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by Pod Save the World
Each week, “Pod Save America” cohost Tommy Vietor and Obama’s former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes break down the biggest developments in foreign policy, national security and global politics. They try to explain which stories matter and why, and what we can all do to understand and shape the world around us.
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In a stunning reversal, Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defied expectations to defeat Flávio Bolsonaro in a presidential runoff, while Serbia saw a historic youth-led uprising unseat Aleksandar Vučić. Meanwhile, Israel held its first election since October 7th, with results pending, and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned home amid U.S. political maneuvering.
The podcast episode covers escalating geopolitical tensions involving U.S. foreign policy under Trump, particularly regarding Ukraine and Israel, rising civil unrest in France and across Europe, a failed Saudi espionage attempt at OpenAI, and a disturbing account of settler violence in the West Bank reported by journalist Jasper Nathaniel.
The podcast episode examines a series of alarming foreign policy developments under the Trump administration, including a controversial diesel deal with Putin that undermines Ukraine, escalating conflicts in Iran and Yemen, a growing democratic crisis in India, and the collapse of U.S. credibility amid corruption and mercenary activity. The conversation underscores how these actions reflect a broader moral and strategic failure in American leadership.
The podcast covers a series of global political crises, including the rise of right-wing populism in Brazil and Europe, espionage scandals in Germany, suspected plague outbreaks in Russia, escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, and concerns over Xi Jinping’s health. The episode culminates in an interview with Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter recently released from Russian imprisonment, who reflects on his experience and the state of dissent under Putin.
A U.S.-China summit yielded minimal results, with vague commitments on trade and AI, while a controversial arms sale comment by Ambassador David Perdue raised alarms. Meanwhile, the podcast covers Iran's oil workarounds, Ethiopia's looming civil war, Manchester City's financial scandal, AI safety failures, and the appointment of unqualified Trump loyalists as ambassadors, culminating in a sobering report on Haiti's humanitarian crisis.
The podcast discusses the implications of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the U.S., growing national security risks from AI, the ongoing crisis in Yemen involving the Houthis, Russia's sham elections, and rising European anxieties about hybrid warfare, all against the backdrop of Trump's foreign policy failures and domestic political instability.
The Houthis seize control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Trump rolls a grenade into Northern Ireland's politics, and a Russian oligarch funds Don Jr.'s wedding.Tommy and Ben break down some of the most alarming expansions of the Iran war: Houthi rebels have captured roughly 80 miles of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, Iranian-backed militants have blown up a Saudi pipeline in Iraq, and Iran's targeting has improved thanks to Chinese satellite imagery. An exclusive first look at a new Eurasia Group poll finds the Iran war's approval sitting at 34% nationally, with disapproval among independents jumping 13 points. Then Trump visits his Irish golf course on the taxpayer's dime and casually upends decades of US policy on Northern Ireland in an impromptu press conference. This week also brings multiple stories of brazen grift: ProPublica reports that a Russian oligarch with ties to Putin paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for portions of Don Jr.'s Bahamas wedding, and The New Yorker does a deep dive on how much Jared Kushner’s diplomacy is colored by his personal financial motives. And finally, a Russian drone strikes a Ukrainian train station minutes after trains carrying the national security advisors of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy passed through. At the end of the show, Tommy speaks to Hamza Chaudhry from the Future of Life Institute about the crazy last week in AI, how to judge tech leaders’ calls for a slowdown in development, and what to expect from Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Hate listening to ads? Become a Friends of the Pod subscriber for ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Runaway Country, Offline with Jon Favreau, and more—plus exclusive content, including bonus episodes of Pod Save America. Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends, on Apple Podcasts, or through the Pod Save America YouTube channel.You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) made significant gains in regional elections, raising alarms about the normalization of extremism in Europe. Meanwhile, Trump emissaries Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff conducted a controversial diplomatic mission to Russia and Ukraine, widely criticized as unserious and counterproductive. In Serbia, the celebration of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić sparked international condemnation, highlighting the resurgence of nationalist and genocidal rhetoric. The UK announced a major policy shift, declaring Israel's occupation of the West Bank unlawful and imposing economic restrictions, marking a significant break from U.S. policy. A new investigative report implicates Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in ignoring specific warnings before the October 7 Hamas attack. Finally, corruption allegations engulfed British far-right politician Nigel Farage, while Lawrence Wright reflected on the enduring failures and lessons of 9/11.
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Each week, “Pod Save America” cohost Tommy Vietor and Obama’s former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes break down the biggest developments in foreign policy, national security and global politics. They try to explain which stories matter and why, and what we can all do to understand and shape the world around us.
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