The DSR Network

Despite popular belief, the business community at large is not a fan of the failed businessman president. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld joins David Rothkopf to discuss his recent article on what CEOs really think about Trump and why the former president has few fans in corporate America 

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On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss the latest Supreme Court decisions, the dominance of the French far-right in recent polls, an attempted coup in Bolivia, and more.

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President Biden and Donald Trump are set to hold their first debate, after Trump and his allies spent weeks mocking Biden’s age with doctored videos and dumb jokes about Biden’s supposed plan to rely on performance-enhancing drugs. Is all that agitprop just chum for the MAGA masses, or does it reflect a genuine belief that Biden actually is so deep into his dotage that he can’t possibly be a worthy debate adversary? We talked to veteran reporter Marc Caputo of The Bulwark, who has a good new report on Trump’s debate prep. Caputo is highly illuminating on what the Trump brain trust is really thinking as we head into the first showdown. 

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All eyes have been on Gaza for months, but trouble is brewing on Israel’s northern border. Tensions with Hezbollah and other militant groups are heating up and fears are mounting of a broader regional conflict. Alon Pinkas, Rosa Brooks, and David Sanger join David Rothkopf to break down the likelihood of a wider conflict, what it means for the US/Israel relationship, and more. 

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On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss the big results from Tuesday’s primaries, NATO’s next Secretary General, Ukraine and Moldova’s EU talks, and more. 

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This week, Judge Aileen Cannon gave Donald Trump two more big assists. She agreed to hold a multi-day hearing on the constitutionality of the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith. And she appeared skeptical of Smith’s demand for a gag order on one of Trump’s most deranged attacks on law enforcement yet. We talked to law professor Corey Brettschneider, author of a new book called The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It. He vividly explains how Cannon is enabling Trump to attack the rule of law itself— and the dark antecedents this has in U.S. history. 

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The Supreme Court is about to deliver some monumental verdicts, but some of the most consequential cases in the country have been delayed time and time again. Norm and Kavita are here to break down the biggest cases that are still on the horizon and why some justices keep dragging their feet.

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On the DSR daily for Tuesday, we cover the ICC issuing warrants for two more Russian leaders, Israel’s Supreme Court ruling on Ultra-Orthodox draft, Julian Assange’s guilty plea, and more.

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In recent days, Donald Trump’s spinners have worked hard to build up images of his supposed political invincibility. But what if it’s all smoke and mirrors? In an important new piece, Politico reports that behind the scenes, many Republicans are suddenly feeling quite uncertain about Trump’s chances. We talked to Never Trump conservative Mona Charen, an editor and columnist at The Bulwark who has written shrewdly about the GOP tendency to overestimate Biden’s weaknesses, about what’s really driving these sudden new doubts—and whether the race is really turning in Biden’s favor.

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Former CIA senior intelligence service officer Daniel Hoffman joins Marc Polymeropoulos to reveal the intersection of an amazing spy story, a heartwarming love story, a family’s resilience in overcoming tragedy, and what ultimately matters most in life. Don’t miss this special episode.

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On the DSR daily for Monday, we cover Netanyahu’s seeming rejection of any total ceasefire, an apparent terror attack in Russia’s Dagestan region, US prosecutors recommended action against Boeing, and more.

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At two speeches over the weekend, Donald Trump ramped up the dangerous language about migrants, floating the idea of Ultimate Fighting Championship matches between migrants and native born Americans. This comes as Trump and MAGA are escalating their propaganda tactic of highlighting isolated murders to smear migrants as dangerous criminals. We talked to Brian Beutler, who argues regularly on his Substack that this sort of shameless, degenerate politics is itself a big story, about how the press should cover the Trump-MAGA demonization of migrants as a major scandal in its own right. 

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Original Air Date: July 10, 2023

This week, Michael sits down with Estonia’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Kaimo Kuusk, who has been in the post since 2019. Ambassador Kuusk will soon become the Ambassador to Lithuania, but before he takes his new post, he discusses the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the US decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine and his thoughts on Russia and Putin after the Wagner Group’s mutiny. 

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Original Air Date: July 19, 2023

The US-Israel relationship is in a very difficult place and things may be getting worse. To discuss where we are and where we are going a former senior Israeli diplomat turned highly regarded commentator, Alon Pinkas, joins Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf for a discussion that tries to separate spin and facts from outright lies. Join us. 

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Effective AI legislation requires a revolutionary change in how government officials think. Several members of congress have risen to the challenge, but more is needed. Representative Don Beyer, joins David to share his work to comprehensively address AI in congress and the importance of being informed. 

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 Friday, we cover an Israeli official’s statement that Hamas can’t be destroyed, Justice Gorsuch’s dissenting opinion, the dropped charges against Columbia protesters, and more.

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This week, Donald Trump raged at a Fox News poll finding behind, and lashed out at Fox for featuring a guest who dared criticize him. Trump regularly unloads on Fox when it doesn’t follow his script, which is remarkable, given that Fox is usually committed to deceiving its viewers on his behalf. Both Trump and Fox draw on a long history, in which grift and scams have been deeply intertwined with the American right for over a half century. We talked to journalist Joe Conason, author of a new book called: “The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism,” about the place of the tortured Trump-Fox relationship in that long, ugly story. 

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It’s past time for some real oversight of the Supreme Court. The lack of accountability at the highest court in the land has come into focus, and it’s high time for action. CREW President Noah Bookbinder joins David Rothkopf to talk about this pressing issue, and what can actually be done to fix it.

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On the Thursday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss Hezbollah’s leader threatening Israel and Cyprus, the EU’s first sanctions on Russian gas, Louisiana requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms, and more.

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Any day now, the Supreme Court will rule on Donald Trump’s demand for immunity from prosecution for alleged insurrection-related crimes. Depending on how the court rules, it’s still possible Trump’s trial will begin before the election. But what if the damage is already done? Veteran labor strategist Michael Podhorzer has an important new piece on his Substack arguing that the MAGA-friendy justices and the court have already interfered in the election by delaying the trial to the degree it has—and that this is about to get worse. We talked to Podhorzer about why he thinks the court is pushing our country into a deep crisis. 

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With consequential elections coming up in Britain, France, and the US, monumental change is on the horizon . In a special two-part episode, Clive Priddle and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to forecast the upcoming elections while members will hear from Kori Schake and Rosa Brooks on the most impactful headlines from around the world.

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On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we break down Russia and North Korea’s new strategic partnership, new tensions in the South China Sea, the Boeing CEO’s Senate testimony, and more.

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MAGA deception seems to have gone nuclear. Fox News’s Sean Hannity is floating strange new theories about President Biden’s upcoming debate with Donald Trump. Republicans dishonestly doctored numerous videos to make Biden look befuddled and senile. And we learned that the Sinclair media apparatus is blaring out all that deception to huge audiences. We talked to well-known writer and podcaster Thom Hartmann, author of a New Republic piece, “From the Border to Bump Stocks, the MAGA Lie Machine Is Heating Up,” about whether we’re approaching a point of no return that will make this election like no other. 

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The relationship between the Israeli and US intelligence services is longstanding. Yet the October 7th Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza has presented unique challenges and opportunities on both sides. National Security reporter Shane Harris, just back from Israel, joins Marc to discuss why the US remains Israel’s key intelligence partner.

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The media and journalists are pillars of a healthy democracy, but they’re not infallible. So how do we hold errant media personalities and companies accountable? Norm and Kavita break down this unique issue and pay tribute to one of the greats, Howard Fineman.

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On the Tuesday edition of the DSR daily, we discuss President Biden’s new executive action to protect immigrants, increased spending among NATO allies, a severe heatwave in the US, and more.

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This week, Politico released a new poll with some pretty big surprises: A larger-than-expected percentage of Americans say Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in Manhattan makes them less likely to vote for him. The finding is even more striking among independents. The poll also took the innovative step of trying to gauge how important Trump’s conviction is to voters. And the answer is: Pretty important! We talked to Ankush Khardori, a senior writer for Politico Magazine who oversaw this poll, who walked us through its findings, what they mean, and whether Trump’s pressure on Republicans to protect him from the law will backfire on the GOP in November. 

