View from Munich / Europe’s far-right / DNI in Georgia
Sources & Methods
NPR
4.9 • 919 Ratings
🗓️ 12 February 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
“The world has entered a period of wrecking-ball politics,” begins the Munich Security Report, released as the world’s security establishment gathers in Germany.
Host Mary Louise Kelly is on the ground at the Munich Security Conference, as is Berlin Correspondent Rob Schmitz. Together with National Security Correspondent Greg Myre, they check in on Europe’s effort to bolster its own defenses, as the U.S. pulls back.
Rob explains Germany’s right-wing populist AfD party’s political ascendence and its goals for security policy.
And Greg walks through what Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was doing at a Fulton County, Ga. elections hub during an FBI search.Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.org
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | There definitely is this sense that the U.S. is leaving Europe for Europe to defend. |
| 0:09.2 | The world has entered a period of wrecking ball politics. So opens the Munich Security Report |
| 0:16.5 | released as the world's security establishment gathers here in Germany. One year after Vice President |
| 0:22.7 | Vance came out swinging against European leaders and a month after President Trump threatened |
| 0:27.7 | military force against a NATO ally, where will the wrecking ball swing next? This is sources |
| 0:34.3 | and methods from NPR. |
| 0:39.4 | I'm Mary Louise Kelly. |
| 0:43.3 | Each Thursday, we discuss some of the week's biggest NatSec News. |
| 0:49.0 | And this week, we're doing that in a place where many people at the center of that news happen to be. |
| 0:54.7 | As you may be able to hear behind me, we are recording this on the ground in the middle of the Munich Security Conference, |
| 1:00.4 | call it the Davos of Defense. VIPs from all over are here, they're trading notes, they're drinking coffee, talking through what security looks like in an increasingly unpredictable world. |
| 1:07.2 | Well, as always, I am joined by NPR's best and brightest. This week, NPR Berlin correspondent Rob Schmitz, here sitting right next to me in Munich. How nice to see you in the flesh. It's really good to be here. It's great to have you with us on sources and methods. And back in Washington, I wish you were here for the party. Greg, National Security correspondent Greg Myrie. Hey there. Hi, feeling a little lonely, |
| 1:28.7 | but good to see you guys. We raise our coffee mugs to you. Okay, so Rob, all kind of weighty topics |
| 1:35.6 | on this agenda. Also, a little bit of a whiff of a singles bar by which, I everybody's checking each other out like who are you are |
| 1:47.3 | you the prime minister of a country or are you part of the estonian delegation and also uh everybody's in |
| 1:53.2 | dark suits pretty much but we all are wearing I am wearing a name badge on a blue string which |
| 1:59.4 | means something really different from a yellow string. |
| 2:02.1 | That's status. You've got status, Mary Louise. I'm big at that, yeah, but not as big as if I had a |
| 2:06.9 | sticker on it and a blue and white ribbon, apparently. You can always be better, right? I've got the |
| 2:12.4 | lowest status badge there is, and I've discovered this over and over today. |
| 2:18.3 | I get through security. |
| 2:20.4 | You need an escort like to go to the men's room. |
... |
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