The DSR Network

After more than three years of expanded conflict, there might be some glimmers of hope for Ukraine. President Trump’s frustrations with Putin are growing, but Trump’s flip-flopping on the issue has continued to vex world leaders. So what can we expect from Trump? Has he really had a turn of heart? Ambassador Bill Taylor and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to shed light on the latest news and more....

We’re seeing a confluence of events that suggest President Trump’s corruption has crossed over to an ugly new place. Trump is destroying a White House building to create a ballroom for him and his rich friends. He’s demanding that the Justice Department hand over $230 million in taxpayer funds to compensate him for “damages.” And Democrats from Senator Chris Murphy to Democratic House leader Hakee...

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down Trump’s demands for a meeting with Democrats, Trump potentially seeking $230 million from the Justice Department, the White House pulling back on promises for a meeting with Putin, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not long after President Trump floated a $20 billion financial bailout for Argentina, he proposed importing beef from Argentina to bring prices down in the United States. This angered American beef producers and produced a backlash from farm-state Republicans. But the most interesting response came from Meriwether Farms, a beef producer in Wyoming that promises to “preserve the traditions of Ameri...

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss a court ruling that National Guard can be deployed to Portland, Putin’s hardline stance on a Ukraine ceasefire, major backlash over Trump’s nominee for Office of Special Counsel, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the leadup to the “No Kings” protests, Trump and Republicans widely derided the protesters as extremists, criminals, and terrorists. Then the protests actually happened. They were a wild success: Peaceful, enormous, and representative of a very wide swath of American society. So what did Republicans do in response? They just kept on calling the protesters criminals and terrorists. That MAGA sme...

President Trump’s fury at Democrats over the government shutdown is escalating. First he angrily announced that he’s “terminated” the big tunnel project connecting New York and New Jersey, basically saying he’d done this to punish Chuck Schumer, an extraordinarily deranged act of direct retribution. Then he unleashed a rambling tirade filled with lies about “mentally damaged” Democrats’ shutdown s...

On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for October 17th, we break down the indictment of John Bolton, the fiery first NYC mayoral debate, Venezuela mobilizing troops in response to US provocations, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Words matter to the Trump administration, and their willingness to accept and embrace the most vile language and discourse is despicable. At the same time, popular media is normalizing the administration's antidemocratic agenda while we slide further into authoritarianism. Why can’t anybody call out the Trump administration for the authoritarian regime it is? Tune in as David Rothkopf and Norm Orn...

The other day, President Trump announced that he has bombed yet another boat allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean sea. He has now struck six boats, with 27 people dead, and the bombings have been widely denounced as illegal. Now, in a strange turn of events, The New York Times reports that the head of the military’s southern command, Alvin Holsey, is stepping down amid unclear circumstances. ...

As the government shutdown drags on, millions of Americans are being impacted. So what are the real consequences of the shutdown? How can Democrats lead in these tumultuous times? Senator Elissa Slotkin joins David Rothkopf to share an inside look at the shutdown, how Michiganders are feeling the effects of the shutdown and tariffs, how Democrats can step up, and more.  Learn more about your ad ch...

The national security landscape has radically transformed in the last ten months. To help make sense of the unprecedented policies of this administration, we welcome former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Sullivan joins David Rothkopf and Ed Luce to explore Trump’s unpredictable approach to alliances, the Middle East, the US-China relationship, and more. Don't miss this critical discussio...

On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we discuss journalists turning in their press badges over new Pentagon guidelines, the Supreme Court leaning towards weakening the Voting Rights Act, a judge blocking further federal layoffs, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former special counsel Jack Smith just confirmed that he’d amassed extensive evidence that Donald Trump willfully and knowingly broke the law in stealing classified documents at the end of his first term. Smith’s report on this may never be released. But House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan helpfully exposed a big Trump ruse here. Jordan is demanding that Smith testify to “prove” the Just...

Predatory behavior and incoherence are the two words that come to mind when thinking about President Trump's foreign policy. How can our allies trust our promises when they are broken time and time again? Does the United States have global credibility anymore? Will we ever have it again? Stephen Walt joins David Rothkopf, Rosa Brooks, and Kori Schake to mourn the downfall of U.S. foreign policy an...

On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the US killing 6 more alleged drug smugglers off Venezuela, aid trucks entering Gaza under the ceasefire agreement, leaked racist chats from Young Republican leaders, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, President Donald Trump seemed unusually crazed and power-mad, even for him. He imperiously refused to take a question from an ABC reporter as punishment for an interview with JD Vance that went badly. He boasted about cutting only Democratic programs. He confirmed he supports heinous new restrictions on media coverage of the Pentagon. And he threatened to nix federal...

On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down the hurdles facing the Gaza ceasefire, news outlets rebelling against new Pentagon rules, a Louisiana redistricting dispute at the Supreme Court, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump’s allies are suddenly raging over the October 18th “No Kings” protests. MAGA Mike Johnson and MAGA-fied Representative Steve Scalise are angrily sliming expected attendees as America-haters, antifa, Marxists, and terrorists. Other GOP figures have done the same, with one hinting that the National Guard should crack down on them. This unanimity of messaging about terrorists means it...

On the DSR Weekly Wrap-Up for October 10, we break down the start of the ceasefire in Gaza, the indictment of Letitia James, judges striking more blows to Trump’s attempts to deploy the National Guard, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to peace in Gaza, the art of the deal might be a lost one. While reaching a ceasefire is a commendable, we have to wonder what the remaining 19 points in Trump’s 20 point plan will actually look like. Experts Kim Ghattas and Shibley Telhami join David Rothkopf to express their skepticism over the long-term implications of the ceasefire in Gaza and why nefarious actors in the region a...

Make no mistake: the rule of law in America is under assault. The administration is brazenly testing — and breaking — the limits of our democracy. So how can we save our democracy before it’s too late? Barbara McQuade joins David Rothkopf to discuss solutions for our current crisis and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we talk to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who shares striking new details about President Trump’s ongoing occupation of Chicago. What’s happening there has really gone off the rails: ICE launching hypermilitarized raids of apartment buildings. Children getting pulled out into the streets and potentially traumatized. A priest shot in the head by a pepper ball. This has led Pritzk...

A ceasefire has finally been reached in Gaza. Now that Israel and Hamas have finally reached a deal that will see hostages returned and fighting ceased, the hard work of lasting peace really begins. In the first of two emergency podcasts taking a deep dive into the Gaza Ceasefire, Alon Pinkas and Steven Cook join David Rothkopf and dive into the important points of the plan and what Donald Trump,...

Representative Adam Smith, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, joins host David Rothkopf to discuss recent important developments in the Middle East, the president's "ridiculous" Quantico speech to military leaders, the future of US national security, and how to get Americans to come together to stop the push toward authoritarianism in the U.S. Looking for More from the DSR N...