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On the Monday edition of the DSR daily, we cover Netanyahu disbanding his war cabinet, Putin’s planned trip to North Korea, polling troubles for Donald Trump, and more.

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This week, Dr. Anthony Fauci’s new book comes out, and it contains a disturbing chapter about Donald Trump’s ignorance, explosive rage and megalomania during the coronavirus pandemic. We think this should be covered as a loud, clanging alarm bell about the dangers of a second Trump term. So we talked to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who has written a series of columns on voter amnesia about Trump’s 2020 performance, about the horrors unleashed on the country by his unfitness for the presidency—and why recent events suggest he’s gotten much worse. 

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Original Air Date: July 3, 2023

On this week's episode of the DSR, co-host Marc Polymeropoulos is joined by guest James Lawler, a former CIA operations officer for 25 years and former member of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service where he specialized in the recruitment of foreign spies. Don’t miss their discussion on the Iranian nuclear program and the qualities that make an effective CIA recruiter.

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Original Air Date: June 22, 2023

Few people have offered the kind of insight into Donald Trump than has his niece, psychologist Mary Trump. On this special episode of DSR, we speak to Mary about how she thinks the former president is responding to the legal walls closing in on him, how he would react were he sentenced to prison and how his very first years growing up in Queens may have scarred him and put the country at risk. Don't miss this fascinating, wide-ranging conversation.

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Much of our discussions about nuclear weapons focus on Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, or the Cold War. But what does the current nuclear age really look like? Sarah Scoles joins Heather Williams to discuss her book “Countdown” and share first hand reporting on the scientists who work within the nuclear apparatus of the United States.

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AI affects us all, for better or for worse. But AI has long been used to harass and exploit women in particular. Disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz joins David Rothkopf to share how and why AI has an adversarial relationship with gender and women, and how officials can be doing more to protect us from its malign uses. 

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 June 14, we discuss the latest news from the G7 summit, Putin’s laughable ceasefire demands, the arrival of a US submarine in Cuba, and more. 

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New reports are emerging about Donald Trump’s tightening grip on the GOP, and the upshot is this: It’s crazier and more dangerous than you thought. First we learned that Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson privately schemed over how to sabotage ongoing prosecutions of Trump. Then Trump met with Republicans and reportedly unleashed numerous strange rants, calling the Justice Department “dirty no good bastards” and spinning out a wild tale about Nancy Pelosi’s daughter. We talked with A.B. Stoddard, a columnist at The Bulwark and shrewd observer of GOP politics, and she trenchantly explained why this moment is very much not a drill. 

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It’s go time for the Biden campaign. With only five months to go until Election Day, polls suggest that Biden and Trump are neck and neck. Tara McGowan and Simon Rosenberg join David Rothkopf to share what the Democrats need to do to secure victory in November, and why this month is critical for the future of the race.

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On the DSR daily for Thursday, we cover the US and Ukraine’s expected security agreement, attempts to overturn President Biden’s asylum restrictions, President Miley’s radical overhauls in Argentina, and more. 

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An influential group called the True Texas Project is hosting a conference in July that will actively promote Christian Nationalism and the racist great replacement theory, the Texas Tribune reports. The group, which subscribes to the idea of a “war on white America,” has ties to many Texas GOP officials, the report says, including Senator Ted Cruz and Attorney General Ken Paxton, a major supporter of Donald Trump. We talked to Sarah Posner, author of several books on the religious right, who sheds much-needed light on this ugly tangle far right ideologies—and how they’re being mainstreamed at the highest levels of Republican power. 

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The western world hailed President Zelenskyy as a protector of democracy at the 80th anniversary of Normandy. But will we give Ukraine the support it needs to defend itself? Ivo Daalder, Nate Mook, and Kori Schake join David Rothkopf to illustrate why were are at a critical moment in Ukraine and what the US and the West need to do to win. 

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The US can’t seem to figure out the Middle East. Decades of involvement in the region has had mixed results to say the least. So where did we go wrong? Steven Cook, author of the new book “The End of Ambition” joins David Rothkopf to explain America’s past, present, and future in the Middle East.

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On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss Hamas seeking a ‘complete halt’ in the war in Gaza, Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict, impending announcements from the G7 summit, and more. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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