The DSR Network

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

Former CIA case officer and operational manager Ed Bogan returns to the show to discuss the 20-year Global War on Terrorism, including the camaraderie and dedication of CTC personnel, the painful withdrawal from Afghanistan, what keeps him up at night regarding today’s terrorist threats, and the power of working with liaison. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Kama Harris's incredible fundraising, the election in Venezuela, Trump's declaration that when he is president again no one will have to vote, and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump took his authoritarian threats in a dark new direction during two new public appearances. He suggested our next election might be our last, reiterated in advance that the election will be rigged against him, and admitted all the post-assassination “unity” talk was nonsense, openly declaring: “Maybe I’ve gotten worse.” We talked to Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the “Lucid” newsletter and the book “Strongmen,” who helps illuminate how Trump’s form of politics requires keeping his followers in a frenzy of excitement about what the authoritarian leader plans to inflict on their imagined enemies. Listen to this episode here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 24, 2023

The Republican party is not sending their best. With the 2024 election cycle ramping up, Norm and guest host Mary Trump break down the lackluster field of Republican candidates and the issues propelling their narratives. Also on the table are Trump’s latest legal woes. What effect could they have in 2024, and why are people upset about the January 6th indictment? Join us and find out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: July 12, 2023

As the NATO summit in Vilnius comes to a close, the United States, France, UK, and Turkey have all taken bold stances with regards to expanding NATO membership and the war in Ukraine. Rosa Brooks fills in for David this week as Kori Schake and Edward Luce break down the latest revelations from the summit, dive into Biden’s performance in the UK and post-summit remarks, and discuss Ed’s recent piece on the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action decision.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The current nuclear landscape is, in a word, dire. From Russian nuclear rattling in Ukraine to China’s expanding arsenal, nuclear proliferation could spell disaster for today’s security environment. Today, Amy Nelson, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, joins Heather to discuss arms control, nuclear futures, and a recent piece she authored in Foreign Affairs covering China's nuclear arsenal. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover President Joe Biden's meeting with Netanyahu, Gavin Newsom and his handling of the homelessness crisis in California, attacks on transportation at the start of the Paris Olympics, and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, Donald Trump and MAGA media figures have ramped up the attacks on Kamala Harris’s laugh, her personality, and her temperament. That’s vile stuff, but MAGA’s strategy also suggests an inability to entertain a remarkable possibility: What if Harris’s laugh and energy are actually well suited to this moment in American politics? Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, co-founder of the progressive strategy group Way to Win, has been advising Democrats to respond aggressively to racist and sexist attacks on Harris. We talked to Ancona about whether Harris’s temperament might prove to be kryptonite to MAGA’s negativity and hate.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris’s campaign has been an adrenaline shot in the arms of Democrats. With astonishing amounts of money being raised and a wave of enthusiasm that has been sorely lacking, the Dems are ready to take the fight to Trump in November. EJ Dionne and Jennifer Rubin join David Rothkopf to break down Harris’s incredible momentum and more. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover President Joe Biden's address from the Oval Office amidst his decision to not seek reelection, Netanyahu's address to Congress, Robert Kennedy Jr.'s fizzling campaign for president, relations between Russia and India, and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A vile quote from J.D. Vance just surfaced in which he described Kamala Harris and other Democratic leaders as “childless cat ladies,” and spun out a whole theory based on this absurdity. Then Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sharply dressed down Vance for poking his nose into other people’s family decisions. With this response, Buttigieg showed that Vance has invited a much larger national conversation—one that won’t help Vance and Donald Trump. We talked to Melissa Gira Grant, a staff writer at The New Republic who closely tracks Vance’s ideas, for help in illuminating what this saga tells us about the New Right’s tortured views on gender, natalism and nationalism. Listen to this episode here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netanyahu’s much dreaded speech before Congress has come and gone. So what happened? Rosa Brooks, Alon Pinkas, David Sanger, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to discuss the key takeaways from the speech and why a Harris presidency could shake-up the US/Israel relationship.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just days after Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Kamala Harris for president, we are beginning to see the first signs of a new and reinvigorated Democratic campaign. On today's episode, Norm and Kavita are back to discuss the Harris v. Trump presidential race and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the Trump campaign's increasing regret over their VP pick, Republican leaders urging colleagues to steer clear of racist and sexist attacks on Harris, Palestinian groups ending divisions by signing an agreement in China, and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Vice President Harris securing enough delegates for party nomination, the House's hearing of Secret Service Director Cheatle, the EU addressing consumer fears over Meta's new security policy, and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since President Biden suspended his campaign, Fox News and right wing media have been scrambling madly for an effective attack on Vice President Kamala Harris. They’ve ridiculed her laugh. They’ve mocked her as a product of DEI. They’ve attacked her as too soft on crime and too tough on crime. All of which gets at a larger story: Kamala Harris is very hard for the right to pigeonhole. We talked to Elaina Plott Calabro, a staff writer for The Atlantic who reports trenchantly on Harris’ political career, about why the right’s contortions could prove a major dynamic in the presidential race, and how Harris’s own struggle to find her political identity could now loom large. Listen to this episode here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After weeks of speculation, the unprecedented has finally happened. With Joe Biden officially stepping aside to endorse Kamala Harris for President, an entirely new campaign is now underway. In a special two-part episode, Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg join David Rothkopf to break down the dynamics of this new race, while members gain access to more insight from Rosa Brooks, Ed Luce, and David. You won’t want to miss it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover President Biden's decision to drop out of the presidential race, a spike in Democrat support for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party's nominee, Netanyahu's upcoming visit to the White House, and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At a rally in Michigan over the weekend, Donald Trump uncorked one of his longest rants ever in praise of the world’s autocrats, strongmen and dictators. He hailed Xi Jinping of China as “brilliant” for controlling 1.4 billion people “with an iron fist,” and described Xi, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban as “tough” and “smart.” We talked to Rick Wilson, the prominent Never Trumper and Substacker, about Trump’s explicit campaign promise of authoritarian rule, the GOP’s enthusiastic embrace of it, and the media’s utter failure to alert voters to what’s coming. Listen to this episode here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: August 4, 2023

