NTK: How to Combat Authoritarianism in the US: A Conversation with Sen. Jeff Merkley

The DSR Network

Chris Cotnoir

Government

4.5 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 2 December 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

President Trump has grown even more authoritarian and bold with each passing day in his second term. With illegal strikes on boats and the pardon of the former Honduran president, it’s clear that the administration is moving recklessly ahead with a dangerous agenda. So what can Congress do? And just as critically, what can every day citizens do to stem the tide of authoritarianism? Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon joins David Rothkopf to answer all these questions and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:00.5	This is Deep State Radio, coming to you direct from our super secret studio in the third sub-basement of the Ministry of Snark in Washington, D.C.
1:11.5	and from other undisclosed locations across America and around the world.
1:18.1	Hello and welcome to DSR's Need to Know.
1:20.5	I'm David Rothkoff, your host, and this week is every week.
1:23.2	We're going to sit down and talk to a newsmaker who we think has a perspective you need to hear from.
1:29.5	Today, we're very fortunate to have with us.
1:32.1	Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator is the junior senator from Oregon and has been a leader on a wide
1:37.9	variety of issues.
1:39.2	One we'd like to look at in particular, because he has been particularly outspoken about the onset of authoritarianism here in the United States.
1:49.7	But before we get to that, we'll get to a little bit of the news.
1:53.8	Welcome, Senator. How are you today?
1:55.7	David, it's great to be with you. Very well. Thank you.
1:58.6	Great. So again, as I said, I'd just like to touch on a couple of the
2:03.6	stories that are in the news today. The first one making big news today and yesterday has to do with
2:10.8	the apparent order by someone up the chain of command in the United States to launch not just one but two attacks on a vessel
	...

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