Hagar Chemali (former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations) joins host Ron Steslow to take the Democratic Socialists of America’s foreign policy seriously on their own terms, reading what the movement has written down.

They begin with the DSA’s ascent: a run of 2026 primary wins and Democratic leadership inclined to accommodate the energy rather than resist it, echoing MAGA’s takeover of the GOP. 

From there, they turn to the left’s foreign policy lineage—the distance from establishment liberalism's alliance and diplomacy to a progressivism warier of American power and rosier about its adversaries. 

Then they break down the DSA’s national security strategy: defund the military, close overseas bases, and dissolve what it calls the U.S. empire. 

Finally, they weigh the stakes for a shifting party with Israel as the first flashpoint of a weakening alliance and a broader diagnosis of populism without ideology and the institutional decay it accelerates. 

In Politicology+, they discuss the recent mass crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and what it exposes about Europe.

POLITICOLOGY+

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Mike Madrid (author of The Latino Century) joins host Ron Steslow to examine how AI is redrawing the machinery of politics and forcing a reckoning with what remains distinctly human. 

They begin with campaigns, where operatives now test messages on synthetic electorates, AI agents built to think like real voters, before a word reaches anyone.  

From there, they turn to the parties, which are unraveling into digital networks: brands so weak a cultural figure could hijack a nomination like Trump did in 2016. 

Then they dive into Pax Machina, a publication arguing powerful AI opens the first stage of institutional invention since the founding, warning that a president commanding loyal AI delegates could hollow out constitutional checks without changing the texts. 

Finally, they weigh Gregory Conti’s warning of science without scientists, asking whether choosing which questions matter is foundation enough for a dignity no machine can supply. 

In Politicology+, they discuss what a major Bitcoin wallet heist shows about where AI-era security is headed.

POLITICOLOGY+

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Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow

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Related Reading: 

AXIOS: We're headed toward the first true AI electionhttps://www.axios.com/2026/08/05/ai-election-bots-simulated-voters-2026-2028

AXIOS: GOP campaigns go all-in on AI — Dems not so muchhttps://www.axios.com/2026/04/14/republicans-ai-campaigns-democrats-2026

The Launch of Pax Machinahttps://paxmachina.ai/welcome-to-pax-machina

Clawed by Dean Ball (March 2026) - Dean is now a founding editorial board member at Pax Machina)https://www.hyperdimensional.co/p/clawed

Rebuilding our world, with reference to strong AI by Tyler Cowen (Feb 2026)https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2026/02/rebuilding-our-world-with-reference-to-strong-ai.html

The End of Vocation by Gregory Conti (July 2026)https://www.thefp.com/p/ai-human-work-vocation-meaning-obsolete

Nothing can stop the AI Revolution by Tyler Cowen (Aug 2026)https://www.thefp.com/p/tyler-cowen-nothing-can-stop-the

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In this episode, Ron talks to Nick Anthony (Policy Analyst at the Cato Institute and a Fellow at the Human Rights Foundation) about Central Bank Digital Curriences, their potential to invade privacy, alter the dynamics of financial control, how governments are trying to justify them, and why those arguments are insufficient .

They discuss:

(04:16) Intro to CBDCs

(07:58) How CBDCs would give unprecedented control over how you can spend money 

(12:15) The Arguments for and against CBDCs

(19:53)The hidden assumptions behind CBDC arguments 

(24:50) The real world privacy implications of CBDCs

(33:05) CBDCs around the globe 

(36:21) The political dynamics in the U.S. 

(47:47) Bitcoin vs CBDCs

Check out the HRF’s CBDC Tracker: https://bit.ly/3WtFb3g

Follow Ron and Nick on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/EconWithNick

Email your questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 

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Molly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare) joins host Ron Steslow to examine how Ukraine’s widening reach is bringing the war home to Russia and what a defeated Russia could become. 

They begin with the war’s new geography: strikes that have idled a quarter of Russia’s refining capacity, and drones now reaching the Caspian corridor between Russia and Iran. 

Next, they trace Ukraine’s rise from scrappy insurgent to serious power, erasing Russian sanctuary and moving to the center of Europe’s security future.

Then they examine The Economist’s profile of oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, who warns against breaking Russian sovereignty and sketches four dangerous futures for a defeated Russia.  

Finally, they confront what holding Russia responsible would truly require. 

In Politicology+, they take stock of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death and what his absence means for the Republican Party’s fading support for Ukraine.

POLITICOLOGY+

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Check out Great Power: https://www.greatpower.us/

Read The Economist’s coverage of Andrey Melnichenko: https://bit.ly/4x5YvDk

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Catherine Sanderson (Poler Family Professor and chair of the psychology department at Amherst College)  joins Ron Steslow to discuss emotional intelligence and how it impacts success in the workplace, politics, and our everyday lives

(01:40) What emotional intelligence is and how we measure it

(03:55) Why emotional intelligence is important 

(07:03) How self-awareness impacts emotional intelligence 

(10:15) How you can build self-awareness

(13:05) How regulating your emotions shapes your emotional intelligence 

(16:20) Ways you can improve how well you manage and regulate your emotions

(21:19) The importance of grit in emotional intelligence 

(24:43) Emotional intelligence and being a moral rebel 

(39:39) The “dark side” of emotional intelligence

(41:39) Why emotional intelligence needs a moral backbone 

(50:53) How you can improve your emotional intelligence 

You can measure your emotional intelligence using this test: http://bit.ly/3DPYxpX

Follow Ron and Catherine on Twitter:

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https://twitter.com/SandersonSpeaks

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This week, we’re bringing you another double feature of Politicology+ special previews. 

First, Ron Steslow talks with Mike Madrid about Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. Using the Pope's choice between "constructing Babel" and "rebuilding Jerusalem,” they confront what happens when we hand life-and-death decisions to machines that can't be held accountable.

Then, Ron and Jennifer Schulp discuss political corruption in cryptocurrency and stock trading. They dive into the lack of political will to combat it, despite public outcry, and the challenges of enforcing ethical standards.

POLITICOLOGY+

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Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow

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Katty Kay (veteran reporter and four-time NYT bestselling author) joins host Ron Steslow to discuss her new book The Power Code: More Joy. Less Ego. Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone), co-written with Claire Shipman. 

(02:12) Katty’s background and why she started looking at power 

(07:07) Women are passing men in college degrees, but not the boardroom 

(13:10) Why women have been more likely to avoid power 

(16:10) “Power over” vs “power to”

(20:20) How reframing power changes how women approach power

(25:57) The connection between power and status 

(33:04) Your brain on power

(38:30) Does power corrupt? 

(54:30) What can you do to improve your power code? 

Get The Power Code: https://www.kayandshipman.com/books

Follow Ron and Katty on Twitter:

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https://twitter.com/KattyKay_

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This week, we’re bringing you a double feature of Politicology+ special previews. 

First, Ron Steslow talks with Mike Madrid about his invitation to debate at the Oxford Union, where he argued the position that Donald Trump has betrayed the conservative movement. 

Mike describes the pageantry and weight of history at one of the world’s most storied debating societies, the case he built around Edmund Burke, the opposing arguments he found most compelling. 

Then, Hagar Chemali and Jay Solomon unpack how Qatar, a tiny Gulf nation with just 350,000 citizens, has built one of the most wide-reaching influence networks in the world.

They start with a scandal involving Israeli columnist Alon Pinkas, who received Qatari-linked payments while writing about Qatar, and use it to trace the larger system behind it.

From there, the conversation widens to Qatar’s strategic investments and lobbying efforts across media, universities, think tanks, diplomacy, and politics.

Then, they break down Qatar’s long game: using money, access, and soft power to position itself as an indispensable player in the Middle East—and reshape Western institutions in the process.

