Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

The Rothkopf Group

Location:

New York, NY
Formation:

2017
Type:

Left of center consultant firm/media group
CEO:

David Rothkopf

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The Rothkopf Group is the consulting firm through which left of center-writer, podcaster, and consultant David Rothkopf hires out his services and administers a series of podcasts and events. 1 2 It provides both advisory and media services to clients. The group has hosted several exclusive conferences in Abu Dhabi. The firm’s client list is not public, but it is public record that the embassy of the United Arab Emirates is a client. 3 4

TRG Media

The media arm of The Rothkopf Group is centered on podcasts and exclusive in-person events that connect the reportedly high-level audiences to subject matter experts. The group reports that 52 percent of the audience has completed graduate school, that 70 percent has a household income over $100,000 and that 92 percent of the audience tunes in for every episode. 5

Deep State Radio is The Rothkopf Group’s flagship podcast, launched in 2017 in the wake of Donald Trump’s electoral victory and ascension to the presidency. It is hosted by David Rothkopf. The podcast’s website openly states that it was started to counter “conspiracy theorists” and people “who had suffered significant head trauma” who dared to criticize intelligence and national security agencies. Such people are also characterized as “nutjobs.” 6

The podcast has expanded over time into a suite of programming, with additional podcasts, blogging, and live events that emphasize interviews and access to “Deep State insiders” and experts. 7 The group has also added a premium service where paying members can gain access to additional content from David Rothkopf and various online community forums. 8

Work for United Arab Emirates

Since 2018 The Rothkopf Group has done work for the embassy of the United Arab Emirates and is registered with the State Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The firm is paid to assist the embassy with the messaging on any possible subjects. Rothkopf has stated that his firm does not lobby on behalf of the government of the United Arab Emirates. 9 10

Rothkopf and news outlets where he has appeared, such as MSNBC and The Daily Beast, were criticized by reporter and critic of American policy in the Middle East Glenn Greenwald for failing to properly disclose to readers and viewers that Rothkopf was paid by the United Arab Emirates, which Greenwald called a “despotic regime.” 11

In its 2021 world report, Human Rights Watch states that the United Arab Emirates has been involved in numerous human rights abuses, including the jailing of political dissenters, labor abuses, and abuses in Libya and Yemen. 12

In response to Greenwald’s criticisms, Rothkopf stated on Twitter that he has maintained his independence and that his firm does not engage in lobbying. 13

In the fall of 2021, it was alleged that senior United Arab Emirates officials, including the ambassador to the United States, were involved in illegal influence operations in the United States that included funneling illegal campaign contributions to both the Clinton and Trump campaigns in 2016. 14

Leadership

David Rothkopf is the founder and CEO of The Rothkopf Group. He has worked in a variety of consulting and editorial positions before founding The Rothkopf Group in 2017. David Rothkopf has been very vocal about his support of Democrats and left-of-center positions. During the Trump administration, Rothkopf vocally defended members of intelligence agencies that were being accused of illegally undermining the president and launched a podcast to do so. 15 Rothkopf has stated that Trump supporters are a bigger threat to America than the Taliban, that Donald Trump may be the worst traitor in American history, and that the United States was verging on becoming a failed state while Trump was president. 16 17 18 19

References

  1. The Rothkopf Group. “About TRG.” Accessed October 4, 2021. https://trgmedia.com/about-trg/.
  2. The Rothkopf Group. “David Rothkopf.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://trgmedia.com/david-rothkopf/.
  3. The Rothkopf Group. “About TRG.” Accessed October 4, 2021. https://trgmedia.com/about-trg/.
  4. The Rothkopf Group. “Interactive Media.” Accessed October 4, 2021. https://trgmedia.com/interactive-media/.
  5.  The Rothkopf Group. “About TRG.” Accessed October 4, 2021. https://trgmedia.com/about-trg/.
  6.   Deep State Radio Network. “About Us.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://thedsrnetwork.com/about/.
  7. Deep State Radio Network. “About Us.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://thedsrnetwork.com/about/.
  8. Deep State Radio Network. “Membership Levels.” Accessed October 4, 2021. https://thedsrnetwork.com/membership-account/membership-levels/.
  9. “Rothkopf Group FARA Registration.” State Department, September 9, 2021. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://efile.fara.gov/docs/6596-Exhibit-AB-20210909-2.pdf.
  10. McFall, Caitlin. “Biden Ally Signs $1.6 Million Contract with UAE.” MSN, September 15, 2021. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-ally-signs-2416-million-contract-with-uae/ar-AAOtKCq.
  11. Greenwald, Glenn. “MSNBC and Daily Beast Feature UAE Lobbyist David Rothkopf With No Disclosure: A Scandalous Media-Wide Practice.” The Intercept, October 22, 2018. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://theintercept.com/2018/10/22/msnbc-and-daily-beast-feature-uae-lobbyist-david-rothkopf-with-no-disclosure-a-scandalous-media-wide-practice/.
  12.  Human Rights Watch. “UAE: Reality of Abuses Contradicts Tolerance Rhetoric,” January 13, 2021. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/01/13/uae-reality-abuses-contradicts-tolerance-rhetoric.
  13. Twitter. “David Rothkopf on Twitter,” October 22, 2018. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://twitter.com/djrothkopf/status/1054477705436151809.
  14. Freeman, Ben. “Top UAE Officials Named in Illegal US Influence Operation.” Responsible Statecraft, September 30, 2021. https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/09/30/top-uae-officials-named-in-illegal-us-influence-operation/.
  15.  Deep State Radio Network. “About Us.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://thedsrnetwork.com/about/.
  16. The Rothkopf Group. “David Rothkopf.” Accessed September 29, 2021. https://trgmedia.com/david-rothkopf/.
  17. Rothkopf, David. “The MAGA Movement’s a Bigger Threat to America Than the Taliban.” The Daily Beast, August 26, 2021. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-maga-movements-a-bigger-threat-to-america-than-the-taliban.
  18. Rothkopf, David. “How Do Trump’s Extraordinary Betrayals Stand up against History? He Could Be the Worst.” USA TODAY, October 27, 2020. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/10/27/trump-betrayals-stand-out-even-next-to-benedict-arnold-column/6040603002/.
  19. Rothkopf, David. “Is America a Failing State?” Foreign Policy, May 10, 2017. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/10/is-america-a-failing-state-trump-fires-comey-fbi/.
  See an error? Let us know!