American Power is a geopolitical podcast about the forces beneath the headlines, where military strategy, energy markets, and political decision-making collide. Hosted by writer and comedian Nat Towsen alongside military strategist, Chad Scott and an oil and energy expert, Mr. Global, the show breaks down global events through the systems that shape them.
Each episode goes beyond the daily news cycle to examine incentives, history, and unintended consequences. Why do wars become hard to stop once they start? How do oil markets anticipate conflict before governments admit it? And who really…
Matt Randolph presents a concept for a Pan-American Energy Alliance designed to leverage energy resources across North, Central, and South America to reduce Western Hemisphere dependence on foreign oil and OPEC influence. The episode frames this as a potential solution to energy security vulnerabilities and global…
Worth it if you're interested in speculative energy policy ideas and want a quick introduction to Pan-American cooperation concepts, but not if you need substantive analysis or expert perspectives.
American Power Extra examines Russia's apparent strategic shift in the Ukraine war as of October 2026. With traditional battlefield offensives yielding minimal territorial gains and massive casualties, the episode argues Putin is pivoting toward economic attrition—targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure,…
Worth it if you follow the Ukraine conflict closely and want a quick strategic overview of Russia's apparent pivot toward economic attrition warfare.
American Power examines the Trump-Xi summit and its outcomes, with hosts Nat Towsen, Chad Scott, and Matt Randolph analyzing what concrete agreements emerged and whether both nations are primarily focused on buying time rather than resolving fundamental disputes. The episode then pivots to the AI race, exploring…
Worth it if you want a quick overview of Trump-Xi summit takeaways and the AI-competition policy debate from a U.S. perspective, though you should verify claims independently.
American Power presents a personal health crisis narrative featuring Matt Randolph, known as 'Mr. Global,' who suffered a massive widowmaker heart attack one week prior to recording. The episode centers on Randolph's account of the medical emergency—including two instances where his heart stopped and required…
Worth it if you're interested in personal health crisis narratives and want motivation to take warning signs seriously, but not if you're seeking medical expertise or policy analysis.
American Power hosts Nat Towsen and Chad Scott interview Kurt Volker, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, to examine strategies for deterring Putin and ending the war in Ukraine. The episode covers several interconnected geopolitical themes: the future trajectory of the…
Worth it if you follow Ukraine policy closely and want perspective from a former NATO ambassador on deterrence strategy and alliance dynamics.
American Power Extra is a 27-minute episode hosted by Chad Scott examining the stakes of a Trump-Xi summit. The episode promises to cover multiple high-stakes domains: tariffs and China's control of critical minerals, the AI race between the two powers, Taiwan's status, and Iran. Scott's framing positions the summit…
Worth it if you follow U.S.-China relations closely and want a quick breakdown of summit stakes, but not if you need deep sourcing or new reporting.
American Power examines three interconnected policy and geopolitical stories in this 79-minute episode. The hosts—Nat Towsen, Chad Scott, and Matt Randolph—lead with analysis of the Houthi advance along Yemen's Red Sea coast and attacks on Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, framing these developments as part of a…
Worth it if you want a quick overview of Houthi escalation and U.S. energy policy from a left-leaning perspective, but not if you need rigorous sourcing or deep expert analysis.
American Power Extra is a 17-minute episode hosted by Matt Randolph that explores a provocative hypothetical: whether Americans would sell their vote for $5,000. The episode frames this as a thought experiment about political loyalty, financial desperation, and principles. According to the show notes, Randolph argues…
Worth it if you enjoy quick takes on political philosophy and want to hear one host's perspective on principles versus financial desperation, but not if you're seeking reporting, evidence, or multiple viewpoints.
American Power hosts Nat Towsen, Chad Scott, and Matt Randolph interview Omer Bartov, a Holocaust and Genocide Studies professor at Brown University and former IDF officer, to discuss whether Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide. Bartov, who initially resisted the genocide label, explains what prompted him to…
Worth it if you want a scholar's perspective on genocide in Gaza and are open to a conversation that leans toward a particular conclusion on that question.
American Power Extra is a 23-minute episode where host Chad Scott examines the contradictions within Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy framework. The episode's central thesis focuses on how Trump's approach contains inherent tensions that undermine its stated goals: simultaneously waging conflict with Iran…
Worth it if you want a quick critical take on Trump's foreign policy contradictions and are comfortable with analysis-driven commentary without extensive sourcing or counterargument.
American Power examines Trump's Venezuela oil deal through three main lenses: the feasibility and economics of the arrangement, geopolitical motivations, and historical risks. Hosts Nat Towsen, Chad Scott, and Matt Randolph investigate whether Venezuela's reported massive oil reserves are real and whether the…
Worth it if you want a critical examination of Trump's Venezuela oil strategy and U.S. military readiness concerns, and you trust the hosts' analytical approach.