POLITICOLOGY+

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Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow

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Jay Solomon on X: https://x.com/FPJaySolomon

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In this episode, Ron talks to  Casey Michel (Director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation) about his book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World and how foreign money  influences our politics.

They discuss:

(01:46) The shadow world of foreign lobbying 

(03:45) Ivy Lee and Paul Manafort 

(07:36) The First Amendment and foreign influence 

(10:23) Understanding FARA 

(13:28) How Paul Manafort shaped modern lobbying 

(15:49) Legal loopholes and foreign influence in politics 

(18:11) The case of Viktor Pinchuk

(22:13) The Trump Administration’s impact on foreign lobbying 

(27:19) How Universities and Think tanks are the new frontier of influence 

(33:05) Colorful characters in foreign lobbying 

(41:39) The Biden Family and foreign influence accusations 

(45:27) Contrasting foreign influence on Trump and Clinton 

(49:00) Proposed reforms 

Read Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World: https://bit.ly/4giHjBK

Check out the HRF’s Combatting Kleptocracy Program: https://bit.ly/4hAAQTJ

Follow Ron and Casey  on Twitter:

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https://x.com/cjcmichel

Email your questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 

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Host Ron Steslow welcomes Alex Gladstein (Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation) to discuss the significant and often misunderstood role of Bitcoin in protecting human rights and fighting against authoritarians around the world.

Segments to look forward to:

(02:07) Alex’s background in human rights work and why he became interested in Bitcoin 

(16:18) Bitcoin vs other cryptocurrencies

(26:04) Financial privilege

(38:35) Bitcoin in action 

(45:50) Bitcoin creating financial independence for women in Afghanistan 

(56:25)How a human rights activist uses Bitcoin to free hostages 

(59:10) Bitcoin as a tool against monetary colonialism in west Africa 

(1:00:10) The importance  of peer-to-peer transactions 

(1:07:50) How Bitcoin mining can bring electricity to remote areas and support sustainable energy projects 

(1:19:40) Why Bitcoin matters for everyone

Follow Ron and Alex on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/gladstein

Email your questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 

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In this episode, Ron talks to Jay Solomon (executive director of investigations at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University and cohost of The Threat podcast) and Hagar Chemali (former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN and cohost of The Threat podcast) about what the latest war with Iran reveals about the limits of American power.

They explore why allies failed to rally around the United States, how the Strait of Hormuz became a political weapon, and why both ends of the political spectrum increasingly argue that America itself is the problem. Then they trace the radicalization of one young American activist as a window into the forces pulling at the country from the outside. 

Later, Ron, Jay, and Hagar turn to corruption, transactional foreign policy, and where American leadership goes once the old institutions can no longer be rebuilt.

They discuss:

(5:01) What this war revealed about the limits of American power

(6:41) Why allies didn't rally, and the Strait of Hormuz as a toll booth

(8:34) The case that confrontation with Iran was inevitable

(15:21) The left's turn: DSA, the Mamdani primaries, and a hollowing party

(20:26) Populism meets foreign policy

(25:52) The radicalization of Calla Walsh

(35:02) Utopian movements and the dream of a perfectible world

(39:09) The anti-war tradition versus foreign influence

(46:30) The right's turn: JD Vance, Qatar, Pakistan, and the Quincy Institute

(54:40) Transactionalism, corruption, and values that left the room

(1:02:41) Anti-Semitism, legitimate debate, and the new litmus tests

(1:09:47) What Israel does if American support collapses

(1:13:12) The industrial complexes and their competing incentives

(1:21:47) Iran's real motives and the lessons of the pallets of cash

(1:33:49) Is this our Suez Canal moment?

Check out The Threat podcast: The Threat podcast: https://bit.ly/3QPoKhZ

Follow Ron on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

Follow Jay on Twitter: https://x.com/FPJaySolomon

Follow Hagar on Twitter: https://x.com/HagarChemali 

Email your questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 

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