The DSR Network

Republicans leaking about the midterms are growing more alarmed. One GOP operative in Iowa says this: “It feels like it could be a wipeout.” In story after story, Republicans are confiding about their mounting panic. A GOP pollster who privately told donors that the Senate might hold was mocked by Republicans themselves as “delusional.” Meanwhile, over the last f...

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the results of the Trump/Xi meeting, Trump attempting to cancel $810 million of congressional spending, Trump’s planned meeting with AI leaders, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few days ago, Donald Trump exploded in an extended tirade at news organizations. Why? Because they had suspended TV pool coverage of him to show solidarity with three news outlets he’d banned from the White House. This resulted in no TV footage of his reception of Xi Jinping at the White House. Trump absurdly raged that news orgs were trying to deny him coverage of a major success. But...

Are the United States and China entering a new era? Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington has been all over the news in recent days, and for good reason. Between trade, climate challenges, and the growing role of the tech industry in politics, US-China policy is shaping the geopolitical landscape as we know it. Jessica Chen Weiss, David M. Lampton Professor of China Studies at Johns Hopkins University'...

On the DSR Daily Live for Friday, Tara McGowan joins us to discuss Trump’s extravagant dinner with Xi Jinping, the White House reinstating access to banned outlets, new polls ahead of the 2026 midterms, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI dread has spread. Even CEOs of major AI companies are forecasting doom and gloom, including the potential end of mankind. But how much of what they say is an honest appraisal, and how much is driven by ulterior motives? NYU’s Paul Barrett joins David Rothkopf to discuss his recent piece for Tech Policy Press and explain why we can’t let doomer CEOs or competition with China distract from sensib...

Iowa radio host Steve Deace just unleashed an extraordinary social media screed. He confided that GOP pollsters have informed House Republicans that GOP +15 districts are now straight toss-ups, and GOP +10 districts are now “underwater.” He said he regrets this deeply—he badly wants Donald Trump to succeed—but critically, he also declared bluntly that Trump and his Iran war are fully to blame...

Donald Trump gave Xi Jinping quite the welcome after his arrival in Washington. At the same time Trump is trying to cuddle up to Beijing, he continues his attacks against freedom of the press by banning certain media outlets from the White House. Trump is actively trying to turn the United States into some amalgamation of China, Russia, and North Korea, and he is consistently enabled by his cronie...

The White House ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico has sent shockwaves through the media. The brazen attempt as silencing dissenting media has resulted in incredible pushback not just through the legal system, but through solidarity from major broadcasters including Fox News. So what makes this latest play by the White House so dangerous, and what can it tell us about Trump’s plans for the future? J...

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover the White House’s defiance of a court order on their media ban, the US and China extending a trade truce ahead of Xi and Trump’s meeting, Netanyahu’s upcoming speech before the UN, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Out of the three news organizations that Donald Trump has banned from the White House, he reserves special fury for CNN. He erupted at reporter Kaitlan Collins, posting that she’s an “unhappy person” and a “SLEAZEBAG” who suffers from a “TRUMP addiction.” He also tried to humiliate Collins in person at the United Nations. And he posted a video mocking CNN reporters in...

Donald Trump’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday was nothing shocking. Threatening to annihilate Iran, asserting peace between Russia and Ukraine is coming, “to the victor belong the spoils”… this is nothing new from our president. Serious questions remain around the United States’ role on the global stage. And with Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, issues such as AI regulat...

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss President Trump’s UNGA appearance, Trump’s looming meeting with Xi Jinping, the DOJ defending the White House media ban, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The polling just keeps getting worse for the GOP. A new Reuters survey finds Donald Trump’s approval at 32 percent—the worst in Reuters polling of both his terms. He’s at only 73 percent among Republicans, and on cost-of-living he’s at an astonishing 17 percent, both potential disasters for the GOP. This comes as a CNN poll finds voters souring on the war in unheard-of num...

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down the major media networks standing in solidarity against Trump, Trump’s plan for the UNGA, Hegseth’s bizarre stunt with the Logan brothers, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s efforts to ban news organizations from the White House are backfiring. Trump said straight out that he barred them because their coverage displeased him, and when the outlets sued on Monday, they cited his own words as proof that he’d retaliated against their reporting. That’s likely to work. And other news outlets sided with them, suspending pooled coverage...

A striking new poll finds Democrat Mary Peltola leading GOP Senator Dan Sullivan by 46-41 in the Alaska Senate race. This is big news: Because quality polling of Alaska is so rare, it’s a real indicator that a Senate majority is now truly gettable for Democrats. The poll also finds Trump badly underwater and absolutely tanking with independents—in Alaska! The kicker? The survey was done...

On the DSR Weekly Wrap up for this week, we are joined by special guest Mary Trump to break down Trump threatening to tear down the Kennedy Center, RFK Jr.’s anti-vax promises, Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The primary elections have told us one thing loud and clear: Democratic voters want fighters. Progressive and moderate candidates alike who promise to fight back against this corrupt and anti-democratic administration succeeded across the board. The Contrarian’s Jen Rubin joins David Rothkopf to discuss what Democratic politicians must do in the lead-up to the midterms—and after—to ensure not only...

Fox News is having profound trouble coping with the spate of terrible stories hitting Donald Trump. Lately the network has been mostly avoiding discussion of the Iran debacle. Fox largely ignored the report of a Russian oligarch funding Don Jr.’s wedding. It didn’t appear to cover Karl Rove’s highly newsworthy warning about racism in the GOP. Meanw...

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we cover a UN report on potential war crimes in Iran, talks between Canada and the EU, a stunning new report on DOGE, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is shutting down the Kennedy Center because he can’t put his name on it. Why? He wants “Donald J. Trump” on the building to steal presidential glory because he’s not getting it on his own. Meanwhile, the Republicans in Congress are silent about his flagrant narcissistic transgressions. Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf are back to discuss the lunacy surrounding the Kennedy Center, Trum...

Donald Trump has once again stepped up his threats to entirely wipe out Iran, but it somehow isn’t forcing Iran to make the deal he wants. The emptiness of the threats is embarrassing enough. But now, CBS News has published a series of extraordinary photographs of American bases and equipment abroad badly damaged by Iranian attacks. These pictures were leaked by anonymous U.S....

Donald Trump and the Trump family’s ties with Russia have existed for decades. This deeply-seated corruption would have once been unthinkable from an acting US president, yet Trump has let his admiration for Putin and his fetishistic need for power dictate American foreign and domestic policy under his two terms in office. How did the Oval Office come to bend the knee for the Kremlin? David Corn o...

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss the insane changes to FBI hiring policy, the Kennedy Center board vote to close, the Fed’s plan to raise interest rates, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices