Shows / Focus
Episodes
FocusRevoking John Brennan's security clearance
Tommy talks with former acting CIA director Michael Morell about President Trump's decision to revoke his opponents' security clearances. They discuss why the…
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"Space Force all the way!"
Tommy talks with defense expert Katherine Charlet from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about President Trump's plan to create a Space Force!!!…
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Devastation in Syria and Yemen
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 like to…
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Bassem Youssef: doctor, comedian, enemy of the Egyptian state
Tommy talks with Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef about his improbable path to comedy, fame, and becoming an enemy of the Egyptian state.
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Wanted by Putin and rage tweeting at Iran
Two part show today! First, Tommy talks with Ambassador Michael McFaul about Vladimir Putin's request to interrogate him and Trump's shocking refusal to…
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Trump's disastrous European vacation
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, and why…
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The politics of the World Cup with Roger Bennett
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 from Men in…
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“Abdi American”
Tommy talks with Abdi Nor Iftin, the author of “Call Me American,” about his incredible story of survival in war-ravaged Somalia and literally winning the…
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Hunting terrorists
Tommy talks with the outgoing National Counterterrorism Center chief Nick Rasmussen. Nick worked in senior counterterrorism roles for Presidents Bush, Obama…
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North Korea nothingburger?
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 accomplish?…
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Obama's legacy after Trump
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 about Ben's…
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White House extremists
Tommy talks with journalist Mehdi Hasan about a troubling series of hires on Trump's National Security Council staff of individuals with far-right, paranoid…
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Trump's hostage policy
Tommy talks with NewYorker.com executive editor David Rohde about the way Trump is handling - and showcasing - hostage negotiations as President. Rohde was…
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North Korea and Gaza
Tommy talks with Washington Post reporter Anne Gearan about the on again, off again North Korea summit, the situation in Gaza and the Trump administration's…
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Trump shreds the Iran deal
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 book, From…
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Ronan Farrow
Tommy talks with Pulitzer Prize winning author Ronan Farrow about his new book War on Peace and the militarization of American foreign policy.
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The CIA's tortured history
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 terrorism…
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Syria strikes and North Korea talks
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 her attempt…
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Madeleine Albright’s warning about fascism
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 enabled (and…
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Mr. Putin goes to Washington?
Tommy talks with New Yorker writer Robin Wright about Putin’s possible visit to Washington, his relationship with Trump, and what we know about Trump the…
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Nowhere to hide: Facebook, encryption, and privacy
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 can do to…
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Fresh Prince of Saudi Arabia
Tommy talks with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the United States and his "reform agenda"…
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The worst Secretary of State in history, Rex Tillerson
Tommy giddily discusses Rex Tillerson’s firing by tweet with Politico foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi. Then they discuss suspected assassination of…
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Can’t out-crazy Kim Jong-un
Tommy talks with Asia expert Danny Russel about reports that North Korea is willing to begin negotiations with the US about abandoning its nuclear weapons.
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The Deep State Strikes Back
Tommy talks with Jake Sullivan and Ben Rhodes about their new organization to oppose Trump’s foreign policy and promote a progressive vision of American…
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Bribes, Bibi and the future of Israel
Tommy talks with Nathan Guttman, the Washington bureau chief of The Forward, about the corruption scandals swirling around Israeli Prime Minister Bibi…
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Nuclear-armed frenemies
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 still fighting…
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Held hostage in Syria
Tommy talks with war photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie about being held hostage by rebel fighters for nearly three months in Syria.
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Inching closer to nuclear war
Tommy talks with New York Times editor and writer Max Fisher about disconcerting signs that the Trump administration is seriously considering a military attack…
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Why China loves Jared
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 the…
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Pod Save the World Live!
Tommy talks with Ben Rhodes, Ambassador Samantha Power and Greg Barker about the documentary The Final Year, which follows President Obama’s foreign policy…
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The Terrorist Interrogator
Tommy talks with former FBI Special Agent Ali Soufan about his work interrogating terrorists and investigating the bombing of the USS Cole and the 9/11…
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Iranian revolution
Tommy talks with former top Obama foreign policy advisor Ben Rhodes about the protests sweeping across Iran, Trump’s response, how today compares with the 2009…
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Drumbeat of war with North Korea
Tommy talks with Republican foreign policy expert Kori Schake about the eery similarity between the Trump administration’s comments about North Korea and the…
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Infiltrating al Qaeda
Tommy interviewed undercover FBI agent Tamer Elnoury about his work penetrating and disrupting an al Qaeda cell plotting attacks in Canada and the United…
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Jerusalem went to Jared
Tommy talks with Politico’s foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi about Trump’s controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Then…
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On the ground in Burma
Tommy talks with Senator Jeff Merkley about his fact-finding mission to Burma and Bangladesh to learn more about the ongoing ethnic cleansing and refugee…
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Mugabe is the George Washington of Zimbabwe
Tommy talks with Africa expert Ambassador Johnnie Carson about the coup in Zimbabwe that toppled Robert Mugabe, and the recent political turmoil in Kenya.
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WTF happened in Lebanon and ISIS update
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 east proxy war…
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Trump’s adventures in Asia
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 decision to…
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Middle East Peace
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 Peace…
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Hunting Osama bin Laden
Tommy sits down with Michael Morell, the former acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. They discuss his experience as President Bush’s briefer on…
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A civil, bipartisan foreign policy discussion (aka clickbait)
Tommy talks with Republican Congressman and Air Force veteran Adam Kinzinger. They discuss Trump’s decision to decertify the Iran deal, North Korea, Senator…
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A republican critique of Trump’s foreign policy
Tommy and Eliot Cohen, a counselor to Condoleezza Rice during the Bush administration, talks about his Atlantic piece “How Trump is Ending the American Era”…
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Mystery attacks in Cuba and the man who ran the Navy
First, Tommy talks with Ben Rhodes about the mysterious attacks on our diplomats in Havana and the Trump administration’s decision to expel Cuban officials in…
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The rise of the European far-right
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 hacking…
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Crisis in Burma
Tommy talks with New York Times columnist Nick Kristof and Nexus Fund Executive Director Sally Smith about the ongoing ethnic cleansing happening right now in…
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Republican Congressman Will Hurd
Tommy talks with Will Hurd, a Republican representing Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, who served in the CIA for nearly a decade. They discussed Hurd’s…
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War Policy
Tommy talks with former Lieutenant General and Ambassador to NATO Doug Lute about his six years managing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for Presidents Bush…
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North Korea update then the Army’s CEO
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 the Army and…
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Crisis in Venezuela
Tommy speaks former AP correspondent Hannah Dreier about the ongoing humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela. Dreier was the last American journalist to…
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Trump's new war plan
Tommy talks with defense policy expert Kelly Magsamen about President Trump's speech announcing his Afghan war policy. They evaluate the substance of his plan…
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Right-wing radicals and CIA secrets
Tommy talks with former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano about her efforts to combat right-wing extremists. Then he is joined by former Deputy…
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Emergency North Korea update then Putin’s #1 enemy
Former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes talks through Trump’s promise of “fire and fury” if North Korea threatens the US and today’s reports on…
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Are they gonna’ nuke us?
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…
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The worst humanitarian crisis since WWII
Tommy talks with David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and former UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, about the…
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Why did Putin do it?
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 goal? Are we…
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Russians, guns and Mosul
Tommy talks with former top defense official Derek Chollet about Donald Trump Jr.’s keystone cops collusion with Russia before transitioning to a conversation…
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Ambassador Susan Rice
Tommy talks with former Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice about her transition to civilian life, Syria, ISIS, Russia and Trump's approach to Africa.