Donald Trump has returned from China. Did his meeting with Xi Jinping actually accomplish anything on the global stage? America’s foreign policy under this administration is rotten and grows more so each day - all the while, China’s increasing influence is being felt all around the globe. David Sanger of the New York Times, who was accused of treason by our president during this recent trip, joins David Rothkopf and Ed Luce to discuss the current state of geopolitics, Trump’s China summit, and m...
May 20, 2026•38 min
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we break down the latest insanity from the Justice Department, the defeat of Thomas Massie in the GOP primary, a meeting between Xi and Putin, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 20, 2026•28 min
Donald Trump just endorsed MAGA nutjob Ken Paxton in the Texas GOP primary for Senate, potentially killing off establishment incumbent Senator John Cornyn. As GOP Senators absorbed this news, reporters described them as “ visibly dismayed ” and “ stone-faced .” Senator Lisa Murkowski openly declared that Trump has now put the seat “in jeopardy,” asking : “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?” Translation: Trump has screwed himself and his party in a...
May 20, 2026•25 min
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down Trump claiming he has delayed a massive attack on Iran, a contentious Republican primary in Kentucky, a horrific attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 19, 2026•16 min
Donald Trump has reached a “settlement” with his Justice Department in a $10 billion lawsuit he brought against the IRS. Under it, DOJ will create a new $1.8 billion fund, controlled by Trump, that will dole out payments to allies who have supposedly been victimized by government “weaponization.” This could include the January 6 rioters. This has shocked legal observers, who called it everything from “ horrible ” to a “ slush fund ,” with others describing it as corruption that might be historic...
May 19, 2026•19 min
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover Trump dropping his lawsuit against the IRS, the White House ballroom losing funding in the Senate, the WHO declaring an Ebola outbreak, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 18, 2026•23 min
Donald Trump desperately wants the world to recognize his world-historical defeat of Iran. In an extended tirade, Trump raged wildly at a New York Times reporter, insisting his victory is absolute. He claimed the Times is failing, accusing the journalist of being a “fake guy” and declaring his coverage betrays America: “I actually think it’s treason.” This is revealing: His insistence on having won reveals that Trump doesn’t get that military force alone can’t force open the Strait of Hormuz—mea...
May 18, 2026•25 min
On the DSR Weekly Wrap-up for May 15, we discuss Trump’s return from Beijing, the Supreme Court ruling that abortion pills can continue via telehealth, the courtroom showdown between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 17, 2026•18 min
Our democracy is failing. As we approach the midterm elections this year, the Republicans are doing all they can to corrupt our electoral process. With the Supreme Court in Trump’s pocket, what does this mean for the Democrats? Will corruption rule the November elections? Tune in as Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf discuss the upcoming midterms and the bleak future of US politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 15, 2026•45 min
NBC News reports that some vulnerable Republicans are privately worried about use of the slogan “MAGA majority” to describe the GOP effort to hold the House. Why? Because the term “MAGA” puts Trump “front and center,” as NBC puts it. That’s quite an admission of Trump’s toxicity. Meanwhile, CNN’s Harry Enten reports on new polling that finds his disapproval on gas prices at 79 percent, higher than under any other president . That disapproval is shared by 85 percent of independents and even 52 pe...
May 15, 2026•24 min
Presidents Trump and Xi have been all smiles at the first summit in Beijing in nearly nine years. Yet there is something profound happening beneath the politeness and declarations of friendship: the balance of power has tipped dramatically toward China. Rush Doshi, Director of the China Strategy Initiative at the CFR, joins David Rothkopf for a deep dive into the importance of this meeting, arguing that while China holds more cards than ever, cooperation will be the key to both countries’ succes...
May 14, 2026•45 min
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down the friendly start to the China summit, JD Vance’s latest attempt at damage control, the South Carolina governor’s redistricting attempt, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 14, 2026•22 min
The fallout continues from Donald Trump’s startling rant admitting that he isn’t concerned with how the Iran war is impacting Americans’ finances. On Wednesday, JD Vance , Mike Johnson , and numerous other Republicans struggled to spin away the damage, but they appeared visibly flummoxed. Indeed, the GOP cracks are worsening : Three GOP Senators just voted to end the war. And shocking leaks to The New York Times reveal that Iran still retains substantial military capabilities, directly undercutt...
May 14, 2026•21 min
Two political scientists weigh in on the high court's support of partisan gain over multiracial democracy as states battle over district-based representation. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 13, 2026•1 hr 14 min
Donald Trump is in Beijing. As if tensions between the US and China haven’t already been rising for years, this visit comes during Trump’s war in Iran, rising oil prices, and a serious democratic crisis in America. Does Trump even have a strategy here? What role will the war in Iran play? Ali Wyne of the International Crisis Group joins David Rothkopf and Rosa Brooks to discuss the US-China summit and what we can (or cannot) expect from our president. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click...
