The DSR Network

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