El Mencho Gets Got, Trump Takes An L, & Daddy Kushner Est Un Ducon

This week TFR welcomes former Ambassador Joseph Manso to the show to help us figure out what the hell is going on out there. We discuss his career in foreign service, his thoughts on the shifting global order, cuts to the State Department, the war in Ukraine, the potential for a new Iranian nuclear deal, and much more.

So much to cover this week! The Trump administration crosses the 100 day mark, so Seena and Travis take stock of their self-proclaimed "achievements" and check in on some recent polling that suggests Americans aren’t buying it. As tension rises in Kashmir, they provide some historical context for the long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan. And a little surprise about Seena's last name shows up in the Pakistani nuclear arsenal. They dig into the surprising liberal party victory in Canada and check in on our other neighbors to the north in Greenland. And, of course, not to be forgotten, JD Vance keeps reminding us why he’s hated all over the world.

The hits just keep coming with SignalGate 2.0. This week Seena and Travis cringe-watch Pete Hegseth’s children cringe-watching their father’s Easter Day rant. They dig into the legitimacy of the supposed “leak investigation” that resulted in the dismissal of three former Hegseth loyalists and review Trump’s proposal to end the war in Ukraine, which surprising to no one is a big win for Putin. They close by celebrating the chaos and idiocy that has been Vance’s first 100 days as VP.

Happy Spring Break! What better time to stage a showdown with the Supreme Court and trip us further down the Constitutional Crisis path? This week, we dig into the nightmare that is the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case and the hypocrisies in the government's argument to keep him in El Salvador. Then, with Steve Witkoff extolling the hardline of the “Trump Deal” for Iran, we compare the state of Iran’s nuclear program under the Obama-era deal (JCPOA) to now, yet again revealing the gap between reality and their proclamations. We applaud Rep. Stephen Horsford and, as always, have a good laugh at the expense of JD Vance.

This week Seena and Travis try their darnedest to recount the week’s events as the Trump tariffs continue to wreak havoc. Is the rationale for an escalated trade war to be found in the machinations of the mysterious Ron Vara? Is it Trump’s distorted view of economics? Or, are we all just living in Fozzie Bear’s finger? It’s all on the table. As are Trump's threats to bomb Iran ahead of this weekend’s talks. Also, is JD Vance the loneliest man in the world?

This week, the man, the myth, the legend Marcus Parks joins Seena and Travis to roast the Dems for their haphazard response to Trump's “flood the zone” strategy. From Gavin Newsom cozying up to Steve Bannon to Cory Booker’s talk-a-thon to Schumer’s wait and see strategy, the Dems are disappointing from all directions. SignalGate continues to confound but everyone is clear on one thing - JD Vance sucks.

Travis Irvine is back to help us plumb the depths of stupidity that is the SignalGate fiasco. Matt Kelly, editor of Radical Compliance, also joins to help us understand how far outside the norm it is to text war plans on a personal phone. Spoiler alert, it’s pretty far. Deportations of legal residents are on the rise despite legal challenges in the Mahmoud Khalil case and others. In other fun news, JD Vance, now confirmed as our least popular VP, is being sent to Greenland.

Travis Irvine is back with us this week to talk continuing resolutions, slush funds, and Chuck Schumer. Sure Schumer’s rationale might have been correct but the approach and lack of unified strategy from the dems is alarming. Israel has ended the ceasefire in Gaza with what they’re calling “Operation Strength and Sword” which has already killed over 500 people. Speaking of ceasefires, Russia and Ukraine are trying to figure out a partial ceasefire because that’s the best Russia can do. Europe’s working on replacing the US in NATO, protests erupted in Turkey after Erdogan’s rival was arrested, JD Vance vs. his cousin in a public spat, and a quick DOGE check-in. Try saying all that five times fast!

In this episode of The Foreign Report, host Seena Ghaznavi is joined by constitutional law professor Corey Brettschneider to discuss the alarming case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student detained by ICE. They delve into the implications of this incident for free speech rights, the fragility of democracy, and the historical context of authoritarianism in America. The conversation also explores the role of citizens in defending democracy, the complexities of immigration law, and the broader impact of current political strategies on civil liberties.

We deep dive into Ukraine’s nuclear past—how it once held the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal and whether its 1994 decision to disarm was a historic mistake, given Russia’s repeated betrayals. Then, we break down Trump’s latest trade war moves, as new tariffs on Mexico and Canada spark retaliation and a potential escalation with China. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel has cut off critical humanitarian aid, pushing the region further into crisis. Finally, Mehrsa Baradaran, author of "The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and the Looting of America," joins us to discuss neoliberalism, corporate influence on policy, and the future of the global economy.

Comedian, professor, and co-host of Fraudsters Dr. Justin Williams joins us this week as we dive into Ukraine’s high-stakes economic deal with the U.S., which gives America access to rare earth minerals while Kyiv hopes it secures more military aid. Plus, Germany’s elections shake things up, with the far-right AfD making historic gains.

An update on the TikTok ban, the U.S. labels Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, and Trump and Putin have left Zelenskyy out of any peace talks. We dive into the secret CIA drone operations over Mexico and the potential military action that could follow. Major shifts in the Russia-Ukraine war negotiations—Trump is making moves with Putin while sidelining Europe, fueling tensions at the Munich Security Conference. As U.S. officials clash with European leaders over NATO, defense policy, and Ukraine’s future, is a transatlantic split inevitable?

Big announcement on the show this week: we’ve bid adieu to Saman, and we’ll miss him terribly. Guest host Travis Irvine joins us as we break down Trump’s latest tariff moves, his controversial proposal to “redevelop” Gaza, and the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy. Plus, we take a deep dive into the soft power of USAID—how America’s top aid agency shapes global politics, where billions of dollars have gone, and whether it’s truly fulfilling its mission. What happens now that Trump wants to shut it down, and how will this reshape America’s global image?

There's a lot happening in the world, but Seena is ready to grab every third rail in geopolitics. What a terrible idea.