The DSR Network
The DSR Network

This podcast will take you on a smart, direct, sometimes scary, sometimes profane, sometimes hilarious tour of the inner workings of American power and of the impact of our leaders and their policies on our standing in the world. Hosted by noted author and commentator David Rothkopf and featuring regulars Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law School, Kori Schake of AEI, and Ed Luce of the Financial Times, the program will be the lively, smart dinner table conversation on the big issues of the day that you wish you were having...without the calories. Sometimes special guests will join the conversation and always the emphasis will be on providing the unvarnished perspectives others shy away from. Deep State Radio is the insider perspective on American national security and foreign policy that you can't find anywhere else. If you are enjoying this podcast, please consider becoming a member by visiting thedsrnetwork.com.

Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in New York is a message to the nation: Social Democracy is back. The unabashed self-described Democratic Socialist meteoric rise and subsequent victory is a clear indication that voters are hungry for change, and that change just might be a return to an old American tradition. EJ Dionne joins David Rothkopf to explore what Mamdani’s win means for the Democrats, why it might not be as unprecedented as you would think, and how it breathes new life into American politics.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the 8 Democratic senators joining Republicans, Trump pardoning 77 allies involved in attempts to overturn the 2020 election, the continuing battle over SNAP benefits, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Under questioning from reporters about last week’s GOP losses, President Trump seethed that worsening inflation on his watch—a driver of the outcome—is nothing but a Democratic “con.” To buttress this, he floated a ludicrous distortion about Walmart’s Thanksgiving dinner package. Then, when a reporter raised facts contradicting him, he snapped in anger, because only the despot says what reality is. Trump then vehemently claimed “everybody knows” that goods cost more under “Sleepy Joe Biden,” as if shouting it endlessly will make it true. Meanwhile, a New York Times analysis shows that in key races, Democrats won over a meaningful sliver of Trump voters and that Hispanics snapped back to them in big numbers. And another analysis reveals striking details about GOP losses among working class voters. We talked to Bulwark reporter Joe Perticone, author of a good piece on GOP denial. He discusses the fragility of the MAGA coalition, why Democrats were able to reach into new info-spaces, and how Republicans are privately interpreting the loss, given that they’re not allowed to publicly acknowledge the truth about Trump’s unpopularity.  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 15, 2024 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. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for November 7, we discuss the Supreme Court weighing an appeal on same-sex marriage, a judge ordering the administration to release SNAP benefits, Elon Musk’s unprecedented pay package, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: November 21, 2024 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. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Despite its newness, artificial intelligence can recognize you like an old friend. With the rise of AI-based facial recognition services, the question arises: How do we balance the use of such a system with privacy? Jeff Boehm, the COO of Wicket, joins David Rothkopf to explore the critical ethical implications of facial recognition software, the need to accuracy and reliability, and how it is being integrated into everyday experiences.  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
President Trump’s excuses for his party’s losses are getting stranger. He’s now claiming it’s all because Republicans didn’t talk about his accomplishments enough, even though the results dramatically repudiated them. But he knows there’s a problem. Sounding weirdly subdued, he just openly said Republicans should end the filibuster—to pass lots of new laws making voting a whole lot harder. Translation: The GOP’s response to the losses should be rigging the 2026 midterms. Indeed, he also openly declared that if he gets his way, Democrats will “never obtain power.” Donnie, you’re supposed to say voter suppression is about targeting “fraud,” not about locking the opposition out of power forever! We checked in with Democratic operative Jessica Post, who has extensive experience on state-level races, to see how Trump’s rigging efforts are really going. She discusses the state of his gerrymandering scheme, how that could still be a problem for Democrats, why it conversely might backfire on the GOP, and how Democrats should proceed to thwart Trump’s schemes. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Tuesday elections were a massive success for the Democrats and a beacon of hope for the United States. Nevertheless, we are still living under a Donald Trump presidency, and the impact of these victories are yet to be seen. Will these successes have a lasting effect for the Democrats? David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein are back to discuss the elections, Nancy Pelosi’s retirement, California's Proposition 50, 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 Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she will not seek re-election, a 10% flight cut at major airports, the Supreme Court weighing Trump’s tariffs, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In Tuesday’s elections, Democrats scored crushing victories everywhere. They won the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races by double digits, made big inroads with working class voters, handily won the California referendum, which could result in five more Democratic House seats, and more. Yet Trump is blaming everyone but himself. Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio reports that he privately rebuked GOP Senators, suggesting their shutdown was the culprit. He urged them to nuke the filibuster to end the shutdown, claiming failure could render the GOP a “dead party.” And he angrily snapped at Senator Lindsey Graham in the process. In short, Trump cannot accept something fundamental: His coalition is much more fragile than advertised, and he is making it even worse by, well, wrecking the country. We talked to New Republic senior editor Alex Shephard, who has a good new piece on the energy driving Democrats. We discuss the shift of working class voters toward Democrats, the media’s hangover from overreading Trump’s 2024 win, and the through line connecting those gubernatorial victories with Zohran Mamdani’s triumph. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What an election night on Tuesday. Zohran Mamdani, Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill… voters are clearly dissatisfied with the Trump administration and the Republican Party. But do these Democratic victories indicate a genuine shift against Trump-era politics? How will the Republican Party respond? What do Democrats need to do to ensure that these successes translate into future victories? David Rothkopf, Ed Luce, and Rosa Brooks are back to break down the election results and what they mean for the future of our country. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On a special post-election DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the suite of big democratic victories in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Tuesday, President Trump unleashed an angry tirade in which he threatened to stop doling out food stamp payments until Democrats capitulate in the government shutdown. He seethed over “crooked Joe Biden” and made up stuff about food stamp fraud. Coming after a judge ordered payments to continue, Trump’s threat seemed to suggest he’s now directly defying the courts. But then White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt quickly clarified that Trump will obey the law, after all. Given that Trump intended his threat as a dominance display over Democrats, Leavitt undercut him, because she had no choice. We think this shows Trump’s team knows they cannot be seen as breaking the law to deny food to the hungry. We talked to David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, who has a good piece arguing that Trump has lost the shutdown. He demystifies the food stamp battle, explains why Trump’s terrible standing on the economy has made him vulnerable in the standoff, and discusses how this all shows that Democrats need to get in the fight and engage. 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 key stories heading into Election Day, the death of Dick Cheney, the battle over SNAP assistance, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
MAGA personalities are suddenly raging at Tucker Carlson, who just conducted a shocker of an online interview with white nationalist and open antisemite Nick Fuentes. They’re attacking Carlson for hosting a “Nazi-sympathizer” who espouses the “foundation of Nazism,” calling this “sick” and “despicable,” and claiming it shows that the effort to “gatekeep the antisemitic, hateful freaks out of the Republican Party” has “failed.” We think one reason this angered right-wingers is that it revealed too much about MAGA: It can’t keep the hateful views at bay, because the movement constantly traffics in similar ideas, albeit in somewhat more subtle ways. We talked to David Austin Walsh, the author of Taking America Back: The Conservative Movement and the Far Right. He explains how all this sheds light on the importance of racists and other extremists to the MAGA coalition, how it previews the coming post-Trump struggle over the MAGA movement, and how it captures the broader story of the American right’s refusal to police its extremists over the last half-century or 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 Monday, we break down an impending Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s tariffs, Kash Patel’s ousting of a senior official, the complete impasse over the government shutdown, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Looks like nuclear testing is back on the menu! This week, our President decided that it was time to resume nuclear testing after an over 30 year hiatus. But why now? Our friends Joe Cirincione and Jon Wolfsthal join David Rothkopf to try and make sense of this bizarre new policy. As a bonus, tune in for an expert review of “House of Dynamite” and just how accurate the new movie really is.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In recent days, President Trump issued two furious tirades demanding that Republicans end the Senate filibuster to reopen the government. He ranted at great length in demanding this “NOW” and exploded in all-caps while urging the “NUCLEAR OPTION.” As many noted, this undercut Republicans, revealing that they could simply end the shutdown themselves, ultimately showing that they control the government. Then Trump ranted about his horror that health care premiums are set to spike for millions. This, too, undercuts the GOP, because guess who won’t extend Affordable Care Act subsidies to prevent that? Republicans! Trump’s fury forced Mike Johnson into an awkward routine declaring that the president is “angry” because...the government hasn’t reopened. But this just showed how disconnected Trump is from all this, highlighting the Trump-GOP refusal to do the hard work of negotiating a settlement. We talked to Fair Share America organizer Maura Quint. She discusses Trump’s deep laziness, how this is perceived by low-info voters, and whether this will allow Democrats to penetrate Trump-dominated info spaces.  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 Weekly Wrap-Up for October 31, we cover the administration’s shocking new refugee cap, Trump calling for the Senate to scrap the filibuster, the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s militarized raids in Chicago just took another horrific turn when agents disrupted a children’s Halloween parade, triggering mayhem. Agents deployed tear gas on locals and tackled several of them, including U.S. citizens. One resident screamed: “You’re scaring our children to death.” In response, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued an unnerving warning: Children are getting “terrorized” and “traumatized.” Pritzker also sent a strong message to the country: Your community could be next. And he challenged top Trump officials to suspend their raids just for Halloween weekend, forcing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to give a terrible answer. We talked to Dave Karpf, a professor of media and public affairs who has a good piece for The New Republic about the state of Democratic communications. We discuss how this saga shows the need to supercharge attention to these riveting confrontations, how that’s the ticket for reaching low-engagement voters, and how Democrats should do politics and information warfare amid our slide into authoritarianism. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You may think you’ve seen crazy, but when it comes to Trump, you ain’t seen nothing yet. With SNAP benefits set to expire and the effects of the shutdown mounting by the day, Republicans face a difficult political question: is it time to do the right thing? Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf break down this fraught moment, why Republicans just might cave, and the lights at the end of the tunnel for Democrats.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss Trump announcing a resumption of nuclear weapons tests, a modest US-China tariff deal, calls for greater transparency from ICE, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The economic news is getting worse. Major companies are announcing mass layoffs, and it’s dominating the headlines, including in the Rust Belt. Food stamps are about to expire for millions. And new info shows how Obamacare premiums will soar due to lapsing subsidies. That backdrop of bad news makes President Trump’s tearing down of White House structures to build a gilded ballroom even more damaging. Indeed, new polling shows that the ballroom fiasco is now stirring a surprising public backlash. On top of that, commentators are noticing the disconnect between the ballroom optics and the darkening economic situation for millions, a dynamic that will only worsen. We talked to Elizabeth Pancotti, who tracks economic sentiment as managing director of the Groundwork Collaborative. We discuss what the economic news means, why the media should level with voters about Trump’s out-of-touch displays, and how Democrats in key races are seizing the economic high ground. 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, President Trump is going to meet with Xi Jinping for the first time since his reelection and following months of rising tension between the two countries. Where do US-China relations stand? Who has the upper hand? Melanie Hart, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, joins David Rothkopf, Rosa Brooks, and Ed Luce to discuss their expectations for the meeting and the future of America's foreign policy towards China. 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 Israel’s deadly strikes on Gaza, intensifying oversight of Border Patrol agents in Chicago, Trump’s visit to South Korea, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Surprisingly, Marjorie Taylor Greene has emerged as a forceful critic of the GOP stance in the government shutdown fight. Greene just unleashed an angry rant at House Speaker Mike Johnson, pointedly accusing him of having no answer or millions of people who will lose Obamacare subsidies due to the GOP refusal to extend them. “He refused to give one policy proposal to our GOP conference on our own conference call,” Greene raged. “Apparently I have to go into a [classified facility] to find out the Republican healthcare plan!!!” This wrecks Trump’s shutdown strategy: It sabotages his effort to blame the shutdown on Democrats wanting to give health care to undocumented immigrants, and shifts blame back to the GOP desire to take health care away from millions of Americans. We talked to Matthew Sheffield, who decodes the right at his Flux newsletter and in a new book charting how the GOP fights the information wars. He explains why this battle is fracturing the MAGA coalition, what that reveals about its deeper weaknesses, and what Democrats should keep in mind as the battle with MAGA intensifies.  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 laissez-faire approach to big tech might just be a mirage. The strange marriage of the White House to some of the biggest names in AI has meant a huge influence over the exploding industry. But who is really influencing who? Former Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy Alondra Nelson joins David Rothkopf to explore the administration’s unique relationship with big tech and the profound effects that are already underway.  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 the Category 5 hurricane approaching Jamaica, the expanding fight over redistricting, a Texas lawsuit against the makers of Tylenol, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inflatable critters becoming a symbol of protest in 2025 was not on our bingo card. But while millions mobilizing to protest for democracy should be celebrated, Republican machinations ahead of 2026 midterms are cause for alarm. Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg join David Rothkopf to share their hopes and fears in this political climate and how each of us can do more to protect our democracy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Air Force One, President Donald Trump unleashed a bizarre, angry, rambling rant about the cognitive test he supposedly aced this weekend. Worse, he compared himself cognitively to two Democrats who both happen to be nonwhite women. This rant backfired on itself: It revealed his worsening mental unfitness, his naked racism, his effort to normalize his belittling of nonwhite members of Congress and his ongoing attacks on democracy, and more. In today’s installment, New Republic contributing editor Meredith Shiner, who regularly critiques press coverage of this administration, paints a powerful picture of the horrors this administration is visiting on everyday people, including in Chicago, where she lives. She argues that the press should connect Trump’s mental decline directly to these real-world impacts by highlighting who’s really running things behind the scenes, and discusses how Democrats might drive home the horrific human toll 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
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Trump’s statements about potentially running again in 2028, the GOP’s anxiety about ACA subsidies, the US military closing in on Venezuela, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In recent days, President Trump has approved federal disaster aid for the red states of Nebraska, North Dakota, Missouri and Alaska while denying it to the blue states of Maryland, Vermont, and Illinois. The White House has not offered meaningful explanations for the discrepancies, which just happen to punish states that didn’t support him in 2024. But we noticed something interesting about this whole saga: In Maryland, the disasters and damage in question severely afflicted the state’s westernmost counties. Allegany and Garrett counties are in Appalachia, deep in Trump country: Both voted for Trump by at least 40 points. We talked to MSNBC’s Steve Benen, author of Ministry of Truth, who has been writing well about Trump’s selective approach to disaster aid. We discuss the explicit nature of Trump’s punishment of states that don’t support him, how Trump screws his own voters while seducing them with promises of pain to blue America, and how this latest saga illustrates MAGA ideology larger depravities. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for October 24, we break down Trump’s cancellation of trade negotiations with Canada, arrests in a massive illegal gambling ring, an upcoming meeting between US and Chinese negotiators, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Donald Trump just tore down the East Wing of the White House. Yup, that’s right - the President of the United States, in the middle of a government shutdown, decides that what America really needs is a new grand ballroom in Washington, DC. Where is the accountability? How is such corrupt politics being normalized? Join David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein as they search through the rubble and try to find answers. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a shockingly brazen move, President Trump is demanding that the Justice Department pay him $230 million stemming from certain federal actions against him. Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a scalding letter to the White House demanding all internal communications on this shakedown. What struck us was the letter’s forceful indictment of Trump’s corruption and criminality: It denounced Trump’s “blatantly illegal and unconstitutional effort to steal $230 million from the American people” and his “outrageous and shocking” effort to “shake down” the Treasury, labeling this straight-up “theft.” There’s much more, and it made critical legal points as well. We talked to the University of Michigan’s Leah Litman, author of Lawless, a book on the Supreme Court. We discuss Raskin’s letter, the legal nitty-gritty of Trump’s heist, how it exemplifies the MAGA movement more broadly, and how the Supreme Court brought us to this dangerous moment.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The US government has taken a ‘light touch’ approach to regulating artificial intelligence under Trump and a Republican controlled Congress. Should our government be doing more? California Representative Ted Lieu joins David Rothkopf to explore the pitfalls of hands-off federal regulation, how AI has become a critical component of national security and the labor market, 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 Thursday, we cover JD Vance’s harsh comments on Israel, the administration introducing new sanctions on Russia, Trump’s demolition of the East Wing, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After more than three years of expanded conflict, there might be some glimmers of hope for Ukraine. President Trump’s frustrations with Putin are growing, but Trump’s flip-flopping on the issue has continued to vex world leaders. So what can we expect from Trump? Has he really had a turn of heart? Ambassador Bill Taylor and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to shed light on the latest news and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’re seeing a confluence of events that suggest President Trump’s corruption has crossed over to an ugly new place. Trump is destroying a White House building to create a ballroom for him and his rich friends. He’s demanding that the Justice Department hand over $230 million in taxpayer funds to compensate him for “damages.” And Democrats from Senator Chris Murphy to Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries are going after all this in a newly aggressive way. Into this mess stepped White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who issued an extraordinary new defense of Trump’s ballroom fiasco. It was absolutely laden with comically cultish devotion to the Audience of One, but the hagiography also revealed something darker. We talked to New Republic staff writer Matt Ford, author of a great new piece about Trump’s self-dealing. He explains how all this corruption and all this worshipful propaganda reveals Trump’s profound contempt for the rule of law, for DOJ independence, for the idea of the public good, and even for the American people. 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 demands for a meeting with Democrats, Trump potentially seeking $230 million from the Justice Department, the White House pulling back on promises for a meeting with Putin, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Not long after President Trump floated a $20 billion financial bailout for Argentina, he proposed importing beef from Argentina to bring prices down in the United States. This angered American beef producers and produced a backlash from farm-state Republicans. But the most interesting response came from Meriwether Farms, a beef producer in Wyoming that promises to “preserve the traditions of American ranching.” Meriwether posted a long lament on Twitter, professing “love” for Trump but urging him to change course. Meriwether warned that Trump was on the verge of an “absolute betrayal” of the “American cattle rancher” and of “the very people who put food on the table for us.” Does this mean Trump is screwing his own supporters so badly that they’re finally getting angry about it? We talked to Matt Hildreth of RuralOrganizing.org, whose own family has been in farming for generations. He explains the perfect storm of terrible policies hitting Trump’s rural supporters, discusses whether this will help Democrats rebound in those areas, and details how the party is changing its organizing approach in them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss a court ruling that National Guard can be deployed to Portland, Putin’s hardline stance on a Ukraine ceasefire, major backlash over Trump’s nominee for Office of Special Counsel, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the leadup to the “No Kings” protests, Trump and Republicans widely derided the protesters as extremists, criminals, and terrorists. Then the protests actually happened. They were a wild success: Peaceful, enormous, and representative of a very wide swath of American society. So what did Republicans do in response? They just kept on calling the protesters criminals and terrorists. That MAGA smear is sharply contradicted by countless on-the-scene accounts. We talked to writer Ana Marie Cox, who has a great piece for The New Republic capturing what the protests looked like in a red county in Texas. She explains that the protesters were mostly ordinary Americans who put on a civil and powerfully patriotic display. We think that in their own quiet way, what these protesters really offered, deep in Trump country, was a brutally effective repudiation of MAGA and Trumpism.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s fury at Democrats over the government shutdown is escalating. First he angrily announced that he’s “terminated” the big tunnel project connecting New York and New Jersey, basically saying he’d done this to punish Chuck Schumer, an extraordinarily deranged act of direct retribution. Then he unleashed a rambling tirade filled with lies about “mentally damaged” Democrats’ shutdown stance. All this comes as a new CNBC poll finds Trump and the GOP blamed for economic damage over the shutdown by 53-37. This has driven his economic approval down to 42-55, the worst ever in CNBC polling, with his standing on inflation at an abysmal 34-62. We talked to Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, author of “The Hopium Chronicles.” He argues we should focus on the fundamentals: Trump is doing immense harm to the country, he’s deeply unpopular, and that will matter in the midterms—though Rosenberg also discusses why beating Trump and recovering from our authoritarian slide will be a brutal longer-term slog.  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 Weekly Wrap-Up for October 17th, we break down the indictment of John Bolton, the fiery first NYC mayoral debate, Venezuela mobilizing troops in response to US provocations, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Words matter to the Trump administration, and their willingness to accept and embrace the most vile language and discourse is despicable. At the same time, popular media is normalizing the administration's antidemocratic agenda while we slide further into authoritarianism. Why can’t anybody call out the Trump administration for the authoritarian regime it is? Tune in as David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein discuss this behavior, the dangers of Trump’s political discourse, and the state of our slowly dying democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The other day, President Trump announced that he has bombed yet another boat allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean sea. He has now struck six boats, with 27 people dead, and the bombings have been widely denounced as illegal. Now, in a strange turn of events, The New York Times reports that the head of the military’s southern command, Alvin Holsey, is stepping down amid unclear circumstances. Did his resignation have anything to do with these bombings? Congressman Adam Smith of Washington State, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, thinks the answer is likely Yes. Smith talks to us about what he’s personally heard about the resignation and why it’s plausible that Holsey was removed over potential opposition to the bombings. He illuminates just how appallingly lacking in transparency the administration has been about the strikes, and vows that his committee will seek Holsey’s testimony about his departure, which could be very revealing indeed. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the government shutdown drags on, millions of Americans are being impacted. So what are the real consequences of the shutdown? How can Democrats lead in these tumultuous times? Senator Elissa Slotkin joins David Rothkopf to share an inside look at the shutdown, how Michiganders are feeling the effects of the shutdown and tariffs, how Democrats can step up, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The national security landscape has radically transformed in the last ten months. To help make sense of the unprecedented policies of this administration, we welcome former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Sullivan joins David Rothkopf and Ed Luce to explore Trump’s unpredictable approach to alliances, the Middle East, the US-China relationship, and more. Don't miss this critical discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss journalists turning in their press badges over new Pentagon guidelines, the Supreme Court leaning towards weakening the Voting Rights Act, a judge blocking further federal layoffs, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Former special counsel Jack Smith just confirmed that he’d amassed extensive evidence that Donald Trump willfully and knowingly broke the law in stealing classified documents at the end of his first term. Smith’s report on this may never be released. But House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan helpfully exposed a big Trump ruse here. Jordan is demanding that Smith testify to “prove” the Justice Department was “weaponized” against Trump, as Trump wants him to do. But Jordan will never seek Smith’s report on classified documents! In today’s installment, legal scholar Matthew Seligman, a fellow at the Constitutional Law Center, illuminatingly explains how Jordan exposed the scam underlying Trump’s whole approach to DOJ: Everything is about suppressing facts that show the prosecutions of Trump were actually legitimate. Seligman also discusses the recent removals of career DOJ prosecutors, how they’re getting fired for not being corrupt on Trump’s behalf, and how Trump himself is admitting all this right in public.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Predatory behavior and incoherence are the two words that come to mind when thinking about President Trump's foreign policy. How can our allies trust our promises when they are broken time and time again? Does the United States have global credibility anymore? Will we ever have it again? Stephen Walt joins David Rothkopf, Rosa Brooks, and Kori Schake to mourn the downfall of U.S. foreign policy 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 cover the US killing 6 more alleged drug smugglers off Venezuela, aid trucks entering Gaza under the ceasefire agreement, leaked racist chats from Young Republican leaders, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, President Donald Trump seemed unusually crazed and power-mad, even for him. He imperiously refused to take a question from an ABC reporter as punishment for an interview with JD Vance that went badly. He boasted about cutting only Democratic programs. He confirmed he supports heinous new restrictions on media coverage of the Pentagon. And he threatened to nix federal funds to New York if “communist” Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor. We think all this suggests Trump is newly emboldened. We talked to Brian Beutler, author of a new piece about the urgency of the moment on his excellent Substack, “Off Message.” He explains the futility of news organizations paying bribes to Trump, why conventional politics will not suffice, how the resistance must find a new kind of politics to meet the moment, and what the “No Kings” protests might accomplish toward this end. 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 hurdles facing the Gaza ceasefire, news outlets rebelling against new Pentagon rules, a Louisiana redistricting dispute at the Supreme Court, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s allies are suddenly raging over the October 18th “No Kings” protests. MAGA Mike Johnson and MAGA-fied Representative Steve Scalise are angrily sliming expected attendees as America-haters, antifa, Marxists, and terrorists. Other GOP figures have done the same, with one hinting that the National Guard should crack down on them. This unanimity of messaging about terrorists means it’s all almost certainly being coordinated by Stephen Miller. Yet it’s backfiring: Democrats and rally organizers are using it to galvanize attendance, which will likely succeed. Robert De Niro amplified the call to turn out, inspiring more anger on Fox News. Indeed, the GOP demonization of legitimate protests itself ratifies the “No Kings” message. We talked to Jill Lawrence, who writes well for The Bulwark on Trump’s hatred of blue America. We discuss why large legitimate protests infuriate Trump-MAGA, why the correct response to their smears is to turn out in force, and why that’s likely to 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for October 10, we break down the start of the ceasefire in Gaza, the indictment of Letitia James, judges striking more blows to Trump’s attempts to deploy the National Guard, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When it comes to peace in Gaza, the art of the deal might be a lost one. While reaching a ceasefire is a commendable, we have to wonder what the remaining 19 points in Trump’s 20 point plan will actually look like. Experts Kim Ghattas and Shibley Telhami join David Rothkopf to express their skepticism over the long-term implications of the ceasefire in Gaza and why nefarious actors in the region aren’t likely to grow a conscience any time soon.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Make no mistake: the rule of law in America is under assault. The administration is brazenly testing — and breaking — the limits of our democracy. So how can we save our democracy before it’s too late? Barbara McQuade joins David Rothkopf to discuss solutions for our current crisis and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, we talk to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who shares striking new details about President Trump’s ongoing occupation of Chicago. What’s happening there has really gone off the rails: ICE launching hypermilitarized raids of apartment buildings. Children getting pulled out into the streets and potentially traumatized. A priest shot in the head by a pepper ball. This has led Pritzker to take a lead role in denouncing Trump’s abuses of power—and in warning that our slide into authoritarianism could end in catastrophe. In our interview, Pritzker tells us what he’d like to see from Democrats, discusses how Illinois law enforcement is protecting local residents from ICE, and debunks Stephen Miller’s lies about what’s happening on the ground. Pritzker also discusses his inability to even get Trump officials on the phone amid this worsening crisis—making this all look dramatically more dangerous—and warns that Trump’s mental state is worsening fast.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A ceasefire has finally been reached in Gaza. Now that Israel and Hamas have finally reached a deal that will see hostages returned and fighting ceased, the hard work of lasting peace really begins. In the first of two emergency podcasts taking a deep dive into the Gaza Ceasefire, Alon Pinkas and Steven Cook join David Rothkopf and dive into the important points of the plan and what Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Hamas leaders are really hoping to gain.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Representative Adam Smith, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, joins host David Rothkopf to discuss recent important developments in the Middle East, the president's "ridiculous" Quantico speech to military leaders, the future of US national security, and how to get Americans to come together to stop the push toward authoritarianism in the U.S. 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 Israel and Hamas reaching a ceasefire, James Comey pleading not guilty on two counts of lying to Congress, FBI agents being diverted to immigration enforcement, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s efforts to prosecute his enemies are suddenly looking even more lawless. Leaks to ABC News just revealed that Justice Department insiders doubt the validity of the prosecution of former FBI director James Comey. This comes after inside sources told MSNBC that a senior prosecutor is resisting indicting New York attorney general Letitia James because the case against her is so weak. Trump is demanding prosecutions of both, and the bucking of his pressure reveals just how corrupt his directives truly are. Meanwhile, Trump just called for the jailing of the governor of Illinois. We talked about all this with former federal prosecutor Kristy Parker, counsel at Protect Democracy. She explains why Trump’s prosecutions are so baseless, what we can read into the resistance inside DOJ, and how it might slow our slide into lawlessness.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s Extreme Make-Over: Military Edition here in the United States. But Trump doesn’t just have a fresh coat of paint in mind —  he’s trying to change the rules for how and where our armed forces operate. Friends and experts Rosa Brooks, David Sanger, and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to shine a light on the nefarious actions of this administration and why the fallout could be calamitous.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"When they go low, we go high" is officially dead—and David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein are here to unleash a scathing critique of the Democratic Party's refusal to fight back. We need to ask: how do Democrats confront the "fuck around and find out" economy, quadrupled healthcare costs, the National Guard invasions, and finally make the Republican Party pay for their blatant disregard for our democracy? 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, we break down Pam Bondi’s combative Senate hearing, local politicians clashing with the administration over National Guard deployments, the Israeli military intercepting another Gaza-bound flotilla, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the government shutdown fight dragging into its second week, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene rolled a grenade into the GOP camp. She erupted on Twitter, demanding to know why Republican leaders have no plan to help millions of people who will be hurt when expanded Obamacare subsidies expire. This wrecks President Trump’s whole strategy in this fight, because it rests on the idea that only Democrats are to blame for the standoff, all due to their undying love of “illegals.” Greene’s broadside also sent House Speaker Mike Johnson scrambling. But we think this fiasco goes even deeper. We talked to veteran congressional scholar Norman Ornstein, author of a new piece on the standoff. We discuss how Greene has exposed serious cracks in the MAGA coalition, why this exposes weaknesses in Trump’s stance, and what Democrats can do to maximize their leverage. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How significant is data center water use? Is it tiny in relation to other sectors, significant in some water-stressed regions, or both? Can new liquid-based cooling technologies which (perhaps counter-intuitively) need less water than traditional air-based cooling technologies help? Join host David Sandalow as he discusses these topics and more with three coauthors of the new Sustainable Data Centers Roadmap -- Alexis Abramson (Dean of the Columbia Climate School), Julio Friedmann (Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct) and Angela Yuan (a master's degree  candidate at the University of Cambridge).  ICEF Sustainable Data Centers Roadmap -- icef.go.jp/roadmap  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 the failure of yet another stopgap bill, Trump considering invoking the Insurrection Act, today’s meeting between Mark Carney and Trump, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over the weekend, a federal judge blocked President Trump from deploying the National Guard in Portland. The judge blocked Trump from deploying the California National Guard to Oregon, too. Interestingly, the ruling cited Trump’s own tweet, which described Portland as “war ravaged,” in determining that he does not have unlimited authority to wildly invent facts on the ground wholesale as a pretext to justify any use of the military he wants. “The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts,” this Trump-appointed judge declared. “This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law.”  In short, Trump’s gale-force bad faith worked against him. We talked to Oregon’s Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who explains the ruling, details how Trump’s lawless words and threats are undermining his own case, examines the larger stakes of this moment, and looks ahead to what’s next. 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 a federal judge blocking the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, Bari Weiss’s new position at CBS, continuing deadlock in Congress, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Things are not okay in the White House. Numerous new national polls show President Trump and the GOP taking far more blame for the government shutdown than Democrats. One polling analyst flatly declared that the gap has reached double digits. Meanwhile, at a media briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt twice lost her temper under tough questioning. Notably, what angered her was the spectacle of reporters punching holes in the leading White House arguments in the shutdown standoff. Why is this happening, given that many pundits predicted Democrats are in the weaker position? We talked to Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, a sharp observer of MAGA follies. She explains why the Trump-GOP talking points are failing, why Democrats have fresh incentives to hold firm, and what all this reveals about the deepening fissures in the Trump coalition. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for October 3, we break down the administration’s targeting of Democrat-backed agencies, a terrorist attack at a U.K. synagogue, Trump declaring an armed conflict with drug cartels, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The current government shutdown is unlike any we have seen before. President Trump is turning this into a political assault on blue states, energy projects, infrastructure projects, and more. What does this shutdown really mean for our democracy? Where are the bold politicians, either left or right, who can take a stand against Trump’s excesses? Tune in as David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein discuss 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
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has taken a lead role in forcefully sounding the alarm about Donald Trump. He’s urged Democrats to use their power creatively to constrain Trump’s abuses. But in recent days, Trump’s consolidation of authoritarian power has expanded. And we’re in the middle of a government shutdown fight in which Democrats are drawing a hard line, but not for an end to Trump’s lawbreaking. Trump has responded by escalating the lawless threats toward Blue America. In an interview with us, Murphy offers a lengthy indictment of all of Trump’s lawlessness, corruption, malevolence and authoritarianism. It all adds up to a bracing, extraordinary takedown: Murphy says we’re dangerously close to losing democracy, explains why other Democrats aren’t acting as alarmed, and outlines what can still be done to stave off Trump’s dictatorial designs before it’s too late.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The best time to regulate AI was yesterday, and the next best time is now. There is a clear and urgent need for responsible AI development that implements reasonable guidelines to mitigate harms and foster innovation, yet the conversation in DC and capitals around the world remains muddled. NYU’s Dr. Julia Stoyanovich joins David Rothkopf to explore the role of collective action in AI development and why responsible AI is the responsibility of each 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 DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the administration freezing blue state funding, the Supreme Court allowing Lisa Cook to stay in office, Hamas’s rejection of a US/Israel ceasefire plan, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump unleashed a strange Truth Social rant declaring straight out that farmers are getting hurt because China is not buying soybeans. Of course, Trump’s own trade wars are the reason for this, so he in effect admitted that his own policies are badly screwing one of his core constituencies. This comes as the ADP report finds that the economy lost 32,000 jobs in September, suggesting job losses could now get worse. All this bad economic news is piling up just as we’re entering a bruising government shutdown fight, which will make the economy even worse. So are Trump and Republicans in a weak enough position for Democrats to hold the line in the shutdown fight? We talked to New Republic senior editor Alex Shephard, who has a good new piece analyzing the standoff. We discuss how Trump is increasingly shafting his own voters, how it’s making him more vulnerable on the economy, and why all this should persuade Democrats to hang tough in the shutdown standoff.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
So has Jimmy Kimmel saved the media? We’ve been critical of the mainstream media for quite some time, and things have only gone from bad to worse under Trump 2.0. But with the Jimmy Kimmel saga resulting in a seemingly happy ending, is there some glimmer for hope for American media? Critics Dan Froomkin and Jeff Jarvis join David Rothkopf to express optimism, pessimism, and everything in-between. More from Jeff: https://buzzmachine.com/ More from Dan: https://presswatchers.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth held a part-pep rally, part-declaration of war on the U.S. Constitution in Quantico on Tuesday. Former Lieutenant Generals Doug Lute and Mark Hertling join David Rothkopf and Ed Luce to discuss Trump’s speech in Quantico, America’s security posture under this administration, 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 cover the US government shutdown, Trump and Hegseth’s startling remarks to top military leaders, a judge’s scathing ruling on the administration’s attempts to deport pro-Palestinian advocates, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a speech to military officials, President Trump went full fascist: He said America is under “invasion from within,” declared that the generals in the room will be enlisted in a “war” against that enemy, and bizarrely insisted that U.S. cities should be used as military training grounds. We think this is Trump’s most explicit declaration yet that he sees large swaths of America as themselves constituting a kind of enemy nation within our borders. The display prompted Senator Ruben Gallego to scorch Trump at length as an “idiot,” suggesting that mockery and contempt is a good approach in situations like these. We talked to Ian Reifowitz, a history professor at SUNY Empire State University and co-author of Riling up the Base. He explains how Trump is relying on longtime right-wing political tropes that trade on grievance and hate, how Trump-MAGA are supercharging this in a newly emboldened way, and why it’s all heading to a very dark place. 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 imminent government shutdown, Trump and Hegseth’s unusual Quantico meeting, Israel and the US’s ceasefire proposal for Gaza, and more.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Investigators are still examining the motives driving Thomas Jacob Sanford, who opened fire on a Mormon church in Michigan, killing four people. Yet White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt quickly link the killing to an alleged rash of anti-Christian violence. “This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians,” Leavitt insisted, amplifying a similar claim by President Trump. Yet this is backfiring: Evidence quickly emerged that the shooter may well be a Trump supporter motivated by anti-Mormon bigotry in particular. While it’s of course possible for someone to be a Trump supporter and also target Christians, Leavitt was plainly trying to turn this to the political advantage of Trump and the MAGA movement, and that’s gone awry. We talked to Sarah Posner, author of good books about the religious right, who explains how this all sheds light on a bigger story that we saw at play after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, too. It’s that Trump-MAGA relentlessly inculcate a sense of persecution among their armies of Evangelical supporters, to rally them for religious war against the Democratic, liberal, secular enemy within. Thus far, in this case, the facts aren’t cooperating.  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 Eric Adams ending his campaign in NY, the Democrat/Republican showdown over a funding bill, Trump ordering the deployment of troops in Portland, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What if we told you that Donald Trump is a really unpopular president? Would that surprise you? It’s not something you hear much in the media. Yet in recent days new polls from the Associated Press, Gallup, Quinnipiac, Reuters, and the Economist all show Trump’s approval rating in terrible shape. He’s in the toilet on specific issues, too: On the economy and trade he’s polling in the 30s, and he’s deeply underwater on immigration, his “best” issue. Many of his most dramatic recent moments, from the failed Jimmy Kimmel ouster to the buffoonish indictment of James Comey, have flopped. We talked to Lakshya Jain, co-founder of the data firm Split Ticket and head of political data at The Argument, who’s been explaining that Trump is in a weak position. We talked about what the new data really shows, why the media—and Democrats!—still reflexively assume Trump is “strong,” and what it all means for the 2026 midterms. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for September 26, we discuss the charges against former FBI Director James Comey, Trump’s executive order facilitating a TikTok deal, a new slate of tariffs on pharmaceuticals, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: August 14, 2024 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
Everybody and their mother is talking about AI, but how much of what people are saying is true? Powerful tech CEO’s surround the administration and Washington is abuzz with AI hype and everyday Americans range from excited to terrified of artificial intelligence. TechCrunch AI Editor Russell Brandom joins David Rothkopf to cut through the misinformation haze to explain why so many people are getting AI so wrong.  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
Free speech is under assault in America. The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel is just the latest in a series of measures taken by the Trump administration to crack down on speech, and it certainly won’t be the last. But now that more Americans are waking up to this crisis, what can we do to save free speech in America? Former CEO of PEN America Suzanne Nossel joins David Rothkopf to discuss all this and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s Justice Department is widely expected to indict former FBI director James Comey, someone the president has hated for years. Yet this push was just undermined when The New York Times reported a surprising turn of events: Career prosecutors reportedly informed DOJ political appointees that they have not been able to find evidence that would sustain a conviction. As the Times notes, a prosecutor handpicked by Trump is “racing” to secure an indictment anyway. And in a twisted rant about Comey, Trump exposed his animus and politicization of DOJ once again. All this may not stop the indictment. But it reveals just how sordid this has truly become, provides grounds to contest the prosecution later, and exposes Trump’s corruption of the justice system in a broader sense. We talked to Talking Points Memo editor-at-large David Kurtz, author of a great piece on this travesty. He explains the deeper states at play, the recourse we have, and why we need a whole new language to capture what’s really happening here. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Make no mistake – we are headed towards a government shutdown and it is a strategic move from the Trump administration. So what are the Democrats doing to avert a disaster? What does this signify about the current political landscape in America and why aren’t news outlets calling out this clear constitutional crisis? Tune in as David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein 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
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover the potential government shutdown, the possible inditement of James Comey, Israel closing the Allenby Bridge crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After Jimmy Kimmel reappeared on ABC and spoke movingly about President Trump’s failed effort to oust him, Trump lost it on Truth Social and threatened Kimmel yet again. He also threatened to “test” his ability to bully ABC into yanking Kimmel a second time. In so doing, Trump accidentally demolished a big new lie that Fox News and MAGA figures have been making again and again: That Kimmel’s return shows Trump never brought authoritarian pressure on ABC and Disney at all. Trump said, in effect: Actually, I really am threatening government action against them. We think all the confusion signals weakness: Trump and MAGA are losing this battle. We talked to Mona Charen of The Bulwark, who has a great new piece arguing that Trump’s crackdown on speech is “taking a page from dictators.” We discuss just how corrupt the anti-Kimmel effort truly is, how far Trump is getting in suppressing dissent, and why there’s grounds for optimism that the culture and civil society are now fighting back.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Now, more than ever, there is significant public criticism of Israel in their war against Palestine. Israel has continued to act with little regard for international norms, and President Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy has done little to stop the humanitarian crisis. What is the future of the US-Israel relationship? How is our foreign policy failing to stop Israel’s genocide and where do we go from here? Tune in as Rula Jebreal and Shibley Telhami join Rosa Brooks and David Rothkopf to discuss 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 Wednesday, we break down President Trump’s speech to the UN General Assembly, Trump’s extraordinary shift on Ukraine, Brendan Carr’s plans to go after media, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump gave a speech to the United Nations on Tuesday that was a geopolitical and psychological dumpster fire. In addition to signaling absolute contempt for our allies and for global institutions, he slipped into angry and solipsistic grievance. He boasted about his polling, seethed that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, threatened to unshackle the U.S. military from international law, sent convoluted signals about NATO, lied endlessly about his domestic achievements, and bizarrely commanded other nations to cease combatting climate change. Many observers expressed alarm. We got to thinking: What if the self-obsessed craziness is itself the message the world receives about the United States? So we talked to international relations professor Nicholas Grossman, one of our favorite commentators on global affairs. He suggests other nations will conclude that Trump is “really crazy” and that the U.S. is an unreliable actor for the foreseeable future, explores why this could be so damaging, and explains why the prospects for a future president repairing this fiasco are grim. 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 Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC, US plans to hit the entire ICC with sanctions, Trump’s impending speech in front of the UN, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over the weekend, President Trump explicitly commanded Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute his political enemies in a crazed Truth Social tirade. He named the Democrats he wants prosecuted, and even openly boasted that he’d pushed out a veteran career prosecutor for refusing to carry out this mission. Now Rolling Stone reports that Trump’s open demand of his attorney general was so corrupt that it surprised even some of his own advisers. They apparently couldn’t fathom that he’d knowingly make it public! But we think Trump wants it to be publicly understood that he’s making this threat, and that grasping this dynamic is essential to understanding our moment. So we talked to Rolling Stone’s Asawin Suebsaeng, the reporter on that story. He explains how Trump’s threat was viewed inside Trumpworld, why even some of his most MAGA-fied advisers are not necessarily on board with this abuse of power, and what that all says about our ongoing slide into 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 Monday, we discuss the summit for a two-state solution, Trump urging Pam Bondi to go after political rivals, clarification on the White House’s confusing H-1B visa revisions, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Several weeks after President Trump ordered a military strike on a small boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 people supposedly suspected of drug smuggling, this saga has gotten much worst. Last Monday, Trump bombed another vessel, killing three. Again his administration released zero evidence supporting the decision, and the specifics in this case make this campaign look increasingly lawless. And we just learned that the White House is quietly circulating a draft bill that would vastly expand Trump’s authority for these bombings. Its details offer a damning glimpse into how unrestrained he aims to be going forward. We talked to Brian Finucane, who’s been writing great analysis of the situation as an editor at Just Security. He explains why the specifics of that draft bill are so alarming, why the bombings appear to constitute serious abuses of power, and why all this may be hurtling us toward darker lawlessness to come. (Since we recorded, Trump bombed a third vessel in similarly lawless fashion. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for September 19th,  we discuss the rule changes in the Senate, the takeaways from Trump’s UK visit, the fallout of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In four years time, how might a theoretical Dem administration grapple with the expanding energy consumption and demand for AI? This is the question the second half of TRG Media and MIT Technology Review’s AI and Energy Scenario Exercises seeks to explore. Leading experts come together to role play as key actors in government, private industry, and more to simulate how public policy might take shape in the coming years. This episode contains the second and final phase of the game and a brief wrap-up from the editor in chief of MIT Technology Review Mat Honan and game designer Ed McGrady.  The Players: US Federal POTUS - Merici Vinton, Former Senior Advisor to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel Security (DoD, DHS, DOS) - Mark Dalton, Senior director of technology and innovation at R Street Energy (DOE, EPA, Interior) - Wayne Brough, Former President of the Innovation Defense Foundation and senior fellow on R Street’s Technology and Innovation team Red State Leadership- Soren Dayton, Director of Governance at the Niskanen Center Power generation industry Fossil - David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University Solar - Enock Ebban, host of “Sustainability Transformations Podcast” Nuclear [1] - Ashley Finan, Jay and Jill Bernstein Global Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University Investors in Al Domestic- Josiah Neeley, R Street Institute’s Energy team advisor International - Josh Felser, CO Founder and Managing Partner at Climatic International (Middle East, EU, Russia, China, etc.) - Shaolei Ren, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California International (Middle East, EU, Russia, China, etc.) - Rachel Ziemba, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Blue State Leadership POTUS Adam Zurofsky - former Director of State Policy and Agency Management for the State of New York Ari Peskoe - Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at the Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program Beth Garza - senior fellow with R Street’s Energy & Environmental Policy Team Public interest  Environmental - Brent Eubanks, founder of Eubanks Engineering Research Domestic political - Meiyi Li, Ph.D. candidate at The University of Texas at Austin Media - Jen Sidorova, policy analyst at Reason Foundation Al and other Digital Industries AI - Valerie Taylor, division director of Mathematics and Computer Science at Argonne National Laboratory Blockchain -Erica Schoder, Executive Director and co-founder of the R Street Institute Erica Schroder - Elliot David, Head of Climate Strategy at Sustainable Bitcoin Protocol Other digital systems (chips, data center operations, online gaming, streaming, etc.) [1] - Ken Briggs, Faculty Assistant at Harvard University 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
The Trump administration is blatantly and disturbingly waging a war against free speech in this country. With the most recent news that late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel was canceled following jokes discussing the Charlie Kirk assassination, it is clear that the government is setting a new precedent towards the First Amendment. What happens next? How is the government taking aim at our constitutional rights? Tune in as David Rothkopf is joined by Rosa Brooks and Miles Taylor to discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, ABC suspended comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show under pressure from the Trump administration. The ostensible reason: Kimmel supposedly spread disinformation about Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin. But then President Trump ranted to reporters on Air Force One about the ouster, and he basically confirmed that he’s sending a message to networks that they can’t criticize him too much. “They’re not allowed to do that,” Trump said. Actually, they are, and in this, Trump made the ouster look even more corrupt. Trump also rambled angrily about how many of the people he sees on TV are crazy or on drugs, and he reiterated his threat to unleash the state on the leftist enemy within. All this confirmed that Trump is both increasingly unhinged and emboldened to carry out his autocratic takeover right out in the open. We talked to Jennifer Rubin, editor-in-chief of The Contrarian, who has a good new piece on Trump’s abuses. We discussed how Trump’s consolidation of power works, why many institutions are capitulating to it, and how Democrats can fight back.  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 ABC indefinitely suspending Jimmy Kimmel, a Senate testimony from former CDC Director Susan Minaret, Trump’s intentions to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has worsened, President Trump’s story has been that it’s all Democratic “hoax,” and that his signature on that lewd drawing in Epstein’s birthday book is a “forgery.” But at a congressional hearing Wednesday, FBI director Kash Patel faltered under intense questioning from Democrats. Patel filibustered when asked whether Trump’s name is in the Epstein files. He seemed to accidentally reveal that he does know how many times Trump’s name appears. And he agreed to investigate whether Trump’s birthday note to Epstein is indeed forged, which seems ill-advised. Patel badly undermined Trump’s whole stance. So how much longer can Trumpworld keep the lid on this? We talked to Nicole Hemmer, a historian who has written books about the right and its media apparatus. She explains the schism Epstein has opened inside MAGA, how Patel exposed Trump’s position as untenable, and how it all fits into the last half-century of right-wing deceptions and conspiracy theories.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“This is a 10,000-meter race to a full-blown police state, and they’re picking up speed.” The Trump administration is using the Charlie Kirk assassination as a tool to attack free speech at an alarming rate. Under the guise of “hate speech,” Trump and his cronies are taking aim at everyone from ABC reporters to Democratic organizations and NGOs. What comes next for free speech in America? Tune in as Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover Kash Patel’s contentious Senate hearing, Trump’s state visit in the UK, a Republican midterm election next year, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump seems even more angry at the media than usual. His lawyers just filed a lawsuit against The New York Times that First Amendment lawyers are dismissing as a total joke. The suit, however, is also chock full of angry rants that appeared dictated by Trump himself. And he announced it with a Truth Social tirade that boiled with fury. Meanwhile, Trump himself snapped directly at reporters in strange ways, hitting one with a bizarre threat and engaging in a bizarre dominance display over the other. This comes as a new poll from the Economist reveals shockingly low support for Trump among independents, a key metric for gauging political strength—or weakness. We talked to Paul Waldman, who recently argued on his Substack, The Cross Section, that Trump’s powers of persuasion are failing him. We discuss how Trump both despises and relies on the media, the real reasons for his mounting anger, and how it’s all revealing big cracks in his authoritarian project.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Supreme Court has officially ruled that Donald Trump’s stormtroopers could stop anybody based on their race, accent, or whatever they damn well please and force them to prove their citizenship. They also recently ruled that the President can fire anybody on the Federal Trade Commission, upending all legal precedent. What is the Supreme Court doing? Where is the Democratic response? The New Republic editor Michael Tomasky joins David Rothkopf to discuss all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amory Lovins has been a leading thinker on energy policy for more than 50 years. Several months ago he wrote an article with the provocative title "Artificial Intelligence Meets Natural Stupidity." As the title suggests, Lovins is skeptical about AI in a number of respects – in particular about the electricity it will require. Listen as host David Sandalow talks with Lovins about AI power demand forecasts, the role of natural gas and renewables, AI in education, a proposal to require all payments to electric utilities by new large loads such as data centers to be bonded or insured, and more.\ Amory Lovins, Artificial Intelligence Meets Natural Stupidity (May 2025), https://integrative-design-for-radical-energy-efficiency.stanford.edu/sites/extreme_energy_efficiency/files/media/file/data-centersaiel-dr-16-10-may-2025.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down Israel’s assault on Gaza City, Trump suing the New York Times, VP Vance condemning those celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a surprise, Fox News is reporting that the knives are out for FBI director Kash Patel due to many recent missteps, including the botching of key facts about the hunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin. That this is being featured by Fox News may be a sign of how dire Patel’s internal standing has truly become. Yet we’re in the middle of a complicated moment. Even as Patel’s tenure is beset with follies, Stephen Miller just unleashed a vile rant making it clear that Trump is about to turn federal law enforcement loose on the liberal-left in a big way, all fake-justified by Charlie Kirk’s assassination. So we talked to Asha Rangappa, a former FBI special agent who now writes a good Substack called “The Freedom Academy.” She explains why Patel compares so woefully to his predecessors, what the coming mass repression campaign could look like, how the FBI might figure into that, and how we’ll know things are getting really bad.  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 Trump vowing to declare a national emergency in DC, Governor Hochul endorsing Mamdani for mayor, Brian Kilmeade’s unbelievable comments on Fox News, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In an appalling move, President Trump went on Fox News and openly suggested that far-right political violence is typically justified as a response to left-wing extremism. This functionally tells Trump supporters that it is now open season on the liberal-left after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Trump also signaled he will use the power of the state to exact retribution on Trump-MAGA's designated scapegoats for Kirk’s killing. This comes as eruptions of MAGA fury over Kirk’s death, including calls for mass violence, are rising to alarming levels, making Trump’s encouragement even more depraved. We talked to Will Sommer, who closely tracks the far right as a staff writer for The Bulwark. He discusses how far-right individuals and groups will take Trump’s signals as “sanction,” notes the “all-consuming anger” he’s seeing, and suggests we may see more organized violence coming from those precincts 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
Original air date: September 17, 2024 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. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for September 12, we discuss the conviction of Jair Bolsonaro, the arrest of a suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk, a meeting between Trump and the Qatari PM, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How might this administration and future administrations approach the critical issue of AI and energy demands? This is the question the second of TRG Media and MIT Technology Review’s AI Scenario Exercises tries to answer. Leading experts come together to role play as key actors in government, private industry, and more to simulate how public policy might take shape in the coming years. This first episode contains the first phase of the game and an introduction from the editor in chief of MIT Technology Review Mat Honan, as well as an overview of the game by designer Ed McGrady.  The Players: US Federal POTUS - Merici Vinton, Former Senior Advisor to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel Security (DoD, DHS, DOS) - Mark Dalton, Senior director of technology and innovation at R Street Energy (DOE, EPA, Interior) - Wayne Brough, Former President of the Innovation Defense Foundation and senior fellow on R Street’s Technology and Innovation team Red State Leadership- Soren Dayton, Director of Governance at the Niskanen Center Power generation industry Fossil - David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University Solar - Enock Ebban, host of “Sustainability Transformations Podcast” Nuclear [1] - Ashley Finan, Jay and Jill Bernstein Global Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University Investors in Al Domestic- Josiah Neeley, R Street Institute’s Energy team advisor International - Josh Felser, CO Founder and Managing Partner at Climatic International (Middle East, EU, Russia, China, etc.) - Shaolei Ren, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California International (Middle East, EU, Russia, China, etc.) - Rachel Ziemba, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Blue State Leadership POTUS Adam Zurofsky - former Director of State Policy and Agency Management for the State of New York Ari Peskoe - Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at the Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program Beth Garza - senior fellow with R Street’s Energy & Environmental Policy Team Public interest  Environmental - Brent Eubanks, founder of Eubanks Engineering Research Domestic political - Meiyi Li, Ph.D. candidate at The University of Texas at Austin Media - Jen Sidorova, policy analyst at Reason Foundation Al and other Digital Industries AI - Valerie Taylor, division director of Mathematics and Computer Science at Argonne National Laboratory Blockchain -Erica Schoder, Executive Director and co-founder of the R Street Institute Erica Schroder - Elliot David, Head of Climate Strategy at Sustainable Bitcoin Protocol Other digital systems (chips, data center operations, online gaming, streaming, etc.) [1] - Ken Briggs, Faculty Assistant at Harvard University 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
Questions are mounting about President Trump’s decision to bomb a small boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing all 11 people on board. The administration says these were drug cartel members who posed a threat to the United States, but many legal experts have concluded the bombing might have been illegal or a war crime. And this saga just got darker. Senator Tim Kaine and two dozen other Democrats just released a powerful letter laying out tough questions for the administration. The letter demonstrates the weakness of Trump’s legal case in a freshly vivid way. And a Senate staffer tells us Kaine reached out to numerous Republicans in hopes of getting them to sign the letter, but damningly, none would. Meanwhile, new reporting indicates that the boat might have been turning around before getting hit, making Trump’s decision look even worse. We talked to Scott Anderson, senior editor at Lawfare and author of a great piece analyzing the strike. He demystifies the legal and substantive complexities, sheds light on how brazenly Trump is stretching the law, and discusses whether we’ll ever learn what really happened.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yesterday, on September 10th, 2025, Charlie Kirk was assassinated. Today, September 11th, marks the 24th anniversary of the largest terrorist attack in U.S. history. Laurie Garrett joins David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein in a sincere conversation to memorialize 9/11, as well as discuss the tough challenges we’ve faced since, including the alarming upwards trend of political violence. 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 assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah, the UK firing the ambassador to the US, worsening inflation in the US, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
GOP Congresswoman Nancy Mace lost her temper on the House floor on Wednesday. It all started when Mace unleashed a long, vile tirade about transgender Americans. After that, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, a Democrat, offered some cutting criticism of the absurdity of GOP anti-trans rhetoric. That prompted Mace to fly into a fury and start shouting. We think this is a telling moment: We’re all supposed to just put up with it while the right unleashes nonstop vitriol and hate. But when a Democrat offers admittedly provocative pushback—albeit something that doesn’t come close to routine right wing rhetoric—it’s taken as this enormous affront, as if the Earth has been knocked off its axis. We talked to Representative Jacobs about the exchange, what we can learn from it, why she takes rhetoric like this personally, and how Democrats should navigate the complexities of the overall issue.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Israel’s surprise strike on Qatar is yet another in a series of Israeli attacks fueling turmoil in the Middle East. What is Netanyahu’s strategy here? Why is Israel now so flagrantly attacking American allies? What does this all reveal about Trump’s foreign policy and the respect (or lack of) other leaders have for him? Middle East scholar Shibley Telhami and former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas join David Rothkopf and Rosa Brooks to analyze 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
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday we discuss Israeli strikes in Qatar, a Supreme Court ruling pausing a lower court order on foreign aid, Russian drones shot down in Poland, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
House Democrats have released Jeffrey Epstein’s “Birthday Book,” and it’s brutal for President Trump. His note to Epstein is real and it appears to bear his distinctive signature. There’s also an image of Epstein holding a big check that discusses selling a “fully depreciated” woman to Trump. On Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, visibly irritated, offered some truly absurd spin about Trump’s signature on the note to Epstein, throwing in obsequious praise to boot. She dodged a question about the check with rank misdirection while curtly brushing off further queries. The upshot: White House spin looked comically awful throughout. Leavitt flashed anger at other points, accusing reporters of ignoring serious crimes and of being dishonest about Trump’s militarization of Washington, DC. We talked to MSNBC’s Steve Benen, author of Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past. We discuss why MAGA deceptions on Epstein are worse than usual, what that says about the evolution of the right-wing disinformation machine, and where this scandal is going next. 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 pause over the summer, we’re restarting the AI, Energy and Climate Podcast with a conversation between Jennifer Granholm, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and Governor of Michigan, and host David Sandalow. Sec. Granholm explains why she’s an “AI optimist,” sounds several notes of caution on AI and describes where she agrees and disagrees with Trump administration policies.  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 Tuesday, we break down the evacuation order for Gaza City, the House Oversight Committee releasing more Epstein-related documents, a significant Supreme Court ruling, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s been an amusing turn in the saga involving President Trump’s vile effort to remove Lisa Cook as governor of the Federal Reserve. Trump has relied on his flunkies to cook up allegations of mortgage fraud against Cook—and other foes as well—but now news organizations have blown big holes in the scam. They’ve reported that numerous Trump officials, and even relatives of his top ally in the anti-Cook effort, have done similar things on their mortgages. Meanwhile, a new CBS News poll contains brutal findings for Trump across the board. Crucially, it finds that truly huge majorities oppose Trump’s efforts to interfere with the Fed—yet another way this whole charade is backfiring on him. We talked to New Republic staff writer Matt Ford, who covers legal affairs. He explains why Trump’s use of this tactic is so corrupt, why the stakes in the battle over Cook are larger than they appear, and what might happen when it all lands at the Supreme Court.  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 Trump’s gestures at war over National Guard deployments, detained Hyundai workers to be flown back to South Korea, the killing of six in a deadly shooting in Jerusalem, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump’s losses in court are suddenly piling up on many crucial fronts at once. Most of his tariffs were just ruled illegal, prompting him to explode in fury. An appeals court blocked Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations. And a judge invalidated Trump’s cancellation of grants to Harvard. There’s a big through line here that deserves attention: Judges are taking a very hard line on Trump’s use of pretexts to justify his illegal actions, on many of the issues where his abuses of power are most flagrant. But what happens when all this collides with the highest court in the land? We talked to Michigan University law professor Leah Litman, author of Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes. She explains why Trump’s manufacturing of pretexts is central to his consolidation of authoritarian power, why it’s temporarily heartening that he’s facing many setbacks in these areas, and what it will look like once it all goes to the high court.  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 25, 2024 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. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for September 5, we discuss Trump’s intentions to rename the Department of Defense, White House plans to expand military action in South America and the Caribbean, the big takeaways from RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: September 27, 2024 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. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When the British under Cornwallis surrendered to Washington at Yorktown, rumor has it the band played the song “The World Turned Upside” down. That was the biggest upheaval the world had ever seen, but if the last few weeks are anything to go by, we might be headed down the same path. We’re joined by two very special guests, Nick Burns and Graham Allison of Harvard University, to break down the monumental summit in China and why the global balance of power is changing fast. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Democratic leadership doesn’t seem to be up to the challenge of this new Trump era. Despite some strong Democratic figures fighting back, the party has been lethargic to say the least. So what do Democrats need to do to reenergize? Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg are back with David Rothkopf to diagnose the problem and prescribe solutions to cure this malaise.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At a Senate hearing on Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. got massacred by harsh questioning from Democrats and Republicans. They called out his anti-vax views and condemned his decapitation of our public health system. But Matt Gertz of Media Matters noticed something funny: Fox News’ coverage bent over backward to portray him as pro-vaccine, as someone working to make vaccines available to Americans, not trying to restrict them. We think that reveals just how shaky President Trump’s political position has become amid RFK’s reign of destruction. Fox accidentally demonstrated just how deeply split Republicans are over this ongoing anti-vax fiasco—and how desperate Trump’s propagandists are to cover up the truth about it. In this segment, Gertz relates more of the evasions he saw on Fox, explains how Fox is struggling to navigate many conflicting currents inside MAGA, and predicts RFK’s lunacy is hurtling us toward a much bigger reckoning. 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 Florida eliminating all vaccine mandates, Epstein survivors gathering on Capitol Hill, ICE opening a detention center in Louisiana, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The pressure is escalating on President Trump and Republicans to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. Survivors of Epstein’s sex trafficking spoke out on Wednesday, and one of them, Haley Robson, directly took on Trump in a very powerful way. She denounced him for calling the Epstein files a “hoax,” and called on Trump to recognize that the victims are human beings whose suffering should not be minimized. Meanwhile, a discharge petition to force release of the files is close to passing the House. And the White House is reportedly pressuring Republicans behind-the-scenes not to support the petition, a clear sign of panic. We talked to Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, who has been in the middle of this debate as a member of the House Rules Committee. He explains why he thinks the petition might pass, why Republicans can’t hold off the pressure much longer, why they’re so terrified of Trump on this, and what’s coming next. 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’s military parade, the Trump administration’s actions targeting Venezuela, the potential deployment of National Guard troops to more cities, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump suffered a major loss Tuesday when a federal judge in California ruled that his military occupation of Los Angeles was illegal. Trump’s response was highly unsettling. Speaking to reporters, he sounded entirely unconstrained. He threatened to resend the military to L.A. and declared that the military is now definitely going into Chicago. He let out a strange, angry rant about crime in DC that sounded frankly pretty nuts, worrying a variety of legal observers. And he abruptly ended the presser amid another display of anger. We talked to former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade, who explains the nuts-and-bolts of the judge’s L.A. ruling and looks ahead to the possibility of a major inter-branch confrontation with Trump if the courts continue to block his military occupations. McQuade explains why all these displays from Trump show that we’re in “a combustible situation waiting for something very bad to 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 Tuesday, we discuss the meeting between Putin, Xi, and Kim in Beijing, the Trump administration ordering the denial of visas to Palestinian Authority passports, Chicago bracing for the deployment of federal agents and National Guard, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In an ugly move, Fox News contacted Republican Senators and asked: Should President Trump deploy the National Guard in your states’ blue cities? Fox News got back the answer it was trying to generate: GOP Senators actively want Trump to use the military in their states’ urban areas, ostensibly to fight “crime.” This is an unnerving turn in the saga that makes Trump’s threat look worse. Congressional Republicans expressly want Trump to employ troops to intimidate their own constituents, provided it’s confined to largely Democratic areas—and they’re saying this openly, egged on by Fox, making additional occupations more likely. Meanwhile, Democrats are consumed in a big debate over whether they can talk about this topic at all. We talked to media critic Jamison Foser, who has a good piece about all this on his newsletter, Finding Gravity. We discuss why the media is wrongly describing this as a political winner for Trump, what the polls actually say, and how the media storyline is encouraging Democrats’ worst duck-and-cover instincts. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original Airdate: March 5, 2025 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
Original Airdate: March 26, 2025 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
Original Airdate: November 6, 2024 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
Original Air Date: March 3, 2025 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The White House is trying to fire Centers for Disease Control director Susan Monarez for opposing Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine policies. This has sent the CDC sliding into chaos. On Thursday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt struggled to spin what’s happening. She said Monarez had never been subject to a vote—but the Senate voted to confirm her. Leavitt insisted the White House had fired Monarez—but Trump’s direct word appears to be required, and as of this recording, he hadn’t spoken. Leavitt pretended Trump is defending the integrity of our vaccine system—but RFK is destroying it. We talked to the University of Michigan’s Don Moynihan, author of a good Substack called “Can We Still Govern?” We discussed how Trump will struggle to defend this move, how the American people will recoil at the looming loss of a professionalized bureaucracy, and how all this is sowing the seeds for catastrophe later. 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker delivered an extraordinary takedown of President Trump over his deployment of the military in U.S. cities. Trump then exploded about Pritzker’s impudence, calling the governor names and instructing him to bow down and beg for his “HELP” in fighting crime. Trump has threatened twice to occupy Chicago no matter what the city’s residents and their elected representatives think about it, another window into his seething anger. In this standoff, Pritzker did something unusual: He communicated with his constituents from the heart, vowing to use all his power to protect them from Trump’s authoritarian takeover. Rather than let Trump pretend he cares about crime, Pritzker cast Trump as the primary threat to his state’s people. We talked to Brian Beutler, who has a great new piece on his substack, Off Message, taking stock of Pritzker’s response. We discuss how Pritzker is shrewdly reading the moment in a way many Democrats are not, why Trump is vulnerable on crime, and what the punditry is getting so wrong about all of it. 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 has expressed a desire for “truthful” and “unbiased” AI, yet the reality seems to be a crusade on “woke” AI. Yet the results of such a crusade would go far beyond eliminating DEI from artificial intelligence. The Brennan Center’s Amos Toh joins David Rothkopf to explore the effects the administration’s AI regulations and how AI is playing a larger role in militaries around the world.  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
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thanks to President Trump’s big budget bill, funding has been canceled for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This is cutting funding to hundreds of radio stations in rural areas that rely on them for critical information. Speaking to The New York Times, GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski, who opposed the bill, sounded absolutely shocked that Trump and the GOP would harm their own voters so cavalierly. She said this is driven by a “blind allegiance to the president’s desires,” adding that fear of Trump’s anger overrode GOP lawmakers’ concerns for their own constituents. Yet this has been the story on many other fronts, too. Will Democrats ever be able to capitalize? We talked to Lynlee Thorne, a Democratic organizer in rural areas as the political director of RuralGroundGame.org. She explains why rural radio is a lifeline, how Trump’s agenda is shafting those areas particularly hard, what rural voters think about him right now, and how Democrats can repair the party’s deep problems with them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: June 22, 2025 The moment has finally arrived: America has bombed Iran. As the dust settles, we’re left with more questions than answers about what the attack achieved and what comes next. Thankfully, Jon Wolfsthal, Gen. Mark Hertling, and Steven Cook join David Rothkopf to provide clarity on what this unprecedented moment means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In recent days, President Trump has reached new levels of emboldenment when it comes to his ongoing authoritarian takeover. He’s vowing retribution at news organizations that displease him with greater audacity. He’s responded to Democrats and others who criticized him by threatening to send troops to their cities or unleash state power against them in other ways. In recent days, something plainly has changed, and many observers are taking note. We talked to journalist and historian Garrett Graff, who has a great new piece on his Doomsday Scenario Substack arguing that we really are seeing the advent of “American fascism” right before our eyes. He explains that transformations like this are incremental and often hard to recognize, but that Trump’s escalating brazenness strongly suggests we’ve crossed over into something new. The pile-up of new offenses Trump is committing daily, Graff says, amounts to “insanity.”  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: February 28, 2025 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. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
California Governor Gavin Newsom is breaking through like no other Democrat. This is partly because he’s forging ahead with a state gerrymander to add five Democratic House seats, countering President Trump’s rigging of Texas. But we think there are deeper reasons Newsom is cutting through the noise. These were on display when Newsom recently issued a stark warning about Trump’s long term intentions. Newsom connected numerous dots to offer a takedown of Trump that laid bare the full scope of his ongoing authoritarian takeover in a way other Democrats rarely do. We talked to Will Stancil, a policy researcher and attorney who has developed an interesting analysis of the Democratic Party on social media. We discussed what makes Newsom’s approach different, how he’s attempting to solve the party’s struggles in the information wars, and why it offers the beginnings of an approach for the party to adopt amid Trump’s imposition of authoritarian rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for August 22, we cover the FBI raid of John Bolton’s house, a declaration of famine in Gaza City, the administration reviewing 55 million visa holders, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: August 26, 2024 National security journalist Michael Weiss 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? 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, JD Vance delivered a speech designed to reset the political battle over President Trump’s abysmally unpopular budget bill. But Vance’s speech devolved into a series of rants that seemed to ape Trump’s style. Vance lied about the bill’s health care cuts and dissembled wildly about its expected impact on rural hospitals—both times smearing undocumented immigrants with vile Trumpian dishonesty. He also baselessly attacked a nonpartisan agency whose analysis displeased him. All this comes as news outlets in many states are showing that people deep in MAGA country know they’re set to get royally screwed. Vance’s scamming of Trump voters here was extraordinary. But Democrats have work to do. We talked to Michael Linden, an economist and Democratic strategist organizing against the bill. He dissects Vance’s lies about it, explains how badly it will shaft Trump voters and the working class, and discusses how Democrats can keep the focus on it through Election Day 2026. 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 Texas House passing its controversial redistricting plan, the US and EU’s recent trade framework, a ridiculous plan to paint the border wall, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stephen Miller exploded in a long, unhinged rant about demonstrators who are protesting President Trump’s military occupation of Washington, D.C. It was classic authoritarian agitprop, attacking demonstrators as “communists” who are secretly trying to make the city more dangerous to its salt-of-the-earth working class residents. Ominously flanked by the Defense Secretary and members of the military, he threatened to respond with more troops. But we think this is really an expression of weakness. Trump and Miller were certain that a latent majority is prepared to rally to authoritarian rule. But poll after poll shows voters rebelling. Miller’s hubris has become a major weakness. We talked to New Republic staff writer Monica Potts, author of a great new piece analyzing Trump’s long-term game plan. She explains how Trump is consolidating power right before eyes, why Democrats need to stop calling this a “distraction,” and how the opposition should proceed, secure in the knowledge that the public is not with Trump. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There has been a diplomatic flurry around Ukraine in recent days, yet the theme of progress has been hollow words and flip-flopping. Is the White House serious about peace, or is this all just a photo op? Amb. Doug Lute, Max Boot, Andrea Kendall-Taylor, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to get to the bottom of this diplomacy blitz and put the kibosh on hopes for real peace anytime soon.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the US and NATO considering security options for Ukraine, Israeli approval of a new settlement project in the West Bank, GOP-imposed surveillance on Texas Democrats, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt seethed at the media for well over a minute for not acknowledging President Trump’s world historical peacemaking efforts or his smashing successes in the Russia-Ukraine talks, even though there haven’t been any such successes. And she offered a wildly absurd explanation for why European leaders rushed to Washington, D.C. (to prevent the U.S. from selling out Ukraine to Vladimir Putin). This comes as a snew Reuters poll finds Trump’s approval rating down to a new low of 40 percent. That’s fueled partly by Russia-Ukraine: A striking 54 percent of Americans say Trump is too aligned with Putin. We talked to international relations expert Nicholas Grossman. He explains how Leavitt’s spin and European angst show that incredibly high stakes matters are now being dictated by an unnerving combination of Trumpian megalomania, his genuine desire for a future world marked by a weak western alliance and strong autocracies, and his utter indifference to the U.S. public’s apparent rejection of that vision.  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 met with Vladimir Putin and listened to him warn against mail-in voting. Then, Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders visited the White House as a united front in an attempt to gauge their transatlantic ally and secure peace. Meanwhile, the National Guard continues to loiter around D.C.’s tourist areas, not to stop crime but to display a show of force and distract American voters. What is the root of Trump’s admiration for Putin? Why is D.C. at the center of national media coverage? And how is this administration attacking election integrity beneath the surface? Tune in as Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf discuss 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
Well Volodymyr Zelensky may have worn a suit to the White House this time around, but he still didn’t quite get the results he wanted. The US President had little to offer beyond empty promises, even with the presence of numerous European leaders. Professor Angela Stent and General Mark Hertling join David Rothkopf to share why, despite appearances, this meeting might have been even worse than the last for Ukraine.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss the meeting between Zelensky and Trump in Washington, Texas Democrats ending their walkout protest, discussions for the government to take 10% stake in Intel, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Member Air Date: August 12, 2025 The world’s view on Israel has shifted dramatically in the aftermath of October 7th and the invasion of Gaza. There are stark disconnects between the government and average Israelis, and the American Jewish community is undergoing profound changes. J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami and Senior Vice President Ilan Goldenberg join David Rothkopf to explore these complex relationships and what they can tell us about the future of Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Monday, President Trump unleashed a tortured Truth Social rant that lied relentlessly about vote-by-mail—and announced a forthcoming executive order that would end mail voting entirely. That’s not legal, of course. But nothing, no matter how absurd, can be ruled out these days. Trump’s eruption also revealed a bigger set of intentions: To abuse presidential power in every conceivable way he can to swing the midterm elections against Democrats. This comes as Trump’s scheme to get Texas to gerrymander five extra GOP seats is gaining steam. We talked to David Daley, the great analyst of right-wing election subversion, whose latest book is called “Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right’s 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections.” He explains how Trump will try to help the GOP cheat its way through the midterms, why it might work, and what Democrats must do in response—in this election cycle and, importantly, beyond. 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 imminent White House Ukraine meeting, mass protests in Israel, Trump’s targeting of mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections, and more.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With President Trump’s crackdown intensifying in Washington, D.C., he lashed out angrily at the media for describing him as a “dictator.” In this same rant, he did not reassure D.C. residents and exaggerated wildly about crime there, suggesting people should thank him for his efforts. As observers noted, Trump clearly meant people should mute criticism of his militarization of cities simply because he claims they’re needed to reassert control. We talked to legal commentator Joyce Vance, who writes well about this on her Civil Discourse Substack and is author of the new book Giving Up Is Unforgiveable. She explains how Trump’s use of manufactured pretexts is worsening on many fronts, why this itself is an alarming threat to self rule, and how the opposition should respond, noting it’s imperative for disengaged voters to “wake up.” This episode was recorded before Trump and D.C. reached an agreement limiting his control over the D.C. police, but the specifics remain unresolved, his use of the National Guard continues, and his broader threat to other cities has darkened.  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 Weekly Wrap-Up for August 15, we discuss the HHS reviving a vaccine skeptical task force, Gavin Newsom’s controversial plan to redraw congressional maps, the appointment of DEA head Terry Cole as DC’s emergency police commissioner, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Trump administration is trying to rewrite history, again, on the 2106 elections. After numerous investigations into election interference, the political narratives have completely distorted reality. Renee DiResta joins David Rothkopf to cut through the bullshit and give an honest appraisal of 2016 and why an election from over 8 years ago is still so important.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: July 25, 2025 A new Gallup poll finds that President Trump’s approval has dropped to 37 percent. But the White House has figured out how to get those numbers back up: by picking a huge fight with The View. This week, Joy Behar unleashed a striking takedown of Trump, mocking him mercilessly for being jealous of Barack Obama. This enraged the White House, which responded with name-calling and a veiled threat. Which got us thinking: Doesn’t the logic of the situation dictate that Trump’s authoritarian threats will of necessity escalate? We talked about all this with Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, a good decoder of MAGA’s cultural hatreds. We discuss why Behar’s broadside was so perfectly aimed at Trump’s soft underbelly, why Trump’s only way forward may be more arrests, and how this whole saga shows that Trump thought the culture was moving his way—but it’s not, driving him into a fury. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As if Trump’s authoritarian transgressions weren’t already blatant, the President has now deployed National Guard troops to “protect” our nation’s capital - but we know these actions are politically motivated. Why haven’t media pundits treated this actions as existential threats to our democracy? Why is a Subway sandwich-wielding protestor treated more harshly than January 6th protestors? And what is going on with Laura Loomer and Arby’s? Tune in to this week’s edition of Words Matter 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
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down Israel’s new settlement plans, Trump’s intentions to extend federal control over DC, a ruling allowing the administration to continue withholding foreign aid, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: July 23, 2025 In the last few days, we seem to have crossed a threshold. President Trump is ratcheting up the authoritarianism and threatening to prosecute his enemies in a new kind of way. In a series of angry new rants, Trump accused Barack Obama and other members of Obama’s administration of serious crimes. He’s also calling for Senator Adam Schiff to be put in “prison.” Critically, all this has been accompanied by unabashedly corrupt manipulation of the bureaucracy that’s designed to manufacture pretexts for the prosecutions of those enemies. Ryan Enos, a professor of government at Harvard, put it very starkly on Bluesky, saying that authoritarianism is “right here in front of us.” So we invited Enos on the show. He explains why “we’re in real trouble in the short term,” how Trump compares to other authoritarians around the globe, and why our only choices now are to fight the takeover or “accept that this is our future.” 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 and President Putin’s Alaska summit is on the horizon and we couldn’t be less excited. Without a spot for Ukraine at the table and a 1-on-1 meeting between the two presidents on the docket, there’s not really much to be hopeful for. Amb. Ivo Daalder, Professor Rosa Brooks, and Professor Angela Stent join David Rothkopf to forecast the storm clouds ahead for the meeting and why we shouldn’t count on a blockbuster peace deal any time soon.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the upcoming Trump-Putin summit, Israel’s potential resettlement of Palestinians to South Sudan, the White House calls for a review of Smithsonian museums, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: July 15, 2025 The MAGA movement has been in full meltdown ever since President Trump’s Department of Justice concluded they have no evidence that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a client list or was murdered in jail. This contradicted a major MAGA conspiracy theory, and MAGA influencers are screaming cover-up. Tucker Carlson just ratcheted this all up by attacking Trump: He faulted Trump’s government for failing to take questions about the matter seriously. In another heresy, Carlson even criticized Trump himself for brushing off MAGA’s anger over it. Carlson’s broadside has some Republicans quietly grappling with why he is so successfully capturing MAGA anger about the Epstein fiasco. We talked to historian Nicole Hemmer, author of several major books about the right and its media networks. She expertly decodes the MAGA pathologies animating the Epstein drama, digs into their deeper sources on the right, and explains what it all says about today’s Trumpified political world. 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 Trump’s takeover of Washington, the US and China extending their tariff truce another 90 days, Trump’s new conservative Bureau of Labor Statistics nominee, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: July 11, 2025 Stephen Miller recently berated ICE officials in a private meeting, demanding that they hit supercharged new arrest quotas and steamrolling anyone who balked, reports The Atlantic. Yet in a surprise twist, the report also details that Miller’s demands for maximum arrests are driving morale at ICE into the crapper. Importantly, what’s irking ICE agents is precisely that the mission of arresting as many low-level offenders as possible is pulling them away from pursuing serious criminals. This brutally unmasks one of Trump’s biggest scams: It demonstrates clearly that his mass deportations are not at all about public safety and are only about getting as many peaceful and noncriminal immigrants out of the country as possible. We talked to one of our favorite observers on this issue, FWD.us president Todd Schulte. He explains how all this reveals the soft underbelly of Trump’s political strength, why MAGA is now addicted vile memes about shackling immigrants, and what ordinary people can do to effectively resist the coming horrors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: July 10, 2025 It appears to be dawning on President Trump that he will not be ending the Russia-Ukraine war in one day as he promised during the campaign. Trump’s frustration at Vladimir Putin is rising: This week he accused Putin of hitting him with “bullshit” and even admitted Putin’s word to him is “meaningless.” This comes as it’s now being reported that Putin is escalating the war against Ukraine and that he’s brushing aside Trump’s anger about it. Add it all up, and Trump is plainly humiliated, realizing that Putin is laughing off his demand for “peace.” We talked to Mona Charen, policy editor at The Bulwark, who writes well about the Trumpified GOP’s embrace of Putin. She explains how Putin has long played Trump, why Putin feels free to humiliate him, and what the various scenarios ahead look like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss President Trump threatening to deploy the National Guard to DC, a strange deal between the government and NVIDIA and AMD, a deadly strike on journalists in Gaza, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for August 8, we discuss Israeli plans to take Gaza City, the Trump admin requiring universities submit data on students’ race, a US plan to disarm Hezbollah, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: July 30, 2025 You’ve probably heard that President Trump and the European Union have reached a big trade deal. This is being widely portrayed as a “win” for Trump and a big humiliation for the EU. But it’s not at all clear what we gain as a country from this deal. Surely the phrase “Trump won” has to mean more than “Trump gets to claim a personal victory and the media is required to play along,” right? We talked to economist Paul Krugman, who has a great new piece on his Substack casting a lot of much-needed skepticism on the deal. Krugman explains in extensive detail what a sham it is: He argues that Europe’s concessions are fake; that the deal won’t spur a lot more manufacturing in the United States; and that its burden will fall heavily on MAGA, making it a “scam on his voters.” Krugman also discusses why the media seems incapable of reporting clearly and accurately on the magnitude of Trump’s incompetence and delusions.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Thank God for South Park.” Words Matter is back for another weekly edition of political therapy with Dr. Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf. Tune in as Norm and David discuss the current administration’s attacks on education, their ever-increasing political abuses, and how South Park is doing a better job than the Democratic party at laying bare the horrors of this 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 Thursday, we discuss the new 100% tariff on imported computer chips, Tulsi Gabbard declassifying documents despite CIA objections, Trump’s threats to send the National Guard to DC, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: June 2, 2025 Ming Li Hui, who goes by the name of “Carol,” has lived for 20 years in the town of Kennett, Missouri, after coming here from Hong Kong. She has been raising a family there and works as a waitress—and as The New York Times reports in a piece featuring quotes from Carol and many locals, she’s well-liked in the community. But Carol was recently arrested and now faces potential deportation. This has shocked and dismayed many of the town’s residents, even though the area went overwhelmingly for Trump. Carol talked to us on the podcast straight from jail, where she is awaiting her fate. At times the conversation was difficult: She broke down in tears about her ordeal, was emotionally overwhelmed at the support she’s received from the Trump-backing town, and offers wrenching thoughts about Trump’s effort to deport countless others just like her. 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 turning up the heat on Russia — or is he? Trump has had some harsh words and severe threats for Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine, but we don’t know what the President will really do when push comes to shove. Max Boot and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to cut through the bluster to see what this new rhetoric really means for Ukraine.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Vladimir Putin, Gov. Abbott’s attempt to expel the House Democratic leader in Texas, a Trump admin strategy meeting to discuss strategy around the Epstein files, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover Netanyahu’s plans to fully occupy Gaza, the State Department’s program to require bonds for some visa applicants, the ongoing showdown in Texas, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Monday we discuss the showdown over redistricting in Texas, the White House firing the BLS commissioner, Trump’s India threats, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for August 1, we break down Trump’s new slate of tariffs, turmoil in Gaza, the administration’s waffling on Russia, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered one of her most obsequious, fawning tirades about President Trump yet. She credited him with single-handedly resolving a half dozen major geopolitical conflicts around the world, and angrily asserted that it’s high time Trump is granted the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s no accident that this came amid new polling evidence that Trump’s coalition is falling apart in a freshly dangerous way for him, as documented in a great new piece by New Republic senior editor Alex Shephard. In today’s episode, Shephard explains how the numbers show key constituencies getting away from him. We discuss all the ways Leavitt’s North Korea-style propaganda actually works against Trump by reinforcing the emperor-has-no-clothes vibe around him, why the press is reluctant to tell the truth about his unpopularity, how Democrats need to stop treating him as if he’s invincible, and what that should look like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss Canada joining the UK and France in a push to recognize a Palestinian state, a so-called trade deal with South Korea, Kamala Harris choosing not to run for governor of California, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump has been raging at Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell for weeks, demanding that he cut interest rates. But on Wednesday, the Fed declined—and worse for Trump, Powell delivered a blunt assessment of his tariffs, claiming they are “pushing up prices,” and that “near-term measures of inflation expectations have moved up.” Given that this comes right when more of Trump’s tariffs are set to take effect on August 1, and given that Powell is directly defying Trump’s fury, that amounts to a harsh blow for the president. Indeed, Trump is also venting his fury at various GOP senators for not doing his bidding. On top of all that, two new polls show his approval rating down to an abysmal 40 percent, with one finding his approval on the economy even lower. We talked to MSNBC.com columnist James Downie, author of a new piece on Democrats and the midterm elections. We discuss why Trump is weaker politically than he looks, why various dynamics look poised to make that worse, and why it’s high time for Democrats to start acting like it. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The conditions in Gaza are hellish, and they are about to get much worse. Thousands more Palestinians are at risk of dying from famine all while the Israeli government makes plans to annex more of the territory. Refugees International President Jeremy Konyndyk joins Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, Kori Schake, and David Rothkopf to shine a light on the horrifying crisis underway in Gaza.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
US Intelligence and the CIA have undergone radical changes in the 21st century. From the War on Terror to the turmoils of the Trump era, intelligence has shifted dramatically in both its structure and mission. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Tim Weiner joins David Rothkopf to discuss his new book, The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century and why the intelligence community is adrift under the current administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss the UK’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, a massive earthquake hitting off Russia’s Far East, the confirmation of Emil Bove, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You’ve probably heard that President Trump and the European Union have reached a big trade deal. This is being widely portrayed as a “win” for Trump and a big humiliation for the EU. But it’s not at all clear what we gain as a country from this deal. Surely the phrase “Trump won” has to mean more than, “Trump gets to claim a personal victory and the media is required to play along,” right? We talked to economist Paul Krugman, who has a great new piece on his Substack casting a lot of much-needed skepticism on the deal. Krugman explains in extensive detail what a sham it is: He argues that Europe’s concessions are fake, that the deal won’t spur a lot more manufacturing in the U.S., and that its burden will fall heavily on MAGA, making it a “scam on his voters.” Krugman also discusses why the media seems incapable of reporting clearly and accurately on the magnitude of Trump’s incompetence and delusions.  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 has released its AI Action Plan, and it is a mixed bag to say the least. Even with the plan, there are still core concerns about the role of governance in AI. Georgetown’s Michelle De Mooy joins David Rothkopf to discuss the implications of deregulation, the tug of war between federal and state regulations, the challenges of IP in the age of 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 Tuesday, we cover warnings of an impending famine in Gaza, the US and China resuming trade talks, Harvard contemplating capitulation to the Trump administration, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump just offered some bizarre new ramblings about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. But he undermined himself: He claimed to know about elite Democrats and liberals who had visited Epstein. But that just raises the question that won’t go away: If this is what the Epstein files would reveal, then why isn’t Trump ordering their release? Every time Trump says such things, he wrecks his own Big Lie: That the Epstein scandal is a Democratic hoax that actually implicates Democrats even as he won’t release the files. Meanwhile, Elon Musk just endorsed the idea that Trump might try to pardon Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for exoneration. Musk knows Trump’s machinations here are a major point of weakness. We talked to Jennifer Rubin, editor-in-chief of The Contrarian, who has a good new piece laying out why Trump should be panicking over this scandal. We discuss the absurdity of Trump’s biggest Epstein deceptions, why they’re unsustainable for Trump, and why it all underscores the urgency of a Democratic victory in 2026. 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 break down the EU/US trade deal, the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, Democrats’ plan to combat Texas redistricting, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump is now suggesting he may pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, the accomplice to Jeffrey Epstein who’s serving time for sex trafficking. Trump told reporters: “I’m allowed to do it.” He dispatched Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to solicit testimony from Maxwell, ostensibly to gain new insight into Epstein’s activities. But in today’s episode, lawyer Philip Rotner, author of a new piece for The Bulwark on the Maxwell angle, suggests that the move by Blanche—previously Trump’s personal lawyer—is itself extremely dodgy and appears motivated by a desire to protect Trump. Rotner explains why it’s plausible Blanche hopes to get Maxwell to exonerate Trump, which Trump could then reward with a pardon.  It’s hard to overstate how humiliating all this is for MAGA: After demanding the “Epstein files” for years, they got their people in at the Justice Department—and now they’re taking new steps to cover it all up. While some in MAGA are telling themselves that Maxwell will finally reveal the whole truth, that only makes them look even more absurd. Rotner unpacks the latest developments and explains why it’s all a “sham.”  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 Weekly Wrap-Up for July 25, we discuss President Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, Tulsi Gabbard’s public accusations against Obama-era officials, conflict in Thailand and Cambodia, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A new Gallup poll finds that President Trump’s approval has dropped to 37 percent. But the White House has figured out how to get those numbers back up: By picking a huge fight with “The View.” This week, Joy Behar unleashed a striking takedown of Trump, mocking him mercilessly for being jealous of Barack Obama. This enraged the White House, which responded with name calling—and a veiled threat. Which got us thinking: Doesn’t the logic of the situation dictate that Trump’s authoritarian threats will of necessity escalate? We talked about all this with Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, a skilled decoder of MAGA’s cultural hatreds. We discuss why Behar’s broadside was so perfectly aimed at Trump’s soft underbelly, why Trump’s only way forward may be more arrests, and how this whole saga shows that Trump thought the culture was moving his way—but it’s not, driving him into a fury.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
South Park is back, and they don’t care about pissing off Donald Trump… unlike Columbia University. While Trump fumes about his disastrous PR and anybody who dares to even joke about him, the sinister undercurrents of his regime continue to flow. Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf are back to discuss the challenges facing universities, the complete erosion of legal norms under Trump, and the latest episode of South Park. 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 protests over a controversial new law in Ukraine, calls for Pam Bondi to testify, another court blocking Trump’s birthright citizenship order, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump is “furious” about his inability to make the Jeffrey Epstein scandal go away, Politico reports. He’s frustrated with his staff’s failure to tamp down the uproar, which continues to consume his base, and his allies are admitting this has become major problem, with one telling Politico that Trump understands that “this is a vulnerability.” This comes amid new reports that Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy privately informed Trump earlier this year that his name appears numerous times in the Epstein files, suggesting this story will get worse. We talked to media strategist Tara McGowan, the publisher of the pro-democracy Courier Newsroom. We discuss why this scandal is dispelling the myth of Trump’s superhuman control over media narratives, how Democrats must seize this moment, and why they should treat this scandal as a genuinely important story that really matters to many Americans.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Let’s be honest, Donald Trump is the captain of a ship of fools. Nowhere is this more clear than in the realms of foreign policy and defense, where folks like Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard run rampant. What does this descent into madness mean for our country? Ed Luce, Rosa Brooks, and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to answer this critical question and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the new trade deal between the US and Japan, Pam Bondi firing a New Jersey prosecutor, a landmark new UN ICJ ruling on climate change, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the last few days, we seem to have crossed a threshold. President Trump is ratcheting up the authoritarianism and threatening to prosecute his enemies in a new kind of way. In a series of angry new rants, Trump accused Barack Obama and other members of Obama’s administration of serious crimes. He’s also calling for Senator Adam Schiff to be put in “prison.” Critically, all this has been accompanied by unabashedly corrupt manipulation of the bureaucracy that’s designed to manufacture pretexts for the prosecutions of those enemies. Ryan Enos, a professor of government at Harvard, put it very starkly on Bluesky, saying that authoritarianism is “right here in front of us.” So we invited Enos on the show. He explains how we know the moment has arrived, how Trump compares to other authoritarians around the globe, and why our only choices now are to fight it or accept that this is America’s future.  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 isn’t just a hot-button issue for the tech industry—it’s a key part of global geopolitics. But how has AI become such a focus for political leaders around the world, and what are governments doing to harness the benefits of AI and mitigate the negative consequences? Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology for the UAE Omran Sharaf joins David Rothkopf to provide perspective on these key questions and what the UAE has been doing in the field of artificial intelligence.   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 the intensifying feud between The Wall Street Journal and the White House, the sentencing for an officer convicted in the death of Breonna Taylor, the administration releasing files related to the MLK assassination, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s propagandists are getting more frantic in their efforts to spin away the scandal around the Jeffrey Epstein files. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, unsurprisingly, has been the most creative of all: Speaking to reporters, Leavitt fobbed the whole fiasco off on to the FBI not once but twice, as videos posted by Acyn Torabi show. Leavitt said the same thing twice: You should ask the FBI. That’s plainly an effort to shift this mess to FBI director Kash Patel. All this comes as Trump’s approval ratings have just hit a new low. And those things are related: The Epstein scandal is perfectly suited to damaging Trump in all kinds of hidden ways. We talked to data analyst G. Elliott Morris, author of a new piece on the Epstein mess for his Strength in Numbers Subtack He explains why Trump is at a low point in the polling averages, how the Epstein fiasco is being perceived by voters, and why it’s uniquely suited to striking at the heart of Trump’s political strength. 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 Harvard challenge to restore $2.5 billion in funding, a key EPA research office shutting down, Japan’s surprising election results, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As you’ve heard, CBS has ended “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Troublingly, this comes just after Paramount, which owns CBS, settled President Trump’s frivolous lawsuit against it by paying out $16 million dollars. Only days before the firing, Colbert called the deal a “big fat bribe.” Now Trump has just praised the firing in a vile new attack on Colbert. Trump laughably insisted that Colbert has no talent and can’t measure up to Fox News hosts (who praise Trump relentlessly). We think Trump deliberately wants us to think CBS fired Colbert precisely because CBS hoped it would curry favor with Trump, enhancing impressions of his authoritarian power. We talked about all this with Michael Sozan of the Center for American Progress, author of a good piece excoriating Paramount’s settlement with Trump. We discussed why Trump makes his corrupt bullying of the media explicit, how this represents a broader textbook imitation of autocratic regimes abroad, and what we should all do in response. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for July 18th, we discuss Democrats resisting Trump judicial nominees, Trump potentially releasing the grand jury testimony in the Epstein case, the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s often said that we’re living in historic times. Historic threats to democracy and historic turning points for our nation. Yale professor Joanne Freeman joins David Rothkopf to take a look back and the early days of the United States to titanic figures like Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to explore just how novel our current moment is and how we can draw inspiration from the past to fight for the future.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump is in more trouble than usual. The Jeffrey Epstein files are killing him with the base. New polls show him cratering on many issues. And questions are mounting about his mental state due to a bizarre story he invented about his uncle and the Unibomber. At her latest briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt grew angry at reporters for questioning Trump’s unhinged responses to the Epstein mess. She also belittled a journalist who probed Trump’s mental state by asking about the Unabomber weirdness. We talked to Mark Jacob, author of the Stop the Presses Subtack, who frequently dissects Leavitt’s gaslighting. He explains how the sycophancy of Leavitt and other Trump propagandists worsens at the most difficult moments, what the media gets wrong about Trump’s unfitness, and why Trump-MAGA pathologies are increasingly threatening our futures. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Make no mistake - the Justice Department is actively fostering Trump’s authoritarian regime and increasingly rewarding loyalty over legality. Between the blatant partisanship, abuse of the shadow docket, the cuts to the Department of Education and Emil Bove’s nomination - where has our justice gone? Dahlia Lithwick joins David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein to discuss the erosion of our democracy and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the Senate voting to to rescind funding for public broadcasting, massive backlash over the administration’s handling of the Epstein files, the Syrian government and Druze leaders reaching a ceasefire, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump is in a rage over his inability to get MAGA to stop talking about the Jeffrey Epstein files. He unleashed a furious Truth Social tirade on it, and then rambled bizarrely about it to reporters for a minute straight. Meanwhile, striking new polls from Quinnipiac and from CNN show wide public dissatisfaction with the whole fiasco—and both show large chunks of Republicans are also unhappy about it, suggesting his shutdown efforts aren’t working. Rolling Stone writer Asawin Suebsaeng has a new piece entitled: “Inside Trump’s Frantic, Failing Mission to Crush the Epstein ‘MAGA Rebellion.’” It details how efforts by Trump and his lieutenants to get this under control involve all kinds of fraught and complicated intrigues inside the Court of MAGA. So we talked to Suebsaeng about what’s really going on here, why it’s failing, what’s coming next, and how the whole thing reveals Trump’s level of contempt for his own voters with uncommon clarity.  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 Israel’s strikes on Damascus, MAGA discord over the release of the Epstein files, a Tariff deal reached with Indonesia, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Tuesday, we learned that inflation rose last month. The New York Times said inflation “accelerated,” ABC News noted it “surged,” and other reports observed that President Trump’s tariffs are starting to produce long-predicted price hikes. Trump reacted angrily. He pretended the surge was nonexistent, and then deflected by unleashing a furious tweet at Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell that demanded: “Bring down the Fed rate NOW!!!” Trump then unleashed an angry rant to reporters further excoriating Powell. Trump might have also been ticked because his 2024 campaign polling firm just released a memo harshly warning that House Republicans are in trouble in the midterms, and Trump’s cuts to the safety net help explain why. We talked to economist Kathryn Edwards, a skillful decoder of Trumponomics. She explains the inflation news, why Trump’s perfect storm of policies are hurting working people, and how Democrats should respond by swinging big on the economy in ways they usually don’t.  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 the incoming cuts to the Department of Education, the ongoing purge of the DOJ, accelerating inflation, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The MAGA movement has been in full meltdown ever since President Trump’s Department of Justice concluded they have no evidence that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a client list or was murdered in jail. This contradicted a major MAGA conspiracy theory, and MAGA influencers are screaming cover up. Tucker Carlson just ratcheted this all up by attacking Trump over it: He faulted Trump’s government for failing to take MAGA’s questions about it seriously, and even criticized Trump himself, which for MAGA is pure heresy. Carlson’s broadside, which is only his latest of many, has some Republicans quietly grappling with why Carlson is so successfully driving MAGA anger on this matter. We talked to historian Nicole Hemmer, author of several major books about the right and its media networks. She expertly decodes the far right pathologies animating the Epstein drama, digs into its deeper sources on the right, and explains why Trump has no easy out this time.  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 new threats of tariffs on Mexico, Trump pledging new Patriot missiles for Ukraine, massive turnover at the DOJ, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s Justice Department is now criminally investigating James Comey and John Brennan, apparently in retaliation for their role in the Russia probe.  Trump vowed that they may “pay a price”—a direct threat to try to jail them on no basis whatsoever. Meanwhile, Trump is ramping up the paramilitary presence in Los Angeles. All this comes as Trump’s approval is at a low point in polling averages and a striking new Gallup survey finds him plummeting fast on immigration, a remarkable indication of deep underlying weakness. We think all this is related: Trump’s displays are meant to scam us into thinking he’s fearsome and strong—making political resistance appear futile—yet all the authoritarianism is causing public backlash, weakening him in polls further. We talked to Talking Points Memo editor-at-large David Kurtz, who’s been sharply dissecting Trump’s threats. He explains how deep the abuses are running at DOJ, how Trump’s authoritarianism is meant to mask political weakness, and why this toxic downward spiral portends worsening lawlessness to come. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for a Friday, we break down the State Department preparing to fire over 1,300 workers, Trump’s visit to Texas flood sites, new tariff announcements, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the US grapples with China to be the leader in artificial intelligence, internal debates rage about the right course of action. Are regulations stifling innovation? Do we have to sacrifice safety for the sake of a competitive edge? CAS Strategies CEO Camille Stewart Gloster joins David Rothkopf to explore why the best way to become the leader in AI might not be what you 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
Stephen Miller recently erupted in rage in a private meeting with ICE officials, demanding that they hit supercharged new arrest quotas, reports The Atlantic. Yet in a surprise twist, the report also details that Miller’s demands for maximum arrests are driving morale at ICE into the crapper. Importantly, what’s irking ICE agents is precisely that the mission of arresting as many low-level offenders as possible is pulling them away from pursuing serious criminals. This brutally unmasks one of Trump’s biggest scams: It demonstrates clearly that his mass deportations are not at all about public safety and are only about getting as many peaceful and non-criminal immigrants out of the country as possible. We talked to one of our favorite observers on this issue, FWD.us president Todd Schulte. He explains how all this reveals the soft underbelly of Trump’s political strength, why MAGA is now making vile memes about shackling immigrants, and and what ordinary people can do to effectively resist the coming horrors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The United States is a country in need of saving. From the blatant illegality of numerous White House decisions to the fecklessness of Congress, wide-ranging changes are clearly needed. David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein break down the erosion of democratic norms, the complicity of the main stream media, and the desperate need for Democrats to be a real opposition party again.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the Supreme Court striking down an immigration crackdown in Florida, the US sanctioning a UN human rights abuses investigator, Trump’s 50% tariff for Brazil, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It appears to be dawning on President Trump that he will not be ending the Russia-Ukraine war in one day, as he promised during the campaign. Trump’s frustration at Vladimir Putin is rising: This week he accused Putin of hitting him with “bullshit,” and even admitted Putin’s word to him is “meaningless.” This comes as it’s now being reported that Putin is escalating the war against Ukraine, and that he’s brushing aside Trump’s anger about it. Add it all up and Trump is plainly humiliated, realizing that Putin is laughing off his demand for “peace.” We talked to Mona Charen, policy editor at The Bulwark, who writes well about the Trumpified GOP’s embrace of Putin. She explains how Putin has long played Trump, why Putin feels free to humiliate him, and what the various scenarios ahead look like. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The only consistent theme of Trump’s foreign policy has been inconsistency. As baffling choices continue without rhyme or reason, we have to ask—who benefits? Max Boot, Rosa Brooks, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to explore why China is the biggest winner in Trump’s second term and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss the Supreme Court decision allowing for mass federal layoffs, the IRS allowing churches to endorse political candidate, stalling ceasefire talks in Gaza, and more.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At least 109 people have died amid devastating flooding in Texas. Distressingly, 27 deaths occurred at a summer camp for girls, and the toll continues to rise.  This week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt angrily lashed out at the news media and Democrats for asking whether Trump administration policies bear any blame for the disaster’s impact. What struck us, though, is her demand that we all treat this as a “national” tragedy. She’s right that we should do this. But that solicitude is precisely what Donald Trump and MAGA deny to non-MAGA America at other urgent moments. And that’s the true MAGA ethic at its ugliest. We talked to New Republic staff writer Kate Aronoff, who has a new piece on all this fallout. We discuss why Leavitt is wrong to silence hard questions, why Democrats should talk about GOP priorities at times like these, and why MAGA’s approach to solidarity is so deeply twisted.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, the resumption of weapons shipments to Ukraine, the latest from the deadly Texas floods, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At a rally, President Trump declared that he now may suspending deportations for farmworkers and other migrant workers. Trump openly admitted this will anger the “radical right,” by which he likely meant Stephen Miller and others who want every last undocumented immigrant in this country removed—or else. Indeed, leading MAGA influencers sharply attacked the move: One declared that it will “break” the MAGA coalition. The other flatly demanded that Trump keep on deporting “grandmothers.” We think all this should be understood as a display of weakness: Trump badly wants the public to think he’s considering relaxing his mass deportation regime precisely when Congress has given him tens of billions of additional dollars for it. We talked to journalist, historian, and podcaster Garrett Graff, who has a new piece on his Substack about what’s coming. He explains why rapidly expansion of Trump’s paramilitary force is so dangerous, how his effort to pseudo-moderate on deportations has exposed serious political vulnerabilities, and why he has no easy way out of them. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Musk’s announcement of his new political party, the extension of tariff deadlines, the horrific aftermath of flooding in Texas, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today’s episode, Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg makes a crucial point: During months of debate about President Trump’s now-signed budget bill, there was very little public debate about what its explosion in Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding will inflict on America. Rosenberg chalks this up in part to Democrats’ failure to engage on the matter. We discuss the bill’s extraordinarily large health care cuts and its massive upward redistribution of wealth—and how Democrats should attack that. But now that it has passed, it’s also sinking in that the tens of billion of dollars the bill pours into expanding Trump’s detention complex will supercharge those masked, unidentified “secret police” that keep snatching migrants and legally-present immigrants off the streets. The whole project just got much darker. Rosenberg also discusses the intense civil conflict that this is already starting to unleash, and why it will get much worse. He reflects on how Democrats can campaign against the “shocking” darkness that Trump is inflicting on the country. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Before we grab a hotdog and head out to the 4th of July fireworks, we have to reflect on the current state of our country and ask ourselves, "is this really what the Founding Fathers would have wanted?" David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein discuss the significance of Independence Day, reflecting on the founding fathers and the current political landscape. They explore the challenges facing democracy today, including corruption, the impact of policies on everyday lives, the role of young voters in shaping the future 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 Trump megabill reaching the House, Trump and Zelenskiy to discuss pause of US arms deliveries in call, Kilmar Abrego Garcia describing ‘severe beatings’ and ‘psychological torture’ in Salvadoran prison, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, President Donald Trump issued many angry threats against Zohran Mamdani, the underdog winner of New York Democratic mayoral primary. Trump has been attacking Mamdani, a state Assemblyman, as a “Communist,”  threatening to arrest him along with other foes, and questioning Mamdani’s U.S. citizenship, hinting at a possible effort to try to strip his citizenship.  What caught our eye is Mamdani’s response: It was sharply worded, illuminated the real stakes in this battle in a novel way, and effectively declared that the threat posed by Trump’s secret police to immigrants actually threatens us all. Democrats can learn from this, because Trump’s threats to denaturalize foes may soon become real. We talked to David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute. He explains what Trump would need to do to denaturalize Mamdani and other political opponents, what liberals and Democrats be preparing for right now, and why basic freedoms are hanging in the balance—for 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
As we approach the Fourth of July weekend and as America nears the 250th anniversary of its independence, the current state of the nation is dismal. Recent legislation could have dire healthcare consequences for millions of Americans, corruption is increasingly rampant in this administration, and Donald Trump continues to steer the country into authoritarianism. The future of American governance is uncertain, but one thing is clear - action is necessary. Tune in as David Rothkopf is joined by Ed Luce, Simon Rosenberg, and Michael Tomasky to take stock of the current political climate as we approach this Fourth of July weekend and beyond. 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 cover the Trump megabill passing, 20 states suing the Trump Administration, the University of Pennsylvania agreeing to bar transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Senate just passed its version of President Trump’s big budget bill, which will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid to fund huge tax cuts for the rich. In a series of angry tweets, Vice President JD Vance downplayed the Medicaid cuts while saying what really matters is the bill’s massive funding for ICE and migrant detention. It was a revealing moment: Vance basically told MAGA voters not to think too much about their pending loss of health care via Medicaid cuts; instead they should focus on how many migrants the bill will end up jailing and deporting. That scam is integral to getting the Medicaid cuts passed in the first place. But what will voters think? We talked to Kristen Crowell, who is campaigning against the bill for the advocacy group Fair Share America. She explains how Trump voters and other constituencies are reacting to the bill in many communities with anger and fear; why the public is not receptive right now to typical GOP attacks on the safety net; and whether this can be converted into midterm gains for Democrats.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Silicon Valley has long proclaimed that their technologies would change the future. But to tech leaders like OpenAI executive Sam Altman, AI is not just a business; it’s a matter of life and death. But where are the ethics of a company such as an OpenAI as they transition from nonprofit to for-profit? How have AI companies grown to wield such immense power and wealth? Karen Hao, author of Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s AI joins David Rothkopf to discuss her recent book and the modern colonialism of AI tech giants. 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 Tuesday, we cover updates on the Trump megabill, Elon Musk's self-interest fueled proclamations, changing environmental laws in California, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump is raging at GOP Senator Thom Tillis for telling the truth about the Senate version of his budget bill, which could knock 10 million people off Medicaid. Trump threatened him with a primary—whereupon he announced his retirement. Tillis has since been sharply criticizing the bill, noting it will bump 600,000 people from Medicaid in North Carolina. This reveals that when Trump vowed not to cut Medicaid, he was lying. But it also shows his much-advertised vow to remake the GOP as working class has proven a sham. By threatening Tillis, Trump has only drawn more attention to Tillis’ truth-telling about his swindle of MAGA voters. And as Trump’s own media allies are warning, this could put the Senate in play for Democrats. We talked to New Republic staff writer Timothy Noah, author of a new piece on GOP lying about the bill. He explains why Trump’s Medicaid cuts are so indefensible, how they expose the core of Trump’s “working class GOP” scam, and what it all means for Democratic hopes of regaining power. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Legal expert Dahlia Lithwick joins David Rothkopf to discuss the Supreme Court decisions that capped off this term. How do recent rulings reflect the Supreme Court’s growing political agenda? What concerns remain regarding the shadow docket and due process? Is there any hope for structural judicial reform? 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 Monday, we cover Netanyahu shifting priority to rescue the hostages, GOP pushing new legislation to cut even more from Medicaid, Trump's upcoming visit to Alligator Alcatraz, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s becoming clearer that many of President Trump’s supporters are realizing how badly they’re getting shafted by his big budget bill and other leading initiatives. Senator Mitch McConnell just privately admitted that many Republicans are getting major blowback from “people back home” about the bill’s deep Medicaid cuts, adding that “they’ll get over it.” A stunning Fox News poll just found that a majority of white men without a college degree oppose the bill. Crucially, these voters make up “the heart of Trump’s base.” Amazingly, Trump’s own pollster just bluntly suggested that Trump voters are feeling betrayal. On top of all that, Trump supporters again and again have been horrified to learn that his deportations are victimizing immigrants they like. And the tariffs are already hurting Trump country. So how badly are his working class voters getting hit? To find out, we talked to economist Jared Bernstein, who paints a dark picture of the impact they’re feeling from all these policies taken together. Add it all up, Bernstein concludes, and the Trump-GOP lack of concern as their voters learn they’re taking it on the chin is “mind-boggling.”  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 five Supreme Court decisions revealed today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s big budget bill is in some trouble after the Senate parlimentarian ruled that big chunks of it can’t pass via a simple majority. That enraged MAGA: Marjorie Taylor Greene unleashed a furious rant demanding that Senate Majority Leader John Thune fire the parliamentarian. Other top MAGA figures, like Senator Tommy Tuberville and Representative Greg Steube, angrily demanded the same. Though Thune says he won’t take this plunge, MAGA’s anger could escalate, and the demand threatens to further undermine liberal democracy. All this comes as Trump’s general approval is sliding in many new polls, disapproval of Trump is spiking on many major issues, and the budget measure is absolutely tanking. We talked to journalist Sarah Posner, author of good books on the religious right and its impact on MAGA. She explains what Trump’s sliding numbers mean to MAGA, why MAGA’s anger at the parliamentarian really matters, what’s next for the budget bill, and how MAGA fury is partly rooted in Christian Nationalism. 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 actions regarding Iran are raising important questions for America: how reliable is our intelligence? How is disinformation warping public reality? Here in the US, Zohran Mamdani’s victory in NYC is a glimmer of hope for the Democrats, but the party needs to unite against our biggest challenges… or else. Tune in as David Corn joins Norm Ornstein to tackle all of these issues 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 White House moving to limit the sharing of classified info with Congress, EU leaders meeting for a post-NATO summit meeting, the Trump administration suing every federal judge in Maryland, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump and his top advisers have worked themselves up into a fury about the leaked intelligence assessment casting doubt on the success of Trump’s bombing of Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unleashed a wild, angry rant about it during a presser with Trump, viciously attacking intelligence officials for leaking the assessment. What Hegseth ended up revealing, however, is that we almost certainly cannot count on this administration to officially tell the truth about the Iran mission, because as Hegseth demonstrated, everything must always must serve the cult of Trump above all else. We talked to veteran national security lawyer Bradley Moss, who explains why this assessment is so important, what likely went into it, how the Hegseth-Trump-MAGA propaganda campaign is taking us to a very dangerous place as a country, and what to expect next. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When it comes to foreign policy news this week, our cup runneth over. Between the confusing narratives surround the US strikes on Iran and a strangely successful NATO summit in The Hague, the administration has had its hands full. Thankfully, David Rothkopf is joined by Gen. Doug Lute, Marc Polymeropoulos, Kori Schake, and Rosa Brooks to make sense of the news and help us understand what comes next.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover Zohran Mamdani’s big win in the New York mayoral primary, reports that Iran’s nuclear program wasn’t destroyed, RFK Jr.’s disastrous moves as health secretary, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez got into a major online battle over Trump’s bombing of Iran. AOC said Trump had committed impeachable offenses. Trump responded with a wild, lengthy, unhinged  rant that dared Democrats to impeach him. And AOC responded by reiterating that the bombing is illegal. What struck us about this is that Trump let himself get spectacularly triggered precisely when his propagandists are blaring forth the message that his Iran saga shows him to be a statesman of world historical stature. Democrats should do more to bait Trump to trample on his own message at key strategic moments. We talked to Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, who regularly decodes the pathologies of Trump and MAGA. She explains the deeper roots of Trump’s fury at AOC, why his narcissism is already undermining his own message on Iran, how all this gives Democrats an opening, and what constrains them from taking advantage of 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 Tuesday, we break down the confusing ceasefire with Iran, the Supreme Court’s disastrous ruling on deportation, a close mayoral primary in New York, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Monday, President Donald Trump exploded in fury at reporters and news outlets for asking hard questions about whether the strikes really destroyed Iran’s nuclear program completely, as he has proclaimed. And the questions are indeed mounting: There was clearly a lack of intelligence indicating that Iran’s nuclear program posed an imminent threat. And reports have highlighted serious uncertainty about the whereabouts of Iran’s enriched uranium. Trump thought he could bluff his way through this saga and count on Republicans to prevent any hard questions from being asked, but his rage at independent truth-seeking on the matter shows he knows he has a problem here. We talked to Democratic Congressman Sean Casten, who has forcefully argued that Trump committed impeachable offenses by bombing without congressional authorization. Casten goes deep on why Trump’s unilateral action is so indefensible, why Trump is vulnerable to what the intelligence really shows, and why Congress has an urgent responsibility to step up. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The dust has begun to settle on the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, but the situation isn’t much clearer than before. Iran has retaliated against US bases in the region, so what comes next? Alon Pinkas, David Sanger, and Joe Cirincione join David Rothkopf to break down the current state of the conflict, assess the next moves for the key players, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump is a big problem, but he’s not the only problem America faces. While Trump is the avatar of many of americas woes, it’s critical to remember that many of our biggest challenges go back decades. But the time to fix it is now. Wajahat Ali joins David Rothkopf to diagnose America’s ailments and remind us of the golden rule: don’t be a fascist.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Trump considering regime change in Iran, the NATO summit in The Hague, the Supreme Court nearing the end of its term, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emboldened by a partial court victory over his use of troops amid immigration protests in Los Angeles, President Trump is now threatening to expand deployment to other cities. This is unnerving, given that his manufacturing of fake rationales for “emergency” decisions like these is getting worse. Yet it comes as striking new polling shows that Trump’s use of troops in California is deeply underwater with voters. Importantly, he’s faring even worse on this with independents. In short, Trump recognizes zero constraints at this point, either from the law or, critically, from public opinion. We talked to Brian Beutler, author of the excellent Off Message Substack. He explains why Trump is losing the voters on two issues that pundits foolishly predicted he’d win on—the domestic deployment of troops and immigration—and how Democrats should respond by fighting a better information war than they currently seem capable of waging.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The moment has finally arrived: America has bombed Iran. As the dust settles, we’re left with more questions than answers about what the attack achieved and what comes next. Thankfully, Jon Wolfsthal, Gen. Mark Hertling, and Steven Cook join David Rothkopf to provide clarity on what this unprecedented moment means.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Weekly Round-Up, we cover the court decision to let Trump keep control of the California National Guard, Trump’s hopes for diplomatic negotiations with Iran, a bipartisan crypto bill passing in the Senate, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The times they are a-changin’ and the world is a-changin’ the way it thinks about AI. As we grapple with this powerful technology, numerous debates over AI’s ethics, impact on labor, impact on the environment, and more have erupted. MIT Technology Review editor in chief Mat Honan joins David Rothkopf to dissect these critical questions surrounding artificial intelligence 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
The recent attacks in Minnesota are part of clear and troubling rise in political violence in the U.S. At the same time, President Trump and MAGA continue to normalize violence in political discourse. How do the events of the past week reflect a changing political climate? What does the discourse around political violence tell us? And what is the connection between MAGA and American gun culture? Tune in as David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein address 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
President Trump is furious over a new poll from Fox News, and understandably so. It finds his approval upside down, with 54 percent disapproving. His standing is deeply underwater on many major issues, and remarkably, that includes immigration. So he erupted on Truth Social, fuming that Fox’s pollster is “crooked” and has been “discredited,” and even (gasp!) that “MAGA hates Fox News.” But the surest sign of Trump’s fury is that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rushed to soothe the Audience of One with a ridiculous, gushing tirade designed to create the grotesquely false impression that he has the support of a very large majority of Americans. We talked to former U.S. attorney and podcaster Harry Litman, who has a good piece for The New Republic about Trump’s mounting losses and failures. He digs into the absurd disconnect between suggesting that Trump’s support reaches deep into all corners of American life, as Leavitt did, and waging an all-out war on Blue America—and how that war is only wounding him further.  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 in a brave new political world under the Trump administration.  Simon Rosenberg and Tara McGowan are back with David Rothkopf to explore the new political landscape including low approval ratings, the art of the distraction, and why now is the time for everyone to be an activist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down the US beginning evacuations of personnel from Israel, the State Department’s new policy for screening student visa applicants, the Supreme Court’s ruling against transgender care for minors, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced striking questioning from Democratic Senator Elyssa Slotkin on Wednesday. She grilled him on whether he had given an order allowing members of the military to shoot unarmed protesters if necessary. She also pressed him on whether the military has the authority to arrest protesters. Hegseth stonewalled. What his obfuscation ended up revealing, though, is this: He knows that in response to Democratic questioning, he cannot be seen reassuring the broader public about the military’s intentions toward civilians and especially toward Blue America. Trump would perceive this as weakness and as capitulation. Which itself reveals something deeply unnerving about the Trump-MAGA threat. We talked to Guardian columnist Moira Donegan, author of a great new piece about Trump’s military parade. about Trump’s military parade. She digs into the darker implications of Hegseth’s testimony and explains why the sheer spectacle of authoritarianism is so central to the Trump-MAGA project. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to what the US will do next in Iran. Apparently, not even our President knows what’s coming next. Will we enter the war? More importantly, should we? Esteemed guests Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and CSIS’s Max Bergmann join host David Rothkopf to try and answer these questions and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Trump’s demands for unconditional surrender, the arrest of NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander, doubts over the passage of a GOP-backed megabill, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump appears dead set on joining Israel’s war with Iran. After a period of negotiations, Trump has now tweeted that he wants Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” The New York Times has a deep dive into his deliberations, and the findings are shocking. Trump is ready for war even though our own intelligence assessments don’t support the case for it. And incredibly, the Times reports, Trump was influenced on all this by what he saw on Fox News, which broadcast relentless imagery of Israel’s “genius” bombing of Iran. This led Trump to want “some credit for himself” for the attack, after which he “began hinting that he had played a bigger behind-the-scenes role in the war than people realized.” He then leaned more towards escalation. We talked to veteran national security hand Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy, who has a great piece for Foreign Policy magazine on the situation. He explains why the case for war is so weak, how Trump is getting manipulated into it so easily, and what to expect as all this unfolds.  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 latest from the Iran/Israel conflict, a federal judge ruling against some NIH grant cuts, the Department of Homeland Security restarting raids on farms, hotels, and restaurants, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After the horrific assassination of a Democratic state legislator in Minnesota, President Trump at first correctly stressed that such violence is absolutely intolerable. But then he uncorked a long, vile, unhinged tirade on Truth Social, threatening to unleash ICE raids more directly on Democratic cities while denouncing them as radical, dangerous and “sick.” Coming after the assassination, this was almost akin to a call for more targeting of Democrats and liberals. It’s no accident this came right after we saw enormous outpourings of peaceful “No Kings” protests across the country. The contrast between these and Trump’s North Korean-style military parade (not to mention the assassination) amounted to a fiasco for Trump. As Kim Scheppele, a scholar of authoritarianism, noted in a good piece for The Contrarian, a big story about this weekend’s events was the spectacle of peaceful dissent meeting menace from Trump-aligned forces. We talked to Scheppele about how political violence is overwhelmingly aligned in this country with the MAGA right, and why we’re now sliding into what she calls the “danger zone.” 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 break down the arrest of the suspect in the assassination of State Rep. Melissa Hortman, Israel’s warning to Tehran, the spectacular failure of the military parade in DC, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a little-noticed rant, President Donald Trump furiously vowed on Truth Social that he will now carry out something called “remigration.” This idea is widely prevalent among global white nationalists who see it as key to their vile goal of building white ethnostates, so his open endorsement of it is significant. That comes as a U.S. Democratic Senator has been violently tackled and handcuffed, as Trump dispatches troops into Los Angeles, and as his Homeland Security secretary suggests those troops will “liberate” L.A. from its elected Democratic leadership. We talked to Will Sommer, senior reporter at The Bulwark and author of a great piece on the fresh levels of bloodlust all this is inspiring in MAGA media. We discuss the centrality of sadism and violent lawlessness to the MAGA movement—and why this is pushing us toward a watershed moment. 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 24, 2024 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
