Pod Save the World – “Trump Humiliated by China”

September 3, 2025
Hosts: Tommy Vietor, Ben Rhodes
Guest: Jasper Nathaniel

Episode Overview

In this episode of "Pod Save the World," Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes break down the global consequences of the latest Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit hosted by China—an event characterized as a humiliating rebuke to both Donald Trump and U.S. foreign policy. The hosts dissect the new geopolitical alliances brewing between Russia, China, India, and others, and analyze the Trump administration’s increasingly chaotic and damaging global strategy. Special attention is given to the unraveling U.S.-India partnership, the concerning escalation of U.S. military intervention in Latin America, the dystopian Trump administration plan for Gaza, humanitarian crises in Afghanistan and Sudan, and the remarkable incompetence of Trump’s envoys. The episode concludes with a detailed interview on the death of the two-state solution in Israel-Palestine.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The SCO Summit in China: A Global Realignment

[07:14–18:27]

• Event Recap: Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted leaders from 20 nations including Russia’s Putin, Iran, India, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
• Optics: The summit was orchestrated as a conspicuous display of unity among U.S. rivals, with Trump notably left out.
• Xi’s Message: Focused on criticizing U.S. “hegemonism,” “Cold War mentality,” and “bullying”—all direct shots at Trump-era U.S. policy.
• Regional Commitments:
  • New vague pledges of AI cooperation among member states.
  • Plans for a development bank to move away from dollar dependency.
  • $2 billion in grants and loans from China (an amount the hosts call “nothing in the grand scheme”).
  • China-Russia gas pipeline deal and joint condemnations of U.S. actions against Iran (pointedly omitting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine).
• Significance:
  • “We're what, seven months into the Trump administration and this kind of meeting is already happening. ...This is billions of people being represented…at a show of strength by the Chinese Communist Party.” – Ben Rhodes [11:09]
  • “40% of the world's population or something.” – Tommy Vietor [11:34]

Quotes & Notable Moments:

• “China has been pouring money into AI. They've figured out how to do AI with less computing power…That’s really, really important because that's important in terms of economic opportunity, but it's also important in terms of geopolitical influence.” – Ben Rhodes [12:24]
• “This is the cost of having a complete fucking autocratic fascist lunatic as president United States.” – Ben Rhodes [15:23]

2. The Modi/India Rift: Trump’s Self-Inflicted Diplomatic Wound

[22:38–34:10]

• Background: Modi was once seen as a strategic U.S. partner, but Trump’s boastful and insensitive claim to have brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan deeply offended the Indian government (a claim the hosts call “insane”).
• Consequences: Trump’s self-aggrandizement prompted India to deepen ties with China; tariffs on Indian goods reached 50%, fraying the partnership.
• Broader Stakes:
  • India as a crucial swing country in the new U.S.-China divide.
  • “We're literally shoving him [Modi] in the direction of China. That's how big of a self own this is.” – Ben Rhodes [29:20]
• U.S. Political Impact: The hosts call out right-wing Indian Americans who trended toward Trump, warning: “I hope you have some buyer’s remorse.” – Ben Rhodes [30:36]

Quotes:

• “If you treat someone like shit, they're going to cozy up to your adversaries.” – Ben Rhodes [18:51]
• “Trump is going to love the kind of media and political reaction to this first airstrike and demand more…before long, we will be talking about airstrikes in countries directly.” – Tommy Vietor [48:13]

3. Trump’s Tough-Talk, Weak-Action Approach to China

[34:20–41:43]

• Tariffs and Concessions: Trump’s campaign promised to get tough on China, but in office, he quickly softened: pausing tariffs, refusing Taiwan’s president U.S. passage, making significant semiconductor concessions (letting Nvidia sell advanced AI chips to China for meager U.S. revenue), and allowing more Chinese students into the U.S.
• “These are actual concessions. And look...if you compare it to Biden…Biden was more forward leaning in arms sales to Taiwan.” – Ben Rhodes [37:18]
• AI Race: Allowing China to access Nvidia’s H20 chips could let them close the gap on AI and quantum computing—“like giving steroids to someone who's running right behind you.”
• Conclusion: Trump’s harsh rhetoric is not matched by actions: “Trump just gives the Chinese everything they want.” – Ben Rhodes [41:23]

4. U.S. Escalation in Latin America: Drugs, Terror, and War

[45:12–52:22]

• Merging Wars: Trump administration executes a lethal military airstrike on a boat carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members and drugs.
• Legal Overreach: No congressional authorization; expansion of military action into the war on drugs.
• Regional Fallout: U.S. troop buildups stoking fears of invasion in Venezuela and throughout the Caribbean.
• “This is the war on terror meets the war on drugs, meets the kind of American fascist immigration policy.” – Ben Rhodes [48:35]
• Warning: Targets and justifications are broadening—“This thing could grow across the hemisphere in ways that are really dangerous and scary…” – Ben Rhodes [51:55]

5. Gaza: Ethnic Cleansing for Profit

[52:22–61:48]

• Dystopian Plan: Trump administration’s “Gaza Reconstruction, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust” proposes U.S. trusteeship of Gaza: Palestinians must either accept expulsion with a “cash gift,” or live under confinement.
  • “Ethnic cleansing with a cash stipend…to make it more like tech douchey and dystopian…AI-powered smart cities…digital token…” – Tommy Vietor [53:59–54:11]
• Tony Blair and Jared Kushner are involved; plan is meeting resistance worldwide.
• Genocide Determination: International Genocide Scholars say Israel’s conduct in Gaza meets the legal definition.
• Brutal Reality: Netanyahu’s renewed military assault, famine, and refusal of aid.
• “This is genocide by PowerPoint presentation.” – Ben Rhodes [57:41]

6. Afghanistan and Sudan: Compound Crises

[66:00–70:48]

• Earthquake in Afghanistan and landslides in Sudan have killed thousands; U.S. assistance is “sharply reduced,” worsening outcomes.
• Clip from Elaha Omar, Uplift Afghanistan Fund: “US assistance has dropped from nearly $3.8 billion in 2022 to $700 million today…hundreds of clinics have closed, medical airlifts are grounded, and food programs are cut back for women and girls in particular.” [67:43–69:14]
• “Normally USAID would be like the tip of the spear in disaster response…Because of the decision to gut US Assistance…these are deaths.” – Ben Rhodes [69:36; 70:48]

7. Trump’s Disaster Diplomacy: Ukraine, Gaza, and the Witkoff Fiasco

[71:13–77:17]

• Envoy for Everything: Trump’s friend Steve Witkoff, with no diplomatic experience, is at the center of ceasefire and peace negotiations in Ukraine and Gaza.
• Unprofessional Behavior: Meets alone with Putin using Putin’s translator, brings no experts, has poor communication with U.S. officials.
• “If you can’t even pass messages back and forth accurately, I mean, that’s like the lowest common denominator of what a diplomat does.” – Ben Rhodes [75:44]
• Corruption: Witkoff’s son is reportedly involved with Trump family crypto business, raising questions about conflicts of interest.

INTERVIEW: Jasper Nathaniel on the West Bank and the Death of the Two-State Solution

[79:08–113:25]

Core Topics:

• The Reality of the West Bank:
  • Israeli settlements and military occupation have rendered a contiguous Palestinian state virtually impossible.
  • Current Israeli government structure (including Smotrich, Ben Gvir) has supercharged annexation and violence against Palestinians.
  • “What they're referring to is, you know, we can change laws…But ultimately it's going to be what is actually happening on the ground that is going to be what drives policy.” – Jasper Nathaniel [96:14]
  • “There is not a Palestinian state…there couldn't be one.” [96:14–100:06]
• Apartheid and Everyday Life: Palestinians face a parallel, often brutal legal and security regime; settlements enjoy privileges and are rapidly expanding.
• Bureaucratic Annexation: Israeli ministries now treat West Bank areas as part of Israel using archaeological and zoning laws.
• The Case of Mohammed Zahir Ibrahim: 16-year-old Palestinian-American detained for months without charge; calls for politicians to demand his release.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “We're what, seven months into the Trump administration and this kind of meeting is already happening.” – Ben Rhodes [11:09]
• “We're literally shoving [Modi] in the direction of China. That's how big of a self own this is.” – Ben Rhodes [29:20]
• “Trump just gives the Chinese everything they want.” – Ben Rhodes [41:23]
• “This is the war on terror meets the war on drugs, meets the kind of American fascist immigration policy.” – Ben Rhodes [48:35]
• “This is genocide by PowerPoint presentation.” – Ben Rhodes [57:41]
• “There is not a Palestinian state…there couldn't be one.” – Jasper Nathaniel [96:14]

Segment Timestamps

• SCO Summit & Trump’s Isolation: [07:14–18:27]
• India’s New Direction: [22:38–34:10]
• China Policy Reality Check: [34:20–41:43]
• War on Drugs Goes Kinetic: [45:12–52:22]
• Gaza Ethnic Cleansing Plan: [52:22–61:48]
• Afghanistan & Sudan Crises: [66:00–70:48]
• Witkoff Diplomatic Meltdown: [71:13–77:17]
• Jasper Nathaniel Interview (West Bank): [79:08–113:25]

Tone and Style

The hosts’ analysis is urgent, deeply critical, and darkly humorous in places. They continually emphasize the real-world consequences of Trump’s policies, bucking Beltway platitudes and focusing on lives affected or lost. Their critiques are interwoven with sarcasm, exasperation, and calls for accountability.

Summary Takeaway

With the rest of the world aligning in bold, anti-U.S. configurations, the Trump administration’s combination of ego, incompetence, and transactional policy is accelerating American irrelevance—and in many cases, enabling humanitarian catastrophes. Nowhere is this clearer than in the unraveling of core U.S. alliances, failed confrontations with China, new wars in Latin America, and the annihilation of any prospects for peace and justice in Israel-Palestine. The episode ends with a plea—for attention, accountability, and concrete action—especially for vulnerable communities the U.S. is leaving behind.

[To learn more about these issues, listen to the full episode or check out additional resources at crooked.com/world.]