The DSR Network

Donald Trump is now leveling his authoritarian threats right out in the open. He appears supremely confident that none of it will alienate swing voters. Now NBC News reports that the Biden campaign hopes to draw out this side of Trump at their upcoming debate—but if Trump doesn’t see these things as liabilities, he may advertise them all over again when voters are paying attention. We talked to Slate legal writer Dahlia Lithwick, author of an excellent new piece outlining how Trump is running on an overt promise of authoritarianism, about whether voters will awaken to the threat he poses—and how this could cause his confidence to blow up in his face. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Money can’t buy happiness. But it seems like it can buy you a Supreme Court justice. The corruption of certain justices continues to be laid bare for all to see, but the question remains: what can we do about it? Norm and Kavita break it all down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR daily, we cover the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution on a permanent Gaza ceasefire, the US lifting a ban on the Azov Brigade using American weapons, Modi’s retention of key cabinet ministers, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Donald Trump’s criminal conviction, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans are ramping up with sordid new efforts to use their congressional powers to protect Trump from other ongoing prosecutions. This gives Democrats an opening to hammer Republicans for aiding and abetting Trump’s nonstop quest to place himself above the law. Yet some Democrats seem reluctant to engage this fight. We talked to California Representative Eric Swalwell, who breaks down the absurdity of the GOP’s various tactics—and how Democrats can go on offense against them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian warships are arriving in Cuba. Another US senior official sentenced for spying for the Cubans. Sound familiar? Retired FBI counterintelligence expert Pete Lapp joins Marc to shed light on Cuba’s tense history with the US and why this persistent thorn in the side of US national security has been underestimated for too long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Monday, we discuss the announcement of snap parliamentary elections in France, Antony Blinken’s visit to the Middle East, Republican plans for 2025, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Republicans are reportedly worried that Donald Trump’s ongoing public attacks on his criminal conviction show that he’s overly focused on lathering up his base, and refuses to grasp that the verdict will likely alienate swing voters. We think this highlights a deeper truth about Trump and the MAGA movement itself: They cannot acknowledge that such Trump-centrict obsessions might be unpopular with the broader electorate, as this would constitute showing weakness. We talked to Washington Post reporter Isaac Arnsdorf, author of an excellent new book called Finish What We Started: The MAGA Movement’s Ground War to End Democracy, who helped us unravel this tangle of MAGA pathologies. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 5, 2023 Michael’s guest this week is James Rushton, a journalist at Yahoo News who is covering the Ukraine-Russia war from his home in Kyiv. He’s been reporting amidst air raid sirens and other challenges and is extremely well-placed on the front lines of the war to tell you what is happening in the country. His experience and perspective on all things Ukraine is not to be missed. Tune In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 16, 2023 There have been glimmers of sanity from a Supreme Court that seemed hopelessly radicalized. The former president of the United States has begun to be held accountable and America has not rioted in the streets in response. We are far from out of the woods and Donald Trump has promised that the first thing he would do were he to be reelected is to turn the country into a banana republic. But what are we to make of the progress, the good news? And what should we brace for in terms of the next wave of bad news? We discuss with the one and only Dahlia Lithwick of Slate and the Amicus brief. You won't want to miss this conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does someone become a child solider? More importantly, how do they escape? Anthony Opoka joins the podcast with Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich to share his journey from unwilling soldier in Kony’s LRA to crusader for the freedom of child soldiers. Don’t miss his incredible story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can never be too certain about what might happen next in Iran. With the death of President Raisi, the country’s future is more unpredictable than ever. Thankfully, expert Barbara Slavin joins Heather and Jon to analyze what could come next for both Iran and the region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for June 7, we cover a federal judge ordering Steve Bannon to prison, Joe Biden’s meeting with Zelenskyy in Paris, Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the US, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A judge just ordered longtime Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon to surrender to prison on July 1st after his conviction for defying the Jan. 6th committee’s subpoena. Not surprisingly, Trump and MAGA have already exploded in rage. Making this worse, Bannon is one of the leading pro-Trump figures calling on Trump to jail Democrats without cause if he wins the White House—and Bannon’s jail time will only fuel that mania. We talked to Eric Columbus, a lawyer who represented the Jan. 6th committee, about the alarming signals this sends about the perils of a second Trump presidency. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for June 6, we cover an Israeli strike on a UN school in Gaza, shifting support towards Biden in the wake of Trump’s conviction, the Houthi rebels’ new missile, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal published a dodgy hit piece about President Biden’s age. Then something unusual happened: Democratic lawmakers went nuclear on the piece, going on record to forcefully undermine its core assertions. This deserves some discussion: Could Dems better “work the refs” the way Republicans do? When liberals do criticize coverage, why do newsroom leaders shrug it off? Why do editors insult our intelligence with phony justifications for the overemphasis on Biden’s age? We chatted with Aaron Rupar, a shrewd media observer and author of the “Public Notice" Substack, about the deeper problems with the press this episode reveals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modi has claimed victory in the Indian elections, but the reality isn’t so rosy for the BJP. For the first time in his tenure, Modi has failed to secure the majority. Journalist Rana Ayyub joins David Rothkopf alongside Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, and Ed Luce to break down why this election could be a turning point for India and how Modi lost his touch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for June 5, we cover President Biden’s new asylum restrictions, the House efforts to sanction ICC officials, an election debate in Britain, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MAGA loyalists have been relentlessly pushing a silly talking point: The American people are in full scale revolt against the criminal conviction of Donald Trump. Guess what? The polls are telling a different story, finding majority support for the verdict. One of these, from the progressive firm Data for Progress, finds that this is also true among swing voters. We chatted with Data for Progress’s executive director, Danielle Deiseroth, about what all these numbers are really telling us, most (though not all) of it good news. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The competitive relationship between the US and China manages to be both novel, and strikingly familiar. With shades of the Cold War, the potential for escalation is a constant threat. Dmitri Alperovitch joins David Rothkopf to discuss his book “World on the Brink” and how the US can win a Cold War with China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump is guilty 34 times over. That’s a big deal. So, what happens now? Norm and Kavita break down the political ramifications of the ruling, how MAGA-world is coping with the news, and the political fallout that is already underway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for June 4, we cover the BJP’s election performance in India, the Biden administration’s expected new asylum restrictions, Dr. Fauci’s public hearing appearance, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts, Republican anger at the verdict is getting darker, with GOP leaders talking about holding hearings and even defunding other prosecutions of Trump. But Democrats are not engaging this debate nearly as intensively, and appear divided over how to proceed. This is puzzling: The furious GOP defense of Trump is deranged and reckless, and would almost certainly be deeply unpopular—if voters are made to understand it. We talked to veteran Democratic strategist Celinda Lake, who suggested ways the party might find a stronger and more unified posture in this battle going forward. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has limitless potential and presents a multitude of risks. So how do we manage the positives without the negatives. White House Special Advisor on AI Ben Buchanan joins David Rothkopf to share what the White House has been doing to promote beneficial growth in AI and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for June 3, we discuss Mexico electing it’s first woman president, Georgia signing a contentious bill into law, a Chinese spacecraft landing on the far side of the moon, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The other day on CNN, prominent Never Trump lawyer George Conway did something you rarely see in Washington. He dressed down a GOP commentator for lying his ass off about Donald Trump—and then, right on the air, he asked why CNN was paying this Republican to spread lies on Trump’s behalf. We think this episode illustrates a deep problem with the media’s handling of pro-Trump propaganda. So we chatted with Conway about why he unloaded—and in the process, he revealed some interesting things about the network. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following on the heels of a Manhattan jury convicting twice-impeached disgraced former president Donald Trump on 34 felony counts, we sit down with the Washington Post's Jen Rubin and Mike Tomasky of the New Republic and try to figure out what to make of these recent events. One conclusion: Apparently we would be better off if everyone actually read some news every day. We discuss that and much more in a must listen episode. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Heather and Jon talk to James Acton, the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. They delve into the escalating nuclear risks arising from recent events in Ukraine and their potential impact on global security. They also explore the intersection of American interests, European alliances, and the strategic risks associated with the Ukraine war. The discussion highlights the need for risk reduction and the challenges of managing nuclear risks without a cooperative partner. It also addresses the debate around the role of the US in supporting Ukraine and the potential consequences of aggressive actions on nuclear stability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation covers the criminal conviction of former President Donald Trump, the implications of the conviction on the upcoming election, the decision to authorize Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons, the rare direct talks between the US and China, the controversy surrounding Supreme Court justices, and a humorous incident involving a Michigan man during a court hearing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special edition of Siliconsciousness, we have an in-depth conversation with Arati Prabhakar, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. We discuss the current state of the administration-wide effort to adapt to the complex realities of age of Artificial Intelligence. Prabhakar also details evolving objectives and challenges for the effort. A must-listen on a wide range of vital topics. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning journalist and author, Liza Mundy, discusses her latest book 'The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA' and delves into the experiences of women at the CIA, their challenges, and their contributions to the agency. The conversation also explores the complexities of the CIA as an institution and the unique experiences of women within it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito refused to recuse himself from hearing Jan. 6-related cases amid controversy over an upside-down U.S. flag outside Alito’s home that’s associated with Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” effort. Then, on Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts denied Democrats’ demand for a meeting, adding to the imperiousness around the conservative justices and making the Alito scandal look worse. We talked to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, about what he called the “omerta” code for right wing justices—and whether it’s time for hearings into the Alito mess. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation covers a range of topics including the Trump trial, Supreme Court Justice Alito's refusal to recuse himself, the US-built pier in Gaza, Ukrainian drone strikes, and the South African elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump recently said he’s “looking at” imposing restrictions on contraception if he is elected president, and even promised a concrete policy. Then he quickly walked it back. But certain constituencies on the right have not given up—far from it. We chatted with Politico reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein, co-author of a great new piece detailing the blueprint that Trump’s MAGA allies are developing for him to restrict birth control through executive action, about how far this could get if he regains the White House. It isn’t pretty. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The war in Gaza is horrifying. It is also a war being conducted without a strategy and without a clear end goal in mind by an ally that opposes most core American objectives. Are these people we should be sending more weapons to? If so, on what conditions? What should we be doing differently. Israeli journalist Noga Tarnopolsky, former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas, Georgetown Law Professor Rosa Brooks and Dr. Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute join David Rothkopf for a conversation in search of constructive answers. Don't miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz has just produced an important new book, "The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society" that explores not just the merits but the urgent need to embrace progressive economics as an alternative to the distortionary, inequality-driving and freedom-limiting consequences of neo-liberalism. Ed Luce of the Financial Times and host David Rothkopf engage in an important, wide-ranging discussion with Stiglitz about his book and its relevance to the current political and economic situation in the United States and worldwide. Don't miss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of the DSR Daily Brief, we cover the Israeli airstrike in Rafah, South Africa's upcoming election, North Korea's balloon incident, the criminal trial of Donald Trump, and the controversy surrounding the upside-down American flag at Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily denied special counsel Jack Smith’s latest request for a gag order on Donald Trump’s lie that the FBI was set to use lethal force on Trump at Mar-a-Lago. In keeping with a shady pattern of favoritism to Trump, Cannon said No, but she may feel pressure to grant the gag order later, lest Smith seek her removal. We talked to legal scholar Matthew Seligman, who has done great work road-mapping Trump’s legal travails, about why Cannon’s move may not help Trump in the long run—and why it’s premature to assume he won’t face a federal criminal trial before the election. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the DSR Daily Brief, we cover the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the situation in Ukraine, Donald Trump's legal issues, and a natural disaster in Papua New Guinea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and his media propagandists have been preposterously suggesting the FBI under President Biden was set to use “lethal force” against Trump when it searched Mar-a-Lago. This fabrication was summoned into existence by Fox News and the right wing media. We talked with media reporter Brian Stelter, author of a great new piece on Trump in The New Republic’s “American Fascism” issue, who put all this in its larger context, explaining what the right wing media has become under Trump, and how he will bully non-compliant media outlets if reelected president. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 23, 2023 Norm and Kavita are back this week to discuss the 8-1 ruling in favor of the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement guidelines. From there, they turn their attention to Justice Alito, who earlier in the week wrote a preemptive opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal addressing the ProPublica investigative piece which disclosed his fishing trips with a Billionaire Hedge Fund manger that petitioned the Supreme Court to rule in his favor in his business dealings. Don’t miss it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 26, 2023 The dust is still settling from Yevgeny Prigozhin's march on Moscow that gripped the world and rocked the Kremlin. Many questions remain but one thing is certain. In the wake of Prigozhin's bold if seemingly ill-fated challenge to the authority of Russia's Ministry of Defense, Vladimir Putin is weaker today in the eyes of Russians, Ukrainians and the world. We discuss the consequences of that change with the Washington Post's Shane Harris, former CIA Moscow hand John Sipher, co-host former CIA operations officer Marc Polymeropoulos and co-host David Rothkopf. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two satellites snuggling doesn’t sound so bad, right? The new space race with China, Russia, and the US has led to some interesting new tech with scarier implications than you might expect. David Sanger and Victoria Samson join Jon and Heather to break down the far-reaching consequences of space defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss China staging mock missile strikes on Taiwan, the US announcing new military aid for Ukraine, the dispute over President Biden on the ballot in Ohio, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, Donald Trump tweeted that Vladimir Putin will release Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia, after the election—“for me,” meaning for Trump. In other words, elect Trump president, and Putin will release him. We think this saga gets at a larger story about Trump’s approach to politics and foreign policy. So we talked to Nicholas Grossman, a professor of international relations who writes about Trump’s Putinist inclinations. He explains how Trump may be sabotaging U.S foreign policy to help himself politically, while aligning himself with the world’s autocrats and dictators. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: June 1, 2023 Every day it seems new revelations suggest Donald Trump is in greater legal jeopardy. And, with each new revelation, comes a chorus of accusations and threats from the GOP led by Trump himself that it is time to shut down the Department of Justice and the FBI, time to fire those who are involved in investigating him, time to purge the government of everyone disloyal to the MAGA movement. It is a perilous moment. But where will it lead? We discuss with former FBI special agent Peter Strzok in a wide-ranging, insight-rich conversation you won't want to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jess McHugh joins Marissa to share the compelling true life story of two people who fell in love--one Jewish and one German-- and made it their life’s work to bring Nazis to justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR daily, we cover Nikki Haley’s statement that she will vote for Trump, Israel’s intention to reprimand Irish, Norwegian, and Spanish ambassadors, the Pentagon’s report of a Russian space weapon, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump and MAGA Republicans are floating the crackpot idea that President Biden’s FBI was ready to target Trump with lethal force when it searched Mar-a-Lago. This is based on a wildly absurd reading of FBI policy, but beyond this, we think this saga says something larger about the fascistic politics of Trump and his MAGA allies. We talked to Federico Finchelstein, an expert on fascist movements and author of a new piece in The New Republic’s issue on “American Fascism,” who explains why Trump is best seen as a “wannabe fascist.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: May 31, 2023 America did not choose to blow up the world economy. The lunatic caucus in Congress did not prevail. An experienced president helped strike a deal that preserved critical U.S. programs and priorities. The world can stop thinking we've lost our minds. Or can they? With 2024 looming we discuss whether the trends are encouraging or discouraging or downright frightening both at tome and in terms of U.S. foreign policy. Ed Luce of the Financial Times, Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law Center and host David Rothkopf, do a deep dive...and end up being a little bit optimistic for a change. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR daily we cover Ireland, Norway, and Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state, the US signaling towards ICC sanctions, Rudy Giuliani and Trump allies pleading not guilty, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices