Pod Save the World
Episodes
Democracy resurgent in Europe(?) and Israeli elections
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy and Ben discuss Trump's decision to cut off aid to central America, whether recent elections in Turkey and Slovakia mean that Democracy i...
Brexit, fighting in Gaza, ISIS defeated(?) and eliminating nukes
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy, Ben Rhodes and former Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken discuss Brexit, tensions flaring in Gaza, Israeli PM Netanyahu's visit to D...
White supremacists radicalized online
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy and Ben talk about the New Zealand terrorist attack and the rise of right-wing extremist groups and nationalist political parties, Huawei...
Brexit and is Dick Cheney good now? (no)
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy and Ben talk about the ongoing Brexit disaster, Dick Cheney's surprisingly accurate criticisms of Trump's foreign policy, the rollback of...
Antisemitism, the NSA, Khashoggi, then Fmr Dep Secretary of State Bill Burns
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy and Ben Rhodes talk about the NSA shutting down its controversial metadata program, more accusations of antisemitism against Ilhan Omar, ...
BONUS POD: North Korea summit
01 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Ben explain why Trump's second North Korea summit was a total disaster. Then they discuss escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Ju...
Trump's North Korea summit v.2, Venezuela, international LGBT rights
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy and Ben Rhodes talk about India bombing Pakistan, Trump's second meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, the ongoing turmoil in Venezuela...
How former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon views the world
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Ben Rhodes calls in from Europe to talk about the Munich Security Summit, Steve Bannon running around Europe, and Trump selling nuclear power p...
Ilhan Omar’s tweets spark a debate about anti-semitism
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy talks with author Peter Beinart about the controversy around Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's tweets, which many viewed as anti-semitic. Then, ...
544 days in an Iranian prison
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Ben talk with the Washington Post's Jason Rezaian about his book Prisoner, which details the 544 days he spent in an Iran's notoriously brut...
Who is President of Venezuela?
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Anthony Faiola, the Washington Post bureau chief for South America and the Caribbean, about the dire situation in Venezuela. Then Be...
Brexit breakdown
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy and Ben talk with David Lammy, a member of parliament from the UK, about the slow-rolling disaster that is Brexit. Then they discuss Trum...
Owned by Russia but itching to bomb Iran
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy and Ben discuss two stories about the Trump administration agitating to attack Iran. Then they discuss several unnerving reports about Tr...
New year, same problems
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy talks with Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin about Trump's Syria flip flops and how he's demoralizing the intel community. Then, Ben Rhodes jo...
Foreign policy in 2019
26 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Ben Rhodes talk about Trump pulling US troops out of Syria, the MLB and Cuba, and then talk about how US policy towards Israel, North Korea ...
The French President and General Flynn had a bad, bad week
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Ben Rhodes discuss General Flynn's trial and what the hell he was doing for the Turkish government. Then they discuss new Senate reports abo...
U.S. policy towards Israel
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Ben Rhodes talk with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro about his time in Israel, why the Middle East Peace process failed, Trump'...
The 2020 Democrats and foreign policy
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy and Ben talk through George H.W. Bush's foreign policy record, the good the bad and the ugly. Then they discuss the news out of the G20, ...
War between Russia and Ukraine, Wikileaks, Brexit and more
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy talks with former US Ambassador to Russia Mike McFaul about fighting between Russia and Ukraine. Then Ben Rhodes dials in to discuss the ...
Update on Jamal Khashoggi and monitoring right-wing extremism
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy talks with Karen Attiah, the Washington Post Global Opinions Editor who used to edit Jamal Khashoggi’s work, about Trump’s statement ...
Global news roundup and North Korea
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy talks with Ben Rhodes about some major foreign policy news out of Israel, Trump's visit to France and the Russia investigation. Then Tomm...
We won the House! What does it that mean for the world?
09 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with foreign policy expert Jake Sullivan about what Democratic control of the House means for US foreign policy, including US relations wi...
Saudi murders and the war in Yemen
31 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan about the international community's response to murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the catastrophic...
Democrats Not Dictators
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy's in Philadelphia for HBO! So Ben Rhodes reviews the latest on Trump’s refusal to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for brutally murdering a journ...
The Great British Breakdown Show
17 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy is in Austin with Beto O'Rourke for Pod Save America on HBO! So this week, Crooked contributor Ben Rhodes travels across the pond to sit down wi...
National security candidates
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy ticks through some major news about UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. Then he interviews three candidates (Jesse Colvin...
Kim Jong-Un found love in a hopeless place
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with the Washington Post's David Ignatius about Trump's visit to the UN general assembly, including potentially explosive claims by Israel...
Is the Mueller investigation doomed?
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with The Atlantic's Natasha Bertrand about how the potential departure of Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein would impact the Mueller investigation ...
John Kerry: Recording for Duty
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy (with an assist from Jon Favreau) talks with former Secretary of State John Kerry about Iran, Israel, Trump's attacks and what he learned from t...
War in Venezuela and Al Qaeda 17 years after 9/11
12 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with new LA resident Ben Rhodes about the bizarre Trump NSC memo naming him leader of the Echo Chamber, the state of al Qaeda and the war ...
Foreign lobbying and what Bob Woodward taught us about Trump's foreign policy
05 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Two part show this week! First, Tommy talks with the Wall Street Journal's Julie Bykowicz about new and insidious ways foreign countries are lobbying...
Trump's racist South Africa conspiracy theory
29 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, President Trump tweeted about a segment on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show that claimed white farmers in South Africa are being murdered and...
Revoking John Brennan's security clearance
22 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former acting CIA director Michael Morell about President Trump's decision to revoke his opponents' security clearances. They discuss...
"Space Force all the way!"
15 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with defense expert Katherine Charlet from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about President Trump's plan to create a Space F...
Devastation in Syria and Yemen
08 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with VICE on HBO correspondent Isobel Yeung about her recent reporting trips to Raqqa, Syria and Yemen. Isobel talks about what it was lik...
Bassem Youssef: doctor, comedian, enemy of the Egyptian state
01 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef about his improbable path to comedy, fame, and becoming an enemy of the Egyptian state. Get tickets...
Wanted by Putin and rage tweeting at Iran
25 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Two part show today! First, Tommy talks with Ambassador Michael McFaul about Vladimir Putin's request to interrogate him and Trump's shocking refusal ...
Trump's disastrous European vacation
18 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Julianne Smith, a former Pentagon official and advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, about Donald Trump’s truly awful trip to Europe...
The politics of the World Cup with Roger Bennett
11 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is two parts. First, Tommy talks with Politico's Nahal Toosi about North Korea, NATO and Trump's Putin meeting. Then, Roger Bennett fr...
“Abdi American”
05 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Abdi Nor Iftin, the author of “Call Me American,” about his incredible story of survival in war-ravaged Somalia and literally win...
Cyber war
29 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with New York Times reporter David Sanger about the new world of cyber warfare. From North Korea's attack on Sony to targeting of Iran's n...
Hunting terrorists
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with the outgoing National Counterterrorism Center chief Nick Rasmussen. Nick worked in senior counterterrorism roles for Presidents Bush,...
North Korea nothingburger?
13 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with defense and Asia policy expert Kelly Magsamen about Trump's just-completed summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un. What did they accom...
Obama's legacy after Trump
06 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Ben Rhodes, author of the new book "The World as It Is", which documents Ben's eight years working in the White House. They talk abou...
White House extremists
01 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with journalist Mehdi Hasan about a troubling series of hires on Trump's National Security Council staff of individuals with far-right, p...
Trump's hostage policy
23 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with NewYorker.com executive editor David Rohde about the way Trump is handling - and showcasing - hostage negotiations as President. Rohd...
North Korea and Gaza
17 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Washington Post reporter Anne Gearan about the on again, off again North Korea summit, the situation in Gaza and the Trump administra...
Trump shreds the Iran deal
08 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Trump just tore up the Iran deal. Tommy talks with Ben Rhodes about what happens next. Then Tommy talks with Russia expert Mike McFaul about his new b...
Ronan Farrow
02 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Pulitzer Prize winning author Ronan Farrow about his new book War on Peace and the militarization of American foreign policy. Get...
The CIA's tortured history
27 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with ACLU political director Faiz Shakir about the nomination of Gina Haspel to lead the CIA despite her role in the Bush-era torture of t...
Syria strikes and North Korea talks
18 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with foreign policy expert Kelly Magsamen about Trump’s strikes on Syria’s chemical weapons site, his lack of a broader strategy, and ...
Madeleine Albright’s warning about fascism
11 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about the rise of fascism around the world and her concerns about how it is being enable...
Mr. Putin goes to Washington?
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with New Yorker writer Robin Wright about Putin’s possible visit to Washington, his relationship with Trump, and what we know about Trum...
Nowhere to hide: Facebook, encryption, and privacy
30 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Wired editor in chief Nick Thompson about the insane amount of data that Facebook and other tech companies collect on us and what we ...
Fresh Prince of Saudi Arabia
22 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the United States and his "reform ...
The worst Secretary of State in history, Rex Tillerson
16 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy giddily discusses Rex Tillerson’s firing by tweet with Politico foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi. Then they discuss suspected assassi...
Can’t out-crazy Kim Jong-un
07 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Asia expert Danny Russel about reports that North Korea is willing to begin negotiations with the US about abandoning its nuclear wea...
The Deep State Strikes Back
02 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Jake Sullivan and Ben Rhodes about their new organization to oppose Trump’s foreign policy and promote a progressive vision of Amer...
Bribes, Bibi and the future of Israel
23 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Nathan Guttman, the Washington bureau chief of The Forward, about the corruption scandals swirling around Israeli Prime Minister Bibi...
Nuclear-armed frenemies
16 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Steve Coll, author of Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, about why the hell we’re sti...
Held hostage in Syria
09 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with war photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie about being held hostage by rebel fighters for nearly three months in Syria. Get tickets to C...
Inching closer to nuclear war
02 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with New York Times editor and writer Max Fisher about disconcerting signs that the Trump administration is seriously considering a milita...
Why China loves Jared
26 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos about China’s frantic post-election efforts to build a relationship with Jared Kushner, and why ...
Pod Save the World Live!
19 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Ben Rhodes, Ambassador Samantha Power and Greg Barker about the documentary The Final Year, which follows President Obama’s foreign...
The Terrorist Interrogator
12 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former FBI Special Agent Ali Soufan about his work interrogating terrorists and investigating the bombing of the USS Cole and the 9...
Iranian revolution
05 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former top Obama foreign policy advisor Ben Rhodes about the protests sweeping across Iran, Trump’s response, how today compares wi...
Drumbeat of war with North Korea
22 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Republican foreign policy expert Kori Schake about the eery similarity between the Trump administration’s comments about North Kore...
Infiltrating al Qaeda
15 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy interviewed undercover FBI agent Tamer Elnoury about his work penetrating and disrupting an al Qaeda cell plotting attacks in Canada and the Uni...
Jerusalem went to Jared
08 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Politico’s foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi about Trump’s controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s ca...
On the ground in Burma
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Senator Jeff Merkley about his fact-finding mission to Burma and Bangladesh to learn more about the ongoing ethnic cleansing and refu...
Mugabe is the George Washington of Zimbabwe
24 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Africa expert Ambassador Johnnie Carson about the coup in Zimbabwe that toppled Robert Mugabe, and the recent political turmoil in Ke...
WTF happened in Lebanon and ISIS update
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Middle East and ISIS expert Rob Malley about the resignation of Lebanon’s Prime Minister and how it plays into a broader middle eas...
Trump’s adventures in Asia
10 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Asia expert and career diplomat Danny Russel discuss President Trump’s five nation, 13 day trip to Asia. They cover North Korea, Trump’s...
Middle East Peace
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former Senator Majority Leader and US Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell and Alon Sachar about their book A Path to ...
Hunting Osama bin Laden
25 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy sits down with Michael Morell, the former acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. They discuss his experience as President Bush’s ...
A civil, bipartisan foreign policy discussion (aka clickbait)
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Republican Congressman and Air Force veteran Adam Kinzinger. They discuss Trump’s decision to decertify the Iran deal, North Korea,...
A republican critique of Trump’s foreign policy
11 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Eliot Cohen, a counselor to Condoleezza Rice during the Bush administration, talks about his Atlantic piece “How Trump is Ending the Ameri...
Mystery attacks in Cuba and the man who ran the Navy
04 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
First, Tommy talks with Ben Rhodes about the mysterious attacks on our diplomats in Havana and the Trump administration’s decision to expel Cuban of...
The rise of the European far-right
27 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Europe expert Dr. Karen Donfried about the German elections and the rise of the far-right AfD party. They also discuss why Russian ha...
Crisis in Burma
20 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with New York Times columnist Nick Kristof and Nexus Fund Executive Director Sally Smith about the ongoing ethnic cleansing happening righ...
Republican Congressman Will Hurd
13 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Will Hurd, a Republican representing Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, who served in the CIA for nearly a decade. They discussed...
War Policy
06 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former Lieutenant General and Ambassador to NATO Doug Lute about his six years managing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for Presiden...
North Korea update then the Army’s CEO
01 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy gets an update on North Korea’s latest provocations from Asia expert Evan Medeiros. Then he talks with Eric Fanning, the former Secretary of t...
Crisis in Venezuela
30 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy speaks former AP correspondent Hannah Dreier about the ongoing humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela. Dreier was the last American jour...
Trump's new war plan
23 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with defense policy expert Kelly Magsamen about President Trump's speech announcing his Afghan war policy. They evaluate the substance of ...
Right-wing radicals and CIA secrets
16 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano about her efforts to combat right-wing extremists. Then he is joined by former...
Emergency North Korea update then Putin’s #1 enemy
09 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes talks through Trump’s promise of “fire and fury” if North Korea threatens the US and today’...
Are they gonna’ nuke us?
02 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken about the Iran deal, whether it’s working, and if we can apply the lessons learned to...
The worst humanitarian crisis since WWII
26 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and former UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a...
Why did Putin do it?
19 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with journalist and Russia expert Julia Ioffe about not if but why Putin interfered in our election. What was Putin’s motivation and goa...
Russians, guns and Mosul
12 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former top defense official Derek Chollet about Donald Trump Jr.’s keystone cops collusion with Russia before transitioning to a co...
Ambassador Susan Rice
05 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice about her transition to civilian life, Syria, ISIS, Russia and Trump's approach to ...
Europe, Nukes, and Cybersecurity
21 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former Deputy Secretary of Energy, defense policy and Europe expert Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall about the future of Europe in the ...
Illegal Wars with Senator Tim Kaine
14 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with Senator Tim Kaine about how it’s possible that sixteen years after the 9/11 attacks, the congressional authorization that allowed u...
NATO, mistakes we made in Libya, and lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan
07 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder about Trump’s disastrous trip to NATO before transitioning to a broader conversation about...
Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns
31 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns about his three decades at the State Department. They discuss US relations with Russia an...
Turkey and 28 Hours Pinned Down by ISIS with Arwa Damon
24 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with CNN International correspondent Arwa Damon about Turkey's descent into a dictatorship and President Erdogan's visit to the White Hous...
Love, Africa with Jeffrey Gettleman
16 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and New York Times East Africa bureau chief Jeffrey Gettleman discuss his new book Love, Africa. They talk...
Trump Fired Jim Comey?!?
10 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy talks with former DOJ Official Matthew Miller about Trump's decision to fire FBI Director Jim Comey. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in...
100 Days of foreign policy with Eli Lake
03 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tommy and Bloomberg columnist Eli Lake review Trump’s first 100 days on foreign policy. They cover Trump’s staffing decisions, US relations with R...