Pod Save the World

Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes both spent years inside the Obama White House working on national security, and Pod Save the World is where they put that experience to use for listeners who want foreign policy explained by people who actually sat in the Situation Room. Vietor served as National Security Council spokesman, Rhodes as Deputy National Security Advisor and one of President Obama's closest speechwriters, and the two bring that insider perspective to a weekly conversation about the stories shaping the rest of the planet. Recent episodes have tracked the latest escalations between the United States and Iran, war in Ukraine, China's posture in the Pacific, humanitarian crises in Sudan and Gaza, and the slow-motion unraveling of American soft power under a second Trump term. They regularly bring on reporters, diplomats, former officials, and activists to add texture, and they're not afraid to criticize decisions made by administrations they once served. The tone is serious but conversational, with enough dry humor to keep the grim subject matter listenable. It's an essential companion for anyone who wants to understand why the world beyond Washington matters.