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Donald Trump is the hammer of the Christian nationalists that built America, and rely on forever wars to assert their dominance. In this special live Gaslit Nation taping, Andrea discusses the real story behind Trump/Kushner and Israel's war. The Trump/Kushner families get to grift, illegally enriching themselves, endangering our national security and very lives, while the Pentagon looks the other way. At least the Washington, DC elite, along with Israel, finally get their war with Iran. As Andrea has long warned: World War III has already started. This week, Gaslit Nation provides the stories behind the stories, mapping out where this is all headed, and most importantly, what we can do to resist and build a better world. This week's bonus episode will be the Q&A portion of our live-taping, featuring questions from our audience. To listen to the full recording, be sure to subscribe at the Truth-teller ($5/month) or higher level on Pateron.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who keeps our independent journalism going during these turbulent times. We could not make this show without you! Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Find the link on Patreon.com/Gaslit. Show Notes: Russia Should Get Ready for the Fall of Vladimir Putin https://www.19fortyfive.com/2026/03/russia-should-get-ready-for-the-fall-of-vladimir-putin/ For Kushner, Israel Policy May Be Shaped by the Personal https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/11/us/politics/jared-kushner-israel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QVA.k_Mc.ukQ2I2AgWRiQ&smid=url-share As Tensions With Iran Escalated, Trump Opted for Most Extreme Measure: While senior officials argue the drone strike was warranted to prevent future attacks, some in the administration remain skeptical about the rationale for the attack. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/trump-suleimani.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QVA.TdSS.Vi_-mzc5Zb-W&smid=url-share Russian Oligarch Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska and Associates Indicted for Sanctions Evasion and Obstruction of Justice https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/russian-oligarch-oleg-vladimirovich-deripaska-and-associates-indicted-sanctions-evasion-and Did the FBI's Charles McGonigal Help Throw the 2016 Election to Trump?: The shocking indictments against the former head of counterintelligence for the FBI in New York raise many dark questions. https://newrepublic.com/article/170328/charles-mcgonigal-throw-2016-election New York Times article Andrea references mentioning Reid Hoffman: Big Donors Turn on Biden. Quietly: Some of the president's past supporters want a new candidate, but they are leery of going public. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/biden-donors-debate.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QVA.QVGf.oDxmofN4ILKB&smid=url-share 1972 Electoral College Results https://www.270towin.com/1972-election/ Russia's most important Middle East base is not where you think https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/russias-most-important-middle-east-base-is-not-where-you-think/ The Church Committee Report: https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/church-committee.htm Trump ordered to pay $382,000 after losing UK lawsuit over Steele dossier https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/07/trump-loses-lawsuit-steele-dossier Israel, US will ensure Iran does not have nuclear capabilities, Israeli U.N. envoy says https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-us-will-ensure-iran-does-not-have-nuclear-capabilities-israeli-un-envoy-2026-03-02/ Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-he-ordered-iran-strikes-thwart-tehrans-missile-program-2026-03-02/ Trump's First Administration Shut Down Investigation Into Epstein: The state of New Mexico was investigating Jeffrey Epstein's ranch, but then the Department of Justice intervened. https://newrepublic.com/post/207226/donald-trump-first-administration-investigation-epstein-ranch Jonathan Karl: Pres Trump told me tonight the US had identified possible candidates to take over Iran, but they were killed in the initial attack. "The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates," Trump told me. "It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead." https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mg2bruf4wk2q The Playbook for Defeating MAGA: The Church Committee Report https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/the-playbook-for-defeating-maga-the-church-committee-report EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Find the link on Patreon.com/Gaslit. The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: join on Patreon. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, only on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community
Gaslit Nation has long warned that World War III has already started. We will discuss all that and more at today's Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm ET. Join us on Patreon and get your questions answered and connect with other listeners. If you can't make it live, the full recording will be available soon exclusively at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Salon Zoom Link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/zoom-link-for-at-152054116?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Thank you to everyone who supports our independent journalism during these turbulent times.
Apologies! Due to the blizzard, school closure, jury duty all in one week, the wrong file was published. Here is the correct one. Enjoy and see you at the salon on Monday. The ruling elite–from billionaires like Les Wexner to politicians who shared the "Lolita Express"–all knew. They claim to have been manipulated by serial pedophiles Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. They were complicit in a transnational crime syndicate that used human trafficking as a currency of power. What we can do now: Demand State Action: Call your Attorney General. Alex Acosta's slap-on-the-wrist federal deal is a sham–it was a cover-up. Demand that state-level cases be brought in New Mexico, Florida, New York, and Ohio–everywhere crimes were committed against over a thousand victims. Subpoena the Money: We need a total forensic audit of Epstein's wire transfers worth over a billion dollars. End the "Great Disillusionment": Our institutions failed because they were captured. We must be the light that shines into their darkness. History will remember those who stood up. It is our turn to be relentless, like those who came before us, until every co-conspirator is behind bars. This is an excerpt of this week's bonus show. To listen to the full episode, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports our investigative journalism. Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chats, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: Book Launch: Mrs. Orwell by Andrea Chalupa in conversation with Nomiki Konst https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/ The State of the Union is Sadistic Elites on a Crime Spree https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2026/2/24/the-state-of-the-union-is-sadistic-elites-on-a-crime-spree @repilhan.bsky.social shouts at Trump during SOTU: "You have killed Americans." https://bsky.app/profile/jordanuhl.com/post/3mfnpqndvlk23 Susanna Ledesma Woody is a proud central Texan, a devoted mother of three, a respected public servant, and a passionate advocate for equity and opportunity. https://www.votesusanna.net/meet-susanna Dominique Azzollini is a lifelong Pike County resident, real estate professional, and community advocate running for State Representative to make Pike and Wayne Counties affordable, healthy, and full of opportunity again. https://www.azzolliniforpa.org/
Tino gets shadow banned by IG, Matt claims he's been "Gaslit" by the TCR crew and tries to PROVE it, Serina has a warning for iPhone users, and Nicasio has BBQ on the (tiny) brain... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The ruling elite–from billionaires like Les Wexner to politicians who shared the "Lolita Express"–all knew. They claim to have been manipulated by serial pedophiles Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. They were complicit in a transnational crime syndicate that used human trafficking as a currency of power. What we can do now: Demand State Action: Call your Attorney General. Alex Acosta's slap-on-the-wrist federal deal is a sham–it was a cover-up. Demand that state-level cases be brought in New Mexico, Florida, New York, and Ohio–everywhere crimes were committed against over a thousand victims. Subpoena the Money: We need a total forensic audit of Epstein's wire transfers worth over a billion dollars. End the "Great Disillusionment": Our institutions failed because they were captured. We must be the light that shines into their darkness. History will remember those who stood up. It is our turn to be relentless, like those who came before us, until every co-conspirator is behind bars. Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chats, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: The State of the Union is Sadistic Elites on a Crime Spree https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2026/2/24/the-state-of-the-union-is-sadistic-elites-on-a-crime-spree @repilhan.bsky.social shouts at Trump during SOTU: "You have killed Americans." https://bsky.app/profile/jordanuhl.com/post/3mfnpqndvlk23 Susanna Ledesma Woody is a proud central Texan, a devoted mother of three, a respected public servant, and a passionate advocate for equity and opportunity. https://www.votesusanna.net/meet-susanna Dominique Azzollini is a lifelong Pike County resident, real estate professional, and community advocate running for State Representative to make Pike and Wayne Counties affordable, healthy, and full of opportunity again. https://www.azzolliniforpa.org/
We are up against a transnational mafia, as Gaslit Nation has long warned, and the Epstein files expose it, despite the ongoing cover-up. This week, investigative journalist Dave Troy joins the show to connect the dots between Epstein, the Kremlin, and far-right operatives who have spent decades dismantling our democracy, including the Florida 2000 recount that ensured George W. Bush came to power. (Bush's administration gave Epstein an illegal "sweetheart deal," allowing him and Maxwell to continue their crime network, trafficking children to the ruling elite). "The U.S. government has been infiltrated by these networks for decades," Troy says. Epstein was not a lone wolf. He was deeply embedded in a transnational crime syndicate with ties extending to Russian intelligence and powerful oligarchs who are still trying to create a lawless "network state" where they can operate above the law. We also discuss the dangerous complacency of assuming our institutions will protect us, especially when the very people tasked with upholding the law, from the DOJ to high-profile attorneys, protect the shadow network. Their goal is to demoralize us with complexity. By tracing their connections, we can understand their playbook and fight back. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: join on Patreon. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect: join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join: join on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group: join on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community
Gaslit, a documentary directed by Katie Camosy, won Best Documentary at this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film follows communities on the frontlines of the fossil fuel boom, from shrimpers and ranchers to former oil workers, challenging the narratives pushed by one of the most powerful industries in the world. KCSB's Juliana Chandler spoke with Camosy about the responsibility of telling these stories, working alongside activist Jane Fonda, and what it means to be “gaslit” in today's climate crisis.
Everything You Trusted ....Was Designed to Keep You AsleepBeloved,There's a particular kind of pain that comes not from physical injury, but from something far deeper—the shattering of trust in what we believed was good, true, and safe.It has a name: moral injury.And if you've been feeling confused or depressed, listen or read to the end.Moral injury happens when someone or something we deeply trusted—an authority figure, an institution, a system we built our lives around—reveals itself to be the opposite of what we believed it to be.
Gaslighting isn't just a buzzword — it's a real communication pattern that quietly distorts reality and leaves you questioning yourself. In this episode, I break down the three must-know signs you're being gaslit, the subtle conversation shifts that give it away, and exactly what to say in the moment to stay grounded and in control. I also flip the lens inward and share how to recognize if you're unintentionally gaslighting someone else — and how to stop it before it becomes a pattern. Order The Next Conversation Workbook: https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/workbook Thank you to our sponsors: Cozy Earth. Upgrade Your Every Day. Get 20% off at cozyearth.com/jefferson or use code JEFFERSON at check out. Wayfair. Visit https://www.wayfair.com/ Momentous. Visit https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use code JEFFERSON for 35% off your first order. BetterHelp. Click https://betterhelp.com/jeffersonfisher for a discount on your first month of therapy. Order my new book, The Next Conversation, or listen to the full audiobook today. Like what you hear? Don't forget to subscribe and leave a 5-star review! Suggest a topic or ask a question for me to answer on the show! Want a FREE communication tip each week? Click here to join my newsletter. Join My School of Communication Watch my podcast on YouTube Follow me on Instagram Follow me on TikTok Follow me on LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Here's what you missed at last week's Gaslit Nation Salon. The full recording is available on Patreon.com/Gaslit. Gaslit Nation warned you in 2019 that Tulsi Gabbard was a Russian disinformation weapon, and now she is the Director of National Intelligence. The gatekeeper of American secrets is currently abusing her power to illegally intervene in our domestic elections, as seen in the recent federal raid on a Georgia election office. Trump's raid in Georgia, overseen by Gabbard and Kash Patel's FBI, goes beyond his Big Lie litigating the 2020 election. They're laying the groundwork to justify "security measures" to make it easier for GOP ratf*cking and voter suppression to steal our elections. Meanwhile, a whistleblower complaint reveals that Gabbard buried NSA intelligence regarding two foreign operatives discussing a compromised person in Trump's inner circle. Given the corruption spree in Trump's own inner circle, there's a long list of who this could be! As the reporting has confirmed, Gabbard is leading a cover-up. As predicted in last week's salon, it was Kushner who is at the center of an NSA intelligence report on two foreign operatives discussing someone close to Trump -- a report that Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, hid to protect the Trump family's corruption crime spree. A New York Times gift article is available here. Tulsi Gabbard is a national security threat. We must demand that our Secretaries of State protect our ballots from this administration's interference. Agonize then organize and socialize. The news cycle is designed to exhaust you, but you don't have to face the autocracy alone. We built a resilience community for truth-tellers, and we want you in it. Join us today at 4pm ET for our Gaslit Nation Salon, a space to strategize, vent, and connect with a community of listeners just as horrified as you. Find the link to join us by Zoom, wherever you are, at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Warnings from Syria on How to Stop Putin in Ukraine https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2022/3/9/warnings-from-syria?rq=mOUAZ
Happy Valentine's Day to the Gaslit Nation family. While the world distracts itself with candy-coated romance, we know the most consequential stories are often the most complicated. If you're in the mood for a love story, specifically, a toxic one that changed the course of history, I invite you to meet Eileen O'Shaughnessy in my graphic novel, Mrs. Orwell. Eileen was the brilliant, overlooked force who helped fuel the creation of her husband's most enduring works. Her life with Eric Blair (aka George Orwell) was a whirlwind of intellect, sacrifice, and revolutionary dysfunction. Pre-order Mrs. Orwell here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250877857/mrsorwell/ See you at the Gaslit Nation Salon on Monday at 4pm ET -- only on Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports our work here during these dangerous times.
As Gaslit Nation has long warned: our institutions are complicit. Nazis infiltrate police departments, protecting an elite pedophile ring–protected by the FBI and DOJ. What can the American people do in a time of elite criminal impunity? Enter antifa. As investigative reporter Christopher Mathias reveals in his new book To Catch a Fascist, the solution is self-reliance and tenacious research skills. As Mathias explains, antifa does exist, haunting Donald Trump's nightmares, and has been a force of resistance throughout American history. Antifa is part of a long tradition in America, composed of LGBTQ people, neurodivergent people, the working class, and other everyday Americans–operating in a hyper-localized decentralized network. Mathias details how activists have unmasked neo-Nazis through Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), infiltrating online and offline groups, hacking, posting "meet your local Nazi" fliers in communities, and citizen investigative journalism. One researcher read 60,000 tweets just to find a single biographical detail to out a Nazi hiding in the dark. As we'll cover in future episodes, antifa's strategies can also apply to outing Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators who think they can continue hiding from justice. Just as the NAACP's Walter White investigated lynchings in the 1920s when the police protected their friends in the Klan, citizen researchers can map the flight logs and financial ties of Trump and Epstein's friends. If the FBI and DOJ continue to protect billionaire lawlessness, we must create a social cost for corruption and predatory elites. If the Department of Justice won't unmask the villains, then it's up to us to do it. "We protect us" is the rallying cry of liberation movements, of neighbors helping neighbors against corruption and institutional failure that protects predators in power. As Gaslit Nation has long warned: it's up to us to save us. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: join on Patreon. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, join on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, join on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community
It is the final hour and Tobin is feeling as though he is being gaslighted by Erik Spoelstra after Kel'el Ware expressed to the media on Friday that he gets stopped by fans on the street often about his lack of minutes… BEWARE Spo's response might have you scratching your head! Ahead of the Super Bowl we have some fun looking at the prop bets for the game! And we end the show the way we always do with a little You're Dead to Me! The Miami Heat Catch some strays and Jfig and Brittney have a bone to pick with the men at QAM!
It is the final hour and Tobin is feeling as though he is being gaslighted by Erik Spoelstra after Kel'el Ware expressed to the media on Friday that he gets stopped by fans on the street often about his lack of minutes… BEWARE Spo's response might have you scratching your head!
“My doctor keeps telling me it's all in my head—but I know something's wrong. Why won't they listen?" This week's Fan Mail question comes from a podcast listener who writes: "Dear Kerry, could you do a podcast on the topic of narcissism, psychopathy and healthcare?…” In this episode, Dr. Kerry breaks down why healthcare settings attract people who crave power and control, how the doctor-patient dynamic creates dangerous vulnerability, and why women are especially at risk of medical dismissal. Submit your question to be answered on air here!Follow on AppleFollow on SpotifyDr Kerry's ResourcesReclaimYou: AI-powered coaching app built on Dr. Kerry's experience.The Complete Recovery Collection: Educational resources for narcissistic abuse healingFirst Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital courseThe Toxic-Free Relationship Club: coaching & community supportFollow Dr. Kerry!YoutubeInstagramTikTokFacebookKerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.Submit your question to be answered on air here!Resources ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support Follow Dr. Kerry! Youtube Instagram TikTok Facebook Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism. As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases. This podcast/video is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute therapy, counseling, or professional mental health advice. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.
We all love a good redemption story in schools—the students who struggle for years and finally turn things around. Those stories make us feel good. They also let us avoid a harder question: why did success take so long in the first place? During Coaching Week, that question kept coming up for me, and it forced me to look at how deeply we've normalized struggle and delayed success in the systems we call "good." In this episode, I challenge the idea that suffering is a necessary part of learning, examine what our favorite stories reveal about our expectations, and explore what changes when we stop centering heroics and start interrogating design, #LikeABuilder.
We're going to talk about the Epstein Files, and what may be the new sex trafficking elite club of rapists... So stay tuned for Monday's Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm ET. Oh, and Andrea ran into another fascist in New York City. That's two in one week! In this clip from last week's salon, she shares the story of living Dorothy Thompson's 1941 essay, "Who Goes Nazi?" The full recording is available on Patreon.com/Gaslit along with the link to join us this Monday. Agonize then organize and socialize. The news cycle is designed to exhaust you, but you don't have to face the autocracy alone. We built a resilience community for truth-tellers, and we want you in it. Join us today at 4pm ET for our Gaslit Nation Salon, a space to strategize, vent, and connect with a community of listeners just as horrified as you. Find the link to join us by Zoom, wherever you are, at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Photo image from The Economist. It features fascist art used by the Trump administration to promote recruitment for their tax-payer funded ethnic cleansing through the Department of Homeland Security: https://www.economist.com/insider/the-insider/the-ice-test-how-the-killing-of-two-citizens-in-minneapolis-will-shape-american-democracy
In the 1970s, Senator Frank Church, a Democrat from Idaho, stuck his neck out–unlike members of Congress today–to take on the real deep state–the FBI and CIA carrying out LSD mind-control experiments on Americans, terrorizing activists, and committing assassinations with the mafia, including against witnesses. The Church Committee Report, based on real Congressional investigations, not just performative show trials, shows us how to confront and dismantle the lawless, mass-murdering MAGA regime. Historians Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Brian Hochman, the Hubert J. Cloke Endowed Director of the American Studies Program at Georgetown University, are out with the definitive account, The Church Committee Report: Revelations from the Bombshell 1970s Investigation into the National Security State. They walk us through the decades of U.S. presidents of both major parties allowing a surveillance state to expand, running dangerous operations against the American people. The most chilling legacy is not the cartoonish villainy of poison darts and imperial assassinations, but the insidious cruelty of undermining activists. So pay attention. Don't let anyone–even a well-meaning ally–weaponize purity tests to gatekeep the Fourth American Revolution. Stopping the MAGA threat requires all of us building together in coalition. Based on the Church Committee's own findings, we know exactly what tools the FBI and CIA use to dismantle movements. They have very specific, terrifyingly effective strategies to divide and conquer We the People. Here is what they do when they want to destroy a movement from the inside out: Snitch Jacketing: This is psychological warfare. They plant false information–maybe they leave a map or a weapon in an activist's car–specifically to make you think your friend is a police informant. They leverage paranoia to make us eat our own. Fabricated Dissent: They create fake zines, fake newsletters, and fake correspondence to manufacture feuds between groups. They want the anti-war movement fighting the labor movement so neither fights the state. The "Friendly" Infiltrator: Watch out for the guy who shows up out of nowhere with coffee and too many questions. They send plainclothes agents into our resilience communities to map our networks and identify leaders and how they operate. Entrapment: They find an "easy mark" in a group, push them toward violence, then arrest everyone for a plot the FBI invented. They manufacture terrorism. The "Suicide" Strategy: J. Edgar Hoover's FBI sent a letter to Martin Luther King Jr., threatening to expose his private life and pressuring him to kill himself. They try to break you psychologically so that you back down and disappear. According to historians Guariglia and Hochman, activists under siege were aware of the threats long before the Church Committee exposed them, and developed resilience strategies we can learn from today: Reject the "All-Powerful" Myth: Don't give a lawless regime a bigger shadow than it actually has–that is what they want: to live inside your head. When you start believing the government is an all-knowing, all-powerful shadow monster, you are doing their work for them. Paranoia is a tool of the oppressor. Build a Culture of Care: The only way snitch-jacketing works is if we don't know each other. Build deep, resilient relationships. When we take care of each other, their wedges don't work. Sousveillance (Watch from Below): Do not rely on police body cams; those tapes have a magical habit of being turned off when they're needed. Film everything. Control the narrative with your own evidence, eyes, and ears. Divest from Big Tech: Google, Amazon, and Apple are regime collaborators. We need to build our own infrastructure from high-tech mesh networks to low-tech zines. If you rely on the master's tools, they will shut you down, as we're seeing now with TikTok's mass-censorship under the new owners–MAGA donors, the Ellisons. Get Educated: Practice tech hygiene. Go to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and use their Surveillance Self-Defense guide. Learn how to encrypt, what to carry, and how to stay safe. We're fighting a generational struggle, but we outnumber them. As Andrea's film Mr. Jones reminds us: The truth cannot be killed. Stay safe, vigilant, and united–that is how we win. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: join on Patreon. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect: join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join: join on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group: join on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community
What happens when your intuition is screaming something isn't right—but the world keeps telling you to sit down and be quiet? In today's episode, we're talking about midlife discernment, political gaslighting, and the rising cost of staying silent. This one's raw, unfiltered, and unapologetically necessary.In This Episode:In this soul-stirring, no-holds-barred episode, Laurie dives deep into a conversation that's long overdue: what happens when women finally start trusting their own intuition… and the world around them tries to silence it?This episode isn't just about politics—it's about principles. It's about gaslighting on every level—from government narratives to the deeply personal ways women are told not to trust their own experiences. Laurie explores how the chaos in the world mirrors what midlife women often experience when they stop people-pleasing and start speaking up.She covers:The emotional toll of constantly waking up to bad newsWhy our nervous systems weren't built for 24/7 chaosThe terrifying rise of authoritarianism—and how it's gaslighting the publicHow midlife women are reclaiming their voice and power, even when others try to shame them back into silenceThe gut-wrenching parallels between political manipulation and what many women experience in their personal livesMidlife isn't a crisis. It's a moment of radical discernment. And if you've been feeling like the world's gone off the rails, and no one's saying the quiet part out loud? This episode is for you.
Here's what you missed at last week's Gaslit Nation Salon: the full recording is available on Patreon.com/Gaslit. America's first revolution was against the British empire. The second American revolution was the Civil War to abolish slavery. The third revolution was for Civil Rights to dismantle the authoritarianism of the Jim Crow South. We're not getting out of this without a Fourth American Revolution. Agonize then organize and socialize. The news cycle is designed to exhaust you, but you don't have to face the autocracy alone. We built a resilience community for truth-tellers, and we want you in it. Join us today at 4pm ET for our Gaslit Nation Salon, a space to strategize, vent, and connect with a community of listeners just as horrified as you. Find the link to join us by Zoom, wherever you are, at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
When Telling the Truth Gets You Gaslit One of the hardest parts of telling the truth isn't the truth itself — it's what comes after. Being questioned. Dismissed. Rewritten. Made to feel dramatic, unstable, or wrong for simply naming what you see and feel. In recovery, this can be especially disorienting, because we're finally learning to trust ourselves again. Today on The Daily Trudge, we talk about what it's like when honesty is met with gaslighting. When clarity is treated like a threat. When setting boundaries gets labeled as aggression. When telling the truth costs you comfort, approval, or belonging. This isn't about playing the victim or blaming everyone else. It's about learning how to stay grounded in reality when someone else insists you're misremembering, overreacting, or imagining things. It's about protecting your sanity without becoming defensive, and holding onto your truth without needing everyone else to agree with it. Recovery teaches us to take responsibility — but it also teaches us not to abandon ourselves. Sometimes the most sober thing we can do is stand firm, stay calm, and refuse to let someone else rewrite our experience. If you've ever walked away from a conversation wondering, “Am I crazy?” after being honest — this one's for you. No one trudges alone.
Like the rest of us, Pope Leo, the first American Pope, is under siege by MAGA. We discuss MAGA's war on the "globalist," "culturally Marxist" Catholic Church with Colleen Dulle, Vatican reporter for America Magazine and author of Struck Down, Not Destroyed. Christian Nationalists have captured the White House, Congress, and Supreme Court. Now they are targeting the Holy See. We track the strategy from Steve Bannon's "gladiator school" for disinformation agents to recently converted Catholic JD Vance using his faith to justify mass deportations and ICE terror squads. MAGA has launched a financial boycott of the Catholic Church, provided safe haven and amplification for its biggest crackpots, while deploying dark-money disinformation and a Fox News-style Catholic press to target reformers. We also confront the Vatican's long history of abuse and gaslighting. We discuss the erasure of trans people and women leaders like Mary Magdalene, arguably the true first pope. We also look to what the first American pontiff, Pope Leo, will bring in this time of crisis, and whether he will continue Pope Francis's war on Opus Dei–the far-right human trafficking crime cult that gained prominence during Franco's dictatorship in Spain. Opus Dei has set up shop in Washington, DC, counting among its allies Vance and the Heritage Foundation's Kevin Roberts, architect of Project 2025. Note: This conversation was recorded on June 17, 2025. Look out for our bonus episode later this week on the latest hellscape headlines! Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: available on Patreon.com/Gaslit Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: available on Patreon.com/Gaslit Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: available on Patreon.com/Gaslit Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, available on Patreon.com/Gaslit Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.com/Gaslit Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.com/Gaslit Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Show Notes: Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Colleen Dulle's new book on keeping the faith while covering the Vatican's crises https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/struck-down-not-destroyed-colleen-dulle/1146546457 Steve Bannon's "Gladiator School" Evicted: How the far-right strategist lost his fight to turn an 800-year-old monastery into a training ground for culture warriors https://news.artnet.com/art-world-archives/steve-bannons-school-far-right-nationalists-officially-evicted-800-year-old-italian-monastery-leased-2007256 The Problem with JD Vance's "Ordo Amoris": A theological breakdown of how Vance manipulates the teachings of St. Augustine to justify ICE terror https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/02/13/ordo-amoris-stephen-pope-vance-249926/ Project 2025 Architect Linked to Opus Dei: The Guardian reveals the deep ties between Kevin Roberts, the Heritage Foundation, and Opus Dei https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/26/kevin-roberts-project-2025-opus-dei MAGA Tries to Starve the Church: An investigation into "Peter's Pence" and how conservative groups are financially undermining the Church https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/12/12/vatican-misleading-donors-peters-pence-explained/ Gaslit Nation's Episode on Opus Dei: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/12/31/opus-dei
Women's bodies get endlessly analyzed from the outside… while our internal health gets treated like an optional group project nobody studied for. Cool cool cool. In this episode of This Is Woman's Work, Nicole Kalil goes deep on the perimenopause/menopause mess: the years of brain fog, 3 a.m. wake-ups, mood swings, weight gain, and the medical equivalent of a shrug. Enter Dr. Sarah Daccarett, hormone specialist and aging expert, to explain why so many women are confused, dismissed, and exhausted—and why hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should be viewed as foundational health support, not a “last resort once you're fully miserable.” What We Cover Why most women (including doctors) are confused about perimenopause + HRT—and why that's not your fault The “natural” misconception: why Sarah argues HRT can be more natural than the supplement aisle Why waiting for hot flashes is like waiting for your car to explode before you change the oil Hormones as the “CEO of the body”: brain, bones, metabolism, sleep, libido, digestion—ALL of it The real problem with “just fix your gut / cortisol / diet” advice when your hormones are the actual root issue PCOS, insulin resistance, and why “just lose weight” advice can be straight-up useless Why hormone testing can be wildly unreliable—and why symptoms still matter Medical gaslighting: how women lose trust in themselves when the system keeps minimizing them If you've been white-knuckling your way through perimenopause symptoms, you're not weak—you're under-supported. Better info + better care isn't “extra,” it's the bare minimum. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Sarah: Website: www.innerbalance.com $50 off Discount code: PODCASTDRSARAH Related Podcast Episodes: Don't Let Your Doctor Kill You: The New Hormone Solution with Dr. Erika Schwartz | 305 Endometriosis & Women's Health with Somer Baburek | 238 Floored: Why Our Pelvic Floor Health Matters with Dr. Sara Reardon I 314 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!
Here's what you missed at last week's Gaslit Nation Salon for our listeners on Patreon. Agonize then organize and socialize. The news cycle is designed to exhaust you, but you don't have to face the autocracy alone. We built a resilience community for truth-tellers, and we want you in it. Join us today at 4pm ET for our Gaslit Nation Salon, a space to strategize, vent, and connect with a community of listeners just as horrified as you. Find the link to join us by Zoom, wherever you are, at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
The Love, Happiness and Success Podcast With Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
Imagine realizing the person you trusted was intentionally deceiving you the entire time. This episode pulls back the curtain on how con artists operate and the psychological devastation left in their wake. You'll learn how deception works, why even smart, capable people fall victim, and the lasting emotions from stress and anger to deep regret. Most importantly, you'll learn how to increase your awareness, find the right professional support, and begin to move on safely. It's a heavy but important conversation that may help you recognize danger before it's too late. In this episode of Love, Happiness and Success, I'm joined by Johnathan Walton, an Emmy-winning former TV reporter and current reality TV producer, who became a leading voice on the psychology of the con artist after surviving a deeply destabilizing betrayal himself. He's also the host, writer, and executive producer of the hit podcast Queen of the Con, and the author of Anatomy of a Con Artist. Together, we talk about how con artists manipulate emotions (not intelligence), why “I'm just trying to help” can be an early warning sign, and what happens to your brain and body when the relationship you thought was real turns out to be built on lies. We also get practical: the red flags that show up across scams, romance cons, and long-game manipulation, plus steps you can take to protect yourself—and what to do if you realize you've already been pulled in. A gentle note: This conversation includes explicit language and frank discussion of trauma responses, including intrusive revenge fantasies. Please take care of yourself while listening, and skip this one if you're not in the right headspace today. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 The Moment You Realize Someone Isn't Who They Say They Are 01:05 Con Artists, Betrayal Trauma, and Why This Conversation Matters 02:05 Trigger Warning and How To Listen Safely 07:04 Johnathan's Story: The “Irish Heiress” Con Artist Case 11:20 How a Con Artist Hooks You Through Emotional Manipulation 30:33 The Red Flags of a Con Artist and How Patterns Form 41:27 The Trauma Aftermath: Shame, Rage, and Losing Trust in Yourself 46:38 Protecting Yourself After a Con Artist Betrayal 52:35 Dr. Lisa's Guidance on Betrayal Trauma Support If you're listening and realizing this episode connects to your own life, whether through a relationship, a financial loss, or the unsettling sense that something once trusted wasn't real, I want you to have support, not just information. As a gift, I'd like to invite you to schedule a free consultation with my team at Growing Self. You'll answer three quick questions, and we'll help you book a private, secure consultation with the right counselor or coach for what you're navigating right now. This is a thoughtful, low-pressure way to get clarity, feel supported, and take a steady next step forward. You don't have to navigate this alone. xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby Growing Self
They shot a woman three times in the face. Now they want to send in the Insurrection Act. Why are they targeting Minnesota? The "Minnesota Miracle" showed how great our country could be: codified abortion rights, a trans refuge, free universal school meals. The Project 2025 agenda requires covering-up that progress works. We are watching history repeat. The crushing of "Red Vienna" by autocrat Chancellor Dollfuss in 1934 made Austria easier to invade by Hitler and the Nazis. The overthrow of a democratically elected labour government in the Spanish Civil War ushered in a dictatorship by a narcissist. Whenever progressive movements secure rights through legal means, fascists resort to illegal terror to crush those victories, desperate to hide that a better world is possible. As we honor Martin Luther King Jr. today, on his birthday, we must heed his warning: do not sleep through a revolution. While members of Congress "huddle" and wait for the courts, we demand they use every lever of power to protect the upcoming midterms. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: join on Patreon. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other:join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other:join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join,join on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, join on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Show Notes: Gaslit Nation discussion of MLK Jr.'s memoir Stride Toward Freedom: https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/build-baby-build-the-world-needs-your-light-teaser
They want you to be passive and quiet. But history tells a different story. We're joined by award-winning comic creator Ben Passmore, author of Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance, to dig into the stories that history books, and Hollywood, whitewash: De-sanitizing Resistance: We discuss how films and media often strip away the political intellect of figures like the Black Liberation Army, reducing revolutionary struggle to nihilism. Community as Armor: Ben puts the focus on true resistance as mutual aid. From the Jane Collective organizing healthcare, to prisoners organizing even from solitary confinement, the most radical act is building a culture of care. The Trap of Online Activism: In an age of surveillance capitalism, Ben warns that we must move beyond the "power fantasy" of social media. Real solidarity happens offline, face-to-face, building trust that algorithms can't suppress. As MAGA's Supreme Leader expands the surveillance state through Peter Thiel's Big Brother Palantir and unleashes a KKK gestapo through ICE, we must learn from unfiltered history and understand what it actually takes to survive. January 15th is the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Civil Rights movement ushered in the Third American Revolution, defeating the authoritarianism of Jim Crow, which John Roberts' Supreme Court is bringing back. Listen to our episode on Stride Toward Freedom, the memoir by a young MLK Jr. after he captured the world's attention leading the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. For more on resistance strategies, listen to our episode on Gene Sharp, author of From Dictatorship to Democracy, and our interview with his protege Jamila Raqib, the executive director of the Albert Einstein Institution: Fire in Our Peace: The Power of Nonviolent Resistance. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit Show Notes: Watch: A sobbing mother calls 911 as federal agents force their way into her home to chase down a DoorDash driver who was just trying to deliver food. https://www.reddit.com/r/minnesota/comments/1q8vvwa/st_paul_mn_a_sobbing_resident_calls_911_as/?sort=old Trump Taps Palantir to Build a "Big Brother": How the administration is partnering with Peter Thiel's tech giant to monitor Americans. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/technology/trump-palantir-data-americans.html ACLU Investigates Police Use of Flock License Plate Surveillance: https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/flock-roundup Project 2025 Tracker: Monitoring the conservative policy blueprint and authoritarian roadmap. https://www.project2025.observer/en Want to Stop ICE? Go After Its Corporate Collaborators: A guide on how to target the businesses fueling the deportation machine. https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/ice-businesses-boycott-campaign/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPR1kdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEezKLIFd9EZUL6g5uRoGAhj6cAItrut7MjpF8RislyssfXbo-V_-dZNqW2Fw4_aem_f4IvbocKBVROoBGqO-V_Kg Prairieland Defendants: Legal support and mutual aid for protesters. https://prairielanddefendants.com/ Police Accountability and Reform: An activist checklist for demanding transparency. https://activistchecklist.org/police/ The Singing Revolution: How music helped liberate the Baltic States from Soviet occupation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_Revolution Thomas Paine's Common Sense (1776): The full text of the pamphlet that sparked a revolution. https://loveman.sdsu.edu/docs/1776ThomasPaine.pdf "The Voice of Dust and Ash": A documentary film on resistance and silence. https://vimeo.com/753111135?fl=pl&fe=cm Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism. https://share.google/t85l3THA4XfvEEbNo Whistleblower drops 'largest ever' ICE leak to unmask agents: 'The last straw' https://www.rawstory.com/ice-agents-data-leak/ Review: 'One Battle After Another,' What Black Women Call Life https://blacknerdproblems.com/review-one-battle-after-another/ EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: join on Patreon. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other:join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other:join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join,join on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, join on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community
For decades, women have been told to push through midlife symptoms quietly—sleep less, eat less, exercise more, complain less. But the reality is far more complex, and far more biological. Menopause isn't a breakdown. It's a system-wide recalibration that medicine has failed to fully explain or support.On this episode of the Fusionary Health Podcast, Dr. Shivani Gupta is joined by Dr. Fiona Lovely, a pioneer in menopause education and one of the first clinicians to publicly center women's midlife health. With over 20 years of clinical experience spanning musculoskeletal health, restorative endocrinology, functional neurology, and functional medicine, Dr. Lovely has helped reshape how menopause is understood. She's the founder of the Menopause Doula Society and the long-running podcast Not Your Mother's Menopause, launched in 2015.Together, they unpack the real physiological shifts of perimenopause and menopause from brain rewiring and hormonal volatility to joint pain, metabolic changes, bladder health, and the critical role of estrogen. This conversation offers clarity, validation, and a roadmap for women who refuse to be dismissed during one of the most powerful transitions of their lives.Key Highlights• Why menopause is a neurological, hormonal, and metabolic recalibration• The overlooked musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause and why joint pain spikes• How estrogen loss affects brain health, heart health, and bladder function• Why women are wrongly blamed for midlife weight gain and cholesterol changes• The truth about HRT, topical estrogen, and progesterone timing• How menopause doulas and self-advocacy are changing women's healthcareWhy You Should Watch This episode empowers women with science-backed understanding of menopause, helping them recognize real physiological shifts, challenge outdated medical narratives, and advocate confidently for hormone, brain, joint, and metabolic support during midlife.
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The most consequential story remains Iran, where protests appear to be growing despite the regime shutting down the internet, a move that historically precedes lethal force. The scale of the demonstrations is difficult to verify, but the videos that do emerge suggest a population no longer content to absorb repression quietly. It is hard to separate this moment from the cascading effects of October 7, the regional dismantling of Hamas and Hezbollah, the fall of Syria, and the degradation of Iran's military capacity. Whether this becomes a true regime crisis is unknown, but it is unquestionably the most important story in the world right now.A Fatal ICE Encounter and a Nation Watching the Same Video DifferentlyDomestically, the killing of a 37 year old mother during an ICE operation in Minnesota has become a political Rorschach test. She was ordered out of her car, did not comply, put the vehicle in motion, and was shot by an ICE officer. Federal authorities have shut down any investigation, with Vice President J.D. Vance asserting absolute immunity. What is striking is not just the tragedy itself, but how confidently people draw opposite conclusions from the same footage. To Republicans, this is law enforcement under siege. To Democrats, it is evidence of authoritarian overreach. The incident hardens beliefs rather than persuading anyone new, which is precisely why it is politically potent.Texas Democrats and a Brutal Primary RealityThe Texas Senate race continues to clarify in uncomfortable ways for Democrats. Reporting suggests Republican maneuvering helped nudge Jasmine Crockett into the race, and the stylistic contrast with James Talarico could not be sharper. Crockett is relentless and confrontational. Talarico's first ad, by contrast, feels staged and overly polite. In a Texas Democratic primary, that is a problem. Style matters, and beating Crockett will require more than reasonableness. It will require a moment, a line, or a conflict that reframes the race entirely.Affordability, Power, and Trump UnfilteredDonald Trump's affordability push continued with a pledge to direct the purchase of mortgage bonds to drive down rates, paired with earlier proposals to restrict large institutional buyers from the housing market. Whether these ideas work is secondary to the political intent. Trump wants to be seen doing something on costs. His two hour interview with The New York Times reinforced that worldview. He openly dismissed international law as a constraint, embraced coercive diplomacy, and framed power as its own justification. It was Trump without the volume turned all the way up, which may be the most revealing version of him.Chapters:00:00:00 - Intro00:01:50 - Iran00:04:20 - ICEf00:11:59 - Texas Races00:16:11 - Interview with Reese Gorman00:52:23 - Update00:52:46 - Mortgages00:54:34 - Trump's NYT Interview00:56:54 - Tariffs00:59:00 - Interview with Stella Tsantekidou01:32:50 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe
A statement from Gaslit Nation listener Annie in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Real Resistance I live in Minneapolis, 6 minutes from where Renee Good was shot and killed today by an ICE agent. I am 39, a white woman, with a 6 year old like Renee. I am on my neighborhood rapid response thread and on another morning it could easily have been me who was shot and killed. I feel grief, I feel rage, but I am also hopeful that her death will crack open something that needs to see the light of day. On Tuesday, dozens of people were brutally kidnapped and taken from their families, but there were no press conferences and no headlines. Today, all eyes are on ICE. Schools are canceled for the rest of the week. My manager wrote to say she understands if we need to take time off. It finally feels like the whole city is grieving in the way I have been for the past five weeks since ICE first began occupying Minneapolis, and the past five months since ICE first descended on Chicago. It feels like I can finally grieve openly. Politicians are taking the occupation more seriously. Governor Walz is talking about the national guard, Mayor Frey is talking about Minneapolis police officers protecting first amendment rights. There is so much the state and the city could be doing to assist and protect people at risk right now, but their opposition has been limited to press conferences, social media posts, and an ordinance that limits the use of city property by ICE. This is really different than playing an active role in protecting and supporting people. Actual resistance could look like tracking ICE apprehensions and accounting for all victims, running a support hotline for impacted families, providing legal aid to immigrants, tracking ICE locations and sharing this information with immigrants at risk, maintaining a list of ICE license plates, serving as constitutional observers during ICE stops, or even just lifting up the work of rapid response networks and encouraging residents to participate. None of this has been happening, and that probably won't change, but I now have a tiny bit of hope that it might. There's a recent video put out by Tad Stoermer, a historian of resistance movements, about the "loyal opposition" that puts words to how I have been feeling. He says, "When the opposition party treats an authoritarian regime as a normal political opponent, […] it doesn't just fail to resist, it just becomes a loyal opposition, [loyal to the system it is operating in.] […] It actively teaches people the wrong lessons about what resistance looks like. It […] tells everyone watching 'this is the only appropriate response. This is how serious people handle this situation.' And when 'this' is press releases, and podium speeches, and fundraising emails, and strongly worded social media posts endlessly about, I don't know, cost of living issues, while the regime is invading sovereign nations, announcing it will run them, threatening NATO and world stability in addition to our domestic stability, what people learn is that the situation might not in fact be that serious." He goes on to contrast this with real resistance, which includes developing organizing infrastructure, building parallel institutions, and building resistance networks. He uses the Underground Railroad as an example of real resistance, and talks about how the "loyal opposition" absorbs energy that could otherwise be used for building the resistance infrastructure that we need. Today, Jacob Frey told ICE to "get the f*ck out of Minneapolis," but he didn't say what he will do if they don't. We need to be thinking about resistance dynamics. When ICE does not get out of Minneapolis, what action will the City take? What actions are we taking to back up our demands? The phrase that keeps repeating in my head today is "Make repression backfire." Collectively, let's channel our grief and rage into making state repression backfire and building a real resistance movement that will allow us to protect people, take back power, and build the world we need. Show Notes: Video: Tad Stoermer on the "loyal opposition" https://www.threads.com/@tad.stoermer/post/DTKc0iDjjdn/media Opening clip: AOC https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3mbuool3blc2k Opening clip: Protesters https://bsky.app/profile/chaddavis.photography/post/3mbumcqka2c2v Opening clip: Philip Bump on MS Now https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mbwiolzxln25 American Gestapo: Gregory Bovino's Border Patrol https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/american-gestapo-gregory-bovinos-border-patrol Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit
Andrea joins Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman to expose the transnational looting spree and warn Stephen Miller will turn Venezuela into a new Alcatraz. First, we look at who stands to get rich off Trump's illegal invasion. Devin Nunes and a squad of Trump Media cronies just took over a company that tried to bid $10 billion for Citgo, Venezuela's oil crown jewel, right as their boss plotted a secret invasion. So who won Citgo? Why, MAGA billionaire Paul Singer, a vulture capitalist who serves as Trump's ATM and hand-picked Marco Rubio for Secretary of State. Who else is a big winner? The Republican Party's longtime backers, Exxon. Just as Trump hoped invading Venezuela would boost his plummeting approval ratings, Maduro threatened to invade oil-rich Guyana to distract from his own corruption. Now that Maduro is no longer harassing Exxon in Guyana, Exxon's stocks are soaring along with the rest of Big Oil. But the darkest "follow the money" story goes beyond oil. The private prison industry rakes in a fortune thanks to Trump's cruelty. El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison holds 40,000, but Trump and Stephen Miller want space for 80,000 people kidnapped from the U.S. Construction takes years; so Venezuela offers the obvious solution: the "New Alcatraz." Outsourcing prisoners to a lawless, torture-filled transnational Gulag, a story censored by Bari Weiss's CBS News, is the most troubling crisis of MAGA's illegal invasion of Venezuela and co-rule with a violent oil mafia. There's always hope, but it requires a blueprint and courage. The Venezuelan people proved their 2024 election victory through heroic citizen vote-counting: a model of resistance that we in the U.S. must study to reclaim our own democracy. We must align with these transnational forces for good to dismantle the global crime syndicate. We warned you this would happen. Now, we must organize, stand up, and remain defiant. Show Notes: Devin Nunes and others linked to Trump Media became officers of a company soon after it made an unsuccessful $10 billion bid for Venezuelan-state-owned Citgo Petroleum's U.S. assets by Wendy Siegelman https://newstracs.com/devin-nunes-and-others-linked-to-trump-media-are-officers-of-a-company-that-bid-for-citgo/2026/01/01/ Learn from Venezuela's opposition: The Official Unofficial Record How do you count almost 12 million votes if you're not the government? This week, we bring you the extraordinary story of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who created the only verifiable public record of votes in their presidential election — and other stories of people trying to correct the official record with their own versions. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/848/the-official-unofficial-record Olga Lautman's Trump Tyranny Tracker: https://trumptyrannytracker.substack.com/ Venezuela raid enriches MAGA billionaire: The ouster of Maduro is a financial windfall for a prominent Trump-supporting billionaire, investor Paul Singer. https://open.substack.com/pub/popularinformation/p/venezuela-raid-enriches-maga-billionaire?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email Opening clip: https://bsky.app/profile/thetnholler.bsky.social/post/3mbmostp3xk2j CNN Data Guru Reveals Trump's Devastating Drop in Approval Rating https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cnn-data-guru-reveals-trump-105250680.html Trump admin sends tough private message to oil companies on Venezuela: The White House has told companies they must rebuild Venezuela's crude-pumping infrastructure if they want compensation for assets seized by Caracas. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/03/trump-venezuela-oil-us-companies-return-00709782 The U.S.-Venezuela-Guyana Oil Triangle https://drilled.media/news/guyana-venezuela Gabbard abruptly ousted CIA Russia expert days after Trump-Putin meeting https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/28/politics/gabbard-abruptly-ousted-cia-russia-expert-days-after-trump-putin-meeting Tulsi Gabbard's history with Russia is even more concerning than you think https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/tulsi-gabbard-russian-connection-dni-trump-syria-b2692244.html Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
With Trump's unpunished coup, we officially entered a New World Order. And it's a lot like the car-bomb 1990s in Russia–a lawless era where the biggest oligarch wins. But the crisis is bigger than Trump. It also comes down to the American elite hitting the panic button on China. While China secures global influence through infrastructure and green tech, the U.S. has reverted to the Monroe Doctrine. We are seeing this with the illegal invasion of Venezuela and the impending invasions of Greenland and Mexico. The objective is resource acquisition: oil from the south and rare earth minerals from the north. Their premature celebrations and promise of big oil money are Bush/Cheney hubris. Successfully extracting Venezuela's famously challenging oil would require major oil giants to commit roughly $10 billion annually in a viper's den of Russian intelligence agents and fierce anti-American resistance, thanks to generations of traumatic American foreign policy in the region. The Venezuela crisis is larger than Trump, as Andrea explains in this recording from Monday's salon with Gaslit Nation listeners. The American empire is throwing a violent tantrum against Chinese global dominance. This leaves Europe abandoned to fight Russian terrorism and genocidal imperialism on its own. And once again, the arrogant Washington, D.C. elite think tank world underestimates Russia–the same stupidity that helped bring Trump to power in the first place, with the Kremlin's illegal help. Trump and the Pentagon are banking on "shock and awe" to normalize their grab for resources. They want us to accept this lawlessness as the status quo. We must refuse. We must own our agency and demand a future defined by democracy and the global community, not the violent whims of the highest bidder. January 6 is a day of national mourning and rage. Commemorate this dark day by shining your light into the world. Find ideas to fight back at the Gaslit Nation Action Guide. And see you at Monday's Salon at 4pm ET on Patreon. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, Q&A sessions, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to the very first Gaslit Nation episode of 2026, one of the most consequential years for humanity, because the world is about to find out whether American democracy survives Donald Trump and his MAGA crime cult. Will they try to steal the midterms? Will Trump attempt another January 6-style power grab as 2028 approaches? Stick with Gaslit Nation as we fight back and build a new American revolution, one act of hope and defiance at a time. This special bonus show, made for our Patreon community, highlights a thoughtful question from Ken B., a listener and Democracy Defender supporter on Patreon. Ken asks us to focus on a dangerously undercovered issue: the GOP's coordinated effort to loot America's public lands. From rolling back the Roadless Rule to gutting park budgets and opening millions of acres to extraction, Trump and his donors are positioning massive areas of national parks and forests for a sell-off. Ken, thank you for your insights, and thank you to all of our listeners who keep our show going. Your questions shape our show. If you want to submit your questions, comments, and hear them on the show, subscribe at the Democracy Defender tier or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit. If you want to hear this full episode, including our three major predictions for 2026 and what they mean for democracy, join us on Patreon. Get ready for another big year of the people fighting back. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, Q&A sessions, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
We close out this year from hell with a grounded kind of hope, not wishful thinking. Ushering us into a better new year is a montage of organizers, journalists, and activists reminding us that history isn't finished, and that power has always been built from the ground up. We end with a simple reminder: convert hope into power through solidarity, defiance, and showing up, again and again. Be relentless, like water eroding rock. That is how we win. As we face the year ahead together, what's giving you hope right now? Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, Q&A sessions, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: Erica Smiley — "Building Real Democracy Starts on the Shop Floor" (8/26/2025) Katherine Stewart — "Money, Lies and God" (3/5/2025) Gil Duran — "Nerd Reich" (3/11/2025) Carter Sherman — "Brett Kavanaugh is Ruining People's Sex Lives" (7/1/2025) Sandi Bachom — "Nazi Hunting" (3/25/2025) Mona Eltahawy — "Smash the Patriarchy with Rage and Risk" (8/12/2025) Irin Carmon — "Unbearable: The War on Women" (10/28/2025) Kate Manne — "Naming the Rot: Kate Man Exposes the Lies Holding up the Patriarchy" (8/5/2025) Leah Litman — "Lawless" (5/20/2025) Shawn Werner (Sister District) — "The Midterms Start Now: Virginia is a Belweather" (9/23/2025) Ahmed Gatnash — "Power, Profits and Protest: Trump, Russia and the Middle East" (9/16/2025) Andrea Chalupa — "Nature Always Wins" (5/6/2025)
In this quick update, Andrea shares a dream she had about Ukrainian dissident poet Vasyl Stus, killed in a Russian labor camp in the 1980s, and whose poetry and human rights campaigns helped lay the groundwork for a free Ukraine. In a time of rampant gaslighting, it's never been more important to believe our eyes and ears, and honor our intuition. Pay attention to your dreams; it will help you endure and overcome. If you're finding moments to rest and binge this holiday season, here are two documentary recommendations: First, Amy Berg's It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley, a haunting intimate tribute to the late musician whose voice and powerful songwriting are otherworldly. For something totally different, check out Murder in Monaco, a chilling true-crime documentary about the murder of mega-banker Edmund Safra. It exposes the Russian-mafia viper den of Monaco. See you at today's Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm ET. Look for the Zoom link on Patreon.com/Gaslit.
This holiday season, we wish you peace, joy, and a new Supreme Court. In Part 1 of our discussion, we pulled the mask off originalism and called it what it is: the Southern Strategy of our courts, a legal laundering scheme for white terrorism. In Part 2, we discuss how to take our courts back from GOP extremism to protect our Constitution–before it rips apart our country. To hear this week's full bonus show, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit and support our independent journalism. According to legal scholar Madiba Dennie, author of The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back, the answer is finally taking the Constitution at its word. The Constitution was built on principles from Enlightenment ideas that fueled the American Revolution: human equality, self-government, and the radical notion that legitimacy flows from the people, not from tradition or bloodlines. We fought a Civil War to finally live up to those ideals. In the Reconstruction era, through the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments , the Constitution was fundamentally transformed into a document meant to support a multiracial democracy, one that promised equal protection, due process, and citizenship not tied to race. Taking back the Supreme Court means delegitimizing originalism and replacing it with a constitutional vision aligned with democracy itself. A Constitution that works for everyone. A Court that understands its job is not to drag us backward, but to help the country finally live up to its founding promises. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, Q&A sessions, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
All we want for Christmas is a new Supreme Court. Here to tell us how we get there is legal scholar Madiba Dennie, author of The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back. What's "originalism"? It's white supremacy's answer to the Civil Rights Movement, every bit as sneaky and immoral as Republican operative Lee Atwater's "Southern Strategy," which mobilized racist voters through racist dog whistles instead of open slurs. Originalism sounds fancy by design, but it's pure fascist gaslighting, now wielded by the trash MAGA majority on the Supreme Court. Gaslit Nation's holiday gift to our listeners this year is to remind you of an inconvenient fact the media ignores: Donald Trump came to power in 2016 with the Kremlin's very illegal help, as documented in both the Mueller Report and the bipartisan U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report on Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election. That makes him an illegitimate president, which means his extreme Supreme Court picks should be impeached. More on that in part two of our discussion, coming Thursday. Thank you to everyone who joined our holiday party on Monday. As requested, the link to the Outreach Committee for listeners interested in discussing ways to reach current or former MAGA cult members and help guide them back toward the light is available in the show notes on Patreon. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, Q&A sessions, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
Gaslit Nation reads through the ego and lies of Enabler-in-Chief Susie Wiles' interview with Vanity Fair, where she pulls the Nuremberg defense: I was just following orders! As Trump's primetime rant to the American people reminds us, Wiles is wrong: Trump plans to stay in power. In this week's bonus show–available in full for our Patreon subscribers at the Truth-teller ($5/month) tier and higher, Gaslit Nation cuts through the nonsense to expose Wiles and the rest of Trump's creepy cabinet defending her. They're thick as thieves, sticking together to brace for congressional investigations should Democrats return to power. Wiles and Trump's other enablers, riding his corrupt coattails into power, see the blue waves coming for Republicans in special elections across the country, including in historically red districts. Her interview also reveals some intriguing insights into the MAGA succession battle–and why we should keep our eye on a possible Ivanka/Jared comeback post-midterms. To our Patreon community that keeps Gaslit Nation going: see you at Monday's salon at 4pm ET for our holiday party. Get ready for fun surprises as we celebrate and bring in the new year with hope and defiance. To join the fun, grab your membership at Patreon.com/Gaslit–discounts are available, and you can give the gift of membership this holiday season. Thank you to everyone who supports the show–we could not make Gaslit Nation without you.
