The DSR Network

Original air date: August 28, 2025 This week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ⁠delivered an extraordinary takedown⁠ of President Trump over his deployment of the military in U.S. cities. Trump then ⁠exploded⁠ about Pritzker’s impudence, calling the governor names and instructing him to bow down and beg for his “HELP” in fighting crime. Trump has ⁠threatened⁠ ⁠twice⁠ to occupy Chicago no matter what the city’s residents and their elected representatives think about it, another window into his seething anger. In this standoff, Pritzker did something unusual: He communicated with his constituents from the heart, vowing to use all his power to protect them from Trump’s authoritarian takeover. Rather than let Trump pretend he cares about crime, Pritzker cast Trump as the primary threat to his state’s people. We talked to Brian Beutler, who has a ⁠great new piece⁠ on his substack, ⁠Off Message⁠, taking stock of Pritzker’s response. We discuss how Pritzker is shrewdly reading the moment in a way many Democrats are not, why Trump is vulnerable on crime, and what the punditry is getting so wrong about all of it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: 3/3/25 What happens when the United States effectively switches sides on the global stage? When allying with Russia upends decades of foreign policy around the world? And what dangers does the Trump-Hegseth administration pose for global nuclear security? Joe Cirincione and Jon Wolfsthal join David Rothkopf for a tough conversation about the future of the established international order and the significant nuclear security risks posed by the Trump Administration.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original air date: July 29, 2025 President Trump just offered some ⁠bizarre new ramblings⁠ about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. But he undermined himself: He claimed to know about elite Democrats and liberals who had visited Epstein. But that just raises the question that won’t go away: If this is what the Epstein files would reveal, then why isn’t Trump ordering their release? Every time Trump says such things, he wrecks his own Big Lie: That the Epstein scandal is a Democratic hoax that actually implicates Democrats even as he won’t release the files. Meanwhile, Elon Musk ⁠just endorsed the idea⁠ that Trump might try to pardon Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for exoneration. Musk knows Trump’s machinations here are a major point of weakness. We talked to Jennifer Rubin, editor-in-chief of ⁠The Contrarian⁠, who has ⁠a good new piece laying out⁠ why Trump should be panicking over this scandal. We discuss the absurdity of Trump’s biggest Epstein deceptions, why they’re unsustainable for Trump, and why it all underscores the urgency of a Democratic victory in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: 6/22/25 The moment has finally arrived: America has bombed Iran. As the dust settles, we’re left with more questions than answers about what the attack achieved and what comes next. Thankfully, Jon Wolfsthal, Gen. Mark Hertling, and Steven Cook join David Rothkopf to provide clarity on what this unprecedented moment means.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s face the facts: we’re in a period of sheer insanity. Far-right politics is becoming increasingly normalized by our radical administration. Corporations are cozying up to the far-right and consolidating around Trump. Our president is in clear cognitive decline. But we can end the madness. Author of The Left Hook Substack Wajahat Ali joins David Rothkopf to explore the turmoil of this moment and look for the lights at the end of the tunnel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices