now dishing that they view Musk as unpredictable and a major political liability. But what happened in Wisconsin isn’t just about Musk the person. It’s about the public backlash to the Trump-Musk alliance in government—and what it’s doing to the country. We spoke to Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan about what he saw unfold during this race, what it says about the deep unpopularity of the Trump-Musk agenda, and what now lies ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Liberation Day in America according to the administration, but what exactly are we being liberated from? The police state is growing, democratic institutions are being eroded, and we’re about to enter a destructive era of tariffs. What’s not to love? Rosa Brooks and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to break down the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down Cory Booker’s record-breaking Senate speech, election results in Wisconsin and Florida, Canada’s response to Trump’s tariffs, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By now you may have heard that the Trump administration deported a Maryland man to a Salvadoran prison in “error.” The administration is refusing to bring him back, and this case has extremely dark implications. JD Vance and press secretary Karoline Leavitt both mounted defenses of this that were both weirdly angry, and quickly went off the rails. Meanwhile, MAGA-friendly media have gone into justificatory overdrive. Here’s the real story: They’re all fine with “accidental” deportations, because they want immigrants to fear they’re going to be next. We talked to veteran immigration advocate Douglas Rivlin, who explains why it’s so appalling that the administration is washing its hands of any responsibility to rectify this “error,” and why it vaults us into new frontiers of lawlessness. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover the special elections in Wisconsin and Florida, the administration’s legal fights over deportations, massive cuts to Planned Parenthood, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump is set to announce that he’ll impose sweeping new global tariffs on imports, and Congressional Republicans are already scrambling wildly to try to shield their states and districts from the fallout. Meanwhile, a Fox News poll finds that Trump is sliding on the economy, with the public turning against tariffs in particular. And an Associated Press survey also has terrible news for Trump on this front. Notably, all these negative consequences kicked in well before the tariffs have even started. We talked to Jared Bernstein, former chair of President Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers and now a visiting scholar at Stanford, who has a new piece on his Substack predicting the consequences could be dire. He explains why the tariffs are so wrongheaded—and why they’re likely to cause major backlash against Trump and his party. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What forces are shaping the explosive growth in demand for electric power for AI? Do revenue projections for AI justify the massive scale of capital investment in data centers and electric power supplies? What can we learn from the boom-and-bust cycle in other new technologies? Join host David Sandalow as he discusses these and other topics in the first episode of a two-part conversation with Chris James, CEO and Founder of Engine No. 1, who brings more than 30 years experience investing in semiconductors and other technologies to this timely discussion. The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Trump floating the idea of a third term, Musk giving away $1m checks in Wisconsin, Marine Le Pen’s conviction, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump’s own allies are beginning to turn on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Politico reports. White House and Pentagon insiders are increasingly questioning Hegseth’s judgment, and see him as the culprit in the disastrous news that Trump’s top advisers discussed war plans in an insecure chat. Yet there’s little indication that Trumpworld is ready for the next Hegseth fiasco, even as Trump allies clearly are bracing for his tenure to get worse. We talked to Jennifer Rubin, co-founder and editor in chief of The Contrarian Substack, who explains how this scandal is revealing the sheer arrogace and untouchability that’s consumed Trump and his team, and why this will grow more politically untenable for them. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a very different episode of Siliconsciousness. Today, we are taking a creative new approach to discussing the future of AI. This episode comprises the first part of our special event, “The AI Competition: Public Policy Strategies”. The event, co-hosted by MIT Technology Review, brings together some of the leading voices in AI policy from the public and private sectors to role-play these complex issues. These AI leaders play roles in the US, China, and The EU, and enact policies that best align with their roles interests in the AI space. This first episode contains the first phase of the game, as well as introductions from the editor in chief of MIT Technology Review Mat Honan as well as game controller Ed McGrady. We hope you enjoy. Our Players: US Government Players Doug Calidas, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) Stephen Ezell, Vice President, Global Innovation Policy, and Director, Center for Life Sciences Innovation Vivek Wadhwa, Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon's School of Engineering at Silicon Valley Susan Ariel Aaronson, American author, public speaker, and GWU professor Daniel Castro, vice president at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) Anupam Chander, Scott K Ginsburg Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center David Mussington, professor of the practice the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, and currently serves as the CISA Executive Assistant Director Cameron Kelly, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institutution China players Rohit Talwar, founder of FastFuture Daniel Richardson, President of Indepth Global AI Sarah Myers West, co-director at AI Now David Lin, Senior Director for Future Technology Platforms at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) European Union Courtney Radsch, Director, Center for Journalism and Liberty at Open Markets Institute Gordon LaForge, senior policy analyst at New America Michelle Nie, EU Tech Policy Fellow at the Open Markets Institute David Goldston, director of government affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council Rumman Chowdhury, scientist, entrepreneur, and former responsible artificial intelligence lead at Accenture Civil Society Cody Buntain, Assistant Professor; Affiliate Fellow, UMD Honors College – Artificial Intelligence Cluster Ramayya Krishnan, Dean, Heinz College Of Information Systems And Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University Jay Lee, Clark Distinguished Chair Professor and Director of Industrial AI Center in the Mechanical Engineering Dept. of the Univ. of Maryland College Park David Goldston, director of government affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council Kahaan Mehta, Research Fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy Universities and academia Nita Farahany, Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law at Duke Law Anand Patwardhan, professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, CEO and Publisher at MIT Technology Review Emily M. Bender, University of Washington Professor This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we break down Trump pulling Rep. Stefanik’s nomination for UN ambassador, Trump’s executive order targeting the Smithsonian, Putin’s ludicrous suggestion to end the war in Ukraine, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By now you may have heard that President Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a foreign student at Tufts under shocking circumstances, for an unnervingly thin rationale. This is only the latest in an escalating trend, in which numerous students are being targeted for removal based in many cases on what appear to be their political associations and viewpoints. In a stunning turn on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated straight out that the administration is hoping to do this hundreds of times. We think this is a watershed moment: Rubio is not only confirming the scope and reach of Trump’s targeting of foreign students, but he’s also leaving no doubt that he’s occupying a central role in all of it. We talked to Shev Dalal-Dheini, a top official with the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She decodes the legal complexities behind this whole saga—and explains why these removals should unsettle all of us. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Signal-gate has dominated the news cycle over the past few days, but it's not the only thing going on in this administration. Trump is issuing executive orders, RFK Jr. is gutting HHS and state health programs, JD Vance is on his way to Greenland, and the White House just pulled Elise Stefanik’s nomination. Is MAGA realizing they are more politically vulnerable than before? Tune in as Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The food system is responsible for almost a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, climate change is dramatically affecting the food system. Can AI tools help? Or do they create risks and problems? Join David Sandalow as he talks about these issues with Cynthia Rosenzweig, winner of the 2022 World Food Prize, and Kevin Karl, lead author of the food system chapter in the ICEF AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition). Chapter 4, Food Systems -- ICEF Artificial Intelligence for Climate Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition) (November 2024) -- https://www.icef.go.jp/wp-content/themes/icef_new/pdf/roadmap/2024/04_ICEF2.0%20Food%20Systems_stand%20alone.pdf The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover the new auto tariffs from the Trump administration, ICE agents detaining a Tufts grad student, RFK Jr.’s plan to slash 10,000 employees, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s day three of the scandal in which President Trump’s top advisers accidentally allowed a journalist for The Atlantic onto a highly sensitive discussion of a military operation. The latest: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered an incredibly weak defense of this travesty. Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg revealed most of the text chain, which contained lots of operational detail. And Trump is reportedly frustrated over this story, and his top allies are deeply exasperated by his team’s handling of it. We talked to Vox’s Zack Beauchamp, author of a new piece on the scandal’s undercurrents, about the deeper meaning of all these developments: What they say about the failures of right wing populist and MAGA governance, and about the deeper schisms inside MAGA ideology. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Signalgate is an intelligence travesty. But the problems extend beyond the masterclass in how not to handle sensitive government secrets. Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos joins David Rothkopf and Riley Fessler to break down this stunning mistake from our most senior government officials and why the cascading effects will be even worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we share the latest on the Yemen strike Signal chat, Russia’s backtracking on a maritime ceasefire, Trump’s order tightening voter restrictions, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the scandal worsens around the news that President Trump’s top national security officials allowed a journalist onto a highly sensitive text chat about war plans, Fox News figures are wildly denying that anything is amiss. Yet under questioning from Senate Democrats, numerous senior administration figures all but admitted that something deeply amiss really had happened, with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard turning in the most disastrous performance. We talked to Rosa Brooks, an expert in national security law, who explains what these latest turns in the saga really reveal about the woeful dereliction of Trump and his advisers—and why we desperately need accountability for it, accountability that Republicans will never deliver. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Trump’s Yemen strikes leaking in a group chat, an appeals court hearing on the deportation of Venezuelans, a lawsuit attempting to block the dismantling of the Education Department, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By now you may have heard that President Trump’s top officials discussed war plans on Signal, and that the group chat actually included Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic. After Goldberg published his explosive findings, Democrats called for an investigation, and even the occasional Republican weighed in. But when Trump himself was asked about this, he claimed not to know anything about it. What struck us is what Trump didn’t say: he failed to say that he’s going to get to the bottom of this mess, and that it should have never happened. We talked to veteran national security lawyer Bradley Moss, who unravels why this was such a serious breach, what laws may have been broken, and how Trump’s rambling, vacuous response made this scandal even worse, in a very meaningful way. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special Envoy Anne Bouverot was in charge of organizing last month's AI Action Summit in Paris for French President Emmanuel Macron. Several dozen heads of state, many prominent business leaders and thousands of people from around the world attended. Join host David Sandalow in a discussion with Special Envoy Bouverot about the AI Action Summit's objectives and outcomes, the growing focus on AI innovation over AI safety, and increasing investment in AI infrastructure in Europe The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down Venezuela accepting repatriation flights, Chuck Schumer ignoring calls to step down, Pam Bondi’s warning to Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Faced with President Trump’s shakedown, the Paul Weiss law firm agreed to a “deal” with Trump that sure looks like a ransom payment. Trump then told reporters that firms like these have the option to make similar “deals” to avoid getting targeted—a straight-up extortion threat right in public. We keep hearing that voters don’t care about this kind of thing. But the White House’s top political adviser is warning that Democratic anger could be a big problem in the midterms—and Trump’s lawlessness is a key driver of it. We talked to New Republic editor Michael Tomasky, who’s been arguing that we’re actually facing multiple constitutional crises and that Democrats must find their footing in this moment. He explains what all this says about Trump’s escalating lawlessness, how Democrats can harness public anger over it, and why real heroics are needed to resist it. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: March 26, 2024 The Supreme Court recently commenced hearings on a case that could restrict access to mifepristone, and the results were surprising. Only Justices Alito and Thomas appeared inclined towards supporting the ban on the drug, raising questions about the court's future direction. Norm and Kavita delve into the nuances of the hearing and the significant influence of women on the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: March 21, 2024 Donald Trump may have been hit with multiple steep fines from the E. Jean Carroll suits and the NY fraud case, but he’s still managed to avoid accountability in a plethora of legal battles. How does he keep getting away with it? Legal expert Kimberly Atkins Stohr joins David Rothkopf to break down the latest from Trump’s many trials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI development has increased rapidly in the last year in large part due to increasing investments from the private sector. But how do investors cut through the hype and invest in projects that really matter? Co-founder of AIX Ventures Shaun Johnson joins David Rothkopf to share insights on AI’s potential in healthcare, construction, business, and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss Trump’s executive order dismantling the DOE, a court blocking DOGE from accessing Social Security systems, the Pentagon briefing musk on plans for potential conflict with China, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump is furious with a federal judge who is trying to block his ludicrous deportations of migrants under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Trump and his allies are demanding the judge’s impeachment. But this has Republicans privately in a big panic. They know they won’t have the votes to impeach the judge, and they dread Trump’s escalating pressure. Meanwhile, evidence is mounting that the Trump administration has violated the judge’s order. And Trump’s attorney general suggested on Fox News that the deportations might continue, even in defiance of the court. In short, this confrontation will intensify, and Republicans will go along with Trump. We unraveled all this with Liz Dye, a legal writer who has a good new piece for the Public Notice Substack on this battle. She explains just how lawless Trump’s conduct has gotten, and why this case is headed in a “terrifying” direction. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of DSR’s Words Matter, Slate journalist and Supreme Court expert Dahlia Lithwick joins Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf to discuss America’s ongoing legal crisis. Are we actually in a constitutional crisis? Can we count on the courts to protect us when they continue to hand concessions to Trump? What roles do figures such as Justices Roberts and Boasberg play in this authoritarian showdown? Tune in as Dahlia, Norm and David tackle all this and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Large language models are some of the most rapidly-adopted products in human history and are transforming workflows, education and much more. Can LLMs help in the fight against climate change? What risks do they create for the climate change challenge? Georgetown Professor Dan Loehr joins David Sandalow to discuss the role that LLMs can play in reducing emissions and helping adapt to climate change. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down Trump preparing to dismantle the DOE, DHS detaining a Georgetown University academic, plans for a militarized border in New Mexico, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s growing harder to shrug off President Trump’s deranged threats toward Canada. In a new Fox News interview, Trump snarled angrily that Canada is “meant” to be a 51st state, explicitly speaking the language of imperialism. Meanwhile, Trump is adopting a very credulous line toward Vladimir Putin in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. This comes as a surprising new poll shows that American opinion is shifting against a soft line on Russia, even as other polling shows public rejection of Trump’s anti-Canada stance. We talked to The Bulwark’s William Saletan, who has a good piece arguing that Trump’s views of Canada and Ukraine are connected. He explains how Trump is now adopting the same view of Canada that Putin has of Ukraine, and argues that the public may be turning against Trump on both fronts. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wow, things are not good. As the Trump administration and DOGE continue their crackdown, we have to ask: is this finally a constitutional crisis? Rosa Brooks and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to break down the DOGE attempt to shut down USIP and why our country’s future is looking darker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss a judge ruling against Elon Musk and DOGE, Chief Justice Roberts pushing back against Trump and MAGA, a lift on the ban on ‘segregated facilities,’ and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo has suddenly emerged as a leading voice sounding loud alarms about President Trump’s tariffs and the devastating impact they could have on the economy—even though she works for a MAGA propaganda network. On Tuesday, Bartiromo lost patience with a Trump official, and walked through all the reasons why business leaders are unhappy with Trump’s tariff threats. Other Fox personalities have followed suit. Meanwhile, a new NBC poll finds terrible numbers for Trump on the economy. Yet he’s forging ahead with his tariffs and rarely bothers talking about the economy anymore. We talked to Media Matters’ Matt Gertz, a close observer of Fox coverage, about the deeper reasons for Fox’s discontent—and why it’s all a sign that Trump’s project is more fragile than you might think. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down a judge challenging the administration’s recent deportation flights, Israeli strikes killing hundreds in Gaza, a midwife’s arrest for providing abortions in Texas, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump’s lawlessness is escalating. First he angrily tweeted that his predecessor’s pardons of January 6 committee members are invalid, while threatening to prosecute them. Meanwhile, the Trump administration appears to have violated a court order in deporting some Venezuelans. And his border czar flatly declared that the administration is set to ignore what judges say. At Monday’s briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt spun madly about all this, but her lack of clarity strongly hinted that Trump is on the precipice of a new level of lawbreaking. We talked to legal scholar Matthew Seligman, a skilled decoder of complicated legal messes. He explains why Trump’s latest moves are “chilling”—and why Leavitt’s ambiguity is only cause to anticipate more lawlessness, not less. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Brown started two clean tech unicorns -- private companies worth more than $1 billion. Today he thinks data centers could be the "killer app" for cleantech, driving demand for clean energy. He also believes that managing data centers like power plants can introduce big new efficiencies. Join host David Sandalow as he and Brown discuss these and other ideas at the intersection of data centers and clean tech. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Trump and Putin holding Ukraine talks on Tuesday, US strikes on Houthi leadership in Yemen, the Trump administration seemingly ignoring court orders against deportations, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump’s anger at Canada has darkened: He’s kept up the menacing threats even after it’s become clear Canadians take them seriously. Indeed, Canada’s foreign minister just openly declared that Canadians are “anxious.” Meanwhile, even some Republicans are growing unnerved. Some tell NBC News he appears deadly serious—and that they’re flummoxed by his failure to explain what he really wants from our ally. We keep hearing Americans don’t care about such things. But what if that’s wrong? We talked to Brian Beutler, author of the Off Message Substack. He explains how this standoff is an area where Democrats can graphically demonstrate how degenerate Trump and his GOP have truly become. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Both the Biden and Trump administrations have focused on keeping the US’s competitive edge in AI. But can we really keep our edge forever, or is DeepSeek just the first sign that China is catching up — and fast? Host of The AI Policy Podcast Gregory Allen joins David Rothkopf to break down the global race for AI dominance. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss Schumer saying he will advance the GOP spending bill, the US and Israel exploring resettling Palestinians in Africa, Columbia punishing pro-Palestinian protesters, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk is suddenly facing lots of bad news. A judge just ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of federal workers in their jobs, a big blow to Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Meanwhile, two new polls show approval of Musk cratering—and importantly, that large majorities are turning against Musk’s mission of gutting the government. What if the mobilization against Musk and Tesla is working? We talked to writer Paul Waldman, who has a good new piece on his Substack arguing that the campaign against Tesla is good for America. He explains why the backlash against Musk is revealing some heartening things about public opinion—and why that portends stiffening resistance to the Trump-Musk project. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are currently on the verge of a government shutdown. It’s clear that Donald Trump and his cronies are trying to get away with something, and the cult in the Republican Party is all for it. Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf are here to ask: What the hell is going on? Is there any way to avoid a government closure? Are the Democrats showing any signs of resistance? And is there anything at all to be optimistic about? Tune in to hear all this and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is the hot topic at this year's CERAWeek, where more than 10,000 people are gathering for one of the largest energy conferences of the year. A recent report by the Deloitte Center for Sustainable Progress explores AI's energy and environmental footprint in detail, with estimates of AI's impact today as well as projections to 2030 and 2050. Many listeners may be surprised by the findings. Join host David Sandalow as he talks with two of the lead authors of that report — Bernhard Lorentz and Johannes Truby — about their report and its implications. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down the Senate Democrats rejecting the GOP’s funding bill, a judge blocking Trump’s firing of the chair of the FLRA, Russia’s demands for a ceasefire in Ukraine, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a presser on Wednesday, President Donald Trump seemed unusually angry. He ripped into Chuck Schumer, calling him Palestinian. He seethed with anger at Canada, and taunted the Canadians over his tariff threats. And he snapped at three different reporters. All this comes as a new CNN poll finds Trump’s approval deeper underwater amid very broad public rejection of his tariffs. Trump is trapped in an unusual dynamic: He’s clearly taking a beating over his tariff threats right now. But he’s also gotten it into his head that the tariffs are what make him appear strong and formidable. So it’s hard for him to back out of them. We talked to Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, a skilled interpreter of MAGA psychology, about the roots of Trump’s anger and the political trap he’s landed himself in. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the Trump administration’s foreign policy determined by a coin flip? The administration is getting even more erratic on a host of issues, from the war in Ukraine to tariffs on our allies. Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to explain how the administration is destroying the US’s reputation as an indispensable nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we go over the massive cuts to the Education Department’s workforce, the EU’s retaliatory tariffs targeting red states, Musk giving more money to Trump, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration just arrested and is moving to deport Mahmoud Khalil for being a suspected terrorist sympathizer, even though he has a green card and a U.S. citizen wife. And at Tuesday’s media briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dropped an ominous hint, suggesting that this effort is only just beginning. She even suggested pressure on universities to hand over such students is about to intensify in a big way. Meanwhile, Trump is planning to require all noncitizens aged 14 or over to register with the government. His broader aim: to spread a kind of reactionary terror designed to get immigrants to self-deport. We talked to Representative Pramila Jayapal about a new bill she’s introducing that could challenge some of these Trump efforts—and about the broader goals of Trump’s campaign, which she calls “terrifying.” Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down the temporary block on the deportation of protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, US/Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, the stock market taking a nose dive after Trump’s tariffs took effect, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump is on the defensive. The Dow fell nearly 1,000 points after Trump admitted that couldn’t rule out a recession. This comes after more turmoil in the markets stemming from his erratic flip flops on tariffs. Meanwhile, Trump’s agency heads are raging at Elon Musk over the cuts he’s inflicting on their agencies. The opposition has awakened: House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is whipping opposition to the continuing resolution temporarily funding the government. But will Senate Democrats step up and oppose the CR? We talked to former Congressman Tom Malinowski, who’s been urging Democrats to stand strong against Trump, about why the government shutdown fight is a critical opportunity for Democrats to draw a hard line against the Trump-Musk reign of destruction. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raj Kapoor is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Climactic, a seed venture firm focused on climate tech. Join host David Sandalow as he and Kapoor discuss how AI can accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies, strengthen climate resilience strategies, support climate tech investing and more. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss the Liberal Party of Canada’s new leader, ICE detaining a key Columbia activist, Musk and Rubio clashing with the Polish Foreign Minister over Starlink, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rift between Elon Musk and Republicans is about to get worse. The New York Times reports that in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, President Trump’s senior agency heads fought bitterly with Musk. They are angry with him because they themselves know the cuts by his so-called Department of Government Efficiency will produce all kinds of fiascoes at their agencies. Tellingly, they expressly don’t want to take the blame for what Musk is unleashing! We talked to New Republic staff writer Kate Aronoff, who has a good new piece about some of DOGE’s hidden impacts. She explains why all this reveals deep schisms inside the administration that will only get worse for Trump. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss trump expanding tariff exemptions, Trump reining in Elon, the EU passing a huge defense package, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As President Trump’s administration gears up to cut Social Security, The Washington Post reports that a top official at the Social Security Administration privately admitted that Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is in charge of the cutting. The official also allowed that DOGE will “make mistakes.” Cuts to Social Security historically face major political blowback. So do Trump’s political team and the GOP really believe turning over Social Security to Musk’s marauders is a good idea? Do they think their disinformation powers are so formidable that they can overcome this, too? We talked to Tracey Gronniger, a managing director with the advocacy group Justice in Aging, who explains why these cuts could be so damaging—and how bad the political backlash is likely to get. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of attacking Democrats for America’s economic woes - and promises that he would turn everything around once in office - Trump is already confronting the possibility of a 2025 depression. At the same time, rather than attack Trump for the current economic downturn or raising awareness amongst the public, Democratic politicians have settled for little more than exclaiming their distaste for the president while wearing pink suits in protest. Why can’t the Democratic Party coordinate an effective counterattack to the Trump administration? What does the party need to do to fight back effectively? David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein are back to address all these questions and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julio Friedmann -- the "Carbon Wrangler" -- is Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct and one of the world's leading experts on carbon capture and decarbonization more broadly. Host David Sandalow talks with Friedmann about ways AI can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon capture's role in the fight against climate change. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover the Trump-mandated hirings and firings, President Macron’s call to defend Ukraine, Trump balking on auto tariffs, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his speech to Congress, President Trump kept lying about his tariffs, falsely claiming that Canada is letting huge amounts of fentanyl into our country and suggesting the trade wars will only get worse. Then press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters directly that if Canada wants to avoid tariffs in the future, it should become the 51st U.S. state. She said it: Trump’s tariffs are really about getting Canada to submit to his will. Newsflash: It’s not okay for the American president to lie relentlessly about our allies and threaten them with economic Armageddon to bend them to his deranged, passing whims. We talked to Rolling Stone senior political reporter Asawin Suebsaeng, who’s been forcefully making that argument. He explains why Trump’s vile bullying of our allies deserves to be taken much more seriously, as a clear sign of Trump’s very real imperialist intentions. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump is in a very generous mood, at least if you’re Vladimir Putin. Between the public dragging of President Zelensky culminating in Tuesday night’s address to congress, it’s clear that Trump favors his man in Moscow. Mission Implausible host John Sipher joins Rosa Brooks and David Rothkopf to break down why the US is getting a raw deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down Trump’s speech to Congress, the Supreme Court denying the administration’s request to cancel foreign aid, the US and Israel rejecting the Arab League Gaza plan, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Donald Trump’s tariffs went into effect, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau offered an extraordinary, heartfelt plea to the American people. He said: “Your government has chosen to do this, to you.” This comes as anxiety is rising among Republicans about the tariffs. Yet even as they’re expressing trepidation, they’re also feeling forced to keep defending the tariffs, because criticizing Trump is a death sentence. We talked to columnist EJ Dionne, author of a new piece illustrating the unpopularity of Trump’s tariffs. He discusses the position Trump has placed Republicans in, how badly the tariffs will hurt their own voters, and why they will never, ever say what Trudeau just did. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time to get real about AI. The conversations around artificial intelligence and AGI is rife with both hype and negativity — so where does the truth lie? Award-winning journalist Karen Hao joins David Rothkopf to discuss the real implications of artificial intelligence and why we need to take a hard look at the players driving innovation. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover Trump pausing military aid to Ukraine, the administration’s tariffs taking effect, stalling negotiations in Congress to avoid a government shutdown, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, while President Trump talked about his tariffs, Fox News showed him speaking even as a graphic in the corner displayed the markets sliding. That said it all: No matter how much boasting he does about the economy, the actual metrics are getting worse—and the public knows it. Trump is launching new tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and he just announced more tariffs on agricultural products, which could hurt farmers. Meanwhile, new polls from Marist and CNN show his approval under water, including on Trump’s priorities and on the economy. We talked to Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg about whether Democrats are effectively capitalizing on this moment—and whether the party should make a stronger case against Trump and Elon Musk’s wholesale assault on the system from within. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reed Hundt helped shape the modern Internet as Chair of the Federal Communications Commission in the 1990s. He served as a board member at Intel for many years and founded the Coalition for Green Capital. Host David Sandalow talks with Reed Hundt about lessons from the dawn of the Internet era, the future of the US semiconductor industry, changes needed to decarbonize the global economy, and more. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when the United States effectively switches sides on the global stage? When allying with Russia upends decades of foreign policy around the world? And what dangers does the Trump-Hegseth administration pose for global nuclear security? Joe Cirincione and Jon Wolfsthal join David Rothkopf for a tough conversation about the future of the established international order and the significant nuclear security risks posed by the Trump Administration. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss the seeping Trump/Putin bromance, the preciousness of the ceasefire in Gaza, our thoughts on the Oscars, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Trump and JD Vance ambushed Ukrainian president Zelensky in the Oval Office, one GOP Senator stepped up. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska decried Trump not just for his appalling treatment of Zelensky, but also for realigning the US with the rising forces of Putinism around the world. Meanwhile, European leaders are set to negotiate a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, which could pressure Trump-Vance to show what they really want the war’s outcome to look like. We talked to Yale professor Lauren Young, who pinpoints the message Trump-Vance were sending to the global far right—and explains what Murkowski’s lonely status in the GOP says about the collapse of a center-right bulwark in the U.S. against rising authoritarianism. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s no way to sugarcoat it — the Trump/Zelensky meeting was a disaster. The betrayal of Ukraine is confirmed, and the administration is past the point of no return. Doug Lute, Rosa Brooks, and Marc Polymeropoulos join David Rothkopf to break down this train wreck of a meeting and what it means for the future of US foreign policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we go over Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to the White House, DOGE officials’ orders to testify, the administrations efforts to rehire fired employees, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump looks increasingly vulnerable on the very thing that helped him win the election: Rising costs. On Thursday, Trump announced that his tariffs on Mexico and Canada will begin on March 4th. Yet only hours later, a new Bloomberg poll found that 59 percent expect the tariffs to drive up prices further. Only 31 percent say they’ll be good for the economy. Meanwhile, Republicans are starting to cancel their town halls, fearing voter blowback over Elon Musk’s rampage. We talked to Andrew Bates, a former White House communications adviser, who argues that the Trump-GOP political mess will only get worse once Republicans start cutting Medicaid—and says Democrats have a big opening to capitalize. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will the real opposition party please stand up? Republicans are marching towards political suicide with the passage of Trump’s bad budget bill, but Democrats are nowhere to be found. Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf break down why dems need to find their courage before it’s too late. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the first signs of economic strain from Trump’s policies, the FDA cancelling meetings of vaccine advisory committees, the White House cherry picking reporters, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much electric power will AI need in the years ahead? How can that demand be met cheaply and sustainably? What can we learn from projections of data center power demand over the past several decades? How can AI contribute to meeting clean energy goals? Join host David Sandalow in a lively conversation with Michael Liebreich, founder of New Energy Finance, on these topics and more. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Texas, an unvaccinated child just died of Measels—the first reported death related to the disease’s recent outbreak. This came up at President Trump’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday, and the results were troubling. After Elon Musk admitted that his cuts had briefly closed down Ebola prevention, anti-vax Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. was surprisingly cavalier about the outbreak, and didn’t bother urging Americans to get vaccinated. Trump said nothing to reassure the nation. We talked to Stephanie Psaki, a former top White House official who specialized in pandemic response. She explains what we want from public officials at moments like these—and why Musk’s wanton cuts to government, the anti-vax views of RFK, and the cavalier approach to public health from all three of them add up to a picture that’s “terrifying.” Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Europe week for the Trump administration, and normalcy remains a distant memory. The president’s open disdain for Europe and fondness for Putin remain on full display with visits from key players in the Russia/Ukraine conflict underway. Rosa Brooks and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to make sense of this moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the Ukraine/US minerals deal, the narrow passage of a budget resolution, Republican criticism of DOGE, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Tuesday’s media briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the White House will now decide who attends briefings, an effort to insulate President Trump from tough scrutiny. She also offered awful spin about the developing Elon Musk fiasco. At key moments, Levitt visibly seethed at the media. And we think we know why: On Tuesday, consumer confidence registered another big drop, and Leavitt was simply unable to defend the glaring Trump-Musk failures we’re seeing. We talked to MSNBC.com columnist James Downie, author of a recent piece detailing how Trump doesn’t want to talk about the economy these days. He explains how Leavitt’s performance illustrated key fault lines in the MAGA coalition and big weaknesses that will bedevil Trump’s presidency. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Emmanuel Macron and Trump’s meeting, increasing GOP opposition to Mike Johnnson’s budget resolution, Republicans going after judges critical of Trump, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a Monday press conference, Donald Trump angrily defended Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Though officials from Trump’s administration are defying Musk’s email instructing federal employees to list their accomplishments, Trump said it was “great,” only spreading more confusion about whether it’s operative. This comes as Trump is getting hit by more polls showing broad disapproval of his performance on prices and deep dissatisfaction with the economy. We talked to writer Susan Milligan, who has a new piece for The New Republic detailing how Republicans have been portraying Trump as a strong “daddy” figure. She explains why the DOGE fiasco and Trump’s rambling presser could undermine perceptions of Trump as a competent, decisive leader. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the AI, Energy and Climate Podcast! On the inaugural episode of this new series, host David Sandalow is joined by Colin McCormick and Michal Nachmany. We explore the many ways that AI can help in the fight against climate change, from accelerating innovation in clean energy technologies to speeding the deployment of renewables to supporting decision making on climate policy and more. We explore barriers to using AI for these purposes, discuss risks that AI can create and offer recommendations for next steps. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the big shake-up at the Pentagon, the AfD making huge gains in Germany, Dan Bongino’s appointment as deputy director of the FBI, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Republicans are suddenly facing angry voter revolts back at home over Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Some of them are reportedly in a “panic” about DOGE’s increasingly destructive cuts and firings. Meanwhile, Musk just ordered federal employees to list their accomplishments or risk termination. But some senior Trump administration officials defied Musk, telling employees they had no obligation to respond. What if Musk’s DOGE effort is shaping up as a full blown fiasco for President Trump and the GOP? How should Democrats capitalize? We talked to Leah Greenberg, a co-founder of Indivisible, about what she’s seeing on the ground, what the prospects are for mobilizing a sustained opposition, and what comes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we cover new limited on DOGE access to IRS data, the Senate passing a border security bill, Trump ending deportation protection for Haitians, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three new national polls—from CNN, Gallup, and The Washington Post—show that President Donald Trump’s job approval is decidedly underwater. Importantly, the polls also show majorities rejecting Trump’s authoritarian governance. And Elon Musk, who’s carrying out Trump’s most autocratic designs, fares even worse. Are we finally seeing a real public backlash to Trump’s authoritarianism, the one that was supposed to materialize during the election, but didn’t? If so, what does that mean for how Democrats should proceed? We talked to political scientist Julia Azari, who writes on these matters for her “Good Politics, Bad Politics” Substack, about why Democrats have an opening to run harder against Trump-Musk autocratic overreach—and what that might look like. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since last week, the United States is now pro-Russia, anti-NATO, and anti-democracy. Kash Patel runs the FBI, Pete Hegseth is slashing the DoD, and the Trump administration is taking the official position that they don’t have to listen to the courts. Everything we feared is real and it’s only going to get worse. What can we do about all of this? Where do we go from here? David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein tackle all of these pressing questions and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss Trump calling Zelensky a dictator, lists of banned words circulating in federal health agencies, Hegseth’s major spending cuts at the Pentagon, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump unleashed a long, angry tirade on Wednesday that falsely blamed Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia’s invasion. Trump pushed many other lies that sounded unsettlingly like Russian propaganda, even calling Zelensky a “dictator.” This forced Republicans into wild, comically evasive contortions. Which raises a question: What should Democrats say about all this? It seems like an unusually good opportunity to indict the craven GOP embrace of Trump and all he represents. We talked to Brian Beutler, author of the great Off Message Substack, who explains how Democrats can seize on moments like this to drive a wedge into the GOP—and why the Russia-Ukraine war will get much more brutal politically for Trump and Republicans going forward. Listen to this episode here. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is artificial intelligence going to put us all out of work? There have been a range of predictions about the economic impact of AI, ranging from the modest to the fantastical. Nobel Prize-winning MIT professor Daron Acemoglu joins David Rothkopf to get to bottom of what we can really expect out of the AI revolution. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A knife to the back might be the best way to describe this administration’s foreign policy. The latest statements from the president and meetings between Russian and US officials suggest that the Trump regime is ready to throw Ukraine under the Russian bus. Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to explain why this is so calamitous for Ukrainians and Americans alike, and why this is just another step on the pathway to calamity in the United States. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the latest executive orders from the administration, Musk’s scheme to send out DOGE rebates, efforts to rehire accidentally fired officials, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, top White House adviser Stephen Miller unleashed a wild, angry rant on CNN after tough questioning from CNN’s anchor about Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency. This comes even as one of Musk’s silliest absurdities yet—the idea that DOGE found rampant fraud in Social Security—imploded spectacularly under basic scrutiny. There’s a through line here: The great illusion that Musk, Miller and President Trump are trying to push—that they’re rooting out immense amounts of governmental waste and fraud—is collapsing all around them. We talked to writer Jill Lawrence, who has a new piece for The Bulwark arguing that the Musk enterprise has been exposed as a sham, about the larger MAGA mythology about the “deep state,” and why it’s proving unsustainable. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover the SSA commissioner resigning over DOGE requests, US and Russian officials meeting, massive layoffs at NIH, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our descent into authoritarian rule continues. Over the weekend, Elon Musk raged on Twitter that people at CBS News deserve a “long prison sentence” based on a fabricated rationale. Meanwhile, President Trump tweeted out a line saying straight out that his presidency is above the law. And Trump nominated a nominee for U.S. Attorney in D.C. who has elevated the idea that DOJ should have no independence from the president. According to scholars of authoritarianism, these are the things that happen when a country is sliding into authoritarian rule. We talked to one such scholar, Steven Levitsky, co-author of a great new piece that charts what the path to American autocracy looks like. He explains how Trump-Musk’s latest moves, show how far along on this slide we truly are. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To take AI to the next level, do we need to rethink the way we think about how we think? Chief AI Officer of WPP and CEO of Satalia Dr. Daniel Hulme joins David Rothkopf to discuss the ways our current models are sorely lacking and why we need a more creative approach towards artificial intelligence and why we should place more of a focus on developing moral AI. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss DOJ officials resigning over Trump’s order to drop the Eric Adams case, Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, a strike on the Chernobyl reactor, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mitch McConnell, the only Republican to vote no, issued a powerful statement citing RFK’s anti-vax conspiracy theories and crediting vaccines for saving millions of lives around the world. That prompted two unhinged, angry rants from Trump in which he absolutely savaged McConnell as a loser, a failure, and worse. We talked to veteran congressional observer Norm Ornstein, who explains what this Trump-McConnell rift tells us about Trump’s ability to terrorize today’s GOP into submission—and why we can’t count on Republicans to stand up to him going forward. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What the hell is happening this past week? Between Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, Pete Hegseth’s dismissal of NATO allies in Europe, and Elon Musk’s increasing control within the government - where is the political resistance in Washington? David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein break all of this down and why Washington needs a Democrat who is going to stand up and say “f*ck you.” Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard as DNI, Trump’s alarming call with Putin, Hamas’s pledge to release more hostages, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With President Donald Trump’s agenda suddenly facing a huge wave of lawsuits, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt unleashed a long, angry tirade on Wednesday about the mounting court rulings against the president. Laughably, she claimed that this constitutes “the real constitutional crisis” we’re facing right now. It’s a revealing moment: Trumpworld is building a case for ignoring judicial rulings because they know their agenda is now vulnerable to legal challenges on many different fronts. We talked to legal commentator Leah Litman, author of the book Lawless, about the prospects for stopping Trump in the courts, what happens if he defies them, and what’s likely coming in the next few months. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So nice to see both our Presidents in one place! In the wake of a very strange White House appearance by Elon Musk and his son, we’re left asking the age old question: does this finally count as a constitutional crisis? Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to deliberate over this issue and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Trump overturning a ban on business bribes, a very strange meeting between Musk and Trump, Jordan’s king rejecting Trump’s resettlement plan, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Little by little, congressional Republicans are waking up to discover that their own voters are in revolt against Elon Musk’s efforts to wreck the federal government. New reports from CNN and The Bulwark show that Republicans are quietly seeking to tamp down voter angst in all kinds of revealing ways. These are voters in GOP districts, but very few Republicans will prominently take on Musk, even though he is usurping their power. We talked to political science professor Elizabeth Saunders, author of a new piece for Foreign Affairs about the threat posed by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. She reflects on how complicit GOP lawmakers are in the destruction we’re seeing unfold—and on what, if anything, might prompt them to defend the system before the damage is irreversible. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down the EU’s looming retaliatory tariffs, the Justice Department order to drop charges against Eric Adams, Trump’s threats against Hamas, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an interview on Fox News, President Donald Trump angrily signaled that his goal of making Canada into a “51st state” is “real” while ranting that Canada is supposedly taking advantage of us. Whatever Trump actually intends, Vladimir Putin has been cheering on Trump’s various threats toward Canada, especially the threat of tariffs. Russia is also happy about Elon Musk’s efforts to gut the U.S. Agency for International Development. We talked to international relations professor Nicholas Grossman, who explains why Trump’s rising anger at Canada is alarming even if he doesn’t fully intend to send in troops. Grossman also details how all these moves show that Trump is signaling a genuine repositioning of the U.S.’s place in the international order—and why this repositioning has Putin so gleeful. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s stop work order, Trump ordering the Treasury to stop producing pennies, a court blocking Venezuelan immigrants from being sent to Guantanamo, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rage is mounting among President Donald Trump’s allies over the losses that Trump’s agenda has suffered in court, which are clearly becoming a serious obstacle to him. It’s gotten so bad that Elon Musk shared a tweet from someone who suggested that it may be time to defy the courts. Musk also boosted Trump allies who are seething over these rulings. All that amounts to a pretty dark threat from Musk: He and MAGA appear to be steeling themselves to defy judicial rulings. We talked to Norman Eisen of Democracy Defenders Action, who is litigating against Trump, about how successful the legal resistance has been thus far, whether Trump and his allies will defy the courts, and what would happen if they did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we cover Trump sanctioning the ICC, the disastrous effects of diminishing US aid, a judge pausing the deadline for Trump’s federal resignation offer, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump unleashed an angry rant Thursday about the U.S. Agency for International Development. He falsely claimed billions of dollars had been stolen there to fund pro-Democrat media. But only hours later, CNN posted video of Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly praising USAID in the past and describing foreign aid as crucial to U.S. national interests. So what position will Rubio be put in if Trump and Elon Musk continue trying to destroy USAID? We talked to Jeremy Konyndyk, a former USAID official, who explains why Rubio will inevitably clash with Trump and Musk, their dark and unstated reasons for attacking USAID, and why the humanitarian consequences of all this are terrible to contemplate. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump and his DOGE cronies are continuing to upend and disregard traditional government procedure to illegally push their political agenda. All the while, the Democrats in Congress are asleep at the wheel. David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein come together to discuss the real question at heart for the Democrats: what are you going to do to stop it? Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover a new executive order banning transgender women from women's sports, Israel beginning preparations for relocating large numbers of Palestinians from Gaza as part of President Donald Trump’s plan, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Miller privately worried about imposing overly aggressive tariffs on Mexico, because it could imperil Mexico’s effort to apprehend migrants traveling north to our southern border, reports the Wall Street Journal. That revelation is more striking than you think. Understood correctly, it’s an acknowledgment that Mexico had already been cracking down on migration, due to an arrangement secured by President Biden. That badly undermines Trump’s scam that his threat of tariffs forced Mexico to do his bidding on the border. We talked to Adam Isacson, an expert on Latin America, who explains what Mexico has actually been doing on immigration, and why it undercuts Trump’s biggest claims about immigration, tariffs, Mexico, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration is dismantling the government at a prodigious rate. With the near total destruction of USAID, CIA officials being offered payouts, and more, it’s clear that the administration has one goal in mind. So what happens to America? Rosa Brooks and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to discuss this cataclysmic shift in US politics and how we can do our part to stem the tide of destruction. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down Trump’s proposal for the US to take over the Gaza Strip, all USAID staff being placed on administrative leave, the first deportation flight to India, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Elon Musk’s government takeover continues, Representative Jamie Raskin has been sounding a particularly urgent alarm. And during a Twitter fight between the two, Raskin asked Musk a simple question: As someone who supposedly works for the government now, will he submit to basic financial disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules? This got us thinking: Why are we treating the idea that Musk should submit to these rules as a fool’s errand? Let’s demand it! We talked to election law expert Andy Craig, a fellow at the Institute for Humane Studies and author of a new piece for The Unpopulist on Musk’s power grabs. He explains how lawless Musk has gotten, why it’s so important for lawmakers like Raskin to speak out, and how public resistance might have a real impact. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode - the final episode of Above Average Intelligence - former Danish Defense Intelligence Service senior officer Jacob Kaarsbo (@jkaarsbo.bsky.social) (@JKaarsbo) joins @mpolymer to discuss “Why Greenland?”, plus how Europe must focus now on a security regime without US leadership. Always great to hear from allied intel pros, given the huge global challenges in 2025. Tune in here. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Trump suspending tariffs on Mexico and Canada, the nomination process for Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr., Trump’s proposed plan to buy TikTok, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump has empowered Elon Musk to undertake a gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development that is pretty clearly illegal. And this week, on numerous fronts, this has suddenly become a much bigger scandal. First, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency took over the agency and locked its workers out of internal systems. Then Musk confirmed that Trump had agreed with him that the agency must be shut down. On Monday, Democratic lawmakers denounced the illegality of these moves, showing up at USAID offices to protest. We talked to one of those Democrats, Representative Don Beyer, about why the Trump-Musk assault is illegal and how Democrats can resist it. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial Intelligence doesn’t just impact Silicon Valley tech bros and college students trying to write a paper at the last minute. It has broad implications for industry, trade, international policy, and beyond. Dr. Susan Ariel Aaronson joins David Rothkopf to break down the missteps of the Biden and Trump administrations’ handling of AI and why international cooperation is the only way to create artificial intelligence that benefits everyone. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover the world preparing for Trump’s promised tariffs, the administration’s crusade against USAID, Secretary Rubio’s visit to Panama, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Donald Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico and 10 percent tariffs on China, he unleashed some angry, ranting tweets about the move, with his ire at Canada growing particularly unsettling. This comes amid new indications that many Republicans are suffering high “anxiety” about Trump’s presidency. So what is the likelihood that Trump’s allies in the GOP and the corporate world will step up and challenge this madness? We talked to Cathy Young, a staff writer at The Bulwark who’s written on these issues, about why the very fact that Trump seems so unhinged and unshackled could lead them to muzzle themselves—and why that makes this moment more perilous. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 18, 2023 Davos may attract some of the world's wealthiest people but DSR continues to attract the best foreign policy and national security thinkers and analysis. David Rothkopf talks with David Sanger of the New York Times and Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University about Kissinger's remarks at Davos and other foreign policy issues cropping up around the world. Should Ukraine join NATO? Will Sweden and Finland actually join NATO? How should the U.S. handle the new (old) government in Israel? Find out in this wide-ranging conversation. Don't miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 10, 2023 While there is chaos in the U.S. House of Representatives, there are real threats looming in the background. David Rothkopf talks about those threats with Max Boot of the Washington Post and Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University. How should the U.S. support Taiwan in the coming months? Is China likely to invade? What connects the riots in Brazil to January 6th? Find out during this enlightening conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists released its annual Doomsday Clock, counting down to the estimated likelihood of human-made catastrophe - this year, the clock sits at 89 seconds. To break down the clock, how the time is chosen, and why it is the closest to catastrophe it’s ever been, Jon is joined by fellow Bulletin members Steven Miller, Daniel Holz, and Reja Younis. Tune in here: Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we break down the Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard hearings, Trump’s sagging approval, grim news from the Washington plane crash, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a passenger jet collided with a military helicopter over Washington DC, leaving no survivors, President Donald Trump went before the cameras and blamed Democrats and DEI for the disaster. He then seethed at reporters who dared to ask tough questions about his claims. This is an early indication that he will fall back on far right obsessions at the most sensitive moments. We talked to Juliette Kayyem, a former senior Department of Homeland Security official who has a new piece for The Atlantic about what might have led to the crash. She explains what Trump got wrong—and why his anger at facing basic scrutiny is exactly what we don’t want in a president in situations like these. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The media coverage of the first few weeks of the Trump administration has totally sucked. Traditional outlets have offered tepid critiques and sterile reporting as the administration launches its onslaught. Media analysts and journalists Dan Froomkin and Jeff Jarvis join David Rothkopf to explain how our journalistic institutions went awry and why they’re only getting worse. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the White House reversing course on its spending freeze, a horrifying plane crash in DC, a rant from special guest Chris Cotnoir, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, Donald Trump’s administration rescinded the Office of Management and Budget memo that instituted his disastrous funding freeze, an apparent surrender amid a national outcry. Soon after, Trump pushed a bizarre lie about $50 million in U.S. dollars supposedly being spent on condoms for Hamas in Gaza. These kinds of things are often described as a “flood the zone” strategy, in which Trump throws so many lies and abuses of power at us that we can’t keep up. But what if this approach is more likely to backfire? We talked to The New Republic’s Timothy Noah, author of a good analysis of Trump’s chaos strategy, who explains why the hidden story here is that Trump is best seen as “a weak president.” Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration’s attempt to block aid spending has sent shockwaves not just through the US government, but throughout the world. The fallout has been calamitous for both the countries receiving our aid and US diplomatic power. Jeremy Konyndyk joins David Rothkopf to explain the incredible recklessness of the administration and why the effects will be worse than you think. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss a federal judge temporarily blocking Trump’s aid freeze, the Trump admin offering buyouts to all federal workers, Caroline Kennedy’s condemnation of RFK Jr., and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt gave her first media briefing in the White House. Leavitt unleashed a sleazy, gratuitous attack on Joe Biden’s age, dodged responsibility for the rise in egg prices on Trump’s watch, and even defended Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. The attack on Biden is worth dwelling on: It shows that a certain type of ugly, abusive MAGA trolling ethic is now fully installed inside the White House. We talked to Salon writer Amanda Marcotte, a skillful interpreter of MAGA politics, about what really lies behind Leavitt’s performance—and what it signals about the ugliness to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down the White House’s temporary pause on federal grants, loans, and financial assistance, new CDC order to sever all communication with the WHO, Trump signing an order to revise Pentagon policy on transgender troops, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Already, Donald Trump is “disappointed” about the pace of deportations under his presidency, The Washington Post reports. Trump officials have instructed ICE to aggressively ramp up the daily arrests to assuage his anger, even setting quotas and threatening discipline on officials who fail to meet them. But that’s not all: The pressure to meet those quotas also makes it more likely that ICE officials will sweep in noncriminal undocumented immigrants. We talked to Deborah Fleischacker, a former senior Homeland Security official, about why Trump’s obsession with removal numbers could divert the focus from serious criminals—and what all this says about the absurdity of White House/MAGA cult propaganda extolling Trump’s “strength” in combating the migrant “invasion.” Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rapid rise of DeepSeek has sent shock waves throughout the tech community. The app challenges our notions of US dominance in the AI sector, but what are the broad implications of greater global competition in the AI space? UC San Diego professor David Danks joins David Rothkopf to discuss this breaking issue as well as the broader philosophical conversations that need to happen on AI. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Colombia agreeing to accept US deportation flights, Gaza residents beginning to return to northern Gaza, Trump signing an executive order to review FEMA, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday night, President Donald Trump fired 15 independent inspectors general in a late night massacre that appears to have been illegal. Yet since then, that story has only gotten worse. First, Trump defended the purge by calling it “very standard,” attempting to normalize his lawlessness. Second, some Republicans quickly signaled that they will be just fine with this, confirming again that he’ll he’s be largely unbound in his second term. We chatted with Jennifer Rubin, co-founder of The Contrarian, who explains why this is illegal and poses a profound threat to good governance, how Trump’s absurd defense of it compounds the problem, and how Democrats and others can fight back. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 31, 2024 Greg Abbott and the House Republicans are using the border as a political poker chip, with disastrous implications for immigrants. As Abbott continues to defy the Supreme Court and the House refuses to pass immigration reform, what does the Biden administration need to do? Norm and Kavita discuss the answers and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 19, 2024 Benjamin Netanyahu just can’t help but make trouble for the US. Netanyahu’s recent statements rejecting the idea of a two-state solution lead us all wonder what endgame Israel envisions for Gaza. Alon Pinkas, Kori Schake, Rosa Brooks, and David Rothkopf break down how the administration can deal with Bibi to avoid calamity in the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode of We’re All Going to Die Radio features a discussion with Jeffrey Lewis, longtime friend and Director of the East Asia program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Jon and Jeff discuss the impact of Donald Trump on the nuclear state of affairs around the world, including Iran, North Korea, China, Russia, and even the United States itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do we want a Star Trek future or a Mad Max future? With the power of artificial intelligence, either is possible. Best selling author and Vionix Biosciences CEO Vivek Wadhwa joins David Rothkopf to discuss how AI can supercharge our society and lead us to a brighter future, or towards dystopia. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss a judge temporarily blocking Trump’s birthright citizenship restrictions, Pete Hegseth advancing to a final Senate vote, Trump pardoning anti-abortion activists, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democrats’ response to the first few days of the Trump has sucked. Now is the time to fight harder than ever, but many Democrats seem to be sitting on the sidelines as Trump takes a sledgehammer to Washington. Simon Rosenberg and Tara McGowan return with David Rothkopf to break down how the Dems can build a more effective resistance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump suffered his first legal setback Thursday when a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. The judge delivered quite a smackdown, saying the move “boggles my mind.” This comes as Trump’s Justice Department is now threatening to prosecute local officials who don’t comply with his immigration agenda. But that, too, appears to lack real legal basis. The quality of his arguments so far suggests resistance from the states may have some success. We talked to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who outlines the lawlessness he anticipates from Trump, what his state’s resistance will look like, and why there’s a real shot at hindering his ugliest intentions. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An old joke describes a guy who jumps off the Empire State Building who passes by a window on the 50th Floor from which an observer yells to him, "How're you doing?" He replies, "So far, so good." Depending on your personality, you may feel that way after a few days of the new administration. Or not. Our experts Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University, Ed Luce of the Financial Times and David Sanger of the New York Times discuss. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down the House passing the Laken Riley Act, a new memo directing federal prosecutors to go after local authorities resisting immigration enforcement, Republicans exploring a range of cost-cutting measures, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Republicans struggling to spin Donald Trump’s pardon of 1,500 rioters who attacked the Capitol, CNN anchor Jim Acosta had a remarkable exchange with GOP Rep. Tim Burchett over the insurrection. Acosta refused to let the MAGA lawmaker evade how horrific Jan. 6 really was, and pinned him down on whether Trump was justified in pardoning people who savagely attacked cops. Why isn’t there more media questioning of Republicans like this? Would it make a difference if there were? We chatted with Matt Gertz of Media Matters about why the right wing media propaganda apparatus may be winning the Long War over Jan. 6, and how the media’s failure to meet the moment is helping to make it happen. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, the plan to implement tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico, the rollback of federal DEI programs, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an extraordinary moment on Tuesday, Donald Trump was treated to a sermon in Washington by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who urged him to show mercy toward the likely victims of his policies, especially undocumented immigrants. Trump reacted angrily and dismissively. Which raises a question: What are the prospects for appeals to decency and humanity, such as this one, to combat the rising cruelty and authoritarianism that Trump is set to unleash? We talked to Vanessa Cardenas, the executive director of the advocacy group America’s Voice. She reflects on the difficulties of speaking to people’s higher values in this supercharged environment, and urges Democrats to seize the moment and capture for themselves the power of this sermon’s message. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover all the big headlines from the first day of Trump’s inauguration and first executive actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The clock is ticking down towards Donald Trump’s inauguration, and we are already witnessing the first steps of his second term. Norm and Kavita are here to analyze everything from the past week - from the confirmation hearings to the shortcomings of the Democratic Party - and address the lunacy which is to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump insists he has a massive “mandate.” But The New York Times reports that his allies worry that big initiatives like mass deportations might not prove as popular as he thinks. They’re arguing over pardons of insurrectionists, which also might prove unpopular, and fear his hubris might backfire. Politico reports similar worries. In short, they’re admitting he might not have a huge mandate, after all. This raises a question: If Trump’s presidency is seen as modestly successful, could it normalize Trumpian politics? Or is overreach and the discrediting of MAGA more likely? We talked to political theorist Alan Elrod, author of a new piece for MSNBC arguing that the former is very possible. He lays out why so much is riding on public rejection of his second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover all things inauguration. From executive orders, to who is skipping the inauguration, and more. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 22, 2024 Has the US response to attacks on our troops and ships, been adequate? Are the attacks against Houthis too little too late...or the start down a slippery slope to another military quagmire? What if our aid to Ukraine dries up? Is the Pentagon losing focus on the China threat? Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf discuss these issues and more with Politico's Lara Seligman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 24, 2024 Whereas Benjamin Netanyahu is struggling with flagging domestic support , Joe Biden is the most popular politician in Israel. As the devastating war in Gaza drags on, how can Biden channel his popularity into substantive policy change? Jerusalem-based journalist Noga Tarnopolsky joins Kori Schake, Ed Luce, Rosa Brooks, and David Rothkopf to answer this question and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of We’re All Going to Die Radio, Jon is joined by friends and collaborators Jenny Town of the Stimson Center and Dr. Toby Dalton of the Carnegie Nuclear Policy Project. Together, they take a deep dive into the current political situation and attempt to answer the question - what the hell is happening in South Korea? Further, with the Trump inauguration looming, Jon, Toby and Jenny examine the US-South Korean relationship and why having more nuclear-armed allies might actually be a very dangerous thing. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we cover the start date for the Gaza ceasefire, day 3 of the Trump Cabinet hearings, Biden commuting a record number of nonviolent drug sentences, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Donald Trump ranted that no one with ties to certain Republicans who have criticized him will get jobs in the new government. The inclusion of Nikki Haley among them got attention, because after her primary against Trump, she bent the knee and obsequiously endorsed him. It didn’t help her much: Her reward is Trump’s thorough humiliation of her. We think this is really a warning to future GOP critics: Cross Trump and you risk being on the outs, with no way back in. We talked to Casey Michel, a reporter who covers lobbying and influence peddling, and he explains how Trump’s rewarding of friends and punishment of enemies are central to a bigger story: His creation of a new Trump kleptocracy that will now dominate us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With traditional media outlets like the Washington Post bending the knee to Donald Trump, what is in store for the future of pro-democracy media? Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen join David Rothkopf to spill the details on their new media outlet, The Contrarian. Jen and Norm share what makes this new publication different and why searing critiques and biting humor are the best ways to fight authoritarianism. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down President Biden’s farewell address, the ‘last minute crisis’ holding up approval of the Gaza truce, the latest from Trump nominee Senate hearings, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At her confirmation hearing Wednesday, Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, sought in some ways to project an apolitical aura. But Bondi also refused to answer direct questions about Trump’s threats to prosecute enemies, and dissembled about similar threats from Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to head the FBI. All this accidentally revealed something important. Bondi could not say straight out that she wouldn’t carry out Trump’s corrupt designs, because saying that could disqualify her in his eyes—which is itself the problem here. We talked to former prosecutor Mimi Rocah, who explains how Bondi exposed herself as an unreliable defender of the rule of law—and what that telegraphs about the coming hellscape of 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After more than a year of conflict, a ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. So what now? What does it mean? Is it a long-term solution, or a band-aid? Experts Noga Tarnopolsky and Alon Pinkas join David Rothkopf to break down these crucial questions and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Pete Hegseth’s turbulent confirmation hearing, Trump advisers admitting a peace deal is months away, Trump’s plans to create an External Revenue Service, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Jack Smith released his final report on Donald Trump’s insurrection, Trump erupted, gloating over the failure to prosecute him. Meanwhile, Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, MAGA hero Pete Hegseth, had some alarming moments at his confirmation hearing, and the MAGA cheerleading for him hints at ugly times ahead. Take this all together and Trump and MAGA look invincible right now. So we talked to historian Julian Zelizer, author of a good piece in The New Republic that reminds us that George W. Bush looked formidable in 2004, only to see the tide turn dramatically two years later. Zelizer discusses his new book, In Defense of Partisanship, and explains why Trump-MAGA’s grip on power may prove fragile, especially if Democrats fight them effectively. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover the revelations from Jack Smith’s report, new progress on a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the latest on efforts to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol in South Korea, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump recently declared that the U.S. is a “disaster” and a “laughingstock all over the world.” In reality, by many metrics, the economy is quite good, and our recovery from covid has been an international success story. But Paul Krugman recently noticed something interesting: This could create problems for Trump. As Krugman asked on his excellent new Substack, how will he justify radical, across-the-board tariffs and mass deportations if things are going well? We talked to Krugman, who explains how Trump is likely to resort to gale-force levels of propaganda, how he’s threatening havoc with the economy, and how his voters are getting “brutally scammed” in the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the midst of an unsure America on the world stage, can and will Europe step up on Ukraine? Which countries and leaders should we hope to lead? Will there be European military forces on the ground in any peace deal? A wide ranging discussion on today’s Above Average Intelligence pod with former Portuguese Special Operations Forces NCO @Felix_Nuno. (Most importantly, he’s heavy metal and Slipknot fan, like Marc!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Biden’s discussions with Netanyahu on ceasefire progress, Jack Smith’s resignation from the Justice Department, the Trump team questioning NSC employees on loyalty, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, Steve Bannon’s fury at Elon Musk truly went off the rails. Bannon, who has been feuding with Musk over immigration, vowed that he will run Musk out of the MAGA movement by Inauguration Day, suggesting this battle will continue once Donald Trump is in office. This battle exposes major divisions in the MAGA movement—yet Democrats aren’t really trying to exploit them. Why not? We talked to Mona Charen of The Bulwark, who has a good new piece arguing that Democrats need to find their footing as a loyal opposition. She explains what the feud says about Trump, the MAGA movement, and the rise of global authoritarianism and fascism—and how Democrats can rise to the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fight for data justice has taken on new dimensions with the advent of AI. As technology advances faster than lawmakers can keep up, however do we ensure that progress reaches everyone and keep exploitation at bay? AI ethicist and criminologist Renée Cummings joins David Rothkopf to break down this pressing issue and why 2025 will be a pivotal year. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Columbia University Senior Research Scholar Richard Nephew joins Jon Wolfsthal on the first 2025 episode of We're All Going To Die Radio. They discuss Richard latest article in Foreign Affairs where he argues the case against a military solution to Iran’s nuclear potential is getting weaker, why diplomacy is still the best option to end Iran’s nuclear potential, and whether a military strike would be successful. They conclude that there are no easy or perfect solutions, only versions of complex and discuss many of them in a lively discussion. They even get in a little NY sports talk at the same time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we break down the Supreme Court denying Trump’s appeal to halt his sentencing, false narratives spreading around the L.A. fires, a federal judge blocking the Biden admin’s new Title IX rule, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we learned that Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito spoke privately with Donald Trump to recommend a former clerk for a job. Jamie Raskin just tore into this news, urging Alito to recuse himself from Trump-related matters. This comes as Trump asked the high court to block a New York judge from sentencing him for his hush money conviction. What Raskin got right is to zero in on the corruption embedded in Trump’s relationship with the Supreme Court. After all, between this and Judge Aileen Cannon ordering Special Counsel Jack Smith not to release his report on the evidence he’s collected against Trump, the courts face a legitimacy crisis. We talked to Politico’s Kyle Cheney, who untangles all these stories and explains what’s coming next. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Zuckerberg announced major changes in Meta’s policies on fact-checking, hate speech, and more. Are these sweeping changes an indication of Zuck bending the knee to Trump and the MAGA movement, or is there more to it? Renee DiResta joins David Rothkopf to break down these changes, consider the challenges of content moderation, and discuss the crisis of trust in information platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, Lebanon electing a new president after years of political paralysis, Trump-induced turmoil in Europe, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With wildfires raging in Los Angeles, Donald Trump unleashed some ugly and hateful tirades on Truth Social. He attacked California Governor Gavin Newsom with a vile slur, blamed the fires on him and President Biden, and even scapegoated environmental protections, which Newsom’s office dismissed as pure fiction. We think this is best seen as another example of how the MAGA right wing seeks to thoroughly degrade public life at every conceivable opportunity. We talked to Nicole Hemmer, a leading historian of the conservative movement and the right wing media. She explains how today’s MAGA derangement traces its lineage back many decades, and discusses how we should respond. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Donald Trump’s recent statements are anything to go by, we’re about to enter a new age of American imperialism. But how much stock should we really put into Trump’s desires to acquire the Panama Canal, Greenland, and even Canada? Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to break it all down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Donald Trump requesting the Supreme Court block sentencing in his hush money case, a spreading wildfire in Los Angeles, France’s response to Trump’s Greenland threats, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a press conference on Tuesday, Donald Trump signaled that things are about to get very, very ugly. He wouldn’t rule out using military force to annex Greenland and the Panama Canal. He celebrated the idea that his threats to jail Mark Zuckerberg might have caused Zuckerberg to surrender to him. And Trump vowed to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. We talked to Jennifer Mercieca, a professor of rhetoric who writes about fascist tropes. She explains how Trump is attempting to acclimate Americans to expansionist nationalism and naked threats to jail people without cause to force them into line, and why that bodes so badly about what’s coming. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Donald Trump’s press conference at Mar-a-Lago was any indication, we’re in for a wild 2025. From threatening military action against US allies to fueling FBI Jan 6 conspiracies the conference ran the gamut of bad news. Norm and Kavita are back in the new year to break it all down, discuss the rising influence of Elon Musk, the need for robust counter-media networks, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover a New York judge denying Donald Trump's request to delay his sentencing on January 10, the U.S. Congress officially certifying Donald Trump’s election victory, and more. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a few big moves in recent days, Donald Trump is already showing how he’ll make life miserable for Republicans in Congress, particularly Mike Johnson. He’s signaling that his demands of the House Speaker will be borderline impossible to meet. He continues to declare that he wants virtually his entire agenda pass in one big bill, which will put Republicans in a deep bind. And he’s empowered Elon Musk to propose huge spending cuts that will create major political problems for Johnson and the GOP. With Republicans already battling over all of it, we talked to congressional scholar Norman Ornstein, who decodes Trump’s latest gambits and the GOP infighting over them—and explains what it all signals about the travails Trump will inflict on Johnson and Republicans, not to mention his own voters. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As President Biden prepares to leave office, one of the most consequential foreign policy challenges of his administration remains unresolved: the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Professor of Strategic Studies and historian Dr. Philips O’Brien joins Marc Polymeropoulos to discuss the successes and failures of Biden’s policy in Ukraine, the challenges that remain, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover Justin Trudeau's increasing likeliness to step down, Mike Johnson's announcement to pass President-elect Trump's agenda through a large reconciliation package before Memorial Day, and more. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, Donald Trump unleashed an angry new rant over the news that his sentencing for his hush money conviction will proceed this week. Buried in Trump’s rage was a key tell: He’s signaling that he’ll use his conviction as a pretext to carry out his own autocratic second-term designs. There are also indications that he hopes to milk his sentencing toward other ugly ends. We talked to Adam Gurri, the editor of Liberal Currents magazine, who’s been making good arguments lately about Trump’s pursuit of “personalist” rule, which shapes everything around the personality at the center of his movement. Gurri explains how Trump is already signaling that this is where his presidency will go—and why that’s so ominous. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss Mike Johnson’s first test in the new congress, Biden’s rejection of Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel, South Korean authorities attempts to arrest President Yoon, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New year, new congress. As Republicans take control of both houses, what can we expect over the next few months? Norm Ornstein joins David Rothkopf to break down the biggest challenges that await this new congress, including the search for a new speaker and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover the false narratives around the attack in New Orleans, a Tesla truck explosion outside of Trump’s hotel in Vegas, new punitive trade measures from China, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: November 14 Trump’s cabinet picks reach new heights of awfulness. From Matt Gaetz to Elise Stefanik, it’s a veritable who’s who of MAGA sycophants. In a special episode, Rosa Brooks, David Sanger, and EJ Dionne join David Rothkopf to break down these awful choices and what they tell us about the upcoming Trump administration. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: November 7, 2024 The election is over, and we lost. Now it’s time to get up off the mat and get back to work. Simon Rosenberg and Tara McGowan join David Rothkopf to break down what went wrong this time, and share the key lessons that Democrats have to learn in order to bounce back and keep up the fight. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: December 6, 2024 Points for candor to Senator Tommy Tuberville. On Thursday, he admitted he thinks Trump should vet his own nominees, suggesting the Senate GOP should forget about playing its advice and consent role. That’s a stark admission about what MAGA actually expects from Senate Republicans. Yet revelations about Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, are so damning that Republicans are finding him impossible to rubber-stamp, and he’s hanging in the balance. We chatted with Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, author of a new piece about Trump, Hegseth and the GOP. She explains how Tuberville said the quiet part out loud, how Trump is expressly trying to build a cabinet of misogynists, and how that’s backfiring, perhaps forcing Republicans to thwart his worst excesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: September 20, 2024 Donald Trump is a crummy candidate, but he’s certainly not the only example of rot in the Republican Party. With so much of the Trump campaign focused on hate and division, we have to ask: how low can the Republican Party really go? The Washington Post’s Jen Rubin and Words Matter host Norm Ornstein join David Rothkopf for an examination of how far the Republican Party has fallen. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: October 7, 2024 On Sunday, The New York Times published an extraordinary piece detailing Donald Trump’s deteriorating mental state, singling out his deranged fabrications and outright fabulism as central to its expose. Meanwhile, Trump held a weekend rally in Pennsylvania where he lied angrily in ugly new ways about the federal response to Hurricane Helene. Can Democrats capitalize on all this in the home stretch? We talked to Democratic strategist Maria Cardona, who suggests new ways to close out this race by highlighting Trump’s profound mental unfitness for the presidency—and depicting his lying about disaster response as fundamentally disqualifying. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: September 12, 2024 We’re on a Hopium high after Kamala Harris’s stellar debate performance. With a deluge of new polls on the horizon, political gurus Tara McGowan, Simon Rosenberg, and Tom Bonier join David Rothkopf to explain how to cut through the bad data and misleading stats to determine who’s really ahead. Spoiler: the news is so good, it has us dancing. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: September 23, 2024 In two bizarre rants over the weekend, Donald Trump openly fumed about female voters, lecturing them about why they should be supporting him and dismissing concerns about GOP abortion bans and all they’ve wrought. Meanwhile, a new NBC News poll shows Kamala Harris leading Trump by 21 points among women. Is Trump even trying to speak to them effectively anymore? We talked to Joan Walsh, national affairs correspondent at The Nation who writes well about the politics of abortion. She explains how Harris’s appeals to female voters really work—and why Trump is alienating them so badly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: August 8, 2024 We’re on a hopium high we haven’t felt in a long time. The Harris/Walz campaign has enjoyed success after success, with so sign of slowing down. US political gurus Simon Rosenberg and Tara McGowan are back with David Rothkopf to share why they’re so optimistic about the Harris campaign and how to keep the pressure on to crush the MAGA cult in November. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: August 2, 2024 With Republicans running from Donald Trump’s ugly attack on Kamala Harris’ blackness, new reports paint a picture of a party that is deeply worried about Trump’s chances. Meanwhile, Trump is raging about another piece of bad news for him: that reporter Evan Gershkovich is getting released from Russian captivity. We talked to Stuart Stevens, an operative with extensive experience in Republican politics who has forcefully renounced his former party, about why the GOP is suddenly hitting the panic button, and what has really happened to his former party as it fully embraces Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 22, 2024 After weeks of speculation, the unprecedented has finally happened. With Joe Biden officially stepping aside to endorse Kamala Harris for President, an entirely new campaign is now underway. In a special two-part episode, Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg join David Rothkopf to break down the dynamics of this new race, while members gain access to more insight from Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, and David. You won’t want to miss it. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: July 8, 2024 On Sunday, Donald Trump erupted at The New York Times, slamming it in crazed and bizarre terms for its supposed unfair treatment of him. Yet if anything, in recent days the Times has crusaded relentlessly against his opponent, President Biden. Which is why this moment helps explain how Trump games the media—and how the media lets Trump game them. We talked with Will Stancil, an active social media presence who has prominently skewered the press for an immense double standard toward Trump and Biden. He explains why the Times and the media often seem to crusade more aggressively against Biden’s age than against Trump’s obvious mental unfitness for the presidency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 28, 2024 Thursday’s debate was certainly something. Much of the Democratic camp is sounding the alarm after President Biden’s less than stellar performance, and discussions are swirling on whether or not it’s time for a new candidate. Norm Ornstein and Kavita Patel join David Rothkopf on this special episode to discuss what happened and where we go from here. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: June 2, 2024 The other day on CNN, prominent Never Trump lawyer George Conway did something you rarely see in Washington. He dressed down a GOP commentator for lying his ass off about Donald Trump—and then, right on the air, he asked why CNN was paying this Republican to spread lies on Trump’s behalf. We think this episode illustrates a deep problem with the media’s handling of pro-Trump propaganda. So we chatted with Conway about why he unloaded—and in the process, he revealed some interesting things about the network. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: March 14, 2024 To the surprise of no one, Donald Trump and Joe Biden have officially secured their party's nomination for president. But while President Biden’s campaign is on a roll, Donald Trump’s is self-destructing. Veteran political strategists Simon Rosenberg and Tara McGowan join David Rothkopf to bring us the latest news from the 2024 campaigns. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: May 14, 2024 This week, The New York Times released new polls that sent shock waves through the Democratic establishment, finding Donald Trump leading in all six key swing states, in some cases by startling margins. While President Biden has fared better in other recent polls, the bottom line is that he is trailing in all the swing-state polling averages. So we talked to Jefrey Pollack, a top pollster for the Biden campaign, who laid out why he thinks it’s premature to read too much into these polls, and why the current data set, in his view, actually shows a hidden path to reelection for the president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: February 15, 2024 The Democrats’ win in the New York special election is yet another example of over performing the polls. So why does this keep happening, and what does it mean for November? Expert Simon Rosenberg is back with David Rothkopf to give us another dose of Hopium and discuss the path forward for a Biden victory. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: April 17, 2024 Here on the podcast we’ve repeatedly argued that Mike Johnson might ultimately allow a vote on military aid to Ukraine, even if it might get him ousted as speaker by MAGA forces in the House. Thankfully, this now looks real: The House GOP leadership is preparing to move forward with Ukraine aid as part of a broader set of bills—and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is furious. We talked to Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, a former U.S. Navy Pilot and member of the Armed Services Committee, who helped us unravel why Johnson is doing this now, its prospects for success, and the true extent of Russian influence over MAGA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: January 5, 2024 Election year is finally here. 2024 will be pivotal, but how can we do our part to ensure the Democrats win big? Election strategists Tara McGowan, Simon Rosenberg, and Tom Bonier join David to shine a light on the role we can all play heading into campaign season. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: March 25, 2024 In recent days, Donald Trump opened the door to cutting Social Security, and he’s also threatened to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would throw millions off health insurance. All this comes as President Biden’s economy is doing quite well by many metrics. Yet Trump is favored on the economy, and his MAGA support remains solid, even though his policies would badly sell out his base. We talked to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, author of a series of columns about the economies under Trump and Biden, who helps us make sense of all these disconnects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: February 27, 2024 Donald Trump’s victory over Nikki Haley in the South Carolina GOP primary has sparked another round of punditry about his supposed political dominance. Yet the primaries have revealed his weaknesses with independents, and he clearly fears his legal travails are a major liability that will get worse. So what if Trump is weaker than he appears? We chatted about this with political scientist Julia Azari, co-author of a new piece arguing that the long shadow of his 2016 victory is still badly distorting our understanding of the present and the majority coalition that continues handing him and the MAGA movement defeat after defeat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 29, 2024 Three former Republican governors—Marc Racicot of Montana, Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey, and Bill Weld of Massachusetts—have signed on to a legal brief to the Supreme Court arguing that Donald Trump is disqualified from running for president under Section 3 of the 14th amendment to the Constitution. Greg Sargent talks to Racicot about what he hopes this will achieve, whether the GOP is to blame for the rise of Trump and the MAGA movement, and why principled anti-Trump Republican elites are a disappearing species. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a new administration just around the corner, now is the time for the US to strengthen its position as a global leader in AI. Even with changing leadership, there remain numerous areas of agreement across party lines. CNAS’s Paul Scharre joins David Rothkopf to discuss the bipartisan consensus on AI, diverging views on safety and regulation, the future of competition with China, and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we cover US deportations being the highest in 10 years, Elon Musk endorsing a far right party in Germany, the House voting down a Republican bill to avoid a government shutdown, and more. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As of this recording, lawmakers are still chaotically rushing to avoid a government shutdown. And one thing is already clear from this fiasco: Donald Trump will betray his voters very, very badly. Trump and Elon Musk killed a compromise bill, demanding deep spending cuts that would inflict real harm on Trump country, portending a lot more like this to come. (After we recorded, the House voted down the second government funding bill House Republicans advanced.) We chatted with Paul Waldman, the co-author of White Rural Rage. He explains why all this is happening, the tensions it reveals among Republicans, and how the Trump-Musk alliance looks poised to sell out MAGA voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second of our two-part holiday special, David Rothkopf, Kori Schake, Rosa Brooks, and David Sanger look at what we can expect in the new year. What’s on the table for the new administration? How much of a role will foreign policy play in Trump’s first year? How resilient will our democracy be? Discover all this and more in our final episode of the year! Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover Elon Musk’s opposition to the stopgap spending bill, Newsom declaring a state of emergency in California, Putin’s annual news conference, and more. Looking for more from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, sounded an extraordinary warning this week. After a House GOP report recommended that the FBI prosecute Liz Cheney, Murphy argued in a social media thread that Donald Trump is clearly putting in place a plan to cripple our democracy, one we might never recover from. In an interview with the podcast, Murphy expands on his alarm, arguing that within a few months, some of Trump’s enemies might be in jail, the media might be cowed into submission, and that Democrats need to sound the alarm before it’s too late, lest Trump’s attacks on democracy prove “fatal.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the holiday season, and that means it’s time for the DSR end of the year special! In part one, David Sanger, Kori Schake, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf for a look back at 2024 to rate the performance of president Biden’s foreign policy, and name the biggest winners and losers of world leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Congress introducing a bill to avert a partial government shutdown, France raising the flag at its Damascus embassy, Trump suing The Des Moines Register, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, Donald Trump exploded with fury at Judge Juan Merchan after he refused to dismiss the hush-money conviction of Trump in Manhattan. Trump also filed a frivolous lawsuit against pollster Ann Selzer for getting her pre-election survey wrong, suggesting more bullying of the media is coming. Meanwhile, Donald’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump just brazenly suggested that Kash Patel is being installed as FBI director precisely to carry out revenge against Trump’s enemies. We chatted with Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall about his interesting new piece arguing that these targets need to band together in the face of what’s coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While we head into the holiday season and the final days of 2024, the second-term coming of Donald Trump gives us little optimism for 2025 and the years to come. Trump’s outrageous lawsuits, the takedown of the Al-Assad regime in Syria, and, of course, TikTok… What comes next? Norm and Kavita are back to tackle all these issues and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover the assassination of a high-ranking Russian official, Bashar Al Assad’s first official statement since being toppled, Trump losing his bid to toss his hush money case, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, Donald Trump issued some rambling, tortured claims. He bent over backwards to reassure people about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and vouched for the polio vaccine—while bizarrely clarifying that he sees “problems” with vaccines and even opposes vaccine mandates in schools. We think this reveals a surprising political vulnerability. Trump knows RFK’s extreme views are a problem, but also seems aware that being supportive of vaccine mandates might alienate some constituencies in his base. We talked to Anne Shoup, a senior adviser for the Democratic-allied group Protect Our Care, which is running ads against RFK, about whether stopping him is really possible and what more Dems should do to oppose Trump’s nominees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s AAI podcast, Marc is joined by I.S. Berry (@isberryauthor) of The Peacock and the Sparrow fame. They discus the current Syria crisis, life as a case officer witnessing the Arab spring, and Berry’s jump into literary super stardom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover Israel’s plans for the Golan Heights, an impending no-confidence vote in Germany, drone sightings across the East Coast, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ABC News has abruptly agreed to a $15 million settlement with Donald Trump in his lawsuit against the network. Coming after Trump raged at ABC throughout the campaign, some observers see this as a sign of broader capitulation to him. Indeed, it comes as Trump openly boasted that he’s “tamed” the media. We talked to The Atlantic’s Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc., who explains why this outcome has “really disturbing” implications, how Trump is conditioning Americans to accept authoritarian rule, and what the prognosis is going forward. It’s not great. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you ask ChatGPT a question, where is it getting that answer? Is it from a paywalled article? A book? The issue of who owns the data that AI uses is one that lawyer Matt Topic has been hard at work trying to solve. Matt joins David Rothkopf to discuss this particularly thorny issue, and what it means for everyone from journalists to students. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we cover the selection of France’s next Prime Minister, Secretary Blinken’s meeting with the King of Jordan, Russia’s largest ever attack on Ukraine’s power grid, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Christopher Wray resigned as FBI director, Donald Trump unleashed a long, angry rant on Truth Social, suggesting that a major purge of the bureau is coming—and that the targeting of his enemies will commence the moment Kash Patel is installed. Meanwhile, leading MAGA figures are ramping up pressure on GOP senators not to stand in Trump’s way—and some of them are already signaling they’ll likely fold. We talked to The Bulwark’s William Saletan, author of a good new piece on the dangers of this moment. He explains that this is what it looks like “when a criminal takes control of law enforcement,” and lays out what it will take for us to resist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran, Turkey, Russia, Israel, and the US already working to secure their interests in Syria while the future of the country hangs in the balance. Marc Polymeropoulos and Charles Lister join David Rothkopf to break down what this new “great game” means for the new Syrian government and why this flashpoint is so pivotal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since the election, the lead-up to Donald Trump’s second presidential term has been fraught with nonsensical politics, inane cabinet picks, and a sense of both confusion and worry. Norm and Kavita are back to help guide us through this uncertainty, analyze the situations surrounding figures like Kari Lake and Christopher Wray, and more. The members-only section also features an intimate conversation on the health insurance industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss FBI Director Chris Wray’s decision to step down, Biden commuting 1,500 sentences, Trump inviting Xi Jinping to his inauguration, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Trump has stepped into the international limelight as the face of the new Trump oligarchy. At a conference this week, he told an audience that he and father Donald Trump will work together once Trump is president to push crypto, which the Trump family is invested in. Eric, the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, has also been prominently negotiating the ethics policy—or lack thereof—that Trump will submit to as president. We talked to Casey Michel, the author of several books on American kleptocracy, who explains how ripe conditions are for unprecedented elite corruption to flourish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Bashar Al Assad’s regime at an end, Syria’s future is bright but uncertain. What comes next for the war-ravaged country, and how will the rest of the world respond? Regional expert Steven Heydemann joins Kori Schake, Rosa Brooks, and David Rothkopf to break down this pivotal moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the Syrian government’s plans to rebuild, Senator Cotton blocking a bill to protect journalists, a federal judge blocking the sale of Infowars to the Onion, and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, Donald Trump and his advisers have left no doubt: He will deport as many of the 11 million undocumented people in this country as possible. But on Fox News, Alina Habba, who’s set to be a top White House lawyer, offered some new spin on the coming plan that revealed a lot about how Trump’s propagandists will try to defend the indefensible. We talked to Vanessa Cardenas, the executive director of America’s Voice, who grapples with the hardships that immigrants will soon face, why Latinos moved toward Trump, and how pro-immigration forces should rally in response to what's coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover the numerous strikes on Syria, the charging of Luigi Mangione, Netanyahu taking the stand in his corruption trial, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

These are heady times for MAGA. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Elon Musk are teaming up to slash the government to ribbons as part of Musk’s new Department of Government Efficiency. What could give MAGA a bigger thrill than that high-wattage duo? But Politico reports that some Republicans quietly fear that Greene’s involvement could become a major distraction from the Trump/GOP agenda. We talked to tech writer Gil Duran, a close observer of Musk’s machinations, who explains why the right-wing “techbro” worldview is so dangerous—and how Greene could make it even more combustible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc sits down with former Green Beret Jack Murphy, author of the brand-new book, "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History," to talk about the book and why telling these stories not only honors the greats who served our nation, but also allows the American people to have transparency on how our tax dollars are very wisely spent. Plus, a chat on the evolution of Jack’s “Teamhouse” podcast, his time at Columbia University and his subsequent writing career, and his pending deep on Havana Syndrome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the shocking news out of Syria, the latest news from South Korea, Trump’s worrying interview on NBC, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump is telling advisers that his biggest regret from his first term was that he appointed “traitors.” As a result, his transition team is grilling prospective nominees to gauge their loyalty to Trump. Is there some way for Democrats to drive home how dangerous all this is? We chatted with Brian Beutler, author of the excellent Substack Off Message. He argues that even as Trump’s second-term plans are getting more overtly dangerous to the rule of law, Democrats need to do a lot more to alert the public to what’s coming—not just because it’s good politics, but because the country needs it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s cabinet picks make one thing clear: this administration will be out for revenge. So what can we do? How can the targets of the Trump admin defend themselves? Legal experts Mark Zaid and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to share the ways that the new administration may weaponize the justice system and the ways that we can fight back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Elon Musk to Peter Thiel, there are big names in the field of AI in Trump’s orbit. But what does the presence of these members of the ‘broligarchy’ tell us about how the new administration might approach AI? Nina Jankowicz joins David Rothkopf to try and predict what Trump’s AI policy might look like, and if there are any reasons to be optimistic about what comes next. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss the latest revelations from the shocking events in South Korea, Syrian rebels capturing a key city, the manhunt underway in New York, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Points for candor to Senator Tommy Tuberville. On Thursday, he admitted he thinks Trump should vet his own nominees, suggesting the Senate GOP should forget about playing its advice and consent role. That’s a stark admission about what MAGA actually expects from Senate Republicans. Yet revelations about Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, are so damning that Republicans are finding him impossible to rubber-stamp, and he’s hanging in the balance. We chatted with Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, author of a new piece about Trump, Hegseth and the GOP. She explains how Tuberville said the quiet part out loud, how Trump is expressly trying to build a cabinet of misogynists, and how that’s backfiring, perhaps forcing Republicans to thwart his worst excesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kash Patel’s selection for FBI director is troubling to say the least. With the choice of yet another sycophant to a key position, we’re beginning to get a clear picture of Trump’s vision for our intelligence communities. Former FBI Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi joins David Rothkopf to break down what Patel and Tulsi Gabbard’s selections mean for the future of US intelligence and security. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Words Matter, Norm and Kavita are back to break down everything related to the upcoming presidential transition. Which of Trump’s current nominees will make it through to the next administration? What can and should the Democrats do now in the House and the Senate? Additionally, members will receive a bonus discussion on presidential pardons, both past and present. Tune in here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the Trump Organization allowing foreign deals during Trump’s new administration, the Biden White House weighing preemptive pardon’s for Trump’s opponents, a major election influence campaign in Romania, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s choice for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, is hanging by a thread. GOP senators are clearly signaling that he’s in deep trouble. Yet powerful right wing influencers are now angrily rushing to Hegseth’s defense, urging those senators to stand behind him. We chatted with Matt Gertz of Media Matters, who has a good new piece reporting on Fox News’s efforts to save Hegseth. Gertz explains how MAGA is turning this into a test for GOP Senators: Will they surrender to the “liberal media” when it reports facts about Trump, or will they side with Trump and MAGA? If GOP Senators fail now, it bodes badly for what’s coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the short-lived martial law declaration in South Korea, Trump weighing Ron DeSantis for Defense Secretary, new pro-EU protests in Georgia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s administration is already shaping up as a Murderer’s Row of Billionaires. By one count, he’s already picked eight billionaires for top positions. He has now chosen a ninth billionaire to serve as Deputy Defense Secretary, and this one enjoys lucrative contracts with the Pentagon. We talked to Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, about how unprecedented it is to have so many billionaires in the government—and whether there are any post-Watergate safeguards left that can withstand the oligarchic corruption that’s about to hit us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover the exchanges of fire threatening the Lebanon ceasefire, Jamie Raskin’s bid to oust Jerry Nadler for key position, China’s new export ban of key minerals, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an extraordinary expose, The New Yorker has revealed the “secret history” of Pete Hegseth, who’s Donald Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary. This includes allegations of extreme drunkenness and financial mismanagement of a nonprofit he ran. Along with other highly unqualified nominees, this fiasco raises a question: Do Senate Democrats have what it takes to make revelations like these stick in confirmation hearings? We talked to Tara McGowan, a progressive media executive who often urges Democrats to go on the offensive. She explains how the party can get more serious about fighting the information wars—and why this will be essential during a second Trump presidency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Atlantic’s Shane Harris (X @ shaneharris , Bluesky @shaneharris.bsky.social) joins Marc to discuss Trump’s national security picks, the view from our European intelligence partners of America at a crossroads, and Shane’s top moments over his esteemed two decade career covering national security and intelligence. Plus, Marc reveals his four commandments (hint: stop doom scrolling) of making it through this unique time period in US history! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Joe Biden pardoning Hunter, Trump tapping Kash Patel for FBI director, an upcoming Supreme Court case that could shape trans rights, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump just announced that his FBI director will be Kash Patel. We know why: Because Patel himself has already suggested that in a second Trump term, law enforcement should pursue Trump’s enemies, and as a result, Trump’s pick already has leading MAGA figures in a frenzy of excitement about the persecution that’s coming. It’s all a reminder that Trump feels zero constraints of any kind, again raising the question: Are the guardrails gone? We talked to Michael Sozan, a senior fellow for the Center for American Progress and author of a useful report that grapples with this very question. Sozan explains how far Patel will be able to get in carrying out Trump’s campaign of retribution, and why there’s cause for deep alarm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: December 21, 2023 2023 is finally almost over. Yet many of the most significant issues of the year are still unresolved. Thankfully, the DSR gang is here to share their predictions for what lies ahead in the new year. David Sanger, Rosa Brooks, and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to give us the hard truth about the challenges for 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: December 13, 2023 It goes without saying that 2023 has been an eventful year. Thankfully, the holiday season means the return of a DSR Network tradition: the year in review! David, Kori, Ed, and Rosa join to look at the most significant events of the year, the big headlines that might not have a lasting impact, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that Donald Trump has threatened huge tariffs on Mexico, some MAGA figures are suddenly consumed with a dark new fantasy about Trump inflicting all manner of punishment on that country. One top MAGA ally claims Mexico should prepare for a U.S. military invasion. Another says that if Mexico doesn’t do Trump’s bidding, “pain and suffering will ensue.” Trump’s propagandists are laying the groundwork to cast Mexico as a major scapegoat for U.S. social problems. We talked to Douglas Rivlin of America’s Voice, one of the best immigration and border observers out there, about how misguided Trump’s threats are, why MAGA thrills to them, and what all this could portend about the horrors that are coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a silver lining to every cloud, and in the spirit of this season of thankfulness, we’re expressing our gratitude for our next president. No, really! Ed Luce and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to share why these next four years might not be so bad after all. It’s the perfect way to prepare yourself for arguing at the family Thanksgiving dinner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The effort to reign in and responsibly develop AI isn’t a national issue, it’s a global one. With a new US administration, the next four years will be critical both domestically and internationally as AI regulation takes shape. Georgetown Law professor Anupam Chander joins David Rothkopf to break down what we can expect from the Trump administration, the role China plays in the global AI conversation, and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the ceasefire reached between Hezbollah and Israel, Mexico’s proposed retaliation for Trump’s tariffs, two new Trump nominations, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Donald Trump erupted in fury at The New York Times. He appeared triggered by a story about a Trump aide named Natalie Harp, who serves as his gatekeeper with creepy levels of devotion. What caught our eye is that in his rant, Trump demanded that The Times show obeisance to him because he won the election, perhaps providing an early glimpse of how he will seek to cow the media into submission. We talked to Margaret Sullivan, the former Times public editor and author of the great Substack “American Crisis,” who explains what Trump’s crackdown on the press might look like—and how well the media will respond to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the second Trump administration just around the corner, how is the business community reacting? What are the perceptions of Trump’s policies and promises of crushing tariffs? Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld joins David Rothkopf to give the inside scoop into how the business world really feels about Trump 2.0 and what our economic future may hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s podcast, CIA veteran Ed Bogan joins @mpolymer to ponder the US intelligence community in a Trump 2.0. How do we separate signal vs noise on the national security cabinet picks, and a potential bloodletting in the US IC? Will GOP national security-minded Senators drill down on DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard’s controversial past? Will the Senate insist on FBI background checks? Will the CIA have trouble if Gabbard is confirmed to run both unilateral and liaison operations against tough targets like Russia and Syria? Does the IC need reform? Lots of questions, no answers just yet, but a plea from Ed to keep calm and carry as we see how the chips fall. A must-listen to episode with a true hero in the US intelligence community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Trump’s promises of a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, Jack Smith dropping all federal charges against Donald Trump, Israel and Hezbollah nearing a ceasefire deal, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Democrats sift through the wreckage left behind by Donald Trump’s victory, it’s become clear the party needs a major rebuilding effort with the working class. A new analysis from The New York Times finds unnervingly large swings among working class voters during the Trump era, including among nonwhites. We talked to veteran strategist James Carville, who offers a deceptively simple diagnosis: The Democratic Party is simply “in the dark” about how many Americans, especially working class, young, and nonwhite voters, are getting their information right now, and getting to the bottom of this conundrum is urgent. Carville also unveils a new project he’s pursuing that he hopes will begin to solve the problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, November 25th, we break down Hezbollah’s missile attack on Israel, shocking results from Romania’s presidential election, a vice-presidential threat of violence in the Philippines, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s top allies are already at war with each other over the transition, according to The Washington Post. Meanwhile, Trump just tapped anti-Islam extremist Sebastian Gorka for a big national security role, and that’s unnerving even some in MAGA. Trump is so certain he won a massive mandate that he doesn’t feel obliged to run a smooth transition or refrain from appointing wildly extreme people. We chatted with political scientist Julia Azari, author of a great new piece on presidential delusions about mandates. Azari explains why mandates are usually illusory, how Trump is grotesquely overreading his victory, and why it all bodes badly for what’s to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: November 14, 2023 While men have historically dominated the intelligence community, women have gained a significant presence in top organizations in recent years. Despite this, scandals and lack of parity in top positions have made progress uneven. Former CIA intelligence officer Christina Hillsberg joins Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf to share her expertise on women in espionage, intelligence spycraft, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: December 21, 2023 If you felt inundated by legal news in 2023, prepare for a deluge in 2024. Many of the cases involving Donald Trump will reach their conclusions in the new year - with profound consequences for the country and the potential for a second Trump term. Barb McQuade joins David to help us look ahead at what will undoubtedly be another stress-inducing year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of We’re All Going to Die Radio, Jon is joined by National Security Correspondent and Pulitzer-Price finalist author Fred Kaplan. Fred discusses his foray into the fiction world with his debut novel Capital Calamity, an electric doomsday story about a Washington DC consultant who accidentally triggers a war with China. Fred and Jon also discuss US-China relations, the national security dangers of a second Trump term, and all things nuclear policy and deterrence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the future of education artificial intelligence? What if students used AI not to write their papers for them, but as a genuine extension of their education? Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy Kristen DiCerbo joins David Rothkopf to answer these questions and give insight into how AI should be used to expand opportunities for students. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Trump’s new AG pick, Senator Bob Casey’s defeat in Pennsylvania, the latest proposal from COP29, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Matt Gaetz abruptly withdrew from consideration as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Trump seemed uncharacteristically muted. Intriguingly, he accepted this outcome without once trying to crack the whip on the Senate Republicans who apparently blocked Gaetz’s nomination—which is doubly strange, as MAGA personalities were furiously urging Trump to use recess appointments to put the Senate GOP in its place. What really happened among Republicans here? We talked to Congressional scholar Norman Ornstein, who brilliantly explains what’s really driving the key GOP senators to watch going forward—and whether we’ll see real resistance among them to Trump’s future authoritarian excesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporate security consultant Jeremy Hurewitz (@Selllikeaspy) joins Marc Polymeropoulos (@mpolymer) to discuss his new book "Sell Like a Spy: the Art of Persuasion from the World of Espionage.” Jeremy discusses the power of relationships, his journey in writing the book, how active listening is a key skill - plus some very important predictions on where Juan Soto ends up (his beloved Yankees or Marc’s Red Sox?). A wonderful and positive chat that listeners will enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret that the economy was one of the top issues for voters this election cycle. So now that we’re passing the reins of the world’s largest economy back to Trump, what should we expect? President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute Felicia Wong joins David Rothkopf to break down the promises and policies of the president-elect and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover the ICC’s warrants for key leaders of Israel and Hamas, Russia’s use of an ICBM in Ukraine, Democrat efforts to force the release of the Gaetz investigation, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Donald Trump confirmed that he will use the military to carry out mass deportations. This prompted a surprisingly sharp response from GOP Senator Rand Paul, who denounced the idea as a “huge mistake” that will send a “terrible image” to the world and likely be “illegal” to boot. But why is it left to a fringe figure in the GOP to denounce Trump’s vile threats? Where are the rest of Republicans on this? We talked to Tom Nichols, a writer for The Atlantic and a sharp observer of the MAGA-fication of the GOP, about what will really happen within the military and beyond once these threats get put into action—and why it poses such a menace to the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump’s Cabinet picks are nearly complete, and our reactions range from scratching our heads to throwing up our hands in despair. But what do these selections really mean for US politics and foreign policy? Ed Luce, David Sanger, and Kori Schake join Rosa Brooks to break down the latest developments surrounding the upcoming Trump presidency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Trump’s choice of Dr. Oz for his cabinet, Biden approving anti-personnel mines for Ukraine, Republicans targeting Congress’s first transgender member, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a blow to Donald Trump, Politico reports that GOP Senators are privately telling him that Matt Gaetz has little chance of getting confirmed as attorney general. Yet these Republicans hope Trump doesn’t make them “walk the plank,” meaning they remain reluctant to publicly challenge him, even to sink the profoundly unfit Gaetz. In short, it’s now clear that one of our only bulwarks against an authoritarian Trump will be the GOP Senate. We talked to writer Jill Lawrence, who has a new piece for The Bulwark arguing that Trump is assembling a “team of outlaws” to run the country. She explains what it means that Republicans are drawing a line against Gaetz—and why the pressure on them will be intense to challenge him when it really counts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover former Rep. Matt Gaetz faces allegations of paying women for sex and travel, the ACLU files a lawsuit against ICE, seeking information about its deportation flights, forty-five pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong are sentenced to up to 10 years in prison under a Beijing-imposed national security law for their involvement in a 2021 unofficial primary election, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump has angrily put Republicans on notice: He may bypass them with recess appointments to get his personnel picks through in a hurry. In a scary turn in this saga, a top conservative lawyer is warning that Trump may well resort to a nuclear option that threatens devastating consequences: House Speaker Mike Johnson can trigger a complicated scenario clearing the way for those appointments, wrecking the Senate’s advice-and-consent role. With GOP opposition brewing to Matt Gaetz and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., MAGA is raging at any signs of opposition. We talked to the Brookings Institution’s Sarah Binder, a leading expert in congressional rules, who explains how this would all unfold, why it plausibly could happen, and how it would threaten our constitutional system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover President Biden allowing Ukrainian strikes on Kursk, Biden’s visit to the Amazon, controversy surrounding Trump’s Defense Secretary pick, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First came Matt Gaetz. Now The Washington Post is reporting that Donald Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, paid a woman who accused him of sexually assaulted her as part of a nondisclosure agreement (he insists the encounter was consensual). One Trumpworld source is even describing internal frustration over the failure to vet Hegseth in advance. We talked to leading Never Trump strategist Rick Wilson, who’s launching a new effort to conduct opposition research on Trump and his most prominent allies. He explains why Trump’s initial personnel moves are putting Republicans in a terrible spot—and how they betray his intent to destroy our institutions. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats have their work cut out for them moving into the new year. With monumental elections on the horizon, Norm has plenty of ways the Democrats can press the advantage. In this insightful episode, David Rothkopf fills in for Kavita to discuss the House, Senate, and presidential elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: November 2, 2023 Governments worldwide are working to adapt to AI, including Biden’s executive order and a UK summit bringing together officials from 28 countries. Freedom House’s Allie Funk and Kian Vesteinsson join David Rothkopf to explain the repressive power of AI and the clear and pressing need for action to curb its harmful effects. Don’t miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the United States is entering a new nuclear age and a new global arms race, what does a second Trump term mean for our national security? What do the plans of Project 2025 mean for the American nuclear weapons force? How will such modernization and weapon buildup affect America’s relationships with both its allies and enemies? Joe Cirincione joins Jon to help navigate the lunacy of this new administration and the very real and very serious dangers we are now facing…. And how they might get worse. Listen here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss Trump choosing RFK Jr. for Heath and Human Services, Rand Paul’s plan to kneecap the CISA, the Onion’s hilarious takeover of Infowars, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re now in Day Two of an extraordinary GOP meltdown over Donald Trump’s pick of Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Numerous Republican Senators are strongly opposing the move. But on Thursday, Trump’s appointments got even worse with his choice of anti-vax conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the secretary of Health and Human Services. It’s hard to say which of these will be more of a disaster. We talked to Nina Burleigh, author of a great new cover story for The New Republic called “Trump 2.0: Here Comes the Night,” about how deeply worrisome these developments truly are—and whether GOP senators will hold the line against them. The prognosis is not good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump’s cabinet picks reach new heights of awfulness. From Matt Gaetz to Elise Stefanik, it’s a veritable who’s who of MAGA sycophants. In a special episode, Rosa Brooks, David Sanger, and EJ Dionne join David Rothkopf to break down these awful choices and what they tell us about the upcoming Trump administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since winning the election, Donald Trump has been quick to cement his new administration and lay the groundwork for his frightening and ludicrous political agenda. As news of his appointees comes out, we are forced to ask ourselves - where do we go from here? Norm and Kavita are back to take stock of this unfortunate situation and analyze what our future holds… as well as talk about puppies and the humanity in dogs. Listen here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss Trump tapping Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, John Thune’s selection as the next Majority Leader, Republicans officially taking control of the House, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, Donald Trump unleashed a rambling announcement explaining his choice of Representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general, lying manically about Gaetz’s supposed work revealing how the Justice Department had been weaponized against him. Translation: Trump wants Gaetz to use DOJ to carry out his personal vendettas. This comes as Trump has picked the Putin-friendly Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence. We talked to Ben Meiselas, co-founder of the Meidas Touch Network. He explains why these choices signal chaos ahead, and why the Gaetz pick in particular shows he’s fully determined to subvert the rule of law to punish his enemies, just as he advertised in his rant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover Trump’s ever-worsening roster of cabinet picks, Elon and Vivek’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’, Newsom’s efforts to shield California from the next administration, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump has picked three anti-immigrant hard-liners for his administration: Stephen Miller will be deputy chief of staff for policy; Tom Homan, his former head of ICE, will be “border czar”; and South Dakota governor Kristi Noem will be Homeland Security secretary. Which means Trump will act on his threat to carry out mass deportations. We talked to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who has a great new column arguing that mass deportations will cause a large spike in inflation. He explains why Trump’s policies will likely backfire; how he’ll corrupt government information to cover it up; and why Trump voters may soon be shocked at how badly he misled them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Trump’s newest cabinet picks, Ruben Gallego defeating Kari Lake in Arizona, Israel missing humanitarian aid deadline in Gaza, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the campaign, Donald Trump openly advertised that as president, he’ll use the state to retaliate against his enemies in every way he can. Now The New York Times reports that some of his advisers are urging him to absolutely make good on that threat. And right on cue, Trump erupted on social media, calling for investigations into people supposedly spreading false rumors about his intention to sell shares of his Truth Social—a revealing indicator of the types of abuses of power that we can expect from a second Trump term. We talked to New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser, author of a great new piece on what’s coming. She explains in alarming detail how Trump will be far more liberated—less constrained by the law, by the Republican Party, and by guardrails of any kind—than ever before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: December 15, 2023 As if there weren’t enough reasons to worry about a second Trump term, Jon has reminded us of another reason to be afraid. Jeffrey Lewis joins David Rothkopf and Jon Wolfsthal to discuss the nuclear chain of command in the United States and other nuclear powers and what safeguards stand between us and the fallout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 19, 2023 The right's hate-filled, authoritarian media machine is loud. It's time for pro-democracy media tech to GET LOUDER! Watch this superstar panel of Joe Trippi, Tara McGowan, Ben Meiselas, and David Rothkopf, moderated by Simon Rosenberg, talk turning up the volume. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Norm and Kavita are back to share their raw emotions after the election, discuss the grim realities facing the country, and break down the meaning and horrors of a second Trump presidential term. What will be different this time around? How can President Biden best serve his final days in office? Where do both parties stand and where do we go from here? DSR Network members will also get to listen to Norm and Kavita analyze Trump’s healthcare plans and the dangers of RFK Jr. and medical disinformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI policy needs to be a focus of the Trump administration. But will the President-elect be able to rise to the challenge? What does the inclusion of figures like Elon Musk in Trump’s inner circle tell us about what the future of regulation looks like? Cyber policy expert Marietje Schaake joins David Rothkopf to answer these questions and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we break down Trump’s choice for Chief of Staff, Biden’s speech following the election, the first engagement with North Korean troops in Ukraine, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, after Donald Trump won the election, Jeff Bezos issued an extraordinary tweet: He didn’t just congratulate Trump; he also bent over backwards to hail his extraordinary political comeback. We think this is a bad sign of what’s coming: People in key institutional positions going out of their way to curry favor with Trump in advance. How bad will this get? We talked to Philadelphia Inquirer national columnist Will Bunch, author of a good column about Bezos’s bended knee to Trump. Bunch explains what all this portends about the surrender of key institutions in the face of Trump’s coming strongman rule—and what we can do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The election is over, and we lost. Now it’s time to get up off the mat and get back to work. Simon Rosenberg and Tara McGowan join David Rothkopf to break down what went wrong this time, and share the key lessons that Democrats have to learn in order to bounce back and keep up the fight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover Kamala Harris’s concession speech, the biggest results from the 2024 election, Jack Smith winding down federal cases against Trump, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Donald Trump won the election, Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who is becoming a senior figure in MAGA-world, declared on Fox News that he has a big mandate to govern exactly as he campaigned, while specifically listing what’s coming. This is alarming, since Trump campaigned relentlessly on a platform of explicit threats of authoritarian retribution and violence. We talked to David Kurtz, executive editor of Talking Points Memo and author of a good new piece on the election results. He reflects on how sobering it is that voters chose Trump in full awareness of the cruelties he’s planning to unleash—and discusses the immense task that lies ahead in containing the damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is officially returning to the White House. With the worst case scenario coming to pass, Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, David Sanger, and David Rothkopf take a look at what the hell happened and discuss what we can expect from a second Trump term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we react to Donald Trump and the Republicans’ stunning victory over Kamala Harris and the Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special election night episode of Deep State Radio, Minnah Stein talks to voters outside the Harris event last night in DC. As they wait for Kamala Harris to take the stage, they talk about why this event is important to them, what issues are concerning them, and how they're feeling about the results of the election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s finally here. On the DSR Daily for Election Day 2024, we cover the main headlines heading into this critical election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Donald Trump is going to be defeated, it will probably come down to this: Female voters look poised to vote for Kamala Harris in numbers that we can only guess at. And on Monday, Liz Cheney went on “The View” and flatly predicted that women will save us from Trump, laying out why she believes right leaning and conservative women should—and will—reject Trump and his increasingly unstable hatreds. We talked to Stella Sexton, the vice chair of the Democratic Party in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, about what she’s seeing on the ground, how women are turning on Trump in the home stretch, and why it will be in places like Lancaster that women may decide this election against him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the eve of the most consequential election of our lifetime, renowned investigative journalist Michael Weiss (@Michaelweiss) joins Marc (@mpolymer) to discuss the national security arena from Ukraine to the Middle East. What are the effects on Ukraine of a Harris or Trump victory? What is Biden’s overall legacy on Ukraine? Is Biden the most pro-Israel president in US history? Plus Michael’s new pup Humphrey makes his first on air appearance. Can’t miss episode as the world watches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover a round-up of election news from the US and around the world, including the possibility of RFK Jr. in a Trump administration, Viktor Orban’s statements on a Trump victory, and Moldova’s pro-EU president winning reelection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s allies reportedly fear Trump’s recent hate rally might have badly hurt him, and worry their internal polls aren’t getting it right on how shaky his standing is in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, new polls show surprising movement among women and undecided voters toward Kamala Harris. Trump raged at a rally about the highly regarded Des Moines Register poll showing him down three in Iowa and tweeted madly about other less-reputable polls he likes better. His campaign put out a crazed memo accusing pollsters of conspiring against him. With the race still a coin flip, we talked to Danielle Butterfield, executive director of the Democratic PAC Priorities USA, about what must happen now for Harris to win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes leaders like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin tick? Dr. Ken Dekleva joins Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf to share his answer. Dr. Dekleva shares his experience helping profile world leaders for the US government, including how different US presidents utilized these leadership profiles in high-stakes summits and negotiations. Dr. Dekleva also discusses the critical role played by Regional Medical Officers overseas. on women in espionage, intelligence spycraft, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: November 1, 2023 As the war in Gaza continues, civilians are paying the price. Meanwhile, President Biden's relationship with Israeli PM Netanyahu seems destined to grow more difficult. Rula Jebreal joins David Rothkopf, Ed Luce, and Rosa Brooks to discuss what the Biden administration can do, and how US policy needs to evolve to further humanitarian goals in the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Kelly, former FBI agent and colleague at the Institute for Security and Technology in California, joins Jon to discuss the intersection between AI and cybersecurity. How has our perceptions of artificial intelligence changed alongside its rapid technological development? What effects does AI have on cybersecurity and how does it affect cyberwarfare? Are these developments not-so-bad in the long term, or are we facing impending catastrophic risk? Tune in to hear Steve and Jon break down all this and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss Trump’s strange pledge to protect women “whether they like it or not”, a judge ruling that Musk’s giveaways can continue, historic flooding in Spain, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris’s campaign just released a hard-hitting ad featuring Donald Trump’s quotes about the need for a “punishment” for abortion, and tying them powerfully to horrific stories about women suffering and dying under GOP abortion bans. If Harris wins, it’ll probably be due to women who are motivated by messages like this one. We talked to Jennifer Mercieca, a professor of political communications who writes about how political rhetoric functions. She explains how Harris is effectively tapping into a deep cultural moment—and why we may be underestimating the political energy of women in the post-Dobbs era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach the election's final days, the entire country has its eyes set on Tuesday. How are the candidates faring in this final stretch? Is Trump’s racist MSG rally a true October Surprise? Do we have any idea at all where we are headed between now and Election Day? Tune in to hear Norm and Kavita discuss all this and more: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the final countdown, and we’re feeling… optimistic? Nauseous? All of the above? With only a few days left until Election Day, Norm Ornstein and David Corn join David Rothkopf to make their final predictions. From Madison Square Garden to the battleground states, we cover what you need to know before November 5th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss legal challenges to Musk’s $1 million-a-day giveaways, a Trump supporter threatening Harris supporters with a machete, the Supreme Court allowing Virginia to purge voter rolls, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The presidential race is tied, and Donald Trump very well could win. But he is now scapegoating others for a possible loss: He’s reportedly angry with Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, he’s raging about supposed voter fraud in Pennsylvania, and his allies are sounding new alarms about his ground game in key states. Meanwhile, new polls show engaged voters tilting to Kamala Harris, which means more pressure on Trump’s ground operation to turn out low-propensity voters. We talked to Joel Payne, a senior official at MoveOn, who explains what’s really happening with both sides’ ground games, why it could make the difference, and what could still go wrong for Democrats. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don’t know if you know this, but there’s an election coming up. In the wake of 2020, we know that election drama doesn’t end when the polls close. Senior Advisor at the Brennan Center Barton Gellman joins Rosa Brooks and David Rothkopf to discuss what we can expect after the election, and what can be done to prevent the worst from coming to pass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating new policy around a cutting edge issue like AI is tricky. How can we balance the needs of innovation and regulation. More importantly, how do we sure that not person, or country, is left behind? Former White House official Camille Stewart Gloster joins David Rothkopf to discuss these pressing issues and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down Kamala’s huge rally in DC, Ukraine’s new mobilization efforts, troubles at the Washington Post, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the backlash to Donald Trump’s hate rally in New York intensifies, he defended the event as a “lovefest” in a rambling monologue on Tuesday. Why? Because the vile “joke” at the rally comparing Puerto Rico to a pile of garbage is infuriating Puerto Rican voters, a surprisingly large constituency in Pennsylvania. We talked to GOP strategist Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, expert on the Latino vote, and author of The Latino Century. He explains why this could be the “October Surprise” that has put Trump in danger of losing the state—and the election. As Madrid tells us: “Surprise, Donald Trump, you blew yourself up.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran national security journalist Nancy Youseff (@nancyayouseff) joins Marc to discuss Israel’s strike on Iran, what Iran may do next, the plight of the hostages, and how covering decades of wars in the Middle East shapes one’s views on the current conflict. Plus a discussion of the Arab street, and how the region is changing. With amazing bonus content on Nancy’s journey as an Arab-American female journalist, and her covering the Arab spring. A can’t miss episode with one of the leading national security experts of our time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover the fallout of Trump’s follies, Israel targeting UNRWA with new legislation, an election surprise in Japan, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MAGA suddenly seems very, very out of sorts. Donald Trump raged at Fox News on Monday, blasting the network for its supposedly favorable coverage of Democrats. Meanwhile, a number of Trump’s allies suddenly seem very worried about the backlash to his hate rally at Madison Square Garden. We spoke with Democratic strategist Anat Shenker-Osorio, who regularly does research into disaffected voters and explains why Trump’s rally at the Garden could provide last-minute motivation to vote against Trump among people who are at risk of sitting out the election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Trump’s racist rally in New York, the blocking of Virginia’s voter purge attempt, a dire climate warning, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, Michelle Obama delivered an extraordinary speech that reminded us how catastrophic Donald Trump’s presidency was, harshly criticized his debased moral character, and asked why the press expects Kamala Harris to meet basic standards of public conduct that aren’t expected of Trump. Could this closing message win over the undecided voters who will decide the race? We talked to Reed Galen, a former GOP strategist who’s working to pull remaining fence-sitters away from Trump for his group Join the Union.us, about why Michelle Obama’s message might reach undecided women and how it puts the media to shame. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marissa talks with Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, founder of Politifact and author of Beyond the Big Lie: The Epidemic of Political Lying, Why Republicans Do It More, and How It Could Burn Down Our Democracy, about the serious implications misinformation and lies spread by politicians can have on our democracy. Marissa and Bill then take a somewhat soothing digression into the subject of IPAs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: September 22, 2023 Norm and David are not happy, and for good reason. The latest judiciary committee hearing reminds us all how far down the rabbit hole the Republican party has gone in the pursuit of scorched-earth politics, but it is not the only example of Republican lunacy this week. Norm and David break down the latest news and more in suitably ranty fashion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: November 29, 2023 As the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas nears its end, we’re left to wonder what a more permanent peace looks like. Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to examine the possibility of peace and to break down the Biden Administration’s role in the conflict and whether the public perception of the war as a US/Israel joint venture is fair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As China continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal and policy, the national security risk becomes central to the US-Chinese relationship. But how is China actually changing its nuclear policy? How does the Chinese political leadership see the purpose of a large nuclear arsenal? What threats are both China and the US perceiving? Tong Zhao joins Jon to discuss his recently published report on Chinese nuclear policy and break down all these topics and more. Listen here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover Elon Musk in conversation with Vladimir Putin since late 2022, shootings at a Democratic campaign office in Arizona, Donald Trump announcing his intention to use presidential powers to end special counsel Jack Smith's investigations, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a new interview, Donald Trump seethed with anger at Jack Smith, and confirmed that if elected president, he’ll fire Smith as special counsel immediately. On top of that, Trump also boasted that the Supreme Court has now given him immunity from criminal prosecution. Which suggests Trump really does think that if he wins, he’ll be able to function as president with something like absolute impunity, unaccountable to any laws. We talked to former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade, who explained what actually would unfold if a newly elected President Trump fired Smith, and how dangerous he could get as a totally unshackled president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With less than two weeks remaining in a tightly contested election, battleground states have become a crucial target for each presidential campaign. Olivia Troye and Reed Galen join David Rothkopf to share what they see on-the-ground in these states, discuss Trump’s ever-terrifying rhetoric, and examine how the Harris campaign is navigating this tight race. Later, Julie Zebrak joins David to share her perspective from Georgia and break down the key issues confronting voters. Tune in here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Norm to break down the final twelve days of the presidential race, from Kamala Harris’ CNN Town Hall to Trump’s incredibly concerning and outspoken affinity for Nazis. How does the election landscape look as we head into the final stretch? How confident can we be in a Harris victory, and what is truly at stake if Trump wins? Tune in to hear Norm and David discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover the expected Hezbollah leader being killed, campaigning in Pennsylvania and Georgia, infant mortality getting worse after Roe reversal, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s former White House chief of staff, John Kelly, just revealed that he believes Trump will rule as a dictator and a fascist—and that he mused aloud about having his generals function as Hitler’s generals did. Kamala Harris jumped on this news to highlight the dire threat posed by a second Trump term. Can Harris translate this bombshell into a strong closing message in swing states that will decide this election? We talked to Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler, who walks us through what Harris must do to win the state—and what a closing argument about the dangers posed by Trump might accomplish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With two weeks to go until the election, an October Surprise seems to be emerging, as Trump was quoted saying, "I need the kind of generals that Hitler had." Kori Schake, Rosa Brooks, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to discuss all the major news leading up to the election, including what this news about North Korea assisting Russia really means and the history of Trump's fascination with Hitler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Everyday is a three legged stool of fear, joy and self-loathing:” our favorite espionage author David McCloskey (Twitter: @mccloskeybooks) joins Marc to discuss his new book “The Seventh Floor” and the painful yet rewarding process of writing a best selling novel. Plus, CIA pranks, friendships forged in training, tradecraft that is (almost) real, and more on our favorite case officer, Artemis Proctor. And finally, woe to David’s Cleveland Indians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover Russian disinformation efforts surrounding the election, Trump accusing the Labour Party of election interference, Bill Gates’s contribution to the Harris campaign, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With two weeks to go, the presidential race couldn’t be closer. But if Kamala Harris is to win, how exactly would that happen? Veteran journalist Ron Brownstein has a new piece in The Atlantic laying out what Harris’s path to victory looks like. The short version: She has to run up massive margins in cities and affluent suburbs, while limiting Trump’s gains among nonwhite and working class white voters. That may sound unsurprising. But the details on how this might unfold are complicated, fraught with uncertainties, and actually plausible, if very difficult. So we invited Brownstein on the show to demystify all of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Skynet-type AI apocalypse is on everyone’s mind, but what about the very real problems happening right now? Professor of Technology and Regulation at the Oxford Internet Institute Sandra Wachter joins David Rothkopf to share what issues with artificial intelligence we should focus on, and why now is the perfect time to take action. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Antony Blinken heading back to the Middle East, a leaked US assessment of Israeli strike plans, Trump’s flip-flopping on election interference, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The other day, Donald Trump playacted as a worker at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. But he ran into trouble, evading a question about whether he would support a minimum wage hike, producing scalding headlines. Which gets at a larger scam: Trump enjoys public approval on the economy, even though his agenda for working people is borderline nonexistent, whereas Harris has a detailed economic agenda for working and middle class people alike. We talked to HuffPost senior reporter Jonathan Cohn, author of a good new piece on the McDonald’s saga, who explains how this stunt captures the fraudulence of Trump’s economic plans—and the authenticity of Harris’s middle class biography. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover ‘unprecedented interference’ in Moldova’s election and referendum, the House’s report on the Secret Service failures, Elon Musk’s new and probably illegal election giveaway, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a rally in Nevada, Barack Obama offered a blistering new warning: Trump’s vows to persecute the “enemy within” should be taken with deadly seriousness. Trump’s displays are deeply dangerous in someone who would be president with no guardrails left. Yet even now, a sizable subset of voters just doesn’t take his threats seriously. We talked to veteran analyst Michael Podhorzer, author of a good new piece warning that we’re “sleepwalking our way to fascism.” He explains how this election could come down to whether those voters grasp the threat Trump poses—exactly what Obama seemed to be saying—and criticizes the media for failing to sound the alarm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: October 27, 2023 With Russia conducting an unprecedented nuclear strike drill, China significantly expanding its arsenal, and the US unveiling a new nuclear weapon, we might just be witnessing the beginnings of a modern nuclear arms race. Heather Williams and Jeffrey Lewis join Jon Wolfsthal and David Rothkopf to dissect the intricacies of the changing landscape of nuclear weapons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: October 20, 2023 Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee subcommittee on the Middle East. In this exclusive one-on-one conversation, he discusses the President's funding request for Ukraine and Israel, the recent trip of President Biden to Israel, the risks associated with the conflict between Israel and Hamas including the risk of escalation and the broader issue of what America's role and priorities in the region ought to be. It's a must-listen podcast. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eliana Johns, Senior Research Associate with the Federation of American Scientists, joins Jon to discuss China’s latest ICBM tests and her recent geolocation project to locate them. What is the significance of these recent ICBM launches? What goes into open-source investigation projects? And how can one use mere images of bushes, dirt and blades of grass halfway across the world to pinpoint critical missile test sites? Find out all this and more here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former CIA paramilitary officer, station chief, and senior DoD official Mick Mulroy joins Marc to discuss the demise of Hamas leader Yayah Sinwar. Responsible for the death of 46 Americans, Sinwar’s death will be celebrated by the US counterterrorism community. Will this energize the now stalled hostage negotiations? And bonus content on a string of US intelligence community analytic failures, and what to do to rectify both shortfalls in analysis and collection. Must listen to episode on this dramatic day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we breakdown the killing of Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, the US charging an ex-Indian intelligence official for involvement in an assassination plot, North Korea sending troops to aid Russia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, Donald Trump erupted with rage at Fox News over its election coverage, explicitly slamming Fox for making a Kamala Harris presidency more likely. Meanwhile, CNN reports that among Trump allies, plans for another fake electors scheme are in full swing. Which raises a question: What sort of chaos could erupt, if the voting is close and Fox and other right wing media start amplifying Trump’s inevitable lies about fraud in the election? We talked to election law expert Matthew Seligman, author of How to Steal a Presidential Election, who walks us through the potential nightmare scenarios that lie ahead, and what we can do about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early voting has started, and there are already great signs for the Harris camp. From early voting data to new voter registration to youth engagement, it looks like Kamala has the momentum. Tom Bonier, Tara McGowan, and Simon Rosenberg join David Rothkopf to provide a state of the race and share why things are still looking rock solid for the democrats as Election Day draws near. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One way or another, we’re getting a new administration come January. In the age of AI, the first 100 days of either administration will need bold policies to regulate this rapidly expanding industry. Executive Director of Data & Society Janet Haven joins David Rothkopf to share the key points that the next administration must hit in order to keep the US on top of AI regulation. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss a judge striking down election rules in Georgia, Israel no longer processing commercial food shipments into Gaza, JD Vance claiming the 2020 election was not legitimate, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word “fascist” has fully penetrated the presidential race. We just learned that a top general under President Donald Trump described Trump as “fascist to the core.” Trump has been threatening to unleash the military on the enemy within, which numerous observers describe as fascist politics. And at a Fox News event on Wednesday, Trump uncorked an unhinged, rambling response to all this, insisting that the real fascists are Democrats. We talked to David Austin Walsh, a historian and author of Taking America Back, who explains how the American right has overlapped with fascist movements throughout our history—and what that says about our MAGA moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s nearly impossible to tell what’s true in the deluge of election coverage. Every day brings a new story or opinion piece that seems to contradict what came before. Ed Luce joins David Rothkopf to navigate the maze of polls and pundits to share predictions for the 2024 election and why we still feel pretty good going into November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the Biden administration’s demands for more aid in Gaza, Elon Musk’s super PAC, incredible early voting in Georgia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the media finally figuring out how to cover Donald Trump’s mental unfitness for the presidency? First, CNN’s Jake Tapper dressed down a Trump surrogate for whitewashing Trump’s threat to unleash the military on his enemies. Then Trump held a strange town hall at which he abruptly stopped answering questions, which generated aggressive media coverage. And Kamala Harris has directly engaged on Trump’s mental state in a new way, drawing media attention to it. We talked to Brian Beutler, who often criticizes the media on his Off Message Substack, about the increasing signs that the press is treating Trump’s mental decline as a big story. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover Netanyahu’s promise that Israel will strike Iranian military targets, Canada and India expelling diplomats, threats of violence against FEMA, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, J.D. Vance tried to argue that Donald Trump will not target his political enemies if he’s reelected president. Yet at around the same time, Trump was confirming the opposite point with several new rants on Fox News, declaring flatly that he’ll use the military to target the “enemy within.” Indeed, Trump regularly says openly at his rallies that in a second term, he will persecute unnamed enemies of MAGA. We talked to Politico reporter Myah Ward, author of a great new piece on what he’s been saying at these rallies, about how blatant he is now being about his second-term intention to grotesquely abuse presidential power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: November 27, 2023 Israeli officials have predicted two more months of fighting. With such a lengthy campaign ahead, is the IDF pursuing the best strategy? Former deputy director of the CIA Counterterrorism Center Darrell Blocker joins Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf to assess Israel’s approach so far and what could be on the horizon for the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: March 15, 2023 There is never a dull period for the Middle East. David and Rosa are joined by Alon Pinkus of Haaretz to discuss Iran and Saudi Arabia resuming diplomatic ties and the ongoing crisis in Israel. Do we anticipate big changes in the Middle East following this announcement? What does this say about America's role in the region? Is Israel in an (unwritten) constitutional crisis? All of this and more during this thoughtful discussion. Members get a bonus segment where David and Kim Ghattas, author of Black Wave, continue the conversation about the Saudi-Iran relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a whirlwind of a week, and Norm and Kavita are back to discuss it all: Hurricane Milton in Florida, Republican FEMA hypocrisy, the public health disinformation spewing from the RFK Jr-Trump alliance, Trump’s mental deterioration, and more. Members will also get to hear exclusive insider content on Kamala Harris’ healthcare plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all played around with AI, generating pictures our audio to send to our friends. But when happens when someone uses AI to generate images of you? Renée DiResta, an expert on how adversaries exploit digital platforms, joins David Rothkopf to share how the accessibility of AI has blown the door wide open for disinformation and exploitation, and the ways we can protect ourselves. We also ask the most important question of all: what’s the deal with Shrimp Jesus? This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, so does concern over the current state of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Is Israel likely to target nuclear facilities? How close is Iran actually to having a bomb? What role does the United States play in all this? Kelsey Davenport, Director of Non-Proliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, and Eric Brewer, Deputy Vice President at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, join Jon to talk all things Iran, nuclear policy, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we break down the Israeli strikes on Beirut, the impact of Hurricane Milton, Obama rallying voters for Kamala in Pennsylvania, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on CBS News, raging at the network over something they supposedly did involving Kamala Harris’s interview on “60 minutes.” He has now stated repeatedly that CBS should lose its broadcasting license. We think this is a clear warning about what a second Trump term would look like. We talked to Michael Sozan, author of a new report for the Center for American Progress Action Fund on Project 2025. He gets specific about how an authoritarian Trump presidency could use government power to bring independent media to heel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could the 2024 election be decided by Gen Z voters? The Harris campaign seems to think so. With so much effort placed on turning out young voters, expert John Della Volpe joins Riley Fessler and Minnah Stein to explain what makes this group the key to victory in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former USG Intel analyst and current Washington Institute for Near East Policy senior official Matthew Levitt (@Levitt_Matt) joins Marc to discuss an extraordinary several weeks in the region. From Israel conducting “open heart surgery” on Hizballah, a Gaza with a significantly reduced Hamas but no “day after” plan, to what to do about the burgeoning Iranian nuclear program, Matt’s views are essential to assessing the CT landscape in the Middle East and ultimately unpacking the policy challenges for both the US and Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could the 2024 election be decided by Gen Z voters? The Harris campaign seems to think so. With so much effort placed on turning out young voters, expert John Della Volpe joins Riley Fessler and Minnah Stein to explain what makes this group the key to victory in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss Hurricane Milton’s impact on Florida, a Russian strike on a Ukrainian port, the latest polling from Reuters/Ipsos, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a big question in the presidential race: Will Republican and independent voters who backed Nikki Haley in GOP primaries support Donald Trump at the levels he needs? New data suggests the answer may be No. The Bulwark reports that a new poll taken by a Democratic firm finds a surprisingly large percentage of voters who backed Haley defecting to Kamala Harris. And a New York Times national poll finds her making new inroads among GOP voters. How real is all this? We talked to the Bulwark’s Marc Caputo, who’s well sourced among Republicans, about the perils this poses to Trump and what top Republicans think about the race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk isn’t taking disinformation seriously. The owner of X has made the platform a cesspool of fake news, bots, and trolls — seemingly by design. Kori Schake, Rosa Brooks, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to discuss the grave consequences of disinformation for the election in November and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we cover FEMA’s warning on disaster relief disinformation, Hezbollah clashes with IDF forces, a lawsuit alleging Virginia is purging legitimate voters, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a new book, Bob Woodward reports that Donald Trump sent covid tests to Vladimir Putin at the height of the pandemic, and that after leaving office, Trump had up to seven private phone calls with Putin. This drew a harsh response from Kamala Harris, who pointed out that Trump kowtows to Putin because he aspires to be a dictator himself. Which highlights something important: The direct connection between Trump’s authoritarian aspirations at home and the axis of global autocrats rooting for him to prevail. We talked to international relations professor Nicholas Grossman, who writes on these issues, about all these shadowy links, and whether Harris can highlight all this in the home stretch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Tuesday, we cover the Florida governor ignoring calls from VP Harris, the Supreme Court dealing another blow to abortion rights in Texas, Russia charging a US citizen for fighting in Ukraine, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a new interview, Donald Trump unleashed an ugly, crazed rant about Kamala Harris, calling her “low IQ” and “stupid.” And almost no leading journalists took it seriously. Which points to a larger story: Trump regularly targets Harris with vile attacks that are unapologetically misogynist, yet it barely attracts notice anymore. We talked to writer Susan Milligan—who does good work for The New Republic on Trump’s misogyny—about how overtly anti-woman Trump’s strategy has become, and what Harris can do to exploit this in the race’s final days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

National security correspondent and HUMINT Substack author Sasha Ingber @SashaIngber joins Marc to cover today’s foreign policy challenges from the Middle East to Europe. Additionally, Sasha discusses her entry into journalism and pivot towards the national security beat, as well as her experiences and pressures as a reporter covering conflict zones. Members will also get to hear an after action report from Sasha’s trip to Ukraine as well as a deeply moving story of veteran suicide after the fall of Kabul. Must listen to episode with a rising star in the national security beat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Monday, we discuss the new Hurricane coming for Florida, the Supreme Court’s upcoming term, new barriers to voting for college students, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday, The New York Times published an extraordinary piece detailing Donald Trump’s deteriorating mental state, singling out his deranged fabrications and outright fabulism as central to its expose. Meanwhile, Trump held a weekend rally in Pennsylvania where he lied angrily in ugly new ways about the federal response to Hurricane Helene. Can Democrats capitalize on all this in the home stretch? We talked to Democratic strategist Maria Cardona, who suggests new ways to close out this race by highlighting Trump’s profound mental unfitness for the presidency—and depicting his lying about disaster response as fundamentally disqualifying. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: August 11, 2023 With the sound defeat of Issue 1 in Ohio, Norm and Kavita discuss whether Democrats can apply the lessons learned to 2024. Also on the agenda are the latest developments with Trump’s documents case in Florida, and whether or not the myriad legal woes will actually help Trump in the next election. Don’t miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: October 10, 2023 Saturday, October 7 will likely go down as one of, if not the worst day, in Israel’s history. While Israel was focused on the West Bank and moving toward normalization with Saudi Arabia, Hamas was planning and plotting this attack right under Benjamin Netanyahu’s nose. We discuss the extraordinary events with our experts, Rula Jebreal and Alon Pinkas. Will Bibi survive this attack politically? And how should the United State respond? Tune in to find out the answers to these questions and more on this special episode of Deep State Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI development will soon be a major component of the global economy. So how can emerging economies keep up with the US and China? AI governance and ethics expert Dr. Chinasa Okolo joins David Rothkopf to discuss why this issue is so critical and how to avoid a global AI gap. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 180-page report, filed on Wednesday, provides damning evidence against Donald Trump which could carry serious legal implications - why is this not the banner headline of every major media outlet? What does this report show, and what ramifications could it have on the election and beyond? Norm and Kavita are back to discuss this and more. Members will also get a discussion of the Harris campaign’s strategy and the VP debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss emails from the early days of Israel’s Gaza operations, Melania Trump’s pro-choice stance in her memoir, a deal being struck in the port workers strike, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump keeps pushing the vile claim that federal officials are withholding disaster aid from GOP areas devastated by Hurricane Helene. This has now backfired, focusing media attention on Trump’s own hyper-politicization of disaster relief as president. To wit: Two former Trump officials told Politico that Trump initially refused to approve disaster aid for California after wildfires in 2018 due to the state’s Democratic lean. We talked to one of those officials—Olivia Troye, a senior homeland security official in the Trump administration and now a leading critic of the former president—about Trump’s disastrous tenure, and what she told is is not pretty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the final countdown for the 2024 Election, and that means it’s time for a check in with our favorite experts to analyze the state of the race. Tom Bonier, Simon Rosenberg, and Tara McGowan join David Rothkopf to clue us in on the Harris campaign’s strategy, what the polls are saying, and how we can help Kamala win it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the vice-presidential debate, the CBS News moderators fact-checked one of JD Vance’s lies—and that was all it took to trigger an epic attack on CBS from Donald Trump and his MAGA allies. Which highlights a larger story: The degree to which Trump’s campaign is built on an immense superstructure of endless, shameless lying. Bullying the media into not fact checking Trump and Vance is essential to that project. We talked to Jamison Foser, who writes about the media and the right on his Finding Gravity Substack, about the ways our institutions are capitulating to authoritarian attacks and threats—and what can be done in response. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Middle East is at its most dangerous point in decades. With an Israeli retaliation against Iran imminent, what can the US do to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control? Noga Tarnopolsky, Barbara Slavin, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to assess the administration and what comes next for Israel and the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we give our thoughts on the VP debate including the highlights, lowlights, and everything in-between. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With five weeks until Election Day, Donald Trump has decided to win over swing voters by rhapsodizing about police violence, threatening to prosecute anyone who displeases him, and unleashing disgusting insults toward his opponents. His latest? Raging that Tim Walz is a “moron” and “sick.” We talked to A.B. Stoddard, columnist at The Bulwark and author of a new piece suggesting a closing strategy for Kamala Harris, about how Democrats can use Trump’s angry, unhinged eruptions to fashion a winning endgame against him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover Israel’s ground operations in Lebanon, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum taking office, Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Western North Carolina is enduring full-blown catastrophe. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, towns have been destroyed, roads have been washed out, people are frantically trying to locate loved ones, and dozens have died. Enter Donald Trump, who just declared that the federal government—and Democratic governor Roy Cooper—are deliberately neglecting MAGA parts of the state, and charged that the Biden administration is consciously letting Americans drown. We talked to state Democratic Party chair Anderson Clayton about the horrors that the state is suffering, and about Trump’s ugly reaction to them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Above Average Intelligence, Marc is joined by longtime friend, award-winning national security journalist, and current justice and intelligence correspondent for NBC News Ken Dilanian. Ken offers insight into both his former roles on the intelligence beat as well as his current experiences covering the DOJ, in addition to his analysis of navigating the fine lines between the media, the government, and foreign interference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Israel’s latest strikes in Yemen, the devastation and political implications of Hurricane Helene, the far-right’s victory in Austria, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a rally in Wisconsin over the weekend, Donald Trump really cranked up the rage and hate speech about immigrants, and viciously savaged Kamala Harris as “mentally impaired.” But this deserves special attention: Trump also attacked Fox News for the mere act of carrying a recent Harris speech about immigration on the network, seething that Fox shouldn’t be “allowed” to do that. We talked to Salon columnist Amanda Marcotte, a skillful interpreter of Trump’s violent threats, about the clear signals that this and other recent Trump utterances are sending about his intention to suppress dissent and persecute MAGA’s enemies during a second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: August 21, 2023 Maintaining alliances isn’t easy; they must be nurtured on a regular basis, which takes skill and acumen. Yet even with challenges both domestically and internationally, the US’s allies are some of its greatest assets. Since World War 2, the true brilliance of US strategy is to build genuine and sturdy alliances, politically, militarily, and in intelligence, with partners across the globe. Marc is joined by former senior CIA operations officer Jerry O’Shea, a four time station chief, to discuss why alliances are so critically important. Don’t miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: August 16, 2023 With yet another indictment against Donald Trump, his 2024 chances have taken another serious blow. David is joined by the host of the Amicus podcast Dahlia Lithwick and political strategist Simon Rosenberg to analyze how the deluge of legal drama will impact the 2024 race and why the Republicans' problems go beyond Trump. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Media coverage of the election hasn’t been the best. Time and time again, the traditional news outlets have failed to provide the necessary information to voters, resulting in a race that seems to be too close for comfort. Journalists and media critics Jeff Jarvis and Dan Froomkin join David Rothkopf to explain where the mainstream media has gone wrong, and what it can do to get back on track. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Friday, we cover Netanyahu’s flip-flopping on a Lebanon ceasefire, the details of the Eric Adams indictment, Melania Trump’s new interview, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump has been quiet about January 6th lately. But this week, he suddenly unleashed an epic rant on social media about Special Counsel Jack Smith, raging about false new claims on the right that the “deep state” deliberately allowed the insurrection to go forward—against Trump’s will. The real cause of Trump’s fury? Smith is set to submit a court filing detailing his evidence of Trump’s alleged January 6th related crimes—some of which may become public. We talked to Politico reporter Kyle Cheney, author of a new report on these machinations, who helps illuminate what new revelations we may soon learn about—and why Trump should worry about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Thursday, we cover the indictment of New York mayor Eric Adams, Israel rejecting calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon, Congress passing a funding bill, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Kamala Harris can defeat Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, she almost certainly will win the presidency. It’s must-win for him. Yet the state remains a coin-flip—which is why both candidates campaigned in the state this week. So what is Harris’s path to victory? We talked to Governor Josh Shapiro, who explained why the race is so close—and why he thinks she’s “on her way” to winning there, in part due to concerted communications with non-college voters. Shapiro also responded at length to Trump’s lies about Haitian immigrants living in Pennsylvania, pronouncing them “utter bullshit.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Escalating to de-escalate might not be Israel’s goal in Lebanon after all. But as strikes between Israel and Hezbollah continue to intensify, we have to wonder — what is Israel’s goal? Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to examine the situation in the Middle East, discuss the results from UNGA, predict the outcome of the Vice Presidential debate, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The UN’s advisory body on AI released their comprehensive report detailing recommendations to address AI-related risks. Dr. Alondra Nelson, a member of the body, joins David Rothkopf to detail the key takeaways from the report, why international action on artificial intelligence is so critical, and what needs to happen next. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the Senate report on the Secret Service, escalating attacks between Hezbollah and Israel, the controversial execution in Missouri, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and his allies have been pushing Nebraska’s GOP-controlled State legislature to change how the state’s electoral votes are allotted, to prevent Kamala Harris from winning the election with just the blue wall states. But Nebraska’s GOP governor just announced that he will not hold a special session to change the rules, dashing Trump’s hopes. How did this happen? We talked to Joe Perticone, who has been covering all this as national political reporter at The Bulwark. He unpacks why Trump couldn’t get this done, what the impact of this will be, and what it all says about the GOP in the age of MAGA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Norm and Kavita are back to discuss the past week of events in each presidential campaign. Kamala Harris continues to outpace the GOP and previous Democratic candidates in fundraising, while the Trump campaign continues to make outrageous statements about women and abortion rights. What are the polls telling us about the state of these campaigns as we inch closer to Election Day? And, in the members-only section, what the hell is going on with Mark Robinson? Listen to all this and more here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Tuesday, we cover the latest deadly strikes in Lebanon, the new funding bill in the House, a CrowdStrike hearing in Congress, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The scandals are getting worse for Mark Robinson, the GOP candidate for governor in North Carolina. After CNN broke the news of his incendiary comments on a pornography message board—including describing himself as a “black Nazi”—much of his staff quit. Now the national GOP has stopped funding his ads. You’ve heard talk about how Robinson’s collapse could help doom Trump in must-win North Carolina. But how exactly would that happen? What would it look like? We talked to Morgan Jackson—chief strategist for Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate—about the state’s deeply interesting demographics, how Kamala Harris can win there, and what could still go wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Above Average Intelligence, David Gioe @GioeINT, former CIA officer and current British Academy Global Professor of Intelligence and International Security at King’s College London, joins Marc to discuss the field of intelligence studies and the importance of passing the torch to the next generation. Additionally, David and Marc dive into the growing Russian spy hub in Mexico, the behind-the-scenes of the Anglo-American special intelligence relationship, and how to heal the growing and unfortunate US public distrust of the intelligence community. Listen to all this, and more, here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss the resignations of several key Mark Robinson campaign staffers, the DeSantis administration’s efforts to curb abortion access, Trump stating that he would not run again in 2028, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In two bizarre rants over the weekend, Donald Trump openly fumed about female voters, lecturing them about why they should be supporting him and dismissing concerns about GOP abortion bans and all they’ve wrought. Meanwhile, a new NBC News poll shows Kamala Harris leading Trump by 21 points among women. Is Trump even trying to speak to them effectively anymore? We talked to Joan Walsh, national affairs correspondent at The Nation who writes well about the politics of abortion. She explains how Harris’s appeals to female voters really work—and why Trump is alienating them so badly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: September 25, 2023 As technology rapidly evolves, America’s intelligence community needs to get smarter. David and Marc are joined by the former deputy director of the CIA Michael Morell to break down the shortcomings of our intelligence services and what must be done to meet the security challenges of both today and tomorrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: October 13, 2023 The escalation in Israel’s war with Hamas would have profound effects on the region and the global community. Kim Ghattas joins Jon and David to predict what could come next in the conflict, what role the rest of the region will play, and how the rest of the world will feel the effects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madelyn Creedon joins Jon to talk about the global nuclear landscape and her role as chairperson of the 2023 the Strategic Posture Commission. How will America’s security be affected in this new age of nuclear uncertainty and global competition. What steps and systems are China and Russia building and what are they trying to do. And most importantly, what combination of capabilities and national policy are needed to ensure American security. We consider all of these below: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss the bonkers Mark Robinson story, Zelensky’s upcoming meeting with Biden and Harris, Trump’s bizarre statements about Jews, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is a crummy candidate, but he’s certainly not the only example of rot in the Republican Party. With so much of the Trump campaign focused on hate and division, we have to ask: how low can the Republican Party really go? The Washington Post’s Jen Rubin and Words Matter host Norm Ornstein join David Rothkopf for an examination of how far the Republican Party has fallen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Donald Trump loses Pennsylvania, he almost certainly will lose the presidential election. Now, all of a sudden, we have four new high-quality polls showing Kamala Harris ahead, though some others show it tied. Why the heck is Pennsylvania so close? What is really going on there? Should we believe the polls? Or not? We chatted with Democratic strategist Rebecca Katz, who is from Pennsylvania herself, worked on Senator John Fetterman’s victorious 2022 campaign, and knows something about winning there. Katz explained what Harris’s path to victory in the state looks like—and the looming obstacles that still keep her awake at night. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Israel conducts one of the most impressive kinetic intelligence operations of our time, former DoD official Alex Plitsas joins Marc to discuss the technical aspects of the operation, and what may come next as Israel “escalate to de-escalate." Also, Alex and Marc review a recent CT conference that discussed the threat landscape, both from external and internal groups. And great bonus content on Alex and his team's incredible story of saving an American life in Gaza. Listen here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Thursday, we cover the latest developments from Lebanon, the uncovering of a Chinese-run tech spying network, House Republicans killing their own funding bill, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a rally in Michigan this week, Donald Trump unleashed a strange monologue about how we should only build gas-powered cars in the future, because we have lots of gasoline and China doesn’t. Translation: China has a huge lead in electric vehicles, so we shouldn’t even try to compete. Why isn’t all this more central in the presidential race? We chatted with Princeton professor Jesse Jenkins, a sharp observer of the energy transition and host of the weekly Shift Key podcast. He explained how Trump’s bizarre comments are essentially an admission that he’d surrender the future to China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pager explosions throughout Lebanon shocked the region and the world. As more details come to light, it’s clear that the attack was the result of an extensive and unprecedented Israeli intelligence operation. So how did they do it, and what comes next? Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos and regional expert Kim Ghattas join Kori Schake, Ed Luce, and David Rothkopf to answer these questions and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we cover Israel’s pager attack in Lebanon, suspicious packages being sent to election workers across the country, the Federal Reserve preparing to cut interest rates, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time, Kamala Harris’ favorability rating has crossed into positive territory in FiveThirtyEight’s latest polling averages. That’s a crucial threshold, as Harris is introducing herself to votes within a highly compressed timetable. But there’s still work to do: Harris has not yet fully rebuilt the coalition that ousted Donald Trump in 2020. We talked to Nick Ahamed, deputy executive director of the Democratic Super PAC Priorities USA, who walks us through the group’s own interesting new polling in the swing states—and explains what now must be done for Harris to finish the job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The core ideals of America are in peril, and the problem goes beyond just this election cycle. Despite all the doom and gloom, there is a path forward to get the country back on track. PoliticsGirl Leigh McGowan joins David Rothkopf to discuss her new book, A Return to Common Sense, and outline the ways to fix America before we really blow it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Charlottesville to Springfield, Donald Trump has been spewing language and misinformation that has incited real world violence. How have the candidates been using or abusing language in their campaigns? Norm and Kavita are back to break down this flurry of language in the media and show that words really do matter. Bonus content for members also includes a conversation on the recent assassination attempt and gun violence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Tuesday, we cover a Russian order to expand the military, a potential major shift in the Israeli government, the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Sudan, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a reference to the apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump over the weekend, the former president unleashed a long rant on social media blaming it all on Democrats. He insisted that because of Democratic rhetoric about Trump, the “bullets are flying, and it will only get worse.” Trump is systematically recasting any and all criticism of his attacks on democracy as incitement to violence—and in this, he’s fully backed up by other Republicans. We talked to Corey Brettschneider, a political scientist and author of The Presidents and the People, about how Trump is echoing Richard Nixon—and why we can’t let him get away with it. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for September 16, we cover the FBI’s investigation into a possible assassination attempt on Donald Trump and threats in Springfield, a key Biden adviser’s trip to Israel, TikTok’s upcoming court defense, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, Donald Trump’s rage over his debate fiasco appeared to get darker. In one splenetic social media post after another, he fumed he actually won the debate, while erupting repeatedly at ABC News’ moderation of it. All this comes as a whole bunch of new polling shows that Kamala Harris has made some surprising post-debate gains against Trump. We talked to veteran Democratic pollster Celinda Lake about the deeper causes for optimism inside the new data, what Harris still needs to do to win, and the deeper theory of the case driving all the successful baiting of Trump. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran national security analyst and nuclear policy expert Joe Cirincione joins Jon to discuss the changing global nuclear landscape. Is there still arms control in this new and modernizing nuclear age? What do these large investments into nuclear weapons systems mean for our national security? And where are Russia and China in this conversation? Find out more here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR daily, we break down the dismissal of two charges against Donald Trump, the possibility of lifting restrictions on Ukraine, blatant racism in MAGA, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this week’s debate, Donald Trump spread the deranged lie that immigrants are eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio. Tensions are escalating and terror is spreading: Haitian immigrants living there say they fear for their safety, and on Thursday, Springfield’s City Hall was evacuated due to a bomb threat. What if these searing tensions are exactly what Trump and his MAGA allies want? Not that they want violence, but rather that they see supercharged social rifts as desirable? We talked to Andrew Egger, a writer for The Bulwark who has a good new piece on Springfield, about how this saga opens a window on the darkness and malevolence of the MAGA movement. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re on a Hopium high after Kamala Harris’s stellar debate performance. With a deluge of new polls on the horizon, political gurus Tara McGowan, Simon Rosenberg, and Tom Bonier join David Rothkopf to explain how to cut through the bad data and misleading stats to determine who’s really ahead. Spoiler: the news is so good, it has us dancing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Election misinformation reached a new low with Donald Trump peddling a fake story that immigrants are eating pets in Ohio on the debate stage. But how does this kind of fake news come about? How much can we attribute to foreign interference, and how much is homegrown bullshit? Social media disinformation expert Renée DiResta joins David Rothkopf and Rosa Brooks to discuss where these lies come from, how they spread, and what you can do to separate fact from fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for September 12, we cover the fallout from the presidential debate and Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, a Ground Zero ceremony to commemorate 9/11, hawkish rhetoric from a prominent Russian foreign policy figure, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Kamala Harris’s shellacking of Donald Trump at the debate, Trump ventured on to Fox News, where he attacked the moderators as deeply biased against him. Incredibly, he even said their network, ABC News, should have its broadcasting license revoked. This is really a show of weakness: what enraged him is that real scrutiny was applied to the lies he can air unchallenged on right wing media. We talked to Media Matters senior fellow Matt Gertz—author of a new piece on Trump’s debate struggles—about Trump’s retreat into the MAGA media bubble, why that’s so politically perilous for him, and what it all says about today’s GOP. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for September 11 we discuss the biggest takeaways from the first debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump share our reactions to Harris’s dominant performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, the Trump campaign, J.D. Vance and other prominent MAGA figures have pushed a repulsive falsehood: That Haitian immigrants are eating people’s pets. Though this was decisively debunked, Vance issued a long, twisted rant on social media calling on supprters to keep pushing versions of the lie. This saga exposes something disturbing about MAGA dehumanization campaigns. We talked to Matthew Sheffield, a writer and podcaster at Flux and former member of the conservative movement who is now an illuminating critic of the right. He explains how this vile trope illustrates how MAGA propaganda really functions. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ronald Reagan is a near mythological figure in American politics — so how do we separate fact from fiction and reckon with his controversial legacy? Max Boot joins David Rothkopf to discuss his new book, Reagan: His Life and Legend, and how the 40th president’s journey from New Deal Democrat to conservative avatar paved the way for Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump looming, Norm and Kavita are back to break down the campaign and analyze each of their strategies, as well as discuss the Trump ticket’s ever-increasing craziness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for September 10, we break down the impending presidential debate, Ukraine’s large-scale drone attack on Russia, the latest scandal surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday night, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will face off in their first debate. It goes without saying that the stakes are very high, as polls now show the two of them effectively tied, with perhaps a slight edge to Harris. Yet some analysts out there have made good arguments holding that the pieces really are in place for her to win this thing. We talked to Lakshya Jain of the data firm Split Ticket, who digs into what Harris has to accomplish at the debate—and why he’s cautiously optimistic that she will ultimately prevail. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Counterintelligence czar William Evanina joins Marc to discuss our nation’s greatest CI challenges, to include the staggering threat from an aggressive Chinese communist party, what motivates Americans to betray their country and how to defend against traitors in our midst, and his leadership growth, from SWAT team member, the JTTF post 9/11, a unique rotation to CIA, and then leading the USG’s entire CI efforts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover what Republican endorsements mean for the Harris campaign, gun violence in America, growing support for Harris among certain demographics, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an unhinged weekend rant on social media, Donald Trump made his most expansive threats yet to prosecute his enemies if he wins. He also flatly threatened at a rally to unleash “bloody” mass removals of migrants. Meanwhile, new polls show a very tight race. So why isn’t Trump paying a political price for running on explicit threats of authoritarian rule? We talked to A.B. Stoddard—a columnist for The Bulwark and a clear-eyed Trump critic—who explains how he is priming his supporters for violence after the election, and why the Trump threat is so hard to communicate to voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: January 27, 2023 On this week's episode, Norm and Kavita talk about the never ending cycle of gun violence in the United States and what communities should do since the government is incapable of making progress on this issue. Members get a bonus conversation about the continuing kerfuffle about classified documents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: September 7, 2023 It's hard to separate what is important from what is spin and posturing in the many legal cases involving the disgraced former president of the United States. Fortunately, we sat down with commentator Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe and the Sisters-in-Law Podcast to help make sense of the latest developments. Don't miss our conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather and Jon talked to Sarah Mineiro, one of the world's leading experts on space, military operations and nuclear command and control. The former Republican staff Director for the House Armed Services Subcommittee on strategic affairs let us have it with both barrels as we discuss the United States' vulnerabilities and what we should be doing about it to ensure the security of the United States and its allies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the advent of AI and advanced data collection technology, we’re in uncharted waters of data privacy. How can we protect our own data, and what role should companies and governments play in regulating data collection? Data privacy expert Dr. Micah Altman joins David Rothkopf to discuss this pressing issue. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the father of Georgia school shooter being arrested, Hunter Biden's guilty plea, a high job report, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During an event billed as a speech about the economy, Donald Trump was addled and confused, rambled incoherently, and launched into strange non sequiturs. Yet The New York Times’s initial news story made the event sound far more normal than it was. Is the press doing an adequate job of analyzing Trump’s deteriorating mental state? We think the answer is an emphatic “no.” We talked to former reporter Meredith Shiner—author of a recent piece for The New Republic about the successes of GOP media ref-working—who explained why the press largely fails to scrutinize Trump’s mental unfitness for the presidency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of another horrific school shooting, we have to ask ourselves — When will we finally do more to stop gun violence? Gun control advocate David Hogg and writer Nell Scovell join David Rothkopf to discuss the gun violence epidemic in America and why it’s past time for a real cure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Russian interference in US elections, a recent mass shooting in Georgia, Trump's town hall, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a rant on Sean Hannity’s radio show, Donald Trump floated a new absurdity about his campaign’s use of Arlington National Cemetery as a political setting. He declared that there had been no conflict whatsoever there, even though the Army flatly confirmed that an employee had been shoved aside by Trump’s campaign goons. We think this turn in the story exposes something dark about MAGA. So we talked to David Kurtz, the executive editor of Talking Points memo and author of several good pieces on the scandal, who explains what it reveals about the role of bullying and violence in MAGA politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To put it plainly, the Biden administration’s Israel policy hasn’t been bold. As we near the anniversary of the October 7th attacks, Israel continues to pound Gaza with little pushback from the administration. Alon Pinkas, Kori Schake, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf for a discussion on how the administration can take a stronger stance with Israel — and why it’s necessary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the Democrats and their investments in down-ballot candidates, Judicial reform in Mexico, an arrest of a critical journalist in Iran, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a striking piece, Politico reports that many GOP operatives are alarmed about a new dynamic in the presidential race. It’s that the surge in enthusiasm among Democrats for Kamala Harris’s candidacy is driving a big disparity in fundraising between the parties, leaving GOP Senate and House candidates underfunded and in danger. As Politico puts it: “Panic is starting to set in.” To gauge how serious this is, we talked to veteran organizer Leah Greenberg, co-founder of the progressive group Indivisible, about whether on-the-ground enthusiasm and organizing strength constitute a hidden advantage for Democrats that the media is missing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does our democracy work the way it does? While each founding father was critical to the story of American democracy, John Adams was fundamental to establishing many of the precedents we think of as law today. Presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky joins David Rothkopf to discuss her new book, “Making the Presidency,” and how we’ve overcome challenges to democracy before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Macintyre, bestselling author of non-fiction intelligence classics such as Rogue Heroes and The Spy and The Traitor, joins Marc to discuss his new book The Siege: A Six-Day Hostage Crisis and the Daring Special-Forces Operation That Shocked the World. Ben discusses his experiences researching the work, the timeline of the 1980 London Hostage Crisis, why it mattered in geo-politics, and the often remarkable personal stories of bravery and heroism among the participants. Plus bonus content why the intelligence business still matters, particularly in Ukraine. Listen to all this and more here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Harris and Biden campaigning in battleground states, Venezuela issuing an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, Putin visiting Mongolia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, Donald Trump did a long, bizarre Fox News interview, flatly declaring he had a “right” to interfere in the last presidential election. He also mused that “God” may have chosen Trump to fix our “sick” country,” and seethed about an “enemy within” that’s out to get him. It’s unhinged stuff that gets at a bigger story: Trump’s feeding of his MAGA audience’s various pathologies has been getting darker and uglier. We talked to writer Anne Lutz Fernandez—author of a good new piece at The Unpopulist website about MAGA—who helps us decode how Trump is communicating to the increasingly radicalized elements of the MAGA movement these days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: September 29, 2023 The Republican Party is falling apart before our very eyes. Between the anarchic second presidential debate and the impending threat of a destructive government shutdown, it’s clear that the party is not going quietly. David Rothkopf and Norm discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: September 28, 2023 The Democrats just keep winning. But why aren’t more people talking about it? Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg join us to remind everyone that while Biden’s Democratic Party is on a hot streak, it’s going to take some work to keep the momentum going into 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All over the globe, the world is on fire. Ukraine and Russia, Chinese vessels ramming Filipino vessels, Israel at war with seemingly everybody. With all this divided geopolitical attention, what is going on in North Korea? Jenny Town, senior fellow at the Stimson Center and director of 38 North, joins Jon and Heather to discuss all things North Korea, examine its current security relationships, and show that maybe King Jong-Un isn’t as lonely as he might seem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can artificial intelligence be a better CEO than a person? With an unprecedented ability to process information, artificial intelligence has the capacity to strategize and adapt faster than any human. Author and technologist David Weinberger joins David Rothkopf to consider how advancing AI can change not only the world of business, but the way we think. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the Harris & Walz interview with Dana Bash on CNN, Israel pausing fighting for polio vaccines, Democrats leading in Senate races in Arizona and Nevada, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By now you’ve heard that Donald Trump’s campaign aides had a physical confrontation with an official at Arlington National Cemetery who tried to prevent them from filming in a restricted area, which apparently violated the law. This scandal worsened Thursday when the Army sharply rebuked his campaign. Democratic Senators are getting involved, which could bring a fuller accounting. We talked to political scientist Jonathan Bernstein—author of a good new piece about this saga—who details how Team Trump’s actions are now signaling a larger deterioration of the rule of law and democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From independents to ex-Republicans, the Harris camp is building a truly massive coalition to stop Trump from taking back the White House. So far, it’s been a resounding success. President of JointheUnion.us Reed Galen joins David Rothkopf to discuss the Democrats’ big tent strategy heading into the election and why former Republicans are ready to fight for Kamala. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Harris' growing lead, the Supreme Court blocking Biden's student debt plan, controversy over Trump's visit to Arlington Cemetery, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris’s campaign just released a harsh new ad attacking Donald Trump, Project 2025, and his threat to prosecute enemies for “revenge.” Notably, the ad frontally goes after Trump’s naked corruption with real force. Which raises a question: Why aren’t we seeing more discussion of Trump’s corruption in this campaign? We talked to David Sirota, editor-in-chief of The Lever and narrator of Master Plan, an ambitious new podcast about 50 years of corruption in Washington. Sirota explains how Trump and Project 2025 represent the culmination of that long and sordid history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Foreign policy and national security featured heavily in the final day of the DNC. So how much of a role can we really expect them to play in the final stretch of the election. Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, and David Sanger join David Rothkopf to break down how Harris can distinguish herself from Biden’s track record and whether or not voters will care about foreign policy this time around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Special Counsel Jack Smith filing a revised indictment against former President Donald Trump in the election interference case, Farhan Al-Qadi being rescued alive from Hamas' tunnel network in Gaza, Ukrainian President saying current incursion into Russia is part of plan to end war, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s often said that Kamala Harris’s entry into the race has transformed this campaign. But does this also mean that Harris has a real chance at changing the composition of the electorate, by bringing more low-propensity Democratic voters into the process? A new analysis finds striking surges in voter registration among Dem-leaning voter groups during the week of July 21st, after President Biden left the race and endorsed Harris. We talked to the author of that analysis’ author, Tom Bonier of the Democratic firm TargetSmart, about why he’s optimistic—but also realistic—about Harris’s chances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From historic fundraising to rising polls, the DNC was a resounding success for the Harris campaign. So how can we turn the high of the convention into a blue wave in November? Simon Rosenberg and Tara McGowan join David Rothkopf to give a first hand account of the convention and what we need to do next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Trump and Harris' upcoming debate, special counsel Jack Smith asking the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the dismissal of Donald Trump's classified-documents case, Russia launching a series of missile and drone attacks across multiple regions of Ukraine, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump keeps throwing his own advisers under the bus. The latest example: The battle between the campaigns over the upcoming debate. First Trump’s campaign insisted mics must be muted for the candidate who isn’t speaking. Then Trump himself said he’s just fine with unmuted mics throughout. We think this gets at a larger dynamic: With Trump still struggling with Kamala Harris’s surge, Trump clearly doubts that his own advisers have any idea how to fight back. We talked to veteran Democratic strategist James Carville, who explained how all signs indicate Trump thinks he’s in trouble—and what could still go wrong for Harris. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

National security journalist @michaeldweiss joins Marc to discuss how Kamala Harris found her inner Reagan, the Ukrainian raid that turned out to be an invasion, and the blob starts the parlor game of who staffs a future Harris White House. Plus, the folly of the Ukrainian doomers never ceases to amaze, even when Ukraine is, dare say…succeeding? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Trump complaining about falling polling numbers, a safety adviser for Reuters being killed in a missile strike on the Hotel Sapphire, RFK dropping out of the presidential race, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, Politico reported that Donald Trump has privately suggested to advisers that he knows he’s in danger of losing without dramatic changes to his campaign. Trump also raged over reports that he called in to Fox News during Kamala Harris’s convention speech to deliver an on-air response, whining that Fox had called him instead. We think Trump is rattled because the aura of his inevitable victory has been shattered. We talked to global affairs expert Asha Rangappa—author of a good new piece on her Substack about the sources of Harris’s momentum—who explains why the puncturing of that aura is critical to defeating authoritarians like Trump. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: June 19, 2023 Michael’s guest this week is Pekka Kallioniemi, a postdoctoral researcher working in the field of human-computer interaction at Tampere University. He is the creator and author of Vatnik Soup, a Twitter thread series (and a hashtag!) where he introduces pro-Russian actors and propagandists from around the world, be they so-called "independent journalists", politicians, military personnel or just regular grifters looking to make some easy money. As is typical with Michael’s guests, Pekka brings perspectives that you won’t hear anywhere else. Tune In! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: June 22, 2023 Few people have offered the kind of insight into Donald Trump than has his niece, psychologist Mary Trump. On this special episode of DSR, we speak to Mary about how she thinks the former president is responding to the legal walls closing in on him, how he would react were he sentenced to prison and how his very first years growing up in Queens may have scarred him and put the country at risk. Don't miss this fascinating, wide-ranging conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nuclear expert and author Jeffrey Lewis joins Jon to discuss proposals by former Trump officials to restart nuclear testing and how to manage the growing reliance on nuclear weapons in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the last night of speeches at the Democratic National Convention, the Supreme Court's recent decision on voting in Arizona, India's position in the Russia/Ukraine war, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re in the midst of a new technological revolution. Much like the Industrial Revolution, the AI era will challenge all aspects of society. David Leslie, Director of Ethics and Responsible Innovation at the Alan Turing Institute, joins David Rothkopf for a discussion on the ways in which artificial intelligence will challenge the framework of society and how to ensure that AI serves the public good. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the Democratic convention in Chicago, many of the speakers—from Barack and Michelle Obama to Tim Walz—have warned Democrats not to get complacent about a Kamala Harris victory. Yet something subtle is also going on here. Democrats are keeping complacency at bay—without letting Donald Trump balloon into a psychologically frightening figure in their minds. Democrats are going into this election with the correct level of guarded confidence. We talked to Brian Beutler, who has a good piece on all this coming out Friday on his Substack, about the careful balance Democrats are striking—and why it may be the key to shrinking Trump into a diminished figure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Kavita in attendance at the DNC, David Rothkopf joins Norm to discuss to the highs of the convention in Chicago. What steps are next for Harris in the final push towards Election Day? How can the party capitalize on its electrifying convention and drive up voter turnout? Find out right here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the third night of speeches at the Democratic National Convention, the Supreme Court's upcoming docket, RFK's campaign, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Barack and Michelle Obama ripped into Donald Trump at the Democratic convention, it unleashed a flood responses from the former president. He ranted that the Obamas had called him names, blamed his advisers for constraining him, and vowed to unleash more personal attacks on Kamala Harris. We think Trump is rattled by the likelihood that the convention is currently uniting the anti-MAGA coalition. We talked to data analyst Lakshya Jain—co-author of a good Politico Magazine piece about new numbers showing a shift toward Harris among many disparate voter groups—who explains what all this says about that coalition’s prospects for success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the second night of speeches at the Democratic National Convention, Matt Gaetz securing a win in the Republican primary in Florida, peace talks halting in the Middle East, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to a new report in The Hill, GOP aides and strategists fear that Donald Trump’s inability to adjust to Kamala Harris’s surge is shifting the Senate map against them. That’s striking, given how heavily the Senate map is tilted towards Republicans. So we checked in with Justin Barasky, a veteran Democratic operative who has worked on many Senate races over the years and is now involved in contests in Ohio and Arizona. He helps us break down the map, and assesses how realistic these GOP fears are, as well as what all this says about the true nature of Harris’s surge and Trump’s struggles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is no mistaking it now: this is Kamala Harris’s Democratic Party. The first day of the DNC was a passing of the torch to the Harris/Walz campaign and a celebration of the ticket. Maryland delegate Julie Zebrak and Washington Post reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb join David Rothkopf from the DNC to share a firsthand look at the historic convention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the first night of the Democratic National Convention, new rules that could create certification delays in Georgia, Iran hacking into Trump's campaign, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the biggest far right figures on the internet are deeply worried that Donald Trump is in danger of losing the election to Kamala Harris—perhaps by a large margin. The Washington Post reports that these extremists are now turning on the Trump campaign, which could fracture the MAGA movement in the race’s final stretch. We talked to Jared Holt, a senior researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue who closely tracks the far right, about what this moment reveals about the MAGA right when it faces extreme pressure—and what these far-right personalities really fear most about a Trump loss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Washington Examiner’s Tom Rogan joins Marc to discuss the lightening Ukrainian offensive in Russia, the Israel/Gaza impasse, the inability of many US administrations to get Iran right, plus Europe taking a more aggressive stance on the world stage... plus a bonus special speed dating segment on leading personalities in the foreign policy arena! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the upcoming Democratic National Convention, a bomb going off in Tel Aviv, mpox George Santos being due in court, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two major new polls of the presidential race released over the weekend show fresh gains for Kamala Harris—and illustrate how she is now putting the Sun Belt states fully in play. That gives her multiple routes to an electoral college victory over Donald Trump. So is Harris on her way to reversing Trump’s gains among Latinos and young voters? What does a winning Harris coalition look like, anyway? We talked to Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run for Something, which recruits young candidates for state and local office, including many in the Sun Belt. Litman explains how the region’s evolution opens up new possibilities for Democrats—and is helping to transform our politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: March 10, 2023 From the media and books to drag shows and voting, states is in the South have been trying to turn back the clock. Kavita and Norm talk about these updates, what they mean for the country as a whole, and what we can do about it. Members get a bonus conversation about Walgreens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: July 20, 2023 Miles Taylor joins to discuss his just-released book, “Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump.” Taylor, who served as Chief of Staff of the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump administration, wrote The New York Times op-ed in 2018 under the pen-name "Anonymous" that was entitled, "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration" that drew widespread attention for its criticism of Trump. Several months after quitting the administration, again under the pen name "Anonymous," he published a book in November 2019 entitled, A Warning. Host David Rothkopf and Miles discuss the book, Taylor's struggles after coming forward and the grave consequences to our democracy should Trump or somebody like him take office again. Don't miss this insightful discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Democratic National Convention right around the corner, it feels like happy days are finally here. With the gathering momentum of the Harris campaign and a floundering Trump/Vance ticket, times are good. Veteran political journalists E.J. Dionne and David Corn join David Rothkopf to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather and Jon are back once again to pore over all things nuclear as well as Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russia. How can the US position itself against Russian and Chinese nuclear buildup? Can diplomacy be effective given the context of the War in Ukraine? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much has been made of the concerns of AI in the future. But what about the very real problems in the present? Deputy Director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project Esha Bhandari joins David Rothkopf to discuss the very real civil liberties and privacy concerns of AI, and what can be done to curb the danger. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Harris' proposal for a federal ban on corporate price-gouging in food and groceries, violence in the West Bank, mpox in Sweden, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign is under a month old, Democrats see next week’s nominating convention as a unique opening to do more than usual to define her in the minds of swing voters. But there’s another opportunity here as well: A successful convention will deeply rattle Trump, and when he fears he’s losing, he does himself tremendous additional harm. We talked to veteran journalist Ronald Brownstein, who has a new piece for The Atlantic on the task ahead for Harris in Chicago, about what she might be able to accomplish—and how it could frustrate future Trump attacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Words Matter, Norm and Kavita are back to discuss the latest events in the media, from Kavita’s personal experiences at the Paris Olympics to the shifting election dynamics ahead of the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago. How will the DNC affect Trump’s campaign planning? What’s next for Tim Walz and JD Vance? Listen here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover RFK Jr's request for a position in Harris' cabinet, a break-in to a Trump election office in Virginia, mpox becoming a global health emergency and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In some good findings for Kamala Harris, the Cook Political Report’s new polls find her leading Donald Trump or tied with him in six of the seven key swing states. Other polls show her doing surprisingly well among key demographics like noncollege whites and Latinos. So far, despite GOP attacks on Harris as a crazy leftist, she appears to be widely perceived as broadly acceptable. We talked to Reed Galen, a veteran former Republican strategist working to win over centrist voters to Harris for the group Join the Union, about why Harris seems to be withstanding the GOP attack machine—and whether it will last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All eyes have been on Iran as the world waits a potential retaliatory strike on Israel. But what form will the strike take, and will it even happen? Regional experts Aaron David Miller and Barbara Slavin join Kori Schake and David Rothkopf to analyze the potential fallout of an Israeli/Iranian conflict and what the future holds for the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the UAW accusing Trump and Musk of trying to intimidate workers, Nikki Haley's criticism of the Trump campaign, Netanyahu's conditions for a cease-fire, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, Fox News personalities have begun urging Donald Trump to get more “disciplined.” Many seem to fear Trump is in trouble, as evidence mounts that his sleazy, racist attacks on Kamala Harris are backfiring. Yet Trump’s Fox allies aren’t telling him to stop smearing Harris with falsehoods; they’re just telling him to adopt a more civil tone in doing so. We talked to Steve Benen, author of a new book about the GOP called Ministry of Truth, who explains how the Fox News panic shows the limits of Republican propaganda—and why the Trump-MAGA-GOP addiction to lying is pushing our system to the breaking point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Elon Musk's interview with Donald Trump, the U.S. resuming sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the discovery of liquid water on Mars, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To defeat Donald Trump, Kamala Harris must do far better among young voters than President Biden did. Guess what: An important new poll of young voters finds that Harris’ entry has dramatically shifted their preferences in her favor and against Trump. Which confirms a larger story: The Democratic-leaning constituencies who had drifted toward Trump now may be swinging to Harris, exposing a weakness in his previous support. We talked to John Della Volpe, an expert in the youth vote who conducted this poll, abut what’s driving all these shifts—and why they might enable Harris to triumph. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and terrorism expert Samuel Katz joins Marc to discuss the latest events in the Middle East, to include the potential for Iran and/or Hizballah to badly miscalculate and invite a devastating Israeli response, the threat to US interests particularly within the US, and the extraordinary legacy of legendary spy master Meir Dagan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Trump's lying spree over the weekend, Hamas's refusal to sit down for a ceasefire agreement, JD Vance's backing of presidential decision-making on Fed policies, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that Donald Trump is deeply unsettled about Kamala Harris’s successful launch, even as polls show her edging into a small lead. His anger has led him to escalate the private conspiracy-mongering about Democrats supposedly cheating in the election. We talked to Amanda Carpenter—a leading Never Trump conservative and an editor at Protect Democracy—about why it’s so disturbing that Trump is already laying the groundwork to overturn a loss, a novel way he might try to pull this off, and whether the GOP will ever move beyond MAGA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Trump and Harris' ABC debate, new pandas at the San Diego Zoo, conversations over a cease-fire in Gaza, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, renowned journalist and nuclear expert Eric Schlosser joins Jon and Heather to discuss the past, present and future of nuclear command and control, building off his experiences researching and authoring his acclaimed work on the subject. What is shaping the current nuclear climate today? Is there any hope for future generations? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re on a hopium high we haven’t felt in a long time. The Harris/Walz campaign has enjoyed success after success, with so sign of slowing down. US political gurus Simon Rosenberg and Tara McGowan are back with David Rothkopf to share why they’re so optimistic about the Harris campaign and how to keep the pressure on to crush the MAGA cult in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover how the majority of US adults say democracy is on the ballot but they differ on the threat, Trump wanting to debate Harris, a planned attack at a Taylor Swift concert, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that Governor Walz has joined the Democratic ticket, the race for the White House is set. What does the inclusion of Walz foretell about the policies of a Harris administration? Rosa Brooks and Kori Schake are joined by a former Homeland Security Advisor to VP Pence and current Republicans for Harris member, Olivia Troye, to discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Tim Walz going the Harris ticket, Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush losing her primary race in Missouri to St. Louis prosecutor Wesley Bell, Hamas appointing Yahya Sinwar as its new leader in Gaza, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modern day dictators a far cry from the autocracies of old. Modern day strongmen are backed by an elaborate network of financial structures, surveillance, propaganda, and crucially, other autocrats. Anne Applebaum joins David Rothkopf to discuss her newest book Autocracy, Inc., and share how democracies must reconfigure their foreign policy to combat this new threat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover new conservative polls showing Vice President Harris pulling ahead of Former President Trump, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas continuing to not disclose flights on a GOP megadonor's private jet, speculation over the Harris campaign VP pick, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the killing of Hamas’ political leader in Tehran last week, the Middle East has been bracing itself for possible escalation between Israel and Iran (plus Hezbollah) as well as the potential ramifications on the conflict in Gaza. On today’s episode, former Israeli intelligence officer Nadav Pollack joins Marc to discuss these events in the Middle East and offer an Israeli perspective on the widening conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover a Musk-backed PAC that is under investigation for potential violations of Michigan laws, a Mexican journalist who was murdered, RFK Jr's social media rant about dumping a bear carcass in Central Park, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: August 22, 2023 Next in Foreign Policy: Zoe and Natalya are joined this week by Joey Arora, partner at the Outpost, where he supports companies in securing government contracts in defense, and a former co-founder of AFWERX. They talk about Joey's path from the Air Force to entrepreneurship, trends in defense tech investing, and what every founder should know before trying to secure a government contract. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: August 23, 2023 Michael’s guest this week is Australian Retired General Mick Ryan. Mick is a military analyst who served in the ADF for more than 35 years and was commander of the Australia Defence College. He is the author of War Transformed and an adjunct fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC. Michael and Mick discuss the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and what could be in store for the coming months. Don’t miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Chuck Schumer's "No Kings Act," the IDF failures that led to aid workers' deaths, a New York state appeals court upholding a gag order against Donald Trump, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Republicans running from Donald Trump’s ugly attack on Kamala Harris’ blackness, new reports paint a picture of a party that is deeply worried about Trump’s chances. Meanwhile, Trump is raging about another piece of bad news for him: that reporter Evan Gershkovich is getting released from Russian captivity. We talked to Stuart Stevens, an operative with extensive experience in Republican politics who has forcefully renounced his former party, about why the GOP is suddenly hitting the panic button, and what has really happened to his former party as it fully embraces Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Harris campaign has come out of the gate with unprecedented success. Polls have swung dramatically away from Trump, and the Republican camp is reeling. Veteran political strategist Maria Cardona joins David Rothkopf to look at what has made the campaign such a success and why we should all feel energized heading into the election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Kamala Harris's response to Trump's recent racist remarks, the release of Gershkovich and Whelan from Russia in a prisoner swap deal, the accused main plotter of the 9/11 attacks pleading guilty, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s public statements about Kamala Harris are getting weirder. After Harris had a huge showing at a Georgia rally, he erupted, claiming that “Crazy Kamala Harris” had relied on a concert to draw the crowd. Then, speaking to black journalists, Trump melted down spectacularly while suggesting that Harris had long disavowed her black identity. The connecting thread here: the Trump-MAGA worldview doesn’t allow for any real grasp of how Harris is viewed by the American mainstream. We talked to Professor Nicholas Grossman, author of a new piece for The Bulwark about the MAGA right, who explains how these eruptions show that MAGA assumes it has a broad based appeal that it just doesn’t really have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the presidential race has changed dramatically in recent weeks, it still pays to be prepared for the worst. Rosa Brooks, Pete Strzok, Kori Schake, and Ed Luce join the show to discuss recent simulations hosted by The Brennan Center that gamed out the havoc an authoritarian presidency would create for our democracy, and what could be done to stop it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Kamala Harris's upcoming rally where she will announce her Vice President, a Hamas leader killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, Paul Dans stepping down as director of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’ campaign just rolled out a new multimillion dollar ad campaign that blasts Kamala Harris on immigration. Oddly, it does so in part by mocking her dancing. That might seem like typical MAGA buffoonery. But underlying the link that the ad draws between Harris’s dancing and her handling of immigration is a bigger argument that demands a serious Democratic response. We talked to Douglas Rivlin, a senior official at the advocacy group America’s Voice who has deep experience on the immigration issue, about the darker subtext of Trump’s messaging—and how to counter it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With any technology, new opportunities come with new perils. AI presents the possibility for both low-probability, high-risk events and more probable, less extreme threats. RAND President and CEO Jason Matheny joins David Rothkopf to discuss the full gamut of AI-based dangers and what can be done to protect us. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Gov. Roy Cooper dropping out of the race for Vice President, military aid being sent to the Philippines, the White Dudes for Harris event, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to a new report, many allies of Donald Trump and other Republicans are now sharply second guessing his choice of J.D. Vance as running mate—and Vance’s bizarre public moments are driving the panic. Will Vance enable Democrats to make a strong case against MAGA-style culture-warring – one built on demonstrating just how deranged and offputting to most Americans it has truly become? We chatted with veteran reporter Jill Lawrence, who has a new piece for The Bulwark on Vance’s terrible rollout, about how the sheer, unchecked weirdness of the Trump-Vance ticket has suddenly become a big campaign issue—and how Democrats can exploit it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former CIA case officer and operational manager Ed Bogan returns to the show to discuss the 20-year Global War on Terrorism, including the camaraderie and dedication of CTC personnel, the painful withdrawal from Afghanistan, what keeps him up at night regarding today’s terrorist threats, and the power of working with liaison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Kama Harris's incredible fundraising, the election in Venezuela, Trump's declaration that when he is president again no one will have to vote, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump took his authoritarian threats in a dark new direction during two new public appearances. He suggested our next election might be our last, reiterated in advance that the election will be rigged against him, and admitted all the post-assassination “unity” talk was nonsense, openly declaring: “Maybe I’ve gotten worse.” We talked to Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the “Lucid” newsletter and the book “Strongmen,” who helps illuminate how Trump’s form of politics requires keeping his followers in a frenzy of excitement about what the authoritarian leader plans to inflict on their imagined enemies. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 24, 2023 The Republican party is not sending their best. With the 2024 election cycle ramping up, Norm and guest host Mary Trump break down the lackluster field of Republican candidates and the issues propelling their narratives. Also on the table are Trump’s latest legal woes. What effect could they have in 2024, and why are people upset about the January 6th indictment? Join us and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 12, 2023 As the NATO summit in Vilnius comes to a close, the United States, France, UK, and Turkey have all taken bold stances with regards to expanding NATO membership and the war in Ukraine. Rosa Brooks fills in for David this week as Kori Schake and Edward Luce break down the latest revelations from the summit, dive into Biden’s performance in the UK and post-summit remarks, and discuss Ed’s recent piece on the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The current nuclear landscape is, in a word, dire. From Russian nuclear rattling in Ukraine to China’s expanding arsenal, nuclear proliferation could spell disaster for today’s security environment. Today, Amy Nelson, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, joins Heather to discuss arms control, nuclear futures, and a recent piece she authored in Foreign Affairs covering China's nuclear arsenal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover President Joe Biden's meeting with Netanyahu, Gavin Newsom and his handling of the homelessness crisis in California, attacks on transportation at the start of the Paris Olympics, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, Donald Trump and MAGA media figures have ramped up the attacks on Kamala Harris’s laugh, her personality, and her temperament. That’s vile stuff, but MAGA’s strategy also suggests an inability to entertain a remarkable possibility: What if Harris’s laugh and energy are actually well suited to this moment in American politics? Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, co-founder of the progressive strategy group Way to Win, has been advising Democrats to respond aggressively to racist and sexist attacks on Harris. We talked to Ancona about whether Harris’s temperament might prove to be kryptonite to MAGA’s negativity and hate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris’s campaign has been an adrenaline shot in the arms of Democrats. With astonishing amounts of money being raised and a wave of enthusiasm that has been sorely lacking, the Dems are ready to take the fight to Trump in November. EJ Dionne and Jennifer Rubin join David Rothkopf to break down Harris’s incredible momentum and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover President Joe Biden's address from the Oval Office amidst his decision to not seek reelection, Netanyahu's address to Congress, Robert Kennedy Jr.'s fizzling campaign for president, relations between Russia and India, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A vile quote from J.D. Vance just surfaced in which he described Kamala Harris and other Democratic leaders as “childless cat ladies,” and spun out a whole theory based on this absurdity. Then Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sharply dressed down Vance for poking his nose into other people’s family decisions. With this response, Buttigieg showed that Vance has invited a much larger national conversation—one that won’t help Vance and Donald Trump. We talked to Melissa Gira Grant, a staff writer at The New Republic who closely tracks Vance’s ideas, for help in illuminating what this saga tells us about the New Right’s tortured views on gender, natalism and nationalism. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netanyahu’s much dreaded speech before Congress has come and gone. So what happened? Rosa Brooks, Alon Pinkas, David Sanger, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to discuss the key takeaways from the speech and why a Harris presidency could shake-up the US/Israel relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just days after Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Kamala Harris for president, we are beginning to see the first signs of a new and reinvigorated Democratic campaign. On today's episode, Norm and Kavita are back to discuss the Harris v. Trump presidential race and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the Trump campaign's increasing regret over their VP pick, Republican leaders urging colleagues to steer clear of racist and sexist attacks on Harris, Palestinian groups ending divisions by signing an agreement in China, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we learned that Donald Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance repeatedly suggested in 2016 that he believed Trump committed sexual assault. Vance has since softened his views, but this saga captures the essential Vance: He knows exactly what he has now attached himself to, but sees Trump as a vehicle to accomplish some truly radical societal transformations. We talked to tech writer Gil Duran, author of a good piece in The New Republic tracing the “techno-authoritarian” worldview driving Vance, about what his evolution from clear-eyed Trump critic to full MAGA devotee says about today’s red-pilled right—and about our politics more broadly. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Vice President Harris securing enough delegates for party nomination, the House's hearing of Secret Service Director Cheatle, the EU addressing consumer fears over Meta's new security policy, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since President Biden suspended his campaign, Fox News and right wing media have been scrambling madly for an effective attack on Vice President Kamala Harris. They’ve ridiculed her laugh. They’ve mocked her as a product of DEI. They’ve attacked her as too soft on crime and too tough on crime. All of which gets at a larger story: Kamala Harris is very hard for the right to pigeonhole. We talked to Elaina Plott Calabro, a staff writer for The Atlantic who reports trenchantly on Harris’ political career, about why the right’s contortions could prove a major dynamic in the presidential race, and how Harris’s own struggle to find her political identity could now loom large. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After weeks of speculation, the unprecedented has finally happened. With Joe Biden officially stepping aside to endorse Kamala Harris for President, an entirely new campaign is now underway. In a special two-part episode, Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg join David Rothkopf to break down the dynamics of this new race, while members gain access to more insight from Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, and David. You won’t want to miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover President Biden's decision to drop out of the presidential race, a spike in Democrat support for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party's nominee, Netanyahu's upcoming visit to the White House, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a rally in Michigan over the weekend, Donald Trump uncorked one of his longest rants ever in praise of the world’s autocrats, strongmen and dictators. He hailed Xi Jinping of China as “brilliant” for controlling 1.4 billion people “with an iron fist,” and described Xi, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban as “tough” and “smart.” We talked to Rick Wilson, the prominent Never Trumper and Substacker, about Trump’s explicit campaign promise of authoritarian rule, the GOP’s enthusiastic embrace of it, and the media’s utter failure to alert voters to what’s coming. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: August 4, 2023 If you've been watching as much coverage of the indictment as we have, then you're probably more confused than ever. Norm and Kavita are here to make sense of it all, discussing what the indictment really means, how we got to this point, and what it will mean for Trump and the Republicans moving into 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: July 23, 2023 They say you should write what you know. After over thirty years in the intelligence community, Alma Katsu certainly knows a lot. Alma joins Marc and David to share her experiences working in intelligence, tapping her experiences as an author, and the blurring line between fact and fiction in the world of AI. Don’t miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The threat of WMDs already keeps us up at night. But what happens when AI makes the development of WMDs faster, easier, and more accessible? Assistant Secretary for the DHS’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Mary Ellen Callahan joins David Rothkopf to discuss this unique, and growing, threat. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Trump's closing RNC speech, a drone strike by Yemen's Houthi, a widespread tech meltdown, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s pod tackles a subject of profound importance: The sheer, inexplicable weirdness of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. There’s Representative Matt Gaetz’s bizarre speech, in which his face was so taut that one Republican derided him as an “AI sex doll.” There are all the ugly “Mass Deportations Now!” signs, the cultish rituals in which attendees treated Trump as their MAGA God King, and much, much more. We talked to Ron Filipkowski, who closely tracks the right wing as the head of Meidas Touch News. He helped us find meaning underneath all the ugliness and insanity. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Republican National Convention approaches its end, more calls for Joe Biden to step down from the election have sprung up in the media. What possibilities are there for replacing Biden? And how is the RNC shaping the Trump campaign? Pete Dominick and Nell Scovell join David Rothkopf to talk potential Democratic heroes and MAGA celebrities - from Kamala Harris and JD Vance to Hulk Hogan and Jon Stewart - and much, much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR daily, we cover Biden's changing reception to calls for him to step down, European leaders discussing migration and Ukraine at a UK Summit, Jack Smith's formal appeal of Trump's classified documents case dismissal, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise, surprise: The Republican convention is turning into a festival of media bashing. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene did something that deserves special attention: After fielding a question about J.D. Vance that displeased her, Greene erupted, repeatedly dressing down the reporter in strikingly vicious terms. Arizona senate candidate Kari Lake, meanwhile, used her convention speech to similarly smear the press. All this is a bad omen: If Donald Trump wins the election, the assault on the press is going to shift into authoritarian overdrive. We talked to Media Matters senior fellow Matt Gertz, who explains why a Trump crackdown on the press could get alarmingly far. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Republican National Convention in full-swing, all eyes are on Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance. What do the decadent celebrations of the RNC tell us about Trump’s appeal? How will a pro-Putin running mate in JD Vance affect Trump’s foreign policy? David Rothkopf is joined by Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, and Tom Nichols to analyze the current state of the Trump campaign and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for July 17, we cover President Biden’s consideration of Supreme Court reform, the guilty verdict in Senator Menendez’s corruption trial, an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, and more. We also welcome our new co-host, Minnah Stein! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that Ohio Senator J.D. Vance is Donald Trump’s running mate, everyone is combing through his old quotes, and a striking one has surfaced: in 2016, Vance warned that Trump threatened to take the white working class to a “very dark place.” In short, Vance once understood that MAGA ideology, at its core, is really, really toxic. And that’s a big political vulnerability. We talked to Sarah Longwell, the pollster and prominent Never Trumper, about how the Vance pick will showcase the worst aspects of MAGA throughout this race and how Democrats can try to use that to win swing voters. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From an attempted assassination to the Republican National Convention, much has changed the direction of Trump’s campaign in the past few days. Norm and Kavita are back to discuss the shooting in Pennsylvania, the announcement of JD Vance as Trump’s running mate, and Trump’s ongoing legal issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November’s election is an existential threat to our justice system. With Judge Cannon’s decision to dismiss Trump’s documents case and the Supreme Court's ruling on immunity, the power of the Presidency has grown to an unsustainable level. The Trump-Vance administration would be certain to put that power to the test. Barb McQuade joins David Rothkopf to break down the latest news and why the stakes could not be higher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the announcement of J.D. Vance as Trump’s VP candidate, Israel allowing in more UN equipment, the defection of a high-ranking North Korean diplomat, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the days after the horrific effort to assassinate Donald Trump, MAGA figures have widely sought to exploit this moment of national crisis, by arguing that Democrats invited or even encouraged the shooting. The leading proponent of this absurd claim is Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, and on Tuesday, Trump announced that Vance will be his running mate. We talked to Alex Shephard, a senior editor at The New Republic and author of a great new piece on this new MAGA agitprop, about why the Vance pick—and other assorted signs—suggest that the politics around the shooting are going to get a lot more poisonous. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: April 22, 2024 With conflicts raging in Ukraine, Gaza, and beyond, the job of covering conflict and national security is more important than ever. But how do journalists provide accurate and reliable coverage? CNN national security correspondent Kylie Atwood joins Marc Polymeropoulos to discuss the unique challenges of our current national security climate and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mollie Katzen, of Moosewood fame, is this week’s guest. Marissa and Mollie discuss the political situation and future of democracy in the U.S., but, as you might expect, the conversation turns to the power of food, more specifically how to make ourselves feel better these days. If you’ve found yourself struggling with the news, this episode is a must-listen. Bread and butter, anyone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss Biden’s calls for unity after an assassination attempt of Donald Trump, Israel’s latest strikes on Gaza, French struggles to form a government, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the time of this recording, we know little about the attempt to assassinate Donald Trump. He was hit in the ear, but thankfully doesn’t appear seriously injured. The 20-year-old gunman has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was registered as a Republican but donated $15 to a progressive group in January 2021, and we know nothing of his motive. Political violence is absolutely unacceptable no matter who is targeted. So for now we will focus on the bigger picture: We talked to Zack Beauchamp, author of a new book called The Reactionary Spirit and a piece for Vox called: “America is not ready for what comes next,” about whether this horror will lead to an escalation and what it says that American society is again at this point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 27, 2023 It’s hot here in DC, but we’re not alone. Norm and Kavita talk climate change and what the administration can do to combat disinformation to change the conversation around climate. Additionally, we discuss what the Democrats can and should be doing to stop Governor Abbott’s abhorrent policies at the border. For all this and more, tune in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 26, 2023 The United States and Israel have long had a “special relationship.” Yet with the Netanyahu government’s latest assault on Israeli democracy, that relationship is under more strain than ever. Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas and independent journalist and author Emily Tamkin join David Rothkopf to break down the future of US-Israel relations and how the Biden administration can maintain a long-time partnership while protecting democratic values. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a silver lining to the AI cloud? With so much talk of the doom and gloom of the AI age, we’ve lost sight of the potential benefits of such a tectonic shift in technology. Michael Strain joins David Rothkopf to share why he’s an AI optimist and why its benefits have been minimized in the mainstream discourse. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Friday, we cover the main takeaways from President Biden’s news conference, Orban’s visit with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, 500 pound bombs being sent to Israel, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran has a new President, but will it avert a nuclear standoff with the west and Israel? The election of a “reformist" president long seemed a far-fetched possibility. However, the death of conservative President Ebrahim Raisi in May and the election of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian this month has shifted the political landscape and now presents numerous questions for the future of Iranian foreign policy. Ali Baez joins Heather Williams and Jon Wolfsthal to discuss the results of the election, pathways for reform, and the implications of a new government on the global stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, Donald Trump has angrily claimed he knows nothing about Project 2025, the blueprint his allies are drawing up for an authoritarian second term presidency. But CNN is now reporting that at least 140 people from the Trump administration have a hand in the Project 2025 plan. And NBC News has unearthed video showing that Trump expressly praised the plan’s creators for their work in 2022. We talked to Amanda Becker—a reporter for The 19th News and author of a forthcoming piece on Project 2025’s minutiae—who explains why Trump keeps running from Project 2025 and what its darker designs really have in store for us. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing concerns over President Biden’s ability to remain in the election has created a divisive conversation that has rocketed to the forefront of major media coverage. How are these discontents taking shape in Washington? Norm and Kavita are back to discuss Biden’s commitment to remaining in the race, growing concerns within the Democratic Party, and the behind-the-scenes debates taking place in Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The current situation around the Biden campaign is unprecedented. With so many voices calling for Biden to step aside and conflict within the Democratic Party, what can we do? More importantly, how can we keep the momentum to defeat Trump in November? Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg are back with David Rothkopf to discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Thursday, we share the latest news on a new poll that shows a majority of Dems want Biden to drop out, an announcement that Russia will counter the deployment of long-range missiles in Germany, a new report on growing anti-semitism in Europe, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With President Biden forcefully declaring that he isn’t leaving the presidential race, the latest polling looks frightening. The Cook Political Report just released new polling averages showing Donald Trump leading Biden nationally by three points. FiveThirtyEight’s averages also look grim. New swing state polls show Trump dominating. But Ron Klain, the former White House chief of staff to Biden, nonetheless maintains that Biden is still the Democrat with the best shot against Trump. We invited Klain on the show, and he fielded some hard questions while making an expansive case that Biden still has a path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All eyes are on the NATO summit in Washington DC. What decisions will the alliance make with regards to Ukraine? How will President Biden perform? Former NATO ambassadors Ivo Daalder and Gen. Doug Lute join Kori Schake, Ed Luce, Rosa Brooks, and David Rothkopf to analyze what NATO’s leaders are looking to achieve — and what’s at stake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss NATO’s pledge to supply Ukraine with air defense systems, an Israeli air strike on a camp in Gaza, a Russian arrest warrant for Alexei Navalny’s widow, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although the Democratic Party remains mired in infighting over President Biden’s disastrous debate performance, congressional Democrats now appear increasingly convinced that he will survive as the nominee. They seem resigned to this even as many appear convinced he will lose to Donald Trump in November. What happened here, exactly? We talked to The American Prospect’s David Dayen, who has a good new piece called “Why the Bid to Push Out Biden is Losing,” about how Biden seems to have shut down the opposition, what it says about the Democratic Party, and why there’s still grounds for deep anxiety about what comes next. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Tuesday, we cover President Biden’s condemnation of a Russian missile attack, Israel’s latest assault on Gaza City, Keir Starmer’s pledge to improve on an EU trade deal, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, we learned that the committee for the 2024 Republican convention is debating a new platform, proposed by Donald Trump, that purports to soften the party’s positions on abortion and same sex marriage. This will be widely interpreted as a savvy effort to woo swing voters and suburban women. But what if it’s really an expression of fear that the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the horrors it has unleashed will remain a major problem for Trump and the GOP this fall? We talked to Jess McIntosh, a Democratic strategist and longtime defender of reproductive rights, about what’s driving this shift, why it’s a scam, and how Democrats can make sure voters know it. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the intense focus on Gaza, other critical issues in Israel have slipped into the background. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mark Mazzetti joins Marc Polymeropoulos to discuss the lack of coverage on settler violence in the West Bank and how Israel's rightward shift poses significant challenges both domestically and internationally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Monday, we cover the stunning results from the French election, a horrifying missile attack on Ukraine, protests in Israel, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday, Donald Trump erupted at The New York Times, slamming it in crazed and bizarre terms for its supposed unfair treatment of him. Yet if anything, in recent days the Times has crusaded relentlessly against his opponent, President Biden. Which is why this moment helps explain how Trump games the media—and how the media lets Trump game them. We talked with Will Stancil, an active social media presence who has prominently skewered the press for an immense double standard toward Trump and Biden. He explains why the Times and the media often seem to crusade more aggressively against Biden’s age than against Trump’s obvious mental unfitness for the presidency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 16, 2023 The lies and deflections from Republicans defending Trump have spun up the ire of "Words Matter" co-host Norm Ornstein. So in this episode he not only explains why but guest co-host David Rothkopf tries unsuccessfully to defuse his anger. Instead, both recount the facts surrounding the case for which Trump was arraigned this week and the likely cases to come and frankly, the outrage only grows. Join them to understand why it is fully justified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was only Tuesday when the Supreme Court upheld a decision by North Carolina’s top court that struck down a congressional districting plan as excessively partisan under state law. Since then, the court has ruled against affirmative action in the college admissions process, struck down Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan and ruled in favor of a web designer who said she had a First Amendment right to refuse to design wedding websites for same-sex couples despite a state law that forbids discrimination against gay people. What does this mean for the future of our democracy and how might it impact the 2024 election? Host David Rothkopf breaks it all down with Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick. Don’t miss this important discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After more than two years, the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine grinds on. Yet the Ukrainian spirit remains as unshakeable as ever. Illia Ponomarenko joins David Rothkopf to discuss his book, “I Will Show You How It Was,” and share how Ukrainians and the world can draw inspiration from the earliest days of the conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Supreme Court’s series of bad decisions will go down in history. Norm and Kavita are back to break down the latest legendarily awful decisions from the Roberts court and why we’ll be dealing with the fallout for years to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, and the Dems need to put their best foot forward to defeat him. So what needs to be done? Ed Luce, Kori Schake, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to break down the Joe Biden dilemma, and why the party needs to seriously consider alternative options before it’s too late. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Chevron deference and presidential immunity rulings, the Supreme Court has put our democracy in even greater danger. So what happens next? Dahlia Lithwick joins David Rothkopf to analyze the impact of the court’s latest disastrous decisions and what can be done to stop the bleeding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we break down the massive land seizures in the West Bank, $2.3 billion in new aid for Ukraine, Rudy Giuliani being disbarred in New York, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Donald Trump shared some deranged images on social media that called for the jailing of Liz Cheney. Taking his rage in a new direction, one image even called for her to face a military tribunal. Meanwhile, new reports suggest Trump is preparing an unexpectedly vicious wave of persecution if he wins. So what can Trump actually do to his political opponents if he unleashes all the powers of the presidency on them? We talked to Kristy Parker, former federal prosecutor and counsel at Protect Democracy, who explained why Trump’s coming crackdown on his enemies could be more disturbing than we expect—and how to fight back against it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Tuesday, we break down the Court’s disaster ruling on immunity, Orban’s visit to Kyiv, the French effort to block the far-right, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday the Supreme Court released its shocking new ruling in the case involving Donald Trump’s demand for absolute immunity from prosecution for insurrection-related crimes. The court gave Trump much of what he wanted, notably ensuring that his trial for the insurrection will be delayed indefinitely. But what’s really worrying is what this ruling could allow Trump to get away with if he wins back the White House. We talked to legal expert Richard Hasen, who just published A Real Right to Vote and regularly writes about Trump’s attacks on democracy, about why the case for alarmism is real and serious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

European governments watched the US presidential debate with shock and resignation, as fears skyrocket over Trump’s return to power. Meanwhile, Russia employs hybrid warfare, sowing mayhem across the continent. Michael Weiss joins Marc to discuss his recent trip, and how Russian intel follows the ISIS playbook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Monday, we discuss the Supreme Court’s impending rulings, France’s first round election results, the debate around President Biden’s candidacy, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At last week’s debate, Donald Trump ranted that the January 6 defendants are “so innocent,” raging that President Biden is “destroying their lives.” Then at a rally, Trump called for their immediate release, while proclaiming victory over a big Supreme Court ruling that seemingly weakens the cases against the attackers. Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann just co-authored a good new piece explaining that the ruling will only impact a small percentage of those cases. Still, if Trump wins, he’ll pardon untold numbers of those convicted. So we talked to Weissmann, who went deep on that ruling and on why Trump’s pardon threats endanger the rule of law at its foundations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: October 21, 2022 On this week's episode, Norm and Kavita talk about the recent debates in races across the country including Marco Rubio v. Val Demings, Tim Ryan v. JD Vance, and Raphael Warnock v. Herschel Walker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thursday’s debate was certainly something. Much of the Democratic camp is sounding the alarm after President Biden’s less than stellar performance, and discussions are swirling on whether or not it’s time for a new candidate. Norm Ornstein and Kavita Patel join David Rothkopf on this special episode to discuss what happened and where we go from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Putin is a firm believer in the old adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Russia has been working with a growing cluster of anti-US countries to advance his interests since the invasion of Ukraine, including Iran and North Korea. Nicole Grajewski and Andrey Baklitskiy join Jon to analyze Russia’s ‘cluster of discontent’ and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A technology as revolutionary as AI will have profound effects on all corners of society. So what are the big issues on the horizon that we’ll need to face? Dr. Alondra Nelson joins David Rothkopf to share her insights on the development of the AI Bill of Rights, the importance of diverse voices in tech development, and how a recent ruling shows why a broken Supreme Court might be right twice a day. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Friday, we break down the first presidential debate of 2024, Iran’s presidential election, Oklahoma requiring schools to teach the Bible, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MAGA personalities raged at CNN when it refused to allow a Donald Trump propagandist to smear journalists on air. They exploded again when CNN announced that the debate would be fact checked. We think this provides an unexpected glimpse into what Project 2025’s implementation might look like. This thought was driven home by a must-read thread from writer David Roberts about Project 2025’s true aims. So we talked to Roberts about what MAGA’s hostility to neutral journalism portends for a second Trump term—one that wrecks the professional, fact-based civil service and transforms government into a tool for manufacturing propaganda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite popular belief, the business community at large is not a fan of the failed businessman president. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld joins David Rothkopf to discuss his recent article on what CEOs really think about Trump and why the former president has few fans in corporate America Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss the latest Supreme Court decisions, the dominance of the French far-right in recent polls, an attempted coup in Bolivia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden and Donald Trump are set to hold their first debate, after Trump and his allies spent weeks mocking Biden’s age with doctored videos and dumb jokes about Biden’s supposed plan to rely on performance-enhancing drugs. Is all that agitprop just chum for the MAGA masses, or does it reflect a genuine belief that Biden actually is so deep into his dotage that he can’t possibly be a worthy debate adversary? We talked to veteran reporter Marc Caputo of The Bulwark, who has a good new report on Trump’s debate prep. Caputo is highly illuminating on what the Trump brain trust is really thinking as we head into the first showdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All eyes have been on Gaza for months, but trouble is brewing on Israel’s northern border. Tensions with Hezbollah and other militant groups are heating up and fears are mounting of a broader regional conflict. Alon Pinkas, Rosa Brooks, and David Sanger join David Rothkopf to break down the likelihood of a wider conflict, what it means for the US/Israel relationship, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss the big results from Tuesday’s primaries, NATO’s next Secretary General, Ukraine and Moldova’s EU talks, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Judge Aileen Cannon gave Donald Trump two more big assists. She agreed to hold a multi-day hearing on the constitutionality of the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith. And she appeared skeptical of Smith’s demand for a gag order on one of Trump’s most deranged attacks on law enforcement yet. We talked to law professor Corey Brettschneider, author of a new book called The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It. He vividly explains how Cannon is enabling Trump to attack the rule of law itself— and the dark antecedents this has in U.S. history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court is about to deliver some monumental verdicts, but some of the most consequential cases in the country have been delayed time and time again. Norm and Kavita are here to break down the biggest cases that are still on the horizon and why some justices keep dragging their feet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Tuesday, we cover the ICC issuing warrants for two more Russian leaders, Israel’s Supreme Court ruling on Ultra-Orthodox draft, Julian Assange’s guilty plea, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, Donald Trump’s spinners have worked hard to build up images of his supposed political invincibility. But what if it’s all smoke and mirrors? In an important new piece, Politico reports that behind the scenes, many Republicans are suddenly feeling quite uncertain about Trump’s chances. We talked to Never Trump conservative Mona Charen, an editor and columnist at The Bulwark who has written shrewdly about the GOP tendency to overestimate Biden’s weaknesses, about what’s really driving these sudden new doubts—and whether the race is really turning in Biden’s favor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former CIA senior intelligence service officer Daniel Hoffman joins Marc Polymeropoulos to reveal the intersection of an amazing spy story, a heartwarming love story, a family’s resilience in overcoming tragedy, and what ultimately matters most in life. Don’t miss this special episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Monday, we cover Netanyahu’s seeming rejection of any total ceasefire, an apparent terror attack in Russia’s Dagestan region, US prosecutors recommended action against Boeing, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At two speeches over the weekend, Donald Trump ramped up the dangerous language about migrants, floating the idea of Ultimate Fighting Championship matches between migrants and native born Americans. This comes as Trump and MAGA are escalating their propaganda tactic of highlighting isolated murders to smear migrants as dangerous criminals. We talked to Brian Beutler, who argues regularly on his Substack that this sort of shameless, degenerate politics is itself a big story, about how the press should cover the Trump-MAGA demonization of migrants as a major scandal in its own right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 10, 2023 This week, Michael sits down with Estonia’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Kaimo Kuusk, who has been in the post since 2019. Ambassador Kuusk will soon become the Ambassador to Lithuania, but before he takes his new post, he discusses the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the US decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine and his thoughts on Russia and Putin after the Wagner Group’s mutiny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 19, 2023 The US-Israel relationship is in a very difficult place and things may be getting worse. To discuss where we are and where we are going a former senior Israeli diplomat turned highly regarded commentator, Alon Pinkas, joins Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf for a discussion that tries to separate spin and facts from outright lies. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Effective AI legislation requires a revolutionary change in how government officials think. Several members of congress have risen to the challenge, but more is needed. Representative Don Beyer, joins David to share his work to comprehensively address AI in congress and the importance of being informed. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Friday, we cover an Israeli official’s statement that Hamas can’t be destroyed, Justice Gorsuch’s dissenting opinion, the dropped charges against Columbia protesters, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Donald Trump raged at a Fox News poll finding behind, and lashed out at Fox for featuring a guest who dared criticize him. Trump regularly unloads on Fox when it doesn’t follow his script, which is remarkable, given that Fox is usually committed to deceiving its viewers on his behalf. Both Trump and Fox draw on a long history, in which grift and scams have been deeply intertwined with the American right for over a half century. We talked to journalist Joe Conason, author of a new book called: “The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism,” about the place of the tortured Trump-Fox relationship in that long, ugly story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s past time for some real oversight of the Supreme Court. The lack of accountability at the highest court in the land has come into focus, and it’s high time for action. CREW President Noah Bookbinder joins David Rothkopf to talk about this pressing issue, and what can actually be done to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss Hezbollah’s leader threatening Israel and Cyprus, the EU’s first sanctions on Russian gas, Louisiana requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Any day now, the Supreme Court will rule on Donald Trump’s demand for immunity from prosecution for alleged insurrection-related crimes. Depending on how the court rules, it’s still possible Trump’s trial will begin before the election. But what if the damage is already done? Veteran labor strategist Michael Podhorzer has an important new piece on his Substack arguing that the MAGA-friendy justices and the court have already interfered in the election by delaying the trial to the degree it has—and that this is about to get worse. We talked to Podhorzer about why he thinks the court is pushing our country into a deep crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With consequential elections coming up in Britain, France, and the US, monumental change is on the horizon . In a special two-part episode, Clive Priddle and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to forecast the upcoming elections while members will hear from Kori Schake and Rosa Brooks on the most impactful headlines from around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we break down Russia and North Korea’s new strategic partnership, new tensions in the South China Sea, the Boeing CEO’s Senate testimony, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MAGA deception seems to have gone nuclear. Fox News’s Sean Hannity is floating strange new theories about President Biden’s upcoming debate with Donald Trump. Republicans dishonestly doctored numerous videos to make Biden look befuddled and senile. And we learned that the Sinclair media apparatus is blaring out all that deception to huge audiences. We talked to well-known writer and podcaster Thom Hartmann, author of a New Republic piece, “From the Border to Bump Stocks, the MAGA Lie Machine Is Heating Up,” about whether we’re approaching a point of no return that will make this election like no other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The relationship between the Israeli and US intelligence services is longstanding. Yet the October 7th Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza has presented unique challenges and opportunities on both sides. National Security reporter Shane Harris, just back from Israel, joins Marc to discuss why the US remains Israel’s key intelligence partner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The media and journalists are pillars of a healthy democracy, but they’re not infallible. So how do we hold errant media personalities and companies accountable? Norm and Kavita break down this unique issue and pay tribute to one of the greats, Howard Fineman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss President Biden’s new executive action to protect immigrants, increased spending among NATO allies, a severe heatwave in the US, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Politico released a new poll with some pretty big surprises: A larger-than-expected percentage of Americans say Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in Manhattan makes them less likely to vote for him. The finding is even more striking among independents. The poll also took the innovative step of trying to gauge how important Trump’s conviction is to voters. And the answer is: Pretty important! We talked to Ankush Khardori, a senior writer for Politico Magazine who oversaw this poll, who walked us through its findings, what they mean, and whether Trump’s pressure on Republicans to protect him from the law will backfire on the GOP in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR daily, we cover Netanyahu disbanding his war cabinet, Putin’s planned trip to North Korea, polling troubles for Donald Trump, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s new book comes out, and it contains a disturbing chapter about Donald Trump’s ignorance, explosive rage and megalomania during the coronavirus pandemic. We think this should be covered as a loud, clanging alarm bell about the dangers of a second Trump term. So we talked to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who has written a series of columns on voter amnesia about Trump’s 2020 performance, about the horrors unleashed on the country by his unfitness for the presidency—and why recent events suggest he’s gotten much worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 3, 2023 On this week's episode of the DSR, co-host Marc Polymeropoulos is joined by guest James Lawler, a former CIA operations officer for 25 years and former member of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service where he specialized in the recruitment of foreign spies. Don’t miss their discussion on the Iranian nuclear program and the qualities that make an effective CIA recruiter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 22, 2023 Few people have offered the kind of insight into Donald Trump than has his niece, psychologist Mary Trump. On this special episode of DSR, we speak to Mary about how she thinks the former president is responding to the legal walls closing in on him, how he would react were he sentenced to prison and how his very first years growing up in Queens may have scarred him and put the country at risk. Don't miss this fascinating, wide-ranging conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much of our discussions about nuclear weapons focus on Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, or the Cold War. But what does the current nuclear age really look like? Sarah Scoles joins Heather Williams to discuss her book “Countdown” and share first hand reporting on the scientists who work within the nuclear apparatus of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI affects us all, for better or for worse. But AI has long been used to harass and exploit women in particular. Disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz joins David Rothkopf to share how and why AI has an adversarial relationship with gender and women, and how officials can be doing more to protect us from its malign uses. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for June 14, we discuss the latest news from the G7 summit, Putin’s laughable ceasefire demands, the arrival of a US submarine in Cuba, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New reports are emerging about Donald Trump’s tightening grip on the GOP, and the upshot is this: It’s crazier and more dangerous than you thought. First we learned that Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson privately schemed over how to sabotage ongoing prosecutions of Trump. Then Trump met with Republicans and reportedly unleashed numerous strange rants, calling the Justice Department “dirty no good bastards” and spinning out a wild tale about Nancy Pelosi’s daughter. We talked with A.B. Stoddard, a columnist at The Bulwark and shrewd observer of GOP politics, and she trenchantly explained why this moment is very much not a drill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s go time for the Biden campaign. With only five months to go until Election Day, polls suggest that Biden and Trump are neck and neck. Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg join David Rothkopf to share what the Democrats need to do to secure victory in November, and why this month is critical for the future of the race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Thursday, we cover the US and Ukraine’s expected security agreement, attempts to overturn President Biden’s asylum restrictions, President Miley’s radical overhauls in Argentina, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An influential group called the True Texas Project is hosting a conference in July that will actively promote Christian Nationalism and the racist great replacement theory, the Texas Tribune reports. The group, which subscribes to the idea of a “war on white America,” has ties to many Texas GOP officials, the report says, including Senator Ted Cruz and Attorney General Ken Paxton, a major supporter of Donald Trump. We talked to Sarah Posner, author of several books on the religious right, who sheds much-needed light on this ugly tangle far right ideologies—and how they’re being mainstreamed at the highest levels of Republican power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The western world hailed President Zelenskyy as a protector of democracy at the 80th anniversary of Normandy. But will we give Ukraine the support it needs to defend itself? Ivo Daalder, Nate Mook, and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to illustrate why were are at a critical moment in Ukraine and what the US and the West need to do to win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US can’t seem to figure out the Middle East. Decades of involvement in the region has had mixed results to say the least. So where did we go wrong? Steven Cook, author of the new book “The End of Ambition” joins David Rothkopf to explain America’s past, present, and future in the Middle East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss Hamas seeking a ‘complete halt’ in the war in Gaza, Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict, impending announcements from the G7 summit, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is now leveling his authoritarian threats right out in the open. He appears supremely confident that none of it will alienate swing voters. Now NBC News reports that the Biden campaign hopes to draw out this side of Trump at their upcoming debate—but if Trump doesn’t see these things as liabilities, he may advertise them all over again when voters are paying attention. We talked to Slate legal writer Dahlia Lithwick, author of an excellent new piece outlining how Trump is running on an overt promise of authoritarianism, about whether voters will awaken to the threat he poses—and how this could cause his confidence to blow up in his face. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Money can’t buy happiness. But it seems like it can buy you a Supreme Court justice. The corruption of certain justices continues to be laid bare for all to see, but the question remains: what can we do about it? Norm and Kavita break it all down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution on a permanent Gaza ceasefire, the US lifting a ban on the Azov Brigade using American weapons, Modi’s retention of key cabinet ministers, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Donald Trump’s criminal conviction, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans are ramping up with sordid new efforts to use their congressional powers to protect Trump from other ongoing prosecutions. This gives Democrats an opening to hammer Republicans for aiding and abetting Trump’s nonstop quest to place himself above the law. Yet some Democrats seem reluctant to engage this fight. We talked to California Representative Eric Swalwell, who breaks down the absurdity of the GOP’s various tactics—and how Democrats can go on offense against them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian warships are arriving in Cuba. Another US senior official sentenced for spying for the Cubans. Sound familiar? Retired FBI counterintelligence expert Pete Lapp joins Marc to shed light on Cuba’s tense history with the US and why this persistent thorn in the side of US national security has been underestimated for too long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Monday, we discuss the announcement of snap parliamentary elections in France, Antony Blinken’s visit to the Middle East, Republican plans for 2025, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Republicans are reportedly worried that Donald Trump’s ongoing public attacks on his criminal conviction show that he’s overly focused on lathering up his base, and refuses to grasp that the verdict will likely alienate swing voters. We think this highlights a deeper truth about Trump and the MAGA movement itself: They cannot acknowledge that such Trump-centrict obsessions might be unpopular with the broader electorate, as this would constitute showing weakness. We talked to Washington Post reporter Isaac Arnsdorf, author of an excellent new book called Finish What We Started: The MAGA Movement’s Ground War to End Democracy, who helped us unravel this tangle of MAGA pathologies. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 5, 2023 Michael’s guest this week is James Rushton, a journalist at Yahoo News who is covering the Ukraine-Russia war from his home in Kyiv. He’s been reporting amidst air raid sirens and other challenges and is extremely well-placed on the front lines of the war to tell you what is happening in the country. His experience and perspective on all things Ukraine is not to be missed. Tune In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 16, 2023 There have been glimmers of sanity from a Supreme Court that seemed hopelessly radicalized. The former president of the United States has begun to be held accountable and America has not rioted in the streets in response. We are far from out of the woods and Donald Trump has promised that the first thing he would do were he to be reelected is to turn the country into a banana republic. But what are we to make of the progress, the good news? And what should we brace for in terms of the next wave of bad news? We discuss with the one and only Dahlia Lithwick of Slate and the Amicus brief. You won't want to miss this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does someone become a child solider? More importantly, how do they escape? Anthony Opoka joins the podcast with Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich to share his journey from unwilling soldier in Kony’s LRA to crusader for the freedom of child soldiers. Don’t miss his incredible story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can never be too certain about what might happen next in Iran. With the death of President Raisi, the country’s future is more unpredictable than ever. Thankfully, expert Barbara Slavin joins Heather and Jon to analyze what could come next for both Iran and the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for June 7, we cover a federal judge ordering Steve Bannon to prison, Joe Biden’s meeting with Zelenskyy in Paris, Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the US, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A judge just ordered longtime Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon to surrender to prison on July 1st after his conviction for defying the Jan. 6th committee’s subpoena. Not surprisingly, Trump and MAGA have already exploded in rage. Making this worse, Bannon is one of the leading pro-Trump figures calling on Trump to jail Democrats without cause if he wins the White House—and Bannon’s jail time will only fuel that mania. We talked to Eric Columbus, a lawyer who represented the Jan. 6th committee, about the alarming signals this sends about the perils of a second Trump presidency. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for June 6, we cover an Israeli strike on a UN school in Gaza, shifting support towards Biden in the wake of Trump’s conviction, the Houthi rebels’ new missile, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal published a dodgy hit piece about President Biden’s age. Then something unusual happened: Democratic lawmakers went nuclear on the piece, going on record to forcefully undermine its core assertions. This deserves some discussion: Could Dems better “work the refs” the way Republicans do? When liberals do criticize coverage, why do newsroom leaders shrug it off? Why do editors insult our intelligence with phony justifications for the overemphasis on Biden’s age? We chatted with Aaron Rupar, a shrewd media observer and author of the “Public Notice" Substack, about the deeper problems with the press this episode reveals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modi has claimed victory in the Indian elections, but the reality isn’t so rosy for the BJP. For the first time in his tenure, Modi has failed to secure the majority. Journalist Rana Ayyub joins David Rothkopf alongside Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and Ed Luce to break down why this election could be a turning point for India and how Modi lost his touch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for June 5, we cover President Biden’s new asylum restrictions, the House efforts to sanction ICC officials, an election debate in Britain, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MAGA loyalists have been relentlessly pushing a silly talking point: The American people are in full scale revolt against the criminal conviction of Donald Trump. Guess what? The polls are telling a different story, finding majority support for the verdict. One of these, from the progressive firm Data for Progress, finds that this is also true among swing voters. We chatted with Data for Progress’s executive director, Danielle Deiseroth, about what all these numbers are really telling us, most (though not all) of it good news. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The competitive relationship between the US and China manages to be both novel, and strikingly familiar. With shades of the Cold War, the potential for escalation is a constant threat. Dmitri Alperovitch joins David Rothkopf to discuss his book “World on the Brink” and how the US can win a Cold War with China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump is guilty 34 times over. That’s a big deal. So, what happens now? Norm and Kavita break down the political ramifications of the ruling, how MAGA-world is coping with the news, and the political fallout that is already underway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for June 4, we cover the BJP’s election performance in India, the Biden administration’s expected new asylum restrictions, Dr. Fauci’s public hearing appearance, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts, Republican anger at the verdict is getting darker, with GOP leaders talking about holding hearings and even defunding other prosecutions of Trump. But Democrats are not engaging this debate nearly as intensively, and appear divided over how to proceed. This is puzzling: The furious GOP defense of Trump is deranged and reckless, and would almost certainly be deeply unpopular—if voters are made to understand it. We talked to veteran Democratic strategist Celinda Lake, who suggested ways the party might find a stronger and more unified posture in this battle going forward. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has limitless potential and presents a multitude of risks. So how do we manage the positives without the negatives. White House Special Advisor on AI Ben Buchanan joins David Rothkopf to share what the White House has been doing to promote beneficial growth in AI and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for June 3, we discuss Mexico electing it’s first woman president, Georgia signing a contentious bill into law, a Chinese spacecraft landing on the far side of the moon, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The other day on CNN, prominent Never Trump lawyer George Conway did something you rarely see in Washington. He dressed down a GOP commentator for lying his ass off about Donald Trump—and then, right on the air, he asked why CNN was paying this Republican to spread lies on Trump’s behalf. We think this episode illustrates a deep problem with the media’s handling of pro-Trump propaganda. So we chatted with Conway about why he unloaded—and in the process, he revealed some interesting things about the network. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following on the heels of a Manhattan jury convicting twice-impeached disgraced former president Donald Trump on 34 felony counts, we sit down with the Washington Post's Jen Rubin and Mike Tomasky of the New Republic and try to figure out what to make of these recent events. One conclusion: Apparently we would be better off if everyone actually read some news every day. We discuss that and much more in a must listen episode. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Heather and Jon talk to James Acton, the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. They delve into the escalating nuclear risks arising from recent events in Ukraine and their potential impact on global security. They also explore the intersection of American interests, European alliances, and the strategic risks associated with the Ukraine war. The discussion highlights the need for risk reduction and the challenges of managing nuclear risks without a cooperative partner. It also addresses the debate around the role of the US in supporting Ukraine and the potential consequences of aggressive actions on nuclear stability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation covers the criminal conviction of former President Donald Trump, the implications of the conviction on the upcoming election, the decision to authorize Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons, the rare direct talks between the US and China, the controversy surrounding Supreme Court justices, and a humorous incident involving a Michigan man during a court hearing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special edition of Siliconsciousness, we have an in-depth conversation with Arati Prabhakar, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. We discuss the current state of the administration-wide effort to adapt to the complex realities of age of Artificial Intelligence. Prabhakar also details evolving objectives and challenges for the effort. A must-listen on a wide range of vital topics. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning journalist and author, Liza Mundy, discusses her latest book 'The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA' and delves into the experiences of women at the CIA, their challenges, and their contributions to the agency. The conversation also explores the complexities of the CIA as an institution and the unique experiences of women within it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito refused to recuse himself from hearing Jan. 6-related cases amid controversy over an upside-down U.S. flag outside Alito’s home that’s associated with Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” effort. Then, on Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts denied Democrats’ demand for a meeting, adding to the imperiousness around the conservative justices and making the Alito scandal look worse. We talked to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, about what he called the “omerta” code for right wing justices—and whether it’s time for hearings into the Alito mess. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation covers a range of topics including the Trump trial, Supreme Court Justice Alito's refusal to recuse himself, the US-built pier in Gaza, Ukrainian drone strikes, and the South African elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump recently said he’s “looking at” imposing restrictions on contraception if he is elected president, and even promised a concrete policy. Then he quickly walked it back. But certain constituencies on the right have not given up—far from it. We chatted with Politico reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein, co-author of a great new piece detailing the blueprint that Trump’s MAGA allies are developing for him to restrict birth control through executive action, about how far this could get if he regains the White House. It isn’t pretty. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The war in Gaza is horrifying. It is also a war being conducted without a strategy and without a clear end goal in mind by an ally that opposes most core American objectives. Are these people we should be sending more weapons to? If so, on what conditions? What should we be doing differently. Israeli journalist Noga Tarnopolsky, former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas, Georgetown Law Professor Rosa Brooks and Dr. Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute join David Rothkopf for a conversation in search of constructive answers. Don't miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz has just produced an important new book, "The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society" that explores not just the merits but the urgent need to embrace progressive economics as an alternative to the distortionary, inequality-driving and freedom-limiting consequences of neo-liberalism. Ed Luce of the Financial Times and host David Rothkopf engage in an important, wide-ranging discussion with Stiglitz about his book and its relevance to the current political and economic situation in the United States and worldwide. Don't miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of the DSR Daily Brief, we cover the Israeli airstrike in Rafah, South Africa's upcoming election, North Korea's balloon incident, the criminal trial of Donald Trump, and the controversy surrounding the upside-down American flag at Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily denied special counsel Jack Smith’s latest request for a gag order on Donald Trump’s lie that the FBI was set to use lethal force on Trump at Mar-a-Lago. In keeping with a shady pattern of favoritism to Trump, Cannon said No, but she may feel pressure to grant the gag order later, lest Smith seek her removal. We talked to legal scholar Matthew Seligman, who has done great work road-mapping Trump’s legal travails, about why Cannon’s move may not help Trump in the long run—and why it’s premature to assume he won’t face a federal criminal trial before the election. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the DSR Daily Brief, we cover the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the situation in Ukraine, Donald Trump's legal issues, and a natural disaster in Papua New Guinea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and his media propagandists have been preposterously suggesting the FBI under President Biden was set to use “lethal force” against Trump when it searched Mar-a-Lago. This fabrication was summoned into existence by Fox News and the right wing media. We talked with media reporter Brian Stelter, author of a great new piece on Trump in The New Republic’s “American Fascism” issue, who put all this in its larger context, explaining what the right wing media has become under Trump, and how he will bully non-compliant media outlets if reelected president. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 23, 2023 Norm and Kavita are back this week to discuss the 8-1 ruling in favor of the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement guidelines. From there, they turn their attention to Justice Alito, who earlier in the week wrote a preemptive opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal addressing the ProPublica investigative piece which disclosed his fishing trips with a Billionaire Hedge Fund manger that petitioned the Supreme Court to rule in his favor in his business dealings. Don’t miss it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 26, 2023 The dust is still settling from Yevgeny Prigozhin's march on Moscow that gripped the world and rocked the Kremlin. Many questions remain but one thing is certain. In the wake of Prigozhin's bold if seemingly ill-fated challenge to the authority of Russia's Ministry of Defense, Vladimir Putin is weaker today in the eyes of Russians, Ukrainians and the world. We discuss the consequences of that change with the Washington Post's Shane Harris, former CIA Moscow hand John Sipher, co-host former CIA operations officer Marc Polymeropoulos and co-host David Rothkopf. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two satellites snuggling doesn’t sound so bad, right? The new space race with China, Russia, and the US has led to some interesting new tech with scarier implications than you might expect. David Sanger and Victoria Samson join Jon and Heather to break down the far-reaching consequences of space defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss China staging mock missile strikes on Taiwan, the US announcing new military aid for Ukraine, the dispute over President Biden on the ballot in Ohio, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, Donald Trump tweeted that Vladimir Putin will release Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia, after the election—“for me,” meaning for Trump. In other words, elect Trump president, and Putin will release him. We think this saga gets at a larger story about Trump’s approach to politics and foreign policy. So we talked to Nicholas Grossman, a professor of international relations who writes about Trump’s Putinist inclinations. He explains how Trump may be sabotaging U.S foreign policy to help himself politically, while aligning himself with the world’s autocrats and dictators. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 1, 2023 Every day it seems new revelations suggest Donald Trump is in greater legal jeopardy. And, with each new revelation, comes a chorus of accusations and threats from the GOP led by Trump himself that it is time to shut down the Department of Justice and the FBI, time to fire those who are involved in investigating him, time to purge the government of everyone disloyal to the MAGA movement. It is a perilous moment. But where will it lead? We discuss with former FBI special agent Peter Strzok in a wide-ranging, insight-rich conversation you won't want to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jess McHugh joins Marissa to share the compelling true life story of two people who fell in love--one Jewish and one German-- and made it their life’s work to bring Nazis to justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR daily, we cover Nikki Haley’s statement that she will vote for Trump, Israel’s intention to reprimand Irish, Norwegian, and Spanish ambassadors, the Pentagon’s report of a Russian space weapon, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump and MAGA Republicans are floating the crackpot idea that President Biden’s FBI was ready to target Trump with lethal force when it searched Mar-a-Lago. This is based on a wildly absurd reading of FBI policy, but beyond this, we think this saga says something larger about the fascistic politics of Trump and his MAGA allies. We talked to Federico Finchelstein, an expert on fascist movements and author of a new piece in The New Republic’s issue on “American Fascism,” who explains why Trump is best seen as a “wannabe fascist.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: May 31, 2023 America did not choose to blow up the world economy. The lunatic caucus in Congress did not prevail. An experienced president helped strike a deal that preserved critical U.S. programs and priorities. The world can stop thinking we've lost our minds. Or can they? With 2024 looming we discuss whether the trends are encouraging or discouraging or downright frightening both at tome and in terms of U.S. foreign policy. Ed Luce of the Financial Times, Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law Center and host David Rothkopf, do a deep dive...and end up being a little bit optimistic for a change. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR daily we cover Ireland, Norway, and Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state, the US signaling towards ICC sanctions, Rudy Giuliani and Trump allies pleading not guilty, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To say it’s been a busy week in American politics would be an understatement. Thankfully, Kavita and Norm are here to discuss the unfolding dynamics of the primaries and Senate races, the state of the Supreme Court and upcoming decisions, and why voters’ economic perception isn’t matching the reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the updated situation in Haiti, the conclusion of the prosecutors’ case against Donald Trump, the German foreign minister’s visit to Kyiv, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, the prosecution rested its case in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan. This comes after Trump’s defense team concluded their efforts to destroy former Trump fixer Michael Cohen’s credibility as one of the chief witnesses against Trump. So has the prosecution proven its case? We talked to New York Law School professor Rebecca Roiphe, who has prosecuted cases like these in New York, about why she thinks a conviction is now likely—even as it still remains very possible that Trump could beat the rap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emerging from the shadows after a 24 year career at CIA, former senior case officer Ed Bogan joins Marc to share his insights on serving everywhere from South Asia to Ukraine, including the critical importance of people at CIA, the need to form enduring liaison partnerships and building a resilient workforce. A lively tour d’horizon of an amazing agency life, that includes Ed’s journey from skateboarder in New Jersey, law school in Philadelphia, and then the back alleys of Afghanistan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the death of Iranian President Raisi in a helicopter crash, the ICC prosecutor requesting warrants for Hamas and Israeli leadership, Trump’s potential testimony on Monday, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GOP’s embrace of Donald Trump’s authoritarianism is growing more blatant. Republicans have joined him in attacking his criminal trials as illegitimate. Those angling to be his running mate say they wouldn’t have certified his 2020 loss. And many Republicans are echoing his refusal to say he’ll respect the 2024 outcome. We talked to Tom Nichols, a leading Never Trump conservative and staff writer at The Atlantic about why he is now arguing that his former party’s support for Trump has driven it into the abyss. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: May 30, 2023 Michael’s guest this week is Jennifer Cafarella, the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Jennifer and her team of analysts have been providing detailed reports and interactive maps each day since the war began on both Russian and Ukrainian positions. If you’re interested in what’s really happening in Ukraine, don’t miss this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: April 13, 2023 It is bad enough the Supreme Court has been transformed from the central pillar of our justice system into a mood ring reflective the shifting views of the extreme right. But the damage that has been done to our legal system and our democracy at large now is visible at every level of the courts, state legislatures and in our Congress. We don't often connect the dots to see how serious the decay has been...but in this special one-on-one conversation with Dahlia Lithwick that's exactly what we do. It is a must-listen episode of Deep State Radio. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re getting worried about the things that go boom in the night. Between talk about removing one of the legs of the US nuclear triad and Russia’s ever-present saber-rattling, there’s no shortage of things that give us insomnia. Heather and Jon are back to talk about the many foolhardy ideas being floated in the world of nuclear arms and defense both in the US and abroad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss the first food trucks arriving via the US pier in Gaza, a new report on Trump’s plans for the FBI in a second term, unrest in New Caledonia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, dropped a bomb: She announced a donation of another $8 million to his campaign. That’s substantially more than her initial $2 million, and suggests much more is coming. Which is a reminder: It’s still very plausible that RFK Jr. will get on the ballot in many of the swing states that will decide the election. We talked to veteran Democratic strategist Stephanie Schriock, who explains why Shanahan’s wealth suggests it’s time to take the RFK Jr. spoiler threat very, very seriously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should we be panicking about the election yet? While there’s been chatter about recent negative polls for Biden and fears over the campaign’s strategy, there are still many reasons to stay positive. Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg join David Rothkopf to break down the good, the bad, and the ugly for the Biden camp and forecast what’s next at the long road ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the completion of the aid pier in Gaza, Putin arriving in Beijing for a meeting with Xi, an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister of Slovakia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Donald Trump refused to commit to accepting the outcome of the 2024 election, shamelessly declaring he’d only do so “if everything’s honest.” Translation: He’ll only treat the outcome as valid if he wins. Infuriatingly, Trump has crucial backing for this project: Fox News and other MAGA propaganda outlets are already laying the groundwork to treat the outcome as illegitimate, should he lose. We talked to Matt Gertz of Media Matters, author of a new piece detailing how these right wing media figures are “warning” that Democrats intend to steal the election, and why that could produce another Jan. 6th or worse. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is certainly no shortage of news to make us stressed, anxious, and depressed. Thankfully Rosa Brooks joins David Rothkopf for an episode that is sure to make us all feel better, right? Rosa and David break down the ever-looming threat posed by Trump, the current status of Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza conundrum, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the key takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries, the advancement of $1 billion in arms for Israel, new tariffs on Chinese goods, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, when Michael Cohen testified against Donald Trump, the former president’s lawyers reminded jurors that Cohen was once slavishly devoted to Trump and used to lie relentlessly on his behalf—before Cohen turned on him. Cohen responded by admitting it: Yes, he was once a member of the Trump “cult.” Which is apt: Again and again, Trump’s own lawyers have seemingly designed their strategy around flattering Trump as much as serving his legal needs. We talked to Ankush Khardori, a former federal prosecutor and senior writer for Politico Magazine, who explained how Trump’s lawyers are making serious mistakes that are rooted in his demand for absolute devotion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Donald Trump deals with a gag order in his hush money trial, his various cronies have come out of the woodwork to do his dirty work. JD Vance, Tommy Tuberville, and more have come out to criticize the trial and jockey for a vice presidential nomination. Norm and Kavita break down this MAGA race to the bottom and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR daily, we cover Cohen’s testimony in Trump’s hush money trial, the US and Taiwan holding drills in the Pacific, the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, The New York Times released new polls that sent shock waves through the Democratic establishment, finding Donald Trump leading in all six key swing states, in some cases by startling margins. While President Biden has fared better in other recent polls, the bottom line is that he is trailing in all the swing-state polling averages. So we talked to Jefrey Pollack, a top pollster for the Biden campaign, who laid out why he thinks it’s premature to read too much into these polls, and why the current data set, in his view, actually shows a hidden path to reelection for the president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been 7 months since the devastating Hamas attack in Israel. Doug London joins Marc to assess the region after 10/7, including the ferocious Israeli reaction, how Hamas can be "strategically defeated,” the importance of the US as an ally to provide wise counsel, and the prospects of Israel-Saudi normalization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the ouster of Sergei Shoigu as Russia’s Defense Minister, Michael Cohen’s impending testimony, a recent poll showing discontent among young voters, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump constantly claims that crime is out of control. In reality, it’s substantially down under Biden, after soaring during the pandemic that Trump catastrophically botched as president. Now the Democratic group Third Way is releasing a new study finding that this year, congressional Democrats secured substantially more funding for public safety projects across the country than Republicans did. We talked to Jim Kessler of Third Way, who explains how Democrats can go on offense on the issue and beat back Trump’s relentless lies about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: September 2, 2022 On this week's episode, we do a deep dive on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In the bonus segment, Norm talks about the latest Trump crime news and Biden's most recent speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: April 28, 2023 The Democrats should not be trying to eke out a narrow win in 2024. Given recent results in statewide elections, the Republicans active desire to embrace policies that are opposed by a supermajority of Americans, their seeming impulse to hitch their wagon to a star that is in deep legal trouble and the great record of the Biden Administration, a bigger win is possible. In fact, according to our discussion with guests Simon Rosenberg and David Corn and host David Rothkopf, the Democrats goal should be nothing less than delivering the blow that puts MAGA out of business. That's because it's doable and because given the pace MAGA is trying to game our electoral system, this may be the country's last chance to so. It's an important episode. Don't miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Each day of Trump’s election interference trial manages to be more salacious than the last. From the testimony of Stormy Daniels to Trump’s inability to stop smearing everyone involved, it’s clear that the trial will continue to be a roller coaster until the very end. Norm and Kavita take us through the latest from the trial, and what could be around the corner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the latest testimonies in Trump’s criminal trial, a top Indian opposition candidate receiving interim bail, the UN General Assembly preparing to support the Palestinian bid for UN membership, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, Stormy Daniels faced tough cross examination from Donald Trump’s attorneys in his hush money trial in Manhattan. By most accounts, she responded with humor and harsh mockery directed at Trump, which helped parry their assaults on her credibility. The ridicule, however, could serve another purpose: It could help convince the jury that Trump had a clear motive for committing crimes related to the hush-money scheme. We talked to former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade, who explains how Daniels’s testimony may have damaged Trump more deeply than it first appears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s safe to call Trump’s ongoing legal woes the trial of the century. At least for far. But what remains in store for the trial, and how likely is the prosecution to secure a conviction? Norm Eisen joins David Rothkopf to discuss his new guidebook to the trial, “Trying Trump,” and to breakdown both the trial so far and what comes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the failure of Marjorie Taylor Green’s attempt to oust Speaker Johnson, Biden’s warning to Israel over an invasion of Rafah, the expulsion of a Russian diplomat in the UK, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Indiana GOP primary on Tuesday night, Donald Trump lost 22 percent of GOP primary voters to Nikki Haley. That’s surprising, since Haley ended her campaign two months ago. So it’s clearly a trend: A sizable bloc of Republican voters in GOP primaries has resisted Trump again and again. We chatted with David Drucker, a senior writer at The Dispatch and author of a new piece about the Indiana outcome, about whether President Biden can poach these voters away from Trump and why it’s a warning sign for MAGA in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Israel’s operation in Rafah underway, the Benjamin Netanyahu continues to be at odds with the Biden administration. But what does the withholding of US bombs really mean for the souring relationship between the US and Israel? Noga Tarnopolsky, Alon Pinkas, and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to assess the current state of Israeli politics, and how Netanyahu continues to hold on to power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On our Wednesday episode of the DSR daily, we cover a Russian plot to kill President Zelensky, the US pausing a weapons shipment to Israel over Rafah concerns, a grim milestone in the Myanmar conflict, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is deciding whether to call a snap vote to oust Mike Johnson as House Speaker. She has a list of demands, and if they aren’t met, she will pull the trigger. If so, Democrats seem prepared to save Johnson. Which raises some questions: Can Democrats leverage anything in exchange for protecting Johnson? Are Greene and MAGA losing power inside the House GOP? We talked to Representative Ted Lieu, the Number 4 in the House Democratic leadership, about how Democrats should proceed—and where all this is heading next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past year, there have been a startling amount of misconceptions spread about artificial intelligence and its potential impacts on all corners of society. Rob Atkinson, author of the new book “Technology Fears and Scapegoats” joins David Rothkopf to cut through the noise of AI discourse and provide a clear look at what this rapidly developing technology really means for all of us. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Israel’s seizure of a key border crossing in Rafah, Vladimir Putin’s fifth inauguration, election updates in India, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s hush-money trial in Manhattan has already served up some extraordinary moments. On Friday, former Trump aide Hope Hicks’s tearful testimony undermined the defense that Trump’s legal team will attempt to mount. On Monday, new evidence tied the payments to mistress Stormy Daniels tightly to Trump, and he was again held in contempt for attacking jurors, this time threatened with jail. We talked to Kim Wehle, a professor of law and former assistant U.S. attorney, about why these developments signal still more damning revelations ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we think of intelligence, we most often think of state organizations like the CIA. Yet the private sector has a robust intelligence community that keeps on growing. Lewis Sage-Passant joins Marc to shine a light on the overlooked world of private intelligence, and why it has become more critical than ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss the Israeli military ordering an evacuation of Rafah, meetings between Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping in Paris, severe flooding in Kenya, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his much-discussed Time interview, Donald Trump threatened to use the military to carry out mass deportations in a second term. The proposals he offered are appalling on their face. But beyond that, by regularly using vicious tropes about undocumented immigrants and other domestic enemies within, Trump is trying to acclimate voters to the ugliest forms of authoritarian, dehumanizing language. We talked to Maria Teresa Kumar, the president of Voto Latino, about a new effort she’s launching with other Hispanic leaders to alert voters to the grave threat Trump poses—before it’s too late. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: May 19, 2023 In a special two part series of pods, we turn to some of our favorite observers and analysts of America today to ask why we have ended up where we are, divided, with corrupted institutions, half the country seemingly committed to a path of ignorance and hate. On this, the second in the series, we discuss these issues with one of the country's wisest and often wryest commentators, author and host of the Democracy-ish podcast, Wajahat Ali. It's a great, incisive, and vitally important discussion. Don't miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: May 18, 2023 In a special two part series of pods, we turn to some of our favorite observers and analysts of America today to ask why we have ended up where we are, divided, with corrupted institutions, half the country seemingly committed to a path of ignorance and hate. On the first part, we discuss these issues with two of the most distinguished columnists in America, EJ Dionne and Jennifer Rubin, both of the Washington Post. It's a great, incisive, and vitally important discussion. Don't miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss Turkey halting trade with Israel, UK Conservatives suffering a big defeat in local elections, China’s new lunar probe, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unexpectedly, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been making a huge number of appearances all over right wing media of late. Trump advisers are loudly warning that this threatens to take voters from him, helping President Biden. But we’re skeptical: It’s still more likely that in the end RFK hurts Biden more than Trump. And there are cynical reasons why right wing media sources might be boosting RFK Jr. right now. We chatted with Matt Bennett, a co-founder of the Democratic group Third Way and a shrewd observer of U.S. party politics, about the true RFK effect, how RFK is functioning as a stalking horse for Trump, and what MAGA media might be doing to help along the scam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Campus protesters have been vilified, accused of being terrorists, and attacked. But why has there been such a strong and polarized reaction to current demonstrations taking place at universities across the country? Emily Tamkin and Wajahat Ali join David Rothkopf to consider what makes this issue so divisive, and why campus protests have been a cornerstone of US politics for decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover US allegations that Russia is using chemical weapons in Ukraine, the Arizona Senate striking down the 1864 abortion law, giant pandas returning to the San Diego Zoo, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new consensus is settling in among political analysts: Donald Trump’s poll numbers look unexpectedly formidable in states like Arizona and Georgia, which means President Biden’s most likely path to victory requires winning Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. And yet Trump will almost certainly lose if he can’t win one of those three. That’s why Democrats can stop Trump if they beat him in Wisconsin. We talked to Ben Wikler, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, who explains how years of painstaking organizing is laying the groundwork to defeat Trump by thwarting his designs, first and foremost, in the Badger State. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the US in a new Cold War with Russia and China? The answer is more complicated than you may think, but David Sanger’s book “New Cold Wars” looks to provide an answer. Sanger joins David Rothkopf to explain how we got to this point in US relations with China and Russia and what makes these conflicts so new. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Siliconsciousness, a DSR Network podcast! Every week, Siliconsciousness will dive into the AI revolution, looking at key issues and politics. Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at CNAS Paul Scharre joins David Rothkopf for our inaugural episode and shares his insight into AI-powered weapons systems, frontier AI, and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the House Democrat plan to protect Speaker Johnson from being ousted, protesters clashing on UCLA’s campus, the latest on Secretary Blinken’s ceasefire negotiations, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a new interview, Donald Trump gave away the game: If he wins the White House, he’d be fine with anti-choice crackdowns in red states going to horrific extremes. Trump vowed (unconvincingly) to leave abortion to the states, but when pressed, he suggested he’d be okay with prosecutions of women who get abortions and even with states monitoring their pregnancies. In addition to revealing what Roe v. Wade’s demise has wrought, that could give Democrats a boost in this fall’s state-level elections. We talked Arizona state senator Eva Burch about how the future of reproductive rights will raise the stakes in these contests—and about her own personal and emotional experiences with the issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s much to unpack with the ceasefire protests at universities across the country. From students occupying a building at Columbia to the abysmal response by USC’s administration, it is clear that there is no easy way to address the issue. Norm and Kavita break down the latest news on this contentious topic, and why it may be even more impactful than we realize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the latest from the Columbia University protests, the ongoing ceasefire efforts by the Biden administration, an election disinformation investigation into Meta, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently Elon Musk triggered outrage by promoting a vicious speech by a Dutch activist that pushed virulent white nationalist ideologies. Musk added that Europe is threatened by “population collapse” that could lead to “dead civilizations.” What often gets lost amid such controversies is that Musk is pushing ideas that are part of a genuine political movement shaped around long term demographic anxieties. We chatted with reporter Gaby Del Valle, author of a great new Politico piece about the first ever “Natal Conference,” in Austin, Tx., and the far-right movement to get (some) people to have more babies, who helped place Musk’s talk about low birth rates in a global political context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Intelligence Committee recently released a report on the investigation into reports of sexual harassment at the CIA. The findings were not pretty. So what does the agency need to do to protect women at the agency, and why has this problem persisted for so long? Christina Hillsberg joins Marc Polymeropoulos to discuss this critical issue and why the intelligence community can and must do better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss potential arrest warrants from the ICC for Israeli officials, the Spanish PM refusing to step down after a turbulent week, deadly flooding in Kenya, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, a CNN interview with former attorney general Bill Barr went viral after Barr performed a spectacular on-air capitulation to Donald Trump. The former president had posted an unhinged rant that mercilessly belittled Barr, yet Barr affirmed his endorsement of Trump and downplayed the threat he poses, including a bizarre aside about Trump talking about “executing” rivals. We chatted with Amanda Carpenter, the prominent Never Trumper and an editor at Protect Democracy, about what this whole saga says about today’s GOP and its broader capitulation to MAGA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: May 30, 2023 This week Zoe and Natalya are joined by CEO of Reality Defender Ben Colman, to discuss the power of synthetic media and the risks it poses to geopolitics and democracy. They discuss a recent deepfake of an attack at the Pentagon, as well as potential regulatory solutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: May 3, 2023 In this rapid fire edition of America's most entertaining foreign policy and national security podcast, the Financial Times' Ed Luce and Georgetown University's Rosa Brooks join host David Rothkopf to discuss some of the week's stranger international stories--like whether Putin launched a drone attack against himself and why someone thought it would be a good idea to have all the UK pledge allegiance to their new king as they watched his coronation on television. They also, of course, examine more serious ones like recent and seeming looming developments in Ukraine, the US-China relationship and a landmark speech on international economics delivered recently by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (which riffs in part on a column our own Ed wrote the week before.) Don't miss it. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The relationship between China and the US is the most important in the world, and cutting through the cacophony of commentary to the heart of the matter is no easy task. Thankfully, Jon and Heather are joined by one of the leading experts on China and national security, Graham Allison. Graham shares his decades of experience to reveal why China and the US may be on a collision course — and why there are unprecedented opportunities for cooperation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the Supreme Court and college campuses, leaders aren’t leading. As the court weighs incredibly consequential decisions and colleges grapple with divisive protests, we need clear leadership more than ever. Norm and Kavita discuss this unique problem and where we go from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss Harvey Weinstein’s conviction being overturned in NY, the Supreme Court’s deliberations on Trump’s immunity claims, Secretary Blinken’s trip to Beijing, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new Politico report has exposed deep tensions between The New York Times and the White House. President Biden’s team believes The Times isn’t adequately capturing the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy, while The Times responds that Team Biden is out to micromanage the paper of record’s coverage. We think this debate is badly muddled and in need of some major clarifications. So we chatted with Substacker Brian Beutler, a frequent media critic, about today’s flawed conventions of political reporting, why they aren’t meeting the challenge of this moment, and what’s needed to change them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the Arizona House repealing an 1864 abortion ban, Ukraine using longer-range US missiles for the first time, Rudy Giuliani and others being indicted for 2020 election interference, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that the House has passed military aid to Ukraine, MAGA personalities like Donald Trump Jr. and Tucker Carlson have joined Marjorie Taylor Greene in attacking House Speaker Mike Johnson as a traitor to the cause. Yet this isn’t just typical right wing ranting. It reveals very specific expectations of what Donald Trump would do to our international alliances if he wins back the White House. We talked to A.B. Stoddard, columnist at The Bulwark and author of a new piece digging into these dynamics, about what this MAGA vision for the world really looks like—and why a second Trump term would be so dangerous. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker Johnson has finally done the right thing for Ukraine. In passing Ukraine aid, the self-destructive Republican Party has inflamed the war with itself. Ed Luce and David Rothkopf break down what the aid package really means for Ukraine and how the GOP’s circular firing squad will impact the party’s chances in November and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest in our series of Bernard L. Schwartz PolicyForum events is here. In conjunction with the New Republic, we host Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for an insightful conversation with DSR Network CEO David Rothkopf and The New Republic Editor Michael Tomasky. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation as Secretary Buttigieg gives his unique insight into some of the greatest challenges facing our country today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New polls this week offered something of a surprise: They show Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential run pulling more support from Donald Trump than from President Biden. And even some Republicans are publicly insisting that they fear the same. One person who is deeply skeptical of this reading is veteran Democratic strategist and podcaster Joe Trippi. We chatted with Trippi about his grand theory of the election, why he thinks the only threat RFK poses is to Biden, and how Trump and Republicans are attempting to disguise all of it with a clever bait-and-switch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Israeli troops amassing near the Gaza Strip, new accusations from prosecutors in Trump’s hush money trial, mass arrests in US campus protests, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that Mike Johnson allowed Ukraine aid to pass the House on a broad bipartisan basis, an enraged Marjorie Taylor Greene is ramping up her threats to oust the Speaker. But a funny thing has happened: For many reasons, Greene’s efforts could end up accomplishing little for the MAGA right, even as they do more to endanger GOP control of the House. We chatted with Democratic Representative Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, a shrewd observer of all these dynamics, about the possibilities of more coalition governing, the future of MAGA in the House, and the threat posed by the ticking time bomb otherwise known as MTG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With conflicts raging in Ukraine, Gaza, and beyond, the job of covering conflict and national security is more important than ever. But how do journalists provide accurate and reliable coverage? CNN national security correspondent Kylie Atwood joins Marc Polymeropoulos to discuss the unique challenges our current national security climate and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the House finally passing an aid bill for Ukraine, the head of the IDF’s intelligence department’s resignation, the Supreme Court reviewing anti-camping laws, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, arguments begin in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan, and he’s raging over the unfairness of it all. Amazingly, some are rushing to insist the trial won’t pose a serious problem for his presidential chances. But progressive political strategist Anat Shenker-Osorio disagrees: She writes in a new piece for Slate that due to some hidden public opinion dynamics, the case is already damaging him. So we chatted with Shenker-Osorio about why the trial and Trump’s impulsive conduct at it is so alienating to voters outside the MAGA bubble—and why this dynamic will only get worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 16, 2023 The lies and deflections from Republicans defending Trump have spun up the ire of "Words Matter" co-host Norm Ornstein. So in this episode he not only explains why but guest co-host David Rothkopf tries unsuccessfully to defuse his anger. Instead, both recount the facts surrounding the case for which Trump was arraigned this week and the likely cases to come and frankly, the outrage only grows. Join them to understand why it is fully justified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: March 15, 2023 There is never a dull period for the Middle East. David and Rosa are joined by Alon Pinkas of Haaretz to discuss Iran and Saudi Arabia resuming diplomatic ties and the ongoing crisis in Israel. Do we anticipate big changes in the Middle East following this announcement? What does this say about America's role in the region? Is Israel in an (unwritten) constitutional crisis? All of this and more during this thoughtful discussion. Members get a bonus segment where David and Kim Ghattas, author of Black Wave, continue the conversation about the Saudi-Iran relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In launching over 300 drones and missiles at Israel, Iran has revealed a lot about not only its own arsenal, but the effectiveness of missile defense. So what can the international and defense communities learn? Experts Ankit Panda and Tom Karako join Jon to share the key takeaways from the attack and what it means for the future of defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House is its own special kind of crazy, but the Senate is no slouch either. Tom Cotton’s recent comments calling for Americans to “take matters into their own hands” in response to protests reminds us that Senators can seemingly call for acts of violence and get away with it. Norm and Kavita break down the fall of accountability in the Senate and why some Senators continue to embarrass the institution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a fundraiser with oil and gas industry executives last week, Donald Trump reportedly ranted angrily about, of all things, wind power. “I hate wind,” Trump told the executives. That may seem like a joke, but it gets at a deadly serious topic: If Trump wins this fall, he’d very likely try to repeal President Biden’s climate policies. We chatted with David Roberts, author of a great energy Substack called “Volts,” about Trump’s prospects for success at that project, about its potential consequences for the world, and about an intriguing concept known as “petro-masculinity.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the tumult in Israel and Ukraine to widespread challenges across Africa, the world is at a turning point. Senator Chris Coons, a leading voice in the US Senate on international affairs, joins David Rothkopf on a special episode of DSR to share his perspective on the most critical foreign policy issues today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Sources for Today's Episode: 1:02: AP News: House’s Ukraine, Israel aid package gains Biden’s support as Speaker Johnson fights to keep his job President Joe Biden expressed strong support for House Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal to approve $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, highlighting a bipartisan push amid political tensions. 2:01: Washington Post: Red states threaten librarians with prison — as blue states work to protect them Sam Lee, a leader of the Connecticut Library Association, finds herself conflicted as she heads to work amidst a nationwide increase in book challenges. 3:24: Al Jazeera: Hezbollah launches missiles and drones at northern Israel Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for an attack on a new military reconnaissance command center in Arab al-Aramshe, Israel, which wounded at least 14 Israeli soldiers, in retaliation for Israeli strikes that killed Hezbollah members. 4:24: BBC: Ukraine warns of WW3 ahead of long-stalled Congress aid vote Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, in an interview with the BBC in Washington DC, expressed cautious optimism about the U.S. Congress passing a crucial foreign aid bill that includes $61 billion earmarked for Ukraine. 5:20: Straits Times: Thousands evacuated as Indonesia volcano erupts, causes tsunami threat and airport closure Indonesian rescuers urgently evacuated thousands of people on April 18 after Mount Ruang erupted five times in two days, prompting authorities to raise its alert level to the highest and shut down the nearest international airport in Manado city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kari Lake, a diehard MAGA Republican who’s running for Senate in Arizona, told a rally this week that it’s time for supporters of her and Donald Trump to “put on the armor of God and maybe strap on a Glock just in case.” There you have it: God and Glock, side by side. We talked to Elizabeth Neumann, a Homeland Security counterterrorism official during Trump’s presidency and author of a new book about Christian extremism, about how MAGA rhetoric normalizes political violence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been several days since Iran’s failed attack on Israel, and the world is still waiting to see how Israel will respond. Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and David Rothkopf take up the unenviable task of putting themselves in Netanyahu’s shoes to chart the best path forward — both for Israel, and the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss David Cameron’s visit to Jerusalem, US and China’s defense chiefs holding talks, Russia’s strategies to diminish Western influence, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here on the podcast we’ve repeatedly argued that Mike Johnson might ultimately allow a vote on military aid to Ukraine, even if it might get him ousted as speaker by MAGA forces in the House. Thankfully, this now looks real: The House GOP leadership is preparing to move forward with Ukraine aid as part of a broader set of bills—and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is furious. We talked to Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, a former U.S. Navy Pilot and member of the Armed Services Committee, who helped us unravel why Johnson is doing this now, its prospects for success, and the true extent of Russian influence over MAGA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reading a politician’s memoir can tell you a lot about them, but reading between the lines can teach you even more. Carlos Lozada joins David to discuss his recently released “The Washington Book,” and share how to analyze memoirs and speeches to gain a deeper understanding of our politics and history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the rejection of dozens of jurors in Trump’s hush money trial, the killing of two Palestinians in the West Bank, Mike Johnson’s plan to split foreign aid into separate bills, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential run is inspiring new fears among Democrats that he will help Donald Trump win the White House again. Meanwhile, Kennedy’s campaign is now expressing confidence that he’ll appear on the ballot in all the key swing states and beyond. So it’s notable that the Kennedy clan is taking urgent new steps to mobilize in response—against their own family member’s candidacy. We chatted with Jill Lawrence, a veteran journalist and author of a new piece for The Bulwark on this dynamic, who explains the remarkable role the Kennedys are poised to play in stopping RFK Jr. from serving as pro-Trump spoiler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly every news station is describing Iran’s attack on Israel ‘unprecedented’. But why? More importantly, what comes next? Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Mick Mulroy joins Marc to give a run-down on the implications of Iran’s attack, why it represents a huge escalation in the region, and what might be coming next in the embattled region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for April 15, we cover the White House saying the US will not be involved in retaliatory strikes against Iran, the impending start of Trump’s criminal trial, the Colorado House passing a semi-auto weapons ban, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With jury selection in Donald Trump’s hush money trial beginning this week in New York, some have dismisses the case as weak. Yet Trump, who is accused of falsifying business records to conceal payoffs over his alleged affair with Stormy Daniels, is not acting as if he’s out of the woods. Dave Aronberg, a prosecutor in Florida who writes for Meidas Touch News, has argued that it’s not necessarily a weak case at all. We chatted with Aronberg about what to expect from the trial and how surprise evidence could emerge that badly complicates Trump’s defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: 3/10/23 From the media and books to drag shows and voting, states is in the South have been trying to turn back the clock. Kavita and Norm talk about these updates, what they mean for the country as a whole, and what we can do about it. Members get a bonus conversation about Walgreens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: 4/26/23 The world faces the prospect that US foreign policy could once again change on a dime if, as could happen, Donald Trump is again elected president of the United States. How do our allies deal with this? Our enemies? Ukraine? Putin? China? We discuss this as well as President Xi's call with President Zelensky, South Korea's president's meeting with Joe Biden and really bad tv shows and movies about DC. Don't miss this great episode with Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake and Ed Luce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My Sentiment & Notes The DSR Network

The DSR Network