The DSR Network

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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