If you've been watching as much coverage of the indictment as we have, then you're probably more confused than ever. Norm and Kavita are here to make sense of it all, discussing what the indictment really means, how we got to this point, and what it will mean for Trump and the Republicans moving into 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: July 23, 2023

They say you should write what you know. After over thirty years in the intelligence community, Alma Katsu certainly knows a lot. Alma joins Marc and David to share her experiences working in intelligence, tapping her experiences as an author, and the blurring line between fact and fiction in the world of AI. Don’t miss it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The threat of WMDs already keeps us up at night. But what happens when AI makes the development of WMDs faster, easier, and more accessible? Assistant Secretary for the DHS’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Mary Ellen Callahan joins David Rothkopf to discuss this unique, and growing, threat.

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 Trump's closing RNC speech, a drone strike by Yemen's Houthi, a widespread tech meltdown, and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s pod tackles a subject of profound importance: The sheer, inexplicable weirdness of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. There’s Representative Matt Gaetz’s bizarre speech, in which his face was so taut that one Republican derided him as an “AI sex doll.” There are all the ugly “Mass Deportations Now!” signs, the cultish rituals in which attendees treated Trump as their MAGA God King, and much, much more. We talked to Ron Filipkowski, who closely tracks the right wing as the head of Meidas Touch News. He helped us find meaning underneath all the ugliness and insanity. Listen to this episode here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Republican National Convention approaches its end, more calls for Joe Biden to step down from the election have sprung up in the media. What possibilities are there for replacing Biden? And how is the RNC shaping the Trump campaign?

Pete Dominick and Nell Scovell join David Rothkopf to talk potential Democratic heroes and MAGA celebrities - from Kamala Harris and JD Vance to Hulk Hogan and Jon Stewart - and much, much more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices