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Hello, hello, and welcome to the oneyear anniversary special of the conversation. Guys, I cannot believe it's been a whole year since we started this show. It all began with Dr. Oz. If you objectively look at this, it is impossible to defend the current situation with drug pricing in America. Since then, I've had conversations with the president of the United States. I wonder what grade you would give A+ A+. A++ plus. And some of his cabinet officials like Marco Rubio and Scott Besson. Our job is to go out and operationalize, execute on the president's vision.
The message to the rest of the world. America first is not America alone. I've chatted with legislators that span the political spectrum from Senator Katie Britt to Representative Sarah McBride. You don't have to agree to show one to show someone respect. The Republican party is the party that is obsessed with cultural war issues. And I've spoken with powerful leaders in the private sector like Bill Gates. AI is a mixed blessing because it'll bring a level of change that we've never seen before. Some of my conversations have been in pretty iconic locations like when I spoke to Richard Grenell at the Kennedy Center.
You want a world where lay miz is interrupted by booze because somebody just feels like that's their moment. I don't. Some have even taken me across the globe, like my interview with Ukrainian President Zalinski in Munich. Today, only United States can stop Putin. And some, like my chat with NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, have taken me almost out of this world. Astronauts are going to go to Mars someday, and they're going to go beyond Mars. Man, what a year it's been. Guys, thank you so much to you, our audience, for tuning in. Without you, none of this would be possible. as an anniversary
gift to me. Please make sure you subscribe, rate, like, and review our show wherever you're watching or listening so we can keep the conversation going. As you may know, every week on this show, I talk to the most compelling and sometimes unexpected power players in Washington and beyond. But this week for our one-year anniversary special, I am putting the power in your hands and answering your questions. You called, texted, and commented with questions for me. We even got a few celebrity dialins. So, without further ado, let's get into it. Here's our first voicemail. Hey, this is Wilson. I'm calling from New York City. Big fan of the show. Um, I'm Jenz and I just had a couple questions. You know, as Jenzi, I'm I'm
curious about why both parties seem to have moved away from centering topics that hit young people. I'm thinking like housing costs, student debt, Israel, generational wealth gap. Um, do you see anyone actually building out politics to capture young voters right now? Hey, Wilson. First of all, I love that we got an old school voicemail from a Gen Z member of our audience. That is awesome. Um, it's a great question because I think we have seen a some candidates that do focus on these issues have a ton of success. I'm thinking about someone like Mom Donnie in uh in New York, of course, who was relentless about housing in particular. Um, you know, the issue of Israel I have watched Democrats on this show um really
struggle to reconcile with and um either try to avoid or you know dive right in. But that is something that even um over the course of the last couple of weeks I think the Democratic party has um has struggled to figure out because there is this generational divide not just among Democrats uh but among Republicans too. Um, and we saw the youth vote really change in 2024. And Trump and the Republican party captured a lot more young voters than is typical for the GOP, especially with young men. You saw somebody like Charlie Kirk and his organization Turning Point USA, uh, make a massive effort to pull in young people. But since 2024, the youth vote, I think you're right, has kind of fallen out of the
national consciousness a little bit. And I think to the detriment of both parties politically because young voters are the future, not to be cheesy about it, but they are. um and the issues that young voters care about right now, especially all of that stuff you mentioned is actually really important in general for politics because um affordability is something too that a lot of families they are thinking about their kids that are in college and going to try to figure out how to afford an apartment or how to get a house or um how to find a job. So, um I think that with examples like Mom Donnie, um like some of the folks that are focusing on those issues, I think that's potentially going to inspire other candidates in both parties
to look closely at some of those campaigns and those tactics and start pivoting a little bit more to Gen Z issues in the midterms and certainly in 2028. But I think there's a lot that's been lost between the 2024 election and now when it comes to the youth vote. Next up, this is a question that was texted to our show's phone number. Yes, we have a phone number now. Any texts and comments for this episode have been read by my wonderful production team. Dear Dasha, thanks so much for the conversation, Ceasefire Playbook, and all that you do. And I have a question for you, please. Given the president talks with you directly, as you have commented on a few times before and with
other reporters, perhaps more than all other presidents before, what's your guess, if you could guess out loud, on the percentage of the anonymous sources within the administration, who are quoted or used by reporters as sources in their news reports who actually are the president? That's a great question. Also, thank you for watching, listening, and reading uh all of the various pieces of content uh that come out from uh from Politico and others. Um I would venture to guess that the vast majority of the time when reporters talk to the president that it is actually on the record. He likes to pick up phone calls, call reporters sometimes, and he wants his actual quotes out there. Um,
there was a time, I know there's there's some lore about when um he might back in his New York days, he would call in to the New York Post or whatever by some pseudonym and um and talk about himself. But these days as a president of the United States, I think for the most part he is speaking on the record every time that he does. So I don't think he's anonymously sourced very often. And by the way, this is a great opportunity to mention for people that don't know sort of the behind the scenes of reporting. A lot of the time, as you can imagine, people that are talking to the press aren't usually aren't always sanctioned to talk to the press, but want to get information out there. And so when
we do site sources anonymously, which is often it's so that people can speak more frankly and give us information that is true that might not necessarily reflect favorably on whoever it is that they're they're working for. the ability to build that trust with our sources and allow them to speak to us candidly and anonymously is a really important part of how uh journalism gets done. So, when we asked you all to send in your questions, we also got a few special responses from friends of the conversation. Here's one from CNN anchor Abby Phillip, who was on the show this year herself. Take a listen. Hey Dasha, question for you. Who is the most interesting character that you cover at the White House, but most people have no idea who they are?
Ah, great question from Abby, who herself has covered the White House, so she knows how crazy it can be. Um, so right now one of the big priorities for Politico is to cover the story around AI, especially how the White House is navigating how much to restrict AI or how much to quote let them cook as AIs are. David Saxs uh told me on this show in the United States, the innovation comes from the private sector. Ultimately, it's our companies that push the frontier forward. And so when I say let them cook, I mean that's really what I'm talking about is trying to have a generally encouraging uh attitude towards uh innovation.
One character that is helping lead the charge here, his name is Sean Karen Cross and he is heavily involved in White House AI policy and he's having to uh balance a bunch of different interests both from industry from uh internal characters within the White House. He's not probably a household name that you all have heard, but he is uh an important character that is having to sort of synthesize what all the different factions in and around the White House are looking for from AI policy. And you've already seen a whole bunch of whiplash from the administration on this because it is just so important. And there's still an ongoing debate about how far to push, how far to uh go in terms of unleashing uh these companies or how much to
restrict for safety. Um it's it's a complicated conversation and this guy Sean Keracross is one to watch. Okay, back to some questions from our audience. You guys really took advantage of the voicemail option. I love it. So here's another one. Hi, this is Daniel calling from Pasadena, California. If you could have any guest on the conversation, who would it be excluding the current president? Uh, in other words, who is your white whale? Thank you. My white whale? That's a great question, Daniel from Pasadena. Sounds a little bit familiar. That may or may not have been my father-in-law. Thank you for the question. I um have always
wanted to interview President Putin. I think it is likely one of the more challenging interviews out there and it he is a character on the world stage that is obviously having uh a major impact across Europe, across Asia, across the Middle East. nothing that that is happening anywhere in the world really right now is happening in a vacuum and he is a major character and of course I have had the president of the United States on the show. I've had the president of Ukraine and so President Putin uh seems like a very good next target for my white whale interview. Um so we'll see maybe you guys will help me with that with this show. So President Putin, if you are listening, you are welcome on the show anytime.
You guys have really been on all of the platforms. Next, we've got a post on X from Rick Weber, who goes by the handle event nerd. Hi, Dasha. Projecting into a future where Democrats retake Congress and possibly even the White House in 28. Do you think the incoming party will try to undo all of the Trump branding in DC and reverse his actions that tore apart conventional politics? How long will it take? Let me get my crystal ball here. Um, I look, I think that the conversations I've been having across the political spectrum, including with people uh on the Democratic side and even on the
Republican side who haven't been happy with certain Trump policies. Right now, the thinking is it's going to be really hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Like the disruption caused by this administration, whether you're happy about it or miserable about it, is not something that can be undone. It can be rebuilt, I think, in a different way by Democrats. I mean, you know, there are some things that are easier to change. You can maybe take the Donald J. Trump off the name of the Kennedy Center, but I mean, the ballroom uh project, I think, is going to be pretty difficult to undo. Uh, and our relationships across the world, I think, have been completely changed by this administration. And I think that
getting back to whatever normal is or was is going to be a huge challenge. And so I think some Democrats are seeing this as an opportunity. You know, things have been completely shaken up by this administration and that means that the rule book is out the window and there is opportunity in that chaos, but it's going to take a while for the dust to settle in any real way. And I don't know that Democrats will want uh to go back to status quo either because there was a lot um prior to this administration that wasn't working for people which is why Trump got ushered in the way that he did in the first place. Another friend of the show, Fox News's Brett Bearer, who also has me on his show fairly regularly. Thank you, Brett.
Sent us a celebrity call in. Let's take a listen. Hey, it's Brett Bearer at Fox News Channel. Dasha, congratulations. Uh first of all, thanks for being on the special report panel. Uh we love having you on. Uh my question, I guess about interviewing. When I interview big figures, I look back at what they've said before on different topics to try to guess what they're going to say going forward. Uh try to map it out. How do you prep for the big interviews? Dasha, that's such a great question, Brett, and one that I actually get all the time. I'm sure you do, too, because you do such great interviews. But I also do what you do. I have a great team that pulls together a research packet of um
stories that are relevant to the interview and of uh transcripts of past interviews that uh the guest has done. But one thing that's really important to me is we put together a list of questions, a list of topics that we want to get to. But I really try not to be too married to either the order of questions or even the specific questions that we have on our list because sometimes the interview takes a turn that's unexpected. So what I really try to do is be as present as possible and that takes some preparation too. Like sometimes I'll do a little meditation or something beforehand because I want to make sure that I'm really listening to what the person across from me is saying. And sometimes that means I
might not even get to anywhere near all of the questions that I have because the conversation takes a different turn and I hear something in an answer that pivots us that takes us down a totally different rabbit hole. But if it's interesting, it's always worth that followup. I think that the interviews really are made in those follow-up questions and that takes just paying a ton of attention and having I mean we call this the conversation. I like to really think of this as the conversation. So, I can prepare all I want on my end, but it takes two to tango, right? So, I always want to be there and ready to dance with the person sitting across from me.
All right, we've got some more comments from our social channels. Here's one from Instagram by username Kate Morse 924. How has covering politics changed you personally? Having talked to so many ordinary Americans like myself to world leaders, what conversations have shaped the way you view the world? After all, you're only human, too. Have you had discussions that have made you question your own belief systems? And do you think you're more open to different ways of thinking after hearing so many viewpoints? Wow, Katie, what a great throwback. I met Katie back in 2020 in Kent County, Michigan, when I was covering that election and doing a project listening and talking to voters.
Yes, I've been totally changed by the conversations I've had with people like you all over the country. There is such a different understanding of politics and of policy that you get when you travel to different parts of the United States, whether that's rural America, urban America, ex-urban. Katie's a suburban mom. Uh there is a lot more nuance. Shocker, it's not black and white, but there's just a lot more nuance in the way that people think. and approach politics and their decision-making at the ballot box, then um then folks may realize that's something that I've tried to bring into my reporting as much as possible. Um and yeah, personally I mean my life, my thinking, um my understanding has been so wildly enriched by
the fact that I have talked to people in 46 out of 50 states. I've got four more to go. You guys can guess which states I have not been to. That's always a fun game. Um, and one of the reasons I waited as long as I did to move to DC. I only moved here, um, you know, less than two years ago, um, is because I wanted to before coming here spend a ton of time actually traveling the country and getting to know the electorate before I came to the center of power. Um, and so when I ask questions of people in power here, I'm thinking about you, Katie. I'm thinking about all of the voters that I've talked to, a lot of whom I still stay in touch with. Um, because I'm not asking for me. I'm asking on behalf of all of you.
All right, we've got a voicemail from someone who wants a behindthescenes look at the episode we shot at NASA headquarters in Florida ahead of the Artemis 2 launch. Hi Dasha, I really enjoyed listening to the NASA episode with Jared Isaacman and I was wondering if you could talk more about going to the Kennedy Space Center. Thank you so much for listening. That was one of my favorite shoots of this whole year because I mean, how cool is NASA? How cool is the moon? Maybe Mars.
Um, it was fascinating. And one of the coolest parts of that is I got to tour the VAB, which is the V vehicle assembly building, which is massive. It is the eighth largest building by volume in the whole world. And you don't really realize it when you're looking at it from the outside because it's in the middle of nowhere. So there's it's hard to tell the scale because it's not surrounded by anything, but you walk in there and that's literally where they put the rockets together and you can lose a rocket in there. It sounds crazy, but they can hold multiple rockets and you walk around and you're like, where is it? And it's massive.
It has so much history. I was geeking out. so hard over it. Uh and Jared Isaacman is uh such an interesting character, you know, coming from private industry and now uh trying to push NASA forward and get back to space race days. It was such a cool interview and very cool opportunity and I'm really glad you enjoyed it. And if you want to see this for yourself, we actually have a really cool video on YouTube where we give you a little tour of the VAB. So check it out. Next up is a call for the policy wonks in our audience. Hi Dasha, this is Gavin. Longtime listener, first- time caller here. I had a question for you. Treasury yields and their impact at home has seemed like a handbreak on the Trump administration's
foreign policy agenda in his most recent term. As we move into election season, do you see the Trump administration focusing more on modifying foreign policy with the goal of lowering Treasury yields to achieve his domestic agenda? And do you see him focusing more on his domestic agenda as he heads into the election season for the midterms? Thanks so much. Wonky, wonky, Gavin, thank you for the question. Look, uh, I interviewed Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessend earlier this year in Davos. And you know what's what's really clear is it's the stock market and the bond market that the president watches really
closely. But his foreign policy is a priority that has really taken over uh this administration. He is doing so much more around the world than anyone expected. And while Treasury yields probably on the mind of Scott Bessant quite a lot, I don't think it is as big of a factor in the president's decision-m when it comes to what he's doing all around the world. And look, there's been a lot of push from various advisers in his orbit to get him to focus on the domestic agenda. The answer from the White House will be he can walk and chew gum at the same time. But I will tell you, uh, he is really focused on making his mark around the world.
Closer to the midterms, you know, you've already been seeing him getting out on the trail a little bit and talking about the affordability issues, but the conflict in Iran is not over. Uh, he's still got work to do in Venezuela. Now, he's talking Cuba. There are so many places, including, of course, uh, the war between Russia and Ukraine, that his team is still trying to solve. There is a lot happening around the world where the president wants to have impact. I think you'll see both foreign and domestic issues regularly on the agenda. All right, we got a text from someone in our audience who is curious about my news diet. Hey Dasha, I'm always fascinated by how people like you, Ezra
Klene, and Ross Douet, you three are my go-to weekly podcasts, consistently produce thoughtful, nuance work while also having full personal lives outside of it. I'm curious, what systems or habits help you stay informed without getting overwhelmed? How do you decide what's worth reading or listening to? And do you have any practical rhythms, filters, or workflows for managing books, news, podcast, and information intake in a sustainable way? Thank you for that question, and thank you for putting me in that lineup. I'm honored. Um, my workflow is a hot mess to be honest because there are so many different platforms that uh I go to on any given day and I wish I could tell you I have like some great rigorous
system. I don't. What I do have is, you know, I constantly have sort of the four box up uh on my TV either at home or on my computer if I'm on the run. um at home it drives my husband crazy because it's, you know, CNN and Fox and MS now and all of the various um TV news outlets constantly playing and it drives him crazy. Um but I switch back and forth between all of them because it's fascinating to see um how different programs stack their shows. Um I read all of the newsletters. Um, and books-wise, you know, a lot of the time I'm I'm reading the book of someone I might be interviewing. Um, I am right now geeking out uh actually after the NASA interview. I started reading the
the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. So, that's my um fiction outlet. It's fascinating and I'm a total science fiction nerd. Otherwise, I'm on X. Uh, I'm on uh websites of a bunch of different news organizations. I have way too many tabs open on my computer. Um, so that's all to say like my digital hygiene is really bad. Um, but I'm constantly consuming information and I am constantly overwhelmed. Uh, I don't know that there's a way to avoid that in this news environment. And to close us out, here's one last question from my friend and political colleague, Zoya, who hosts the Brussels playbook pod. Hey Dasha, it's Zoya dialing in from Prague. I have a few questions for you. Firstly, do you think
Donald Trump thinks the EU is his enemy? And do you think that he thinks Russia and China are his friends? And even more importantly, is Heli named after the underworld, the ancient civilization, or the epic seance character? Can't wait to hear your answers. Oh, Zoya, I love it. Um, so on friendship and enemy ship, um, I don't think Trump actually thinks in those terms. He's just a super transactional person. And I think someone can be his friend one moment and his enemy the next moment just depending on whether they decide to buck him on something or agree with him and do what he wants on any given issue. And so, um, I also think he likes to flip the script and stir some controversy and have unconventional
relationships with leaders like Putin, like Xi Jinping that have uh, traditionally uh, had much colder relationships with previous presidents of the United States. So, I think he likes to be unconventional and I think sort of transaction is his main uh vehicle for these relationships and you've seen that I think in various displays in the Oval Office um and in how he has um given and taken with the EU and with NATO and staying with uh with China and Russia. All right. And hard pivot to my dog Hely. And Zoya, you guessed it. Your last guess was right. Um, he is named after Heli R of Severance, who I know is a female character. We had planned to have a girl dog, but then when we went to pick up the puppy from the litter, our little guy popped
his head up and looked me dead in the eyes and I was forever his. So, um, we got a boy dog, but still love the name Hely. And so technically, we made his full name Helis, H E L A S, which is a region on Mars. Um, which I was inspired by, yes, the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. I'm a nerd, you guys. I'm sorry. I'm not sorry. This has been the Conversation with Dasha Burns. Thank you again for helping us make it to one year. And I still want to hear from you. Is there someone you want to see on the show in the next year? What topics do you want us to tackle? We're leaving our phone lines open for your voicemails and texts at 202-6431536. And we'll be back next week. If you want to catch future episodes of The
Conversation, be sure to click that subscribe button below. Thanks for watching.
