The DSR Network
The DSR Network
The official home of Deep State Radio, Need to Know, Words Matter, The DSR Daily, The Daily Blast, Siliconsciousness, and more. If you are enjoying this podcast, please consider becoming a member by visiting https://dsrnetwork.substack.com/
Recent Episodes
20 episodesBest of the Daily Blast: Why Trump Will Be Removed from Office Sooner Than You Think
Original air date: April 17, 2026 With the Daily Blast on break this week, join us as we revisit some of our top episodes of 2026! In today’s episode, George Conway argues that as improbable as it might seem right now, congressional Republicans will ultimately decide they have no choice but to remove Donald Trump from office before his term ends. Conway, the former GOP lawyer-turned-Trump-critic, is running for Congress as a Democrat. One of his ads is a montage of all the horrors that Trump has unleashed, followed by Conway’s promise to be a different kind of Congressman in response. In our conversation, Conway explains why he thinks Republicans will eventually decide Trump has to go and talks about how he’ll push for impeachment immediately if elected. Conway also lays out an accountability agenda that includes impeaching many cabinet officials, criminal referrals for high-level Trump administration officials, and extensive other reforms designed to prevent anything like this from ever happening again. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is There Any Way Out of the Groundhog Day War in the Gulf?
The U.S. has found itself in a seemingly endless cycle of conflict with Iran. Each episode brings familiar patterns: threats of military action from the U.S., Iranian responses, and eventually, a return to a tense standoff. The first phase ended in humiliation and defeat - can we lose the same war twice? How do we get ourselves out of this situation? Joe Cirincione and Alon Pinkas join David Rothkopf to discuss this “Groundhog Day” conflict with Iran and more. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
DSR Daily July 15: Senate Dems Block $1 Trillion in Defense Spending as Iran War Spirals
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we cover the Senate Democrats blocking a $1 trillion defense bill, Trump’s opposition to the suspension of ICE vehicle stops, scrutiny of Todd Blanche ahead of his hearing, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Best of the Daily Blast: Trump Epstein Mess Worsens as MAGA Cracks Up: “He Lame-Ducked Himself”
Original air date: June 1, 2026 With the Daily Blast on break this week, join us as we revisit some of our top episodes of 2026! Former attorney general Pam Bondi testified behind closed doors Friday about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. She effectively let it be known that Todd Blanche, now acting AG, has been responsible for this debacle, creating a new inquiry for Democrats to pursue that will be fraught for Trump. Bondi also went mum on how Trump instructed her to handle the Epstein files, basically declining to back Trump’s spin that he was pro-transparency, raising still more questions for Democrats to pursue. Meanwhile, Trump’s sinking approval, Iran debacle, ballroom and slush fund are fracturing Trumpworld and the GOP: One Republican told The Atlantic that he has “lame-ducked himself.” We talked to historian Nicole Hemmer, author of several books about the right. We discuss why the Epstein scandal continues to fracture the MAGA movement, the deeper reasons for Trump’s weakening hold on the GOP, and why MAGA will go into deep turmoil once Trump passes from the scene. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Siliconsciousness: Like It or Not, the AI Bubble Is Real
The question is when, not if, the AI bubble is going to pop. As tech companies see share values skyrocket, it becomes more clear with each passing day that the value of these companies is built on a house of cards. So just how bad will the fallout be? Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research Dean Baker joins David Rothkopf to answer this question and more. This material is distributed by TRG Advisory Services, LLC on behalf of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the U.S.. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
DSR Daily July 14: ICE Violence Escalates with Killing in Maine
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down the escalating violence perpetuated by ICE, Trump’s upcoming primetime speech, the impending confirmation hearings for Todd Blanche, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Best of the Daily Blast: Krugman: Trump’s Unnerving Mental Breakdown Signals Nation in Decline
With the Daily Blast on break this week, join us as we revisit some of our top episodes of 2026! Original air date: June 22, 2026 Donald Trump’s war with Iran is making it clear this presidency could have much worse long-term consequences than we expected. Yet Trump is spending his nights indulging his crazed obsessions. In one early-morning tirade, he raged about “fools” who criticize his Iran fiasco, calling them “bad people” and “stupid.” In another, he fulminated at length about his ballroom. He’s posting updates on the gilding of statues and images of himself on international magazine covers. The gap between the gravity of the moment on one side and his trivial megalomania on the other is jarring. We talked to economist Paul Krugman, who has been writing really well on his Substack about both sides of this divide. He goes big-picture, detailing the signs that we’re a country in decline, why other countries are looking toward a post-American world, and why it’s shocking that we put up with his worsening megalomania and nonstop desecration of our republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
DSR Daily July 13: Lindsey Graham Dead at 71
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we discuss the death of Lindsey Graham, Iran expanding strikes throughout the Gulf, Maine Democrats telling Chuck Schumer to back off, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
DSR Weekly Wrap-up: Trump Guts Bipartisan Election Commission
On the DSR Weekly Wrap-up for July 10, we cover Trump’s ousting of key members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission, new revelations on the ICE killing of an immigrant, 8 indictments over a planned attack on the White House UFC event, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Daily Blast: Texas ICE Killing Takes Damning Turn as Even MAGA Judges Abandon Trump
Big developments on the immigration front: First, ICE killed a 52-year-old undocumented immigrant in Texas this week. ICE’s account was already suspect. But now a representative for the man’s family says that the three other men driving with him—who are likely witnesses to the killing—are getting pressured to self-deport in a potential effort to silence them. That’s utterly damning. Second, Politico reports that a key piece of Trump’s deportation agenda—detentions without bond—has now lost in court a staggering 15,000 times. And get this: A majority of Trump-appointed judges who have considered the policy have rejected it. These things are related: The mounting lawlessness on many fronts is alienating even Trump judges. We talked to New Republic staff writer Melissa Gira Grant, author of a good piece on the Texas shooting. We discuss why it’s essential to focus on this one killing, why Trump judges turning against him constitute a vulnerability for his agenda, and why the American people can’t get complacent, now that he’s trying to deport huge numbers a lot more quietly. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Words Matter: Dead or Alive, Mitch McConnell is a Bad Man
The Supreme Court would not be what it is today without Mitch McConnell. We would not have the six-person, ultra-conservative, corrupt majority that we have now without him. As our democracy continues to die in front of our eyes, and as Donald Trump continues to destroy our relationships with our allies, the US is at a crossroads - can we ever recover? Do we have any emerging politicians to lead us out of this mess? Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf discuss Mitch McConnell’s tenure, Trump’s geopolitical disasters, and the future of our democracy. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
DSR Daily July 9: Disgraced Graham Platner Drops out of Senate Race
On the DSR Daily for Thursday, we break down Trump’s poor showing at the Ankara NATO summit, Graham Platner dropping out of the Maine Senate race, fresh military strikes on Iran, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
NTK: How Dems Can Get Their Act Together to Win in November
Donald Trump and his MAGA allies are more unpopular than ever, but that doesn’t mean November will be a cakewalk for Democrats. Between entrenched leadership that refuses to get with the times and issues like the shocking fall of Graham Platner, it’s clear that Dems have their work cut out for them. Wajahat Ali of The Left Hook Substack joins David Rothkopf to lay out just how Democrats can unite and win big in the midterms and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Daily Blast: A Danish Journo’s Viral Takedown of Trump Caps Off Epic NATO Meltdown
At the NATO summit on Wednesday, Donald Trump lashed out wildly at, well, everyone in sight. He threatened more war with Iran. He angrily vowed to cut off all trade with Spain. He hinted again at stealing Greenland. There were many other pratfalls. Amid all this, a Danish journalist had an extraordinary confrontation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, asking him point blank: What does sitting next to Trump and praising him while he viciously attacks allies, threatens to take whole countries by conquest, and unleashes wildly destructive trade wars do to your “self-respect”? In an understated way, it was a crushing takedown of Trump, treating him as a ludicrous, sidelined figure while essentially saying: All that matters is how the rest of us react to this lunatic. We talked to foreign policy expert Elizabeth Saunders. She explains how deep and lasting Trump’s damage to the alliance will be, how our NATO allies are quietly managing Trump with flattery until he’s gone, and how they’re even trying to “de-Americanize”—that is, move on into the future without us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Making Sense of Trump’s Erratic Performance at the NATO Summit
NATO allies spent much of the summit in Ankara attempting to manage Donald Trump. Meanwhile, our president’s unpredictable commentary and bizarre statements only deepened the rift between the US and its allies. What does this mean for the future of NATO? Is the core mission of NATO undergoing a fundamental shift? Lieutenant General Mark Hertling and former Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder join David Rothkopf and Ed Luce to discuss the NATO summit in Turkey and the future of the alliance. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
DSR Daily July 8: Trump Says Iran Ceasefire is Dead
On the DSR Daily for Wednesday, we discuss Trump saying that the Iran ceasefire is dead, Trump bringing chaos to the NATO summit, dire forecasts from the IMF, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Daily Blast: Trump’s Rage over Midterm Woes Badly Unnerves GOPers: “He’s a Bully”
For weeks, Donald Trump’s fury has been growing at Republicans for failing to pass voter suppression legislation, demanding that they end the filibuster to do so. In a late-night tirade, he urged them to attach the SAVE Act to a must-pass defense spending bill, a dramatic move that reveals his deep frustration with them. As everybody knows, Trump sees restricting voting as the only way to stave off a midterm calamity. Meanwhile, in a striking piece, NBC News reports that Trump’s angry pressure has left Senate Republicans at wit’s end. They privately fear Trump is laying the groundwork to pin a midterm fiasco on their failure to pass something. They also blame Trump for letting this obsession take his focus off costs. One GOP Senator even tells NBC: “He’s a bully, and he’s f------ things up as fast as he can.” We talked to congressional scholar Norm Ornstein. He walks us through the details of the GOP predicament, decodes the real reason Republicans aren’t nixing the filibuster, and explains why it’s premature to rule out passage of the SAVE Act, offering a road map to what’s next. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
DSR Daily July 7: The Curious Case of the Missing Mitch McConnell
On the DSR Daily for Tuesday, we break down Mitch McConnell’s absence from the public eye, damning new allegations against Graham Platner, the start of a critical NATO summit in Turkey, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Daily Blast: Trump Wrecks His Own 250 Crowd Size Claims in Final, Epic Humiliation
Donald Trump ended the tortured saga around his gala for America’s 250th anniversary in typical fashion. Trump claimed 150,000 people attended his final speech, which was humiliatingly contradicted by videos of the event. Then Trump made it worse. During the speech he insisted that 375,000 people had been present before storms and an evacuation caused chaos and turmoil, reducing the crowd to 150,000 (again, a baseless number). But then afterward he posted that the initial total had been 422,000. Somehow the number ballooned by nearly 50,000, delivering still another blow to his credibility. We talked to New Republic senior editor Alex Shephard, who writes really well about MAGA’s dwindling cultural relevance. We discuss the deeper failures of Trump’s extravaganza, why he can’t tell a compelling story about the country anymore, why Barack Obama’s national narrative is far superior, and why the World Cup is acting as a perfect counter-narrative to Trumpism. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The DSR Daily for July 6: Trump Ruins Everything He Touches
On the DSR Daily for Monday we break down Trump's July 4th disaster, the upcoming NATO summit, Trump’s FIFA interference, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices