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 sh
Tommy and Ben dig into Brazil's election results, where right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro surged past expectations and is now favored to win the October 25th runoff. In Europe, Spain's Pedro Sanchez calls a snap election over a housing crisis after a dramatic eviction sparks demonstrations, and student protests have spread to more than 40 French cities over a lack of funding and poor conditions at schools. Quebec separatists win provincial elections with eyes on an independence vote in the future. Germany's former intelligence chief is arrested for passing state secrets to foreign…
The Trump/Xi summit produces two pandas and not much else, violence in Ethiopia could have massive regional consequences, and Manchester City is found guilty of nearly a decade of cheating. Tommy and Ben close the loop on Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington and how Trump walked away with only vague commitments. On Iran, Trump is reportedly planning to resume bombing after the midterms, and a workaround in the Strait of Hormuz is getting oil flowing again, but it may make Trump less likely to cut a deal. A potential plot at a UK base used by US bombers to strike Iran ends with five British…
Xi Jinping comes to Washington, the UN struggles for relevancy, and the Russian parliamentary elections turn out exactly as expected. Tommy and Ben break down Chinese President Xi Jinping's first state visit to Washington since 2015, including Trump’s personal airport greeting, and what leverage China has on everything from AI to rare earths to Iran. Then a new list of disturbing AI headlines: a Bloomberg investigation on how AI-assisted targeting contributed to the US strike on an Iranian elementary school, a CNN report on how AI nearly triggered a war with China, and the Israeli election…
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…
The far right gets a huge win in Germany, Serbia celebrates a war criminal, and Nigel Farage gets caught on camera breaking the law. Tommy and Ben dig into the ultra-right-wing AfD party's historic results in a regional election, what drove it, what it would mean if they actually form a coalition government, and what it says about the state of European politics more broadly. Trump’s dumb and dumber team of negotiators (Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff) return from a busy weekend traveling to Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin, and their first trip to Ukraine to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky on…
The war with Iran reaches six months, Trump’s Pentagon cuts a corrupt oil deal with Venezuela, and Russia makes an (unwelcome) surprise appearance at a G20 meeting. Tommy and Ben mark six months of the war with Iran, including the death toll, damage to the global economy, and reports that Trump may implement a "mow the grass" forever war strategy. Pete Hegseth is clearly losing the confidence of military leaders as the Secretary of the Army resigns and the Washington Post reports that top military commanders are pushing back on his management of the war. Then Trump announces that the US…
Trump starts a trade war with Canada, announces “Economic D-Day” against Iran, while Russia deploys AI killer drones in Ukraine. Tommy and Ben break down the collapse of US-Canada trade negotiations, the politics animating Prime Minister Mark Carney’s tough talk, and why a trade war carries long-term economic risks for Canada. Then the Trump administration threatens an “Economic D-Day” against Iran, which so far seems like an empty threat. In Ukraine, Russia has deployed autonomous drones that select their own targets using artificial intelligence, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe makes a…
Tommy and Ben walk through a week of leaders making bad decisions. President Trump kneecaps military exercises with South Korea, Vladimir Putin’s paranoia reaches new heights, and British PM Andy Burnham gets pranked. They start with Trump's decision to scale back joint US-South Korean military exercises, what it means for an ally facing a rapidly modernizing North Korean military, and why Trump’s love for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remains unrequited. Then, Jared Kushner heads back to the Middle East to reassure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel won't actually have…
Trump evades Iran via catering truck, Pete Hegseth's Pentagon is a disaster, and Jared pays off a gangster and drug trafficker as part of his Albanian island takeover. This week Tommy and Ben cover shocking new info on how Trump hid from Iran on his way back from the NATO summit in Turkey, leaving his staff and the press behind as decoys. They shake off their déjà vu to dig into the latest developments in Iran and Israel before touching down in Yemen as the conflict between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Houthis heats up. In London, a brave Sudanese protester calls…
Over 70,000 migrants try crossing into Spain, the US is running out of precision missiles, and Jared Kushner's brother almost bought FIFA. Tommy and Ben break down the mass crossing of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and why right-wing politicians are frothing at the mouth over it. While Trump’s ultimatums and claims of a deal on Iran make us all feel like it's Groundhog Day, reports that the US has burned through virtually all of its precision strike missiles and that Iranian hackers have infiltrated water systems in at least seven states are genuinely alarming.…
Trump welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to the White House on the same day as Lindsey Graham’s funeral, a MAGA nut does a wild U-turn on Ukraine, and the freakout over Chinese Artificial Intelligence intensifies. This week Tommy and Ben cover…Trump hits pause on the Iran war after two weeks of nightly bombing amid concerns about dwindling stockpiles of US air defense interceptors, while the Pentagon goes to disgraceful new lengths to hide the casualties and costs of the war. Then Lindsey Graham gets the equivalent of a state funeral in…
More US casualties in the war with Iran, the State Department's new neo-McCarthy Cuba blacklist, and the UK gets a new Prime Minister while CPAC Great Britain flops. Tommy and Ben discuss reports that the Pentagon has been covering up the full extent of casualties associated with the war with Iran, the impact of the Houthi rebels potentially getting involved in the conflict, and Trump’s threat to bomb a new Iranian nuclear site. The State Department released a new report blaming everything Marco Rubio doesn’t like on Cuba, and the guys read it* so you don’t have to! (*skimmed it) Then they…
In this special episode of Pod Save the World, Tommy and Ben speak in front of a live audience at the Aspen Security Forum. First, Trump delivers a rambling speech on election security that offers no new evidence, overstates the threat from China, and is laying the groundwork for Republicans to question the validity of the midterm elections. Then the guys turn their attention to the foreign policy establishment itself, taking on some of the more eyebrow-raising statements from fellow panelists at the forum — including Condoleezza Rice — and making the case that the blob needs to reckon…
Tommy and Ben are back with a week of war, drama over an international bridge, and an angry Norwegian World Cup fan. First up, the guys say farewell to the ceasefire between Iran and the US, hello to a new forever war, and analyze how a rushed, sloppily worded agreement negotiated by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff collapsed. The New York Times reveals the details of Israel's embarrassing failed plot to install former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's new president, including a fake climate conference in Budapest and a Mossad extraction plan. Trump is using questions about the…
Tommy is joined by guest host Mehdi Hasan to walk through a packed week of World Cup controversy, a NATO summit, and Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral in Iran. First, they discuss the international reaction to President Trump’s interference in the World Cup to get the US team’s red card suspended and all the ways that corruption is endemic to FIFA. Then Trump heads to Ankara for the NATO summit, and the guys dig into what is actually at stake—from Trump's demand that allies spend 5% of GDP on defense to reports to a Wall Street Journal deep dive on European leaders holding a “therapy session”…
Tommy and Ben talk through a week that includes US and Iranian airstrikes, a peace agreement, a Supreme Court double-header, and the French debate about air conditioning. First up, Israel and Lebanon have signed a 14-point peace agreement in Washington, but people on both sides question whether the deal will ever be implemented, and some in Lebanon fear that it could actually be a recipe for civil war. Meanwhile, the US ceasefire with Iran has produced a week of airstrikes and fighting over what was actually agreed to. Then a brazen new example of corruption combines a mining deal with…
This week Tommy and Ben catch up on the latest in Iran negotiations, react to Keir Starmer’s resignation, and continue to celebrate World Cup fandom. First they walk through the text of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding — because now it’s clear why Trump didn't want anyone to see it. The guys break down everything Iran got, including sanctions relief and billions in unfrozen assets, compared to the very vague assurances the US received that Iran won't build a nuclear weapon and will keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Then they go over the latest negotiations in Switzerland, disagreements…
Tommy and Ben are back with a week of bad deals, high-stakes elections, and World Cup joy. The US and Iran have agreed to a deal to end the war, but the Trump administration has refused to release the text to anyone — so the guys parse through what we think we know. The short version: it's a pretty good deal for Iran that meets almost none of the goals Trump set out before the war started, and the nuclear issue hasn’t even been touched yet. Then the guys question if Netanyahu will do something to torpedo the whole thing with his continued war against Lebanon. In England, a special election…
Tommy and Ben are back to discuss a week that includes collapsed ceasefire(s), the World Cup, and Jared and Ivanka pretending to be conquistadors. The so-called ceasefires between Israel and Lebanon and the US and Iran continue to unravel, while Trump insists he has Iran and Israel under his control and twists reality (and the English language) to fit his narrative. Then, Ivanka Trump claims to have "discovered" a pristine, protected ecological island off the coast of Albania, sparking major protests and a government corruption investigation. The FIFA World Cup kicks off this week across…
Trump says he’s bored with peace talks, American right-wingers flock to Moscow, and the new Director of National Intelligence’s claim to fame is owning an HVAC company. Another fun week! Tommy and Ben discuss why Trump installing Bill Pulte as the new acting Director of National Intelligence should terrify you given his total lack of experience and focus on revenge. Then it's back to Iran, where breathless coverage about a potential peace deal hasn’t changed the reality 3 months into the war. The guys also dig into the growing divergence between Trump and Netanyahu over Lebanon, including a…
Tommy and Ben dig into a week of an “almost” deal, a sweeping AI warning, and a terrifying Ebola outbreak. First up, the Iran deal that was supposedly days away somehow produced new US airstrikes instead, and the guys break down why the path to a permanent ceasefire remains littered with obstacles from Netanyahu wanting to escalate in Lebanon, to Trump suggesting Iran join the Abraham Accords. Then they bid a fond farewell to Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned as Director of National Intelligence under circumstances that depend entirely on who you ask. Pope Leo XIV dropped a 42,000-word encyclical…
Tommy and Ben dig into a week dominated by ominous signs of regime change, nuclear standoffs, and a “historic” summit that left almost everyone disappointed. First they cover the signs pointing to American intervention in Cuba, including reports of Cuban drones, a possible indictment of 94-year-old Raúl Castro, a visit by CIA director John Ratcliffe, and a full blockade that has left the island in a state of humanitarian catastrophe. Then they look to Bolivia, where supporters of former President Evo Morales have blockaded roads and clashes with police are escalating. When it comes to the…
Tommy and Ben survey the wreckage of another week in global politics. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer clings to power after Labour was crushed in local elections. Tommy and Ben debate whether Starmer should step aside or stay and fight. Then they run through the latest with Iran, from the short-lived “Project Freedom” to why Trump says the ceasefire is on “life support.” They recap Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s softball interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes , including Netanyahu’s claim that Israel is ready to wean itself off US military support and that social media is to blame for…
Ben and Tommy break down another chaotic week in foreign policy full of bad ideas and worse outcomes. Trump rolls out—and just as quickly unrolls—a new Pentagon plan—dubbed “Project Freedom”—to “guide” ships through the Strait of Hormuz, leaked intelligence reports show that the war has not changed Iran’s nuclear timeline, and polling confirms that the war has become a political disaster for Trump. They also share a rare, firsthand account from a teacher in Iran about living under the regime's internet blackout and surveillance state, and discuss how the war has derailed Trump's upcoming…
The US-Iran ceasefire is holding, but the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the global economy is teetering on the edge of disaster, and America's precision weapons stockpile is badly depleted after repeated conflicts with Iran, with experts warning that it could have grave consequences for US readiness in the event of a conflict with China. Meanwhile, King Charles becomes the first British king to address Congress as the UK tries to use a royal charm offensive to paper over major differences on Iran, Mali's military government teeters on collapse after coordinated terrorist attacks rock the…
Tommy and Ben break down another chaotic and consequential week in global affairs. Trump blinks and extends the ceasefire with Iran, but the Strait of Hormuz remains closed as US-Iran negotiations stall. Meanwhile, an internal power struggle between Iran's elected leaders and military is complicating talks, and the human cost for ordinary Iranians continues to mount. In Lebanon, Trump stunned Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu by publicly ordering Israel to stop bombing, but the IDF continues to occupy southern Lebanon, and an explosive image of an IDF soldier desecrating a statue of…
Tommy and Ben walk through a week of epic failures for the Trump administration, from peace talks with Iran to Viktor Orbán’s historic loss in Hungary. They break down everything that was wrong with the US-Iran peace talks, like both sides coming in with maximalist positions, Vice President JD Vance walking out in a huff, and the lack of American expertise at the table. Then they unpack what we know about Trump’s risky plan to also blockade the Strait of Hormuz, the growing economic fallout from the war, the heated AI-powered, LEGO-themed propaganda war happening on social media, the attack…
Tommy and Ben try to make sense of a dark and dizzying day in American history, from President Trump's genocidal threat to destroy the 'whole civilization' of Iran, to the announcement of a two-week ceasefire. They break down what Trump's threats to bomb every power plant and bridge in Iran would actually mean — legally, morally, and for the 92 million Iranians who would be left without power, water, or functioning hospitals. They unpack a new New York Times report on how Trump decided to go to war, including Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's influential role in the push to war, the Mossad's…
Ben and guest cohost Alyona Minkovski, PSTW's senior producer, try to make sense of the many contradictions and threats coming from President Trump and his administration on Iran, like reports that he wants to make the Strait of Hormuz everyone else’s problem to solve, and claims that regime change has already happened. Then they juxtapose the incoherence with the very real consequences of the war on people's lives, from American troops being deployed to the Middle East, to the normalization of targeting civilian infrastructure. They also defend spring breakers featured in a Fox News…
In the past few days, Donald Trump went from threatening to obliterate Iran's power plants to announcing a surprise diplomatic reprieve and declaring that the war has been won. This episode breaks down the whiplash: what actually happened, whether the talks are real, why an agreement between the US and Iran will be extraordinarily hard to reach, and why $580 million worth of energy trades just minutes before Trump's announcement reek of insider trading and corruption. Ben and Tommy also cover: the US allowing Iran to sell $14 billion worth of oil, Iran firing missiles at a joint US-UK…
About 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. Subscribe to Friends of the Pod! Your subscription makes Crooked’s work possible and gives you access to ad-free episodes of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World, plus exclusive content and a lively Discord community. Learn more and subscribe at crooked.com/friends or on Apple Podcasts.
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