The DSR Network

On Thursday, JD Vance delivered a speech designed to reset the political battle over President Trump’s abysmally unpopular budget bill. But Vance’s speech devolved into a series of rants that seemed to ape Trump’s style. Vance lied about the bill’s health care cuts and dissembled wildly about its expected impact on rural hospitals—both times smearing undocumented immigrants with vile Trumpian dishonesty. He also baselessly attacked a nonpartisan agency whose analysis displeased him. All this comes as news outlets in many states are showing that people deep in MAGA country know they’re set to get royally screwed. Vance’s scamming of Trump voters here was extraordinary. But Democrats have work to do. We talked to Michael Linden, an economist and Democratic strategist organizing against the bill. He dissects Vance’s lies about it, explains how badly it will shaft Trump voters and the working class, and discusses how Democrats can keep the focus on it through Election Day 2026.

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On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the Texas House passing its controversial redistricting plan, the US and EU’s recent trade framework, a ridiculous plan to paint the border wall, and more. 

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Stephen Miller exploded in a long, unhinged rant about demonstrators who are protesting President Trump’s military occupation of Washington, D.C. It was classic authoritarian agitprop, attacking demonstrators as “communists” who are secretly trying to make the city more dangerous to its salt-of-the-earth working class residents. Ominously flanked by the Defense Secretary and members of the military, he threatened to respond with more troops. But we think this is really an expression of weakness. Trump and Miller were certain that a latent majority is prepared to rally to authoritarian rule. But poll after poll shows voters rebelling. Miller’s hubris has become a major weakness. We talked to New Republic staff writer Monica Potts, author of a great new piece analyzing Trump’s long-term game plan. She explains how Trump is consolidating power right before eyes, why Democrats need to stop calling this a “distraction,” and how the opposition should proceed, secure in the knowledge that the public is not with Trump.

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There has been a diplomatic flurry around Ukraine in recent days, yet the theme of progress has been hollow words and flip-flopping. Is the White House serious about peace, or is this all just a photo op? Amb. Doug Lute, Max Boot, Andrea Kendall-Taylor, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to get to the bottom of this diplomacy blitz and put the kibosh on hopes for real peace anytime soon. 

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On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the US and NATO considering security options for Ukraine, Israeli approval of a new settlement project in the West Bank, GOP-imposed surveillance on Texas Democrats, and more.

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On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt seethed at the media for well over a minute for not acknowledging President Trump’s world historical peacemaking efforts or his smashing successes in the Russia-Ukraine talks, even though there haven’t been any such successes. And she offered a wildly absurd explanation for why European leaders rushed to Washington, D.C. (to prevent the U.S. from selling out Ukraine to Vladimir Putin). This comes as a snew Reuters poll finds Trump’s approval rating down to a new low of 40 percent. That’s fueled partly by Russia-Ukraine: A striking 54 percent of Americans say Trump is too aligned with Putin. We talked to international relations expert Nicholas Grossman. He explains how Leavitt’s spin and European angst show that incredibly high stakes matters are now being dictated by an unnerving combination of Trumpian megalomania, his genuine desire for a future world marked by a weak western alliance and strong autocracies, and his utter indifference to the U.S. public’s apparent rejection of that vision. 

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President Trump met with Vladimir Putin and listened to him warn against mail-in voting. Then, Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders visited the White House as a united front in an attempt to gauge their transatlantic ally and secure peace. Meanwhile, the National Guard continues to loiter around D.C.’s tourist areas, not to stop crime but to display a show of force and distract American voters. What is the root of Trump’s admiration for Putin? Why is D.C. at the center of national media coverage? And how is this administration attacking election integrity beneath the surface? Tune in as Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf discuss all of this and more.

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Well Volodymyr Zelensky may have worn a suit to the White House this time around, but he still didn’t quite get the results he wanted. The US President had little to offer beyond empty promises, even with the presence of numerous European leaders. Professor Angela Stent and General Mark Hertling join David Rothkopf to share why, despite appearances, this meeting might have been even worse than the last for Ukraine. 

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On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss the meeting between Zelensky and Trump in Washington, Texas Democrats ending their walkout protest, discussions for the government to take 10% stake in Intel, and more. 

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Member Air Date: August 12, 2025

The world’s view on Israel has shifted dramatically in the aftermath of October 7th and the invasion of Gaza. There are stark disconnects between the government and average Israelis, and the American Jewish community is undergoing profound changes. J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami and Senior Vice President Ilan Goldenberg join David Rothkopf to explore these complex relationships and what they can tell us about the future of Israel.

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On Monday, President Trump unleashed a tortured Truth Social rant that lied relentlessly about vote-by-mail—and announced a forthcoming executive order that would end mail voting entirely. That’s not legal, of course. But nothing, no matter how absurd, can be ruled out these days. Trump’s eruption also revealed a bigger set of intentions: To abuse presidential power in every conceivable way he can to swing the midterm elections against Democrats. This comes as Trump’s scheme to get Texas to gerrymander five extra GOP seats is gaining steam. We talked to David Daley, the great analyst of right-wing election subversion, whose latest book is called “Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right’s 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections.” He explains how Trump will try to help the GOP cheat its way through the midterms, why it might work, and what Democrats must do in response—in this election cycle and, importantly, beyond.

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On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover the imminent White House Ukraine meeting, mass protests in Israel, Trump’s targeting of mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections, and more.  

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With President Trump’s crackdown intensifying in Washington, D.C., he lashed out angrily at the media for describing him as a “dictator.” In this same rant, he did not reassure D.C. residents and exaggerated wildly about crime there, suggesting people should thank him for his efforts. As observers noted, Trump clearly meant people should mute criticism of his militarization of cities simply because he claims they’re needed to reassert control. We talked to legal commentator Joyce Vance, who writes well about this on her Civil Discourse Substack and is author of the new book Giving Up Is Unforgiveable. She explains how Trump’s use of manufactured pretexts is worsening on many fronts, why this itself is an alarming threat to self rule, and how the opposition should respond, noting it’s imperative for disengaged voters to “wake up.” This episode was recorded before Trump and D.C. reached an agreement limiting his control over the D.C. police, but the specifics remain unresolved, his use of the National Guard continues, and his broader threat to other cities has darkened. 

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On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for August 15, we discuss the HHS reviving a vaccine skeptical task force, Gavin Newsom’s controversial plan to redraw congressional maps, the appointment of DEA head Terry Cole as DC’s emergency police commissioner, and more. 

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The Trump administration is trying to rewrite history, again, on the 2106 elections. After numerous investigations into election interference, the political narratives have completely distorted reality. Renee DiResta joins David Rothkopf to cut through the bullshit and give an honest appraisal of 2016 and why an election from over 8 years ago is still so important. 

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Original air date: July 25, 2025

A new Gallup poll finds that President Trump’s approval has dropped to 37 percent. But the White House has figured out how to get those numbers back up: by picking a huge fight with The View. This week, Joy Behar unleashed a striking takedown of Trump, mocking him mercilessly for being jealous of Barack Obama. This enraged the White House, which responded with name-calling and a veiled threat. Which got us thinking: Doesn’t the logic of the situation dictate that Trump’s authoritarian threats will of necessity escalate? We talked about all this with Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, a good decoder of MAGA’s cultural hatreds. We discuss why Behar’s broadside was so perfectly aimed at Trump’s soft underbelly, why Trump’s only way forward may be more arrests, and how this whole saga shows that Trump thought the culture was moving his way—but it’s not, driving him into a fury.

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As if Trump’s authoritarian transgressions weren’t already blatant, the President has now deployed National Guard troops to “protect” our nation’s capital - but we know these actions are politically motivated. Why haven’t media pundits treated this actions as existential threats to our democracy? Why is a Subway sandwich-wielding protestor treated more harshly than January 6th protestors? And what is going on with Laura Loomer and Arby’s? Tune in to this week’s edition of Words Matter as David Rothkopf and Norm Ornstein tackle all of this and more.

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On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down Israel’s new settlement plans, Trump’s intentions to extend federal control over DC, a ruling allowing the administration to continue withholding foreign aid, and more. 

