American Diplomat Podcast

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

March 5, 2026

How the Sausage is Made: 25YA

First, we welcome the wonderful Ambassador Dan Rosenblum as new co-host for the show. And we at American Diplomat still believe that the world will return to diplomacy! To help our youngest listeners prepare for that moment, our guest, Henry Haggard, has created a resource: The 25 Year Apprenticeship. So get in the room, listen and learn! As Henry likes to quote his mentors, “This is your apprenticeship, Henry! Pay attention!”

February 27, 2026

Gen Z And Their Take on America’s Future

Is the Gen Z drive for authenticity exactly what the country needs now? Our guests ASU Barrett Honors Students Kate Kelley and Sophia Agelastos elucidate how they parse fact from fiction. Join Pete Romero, Ambassador Deborah McCarthy and our student guests to hear what really matters to the Zs.

February 25, 2026

Special Envoys: Cleanup on Aisle Seven

At a time when Trump wages war against expertise, with scores of career ambassadors being recalled and a thinning of officers in the field, Undersecretary of State John Bass holds forth on why real estate and business experience, as well as AI, cannot substitute for diplomatic tradecraft.

February 14, 2026

Where Intelligence Meets Diplomacy

Have you ever heard of the teeny tiny Bureau of Intelligence and Research within the State Department? Pull up a chair, because we have Phil Goldberg and Dan Smith here – both career ambassadors (highest rank in the Senior Foreign Service), and both Assistant Secretaries of State for this small but mighty intelligence service. Have a look under the hood at what may be the coolest job in the world.

February 14, 2026

Now That’s Incredible! (Yes, it is.)

You probably thought that an ambassador’s job was to help Americans and work with local governments. And so did Ambassador Dan Rosemblum! But to his amazement he discovered that he was in charge of bioweapons campaigns designed to infect populations and plots to overthrow governments and destabilize society overseas! Not true, of course, but the disinformation machinery is hard at work. At what cost? And what can we do to combat this form of warfare? Listen to Dan’s personal experience in in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

January 30, 2026

US/Israel: End to the Tail Wagging the Dog?

Israeli security has been the third rail of public discourse. Support all that Israel does or Hamas owns you. The result: waning support. Joel Rubin is back to unpack how Trump is changing the script.

January 23, 2026

What Explains The Global Rise of Anti-Semitism?

Jewish-American political analyst Joel Rubin unpacks the reasons for the increase in hate crimes and why Jewish-American groups did not expect a rise in anti-Semitism.

January 16, 2026

Strategic Patience: Can We Return to Diplomacy?

Must our foreign policy be based on ego, resources and might-makes-right? Can we effectively meet future challenges with policies based on American values? Ambassador Mike Polt hopes so, and ASU is developing a plan for the long game.

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The Podcast Team

Ambassador and Co-Host

Amb. Pete Romero had a twenty-five year career as a diplomat in the US Foreign Service. In his last three postings, he was head of our embassy in El Salvador, US Ambassador in Quito, Ecuador and Assistant Secretary of the Western Hemisphere Bureau at the US Department of State.

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 Engineer

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.

Learn more

Read Pete’s paper “Living Up to the American Idea,” published in the Foreign Service Journal’s September 2020 issue.
Pete testifies before Congress on the need for diversity in the Foreign Service. To read Pete’s full testimony, click here.
U.S. Ambassador (Ret.) Peter Romero speaks during Saturday’s “Foreign Service Day” at George Mason University.
Roles of Chief Diplomats
U.S. Diplomats Talk Brazilian Politics at Ford School
Peter Romero’s article “The Making Of Plan Colombia” as featured in the Jan/Feb 2018 Issue of “The Foreign Service Journal”
“The Hill: Here’s our plan to bring diversity and fairness to the Foreign Service” Co-authored by Peter Romero.
A good brief summary of the life of a US Foreign Service family.

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