DSR Daily March 16: Trump Flounders Again and Again and Iran Conflict Grinds On

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Hello, and welcome to the DSR Daily of David Rothkoff. I'm joined by Riley Fessler and Minestine. And we've got the news from a very busy weekend, our president.

It's been a lot of this weekend on social media.

I don't think he liked being upstaged by the Oscars. So he just had to, just like he was just every thought that Crosst has had turned into a tweet. But he also did some interviews, including one within the FTA with our friend Edloose. So let's talk about what came out of all of that.

The German administration is portraying its military campaign against Iran as a major success while seeking to form an international coalition to escort ships through the straight-of-war moves of mid-rising global energy prices and security risks. Despite having U.S. strikes on thousands of Iranian targets,

including top leaders, Iran has vowed to keep fighting and experts

where in the conflict could worsen instability and damage the global economy. U.S. officials now face difficult choices. And the war, continuing escalating attacks, or adopt periodic strikes to contain Iran while managing political and economic fallout.

“David seems like you don't have any thoughts on that, so should we just move on?”

Yeah, I know. Are you rage-baiting? Like, I mean, he wants to put together an international coalition. Now, after he started the war, did you see his comments? This was not an international coalition. This was him trying to bully and extort people to clean up his big pile of shit in the Middle East.

And he was like, you know, like the UK, we don't need the UK. And then it's like, no, they better step up. He and Basin and Mike Walts, remember him, his U.S. car and Basin. They were like, well, we're requesting that these countries join us and demand it. What? You're demanding that they join you after you fucked up the whole world economy

and this stability of the entire region. That's not putting together an international coalition. That's trying to shift the responsibility for the mess that you created, which is a classic Trump thing. He goes in. He talks a big game. He screws something up.

And then he tries to shift the responsibility to somebody else and explain why it's not his fault.

“The problem here is, and I think this is the key takeaway.”

Donald Trump has painted himself into a corner. As Mina implied there in her very polite summary of what the choices are, there are no good choices. If he pulls out, instability will rain. And the Iranians may pull him right back in. They will decide who goes through the streets of Ford moves.

You know, if he continues to be engaged, possibly sending in, you know, some of those Marines he's having sent to the region or doing some boots on the ground, this is going to get much, much worse. There will be a much higher toll. It could go on for a long, long time.

If he just leaves it as an open wound, which I think is kind of the best bet at this point. Hey, this was successful. If they do anything that we don't like, we'll hit them again. It just renders the entire region unstable. And for the countries of the Gulf, which send to the world a message that they are stable,

places to do business or to visit, this will be absolutely a devastating choice. For people who are actually seeking stability in the region, it'll be a devastating choice. And if he takes that approach, it will give Iran a chance to recover. And that's going to mean them seriously rethinking what's going on with their nuclear program, what their stance ought to be to the United States, what their stance ought to be to the Persian Gulf,

And on top of that, you know, in the midst of all of this, Trump is doing some very weird stuff.

It's got best it was on TV this morning talking about how Russia is going to make a lot of money,

“off of the fact that we're giving them a waiver, like that's a good thing, right?”

Which they're then going to use to kill Ukrainians. And then Trump in this interview that he did with Ed Lewis said the Chinese really need to step up, otherwise he might postpone his meeting with them. I don't think he really understands what his leverage is in that regard, which is zero, or what the implications of doing what he's suggesting are.

Is he really trying to suggest that the outcome of this war is a less stable region, and which Russia is cash again, and he wants China to control the Persian Gulf? This is a man who does not have a clue. Who did not have a clue, who has less of a clue now, and who is desperately, desperately flailing, because to put it in a nutshell, in language that is a little less polite than men that was using to rage bait me,

this is a fucking fiasco. Mission accomplished there, men. Success. Okay, well let's see if Riley can top that. I don't know, I don't think I can.

“This by the way, is this the way I want to start my Mondays?”

It's like I had a weekend. I watched the Academy Awards. I was a little chill. I come on here, and you guys are like, come at me. Okay, come on.

Let's mix it up. Let's mix it up. Yeah, right, provocative. All right, provocative B today, but what do you have? FCC chair Brandon Carr has threatened to revoke my God, this guy.

Okay, sorry. Broadcast stations that fail to serve the public interest, specifically targeting those accused of news distortions, regarding the US Israel War with Iran accused by whom I wonder. These warnings align with President Trump's recent social media attacks on media outlets, which he claimed are rooting for a US loss in the conflict.

