THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent

Alex Shephard, Senior Editor at The New Republic, dives into Trump's furious response to disappointing GDP data. They discuss the uncanny sycophancy of Trump's aides, comparing it to authoritarian regimes, and debate how this adulation backfires. Shephard also addresses the structural challenges contributing to Trump's declining popularity, highlighting ineffective economic policies and rising public dissatisfaction. The conversation sheds light on the tension between loyalty and accountability among Trump's supporters, revealing a troubling trend for the future.

After the news broke that Amazon might publicly clarify the costs that President Trump’s tariffs are imposing on its products, Trump instructed his White House press secretary to publicly threaten the company. Trump also called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to express his displeasure, and one adviser told CNN that “he was pissed.” Amazon immediately shelved the plan, and Trump openly gloated about Bezos bending the knee, an unnerving signal of more autocratic bullying ahead. Meanwhile, a new PRRI poll sheds fascinating light on public opinion about Trump’s authoritarianism, with a majority now seeing him as a “dangerous dictator.” We talked to Melissa Deckman, the CEO of PRRI, who explains what the new data really tells us about the public’s revulsion at Trump’s abuses of power—and why episodes like this one are only exacerbating it. Listen to this episode here. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump is growing angrier over polls that keep showing him tanking. On Monday, he raged that polls sponsored by media outlets are “COMPROMISED AND CORRUPT.” He even quoted one of his own pollsters saying that surveys from The New York Times and The Washington Post are “FAKE POLLS,” something his pollster clearly hatched to calm his anger. So to what degree are the people around Trump simply lying to him about his disastrous reign? They’re deceiving him about the state of public opinion, and Stephen Miller is plainly seducing Trump into believing the Supreme Court sided with him on the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, when it didn’t. We talked to journalist Michael Cohen, author of a new piece for his Truth and Consequences Substack about this problem. He explains how we know Trump’s aides are keeping him in a state of delusion, and why that’s heading to an alarming place.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Newman, a lawyer for the Abrego Garcia family and advocate for immigrant rights, joins the discussion on Trump’s reaction to the wrongful deportation case. He highlights Trump's alarming threats to due process, paralleling authoritarian tactics seen in other countries. Newman emphasizes the importance of fair legal treatment and shares insights from his advocacy experiences. The conversation also delves into the increasing public discontent with Trump's immigration policies and the constitutional implications of his actions.

President Donald Trump just made some new public statements about the Russia-Ukraine war, and they were thoroughly unimpressive. At one point, he seemed to get angry at Vladimir Putin over a massive new Russian attack on Ukraine, calling on Putin to “STOP.” But then in remarks to reporters, he openly suggested that he doesn’t expect Russia to make any serious concessions at all in the quest for peace. This striking public admission badly undercuts Trump’s “master dealmaker” mystique, and wrecks the illusion he’s cultivated that he expects genuine concessions from both sides. We talked to Ben Burgis, a columnist at Jacobin and a podcaster who has a good new piece for MSNBC.com analyzing Trump’s negotiating strategy. Burgis explains why Trump’s approach is likely to be counterproductive at best—and why it could produce catastrophic long-term results.Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this discussion, Simon Rosenberg, a Democratic strategist and author of The Hopium Chronicles, highlights President Trump's retreat on key issues like tariffs and the growing public discontent with his administration. He reveals that recent polling shows surprising weaknesses for Trump, contradicting previous assumptions about voter apathy toward his abuses of power. Rosenberg calls on Democrats to capitalize on this moment, emphasizing the need for a more vigorous resistance to Trump's declining influence and the urgency of engaging the electorate.

Heather Long, a Washington Post columnist and economic commentator, discusses the looming economic danger posed by Trump’s tariffs as new IMF forecasts predict lower growth and increasing layoffs. She explains how Trump's blame game, targeting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, is heightening market turmoil. Long outlines the risks of a recession linked to tariff policies and explores internal administration conflicts over these chaotic strategies, highlighting the dire implications for both the economy and Trump’s approval ratings.

Juliette Kayyem, a former national security official under Barack Obama, dives into the chaos surrounding Pete Hegseth, who faces backlash for leaking sensitive military information. As GOP members call for his resignation, Trump Jr. lashes out at critics, igniting MAGA fury. Kayyem highlights the grave implications of Hegseth's unfitness for leadership, suggesting he could spell deeper problems for Trump. She also explores the risks of hyper-masculine military posturing and its adverse effects on U.S. global influence.

President Donald Trump’s case for leaving Kilmar Abrego Garcia to rot in an El Salvadoran prison continues to collapse. In bizarre, rambling remarks to reporters in which Trump talked about Abrego Garcia’s alleged ties to MS-13, Trump revealed the profound weakness of his own arguments. In particularly ugly fashion, Trump basically admitted he knows little about the supposed evidence linking him to the gang—even though this notion is central to the rationale for refusing to bring him back. Today's guest has done deep research into MS-13: Eric Hershberg, a professor of government at American University and a leading contributor to a major report on the gang. He takes us inside this organization—and explains how implausible the case tying Abrego Garcia to it truly is.Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an extraordinary escalation of President Trump’s rage at Harvard University, the administration just threatened to block Harvard from receiving foreign students if the university doesn’t provide extensive information on students to the government. Trump also erupted at Harvard on Truth Social, making all kinds of other threats. On another front, GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski openly admitted to a sense of widespread terror of retaliation: “We are all afraid.” We talked to Jeffrey Sachs of Acadia University, a shrewd observer of authoritarianism. He walks us through the details of Trump’s new threat toward Harvard, how it can be challenged, the true nature of Trump allies’ long-term game plan, and whether our institutions will crumble in the face of it all. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices