The DSR Network

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the resignation of the Palestinian Prime Minister, Biden summoning Congressional leaders to avoid a government shutdown, Hungary ratifying Swedish NATO accession, and more.

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

For the first time in months, a pair of new polls has found that election-denier Kari Lake is trailing in the Arizona Senate race to the Democratic candidate, Representative Ruben Gallego. But she remains a MAGA celebrity phenomenon who cannot be counted out, making this race highly unpredictable with Independent Sinema Kyrsten Sinema also in the mix. So we chatted with Gallego about how he hopes to defeat Lake and Sinema, why Democrats should level with voters about the border, and what’s really driving the southwest’s evolution in a Democratic direction.

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

Original Air Date: March 2, 2022

British journalist John Sweeney reports from Ukraine's besieged capital.

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

Original Air Date: February 24, 2022

In the late hours of Wednesday, Vladimir Putin began a war of choice in Ukraine. On Thursday, President Biden detailed a variety of harsh sanctions that the United States, our allies, and partners will place upon Russia for his actions. To make sense of these developments, David Rothkopf spoke with David Sanger of the New York Times, Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Center for a New American Security, and Joe Cirincione of the Quincy Institute. What comes next for Ukraine? Is Putin a rational actor? What more can the United States do to push back? All these questions and more answered on this episode. Don't miss it!

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

In the 21st century, we should all know that putting nukes in space is a bad idea. Yet intelligence reports suggest that Russia is attempting to do just that. What does that actually look like, and what are the implications ranging from bad to worse? Experts Laura Grego and David Sanger join Heather Williams and Jon Wolfsthal to discuss all this and more.

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

The Republican crusade against families continues. The Alabama Supreme Court ruling equating embryos with babies makes clear the fact that they won’t stop any time soon. So what comes next? Norm and Kavita break down the ruling and the political fallout. 

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

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss Netanyahu’s plans for a post-war Gaza, the US sanctioning 500 new Russian targets, a measles outbreak in Florida, and more.

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

Fox News and other right wing media are currently engaged in absurdities that are as bad as anything they’ve attempted in recent memory. They are struggling to spin away everything from the collapse of an informant’s claims about President Biden to the GOP’s killing of a border security deal that Republicans themselves demanded. Yet in a darker sense, right wing media is also flourishing. We talked to Matt Gertz of Media Matters, who helped us unravel the tangled web those sources are weaving.

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

Right-wing Christian extremists want to roll back the clock on your rights. If the Alabama Supreme Court ruling is any indication, they’re succeeding. Legal expert Dahlia Lithwick joins David Rothkopf to discuss the carefully crafted assault on fundamental rights in America, and why the fight isn’t over yet.

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

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the worsening state of Ukraine’s military shortages, NY Attorney General Letitia James threatening to seize Trump’s properties if he doesn’t pay his fraud penalty, Japan’s soaring stock market, and more.

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

It’s the question that won’t die among D.C. elites: Should President Biden step aside so another Democrat can run instead? Democrats have engaged in some remarkably public handwringing about Biden’s age that just won’t let up. One Democrat who has insistently sounded the alarm is veteran strategist David Axelrod. So we invited him on the show, where he allowed that an alternative is unlikely—while explaining how Biden can address the issue and why he’s still the favorite against Donald Trump.

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

The unimaginable human cost of Israel’s invasion of Gaza may be about to rise to unprecedented levels. International organizations agree that a famine is looming as Israel continues to impede foreign aid from entering the area. President of Refugees International Jeremy Konyndyk joins David Rothkopf, Ed Luce, and Rosa Brooks to shed light on the coming crisis, and what can be done to prevent disaster.

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

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the Alabama ruling that says that frozen embryos are children, the US vetoing the security council ceasefire resolution, the EU’s new round of Russia sanctions, and more.

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

This week, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed a new set of maps for legislative districts in the state—an important and overlooked victory that came after a long struggle dating back well over a decade. We talked to Greta Neubauer, the 32-year-old Minority Leader of Wisconsin Assembly Democrats, who explained what Democrats did to prevail, why this was such a significant achievement, and how it shows that reviving democracy is a grueling game of inches.

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

Alexei Navalny’s influence cannot be overstated, and the impact of his death has sent shockwaves across Russia, and around the world. As Putin’s regime grows bolder by the day, we turn to journalist Julia Ioffe at the Munich Security Conference for her insight into Putin’s Russia, and how the country has continued to transform for the worse. 

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

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the US proposing a temporary ceasefire resolution at the UN, Russia withholding the return of Alexei Navalny’s body, Julian Assange’s case returning to court, and more.

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

The stunning news that Donald Trump has been hit by a $355 million penalty in his civil fraud case in New York deals a big blow to his mystique as master of “the deal.” But Justice Arthur Engoron’s ruling also exposes a deeper undercurrent of scamming that Trump has been surfing on for decades and hopes to ride right back into the White House. We chatted with journalist David Cay Johnston, author of a new piece in The New Republic about the ruling, who helped us plumb the depths of the dark ethos of grift that has driven Trump throughout his career.

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

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Trump’s colossal fine in the NY fraud case, the ICJ’s hearings on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, Iran’s warnings to it’s proxies, and more.

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

Original Air Date: 07/08/2022

On this week's episode, we talk about the first, second, ninth, and tenth amendments and for members we talk about disinformation and Twitter. We ground all of our analysis in the words of the Bill of Rights.

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

Original Air Date: 08/17/2023

With yet another indictment against Donald Trump, his 2024 chances have taken another serious blow. David is joined by the host of the Amicus podcast Dahlia Lithwick and political strategist Simon Rosenberg to analyze how the deluge of legal drama will impact the 2024 race and why the Republicans' problems go beyond Trump. Join us.

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

Donald Trump loves to portray fellow NATO members as free-loaders. In reality, NATO is invaluable for the US and has been since its inception. Former US Ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute joins Heather and Jon to shine a light on the enormous, and increasing, importance of NATO to US interests around the world and how the alliance will continue to evolve in the coming years.

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

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the death of Alexei Navalny, VP Harris’s trip to the Munich Security Conference, the latest from Rafah, and more.

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

This week, Donald Trump announced that he wants Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel replaced with a loyalist: Michael Whatley, the head of the North Carolina Republican Party. Behind the jockeying looms a very big story: The Trump-MAGA takeover of the GOP, and the challenges the party faces as it nominates someone facing multiple criminal indictments. We talked to Marc Caputo, a reporter for The Bulwark and author of a great new piece on McDaniel’s ouster, who helped us unravel the mysteries of GOP politics in the MAGA era.

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

The Democrats’ win in the New York special election is yet another example of over performing the polls. So why does this keep happening, and what does it mean for November? Expert Simon Rosenberg is back with David Rothkopf to give us another dose of Hopium and discuss the path forward for a Biden victory.

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

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss world leaders warning Israel against a Rafah offensive, US intelligence on Russia’s space-based nuclear weapon program, the UK and Japan slipping into recessions, and more.

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

Biden needs to win in November. Trump is growing even more unhinged as the election nears, and the danger he represents to America, and the world, grows. Political Strategist Steve Schmidt joins David Rothkopf to break down what the Biden camp needs to do to save democracy come November.

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

Earlier this week, Democrats executed a remarkable 8-point win in a special House election in suburban Long Island, a race that was all about immigration. Republicans ran millions of dollars in ads on the issue, yet Democrat Tom Suozzi prevailed, flipping the seat of disgraced Republican George Santos. What on earth really happened here? We talked to Mike Bocian, the chief Democratic pollster on this race, who offered a fascinating and detailed glimpse into how his party pulled it off.

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

Mike Johnson and the MAGA Republicans are sacrificing Ukraine at the altar of Trump. The Republicans’ use of Ukraine aid as a political tool has worsened an already dire situation, with only Putin and MAGA standing to benefit. On the heels of his trip to Ukraine, Max Boot joins Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, Ed Luce, and David Rothkopf to share his first-hand account of the devastation of Russia’s assault — and the incredible bravery of Ukrainians. 

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

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the Democrat victory in the New York special election, House Republicans impeaching Alejandro Mayorkas, Ukraine’s strike on a Russian warship, and more.

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

On Tuesday, in a decisive 70 to 29 vote, the Senate passed a mammoth bill containing $60 billion for Ukraine’s self defense against Russian aggression, as well as $14 billion for Israel. Yet House Speaker Mike Johnson is vowing that the House won’t vote on the measure, in part because MAGA hard-liners are raging against it. We talked to Democratic Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado about what’s really driving the opposition, how Democrats can try to get around it with a “discharge petition,” and whether there’s a genuine pro-Putin faction in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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

On our Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the Senate passing an aid package for Ukraine and Israel, Estonian reports that Russia is preparing for confrontation with the West, new polling on the Biden document probe, and more.

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

This week, the freakout among Democrats about President Biden reached its shrillest pitch yet, after a special counsel report exonerated Biden but included combustible claims about Biden’s mental capacities. While many Democrats redoubled calls for the party to entertain alternatives to nominating Biden, confusion and disagreement reigns among them about what precisely to take away from this moment. We talked to Brian Beutler, who  regularly criticizes the Democratic Party’s approach to politics on his “Off Message” Substack, to sort through all the noise.

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

Donald Trump will throw Europe to the wolves, and he’s said so himself. The former president has said that he would not defend NATO countries in case of a Russian invasion, shocking our European allies. Yet the story has been little more than a footnote in the US news cycle. Journalist Michael Weiss joins Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf to discuss the profound damage of Trump’s statements and more.

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

On our Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the Israeli strikes on Rafah, Trump’s threats to abandon NATO allies in the case of a Russian attack, post-election strife in Pakistan, and more.

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

Elon Musk has unleashed numerous tweets lately boosting far right personalities and endorsing MAGA tropes holding that migration constitutes a deliberately engineered invasion. He even endorsed a version of “white genocide theory.” Along with his elevation of Tucker Carlson’s interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin, it all amounts to a genuine ideology: Reactionary tech authoritarianism. We discussed this with Gil Duran, author of a New Republic piece called “The Tech Plutocrats Dreaming of a Right Wing San Francisco,” which offers a window into this ugly worldview.

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

Original Air Date: 07/1/22

On this week's episode, we talk about the end of a monumental Supreme Court term and the explosive testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson before the January 6th committee. We ground all of our analysis in the words of Justice Barrett, Cassidy Hutchinson, and Kelly Shackelford.

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

Original Air Date: 3/29/22

The war in Ukraine has extended into its second month. To make sense of how we got to this point and what comes next David Rothkopf speaks with Ed Luce of the Financial Times, Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University, and Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute. Is Macron getting constantly fooled by Putin? How well is the West doing when the Ukrainians continue to fight alone? What impact has the war had on the defense budget moving forward? Find out as we get the original crew back together for a fascinating conversation. Join us!

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

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a Pentagon program is over budget. The Sentinel ICBM program is envisioned as a keystone of the US nuclear triad, but why do we need 400 new missiles? Slate columnist Fred Kaplan and Mackenzie Knight from the Federation of American Scientists join Jon Wolfsthal and Heather Williams to shine a light on the program and why it may, or may not, be necessary. 

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

The Supreme Court is finally hearing Trump’s appeal of the Colorado ruling removing him from the ballot. The decision will be massive, but it is not the only legal challenge on Donald Trump’s plate. Norm and Kavita break down the case before the Court, and the state of Trump’s numerous legal battles.

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

On our Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Tucker Carlson’s interview of Putin, the Special Counsel’s report on Biden’s handling of classified documents, the Supreme Court’s Colorado hearing, and more.

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

With Nikki Haley set to make a last stand of sorts in the South Carolina primary later this month, there’s a hidden reason that Donald Trump has been so dominant throughout the GOP nomination process: White evangelicals. Their support for Trump has held through impeachments, scandals, revelations about sexual assault, multiple serious criminal prosecutions, and even an insurrection attempt. We talked to Sarah Posner, a scholar of the religious right, about Trump’s extraordinary hold on these voters—and why it’s changing the Republican Party in insidious, alarming ways.

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

Democrats need to get serious about winning in 2024, and they need to hit the Republicans hard. Rachel Bitecofer joins David Rothkopf to talk about her new book, “Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts”, and why Democrats need to embrace their status as the standard bearers of democracy and freedom to mobilize voters and beat Republicans at their own game.

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

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Trump’s impending hearing at the Supreme Court, Brazilian police investigating close Bolsonaro allies in a coup probe, Ukrainian solider shortages, and more.

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

In an extraordinary spectacle, virtually all Senate Republicans joined together Wednesday to block a bipartisan bill that would have given Republicans much of what they wanted on border security. Why? Because Donald Trump told them to. We talked to Democratic Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, who conferred with Republicans throughout this process. He opened up about what Republicans said behind closed doors, noting that they privately admitted that this bill was “aligned with their view of what would be useful for securing the border."

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

Congressional Republicans are sacrificing Ukraine for the sake of sticking it to Biden. But failing to provide aid to a key ally would do more than just harm the Biden administration. Kori Schake, Ed Luce, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf for a look at the cost of failure in Ukraine for US global leadership.

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

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the 135 ceasefire proposed by Hamas, Nikki Haley losing to ‘none of these candidates’ in Nevada, the House Republicans’ failure to impeach Mayorkas, and more.

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

On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that Donald Trump is not immune from criminal charges stemming from his effort to steal the 2020 election. With Trump expected to take this to the Supreme Court, how will the timeline of his insurrection-related trial dovetail with the presidential election? We talked to former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade about all the possible scenarios—including one that backfires spectacularly on none other than the Republican Party’s own voters.

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

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the imperiled Ukraine and Border deal, Orban’s Fidesz party boycotting a parliamentary session, Antony Blinken’s Middle East visit, and more.

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

This week, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio declared in an on-air rant that if he had been Trump’s vice president in the run-up to Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states to send Congress multiple slates of electors so lawmakers could “debate” the election’s supposed improprieties. That may sound like typical MAGA bluster, but it has deadly serious ramifications, confirming that Republicans still think Trump’s effort to overturn the election was in some ways a good thing. So what might they attempt next fall? We talked to legal scholar Matthew Seligman, co-author of “How to Steal a Presidential Election,” who road-mapped all the sordid possibilities ahead.

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

The Israel-Hamas conflict has wreaked havoc on civilians in Gaza, but the worst may be yet to come. As international watchdogs warn of potential famine and disease outbreaks, what can the US do to prevent disaster? Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Mick Mulroy joins Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf to share insight from his recent trip to Israel and more.

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