Democratic lawmakers and officials have condemned the move as a flagrantly unconstitutional attempt to censor free speech and avoid government accountability. While the FCC regulates individual station licenses every eight years, it lacks the legal authority to license entire TV networks or censor content on cable and streaming platforms.

It's, look, this is the most outrageous attack on the first amendment in the history of the United States of America.

I defy somebody to come up with a better one. There are examples where we have tried to edit or restrain speech in the past, during the reds, guards, etc. But nothing rises to the level of the administration saying, if you do not report on this war, the way we want you to report on this war, then we are going to threaten you with taking away your license.

This guy, car, is a menace. He's not just a Trump toti. He is actively trying to take away your first amendment right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Just as they were trying to do the same thing with your first amendment right to freedom of assembly in places like Minneapolis. This is the most direct, most egregious, most frightening, most angering, direct assault on our personal freedoms that has taken place in the United States, in the memories of any of us. That's not to say that at different points, women, people of color have not had the full set of rights.

Of course, that is also true. But those rights ultimately were given to everybody and now they're trying to take them away. And I have to say, and this, I'd say this not so much as an observation,

“as what I think could be a warning from people who share this similar view,”

Democrats in Congress who vote for one penny more for this FCC, for this FCC chairman, or for any of the other agencies that are attacking our fundamental freedoms are complicit. No more money for these things, just like I have to tell you.

In the midst of all of this, there are a bunch of Democrats ready to vote for $50 billion supplemental

to fund an illegal war in Iran that is destroying the global economy, destroying regional stability.

No money for illegal wars.

It just stands to reason.

“And I think a lot of people agree with me, and I think a lot of Democrats are going to wake,”

excuse me, are going to wake up and discover that they don't have the support they used to have. If they go along with this kind of an approach, which is enabling Trump to attack and undermine fundamental freedoms, fundamental values, the standing of the United States, the integrity of our institutions, the integrity of the rule of law in the United States. Donald Trump said the United States could soon reach a deal with Cuba or take other actions,

suggesting that development in the long-strain relationship may happen quickly.

He indicated that discussions with Havana are underway, but said the administration plans to address the conflict with Iran first.

The remarks come amid ongoing tensions, marked by sanctions, diplomatic disputes, and regional concerns over migration and security.

“What? Who's regional concerns? What are you talking about?”

These are people you want to do in Florida? There is no reason to be doing what he's doing with Cuba. Except Marko's family history. Except he's looking for another country to fuck around with so he can distract from the Epstein files and everything else he wants to distract from here. Except that this is some perverse form of Viagra or Cialis for this decrepit old man to feel like he's a real man.

It's insane. First of all, as was the case with Iran, the beginning of a rapprochement of some sort of a more normalized relationship with Cuba

was started when, by Trump, no, by Obama, and then Trump undid it, just like he undid the Iran deal.

“So this is once again him going in and saying, "Oh, maybe I can go do what Obama did and get credit for it."”

Except are there really negotiations with Cuba going on? Do we believe anything he says? So many of the things he says are complete lives that we can't know. But these kinds of threats need to be taken in a different context than they are in the mainstream media. This is not foreign policy. This is not security policy. This is not immigration policy. This is a man who in 14 months in office has attacked eight different countries if you do not account our own. Eight different countries for no reason. He is assaulted, men as well and deposed their leader. He has murdered the leader of Iran.

He wants to replace the government of Cuba. We don't get to do that. That's not how the planet works. And the impulse to do it is not the normal impulse of an American leader or the normal impulse of any kind of leader, except a demented authoritarian. This is what Hitler did. This is what Putin is trying to do in his nearer broad. This is the kind of thing Netanyahu does. These are people who think that it is within their right to remake the world in a shape that they are more comfortable with. It's illegal, it's wrong, but beyond those things, it's crazy. It's crazy that he thinks he can do this. He's out of his fucking mind.

And we're sitting here, you know, with reading New York Times, blah, blah, blah, international coalition, blah, blah, blah, blah, immigration concerns. What a load of shit. There's a nutcase in the White House who's acting out all of his pathologies in ways that are hurting, killing millions of people millions when USAID was shut down. Thousands and thousands when US health care is shut down when cancer research is shut down. We don't even know who's going to die because of the insanity of his attacks on science and health care is insanity of his attacks on science in climate.

Or the long-term results of his wars, whether they are fighting and casualties or whether the results we're talking about are the absence of fertilizer and thus the absence of food in the starvation.

Well, we'll take care of that in the next election. What makes you think there will be an next election? If this is the way he's behaving right now.

“Is that the weekend yet? It feels like it should be, but.”

I mean, Holy Macro, that's three stories in. It's a good thing we only do five. Yeah, CEOs from major passenger and cargo airlines are urging Congress to pass legislation that ensures aviation and TSA workers are paid during the current Department of Homeland Security shut down. The executives wanted that the funding laps is causing staffing shortages and long security lines just as a record breaking spring break in 2026 World Cup travel begins.

Audemocrats are withholding DHS funds to demand immigration reform following recent fatal shootings. The airline industry argues that workers should not be used as "political footballs."

Currently, over 300 TSA agents have resigned into the pay freeze threatening the stability of the nation's air travel infrastructure. Yeah, I mean, you know, Democrats are doing a real bad job communicating on this. The Democrats keep saying, "We'll pay for the things that need paying for. We just don't want to pay for more abuses from ICE." The Republicans are saying, "Well, heck now, you've got to pay for ICE. Otherwise, we're going to withhold this. The people who are withholding the funding for the things that keep us safe are Republicans."

Well, our last story for today is something that we've alluded to. The Academy Award ceremony featured multiple political moments with host Conan O'Brien, presenter Jimmy Kimmel, actor Javier Bardem, delivering jokes and statements that indirectly criticized Trump and addressed the war in the Middle East. The night mixed entertainment and politics, including pro-Palestin remarks and red carpet ice outpins while filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson's film on Battle After Another, one best picture. Despite the tense global backdrop and political tone, the show largely preceded normally reflecting on going debate about Hollywood's politics and the Oscars declining TV audience.

With Amazon, more than 50% of the performance with less performance, for example, in paper-tuned, or even more without any additional performance. When we're still together, we're also playing, like we're going to have a new copy of "Ramit" and "Ricum" in the performance of the Mercedes-Benz version of Amazon performance, from the year 2025 in Rosbottanian and the EU. It's your garden start-cloth for the fruiting, by action in quality and the smallest price in hand, for example, for mini-capten-siggin, only 24, 18, or a garden-touch garden-sharing, only 22 and 18.

In the case of all garden-productive in our field and in the Action App, action, small price, big joy.

“Well, first of all, the Oscars aren't going to be on TV in two years, right? Are they going to be YouTube?”

Yeah, they're going to be on YouTube. Yeah, so I mean, it's not going to be broadcasting more, and if it goes on to YouTube, you're not going to go home and do a YouTube party. I mean, a lot of people just have YouTube TV anyway, but I'm just saying people are going to watch clips, which, by the way, is the right way to watch these things anyway. You know, somebody goes and says, "Here are the five moments you want to see, here are the five good moments, and the five worst moments, and here are the dresses."

And then you just watch it in a little bit of Instagram and a little bit of TikTok, because it's a long-boring show, and, you know, Conan O'Brien, I mean, I don't even, I mean, I know, people love Conan O'Brien.

“I've got to say, I found a lot of his stuff kind of cringe. Not as interstitial stuff, because he's actually pretty smart guy, right?”

And so his comments on the fly are pretty good. But the bits where he sort of trying to portray himself, it's like he's some like Buster Keaton comedian, ridiculous. Anyway, you know, frankly, I was relieved that there was a little bit of political speech at this thing, because, you know, watching other award shows, there was a very little of it. And again, the whole issue here is not, you know, the Ab been flow of normal politics. It's that we're in a moment of crisis. We're in a moment where a crazy man has got us fighting wars and upsetting global order and attacking our own laws and attacking our own freedoms.

I'm rounding up people in the street practicing corruption on a scale we've never seen it before. And that is the kind of thing that people need to speak out on.

And I was glad to see, have you are bar dim, pull his anti-war pin that he or a patch or whatever it was that he had born 20 years ago and put it back on.

made a very uplifting, positive political comment about, in fact, I think he was a quoted James Baldwin and he said he talked about our responsibility to our children to deliver a better world.

So some of these statements were quite positive and frankly, I thought there was an underlying statement throughout the whole Academy of Words that was also positive, which was you had Norwegian film, you had a Korean film, and a K-pop demoneters, you had people from, you know, a Brazilian, a Best Actor nominee, you had the nominated films dealing with tough issues from around the world. There was a real sense of this being a global art for dealing with global issues and a responsible way. And you know, that, I don't know, that makes for a great TV show, but I thought it was, I thought it was an encouraging sort of subtext to the whole thing.

Were you happy with the outcomes? I think maybe for a minute there, we were all overthinking it a bit, and there was one point in the show where I was like, this Leonardo DiCaprio, going to win an Oscar for Best Actor, like, I was definitely getting in my head a little bit with the Best Actor category, but I think that, I think it kind of went the way that maybe we had originally thought it was going to go before we all started freaking out. And yeah, I thought they made great choices, I thought the majority of the speeches were good, I'm kind of all who are like, let's all keep, let's shorten those a bit.

“Yeah, although the way they kind of surrounding, but if you have something important to say, I think you should say it.”

And I felt bad for the guy who was, you know, who wanted to say something for, I guess for Best Song, you know, and K-pop demon otters and he came up and they just sat him down right at the beginning. What about the guy who was talking and they just turned the lights off and lowered the mic while he was speaking? Yeah, now that was bad news and couldn't they have given them, you know, Sean Pennstein since he didn't use it. He said, giving Sean Penn acting awards really pisses me off and that performance was a fucking cartoon.

But, you know, I guess, you know, something happens when you're stick around for a long time. The idea that he is now one of the most awarded actors of all time to me is just ridiculous. On the other hand, Michael Jordan deserved it, Jesse Buckley deserved it. You know, the movies themselves were pretty worthwhile, Amy Madigan.

I thought that was kind of interesting, Amy Madigan 40 years after her first nomination wins.

“And you look over at her husband who's been nominated for times at Harris, who's never won.”

And at least there's one Oscar going into the Harris Madigan household. I thought that was kind of a nice touch. I thought the tributes to people who had passed were for the most part very nice and we will not comment on the part. That was so cringe where they at the very end with Barbara Streisand. Oh my god.

We will not, but overall I thought it was very moving. I found myself crying. I thought that it was very beautifully done. There were a lot of good moments.

“I just thought it went on a little too long.”

Did you cry, Riley? No, not at that part. I like kind of started a tearful bit for the Catherine O'Hare apart, but... Interesting, interesting. Well, you know, that says something about Madigan.

I was thinking Diane Keaton really got me. I thought she gave that really beautiful. That part too. That was so sweet. Yeah, you know, I have to say that, you know, to some extent the fact that you responded in different places,

shows how movies work on us because these people give performances. They do movies. It resonates with us. It becomes part of our emotional life. It's some, you know, it lives inside of us.

And that's why they're powerful. And it's why every year, because the medium is so powerful, we all sit down on a Sunday night and go, "Oh, this is going to be terrible."

Because it's always terrible.

And it is. And we sit through the whole thing anyway. Personally, what I've picked sinners over one battle after another probably, but I also don't think it matters because, you know, there've been a lot of terrible movies

And I mean, when that woman came out to give the incredibly well deserved award

to the incredibly talented, one of the best actresses in the world, Jesse Buckley. And I saw her, and it was like the woman from like a Nora or whatever she was in. You know what's your matter? Like Mikey Madison. And it was like, "She's going to become a trivia."

And answer to a trivia question.

“Because no one is ever going to remember her again.”

She will never do it. You've heard of it.

She wasn't in anything this year.

No. Not that I can remember. Now, she's just, you know, that was just one of those strange awards. What are those strange Academy awards? Anyway, all right.

Well, we've covered all of that. We've decompressed at least. I've decompressed.

“And now we have to go off and get into our week.”

And we will do that with all of our usual podcasts.

So please join us for all of those. And join us here. Each and every day. And thank you, Riley. Thank you, men.

I thank everybody. Bye-bye. [MUSIC] But what I want to tell you,

“you don't want to get a lot of students.”

The Master by Dr. Glept or Bücher Soft. He's the intern. He's a master. I really hate it. You can say that.

You can say that. Yeah, you're a master. But you can't do that. No. I don't know.

I just want to tell you. Thank you very much. Just do what you do. And if you work, you'll do what you do. Do what?

Save. What do you do? Hold your money back. Now, it's just a little bit of a mess.