May 13, 2026•44 min
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover Trump arriving in Beijing, the Pentagon weighing a name change for the war with Iran, Kash Patel’s fiery Senate hearing, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 13, 2026•18 min
Donald Trump just got hit by crushing new inflation data : Consumer prices rose at their fastest rate in several years. Importantly, Trump’s war with Iran is a big driver of it, and he can’t find a way out. Meanwhile, a new CNN poll shows his standing on the economy sliding to its lowest point in either term. No wonder Trump erupted angrily at a reporter who quizzed him over prices, deriding her as “stupid.” He also seethed at a journalist who asked about his ballroom, calling her “dumb.” Yet de...
May 13, 2026•23 min
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we discuss the business executives going to China with Trump, the Supreme Court clearing the way for Alabama republicans to pursue a new voting map, the Labour revolt against Keir Starmer, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 12, 2026•28 min
We’ve noticed a jarring disconnect. Even as Donald Trump’s mental decline visibly worsens, his aides’ cultlike praise for him is proportionately growing. To wit: A top spokesperson offered a bizarre rationalization for his deranged new “proposal” to turn Venezuela into the 51st state. She also attempted to portray him as wielding absolute mastery over Iran, but accidentally exposed his lack of concern over soaring prices. And his propagandists lashed out at a reporter for sharing an image of Tru...
May 12, 2026•22 min
Leading the way in artificial intelligence doesn’t just take the most powerful chips and biggest data centers — it takes a cultural shift towards AI literacy. Eric Xing, President of the MBZ University of Artificial Intelligence, joins David Rothkopf to share the unique approach the university takes to training the next generation of leaders in tech. Don’t miss this important conversation covering an array of critical topics in the field of AI, including the incredible potential of “world models...
May 11, 2026•1 hr 1 min
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down Trump’s rejection of Iran’s peace proposal, Trump’s upcoming China summit, the latest on a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 11, 2026•22 min
With no clear Democratic heir apparent, big-name progressives like AOC and underdog stars like Graham Platner contend for a spot in the most unpredictable presidential race in decades. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 11, 2026•1 hr 5 min
After the Virginia supreme court blocked the Democratic redistricting plan, which would have netted Democrats four more House seats, Donald Trump celebrated. He called the ruling a “huge win” over a “horrible gerrymander.” But Trump himself has ordered many GOP states to gerrymander maximally. So here Trump openly declared that Republicans reserve the right to rig elections while Democrats do not. His actual position is that he and Republicans should play by their own corrupt rules, and that it'...
May 11, 2026•23 min
On the DSR Weekly Wrap-up for May 8th, we discuss even more disputes over the Iran ceasefire, big losses for Keir Starmer in the UK, the US revoking passports for parents who owe child support, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 10, 2026•19 min
David Dayen explains how California’s unique "top-two" primary nearly locked Democrats out of the governor’s mansion—until a strategic endorsement from Donald Trump reshuffled the deck. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 08, 2026•48 min
Officials have leaked word to The Washington Post that they believe Iran can survive Donald Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for three to four months without experiencing severe economic pain. Also, Iran has kept far more of its missiles and drones than previously known. Those are surely his worst screw-ups yet, given that he’s repeatedly insisted both that the regime is in terminal collapse and that Iran's military has been obliterated. This comes as The Wall Street Journal reports that...
May 08, 2026•20 min
The Justice Department is unrecognizable. It continuously violates and obstructs true justice. Instead, it effectively serves as Donald Trump’s own private law firm. The blatant corruption and cronyism is sickening across all of DC’s institutions under the Trump administration. Where is Donald Trump and the Supreme Court leading our country? Tune in for this week’s therapy session with Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 07, 2026•44 min
The midterms are getting close, and Democrats are poised for a huge victory over an incredibly unpopular Republican Party. And yet, nothing is guaranteed in our turbulent political climate. NY Times opinion writer and Georgetown professor E.J. Dionne joins David Rothkopf to share what Democrats need to do to guarantee a massive victory in November and why massive change may be in the future for American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 07, 2026•42 min
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down Iran’s review of the latest US peace proposal, Tom Homan and Todd Blanche promising more deportations to come, the release of an alleged suicide note from Jeffrey Epstein, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 07, 2026•21 min
Donald Trump has been raging at Pope Leo’s criticism of the Iran war for weeks, and he just unleashed his most vile attack yet. Trump accused the Pope of “endangering a lot of Catholics” by advocating for peace. Yet a new Washington Post poll finds that Trump is losing this battle very badly. Large majorities react negatively to Trump’s claims about the Pope, and even more strikingly, big majorities approve of the Pope’s message of peace, even though Trump is bombarding America with relentless l...
May 07, 2026•22 min
