American Diplomat Podcast

Real U.S. diplomats share the untold truths behind world events—what went right, what went wrong, and what you’ll never see in the news.

Want to know what it’s really like on the frontlines of international diplomacy?  Each week, Amb. (Ret.) Dan Rosenblum and co-host Laura Bennett sit down with active and retired US diplomats to pull back the curtain on the gritty, human side of international affairs.  From dealing with foreign leaders to navigating the chaos of war zones, these diplomats share the stories that drive the headlines.  

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Latest Podcast Episodes

Public Diplomacy – Journalists have tough questions. What if you just don’t have the answers? How do you prepare? Get inside the machinery with former State Department spokesperson Amb. Mark Toner and learn the policy impacts of the words we use.
Gotcha, right? Or, “Click before it’s too late!” Or even, “Hey, kid. You’re pretty good at this. Want a real gun?” Career public diplomacy officer Karl Stoltz tells the truth about “FIMI” – deep fakes, false personas, trolls, bots – lies that aim to provoke fear and anger and destabilize target populations.
When did the US first warm to India and why? Why did Pakistan nominate Trump for a Nobel? And what does the Y2K bug have to do with US-India relations today? Former ambassador Don Lu shares stories and insight on person-to person diplomacy and his personal connection to Disney’s Splash Mountain.
Why can’t we just bomb our way to victory in Iran? Listen to Lt. General Karen Gibson, former Director of Intelligence for U.S. Central Command, tell tales of the three-legged stool of military, intel and diplomacy in Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq – when things go well and when they do not.
Former Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Todd Robinson spent much of his career under fire, of one kind or another. Listen to his candid views on corruption in Guatemala, blowing up ships without due process, and how to stop fentanyl from killing Americans.
Is it Burma, or is it Myanmar? Did its former leader Aung San Suu Kyi bring democratic reform or did she commit genocide? Both? Chris Milligan, former Agency Counselor for USAID, highlights breathtaking human resilience and the strategic value of foreign assistance.
What was USAID? How did DOGE destroy it, and with what impacts to global health and stability? Nick Enrich’s book Into the Wood Chipper details the demolition of the agency that for less than 1% of the US budget saved 92 million lives globally. Listen to him tell the tale. 
What is “dumping”? How does it hurt us? Who comes to the rescue? The Foreign Commercial Service! Judy Reinke, after leading the FCS, became Ambassador to Montenegro. Listen to her tales of service near and far.

The Podcast Team

Ambassador and Co-Host

Dan Rosenblum has served as ambassador in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, leading negotiations, building consensus, and communicating publicly about United States policy toward the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia. Fun fact: Dan hosted a radio show before he graduated college!

Producer and Co-Host

Laura Bennett has written, directed, produced and edited short films that have won 11 awards and screened at 35 festivals throughout the United States. Laura speaks Spanish, French and English and has traveled in five continents, often solo and working as a volunteer.

Sound Producer

Lorenzo Wilkins heads SD33/Art Direction and Design, focusing on identity, publication and marketing design.  His client list includes the former UPN television, Fox television, PBS, Spike Lee's 40 Acres & a Mule, the NAACP, the National Society of Black Engineers, Jane Firor & Associates, City First Bank of DC, the Education Trust and several political campaigns.

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