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

May 7, 2026

Loose Nukes

How to get bomb-ready uranium out of the wrong hands? It’s the mid-90s. The Soviet Union just fell. Andrew Weber, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs, tells of moose hunts, wild turkey, black ice and convoys under cover of night. How does past diplomacy help us understand the nuclear situation in Iran today?

May 6, 2026

Diplomat Lounge: Iran, A Way Out of the Mess

Can the US get out of its own way and turn this into a win? Ambassador Gary Grappo tells us how to do that, in a conversation with Pete and ASU Barrett Honors students. And yes, the solution involves diplomacy with a touch of humility. The Diplomat Lounge is a spinoff project of American Diplomat. This is its third of its three pilot episodes.

April 24, 2026

Remember the Old Days (Say, 2020)?

By what dirty tricks exactly did Orban seize control of his country? And how then did his rival Magyar beat him? And between those bookends, we offer a look at what it was like to run the embassy in Budapest under Trump I. Could it be any more different than Trump now? Dave Kostelancik, former Chargé d’Affaires, regales us.

April 22, 2026

The Rise and Demise of The House of Orban

AMB Kurt Volker, who has known Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban for 30 years, helps us understand the man, his early vision for Hungary, how his quest to “never lose another election” led him to become the model for would-be authoritarians everywhere — and also led to his downfall in last Sunday’s election. Things are never quite as simple as they may appear!

April 9, 2026

Diplomat Lounge: How To Fix Fear and Loathing in a Post Trump World

It’s not too early to start thinking about the recovery of US influence in a post-Trump world. Gen Z has some answers that align with their (our) values. The kids are alright. The Diplomat Lounge is a spinoff project of American Diplomat. This is its second episode.

April 9, 2026

"That Devil Feltman"

After a long and successful career as a U.S. diplomat, AMB Jeff Feltman went on to places where no US official has ever gone before, as the UN’s Under Secretary General for Political Affairs. What was it like to meet with Ayatollah Khamenei or Iranian President Ahmadinejad? Or to visit Pyongyang and relay messages from the US president to the North Korean leadership? When is the UN at its most effective? Plus a bonus discussion of the best way to evacuate US citizens when their lives are in danger.

March 26, 2026

Saudi and Israel – It’s Complicated

In Saudi Arabia women now drive, work and travel as they please, and the country has moved toward normalizing relations with Israel. Amb. Michael Ratney tells of change in Saudi and shares stories of Israel, where the only way forward is for all of us – Israelis, Palestinians and everyone – to humanize each other. Does the present war boil down to Iran against everybody in this intensely multifaceted part of the world? And what will Saudi do?

March 23, 2026

Sampling Shawarma on the Champs-Elysees in Za’atari Refugee Camp

For many of us, the Middle East is a place of intractable conflict and endless complexity. Ambassador Stuart Jones lived those complications for much of his diplomatic career. Whether studying maps with Iran-backed militia leaders in Iraq, arguing troop withdrawals at the salad bar with John McCain, or sneaking food for hungry refugeess over the Syrian border, Stu Jones was there when it mattered. His insights may not end the current war — but will surely help you understand it better!

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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.

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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