The DSR Network

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the outrage over ICE killings in Minnesota, the remains of the last Israeli hostage being returned, Trump’s new threats against Canada, and more. 

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The Supreme Court is about to rule on Donald Trump’s tariffs, which lower courts deem illegal. But guess what: Trump himself has badly undermined his own case for them. He’s claimed broad tariff powers by absurdly declaring trade deficits an economic emergency. But he keeps admitting to other rationales for them. In a crazed tirade in Davos, he said he threatened Switzerland with tariffs partly because a female leader’s voice annoyed him. He unleashed a long rant in a letter threatening Brazil with higher tariffs over its treatment of ally Jair Bolsonaro. And in another tirade, he threatened to impose tariffs on European countries opposing his quest to seize Greenland. We talked to MS NOW’s Steve Benen, who identified this pattern in a good piece. We discuss all these threats, the GOP’s complicity with the Mad King’s whims, and what it’ll mean for our country if the high court greenlights such obviously absurd abuses of power. 

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On the DSR Weekly Wrap-up for January 23, we discuss Trump revoking Canada’s invitation to the Board of Peace, the House passing DHS funding despite ICE controversy, an American ‘armada’ heading to Iran, and more. 

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Donald Trump exploded in fury on Thursday at polling and media companies. He raged over “Fake and Fraudulent Polling,” said this should be a “criminal offense,” lashed out at numerous news organizations, and vowed to put a stop to the “Polling SCAM.” He’s plainly talking about The New York Times’s new poll, which finds Trump absolutely flailing on most major issues. He’s 18 points underwater on immigration, a majority of working class voters disapproves of his handling of it, and public opposition to ICE is overwhelming. These are the worst numbers on the issue he’s ever gotten. Trump’s rage is a reminder that he thinks he’s immune to the laws of normal politics. But is he really? We think not. We talked to political theorist Alan Elrod, author of a good piece for Liberal Currents on the extent of Trump’s power. We discuss the meaning of the pro-immigration public backlash, whether normal politics can ever constrain Trump, and how Democrats should prepare for the post-Trump era.

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If Donald Trump is right about one thing, it’s that “we’ve never seen anything like this.” From the disastrous alienation of our NATO allies over Greenland, to his actions in Venezuela and Jack Smith’s congressional testimony against Trump, our political situation is at an all-time low. How do we save our country? How do we fight back against the evils of the Trump regime? Tune in as Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf address the current political situation and our future.

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On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down Trump reaching a deal on Greenland, Trump’s new “Board of Peace”, an internal ICE memo on entering homes without a warrant, and more. 

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Is anybody keeping score of Trump’s foreign policy? Are we tired of winning yet? The administration has unleashed a blitz of colossal news in recent weeks from Greenland to Iran that has been trick to make heads or tails of. Thankfully, our friend Stephen Walt from Harvard University joins David Rothkopf to make sense of what’s been going on and determine whether Trump has a winning or losing record abroad. 

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By now you’ve seen President Trump’s big speech at Davos. The slurring, the confusing of Greenland and Iceland, the nonsense about wind power, and the racist smearing of Somalis before the whole world—it was an unmitigated disaster.  But things got worse when Trump’s propagandists spun it all as a world-historical triumph: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt unleashed an extraordinary stream of obsequious praise, absurdly declaring that “America is back” and that Trump played “leader of the free world.” When reporters savagely noted the Greenland-Iceland confusion, she offered a true knee-slapper of buffoonish damage control. We think it all exposed the scam at the core of MAGA in a fresh way. We talked to Mona Charen, a podcast host at The Bulwark and penetrating critic of Trump’s lawless unfitness. We discuss the brutal criticism of the speech, how this may have killed NATO, why other countries can never trust the U.S. to refrain from electing another Trump, and how it all revealed MAGA’s anti-globalism as a sick scam. 

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Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos left everyone questioning the future of U.S. foreign policy. Trump’s insane rhetoric on Greenland might finally be driving Europe off a cliff in an almost Wile E. Coyote fashion. How do global leaders respond to Trump’s bullying and threats? Is the U.S.-Europe relationship irreversibly damaged? Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce and David Rothkopf breakdown Trump’s lunacy in Davos and the horrifying implications of his foreign policy.

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Increasing power prices are a hot topic in the United States. Last week the Trump administration, eight Democratic governors and five Republican governors announced a plan to protect households in mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states from paying more for electricity because of electricity demand from data centers. Join host David Sandalow as he talks with Peter Fox-Penner, a leading expert on electricity markets, to discuss the causes of power price increases, the role of data centers, the recent bipartisan agreement in the PJM region, 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.

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On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover Trump’s unhinged speech at Davos, the DOJ’s subpoenas of Jacob Frey and Tim Walz, the Supreme Court weighing Trump’s efforts to fire Lisa Cook, and more. 

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Over the weekend, President Trump sent a deranged text to Norway’s prime minister linking his failure to win the Nobel Peace prize to the possibility of taking Greenland by military force. That wasn’t a one-off: Trump said something similar in rambling remarks on Tuesday. Trump’s lunacy is prompting a medical expert to sound the alarm: He notes that Trump’s conduct should “trigger a bipartisan congressional inquiry into presidential fitness.” That was amplified by a Danish politician, who called Trump “mad and erratic.” So how is all this madness perceived by the rest of the world right now? We talked to international relations expert Elizabeth Saunders, who has a great new piece for Foreign Affairs magazine about the future of “primitive anarchy” that Trump is leading us into. She explains the deeper reasons Trump is so unconstrained, how his conduct is seen by other foreign leaders, and why there’s reason to fear that Trump’s designs on Greenland are deadly serious.

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Elon’s Neuralink isn’t the only game in town when it comes to neurotechnology. With a rapidly expanding AI industry, more and more companies are finding ways to analyze data straight from your brain. So what can we do in an age where our thoughts have become commodities and privacy is an increasing rare luxury? Nita Farahany, a leading expert on the ethical and legal implications of emerging technologies, joins David Rothkopf to explore these fascinating questions 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.

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On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down the Justice Department’s probe in to protests in Minnesota, President Sheinbaum’s response to concerns over US military movements, the EU bracing for a potential showdown over Greenland, and more.  

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Last week, President Trump unleashed an angry tirade over anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, threatening to invoke the “INSURRECTION ACT” against “professional agitators and insurrectionists,” i.e., ordinary people. On Friday, Trump seemed to suggest he might not, but he also left the threat very much dangling out there. Indeed, after we recorded this episode, Trump kept raging, seething about jailing Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, sharing tweets about “anti-ICE anarchists,” and exploding about Minnesota politicians supposedly wanting criminals in their state, showing his fury is on full boil. This comes as a devastating New York Times frame-by-frame analysis of Renee Good’s shooting shows very clearly that the shooting was not remotely justified. Making all this still worse, troops are now reportedly mobilizing for possible deployment to Minnesota. We talked to Mother Jones writer Mark Follman, author of a new piece on Trump’s exploitation of crises. We discuss how the Trump-ICE cover story is collapsing, how dangerous invoking the Insurrection Act would be, and what Trump hopes to accomplish by stoking social antagonisms at moments of national trauma.

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On the DSR Weekly Wrap-up for January 16th, we discuss Trump threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy the military to Minneapolis, the Pentagon taking over Stars and Stripes, María Corina Machado giving Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal, and more. 

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After fielding a perfectly legitimate question about ICE abuses on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lost her temper. She smeared the reporter as a “left-wing hack.” She then broadened her indictment to the whole “fake” media. She also angrily ridiculed another journalist for asking why Trump recently “joked” that we shouldn’t have midterm elections. That Leavitt was triggered by questions about ICE again shows the White House is refusing to admit error of any kind. This comes as one new poll has Trump’s disapproval on immigration soaring to 61 percent, and another one finds a majority thinks ICE is making our cities less safe. We talked to Aaron Reichlin Melnick of the American Immigration Council, which has a great new report on Trump’s migrant detention system. We discuss the heartening public rejection of Trump, ICE’s coming explosion in recruitment, and why the refusal to change course means ICE is set to wage a Forever War on the American people. 

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Donald Trump is now threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act to send federal troops to Minneapolis. The public outrage and protests over the killing of Renee Good is testing the limits of Trump’s authoritarianism, yet he continues to double down against his growing negative public perception on both sides of the political spectrum. Would Trump try to suspend elections or declare martial law to maintain power? How do we fight back against this administration’s authoritarian thuggery? Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf discuss the events in Minneapolis and what we must do to stop this violence.

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On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the failure of a war powers resolution in the Senate, Trump threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota, reports of AI errors in ICE recruitment, and more. 

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House Speaker Mike Johnson’s response to growing ICE violence is really something to behold. In one long, rambling answer, he blamed shooting victim Renee Good in every which way, absurdly claiming she’d been “taunting” ICE officers and “impeded” them, while insisting they’d been “very patient.” In another one, he played sleazy little games, claiming the violence represents the “tragic consequences” of ICE facing “too much resistance”—again blaming the victims for violence against them, without a hint of concern about ICE’s conduct. We talked to Sarah Posner, author of several good books on the religious right, who is launching a new podcast next week called “Reign of Error.” We discuss Johnson’s strain of Christianity, how Trump and MAGA fuse religious and secular authoritarianism, and why some leading Evangelicals are now calling on people to pray—not for the victims of Trump-MAGA violence, but rather for Kristi Noem and ICE.

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Trump’s calamitous foreign policy decisions are causing significant ripple effects amongst both the United States’ rivals and allies. It’s not just China anymore - countries everywhere are reevaluating their relationships with the US. Tune in as Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, and David Rothkopf discuss the rise of global de-risking from the US, the economic implications of Trump’s foreign policy, and America’s status as an international leader.

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On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover Trump’s latests demands on Greenland, an impending post-war plan reveal for Gaza, surging demonstrations in Minneapolis against ICE, and more. 

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Donald Trump is going all in on the lunacy that the Minneapolis shooting should prompt a crackdown on the left. He unleashed ugly tirades on this, claiming the protests are “fake” and that officials are investigating their financial backers. He also lied uncontrollably about crime in Minnesota while hinting darkly that the crackdown there will get worse. This comes as a new Quinnpiac poll finds majorities of voters say the ICE shooting is not justified (53-35) and disapprove of ICE enforcement (57-40). Those numbers are even worse for Trump among independents (59-28 and 64-33). And new YouGov poll finds 53 percent say the ICE officer should face charges. We talked to New Republic staff writer Melissa Gira Grant, author of a new piece on the smearing of victim Renee Good. We discuss how Trump has lost the middle of the country over ICE, why his crackdown on the left will fail, and and why new Justice Department resignations over the shooting are so incriminating to Trump and his top advisers. 

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On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss a lawsuit trying to block the surge of ICE officers, they Supreme Court hearing statements regarding anti-trans athlete laws, Trump announcing tariffs on Iranian trade partners, and more. 

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There have been some ugly developments around the horrific killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis by an ICE agent. Donald Trump offered a vile new excuse for the shooting, claiming the victim was “disrespectful” to law enforcement. Meanwhile, a damning Wall Street Journal report finds that since July, there have been 13 examples of federal agents firing into civilian vehicles, with eight people shot and two confirmed dead. What’s more, the report suggests much of this was avoidable. All of that is quite simply a shocking indictment. Yet despite massive anti-ICE protests over the weekend, Trump officials are only being more contemptuous of those angered by the killing. We talked to Tim Dickinson, senior writer at The Contrarian, who attended a protest in Portland. We discuss the utter lack of oversight on law enforcement right now, how Trumpworld sees this as an opening to further antagonize blue America, and why protesters are determined to make something good out of Renee Good’s death. 

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On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the DOJ’s subpoena of Jerome Powell, Trump’s threats against GOP senators who voted for war powers resolution, the latest from the mass protests in Iran, and more. 

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The other day, five Senate Republicans helped pass a measure blocking President Trump’s authority to wage war in Venezuela without Congress. That caused Trump to erupt in a crazed fury. He attacked those Republicans by name, fumed that they had weakened his authority, and raged that “they should never be elected to office again.” He even seethed at their “stupidity.” This comes amid other signs of GOP defiance:  A number of House Republicans backed extending Affordable Care Act subsidies and other measures Trump opposed. Several GOP Senators openly criticized the administration’s handling of the ICE killing in Minneapolis. One slammed Stephen Miller’s comments on Greenland as “stupid.” We talked to Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, who writes well about Trump’s psychoses. We discuss how all this shows Trump’s power isn’t absolute, why he’s so desperate to keep you from realizing that, and why we shouldn’t get psyched out every time he plays tyrant on TV.