Original air date: June 19, 2024 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
In case you missed it, things are still not great here in the United States. Thankfully, we have Ed Luce joining David Rothkopf to break down this administration’s current actions. What does the militarization of law enforcement mean for civil liberties? How are governors like Gavin Newsom stepping up? Find out right here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Israel’s shocking strikes on Iran has put the region in a perilous position. What was the calculus behind Netanyahu’s decision to strike? How will Iran respond? What does the Trump administration do now that negotiations have gone up in Smoke? To answer all these questions and more, we have a special two part episode with our favorite experts. Part one features a conversation between Rosa Brooks, Steven Cook, Alon Pinkas, and David Rothkopf while Jon Wolfsthal joins David in part two. You won’t want to miss this important episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stephen Miller had a shouting match Thursday with a GOP Senator over Miller’s demand for massive funds for deportations, which Republicans are debating right now. Yet at around the same time, President Donald Trump openly admitted that his deportations are badly hurting farmers by removing their workers—and described those undocumented workers as “impossible to replace.” Miller is demanding supercharged deportation numbers on the grounds that migrants are criminals and/or displace U.S. workers, but Trump admitted Miller’s deportation agenda is targeting good, hard-working people who aren’t taking jobs from Americans and that their removal hurts the economy. This—along with the shocking manhandling of Democratic Senator Alex Padilla by Homeland Security goons and the backlash to Trump’s dispatching of troops to Los Angeles—suggests the MAGA coalition is coming under serious strains on immigration. We talked about all this with Tori Gavito, the president of Way To Win, who also discusses the group’s new polling showing Democrats have an opening to go on offense on the issue. 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 US evacuating personnel from the Middle East, Netanyahu surviving an attempt to dissolve parliament, a horrifying plane crash, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We tend to be a bit negative about this administration on the DSR Network. But in spite of our negativity, is there actually some hope for a new nuclear deal with Iran? Experts Joe Cirincione and Jon Wolfsthal join David Rothkopf to discuss why Trump’s particular style of diplomacy may, or may not, give way to success in nuclear arms regulation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
News organizations have been credulously amplifying the White House’s spin that sending troops into Los Angeles is great politics for President Trump. But the evidence isn’t cooperating. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lost her temper amid tough questioning about Trump’s threat to unleash “force” on protesters. She snapped that one reporter had asked a “stupid question,” and seethed angrily at a second reporter’s legitimate query, showing how weak the White House’s arguments on this have truly become. And a new Quinnipiac poll finds Trump’s approval tanking, crucially including on immigration. We talked to Jennifer Rubin, editor-in-chief of The Contrarian, who has a new piece arguing that California is a test run for Trump. She explains why the media needs to do better at conveying just how unpopular Trump’s authoritarian tactics truly are—and why failing to do so could embolden him.  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 warning to protesters in DC, the US and China reaching a preliminary trade deal, Elon backing down from his feud with Trump, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump issued a direct promise to use “heavy force” on protesters who dare show up to his military parade this weekend. He made no distinction between peaceful and violent protesters, an extraordinary threat of violence that he didn’t bother disguising. Trump has also repeatedly erupted in anger at California Governor Gavin Newsom, ripping him with vile slurs and telling dimwitted lies about his administration’s decision to deploy federal troops in the Golden State. All this comes as a new YouGov poll finds that only small minorities approve of his deployment of the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles, a striking rebuke given that Trump is staking so much on this battle. We talked to data analyst G. Elliott Morris, author of the Strength in Numbers Substack, who explains why threats of authoritarian violence are not necessarily good politics for Trump—and why the media keeps credulously pretending otherwise.  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 deployment of 700 Marines to LA, RFK Jr. removing all current members of the CDC vaccine advisory committee, the Smithsonian resisting Trump’s influence, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump ordered up the National Guard to deal with violence that broke out in Los Angeles amid protests of Trump’s immigration policies. This has angered California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is suing to stop it. But then Trump expressly told reporters that he might send the Marines into California. He also openly endorsed the idea that federal law enforcement should arrest Newsom based on zero legal basis. Taken together, those moves show Trump’s perpetual threat to unleash troops on Americans getting much darker and more unnerving. We talked to former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade, author of the book Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. She explains why Trump’s moves are increasingly lawless, how this is all posing a severe test to our system, and ponders whether we’re passing that test—or failing it. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to California is not just about immigration and Los Angeles - it is a damning step in his long-lasting effort to to exploit and deploy the U.S. military to act as his own personal police force. Miles Taylor, former DHS Chief of Staff who endured persecution for his criticisms of the Trump administration, joins Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf to discuss the disastrous implications of Los Angeles and explain why “people should be more worried about this than anything they’ve seen so far in the second Trump administration.” 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
Octopus Energy, a global technology and energy company, was founded in the UK 10 years ago with the goal of helping to transform electric utilities. It created Kraken, a cloud-based platform that helps utilities and their customers manage data from smart meters, electric vehicles, distributed energy resources and more. Join host David Sandalow as he talks with Nick Chaset, CEO of Octopus Energy US, about Octopus, Kraken, AI in the power sector, and strategies for combining grid flexibility and data center load growth.  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 cover the clashes between protesters and authorities in LA, the Israeli seizure of a Gaza-bound aid boat, today’s trade talks between the US and China, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fox News hosts have gotten very aggressive in pinning down Trump officials over the failures of Trump’s trade agenda. Stuart Varney sharply questioned a top official over the loss of manufacturing jobs in the latest jobs report, and Maria Bartiromo usefully prodded a second official over the failure to produce trade deals. Taken together, these constitute a surprise admission that the latest machinations involving Trump’s tariffs reveal that they aren’t coming close to having their advertised effects. Meanwhile, an extraordinary Washington Post report reveals that administration officials are scrambling to reverse large numbers of firings under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, another serious admission of what a fiasco DOGE remains. On today’s episode, economist Kathryn Edwards usefully explains how all these developments reveal a deeper set of failings driving Trump’s vision and worldview, possibly putting us on a slow drift toward recession. 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 Weekly Wrap-Up for Friday, we cover the worsening break-up between Trump and Musk, Netanyahu’s stunning admission, the upcoming military parade in DC, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: June 28, 2024 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. 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 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
As you’ve surely heard, the feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has erupted, with the two men trading attacks on each other for hours. As of this recording, the last big things to happen are that Trump threatened to cut off all government contracts to Musk’s companies, and Musk then dropped what he called a “big bomb”—that Trump is in the "Epstein files." Former GOP strategist and Never Trumper Rick Wilson grasps the inner pathologies of MAGA like no one else, so we talked to Wilson about the latest Trump-Musk madness. He offers a counterintuitive take on why Musk’s attacks on Trump will trigger MAGA’s paranoid obsessions in an unexpectedly explosive way, why he thinks Musk has more weapons in this battle than Trump does, and why the White House has almost certainly entered into a “full panic” about where this is all going. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While Donald Trump and Elon Musk are currently feuding in a King Kong vs. Godzilla battle on social media, the devastating impact of their short-lived union continues to unfold. ICE is picking people off the street like a quasi American Gestapo, while the issue of foreign students is set to hamper US higher education for years - and not just in Ivy League schools, but on the global stage. Where has our fundamental decency gone? Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf are back to address this chilling political combination of nihilism, sadism, and chaos. 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 Thursday, we discuss Trump’s expansive new travel ban, the return of a wrongfully deported Guatemalan man, the administration’s new investigation into Joe Biden, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump appears to have finally turned on Elon Musk over his scalding criticism of the “big, beautiful bill.” At a presser, House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed that Trump told him he’s displeased with Musk, which almost certainly wouldn’t have happened unless Trump authorized it, confirming Trump’s anger at Musk is serious. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office just released brutal numbers showing that the House GOP bill will add even more to the deficit and kick many more people off health coverage than previously thought. We talked to Danielle Deiseroth, executive director of Data for Progress, which just released interesting new polling on the GOP bill. She explains why the bill could grow more toxic with the public, why the Trump-Musk rift and CBO score could help penetrate with voters, and why Democrats should act as if this is a debate they can win. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There can be no doubt that American power is on the decline. As our immigration enforcement militarizes to project strength at home, it’s clear that America’s international stranding is nearing an all time low. Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling joins Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, and David Rothkopf to break down the missteps of this administration as well as the stunning success of Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down Musk’s explosive break-up with the Trump administration, Trump looking for Congressional approval for DOGE cuts, Hegseth’s war on DEI, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump has been tweeting wildly and angrily over the fate of his “big, beautiful bill.” He’s been lashing out furiously at Democrats and at GOP Senators alike over their opposition, suggesting Senate passage may be in serious doubt. Then Elon Musk threw a grenade into the proceedings, unleashing a pair of tweets that ripped the bill as a “disgusting abomination” that will explode the deficit by trillions of dollars. Amusingly, Musk was being dishonest in his own way, but he still upended the scam that Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have concocted to sell this bill. We unraveled all this with New Republic senior editor Alex Shephard, author of a new piece arguing that Musk’s damage is only beginning. He explains how all this fits into the 50-year story of Republicans gutting programs for the poor to make the rich richer.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Member Air Date: May 27, 2025 We’re now four months into our second term of Trumponomics, and the outlook isn’t so good. Yet the issues go far beyond tariffs. Former economic adviser to President Obama Jason Furman joins David Rothkopf to explore problems with the Trump economic plan and why the consequences of failure could be disastrous.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover another ruling blocking deportations, a liberal victory in South Korean elections, the fallout from a recent attack in Colorado, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump really wants the Senate to pass the “big beautiful bill” that has now gotten through the House. But a number of GOP Senators are, for now, speaking uncomfortable truths about that massive budget measure: It would balloon the deficit and slash spending on the poor and working class, largely to fund a massive tax cut for the wealthy. And right on cue, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt just delivered two ugly rants on Fox News that expose how this ruse works. One of them threatens GOP senators who oppose the bill. The other monumentally misleads about its fiscal impact. We talked to Paul Waldman, co-author of White Rural Rage and a regular chronicler of how badly Trump-GOP policies harm Republican voters. He explains the real aims of the broader Trump project, how it victimizes MAGA country, and why Republicans might struggle to pull off their usual scam this time around.  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 Ukraine and Russia gathering for a second round of peace talks, a horrifying attack on protestors in Colorado, the election of a right-wing president in Poland, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ming Lee Hui, who goes by the name of “Carol,” has lived for 20 years in the town of Kennett, Missouri after coming here from Hong Kong. She has been raising a family there and works as a waitress, and as The New York Times reports in a piece featuring quotes from Carol and many locals, she’s well liked in the community. But Carol was recently arrested and now faces potential deportation. This has shocked and dismayed many of the town’s residents, even though the area went overwhelmingly for Trump. Carol talked to us on the podcast straight from jail, where she is awaiting her fate. At times the conversation was difficult: She broke down in tears about her ordeal, was emotionally overwhelmed at the support she’s received from the Trump-backing town, and offers wrenching thoughts about Trump’s effort to deport countless others just like her.  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 Weekly Wrap-Up for Friday, we cover Israel’s acceptance of a US ceasefire proposal, the madness of the One Big Beautiful Bill, the legal tug-of-war over tariffs, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original Air Date for Members: May 22, 2025 Trump’s grand tour of the Middle East is over. So how did it go? Trump seems to have a knack for diplomacy in the region, but there’s more to the story. Steven Cook from the Council on Foreign Relations joins David Rothkopf to break down the President’s trip and why the Trump brand of diplomacy is so unique in its successes and failures.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Generative AI has been hailed as a landmark technology that will revolutionize society. But how revolutionary is it really? Is there too much hype, not enough, or a combination of both? Founder and CEO of AutogenAI Sean Williams joins David Rothkopf to explore the impact of AI from proposal writing to the business world at large.  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
President Donald Trump’s advisers are raging over a court ruling that temporarily blocked many of Trump’s tariffs. Stephen Miller called it “judicial tyranny.” Another top adviser called the judges “globalist.” And press secretary Karoline Leavitt seethed that “unelected judges” have grown “dangerous.” While an appeals court did put a stay on the court ruling, letting the tariffs proceed for now, it’s now overwhelmingly clear the tariffs are extremely vulnerable legally, and the whiplash in the courts only underscores what a fiasco of uncertainty Trump unleashed. Our trading partners now think their hand has been strengthened in trade talks, revealing more weakness. We talked to George Mason University’s Ilya Somin, a lead lawyer for the challengers, about why the ruling is crushing for Trump’s case, what it reveals about his broader abuses of power, and how he still can be stopped. 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 strange things afoot in DC this week. From flip-flopping tariffs to alleged illicit relations in Trump’s inner circle, what the hell is going on in our nation’s capital? The Daily Beast’s David Gardner and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to try and get to the bottom of all this and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week’s episode of Words Matter, Leah Litman, legal expert and author of Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes, joins David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein to discuss the current realm of law and lawlessness. What messages are the courts sending by striking down Trump’s tariff policies? How promising is it that these judges are standing up to Trump, and what major concerns still remain, even with these recent steps forward? Tune in as Leah, Norm and David discuss 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 break down a panel of judges blocking Trump’s tariffs, Elon Musk parting ways with the administration, a crackdown on Chinese student visas, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a series of rants to reporters, President Trump’s rage at Harvard took a sadistic and unhinged turn. He made it clear that only total subjugation to him on Harvard’s part will satisfy him. This comes as a judge just blocked another one of his executive orders aimed at grinding a major law firm into submission, a big setback to Trump in a string of legal losses on that front. In today’s episode, Katherine Stewart, a sharp observer of MAGA who has a new piece on her Substack about the Harvard catastrophe, explains that these things are connected: Trump’s attacks on Harvard and other institutions are about creating the deliberate impression that we’re sliding into lawlessness and terror, so victories like that one in court are a crucial reminder that we still do have the rule of law. Stewart explains why keeping alive this idea is so essential, why Trump is counting on you to lose sight of it, and what must happen now. 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 cover Putins ridiculous conditions for peace, the Trump administration asking the Supreme Court to allow South Sudan deportations, the US temporarily pausing new visa interviews for students, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a series of public remarks, President Trump has lashed out at Vladimir Putin for keeping up his attacks on Ukraine in defiance of Trump’s stated desire for peace. Trump has called Putin “crazy,” has admitted he has no idea what Putin is thinking, and has even tweeted that Putin is “playing with fire!” Trump is plainly feeling embarrassed by Putin—who has only escalated his attacks amid Trump’s peacekeeping efforts—and his humiliation shines through in his recent eruptions, given his campaign vow to end the war quickly due to his toughness and better relations with the Russian leader. Meanwhile, Republicans are now beginning to demand tougher sanctions on Putin, which would constitute another break with Trump—and a tacit admission that his efforts are failing. We talked to Cathy Young, a staff writer at The Bulwark who regularly analyzes Trump-Putin dynamics. She explains what Trump doesn’t understand about Putin, how this leaves Trump badly unsuited for this moment, and why the long-term prospects for the war are pretty grim.  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 administration’s latest move against Harvard, FBI probes into Biden-era controversies, NPR’s lawsuit against the Trump administration, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After President Donald Trump threatened to single out Apple with tariffs, he offered remarks to reporters that undercut his case. First he seemed to say this would apply to many iPhone makers, but then reiterated he’d said this straight to Apple CEO Tim Cook, a potentially serious abuse of power. Then Trump said U.S.-manufactured jobs would not result in higher prices due to automation, but this concedes that the manufacturing work he hopes tariffs will create are low-level jobs that might get replaced. And then he all-but-admitted that his threat to get companies to “eat” the cost of his tariffs really could mean potentially higher prices for consumers. All these oddities taken together wreck the fraudulent arguments he’s been making. We talked to Monica Potts, the new class politics reporter at The New Republic, who usefully synthesizes all of it to explain what’s wrong with Trump-MAGA manufacturing nostalgia and why the Trump-GOP agenda comprehensively works against his stated goal of creating good American jobs. 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 31, 2024 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. 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
Original air date: May 29, 2024 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
The advent of AI has brought both unparalleled opportunities for success and tremendous risks. So how do investors navigate this brand new business landscape? Co-founder of NFX Gigi Levy-Weiss joins David Rothkopf to discuss just how pervasive AI has become in business and why the rise in the AI agent economy is inevitable.  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 Harvard’s newest lawsuit against the administration, Trump’s new tariff threats against the EU and Apple, the status of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After raging at Harvard earlier this month, President Donald Trump is now revoking the university’s right to receive foreign students. The administration sent an unhinged letter to Harvard making the announcement while demanding extensive information about international students, a grotesque abuse of power. The White House statement justifying this seethed with angry, McCarthyite nonsense. We think this is already backfiring: Harvard is reportedly very likely to take legal action, and the university will probably be able to stop the move. We talked to Jonathan Friedman of PEN America, who explains why Trump’s assault on Harvard is already getting universities to band together, how it’s leading to renewed public support for the university system, and why Harvard’s potential success beating this back will only stiffen institutional resistance to 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 Domestic Policy Bill is akin to a murder-suicide pact. Not only could it be political suicide for the Republicans, but it was also have damning effects on the American public. How is this bill going to affect social welfare programs? Will this bill actually present a turning point in the Trump administration? Tune in as Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf 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
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover a recent shooting, Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, aid to Gaza, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump’s presser on Wednesday flew off the rails. He raged at a reporter for questioning his acceptance of a luxury jet from Qatar. He snapped when asked why he’s resettling white Afrikaners but no other refugees. And he tried to humiliate the South African president by brandishing printouts about the deaths of white South Africans but couldn’t defend his lie of a “white genocide” unfolding there. The corruption and the white nationalism—Trump openly promised both during the campaign, and he’s now doing them. Yet on the latter, a new Marquette poll finds wide public disapproval of Trump’s deportations of longtime residents, and shows independents tiling strongly against him on immigration, revealing fresh weakness on this issue. We talked to veteran labor strategist Michael Podhorzer, author of a new piece on his Substack arguing that the anti-MAGA majority that didn’t show up in 2024 is now visibly reconstituting itself in polls. He explains that Trump’s unhinged presser helps show how Trump himself is making that happen.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This administration’s foreign policy is a tragedy in slow motion. Whether it be the focus on ego-centric diplomacy to the rampant instability caused by Trump’s shifting positions, it’s hard to find the positives. Ed Luce and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to asses the Trump administration’s foreign policy so far to try and find a silver lining to this cloud.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the efforts to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, another legal setback for the administration’s deportation efforts, Kristi Noem’s disastrous Senate hearing, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump has raged at Bruce Springsteen for days, demanding investigations as retaliation against him for criticizing the president. This is easy to dismiss as the usual lunacy, but Rolling Stone reports that there’s a genuine idea at work here: Trump has long planned to use government agencies to constrain his opponents’ political activities, and that’s now under way. Indeed, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, staunch Trump ally Alina Habba, just brought charges against a House Democrat for trumped up reasons. Given all this, Trump’s fury at Springsteen suddenly looks a lot darker. So we talked to Rolling Stone writer Asawin Suebsaeng, co-author of that article. He explains how Trump is slowly escalating the use of investigatory power against political foes, what the GOP is doing to make this possible, and why the trend is deeply “chilling.” 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 Supreme Court allowing for the end of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans, Israel’s blockade of Gaza, Rep. McIver’s charges over an alleged assault of ICE agents, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump’s feud with Walmart is intensifying. After the retail giant warned that its prices will go up due to Trump’s tariffs, he erupted on Truth Social, and even threatened Walmart to get it to “eat” the costs of his levies. Then White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the threat to reporters. Amusingly enough, all this constitutes an admission that other countries don’t pay the costs of the tariffs, as he keeps claiming—we do. We talked to Lindsay Owens, an economist who’s also executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative. She explains how Trump accidentally undermined his case for tariffs, why this is so damaging given Walmart’s massive presence in MAGA America, and what all this reveals about Trump’s growing political weakness on the economy. 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 Joe Biden’s recent diagnisis, JD Vance and Marco Rubio meeting with Pope Leo, talks between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump has been ranting wildly at the Supreme Court. In a pair of tweets after oral arguments over his effort to end birthright citizenship displeased him, Trump raged that the people are on his side, a dark hint that he will wield the wrath of his supporters against the high court. Then, after it dealt a setback to his use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations, Trump shared a tweet from a top MAGA figure suggesting the release of terrorists near the justices’ homes. This was boosted by top MAGA accounts, and Stephen Miller then accused the courts of “sabotaging democracy.” We talked to legal commentator Matthew Seligman about why these veiled threats to defy the courts are trending inexorably toward a major confrontation, why his advisers are egging that on, and why there’s a danger that the Supreme Court could constrain itself to avoid that terrible outcome.  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 Weekly Wrap-Up for Friday, we break down the disastrous Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey, Trump’s seemingly successful tour of the Gulf states, an upcoming visit by President Ramaphosa, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Original air date: May 31, 2024 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. 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 31, 2024 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. 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 has been growing angry over the criticism of his decision to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar. He snapped at a reporter who questioned him about it, and erupted over it on Truth Social. Now The Atlantic reports that Trump is privately telling his advisers it’s “humiliating” for a president to fly around in an outdated jet—and has even mused about keeping the gift after he leaves the White House—all of which suggests his mood about the scandal is darkening. Meanwhile, MAGA figures and even some Congressional Republicans are criticizing Trump over it. We talked to Atlantic staff writer Russell Berman, who co-wrote that report, about why this story could prove more serious and consequential than it first appeared, why it will be hard for the GOP to brush it off, and what it says about Trump’s contempt for public service.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Supreme Court’s decisions on birthright citizenship and nationwide injunctions could have significant implications for executive power. What does this mean for the future of our nation? How can we rebuild government structures post-Trump? What reforms, such as an expansion of Congress, should Democrats be prioritizing? 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
The House GOP is forging ahead with its massive domestic policy bill implementing President Donald Trump’s agenda. And it’s becoming clear that it will seriously screw over Trump voters. But don’t take our word for it. Senator Josh Hawley, a staunch ally of Trump, went on CNN and said this in strikingly direct terms. He decried the bill’s massive cuts to Medicaid, and confirmed that they are a betrayal of GOP and MAGA voters. We talked to Jonathan Cohn of The Bulwark, one of the best health care reporters out there. He explains why all this poses a real test for Trump and the MAGA movement. And we discuss whether the same old scam will kick in where Trump and Republicans pretend to be pro-working class while shafting their voters to pay for huge tax cuts for the rich. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our very own Ed Luce has a new book out, so Rosa Brooks and David Rothkopf sit down with the man himself to get the inside scoop. “Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet” tells the story of one of the most influential foreign policy minds in American history. Ed explains why now is the right time to examine Brzezinski’s legacy—and what we can learn from his remarkable life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss the order for the FBI to focus on immigration cases, Trump’s meeting with the interim president of Syria, the House hearings on Republican Medicaid and tax proposals, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The White House has been boasting that President Trump’s partial pause in the trade war with China is a historic breakthrough. But two new reports, one from The New York Times and the other from the non-liberal Wall Street Journal editorial page, neatly expose what a monstrous scam this notion truly is, in and of itself. As they detail, Trump has put the global economy through major turmoil and uncertainty, but without winning any serious concessions from China. This will get worse for Trump: In addition to being terrible policy, the tariffs are a massive abuse of power. And once the lawsuits against them get going, this, too, will be fully aired out. We spoke to George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin, who’s helping spearhead one of the most important legal challenges. He explains why the tariffs are on weak legal ground, what the prospects are for reversing them, and how they reflect a much deeper lawlessness on Trump’s part.  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 President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Eric and Don Jr.’s new crypto mining venture, a House plan to limit benefits for SNAP recipients, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over the weekend, the news broke that President Donald Trump is accepting a luxury jet from the country of Qatar for presidential travel. This extraordinarily brazen act may well violate the Emoluments Clause, which bars foreign gifts to officials unless expressly authorized by Congress. It comes even as Trump is embarking on a Mideast trip to countries that are the sites of Trump-branded projects, and Trump-aligned businesses are scooping in huge sums from foreign governments via crypto. We talked about all this with Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. He explains why Trump’s latest move outrageously abuses the Constitution, how his corruption has grown to “epic” and unprecedented proportions, and what Democrats will do now in response. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More than a billion people in the world live in energy poverty, with little or no access to electricity. Can AI help put an end to energy poverty -- or could it make the problem worse? Is there a risk of a new digital divide, with the US, China and Europe integrating AI into their economies while many nations in the Global South fall behind? Join host David Sandalow as he discusses these questions and more with Damilola Ogunbiyi, a top UN official and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All.  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 US and China reaching a temporary agreement on tariffs, the latest on the India-Pakistan ceasefire, the Trump administration’s threat to suspend habeas corpus, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In her most recent media briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt went full North Korea with a number of worshipful monologues about Trump. Yet at around the same time, another journalist’s criticism of Trump caused him to explode in a wild, triggered fury that undercut the image Leavitt tried to project of a leader who is strong, calm, and in command of events. We think this tension is a regular, deeper feature of Trumpism. So we talked to Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, who knows how to read MAGA pathologies—particularly male ones—like nobody else. She discusses the “MAGA aesthetic,” the gap between Trump’s feeble-mindedness and the picture of strength portrayed by his sycophants, and the larger purpose all this serves as propaganda for the MAGA masses. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Has AI hype gone too far? Are companies and their executives hyping up artificial intelligence to drive up their profits and help the rich get richer? Dr. Alex Hanna and Dr. Emily Bender join David Rothkopf to answer these questions and discuss their new book “The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want.” 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
Right after the news broke that Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, the internet produced lots of evidence that he has promoted articles critical of JD Vance and Donald Trump, and even expressed sympathy for George Floyd. That prompted MAGA figures to erupt in anger. They attacked the new Pope as anti-Trump pro-open borders, a Marxist, and soft on thugs and drug dealers, as Media Matters documented. We talked to the excellent political theorist Matt McManus, who was raised in the church and regularly wrestles with the intellectual roots of today’s right wing, including in his 2023 book, The Political Right and Equality. He explains what Vance gets wrong about Catholic teaching, why it’s so inimical to Trumpism, and how today’s pro-Trump influencers and “post-liberal” Catholic intellectuals alike are refusing to reckon with what MAGA has truly become. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Friday, we discuss the selection of the first American Pope, Trump tapping Jeanine Pirro as interim attorney for DC, Hegseth’s campaign against trans service members, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There's a new American Pope—one who has been openly critical of the U.S. government. What does this mean for Trump? Meanwhile, in the background of this major news from the Catholic Church, Trump is striking tariff deals with the UK. But is the deal all that Trump says it is? Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf are back to break down all the latest—from the Vatican to the White House. Tune in for all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss a tariff deal with the UK, the FBI resisting funding cuts, an update on Pope selection, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump erupted on Truth Social this week when it became clear that MAGA loyalist and insurrectionist Ed Martin’s nomination for U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C. is in trouble. Trump even called GOP Senators to demand their support. But then GOP Senator Thom Tillis announced his opposition, leading even staunch Trump loyalists to concede he might not survive. MAGA personalities lashed out in response. Lost in this saga has been the basic reason we don’t want a MAGA-brained January Sixer in such a crucial law enforcement role in the first place. We talked to former prosecutor Kristy Parker, counsel at Protect Democracy. She explains why this position is so critical to the legal order, why Martin has no business in it, and why she has cautious optimism that Trump’s assault on the rule of law might ultimately get repelled. 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 cover India’s strikes on Pakistan, impending US-China trade talks focused on de-escalation, the Trump administration’s plans to deport immigrants to Libya, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thanks to President Trump’s policies, a confluence of events is set to absolutely clobber rural America. First there’s Trump’s trade war. On Tuesday, Trump unleashed a bizarre set of ramblings that indicated he’s fine with letting it drag on forever, our exporters be damned. Meanwhile, there are new signs that farmers in Trump country are already getting hammered. The House GOP’s planned cuts to Medicaid will likely pose a massive problem for rural hospitals. And big GOP cuts to food stamps will also inflict pain on rural areas. We talked to Matt Hildreth, executive director of RuralOrganizing.org  and a veteran Democratic operative in rural areas. He explains why the perfect storm of policies bearing down on rural America is unusual, and reflects on whether his party will be able to translate this into real gains—or whether this will once again prove a chimera.  Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Health and science are under siege. The attack on long-held principals of science and our healthcare system certainly isn’t new, but they have reached a fevered pitch under this administration. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Laurie Garrett and Dr. Kavita Patel join David Rothkopf to diagnose the problems and examine the severe consequences of this moment.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down Secretary Hegseth cutting 20% of generals, Trump’s new incentive scheme for self-deportation, the administration’s efforts to protect mifepristone, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump is angry at longtime GOP strategist Karl Rove. That’s because Rove delivered Trump a stern on-air warning about his sliding approval ratings. What caught our attention, though, is what Rove said about immigration in particular. Rove suggested that Trump is in trouble on what’s supposed to be his best issue, and offered a striking explanation for it that surely got under Trump’s skin. This comes as Trump also delivered another diatribe about the Supreme Court for suggesting he does not have absolute power to deport millions with zero due process, suggesting he and Stephen Miller will cling to their deeply unpopular course of action no matter what. We talked to Lakshya Jain, co-founder of the Split Ticket election site, who explains how Trump is rapidly losing his onetime advantage on immigration, why this is such a momentous shift, and how Democrats can capitalize. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Arun Majumdar is the inaugural Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University and previously served as Founding Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and Chair of the Secretary's Advisory Board at the US Department of Energy. He is one of the United States' top energy experts and an accomplished institutional leader. Join host David Sandalow as he talks with Dean Majumdar about the AI work underway at the Doerr School, power demand for AI, AI's potential impacts on climate change mitigation, teaching in the AI era, and much 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 latest on US tariffs, Trump’s eyebrow raising interview with NBC, Israel’s terrifying new plan for Gaza, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Trump has recently been erupting at Fox News over its new poll finding him with 55 percent disapproval. Trump described Fox’s pollster as “Trump hating” and demanded that the firm be “investigated.” Stephen Miller subsequently called for the pollster’s firing. Guess what: Fox News has gotten the message. As Trump’s poll numbers for other news organizations have steadily worsened, Fox personalities have begun going to great lengths to deny what the numbers clearly show. This highlights a problem that is trending toward a fiasco for MAGA: As Trump’s tariffs and other policies take their toll on Trump voters and everyone else, his approval will slide further, forcing Fox News to deceive the network’s own viewers about what they themselves increasingly are experiencing from Trump’s presidency. We talked to Matt Gertz of Media Matters, who has been chronicling Fox’s poll denial. He explains what Trump’s anger at Fox means for the network, how Fox personalities are coping, and why all these dynamics will get much 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 Friday, we discuss the impending Trump administration’s budget, the attempt to block funding for NPR and PBS, the HHS plan to require placebo testing for vaccines, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Big news: A federal judge just ruled that President Donald Trump’s renditions under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act are illegal. It’s a crucial moment in the battle against Trump’s lawlessness. Meanwhile, Stephen Miller ranted wildly at the media for daring to ask hard questions about the wrongfully-deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, falsely stating as fact that he’s an “MS-13 terrorist” and raging at the very idea that migrants he labels “terrorists” should get due process. It’s a clear sign of Miller’s certainty that he can label anyone a “terrorist” by fiat and that the administration can get away with literally anything. We talked to the great legal commentator Leah Litman, author of Lawless, a new book about the Supreme Court. She explains why the ruling suggests the courts may not give Trump the deference he’d hoped for as commander in chief to reinvent reality to carry out his illegal renditions—and why Miller’s project may be in the process of seriously overreaching. 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 special DSR-Words Matter mash up episode, Ed Luce and Norm Ornstein join David Rothkopf to talk about all the chaos of the Trump administration. What is going on with Mike Waltz’s “promotion” to the UN, and who is next on the Trump chopping-block? How are leading Democrats responding to this ongoing mess? Tune in for all this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the Senate attempt to overturn tariffs, the US and Ukraine signing an agreement on natural resources, the Supreme Court considering taxpayer-funded religious charter schools, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We just learned that President Donald Trump’s economy contracted in the first quarter. Trump unloaded twice over this bad news, attempting to blame Joe Biden for it. Meanwhile, some of Trump’s aides went full North Korea, bowing down before him and offering adulation in shockingly abject terms. So how long do Trump’s advisers think they can keep him in a protective cocoon, shielding him from the realities of his disastrous reign? We talked to New Republic senior editor Alex Shephard, who has a good new piece arguing that Trump’s unpopularity will only get worse, due to basic structural facts about his presidency. He explains why the sycophancy of Trump’s aides is only working against him—and why insulating him against outside facts will only get harder and more damaging. 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 new US policy for cracking down on international students, two reports detailing islamophobia and antisemitism at Harvard, the Wisconsin Supreme Court temporarily suspending a judge, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After the news broke that Amazon might publicly clarify the costs that President Trump’s tariffs are imposing on its products, Trump instructed his White House press secretary to publicly threaten the company. Trump also called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to express his displeasure, and one adviser told CNN that “he was pissed.” Amazon immediately shelved the plan, and Trump openly gloated about Bezos bending the knee, an unnerving signal of more autocratic bullying ahead. Meanwhile, a new PRRI poll sheds fascinating light on public opinion about Trump’s authoritarianism, with a majority now seeing him as a “dangerous dictator.” We talked to Melissa Deckman, the CEO of PRRI, who explains what the new data really tells us about the public’s revulsion at Trump’s abuses of power—and why episodes like this one are only exacerbating it. 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
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss the big win for the Liberals in Canada, Trump’s plans to ease some tariffs for US automakers, a Republican proposal for a massive overhaul of college financial aid, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump is growing angrier over polls that keep showing him tanking. On Monday, he raged that polls sponsored by media outlets are “COMPROMISED AND CORRUPT.” He even quoted one of his own pollsters saying that surveys from The New York Times and The Washington Post are “FAKE POLLS,” something his pollster clearly hatched to calm his anger. So to what degree are the people around Trump simply lying to him about his disastrous reign? They’re deceiving him about the state of public opinion, and Stephen Miller is plainly seducing Trump into believing the Supreme Court sided with him on the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, when it didn’t. We talked to journalist Michael Cohen, author of a new piece for his Truth and Consequences Substack about this problem. He explains how we know Trump’s aides are keeping him in a state of delusion, and why that’s heading to an alarming place.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thirty-two years after Jensen Huang founded NVIDIA, the company is at the center of the AI revolution and the third-most valuable company in the world. Jensen -- as he is known throughout his company and the IT industry -- is shaping the future of AI and countless applications of AI. In this episode, Jensen talks with host David Sandalow about how AI can help solve energy and climate problems, AI's power consumption, the intelligence infrastructure of the future, 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 Election Day in Canada, the Kremlin announcing a 3 day ceasefire in May, Catholic cardinals choosing May 7th for the conclave, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over the weekend, President Trump raged on Truth Social at judges who are ruling that Trump must follow the law in the case of wrongfully-deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia and others illegally deported to prisons in El Salvador. Trump again threatened to dispense with due process for migrants. Yet this comes even as Trump admitted in a new interview that he’s open to bringing Abrego Garcia back and retrying him for deportation through lawful channels. For Trump to acknowledge he has this option while nonetheless threatening to end due process for Abrego Garcia and other migrants is a dark development. All this comes as two new polls show Trump badly losing the war of public opinion over all these illegal renditions. We talked to Chris Newman, a lawyer for the Abrego Garcia family, who powerfully explains why Trump is losing the war over public opinion, how Trump is importing Bukele-style authoritarianism into the United States, and why Trump will ultimately lose in court. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The last several administrations have faced an exponentially increasing need to grapple with the issue of artificial intelligence. But how does a government address a technology that affects nearly all corners of society, and what does this second Trump administration need to do to meet the moment? Vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Daniel Castro joins David Rothkopf to consider 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 the mounting number of court setbacks for the administration, an investigation into ActBlue, Trump’s statement that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Donald Trump just made some new public statements about the Russia-Ukraine war, and they were thoroughly unimpressive. At one point, he seemed to get angry at Vladimir Putin over a massive new Russian attack on Ukraine, calling on Putin to “STOP.” But then in remarks to reporters, he openly suggested that he doesn’t expect Russia to make any serious concessions at all in the quest for peace. This striking public admission badly undercuts Trump’s “master dealmaker” mystique, and wrecks the illusion he’s cultivated that he expects genuine concessions from both sides. We talked to Ben Burgis, a columnist at Jacobin and a podcaster who has a good new piece for MSNBC.com analyzing Trump’s negotiating strategy. Burgis explains why Trump’s approach is likely to be counterproductive at best—and why it could produce catastrophic long-term results.  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 Words Matter, founder of Talking Points Memo Josh Marshall joins Norm Ornstein to discuss everything wrong with the Trump administration. What is so uncanny about Trump’s foreign policy towards Russia and Ukraine? What message are we signaling to our allies? And how much worse could this all become? 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
Can AI help discover new materials, leading to dramatic breakthroughs in clean energy technologies? In Episode #1 of our deep dive on this topic, host David Sandalow explored the potential for breakthroughs 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). In this episode, David, Taylor and Colin discuss the barriers that must be overcome to realize that potential as well as possible risks. The episode ends with some interesting book recommendations by Taylor and Colin! 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 Russia’s attack on Kyiv, mounting tensions between India and Pakistan, Trump’s attempt to change college accreditation, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Suddenly, President Donald Trump appears to be retreating or getting knocked back on multiple fronts. Trump is considering whether to slash his tariffs on China. Elon Musk is stepping back from the administration. Federal scientists are admitting the Measles outbreak is worse than previously acknowledged. And the leaks about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are intensifying. All this comes as a new poll finds broad public opposition to Trump’s abuses of power—revealing a surprise weakness in an area that savvy observers assured us voters don’t care about. We talked to Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, author of The Hopium Chronicles, who has been urging his party to make Trump’s weakness central to their understanding of this fraught moment. Rosenberg explains why Trump is caught in a vicious downward cycle, where the opposition is successfully mobilizing, and how to coax Democrats to fight back harder. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We have to ask: is dysfunction an official policy of this administration? With key officials handing out sensitive information like it’s candy and ever-changing tariff policies, our national security is facing unprecedented self-inflicted challenges. Kori Schake, Ed Luce, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to break down what makes this moment so perilous.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the huge changes coming to the State Department, the extension of a block on deporting alleged gang members, the Supreme Court hearing a case on the teaching of LGBT books in schools, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Tuesday, largely due to President Trump’s tariffs, the International Monetary Fund downgraded its projections for economic growth in a big way. Meanwhile, we’re already starting to see layoffs. All that comes as newpolls show Trump cratering on the economy. Trump is now shifting blame to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for the tariff fallout. But those attacks are only rattling markets and investors more, backfiring on Trump. We talked to one of the best economic commentators out there, Washington Post columnist Heather Long, author of a new piece on how Trump’s “tariff madness” is likely to drive us into a recession. She explains why the prognosis is so grim—and why Trump is in a bind with no easy way out. 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 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
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