Princes and Thieves | Matthew Cole

Investigative journalist Matthew Cole joins Matt to discuss his new book, Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East. Drawing on more than fifty sources, Cole traces how the UAE’s ruler cultivated Kushner, starting with a December 2016 meeting at a Manhattan hotel. He follows the middlemen who carried Emirati influence into Trump’s orbit, and the 2017 blockade of Qatar that nearly became an invasion. He also reports that Dutch intelligence watched Kushner access a Gulf-funded bank account on his iPhone, an allegation Kushner denies. With Kushner back at the center of American diplomacy and a new Congress arriving in January, they ask what accountability in Washington could look like, and argue that the allies taking advantage of America may not be the ones Trump has been blaming.

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How the UAE Worked Its Way Into Trump’s White House | Matthew Cole

Jared Kushner, the UAE, and the Book He Calls “Completely Insane” | Matthew Cole

Are the UAE and Saudi Arabia the Allies Taking Advantage of America? | Matthew Cole

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Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.

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