The DSR Network

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