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Original air date: July 23, 2025

In the last few days, we seem to have crossed a threshold. President Trump is ratcheting up the authoritarianism and threatening to prosecute his enemies in a new kind of way. In a series of angry new rants, Trump accused Barack Obama and other members of Obama’s administration of serious crimes. He’s also calling for Senator Adam Schiff to be put in “prison.” Critically, all this has been accompanied by unabashedly corrupt manipulation of the bureaucracy that’s designed to manufacture pretexts for the prosecutions of those enemies. Ryan Enos, a professor of government at Harvard, put it very starkly on Bluesky, saying that authoritarianism is “right here in front of us.” So we invited Enos on the show. He explains why “we’re in real trouble in the short term,” how Trump compares to other authoritarians around the globe, and why our only choices now are to fight the takeover or “accept that this is our future.”

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President Trump and President Putin’s Alaska summit is on the horizon and we couldn’t be less excited. Without a spot for Ukraine at the table and a 1-on-1 meeting between the two presidents on the docket, there’s not really much to be hopeful for. Amb. Ivo Daalder, Professor Rosa Brooks, and Professor Angela Stent join David Rothkopf to forecast the storm clouds ahead for the meeting and why we shouldn’t count on a blockbuster peace deal any time soon.  

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On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the upcoming Trump-Putin summit, Israel’s potential resettlement of Palestinians to South Sudan, the White House calls for a review of Smithsonian museums, and more. 

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Original air date: July 15, 2025

The MAGA movement has been in full meltdown ever since President Trump’s Department of Justice concluded they have no evidence that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a client list or was murdered in jail. This contradicted a major MAGA conspiracy theory, and MAGA influencers are screaming cover-up. Tucker Carlson just ratcheted this all up by attacking Trump: He faulted Trump’s government for failing to take questions about the matter seriously. In another heresy, Carlson even criticized Trump himself for brushing off MAGA’s anger over it. Carlson’s broadside has some Republicans quietly grappling with why he is so successfully capturing MAGA anger about the Epstein fiasco. We talked to historian Nicole Hemmer, author of several major books about the right and its media networks. She expertly decodes the MAGA pathologies animating the Epstein drama, digs into their deeper sources on the right, and explains what it all says about today’s Trumpified political world.

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On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down Trump’s takeover of Washington, the US and China extending their tariff truce another 90 days, Trump’s new conservative Bureau of Labor Statistics nominee, and more. 

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Original air date: July 11, 2025

Stephen Miller recently berated ICE officials in a private meeting, demanding that they hit supercharged new arrest quotas and steamrolling anyone who balked, reports The Atlantic. Yet in a surprise twist, the report also details that Miller’s demands for maximum arrests are driving morale at ICE into the crapper. Importantly, what’s irking ICE agents is precisely that the mission of arresting as many low-level offenders as possible is pulling them away from pursuing serious criminals. This brutally unmasks one of Trump’s biggest scams: It demonstrates clearly that his mass deportations are not at all about public safety and are only about getting as many peaceful and noncriminal immigrants out of the country as possible. We talked to one of our favorite observers on this issue, FWD.us president Todd Schulte. He explains how all this reveals the soft underbelly of Trump’s political strength, why MAGA is now addicted vile memes about shackling immigrants, and what ordinary people can do to effectively resist the coming horrors.

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Original air date: July 10, 2025

It appears to be dawning on President Trump that he will not be ending the Russia-Ukraine war in one day as he promised during the campaign. Trump’s frustration at Vladimir Putin is rising: This week he accused Putin of hitting him with “bullshit” and even admitted Putin’s word to him is “meaningless.” This comes as it’s now being reported that Putin is escalating the war against Ukraine and that he’s brushing aside Trump’s anger about it. Add it all up, and Trump is plainly humiliated, realizing that Putin is laughing off his demand for “peace.” We talked to Mona Charen, policy editor at The Bulwark, who writes well about the Trumpified GOP’s embrace of Putin. She explains how Putin has long played Trump, why Putin feels free to humiliate him, and what the various scenarios ahead look like.

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On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss President Trump threatening to deploy the National Guard to DC, a strange deal between the government and NVIDIA and AMD, a deadly strike on journalists in Gaza, and more. 

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On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for August 8, we discuss Israeli plans to take Gaza City, the Trump admin requiring universities submit data on students’ race, a US plan to disarm Hezbollah, and more. 

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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 United States; 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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“Thank God for South Park.” Words Matter is back for another weekly edition of political therapy with Dr. Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf. Tune in as Norm and David discuss the current administration’s attacks on education, their ever-increasing political abuses, and how South Park is doing a better job than the Democratic party at laying bare the horrors of this administration.

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On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss the new 100% tariff on imported computer chips, Tulsi Gabbard declassifying documents despite CIA objections, Trump’s threats to send the National Guard to DC, and more. 

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Original air date: June 2, 2025

Ming Li Hui, who goes by the name of “Carol,” has lived for 20 years in the town of Kennett, Missouri, after coming here from Hong Kong. She has been raising a family there and works as a waitress—and as The New York Times reports in a piece featuring quotes from Carol and many locals, she’s well-liked in the community. But Carol was recently arrested and now faces potential deportation. This has shocked and dismayed many of the town’s residents, even though the area went overwhelmingly for Trump. Carol talked to us on the podcast straight from jail, where she is awaiting her fate. At times the conversation was difficult: She broke down in tears about her ordeal, was emotionally overwhelmed at the support she’s received from the Trump-backing town, and offers wrenching thoughts about Trump’s effort to deport countless others just like her.

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Trump is turning up the heat on Russia — or is he? Trump has had some harsh words and severe threats for Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine, but we don’t know what the President will really do when push comes to shove. Max Boot and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to cut through the bluster to see what this new rhetoric really means for Ukraine. 

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On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Vladimir Putin, Gov. Abbott’s attempt to expel the House Democratic leader in Texas, a Trump admin strategy meeting to discuss strategy around the Epstein files, and more. 

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On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover Netanyahu’s plans to fully occupy Gaza, the State Department’s program to require bonds for some visa applicants, the ongoing showdown in Texas, and more. 

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On the DSR Daily for Monday we discuss the showdown over redistricting in Texas, the White House firing the BLS commissioner, Trump’s India threats, and more. 

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On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for August 1, we break down Trump’s new slate of tariffs, turmoil in Gaza, the administration’s waffling on Russia, and more. 

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On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered one of her most obsequious, fawning tirades about President Trump yet. She credited him with single-handedly resolving a half dozen major geopolitical conflicts around the world, and angrily asserted that it’s high time Trump is granted the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s no accident that this came amid new polling evidence that Trump’s coalition is falling apart in a freshly dangerous way for him, as documented in a great new piece by New Republic senior editor Alex Shephard. In today’s episode, Shephard explains how the numbers show key constituencies getting away from him. We discuss all the ways Leavitt’s North Korea-style propaganda actually works against Trump by reinforcing the emperor-has-no-clothes vibe around him, why the press is reluctant to tell the truth about his unpopularity, how Democrats need to stop treating him as if he’s invincible, and what that should look like.

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On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss Canada joining the UK and France in a push to recognize a Palestinian state, a so-called trade deal with South Korea, Kamala Harris choosing not to run for governor of California, and more. 

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President Donald Trump has been raging at Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell for weeks, demanding that he cut interest rates. But on Wednesday, the Fed declined—and worse for Trump, Powell delivered a blunt assessment of his tariffs, claiming they are “pushing up prices,” and that “near-term measures of inflation expectations have moved up.” Given that this comes right when more of Trump’s tariffs are set to take effect on August 1, and given that Powell is directly defying Trump’s fury, that amounts to a harsh blow for the president. Indeed, Trump is also venting his fury at various GOP senators for not doing his bidding. On top of all that, two new polls show his approval rating down to an abysmal 40 percent, with one finding his approval on the economy even lower. We talked to MSNBC.com columnist James Downie, author of a new piece on Democrats and the midterm elections. We discuss why Trump is weaker politically than he looks, why various dynamics look poised to make that worse, and why it’s high time for Democrats to start acting like it.

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The conditions in Gaza are hellish, and they are about to get much worse. Thousands more Palestinians are at risk of dying from famine all while the Israeli government makes plans to annex more of the territory. Refugees International President Jeremy Konyndyk joins Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, Kori Schake, and David Rothkopf to shine a light on the horrifying crisis underway in Gaza. 

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US Intelligence and the CIA have undergone radical changes in the 21st century. From the War on Terror to the turmoils of the Trump era, intelligence has shifted dramatically in both its structure and mission. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Tim Weiner joins David Rothkopf to discuss his new book, The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century and why the intelligence community is adrift under the current administration.

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On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss the UK’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, a massive earthquake hitting off Russia’s Far East, the confirmation of Emil Bove, and more. 

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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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The Trump administration has released its AI Action Plan, and it is a mixed bag to say the least. Even with the plan, there are still core concerns about the role of governance in AI. Georgetown’s Michelle De Mooy joins David Rothkopf to discuss the implications of deregulation, the tug of war between federal and state regulations, the challenges of IP in the age of 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.

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On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we cover warnings of an impending famine in Gaza, the US and China resuming trade talks, Harvard contemplating capitulation to the Trump administration, and more. 

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President Trump just offered some bizarre new ramblings about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. But he undermined himself: He claimed to know about elite Democrats and liberals who had visited Epstein. But that just raises the question that won’t go away: If this is what the Epstein files would reveal, then why isn’t Trump ordering their release? Every time Trump says such things, he wrecks his own Big Lie: That the Epstein scandal is a Democratic hoax that actually implicates Democrats even as he won’t release the files. Meanwhile, Elon Musk just endorsed the idea that Trump might try to pardon Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for exoneration. Musk knows Trump’s machinations here are a major point of weakness. We talked to Jennifer Rubin, editor-in-chief of The Contrarian, who has a good new piece laying out why Trump should be panicking over this scandal. We discuss the absurdity of Trump’s biggest Epstein deceptions, why they’re unsustainable for Trump, and why it all underscores the urgency of a Democratic victory in 2026.

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On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the EU/US trade deal, the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, Democrats’ plan to combat Texas redistricting, and more. 

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President Trump is now suggesting he may pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, the accomplice to Jeffrey Epstein who’s serving time for sex trafficking. Trump told reporters: “I’m allowed to do it.” He dispatched Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to solicit testimony from Maxwell, ostensibly to gain new insight into Epstein’s activities. But in today’s episode, lawyer Philip Rotner, author of a new piece for The Bulwark on the Maxwell angle, suggests that the move by Blanche—previously Trump’s personal lawyer—is itself extremely dodgy and appears motivated by a desire to protect Trump. Rotner explains why it’s plausible Blanche hopes to get Maxwell to exonerate Trump, which Trump could then reward with a pardon.  It’s hard to overstate how humiliating all this is for MAGA: After demanding the “Epstein files” for years, they got their people in at the Justice Department—and now they’re taking new steps to cover it all up. While some in MAGA are telling themselves that Maxwell will finally reveal the whole truth, that only makes them look even more absurd. Rotner unpacks the latest developments and explains why it’s all a “sham.” 

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On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for July 25, we discuss President Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, Tulsi Gabbard’s public accusations against Obama-era officials, conflict in Thailand and Cambodia, and more. 

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A new Gallup poll finds that President Trump’s approval has dropped to 37 percent. But the White House has figured out how to get those numbers back up: By picking a huge fight with “The View.” This week, Joy Behar unleashed a striking takedown of Trump, mocking him mercilessly for being jealous of Barack Obama. This enraged the White House, which responded with name calling—and a veiled threat. Which got us thinking: Doesn’t the logic of the situation dictate that Trump’s authoritarian threats will of necessity escalate? We talked about all this with Salon’s Amanda Marcotte, a skilled decoder of MAGA’s cultural hatreds. We discuss why Behar’s broadside was so perfectly aimed at Trump’s soft underbelly, why Trump’s only way forward may be more arrests, and how this whole saga shows that Trump thought the culture was moving his way—but it’s not, driving him into a fury. 

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