Pod Save the World

Tommy and Ben explain why Trump backed off his threat to take Greenland by force and debate whether European leaders have finally found a playbook for how to push back, the backlash to Trump’s disgraceful denigration of NATO troops and their service in Afghanistan, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s bold attempt to break from the United States and forge a new international order. Then they cover the purge of top military leaders in China and widespread rumors of a coup attempt against Chinese President Xi Jinping, Jared Kushner’s much-derided PowerPoint presentation on the future of Gaza, new details about how the Iranian regime crushed the recent protests and why there may now be an even greater likelihood that the US bombs Iran (again), a humiliating and terrifying profile of Kash Patel’s first year at the FBI, and why a real estate forum in Saudi Arabia made us want to cry. Then Tommy speaks with Kenneth Rosen, author of Polar War: Submarines, Spies, and the Struggle for P...

Tommy and Ben talk about the growing and very real threat of President Trump attempting to take Greenland by force, the spectrum of reactions from world leaders from feckless NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to scorning French President Emmanuel Macron, and how this would lead to the end of NATO if Europeans don’t stand up to the US. They also discuss how Trump’s walking back of military threats to Iran led to the death of thousands of protesters, the confusing and corrupt intentions behind the “Board of Peace”, a rocky ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, Grok’s sexualized image crisis, and a bizarre tribute to Stephen Hawking. Then, Ben speaks to Sky News Africa Correspondent, Yousra Elbagir, about Uganda’s contested election. Preorder Ben’s new book, All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches, out on May 26.

Tommy and Ben talk about the historic protests in Iran and reports of the regime’s brutal crackdown with potentially tens of thousands dead, President Trump’s threats of military intervention (and why they’re a bad idea), and Iranian exiles vying for power as regime replacements from the safety of Washington, DC. They also talk about the next steps in Venezuela, including opposition leader María Corina Machado’s tricky positioning, why ramping up Venezuelan oil production might be extremely difficult, expensive and take years, and how oil factors into Russia’s reaction. Then they talk about Trump’s ongoing threats of military intervention in Mexico, the chances of political and economic collapse in Cuba, and the G7 being shifted to accommodate Trump’s UFC themed birthday bash. At the end of the show, Tommy speaks to Jason Rezaian, Director of Press Freedom Initiatives at the Washington Post, former political prisoner in Iran, and host of the podcast 544 Days about the anniversary of...

Tommy and Ben discuss Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, his request for F-35 fighter jets and a NATO-like security guarantee, the real estate deals the Trump family might get in return, and how corruption is driving US foreign policy, including in the case of a gold-bar bribe from the Swiss. Then they talk about new reports on embattled (and embarrassing) FBI Director Kash Patel, what leaked emails tell us about Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with Israeli intelligence and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, how Chinese hackers used AI in a game-changing new way, why the former prime minister of Bangladesh was sentenced to death, a massive corruption scandal in Ukraine, an update on civilians fleeing violence in Sudan, and a new documentary about how Adolf Hitler’s teeny tiny secret caused big problems. Then Ben speaks with author and former assistant administrator at USAID, Atul Gawande, whose new documentary “Rovina’s Choice” highlights the stagger...