Pod Save the World – Episode 506

Title: Will Epstein Files Take Down the British Government?
Date: February 11, 2026
Hosts: Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes
Special Guest: Nilou Tabrizi

Episode Overview

This week, Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes dissect a week dense with global political controversy, beginning with the explosive Epstein-Mandelson scandal destabilizing the UK government. They analyze major electoral upheaval in Japan, precarious U.S.-China-Taiwan relations, mounting corruption concerns in the Trump administration, and the charged political mood at the Winter Olympics. The latter part features former Washington Post investigative reporter Nilou Tabrizi reflecting on mass layoffs gutting foreign coverage at legacy news outlets, and the implications for global understanding.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. UK Political Crisis: Epstein Files and Keir Starmer’s Future

• Context: British PM Keir Starmer faces immense pressure to resign after fallout from appointing Peter Mandelson—whose extensive ties to Jeffrey Epstein have recently come to light—as UK Ambassador to the U.S.
  • Mandelson was dismissed following release of communications postdating Epstein’s sexual assault conviction and revelations he passed sensitive government information to Epstein.
  • Starmer claims Mandelson lied during vetting.
• Parliamentary Response:
  • [11:20] Keir Starmer, responding to Parliament:
    "I want to make sure this House sees the full documentation so it will see for itself the extent to which… Mandelson completely misrepresented the extent of his relationship with Epstein and lied throughout the process… Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed it."
  • Facing calls to resign from figures like Anas Sarwar (Scottish Labour).
  • Labour’s popularity sinking—Starmer’s approval now worse than Liz Truss at her nadir.
  • [14:52] Ben Rhodes:
    "He’s got like a dead man walking vibe."
• Analysis:
  • Mandelson’s appointment seen as emblematic of Starmer’s strategic choice: purge the Labour left, tack to the center, cozy up to “globalist” Blair-era figures.
  • Starmer’s woes are not just the Epstein shadow, but evidence of a failing political strategy.
  • [15:31] Tommy Vietor:
    "We don’t fire anybody. But look, Morgan McSweeney is central… orchestrated this centrist [strategy]… and where Peter Mandelson comes in."
  • Internal collapse: “two chiefs of staff, four directors of comms, eleven ministers lost in 19 months.”
  • European public anger at both domestic leaders and America (US favorability at record lows)—possibly fueling more aggressive European pursuit of Epstein-connected figures.

2. U.S. National Security Scandal: Tulsi Gabbard and a Suppressed Whistleblower Report

• Story: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has been accused of suppressing a highly classified whistleblower report, sparking bipartisan concern.
  • Nature of intelligence: NSA intercepted foreign intelligence discussing someone close to Trump, with possible Iran links.
• Analysis:
  • [24:37] Ben Rhodes:
    "It’d have to be pretty alarming for someone to do this, I think."
  • Trump’s chaotic “friends-and-family” style foreign policy enables backchannel influence and possible foreign manipulation.
  • [25:58] Jon Favreau:
    "All these lawyers, former aides to Trump, are setting up cottage industries trying to sell you a pardon."

3. Japan: Historic Election and a Hawkish New Era

• Context: PM Sanae Takaichi calls snap election, wins massive supermajority.
  • LDP now controls over 350 of 465 lower house seats.
  • Takaichi now has near-unchecked power—her win is personal, not party-driven.
• Potential Moves:
  • Amend Article 9 of postwar constitution (renouncing war), increase defense spending, possibly reshape the balance of regional power.
• Regional Risks:
  • [32:55] Ben Rhodes:
    "We're at a time when people want strong leaders… And she kind of sensed that mood. Now, she's very conservative… It's a little worrisome because if you've got this flashpoint in the Taiwan Strait and you start to have a more muscular Japan, that's going to freak out the Chinese."
  • U.S. pressure on Japan and other allies to re-arm is dovetailing with rising rightwing nationalism—a development with historic echoes and significant risks.

4. US–China–Taiwan Tensions, Jimmy Lai Case, & Trump’s Beijing Visit

• Developments:
  • Hong Kong: Media tycoon Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years—effectively silencing press freedom.
  • Taiwan: U.S. prepping unprecedented arms sales package ($20 billion), overshadowing Trump’s planned China trip.
  • [41:08] Ben Rhodes:
    "I don't think Xi Jinping would let Jimmy Lai out of prison… It might have been earlier… but all his moves suggest a guy… moving at a deliberate pace but only in one direction…"
  • Chinese retaliation expected (military exercises, diplomatic freeze) but unlikely to cancel Trump visit.
  • Taiwan now "the flashpoint" in U.S.-China relations.

5. Olympics: International Mood, Cheating Scandal, and American Unpopularity

• Notable Moments:
  • US Vice President J.D. Vance booed at opening ceremony ([48:22]).
  • Trump personally attacks US skier for mild dissent.
  • Tabloid story: rumors ski jumpers injected hyaluronic acid into genitals to “game” suit size for advantage—probably false but indicative of the absurd rumor mill.
  • [48:22] Ben Rhodes:
    "At an Olympics in Europe, we're kind of like the bad guys…. Our JD Vance is getting booed… As an American, that should make you uncomfortable."
  • Norwegian biathlete uses medal ceremony to confess to cheating—on his girlfriend.
  • Modern Olympics require athletes to endure not just physical, but heavy political scrutiny.

Interview Segment: Nilou Tabrizi on the Demise of Foreign Reporting

Context:

Former Washington Post reporter Nilou Tabrizi discusses mass layoffs at the Post, which gutted foreign desks and eliminated much of its international reporting capacity.

Key Points

• Layoff Shock:

  • [61:42] “We started to hear rumors… nearly all foreign bureaus would be shut down… But everything that happened was so much more severe than any of us prepared for.”
  • [63:02] “We were told, after this meeting, you’re going to get an email… if your position is eliminated… And I was one of the more than 300 people that got an eliminated email.”

• Loss for Journalism & Global Understanding:

  • Middle East team, Ukraine team, Russia correspondent all gone.
  • “Names that, for me, were the byline definers of the Washington Post are no longer there.”
  • “There’s people that took the risk to speak with me for work that I have to hit pause on now.”

• Broader Implications:

  • Devastating ripple effects—not only reporters but local staff, fixers, translators.
  • [68:42] “I don’t even think we’ll be able to grasp that [loss] until some real consequences come out.”
  • Foreign reporting “is a team effort,” requires resources, training, and editorial oversight.

• Bezos Factor:

  • [71:53] Ben Rhodes: “It’s poor leadership. It is really hard to know… Someone who owns our paper could fund it. That’s been brought up several times.”
  • Newsroom culture and collaboration at the Post “really harmed by this action.”

• The Future:

  • With only a handful of global organizations (NYT, WSJ, BBC) able to maintain bureaus, and more foreign coverage shifting to independent/online at great risk, “healthy competition” and depth in international journalism is rapidly disappearing.

• On Iran’s Mood:

  • Trauma is overwhelming; political violence and repression leave everyone affected, living in “completely unprocessed trauma.”
  • [77:16] “Everyone I speak with just says they can’t even form thoughts… Population of people who are in deep trauma and grieving and feel increasingly stuck.”

• Where to follow Nilou:

  • On X (Twitter): [@ntabrizi]

Select Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Keir Starmer in Parliament: [11:20]
  • “Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed it.”
• Ben Rhodes on US political culpability: [15:31]
  • “The point is that we don’t fire anybody.”
• Jon Favreau on Trump era rumor-mongering: [25:58]
  • “All these lawyers, former aides to Trump, are setting up cottage industries trying to sell you a pardon.”
• Ben Rhodes on Taiwan tension: [41:08]
  • “Taiwan is the issue that we’re going to be paying a lot more attention to over the next year or two.”
• Ben Rhodes on US image at the Olympics: [48:22]
  • “We’re kind of like the bad guys… As an American, that should make you uncomfortable.”
• Nilou Tabrizi on layoffs: [63:02]
  • “We got these cold emails and there were people that have been there for 27-plus years of service… also laid off in this subject line email. So it was really… ungrounding.”

Episode Structure & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:50 | Show proper begins, banter, episode overview | | 05:25 | UK: Starmer, Mandelson & Epstein scandal | | 14:52 | Starmer’s political prospects, Labour collapse | | 19:39 | Broader European reckoning with the Epstein files and anti-American sentiment | | 21:04 | US National Security: Tulsi Gabbard, NSA, whistleblower saga | | 30:47 | Japan: Election earthquake and PM Takaichi’s new era | | 38:04 | China: Military shakeups, US arms to Taiwan, human rights issues | | 46:00 | Olympics: US unpopularity, ski jumping cheating rumor, athletes’ political exposure | | 60:46 | Interview: Nilou Tabrizi on Washington Post layoffs, Iran, missing foreign coverage | | 80:00 | Outro banter, preview next week |

Tone & Language

Throughout, hosts remain characteristically sharp, irreverent, and passionate about both the absurdities and dangers of the moment. Sarcasm and wit abound, but undergirded by serious discomfort at the state of democratic institutions, media, and America’s international standing.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode offers a front-row seat to governmental implosion in the UK driven by the depth and repercussions of the Epstein network; a granular look at how press freedom and accountability are on perilous ground in the U.S. and beyond; and the unnerving way stubborn old-school street politics, authoritarianism, and international animus are colliding with new realities—from Tokyo to London, Beijing, Tehran, and the Olympics. It also delivers an urgent guest perspective on the existential crisis facing foreign journalism, and details the stark loss to public discourse the global community faces when those stories go untold.

Recommendation:
If you want to understand why the world feels so unsettled, why press coverage is sparser every day, and how much real political accountability (or the lack thereof) can reshape the global order, this episode is essential.