The DSR Network

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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