

The DSR Network
The DSR Network
This podcast will take you on a smart, direct, sometimes scary, sometimes profane, sometimes hilarious tour of the inner workings of American power and of the impact of our leaders and their policies on our standing in the world. Hosted by noted author and commentator David Rothkopf and featuring regulars Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law School, Kori Schake of AEI, and Ed Luce of the Financial Times, the program will be the lively, smart dinner table conversation on the big issues of the day that you wish you were having...without the calories. Sometimes special guests will join the conversation and always the emphasis will be on providing the unvarnished perspectives others shy away from. Deep State Radio is the insider perspective on American national security and foreign policy that you can't find anywhere else.If you are enjoying this podcast, please consider becoming a member by visiting thedsrnetwork.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 20, 2025 • 55min
"Things Happen"
Donald Trump shrugged off the murder of Jamal Khashoggi this week by saying "things happen." The casual acceptance of cold-blooded murder should strike a chill in the hearts of all, not just because of its callousness, but because of its implications for our country. Rosa Brooks and David Rothkopf discuss and look for answers and insights in our history, starting with the American Revolution. Don't miss it.
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Nov 19, 2025 • 39min
Siliconsciousness: The March of the Law Bots
With a growing use of artificial intelligence in law, will we soon have robots defending us in court? Not exactly. Firms are increasingly using AI to take care of the more mundane aspects of law, but the effects will be profound. General Counsel at Luminance Harry Borovick joins David Rothkopf to explore the fundamental ways that AI is evolving the field of law and more.
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Nov 19, 2025 • 22min
DSR Daily November 19: Congress (Nearly) Unanimous on Epstein File Release
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the nearly unanimous vote to release the Epstein files, Trump’s meeting with MBS, the administration’s dismantling of the Education Department, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 19, 2025 • 21min
The Daily Blast: Trump’s Plot to Rig 2026 Is Falling Apart, and Boy Is He Mad About It
Suddenly, President Trump’s effort to rig the 2026 midterms with corrupt gerrymanders appears in trouble. A panel of judges just blocked the GOP gerrymander in Texas, which had added five seats. In Indiana, Republicans currently lack the votes to redraw their congressional map. Trump is angry about all this. He lashed out at Indiana Republicans, threatening primaries and calling one opponent “weak” and “pathetic.” So is the scheme dead? No Several aspects of it still remain unresolved. The Texas seats are in doubt, but that’s being appealed, and Republicans have added four other seats. Meanwhile, Democrats are adding 5 in California and one in Utah. Now what? We talked to Heather Williams, who’s been fighting against the GOP schemes as president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. She explains the hurdles that lie ahead, how it could all turn out relatively well for Democrats, and why rank-and-file voters need to take state-level contests way more seriously.
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Nov 18, 2025 • 23min
DSR Daily November 18: Trump to Host Saudi Prince
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss Mohammed bin Salman’s White House visit, the UN Security Council backing Trump’s Middle East peace plan, the resignation of acting FEMA admin David Richardson, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 18, 2025 • 23min
The Daily Blast: Trump Accidentally Stabs Vance in the Back as MAGA Erupts in Civil War
A civil war is unfolding inside the MAGA movement over Nick Fuentes, the neo-Nazi and white supremacist, and President Donald Trump just made it worse. In an interview, Trump defended Fuentes in a way that will boost his standing inside MAGA in a big way. As it turns out, however, this will create a surprising and unwelcome problem for JD Vance. The vice president has tried to avoid taking sides on Fuentes. But it’s now clear that Fuentes represents a constituency inside MAGA that’s too big to exile. That means Vance, who’s hoping to harness MAGA for his 2028 presidential run, will have to tread carefully, and Trump’s intervention has only made that harder for him. We talked to Vox’s Zack Beauchamp, who has a great new piece digging into all this. He explains Fuentes’s growing influence inside MAGA, why Vance will struggle to navigate all these complexities, and what all this says about today’s right more broadly.
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Nov 17, 2025 • 19min
DSR Daily November 17: Trump Supports Vote on Release of Epstein Files?
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss Trump now supporting a House vote on the release of the Epstein files, the intensifying fight between Marjorie Taylor Greene and the President, hundreds of National Guard troops withdrawing from Chicago and Portland, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 17, 2025 • 25min
The Daily Blast: Trump Explodes in Angriest Epstein Tirade Yet as Allies Visibly Panic
Anxiety is rising among President Trump’s staunchest allies that he’s politically lost his way. The New York Times reports that his advisers fear he’s alienating key voters in his own coalition. And CNN reports that some Republicans are openly warning the White House that the GOP is in trouble in the midterm elections. Meanwhile, Trump just erupted in a furious new tirade about the Jeffrey Epstein fiasco. In it, he ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Epstein’s ties to Democrats. Bondi immediately did his bidding. That Trump has now formally turned the Justice Department loose in this way shows his anger over Epstein has hit new highs. Some Republicans say all these things are related: Trump is so consumed with Epstein that he’s letting everything else go to hell. So we talked to analyst Michael Cohen, who has a good new piece on Trump’s doldrums on his Truth and Consequences Substack. He explains why Epstein is undoing Trump, how the MAGA coalition is fracturing, how deeper structural factors are working against him, and how it will all impact the midterms. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 16, 2025 • 52min
FTS: Is America Still the Bright, Shining City on the Hill?
Original air date: November 26, 2024
On today’s podcast, CIA veteran Ed Bogan joins Marc Polymeropoulos to ponder the US intelligence community in a Trump 2.0. How do we separate signal vs noise on the national security cabinet picks, and a potential bloodletting in the US IC? Will GOP national security-minded Senators drill down on DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard’s controversial past? Will the Senate insist on FBI background checks? Will the CIA have trouble if Gabbard is confirmed to run both unilateral and liaison operations against tough targets like Russia and Syria? Does the IC need reform? Lots of questions, no answers just yet, but a plea from Ed to keep calm and carry as we see how the chips fall. A must-listen to episode with a true hero in the US intelligence community.
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Nov 15, 2025 • 43min
FTA: Can it Get Any Crazier Than This?
Rosa Brooks, a legal scholar and former senior Pentagon official, joins David Sanger, a veteran national security correspondent for The New York Times, and EJ Dionne, a political commentator for The Washington Post, to dissect alarming cabinet picks in a post-election Trump administration. They explore how unqualified nominees threaten democratic institutions, the implications of prioritizing loyalty over competence, and the resulting breakdown of governance. They also discuss potential GOP resistance and the alarming impact of these choices on public health and the military.