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On the DSR Weekly Wrap-up for January 9th, we discuss the showdown between Minnesota officials and the Trump administration, the House passing a 3-year extension of ObamaCare subsidies, the administration considering a plan to pay Greenlanders, and more. 

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On Wednesday, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer brutally murdered Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and other MAGA officials have defended the agent’s action, marking another step in the growing militarization of the agency and disregard for civil rights. Where is the damn accountability when Trump loyalists are out on the streets committing such brutal acts of violence? David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein discuss these tragedies and more.

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Our President opened up the new year with some brand new imperialism. But is it really new, or just a rehash of the greatest hits of America’s expansionist past? With the capture of Maduro and threats against Mexico, Columbia, and Greenland, we're in a dangerous new era. Max Boot and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to break down what recent developments reveal about Trump’s foreign policy, why MAGA may have to exchange isolationism for imperialism, and more. 

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As the scandal around ICE’s killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis gets worse, two leading Democrats—Representatives Eric Swalwell and Daniel Goldman—are set to introduce a new bill reining in ICE. It would end qualified immunity for civil enforcement officers like ICE agents, making it easier for victims of their abuses to sue them or pursue criminal charges against them in court. All this comes as top MAGA figures and leading Republicans have flatly defended the killing in some truly ghoulish displays. This, even as powerful new video analyses from The New York Times and The Washington Post show unequivocally that the shooting was at minimum absolutely unjustified. We talked to Swalwell and Goodman about their new proposal, the need for the state of Minnesota to prosecute the shooter, the folly of expecting the FBI to investigate the killing, and the need to functionally end ICE’s existence over the long term.

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On Wednesday, an ICE agent killed a woman in her vehicle on the streets of Minneapolis. She was reportedly a U.S. citizen. But then President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made their own conduct even more damning by blaming the victim and insisting the officer acted out of legitimate self-defense. The video Trump posted didn’t come close to supporting his claims. Other videos strongly suggested the officer wasn’t at all in a life-threatening situation and that lethal force was in no way justified, and Minnesota officials vehemently backed that up. DHS officials then leaked that the agent had violated use-of-force protocol. We talked to New Republic contributing editor Felipe De La Hoz, who writes well about ICE accountability. We discuss the government’s collapsing cover story, how this saga sheds light on ICE’s larger rogue-agency lawlessness, and what needs to happen to rein in this rogue agency.

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On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover European allies preparing for potential US military action in Greenland, child care funds being frozen in five Democratic-led states, the Wyoming Supreme Court striking down the state’s abortion bans, and more. 

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Last year, Senator Mark Kelly and five other Democrats posted a video with a stark message: Military service members and officials are not obliged to carry out illegal orders. This infuriated Donald Trump, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reprehensibly bringing disciplinary action against him as a retired Navy man. But this is backfiring: Kelly has now offered a striking new response in a second video, and it’s powerful stuff. Kelly speaks emotionally about his family’s commitment to the military and to the country, and absolutely humiliates Trump over his disregard for military service and disdain free speech. Indeed, the attack on Kelly is likely to fail and will continue making Trump look worse. We talked to legal expert Leah Litman, author of the book Lawless, about the Supreme Court. She walks us through the legal ins-and-outs of this dispute, explains why the case against Kelly represents its own abuse of the process, and reflects on how this saga captures Trumpworld’s deeper contempt for public service. 

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On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down Maduro’s not guilty plea in New York, draft agreements for security guarantees for Ukraine, Tim Walz not seeking reelection for Minnesota governor, and more. 

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President Trump just unleashed a wild rant on Truth Social, accusing media figures of deliberately ignoring good news about his worsening tariff disaster because they “hate and disrespect our country.” He added that the tariffs have made us “FAR STRONGER AND MORE RESPECTED THAN EVER BEFORE.” What caught our eye is how this shows Trump running everything, no matter how trivial, through a “strong” versus “weak” frame. He’s vowing to seize Venezuela’s oil after his invasion; he’s threatening many other countries with military action; and he’s even menacing Greenland, a NATO ally. Yet a new poll finds surprisingly low support for his action against Venezuela on multiple fronts. We talked to international relations expert Nicholas Grossman, who argues that Trump has it all backwards: All these blustering fits and threats are a sign of Trump’s personal and political weakness and also are weakening our country’s international standing. We discuss whether that bad poll suggests an opening for Democrats to seize the strong/weak frame from him. 

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On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss the arrival of Nicolas Maduro in New York, Trump’s threats against Greenland, the impending construction of the ‘Triumphal Arch’ in DC, and more. 

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After American forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and brought him to the United States, almost no Republicans spoke out in dissent. But Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene did speak out. In an extended rant, she accused Trump of breaking his promise to avoid military adventurism. She sharply questioned Trump’s commitment to fighting “narco-terrorists.” And she even said straight out that this is a naked bid to take Venezuela’s oil. With other MAGA figures questioning Trump’s interventionism, all this wrecks any sense that Trump’s version of MAGA stands for anything. We talked to Norm Eisen, the publisher of The Contrarian and co-founder of the Democracy Defenders Fund, who has been talking about the invasion as an example of international corruption, just as Greene has. He explains how Greene laid bare MAGA’s corrupt core, why Trump’s illegal invasion is so damaging to international law, and what can be done to try to bring some accountability. 

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Original Air Date 3/13/25

We are currently on the verge of a government shutdown. It’s clear that Donald Trump and his cronies are trying to get away with something, and the cult in the Republican Party is all for it. Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf are here to ask: What the hell is going on? Is there any way to avoid a government closure? Are the Democrats showing any signs of resistance? And is there anything at all to be optimistic about? Tune in to hear all this and more.

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Original air date: October 6, 2025

Things are not okay in the White House. Numerous new national polls show President Trump and the GOP ⁠taking far more blame⁠ for the government shutdown than Democrats. One polling analyst ⁠flatly declared⁠ that the gap has reached double digits. Meanwhile, at a media briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt ⁠twice lost her temper⁠ ⁠under tough questioning⁠. Notably, what angered her was the spectacle of reporters punching holes in the leading White House arguments in the shutdown standoff. Why is this happening, given that many pundits predicted Democrats are in the weaker position? We talked to ⁠Salon’s Amanda Marcotte⁠, a sharp observer of MAGA follies. She explains why the Trump-GOP talking points are failing, why Democrats have fresh incentives to hold firm, and what all this reveals about the deepening fissures in the Trump coalition.

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Original Air Date: 7/3/25

Before we grab a hotdog and head out to the 4th of July fireworks, we have to reflect on the current state of our country and ask ourselves, "is this really what the Founding Fathers would have wanted?" David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein discuss the significance of Independence Day, reflecting on the founding fathers and the current political landscape. They explore the challenges facing democracy today, including corruption, the impact of policies on everyday lives, the role of young voters in shaping the future and more.

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Original air date: July 2, 2025

The Senate ⁠just passed its version⁠ of President Trump’s big budget bill, which will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid to fund huge tax cuts for the rich. In a series of ⁠angry⁠ ⁠tweets⁠, Vice President JD Vance downplayed the Medicaid cuts while saying what really matters is the bill’s massive funding for ICE and migrant detention. It was a revealing moment: Vance basically told MAGA voters not to think too much about their pending loss of health care via Medicaid cuts; instead they should focus on how many migrants the bill will end up jailing and deporting. That scam is integral to getting the Medicaid cuts passed in the first place. But what will voters think? We talked to Kristen Crowell, who is campaigning against the bill for the advocacy group Fair Share America. She explains how Trump voters and other constituencies are reacting to the bill in many communities with anger and fear; why the public is not receptive right now to typical GOP attacks on the safety net; and whether this can be converted into midterm gains for Democrats. 

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Original Air Date: 6/13/25

In case you missed it, things are still not great here in the United States. Thankfully, we have Ed Luce joining David Rothkopf to break down this administration’s current actions. What does the militarization of law enforcement mean for civil liberties? How are governors like Gavin Newsom stepping up? Find out right here. 

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Original air date: July 30, 2025

You’ve probably heard that President Trump and the European Union have reached a ⁠big trade deal⁠. This is being widely portrayed as a “win” for Trump and a big humiliation for the EU. But it’s not at all clear what we gain as a country from this deal. Surely the phrase “Trump won” has to mean more than, “Trump gets to claim a personal victory and the media is required to play along,” right? We talked to economist Paul Krugman, who has a ⁠great new piece⁠ on ⁠his Substack⁠ casting a lot of much-needed skepticism on the deal. Krugman explains in extensive detail what a sham it is: He argues that Europe’s concessions are fake, that the deal won’t spur a lot more manufacturing in the U.S., and that its burden will fall heavily on MAGA, making it a “scam on his voters.” Krugman also discusses why the media seems incapable of reporting clearly and accurately on the magnitude of Trump’s incompetence and delusions. 

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Original Air Date: 6/25/25

When it comes to foreign policy news this week, our cup runneth over. Between the confusing narratives surround the US strikes on Iran and a strangely successful NATO summit in The Hague, the administration has had its hands full. Thankfully, David Rothkopf is joined by Gen. Doug Lute, Marc Polymeropoulos, Kori Schake, and Rosa Brooks to make sense of the news and help us understand what comes next. 

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Original air date: September 17, 2025

President Trump seems even more angry at the media than usual. His lawyers ⁠just filed a lawsuit⁠ against The New York Times that First Amendment lawyers are ⁠dismissing⁠ as a total joke. The suit, however, is also chock full of angry rants that appeared dictated by Trump himself. And he announced it with a ⁠Truth Social tirade⁠ that boiled with fury. Meanwhile, Trump himself snapped directly at reporters in strange ways, ⁠hitting one with a bizarre threat⁠ and engaging in a ⁠bizarre dominance display⁠ over the other. This comes as a ⁠new poll⁠ from the Economist reveals shockingly low support for Trump among independents, a key metric for gauging political strength—or weakness. We talked to Paul Waldman, who ⁠recently argued⁠ on his Substack, ⁠The Cross Section⁠, that Trump’s powers of persuasion are failing him. We discuss how Trump both despises and relies on the media, the real reasons for his mounting anger, and how it’s all revealing big cracks in his authoritarian project. 

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Original Air Date 4/2/25

It’s Liberation Day in America according to the administration, but what exactly are we being liberated from? The police state is growing, democratic institutions are being eroded, and we’re about to enter a destructive era of tariffs. What’s not to love? Rosa Brooks and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to break down the latest. 

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Original air date: October 14, 2025

President Trump’s allies are suddenly raging over the October 18th “No Kings” protests. MAGA Mike Johnson and ⁠MAGA-fied⁠ Representative Steve Scalise are ⁠angrily sliming expected attendees⁠ as ⁠America-haters⁠, antifa, Marxists, and terrorists. Other GOP figures have ⁠done the same⁠, with ⁠one hinting⁠ that the National Guard should crack down on them. This unanimity of messaging about terrorists means it’s all almost certainly being coordinated by Stephen Miller. Yet it’s backfiring: Democrats and rally organizers are ⁠using it to galvanize attendance⁠, which will likely succeed. Robert De Niro ⁠amplified⁠ the call to turn out, inspiring ⁠more anger⁠ on Fox News. Indeed, the GOP demonization of legitimate protests itself ratifies the “No Kings” message. We talked to Jill Lawrence, who ⁠writes well for The Bulwark⁠ on Trump’s hatred of blue America. We discuss why large legitimate protests infuriate Trump-MAGA, why the correct response to their smears is to turn out in force, and why that’s likely to happen. 

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Original Air Date: 10/1/25

Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth held a part-pep rally, part-declaration of war on the U.S. Constitution in Quantico on Tuesday. Former Lieutenant Generals Doug Lute and Mark Hertling join David Rothkopf and Ed Luce to discuss Trump’s speech in Quantico, America’s security posture under this administration, and more.

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Original air date: September 5, 2025

At a Senate hearing on Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. got massacred by harsh questioning from Democrats and Republicans. They ⁠called out⁠ his anti-vax views and ⁠condemned⁠ his decapitation of our public health system. But Matt Gertz of Media Matters ⁠noticed something funny⁠: Fox News’ coverage bent over backward to portray him as pro-vaccine, as someone working to make vaccines available to Americans, not trying to restrict them. We think that reveals just how shaky President Trump’s political position has become amid RFK’s reign of destruction. Fox accidentally demonstrated just how deeply split Republicans are over this ongoing anti-vax fiasco—and how desperate Trump’s propagandists are to cover up the truth about it. In this segment, Gertz relates more of the evasions he saw on Fox, explains how Fox is struggling to navigate many conflicting currents inside MAGA, and predicts RFK’s lunacy is hurtling us toward a much bigger reckoning.

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