Deep State Radio

One of our regulars, Ed Luce of the Financial Times, had an article in the Weekend FT called "Will America tear itself apart: The Supreme Court, 2020 elections and a looming constitutional crisis." It is an incisive look into a profoundly important set of challenges America faces in fixing elements of our constitutional system that are currently malfunctioning or a source of tension. Government by a super-empowered minority or "malaportionment" is one. The related problem of the electoral college is another. The politicization of our judiciary is a third. For this special deep dive into the ideas related to the article we are joined by Ed, governance expert Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute and, also from AEI, Kori Schake, the head of their foreign policy and national security programs. Join us for this important conversation.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Game of Thrones leadership decisions were made with the help of dragons and Moon Doors and Valyrian steel daggers. In America today, people play just as rough but their tools are cyber warfare, disinformation, mobilized extremist groups and court orders that suppress the vote. It is so sordid it makes you wish there were still a dragon or two available. But absent that, understanding and preparing for the threats democracy faces is our best option. That's on this episode we speak to former FBI Agent and cyber specialist Clint Watts, former White House official Dr. Kavita Patel and "Just Security" co-editor and NYU law professor Ryan Goodman. Don't miss it. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Donald Trump has unleashed resources of his government to support his campaign against Joe Biden in a way that America would condemn were it the behavior of any foreign government. In fact, as David Sanger pointed out in a recent NY Times article, he has crossed lines that may damage America's standing for years to come. We discuss that article and a host of recent foreign policy developments with David as well as Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University Law Center and Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute. Then, we get an exclusive preview with David of the upcoming HBO documentary based on his best-selling book "The Perfect Weapon." It's deeply relevant to politics today as well as to critical strategic choices any new president will have to make. Don't miss this wide-ranging and fascinating discussion. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The increasingly erratic president was pretty erratic to begin with. Which has made the past week all the more unnerving. Throw in revelations about the unusual layers of secrecy and the cover ups surrounding the president's health and new revelations about one of the most disturbing policies of the Trump Era, the decision to tear families apart at the border and prosecute tiny children and this has been one of the disturbing weeks of the most disturbing presidency in US history. We discuss with Michael Schmidt of the New York Times, Dr. Kavita Patel, a former senior White House staffer, and Ryan Goodman, co-editor of "Just Security" and professor of law at NYU. Don't miss it. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The biggest national security story in America today is the biggest domestic story and the biggest political story and the biggest economic story and the biggest public health story. The COVID outbreak at the White House might have resulted in greater empathy for those who have suffered so due to the pandemic but the opposite seems to be happening. It seems to be leading to an effort by the president and his supporters to double down on disastrous policy choice and to put more Americans at risk. We discuss with Pultizer Prize Winner Laurie Garrett, Dr. Kavita Patel, former WH staffer, Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute and Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law Center. Don't miss it. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The debate this week was a trainwreck inside a dog's breakfast wrapped in bad acid trip. It was, despite the best efforts of Joe Biden to discuss the issues, chaotic. But that's what President Trump wanted. Because it distracts from 200,000 dead from COVID, tens of millions unemployed and revelations about his taxes and his manifold failures as a business leader. We discuss those taxes, failings and the debate to get to core issues he was trying to avoid with our guests, NYU Law Professor Daniel Shaviro, journalist David Corn of Mother Jones and former senior Obama White House official, Dr. Kavita Patel. Don't miss it. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Constitutional rot of the past four years has set the stage for the corruption of our institutions and, equally importantly, for growing delegitimization of our government. This plays into the hands of a president who is ever more desperate to cling to power lest he lose his fortune and his freedom. This in turn has experts who are studying the preparations for the November 3 election to express deep concern that we may be heading into a period of profound crisis for our system, one that, should Trump prevail in undermining the will of the people could mean the collapse of our system and a the onset of a period of national chaos. This is not abstract. Critical, dangerous steps confirming this is the direction we are headed are already taking place. We discuss with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barton Gellman, Rosa Brooks of the Georgetown Law Center and Ed Luce of the Financial Times. It is essential listening. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for pri

The President of the United States has deliberately raised questions about whether our democratic system will work properly while actively working to ensure it does not. From voting to the courts to the enforcement of our laws, our institutions seem more fragile and at risk than at any moment since the civil war. What does this mean for the remainder of this political campaign and its aftermath? We discuss with three of the smartest political observers we know, Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, Karen Finney, former spokesperson for Hillary Clinton, and David Frum of the Atlantic. Don't miss their wide-ranging and incisive conversation. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is a resurgent COVID the October Surprise? Is it the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Will it be the nomination and approval of a replacement for her prior to the election? Will it be the announcement of a vaccine? Or is it tied to the president's reluctance to guarantee a peaceful hand-over of power if he loses. We discuss these options and others with Mimi Rocah, candidate for Westchester, NY, District Attorney, Katie Barlow, attorney and journalist, and Dr. Kavita Patel, practicing physician and former senior Obama White House aide. Co-hosts Ryan Goodman of NYU Law School and David Rothkopf of The DSR Network explore the implications of this week's developments on all these issues with our guests and the discussion is riveting. Join us. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cecile Richards is the CEO and founder of Supermajority, a new organization for "women's activism, training and the mobilization of a multiracial, intergenerational community to fight for gender equality." She was previously president of Planned Parenthood and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and has been hailed as one of the foremost women's rights leaders in the country. We discussed with her the impact of the death of feminist leader and icon, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the consequences of the confirmation of a third Trump appointee to the Court, the vital importance of the November elections and the potential agenda for a Biden-Harris Administration should they win. It was a timely, inspiring conversation about the promise of change for the better in America even as well-organized forces seek to turn back the clock. Tune in and then visit supermajority.com to learn more about Cecile's work and that of her organization. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a rarity in Washington, a true hero, one of those voices who would not be silenced by conventional wisdom or the zeitgeist or politics or the pushback of the powerful. Her loss therefore is not simply the loss of a dependably progressive viewpoint on America's highest court, it is of a true leader and individual of integrity at a moment when those are a rarity in Washington. The entire US government is, at this moment, suffering from a crisis of legitimacy from which it cannot recover without a new generation--and an army--of RBGs. We discuss with Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law Center, Mieke Eoyang of the Third Way and Edward Luce of the Financial Times. Join us. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael Schmidt's new book "Donald Trump v. The United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President" is one of the required reads of this moment in our history. It gets deep inside the effort to protect the president as the Russia investigation closed in around him. But it also underscores what that investigation did not uncover. Indeed the central question remains: What explains Trump's behavior toward Russia during the campaign in 2016 and ever since. We discuss the book and this question with Michael in a riveting one-on-one that you will not want to miss. Join us. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Peter Strzok is one of America's most respected, experienced counterintelligence specialists. His career at the FBI reads like a thriller and as a consequence, so does his new book "Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump." At the center of course, is Strzok's role in the investigation of Trump, the controversy that led to his departure from the FBI and, most importantly, what he and his colleagues uncovered about Trump. In our conversation with Strzok, Ryan Goodman of "Just Security" and David Rothkopf, explore the facts of the counterintel case against Trump and what threats loom for the US from Russian interference in this November's election. From Barr's abuses to the failings of Senate and IG investigations, this candid discussion should not be missed. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The divide between the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and centrists has dogged the party for years and hurt Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. Thanks to equal parts good planning, good will and the urgency of the threat America faces, that divide has been minimized this year with Biden working closely with progressive leaders like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and AOC. The question is: What will happen to progressive concerns should Biden become president? And how does the progressive agenda on defense, climate and other issues fit with the views of Americans of both parties. We discuss with former co-chair of the Bernie Sanders campaign, Representative Ro Khanna of California, Ed Luce of the Financial Times and Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute. Join us for this wide ranging, thought provoking discussion. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Republican Party not only produced the corrupt, failed presidency of Donald Trump, but it has supported Trump at every turn. What is to be done with a party that embraces a president who is a traitor, a con man, a racist, a serial abuser of women? We sat down with two notable former Republicans, Washington Post columnist Max Boot and political scientist and commentator Tom Nichols to discuss what comes next for the GOP. Their answers suggest that a defeat of Donald Trump will not be enough to fix what is broken within the party. Indeed, one suggests it essential to vote against Republicans on every level on every ballot whereas the other warns it might require decades of defeats of this dysfunctional, dangerous incarnation of what was once the party of Lincoln. Join us for this thought-provoking conversation. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The two defining crises of the past 40 years in the US have been the 9/11 attacks and the COVID crisis. In both cases, government lies and bad government policies made matters much worse. In both cases, hundreds of thousands died as a result. The wars that resulted from 9/11 still fester. And as for the COVID crisis, we could see the number of dead in the US double before the end of the year...because the president is so resistant to doing what's right. With the publication of Bob Woodward's new book, all this is reframed and we discuss with two of America's leading experts, Pulitzer Prize-winner Laurie Garrett and former Obama WH senior health official Dr. Kavita Patel. Join co-hosts Ryan Goodman of "Just Security" and NYU Law School and David Rothkopf for this vitally important episode. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Donald Trump doesn't think much of America's military and he thinks even less of its members who sacrificed their lives or freedom for the country. And, now he wants another four years as commander-in-chief of that military. And he's got a shot at getting re-upped for another tour. Because...what the fuck, America? We discuss the latest outrages with Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute, Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law School, Ed Luce of the Financial Times and David Sanger of the New York Times. Don't miss it.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As former U.S. Under Secretary of State Richard Stengel says during this special podcast, when he interviewed Putin several years ago, the Russian president cited the collapse of the USSR as the greatest tragedy of the past century. And, as Richard notes, Putin has been on the attack against what he perceives as those that brought Russia down ever since. This led to his support for Donald Trump in 2016 and once again, it leads him to support Trump again in 2020. And Trump is returning the favor, making it harder for Congress and the American people to know what Russia is up to, harder to defend against them and even spreading disinformation to minimize the Russian threat. We discuss the latest developments in this, one of the great stories of our time, with Stengel, a former managing editor of Time Magazine, Natasha Bertrand of Politico and Graham Brookie, Director and Managing Editor of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab. Join co-hosts Ryan Goodman of Just Security and NYU Law School and Da

After the lawlessness and lies of the GOP convention it is clearer than ever that another term in office for Donald Trump would be devastating for democracy in America. And given the willingness of the GOP to violate the law and the fragility of political leads in times like these, you would have to be, in the words of our regular Rosa Brooks, deranged to think Trump might not achieve victory in November. We discuss that possibility, the conventions, yet another instance of police barbarism, further mishandling of the coronavirus crisis and more with Rosa, with former Obama White House official Dr. Kavita Patel and with NYU Law School's Ryan Goodman. Don't miss this thought-provoking if disturbing episode. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Every four years a heated debate occurs among foreign policy and national security nerds about why foreign policy and national security just don't seem to be so important in our presidential campaigns. But 2020 will be different right? After all, Russia attacked our last elections, a global pandemic and economic crisis has paralyzed the country, China is a rising threat...wherever you look there are big international issues of central concern. Everywhere you look, that is, except the political conventions last week and this week. Then...crickets. We discuss why with David Sanger of the New York Times and Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute. Don't miss this episode. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.