In this high-stakes episode, Andrea is joined by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk as Putin openly claims alignment with the U.S., and Europe is being forced to, whether it likes it or not, hold the line. Matviichuk, leader of the human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, lays out why the war in Ukraine is not a regional dispute or a diplomatic inconvenience, but a direct clash between civilization vs. a fascist crime spree, one that will determine the future balance of power for Europe and the world. She dismantles the dangerous fiction that Ukraine is a charity case or a drain on European stability. As she makes clear: "Ukraine is not a beneficiary of European security. Ukraine is a provider of European security." Our conversation exposes Russia's war crime playbook, including the mass kidnapping and forced assimilation of Ukrainian children, brainwashing them into soldiers for Putin's meatgrinder. As Matviichuk puts it: "Every person who wants to shake Putin's hand must acknowledge that they are shaking hands with the biggest child kidnapper in the world." This episode is a five-alarm fire. Europe has the money, the industry, the frozen Russian assets, and the historical memory to stop another Iron Curtain, but only if it abandons wishful thinking and acts. Occupation is not peace, and delay is not diplomacy. Pretending like this will somehow blow over is how democracies fail. Next week legal scholar Madiba Dennie, author of The Originalism Trap, joins Gaslit Nation to break down how the MAGA Supreme Court emerged from a fringe movement of Lee Atwater's Southern Strategy, and how we can have an all new Supreme Court, with the help of the power of impeachment. Mark your calendar! The Gaslit Nation Holiday Party, complete with hope and holiday sweaters, will be this Monday December 22nd at 4pm ET with fun surprises for our community of listeners. To join the joy, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit – discounted annual memberships are available, and you can give the gift of membership. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
Donald Trump's kleptocracy didn't happen overnight–it was part of the Kremlin's long game. With reports of Russia trying to explode planes headed to the US, we're running out of time to wake up before it's too late. In this week's bonus show for Gaslit Nation's Patreon supporters, who keep our independent journalism going in these dark times of institutional rot, media capitulation, and complacency, Andrea warns that we're nearing the point of no return. Putin can now say the U.S. and Russia are aligned, because they are. Trump's regime is declaring a return to the Monroe Doctrine, claiming the Western Hemisphere belongs to the U.S. That's exactly what Putin does in Eastern Europe. The Pentagon is handing Trump's gestapo-like immigration agenda $2 billion on top of $75 billion for ICE in Trump's Big Ugly Bill. Like Putin, Trump is building a gulag and gearing up for conflict with our neighbors, including Mexico, Venezuela, and whoever else he wants to casually kill. As we've long warned, Trump wants to become the Putin of North America, because that's his plan for staying in power indefinitely: enrich his family, build a dynastic oligarchy, and protect it with sadistic security services. To help us fight back and stay grounded in the gaslighting, this special bonus show includes a discussion of Gaslit Nation's Book Club: Total Resistance by Hans von Dach–a civilian guerrilla resistance guide produced by a Swiss military theorist in preparation for Soviet occupation during the Cold War–and Deaf Republic, a play-like book of poems by Ukrainian-born poet Ilya Kaminsky. "At the trial of God, we will ask: why did you allow all this?," Kaminsky writes, "And the answer will be an echo: why did you allow all this?" We have to stop the worst from happening and wake people up before it's too late. For ways to fight back, check out, and share, the Gaslit Nation Action Guide on GaslitNationPod.com. The full discussion of this month's book club will be published on Patreon Monday morning, along with the Zoom link for the Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm ET later that day. To get access to that, join our community on Patreon at Patreon.com/Gaslit and get invites to exclusive events, bonus shows, all episodes ad free, and more. Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit – discounted annual memberships are available and you can give the gift of member. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you. Show Notes: Today in Washington, DC! Celebrate voices of resistance with COURIER. Reflect on 2025's lessons and explore how courage drives the fights ahead. Andrea will be speaking tonight, joined by other independent journalists and activists. More info here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/courage-cowardice-tickets-1968694585501?aff=promotoolkit Total Resistance by H Von Dach https://bookshop.org/p/books/total-resistance-h-von-dach/df1aa810a26bacea?ean=9781607963042&next=t Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky https://bookshop.org/p/books/deaf-republic-poems-ilya-kaminsky/33e16033f9269bdf?ean=9781555978310&next=t Read and Resist: The Gaslit Nation Book Club https://www.patreon.com/posts/read-and-resist-132804210?utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link&utm_id=4d59916b-2d54-46a3-b9e7-76fa99f42f1e&utm_medium=email Trump strategy document revives Monroe Doctrine, slams Europe https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/trump-strategy-document-revives-monroe-doctrine-slams-europe-2025-12-05/ $2 Billion in Pentagon Funds Said to Go to Anti-Immigrant Operations: Democratic lawmakers said in a report that shifting Defense Department funding to support the Trump administration's immigration agenda has hurt military readiness. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/us/politics/defense-department-funds-immigration.html?smid=url-share Russia Suspected of Plotting to Send Incendiary Devices on U.S.-Bound Planes: Two devices that ignited in Europe, officials say, were part of a covert operation to put them on cargo or passenger aircraft https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/us/politics/defense-department-funds-immigration.html?smid=url-share Kremlin hails Trump's national security strategy as aligned with Russia's vision: Moscow welcomes White House document critical of the EU as talks to end the Ukraine war enter a key phase https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/07/kremlin-hails-trump-national-security-strategy-as-aligned-with-russia-vision
On this extremely cursed episode of Gaslit Nation, we take a break from gas station dictatorships to talk about their emo tech cousin: crypto, the shadow banking system for oligarchs, autocrats, and the Trump family, with Andy Greenberg of Wired, author of Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency. Greenberg walks us through how Bitcoin was sold as untraceable "freedom money"–digital cash for the revolution!–and instead became a giant glowing crime map. Dark-web drug empires, massive child sex abuse rings, ransomware gangs, investment scam sweatshops, North Korean weapons programs, autocratic terrorists like Russia and China. Turns out their transnational crypto crime sprees left a trace. Greenberg profiles investigators who followed the blockchain to catch some of the world's worst monsters and advises how to "follow the money" in the digital age. We also discuss Trump's crypto war on the U.S. dollar and how he and his family enrich themselves with the help of crypto criminals. This week's bonus show, for our Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller ($5/month) level and higher, features Gaslit Nation's book club discussion of Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky and Total Resistance by H Von Dach–and an urgent wake-up call to see the Kremlin's long-game in exporting oligarch-fascism, before it's too late. Just today, it was reported that Russia tried to plant bombs on U.S.-bound flights, following similar reports of planned attacks across Europe. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, Q&A sessions, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency by Andy Greenberg https://bookshop.org/p/books/tracers-in-the-dark-the-global-hunt-for-the-crime-lords-of-cryptocurrency-andy-greenberg/b449e45a97a6794b?ean=9780593315613&next=t Trump pardon of billionaire sparks concerns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwcHn1GSZwo Aaron Rupar: "Wow -- Russia reportedly plotted last year to plant bombs on US-bound flights (gift link)" https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3m7lbz4g7nc2v
Looking for a festive holiday gathering that plants seeds of hope to rebuild our democracy? Andrea was invited to the Courage>Cowardice event hosted by Courier News, the folks who built the searchable database of the Epstein files released by Congress. She'll be joined by other independent journalists and creators at Eaton in the heart of Washington, DC from 6pm to 9pm this Thursday December 11. Andrea will be speaking on a panel about media capitulation and how to fight back with Meredith Lynch, Cohost of The Moment Live; Jack Cocchiarella, Gen Z Political Commentator & YouTuber; Brian Beutler, Journalist, Off Message; in a discussion moderated by veteran journalist Mark Jacob, the former Metro Editor at the Chicago Tribune and Sunday Editor at the Chicago Sun-Times. For more info, check out the event link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/courage-cowardice-tickets-1968694585501?aff=promotoolkit Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chats, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
Is America ready for a woman president? Andrea and independent journalist Terrell Starr debate, and we want to hear where you stand. Let us know in the comments. Consider this: the two times Trump was elected president, he ran against a woman–but both of those women faced highly unusual, unprecedented elections for any candidate. In 2016, Hillary Clinton ran against a hostile foreign intelligence operation and an FBI director, James Comey, with a misogynistic track record. The FBI was successfully sued by 34 women who faced sexual descrimination as recruits, their complaints dismissed by Comey. The 2016 election wasn't politics as usual: it was an act of war–by the Kremlin and criminal negligence by Comey's abuse of power. In 2024, Kamala Harris had a few short months to save global democracy. Again, a woman was handed a political grenade. Will America's first woman president be Ivanka Trump? Republicans elevate three types of women: Concentration camp Barbies like Kristi Noem, pedofile-defending child-looking brides like Karoline Leavitt, and Trump's personal favorite: the blond bombshell–like his daughter Ivanka. Trump once said he would date Ivanka if she wasn't his daughter. He told the porn star Stormy Daniels, who he had an affair with when Melania had just given birth to Barron, that Stormy reminded him of Ivanka. With Jared Kushner back in the White House, grifting and running Trump's shadow foreign policy, does that mean Ivanka is the likely candidate to break the glass ceiling by being a patriarchal blow-up doll? And how do we stop that? Studies have shown countries led by women are more prosperous, resilient and environmentally friendly. A 2022 U.S. News Survey found that 70% of respondents believe women are better at leading countries than men. So why can't America have nice things? What will it take for us to finally elect a progressive woman president? Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chats, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: FBI to pay $22 million to women who alleged sexual discrimination at training academy https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-to-pay-22-million-to-women-who-alleged-sexual-discrimination-at-training-academy Women Are Better at Leading Countries Than Men, Survey Respondents Say https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2022-10-05/women-are-better-at-leading-countries-than-men-survey-respondents-say How Women in Power Foster National Happiness https://esthinktank.com/2025/02/10/how-womens-leadership-shapes-happier-nations/ Women and girls around the world are leading the fight against climate change https://unsdg.un.org/latest/stories/women-and-girls-leading-fight-against-climate-change Countries with more female politicians pass more ambitious climate policies, study suggests https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/09/countries-with-more-female-politicians-pass-more-ambitious-climate-policies-study-suggests/ Terrell Starr Substack: https://terrellstarr.substack.com/
In this week's Gaslit Nation, Andrea and Kyiv-based journalist Terrell Starr discuss how American corporate oligarchs act like authoritarian regimes. It's a lot like Trump, Kushner, and their real estate buddy Steve Witkoff's plan to sell out Ukraine to Russia. Once again we're reminding you that the war against oligarchy here at home is global. Amazon, one of the 37 donors who helped bankroll Trump's illegal and unnecessary ballroom, was exposed in an investigation by Rolling Stone for possibly causing a cancer cluster near one of its data centers in Oregon, an allegation the company denies, because they know, under Kremlin-backed mass-murdering Trump, escalating a war for oil in Venezuela, they will get away with it. This is the same Jeff Bezos who celebrated in the White House with Trump, Kushner, and the Saudis who murdered Washington Post writer and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. Democracy doesn't just die in darkness; it dies under cheap gold fixtures and chandeliers. We also discuss why both Trump and Putin need a war in Venezuela to distract from their corruption at home, how oligarch ownership of the press continues to hollow it out, and how much more Americans can take of this abuse and gaslighting. And yet, amid all this lawlessness, democracy defenders around the world are fighting back. Bolsonaro's escape plan got foiled as he faces 27 years in prison, New Yorkers joined other American cities and towns in shutting down Trump's gestapo, and MAGA continue to be punished for voting for him–with a recent poll showing one in four Trump voters are disappointed or regret their vote. Join us for Gaslit Nation's bonus show out Thursday as we debate whether America is ready for a woman president–and how to stop Kushner and Ivanka from winning the MAGA succession war to install Ivanka with the help of their dictator friends. To listen and join our community of supporters, be sure to subscribe at the Truth-teller ($5/month level) or higher. Thank you to everyone who supports our independent journalism. Your support keeps us going and gives us the freedom to tell the truth. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, Q&A sessions, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: December 1st 4pm ET – Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky + Total Resistance by H. Von Dach – Poetry and guerrilla strategy: tools for survival and defiance. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: available on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: available on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, available on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Show Notes: Article that Terrell references in the episode: 'What's the Big Deal?' Ask Trump Voters on Russia Hacking Report https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/us/russia-hacking-election-trump-voters.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5k8.LzM3.Aqyb_HChdz9L&smid=url-share "In his book Berlin: the Downfall 1945, Beevor described how Russian soldiers would gang rape not just German women but the starving and emaciated survivors of concentration camps and slave-labour factories." https://bsky.app/profile/andreachalupa.bsky.social/post/3m6ubnaxavk2h "This exposé is breathtaking. Witkoff and Kushner do not just have conflicts of interest - thy are deeply woven into a web of Russian influence peddling by "investments". Money, personal ties and geopolitics have become indistinguishable." https://bsky.app/profile/joerglau.bsky.social/post/3m6yvn5n6g22i Rolling Stone investigation into Amazon data center in Oregon polluting water, leading to mysterious cancers and miscarriages https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/data-center-water-pollution-amazon-oregon-1235466613/ "According to the US Coast Guard, the year prior to Trump changing our policy to summary execution, only 21% of the vessels interdicted by them off the coast of Venezuela suspected of trafficking drugs had drugs on board. The other 79% had nothing. But now we just kill them all." https://bsky.app/profile/ronfilipkowski.bsky.social/post/3m6zh6tznsk27 Make Money Not War: Trump's Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe's dismay, the president and his envoy are on board. https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-u-s-peace-business-ties-4db9b290 Not A Bad Week For Ukraine Truth, Democracy and Corruption, Possible High Command Changes, Are European Gloves Coming Off? https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-161-not-a-bad-week?r=1tgexa&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true Jared Kushner's double life Kushner has resumed his role as a top Trump foreign policy advisor while expanding his business partnership with the Saudi government. https://popular.info/p/jared-kushners-double-life Meet all 37 White House ballroom donors funding the $300 million build, including Silicon Valley tech giants, crypto bros and the Lutnicks https://fortune.com/2025/10/26/37-white-house-ballroom-donors-funding-300-million-build-tech-ceos-trump/ "This is what it looks like when billionaires own the media." https://x.com/DarrigoMelanie/status/1995566687249465706 Trump Envoy Has Financial Ties With Former Adviser to Putin's 'Money Man' Now Leading Kremlin Peace Talks: Steve Witkoff's real-estate empire is bankrolled by a former adviser to Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and a key architect of Moscow's Ukraine negotiations https://bylinetimes.com/2025/12/01/trump-envoy-has-financial-ties-with-former-adviser-to-putins-money-man-now-leading-kremlin-peace-talks/ Dictatorship-era army officers and supporters rally in Argentina in latest sign of political shift https://apnews.com/article/argentina-military-junta-dictatorship-javier-milei-plaza-de-mayo-6122d6d7541141badaf78522efd42fd9 Layoff announcements surged last month: The worst October in 22 years https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/economy/job-layoff-announcements-challenger A year on from Trump's victory, resistance is everywhere https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/09/trump-resistance-is-everywhere?CMP=share_btn_url Ivanka Trump Sat in Vladimir Putin's Chair and Spun Around When at Kremlin, President's Former Associate Says https://www.newsweek.com/ivanka-putin-chair-spun-kremlin-931754 Ivanka Trump Was In Contact With A Russian Who Offered A Trump-Putin Meeting: Her contact said a meeting between Trump and Putin could expedite a Trump tower in Moscow. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/anthonycormier/ivanka-trump-putin-moscow-meeting-michael-cohen-tower Admiral Overseeing Caribbean Mission to Retire after One Year in Role https://news.usni.org/2025/10/16/admiral-overseeing-caribbean-mission-to-retire-after-one-year-in-role "Prospera Honduras is a Zone for Employment & Economic Development (ZEDE) backed by Peter Thiel. Trump plans to pardon the former Honduran president who championed ZEDES b4 his drug trafficking conviction. Honduras current outgoing president has tried to eliminate ZEDES, an obstacle for Prospera." https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:we7sidyj3b5or2r7trtpfzt7/post/3m6ungpja622f Terrell Starr Substack: https://terrellstarr.substack.com/
In Part II of our conversation, Nick Schwellenbach, a Senior Investigator at the Project on Government Oversight, shares his insights from his time in the U.S. Office of Special Counsel–a government agency set up after Watergate, meant to protect us from the next Nixon. So, what happened? In this week's bonus show, we're looking for checks-and-balances. With a grifter-in-chief enriching himself and his family, following in the footsteps of overthrown Kremlin-backed kleptocrat Viktor Yanukovych, we're especially curious about the Hatch Act–whatever happened to that? This Thanksgiving, we're grateful for our Gaslit Nation listeners with us in the fight of our lives, for a livable future for our families and the world. We wish you all a restful holiday season, as we charge up for battle in the 2026 Midterms–building another blue tsunami together. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, Q&A sessions, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Art is a big source of our power. We're proud to share with you a Kickstarter by longtime Gaslit Nation listener Leslie Nuss to help her release her next album, Ride at Dawn. Check out and support her work here!: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leslienuss/ride-at-dawn-the-new-12-track-vinyl-lp-cd-by-leslie-nuss/posts EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: December 1st 4pm ET – Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky + Total Resistance by H. Von Dach – Poetry and guerrilla strategy: tools for survival and defiance. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, join on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, join on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community
This week we go into the dark heart of American Gestapo: Gregory Bovino's Border Patrol, which pushes ICE to become even more aggressive in his fascist feverdream. Here to help us make sense of this hellscape is Nick Schwellenbach, a Senior Investigator at the Project on Government Oversight and former Communications Director at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel–a government agency set up after Watergate, meant to protect us from the next Nixon–more on that in this week's bonus show out Thursday. Bovino grew up a Border Patrol fanboy idolizing fascist fiction and now stalks American cities in a Nazi-style trench coat with a taxpayer-funded film crew glamorizing his violent raids. Like Trump is a showman, Bovino is cruelty as a recruitment tool to consolidate power. Under his un-checked leadership, his border patrol army operates deep inside the U.S., smashing car windows, kidnapping U.S. citizens, and rounding up tens of thousands of people, including veterans and children, into detention centers where deaths are spiking at unprecedented rates. With the help of questions submitted by a Gaslit Nation listener (thank you, Isabel!) we go into all the pressing questions about Bovino's Border Patrol and also ICE, including what happened to the children who disappeared under Trump's first term and what can be done to protect vulnerable immigrants today? As you listen to this episode, which opens with a clip of Bovino justifying shooting protesters with pepper balls, keep in mind Republicans gave ICE, which works closely with Bovino's Border Patrol, $75 billion over the next four years. They're also operating under aggressive weekly quotas. But is their war chest also for general population control? For our bonus episode this week, we look at the safeguards that could have prevented Trump's return and why they didn't. To listen to the bonus, subscribe to our Patreon at the Truth-Teller level ($5/month) or higher. We are extremely grateful to our listeners who are keeping us afloat during a very difficult economic time. Every bit of support helps give us the freedom to be independent and tell the truth, so thank you again for making Gaslit Nation possible! If America climbs out of this black hole, it will be because people like you, our Gaslit Nation listeners, refused to look away. Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: December 1st 4pm ET – Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky + Total Resistance by H. Von Dach – Poetry and guerrilla strategy: tools for survival and defiance. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, join on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, join on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Show Notes: Where ICE Has Taken The Most People | On The Grid | WIRED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD9ETC80HDA NPR report: This year was the deadliest since 2005 for people in ICE custody https://www.expressnews.com/news/border-mexico/article/ice-deadliest-year-npr-21119815.php Big Budget Act Creates a "Deportation-Industrial Complex": The result will be a lopsided, enforcement-only machine that will be hard to dismantle. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/big-budget-act-creates-deportation-industrial-complex Man arrested by Ice dies in jail cell in Long Island, New York: This article is more than 1 month old Officials in Nassau county confirmed death of 42-year-old man to Newsday but declined to share details https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/19/ice-death-long-island-ny Trump officials launch ICE effort to deport unaccompanied migrant children https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-directs-ice-agents-find-deport-unaccompanied-migrant-2025-02-23/ Federal judge says border patrol chief admitted he lied, in ruling limiting federal agents' use of force in Chicago https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/us/gregory-bovino-deposition-chicago-immigration Greg Bovino's Border Patrol Agents Use Disproportionate Force, Data Shows https://www.pogo.org/investigations/greg-bovinos-border-patrol-agents-use-disproportionate-force-data-shows Fighting for a government that serves the people. https://www.pogo.org/ 8-year-old girl dies in Border Patrol custody in Texas, as agency struggles with overcrowding https://apnews.com/article/border-patrol-child-custody-death-harlingen-2e2b27eeb3da669ee17241b8b3ee9ee2 Detainee Death Reporting https://www.ice.gov/detain/detainee-death-reporting CBP Fatal Encounters Tracker https://www.aclutx.org/en/cbp-fatal-encounters-tracker FACT FOCUS: Claims that more than 300,000 migrant children are missing lack context https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-migrant-children-missing-7ab0cea2fd2238346197429e952baa8b How they did it: The New York Times exposes migrant child labor exploitation across 50 states https://journalistsresource.org/media/migrant-children-labor-abuse-goldmith/ Homeland Security agents rescue migrant teen sisters from sex traffickers — after they arrived in US as unaccompanied minors https://nypost.com/2025/04/29/us-news/hsi-agents-rescue-teen-migrant-sisters-from-sex-traffickers/ Gaps in Sponsor Screening and Followup Raise Safety Concerns for Unaccompanied Children https://oig.hhs.gov/reports/all/2024/gaps-in-sponsor-screening-and-followup-raise-safety-concerns-for-unaccompanied-children/ Trump's False Claim of Missing Immigrant Children https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/16/trump-false-claim-missing-immigrant-children Under Joe Biden, Have 85,000 Undocumented Children Gone 'Missing'? https://www.newsweek.com/under-joe-biden-undocumented-children-missing-1812728 Democratic Women's Caucus Open Letter https://juliabrownley.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/dwc-letter-to-dhs-on-ice-impersonators-and-women-s-safety.pdf How ICE Raids Are Making It Easier for Civilian Men to Assault Immigrant Women: Kylie Cheung argues in this op-ed that a rash of cases of men dressing as plainclothes ICE agents and assaulting immigrant women is possible because ICE agents operate with impunity. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/men-dressed-as-ice-agents-to-assault-immigrant-women-horrifying-trend Houston man pretended to be ICE agent to rob driver, charging docs allege https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/houston-ice-agent-robbery-20395157.php North Dakota man accused of impersonating an ICE officer when jail staff released an inmate to him https://apnews.com/article/north-dakota-immigration-williston-ice-agent-f89f0f070e5c39cd763a5018017ff332 US sees spate of arrests of civilians impersonating Ice officers https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/28/civilians-impersonating-ice-officers ICE Annual Report Fiscal Year 2022 https://www.ice.gov/doclib/eoy/iceAnnualReportFY2022.pdf Border agent charged with child sex trafficking, fraud in Cochise County https://tucson.com/news/local/border/article_5e596767-4575-485b-88e8-0a6265e5bb41.html The Green Monster: How the Border Patrol became America's most out-of-control law enforcement agency. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/10/border-patrol-the-green-monster-112220/ FBI Warns of Criminals Posing as ICE, Urges Agents to ID Themselves: In a bulletin to law enforcement agencies, the FBI said criminal impersonators are exploiting ICE's image and urged nationwide coordination to distinguish real operations from fakes. https://www.wired.com/story/fbi-warns-of-criminals-posing-as-ice-urges-agents-to-id-themselves/ How a tragic family secret turned Greg Bovino from a quiet country boy into the force of Trump's unflinching border patrol crackdown https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15288355/greg-bovino-border-patrol-family-secret-donald-trump-immigration.html Revealed: Trump administration retreats on combating human trafficking and child exploitation https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/17/trump-human-trafficking-programs-cut Trump administration takes hundreds of migrant children out of their homes, into government custody https://archive.ph/qc65g#selection-2109.7-2109.106 Oversight Agency Says 32,000 Unaccompanied Children Are Missing. But Are They? https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/are-32000-unaccompanied-children-missing/ Judge rules against Department of Homeland Security: "Given the inconsistencies between the BWC footage and the use of force reports, with the BWC footage undermining what agents put in their reports, the Court cannot rely on Parra's [who is Bovino's deputy] broad generalizations of protesters' actions or Defendants' responses to those actions. Turning to Bovino, the Court specifically finds his testimony not credible. Bovino appeared evasive over the three days of his deposition, either providing "cute" responses to Plaintiffs' counsel's questions or outright lying." "To the extent that agents use ChatGPT to create their use of force reports, this further undermines their credibility and may explain the inaccuracy of these reports when viewed in light of the BWC footage." https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487571/gov.uscourts.ilnd.487571.281.0_3.pdf
Here's a clip from last week's Gaslit Nation Salon, where I lay out what it will take for us to stop reactionary elections that punish whichever party is in power: the political pendulum swinging between Christian nationalists to establishment Democrats back to Christian nationalists. If we're serious about defeating fascism and overcoming the many crises we face, we need real political stability built from the ground up, not another cycle of rage-voting whiplash. Because if we don't confront these systemic issues, the voters will continue to punish whichever party is in power, and, as we saw in 2016 and 2024, this just makes everything worse, for everyone. The clip also unpacks my conversation with the great E. Jean Carroll, an interview that sparked a lot of questions and debate among our listeners. You can listen to the full interview here on Patreon, here, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last week's full salon discussion will be available on Monday morning for our Patreon members, along with a Zoom link for Monday's salon at 4pm ET. Come vent or tell us what's happening in your corner of the country. EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: December 1st 4pm ET Book Club Discussion – Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky + Total Resistance by H. Von Dach – Poetry and guerrilla strategy: tools for survival and defiance. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: available on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: available on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect: available on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join: available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group: available on Patreon. Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Coming soon! Patreon members at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) tier and higher will receive a PDF of Andrea's book Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm. Coming soon! Patreon members at the Fact Checker ($25/month) tier and higher will receive a new behind-the-scenes look of Mr. Jones, directed by three-time Academy Award-nominee Agnieszka Holland. Mrs. Orwell – Andrea's new graphic novel on Eileen O'Shaughnessy Blair, the Irish-English poet, wife, and muse of George Orwell who made him into the artist he always longed to be, is out in April. Pre-order your copy here. Patreon supporters at the Freedom Fighter ($50/month) tier and higher will receive signed copies. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you.
In this extremely enraged episode of Follow the Money, we ask the only question that actually matters in Trump's second crime spree through history: who is getting rich off of Trump chaos and the world's misery? Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman of Trump Tyranny Tracker and Andrea Chalupa of Gaslit Nation together trace a financial pipeline of blood money that runs from the Kremlin, through Qatar, through crypto, straight into Trump World and its favorite oligarch bagmen. While Ukrainian kids are protesting, begging the world not to look away as Russia bombs their playgrounds and kindergartens, Trump's MAGA lackeys, like Matt Gaetz protege Rep. Anna Luna, are in Florida huddling with Putin's money man and messenger, Kirill Dmitriev, sketching out yet another fake "peace plan" that is nothing but a genocide plan for Ukraine and a launchpad for a larger war with Europe. In a blatant crime of access journalism that would make Michael Wolff jealous, Axios published Kremlin/MAGA disinformation by calling it a "peace proposal." In reality, it's a Kremlin bribe: sell off Ukraine's land, launder the theft through "diplomacy," and cash out in crypto for Trump and his longtime real estate buddy-turned-Kremlin fixer Steve Witkoff, and their sons. Their plan is for Ukraine to give up Donbas and Crimea, which suffers under Soviet-style repression, disarm Ukraine' military, and expect the world to recognize stolen land as Russian. In exchange, Trump, Witkoff, and their sons would allegedly get crypto via Qatar and a chance to turn genocide into an investment opportunity. All of this is happening while Russia openly kidnaps Ukrainian children, erases their identities, and feeds them into a military pipeline of Putin's forever war, while half of Europe anxiously prepares for war with Moscow. Follow the money, and you see the gaslighting of Trump once again being bribed to call the Kremlin's foreign policy his own. Be sure to follow us on our new YouTube channel to help us get the word out about Follow the Money! https://www.youtube.com/@FollowTheMoneyTrail Want to hear bonus shows and listen to Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for live events like our Monday 4pm ET salons over Zoom, bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: Trump Tyranny Tracker: https://trumptyrannytracker.substack.com/ Putin ally suggests Seychelles meeting with Erik Prince more than chance encounter over a beer https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/putin-ally-seychelles-meeting-erik-prince-chance-encounter/story?id=55408942 The Story Behind Jared Kushner's Curious Acceptance Into Harvard https://www.propublica.org/article/the-story-behind-jared-kushners-curious-acceptance-into-harvard Kushner got emails about WikiLeaks, Russia in 2016, lawmakers say https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/16/jared-kushner-wikileaks-emails-245197 Trump's Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff & Sons Blur Peace & Profit, from Real Estate to Crypto Deals https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/3/debra_kamin_steve_witkoff_real_estate Trump and special envoy Witkoff stand to reap rewards from official business https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/30/trump-steve-witkoff-envoy George Nader arrested on child pornography charges: Nader, a well-connected Middle East fixer, accused of having sexually explicit pictures of children on his mobile phone. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/6/4/george-nader-arrested-on-child-pornography-charges Former Trump lobbyist from Lake Norman charged with distribution of child porn https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/former-trump-lobbyist-lake-norman-193651678.html Maryland delegate for Trump charged with child pornography and possession of illegal gun and explosives https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/19/politics/trump-delegate-child-porn-gun-explosives Former Trump Commerce Department official and Turning Point USA ex-employee sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for child pornography possession https://www.businessinsider.com/former-trump-commerce-official-pleads-guilty-child-porn-charge-2022-10 Former GOP Hill aide pleads guilty in child porn case Ruben Verastigui, 27, faces 12 years or more in prison under a deal with prosecutors. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/09/former-hill-aide-pleads-guilty-child-porn-498937
As the House finally votes to demand the release of the Epstein files, Gaslit Nation talks to journalist E. Jean Carroll about her new book Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President. Carroll shares her chilling story of taking on a serial predator, and how to defeat not just Trump but the system that empowers him. Trump owes Carroll $83.3 million in her rape and defamation case against him. But he's decided to drag things out by taking the case to the Supreme Court–which he packed with Republican idealogues. Carroll shares how she became one of the few people on the planet to successfully hold Trump legally liable, her advice for other rape survivors during this dangerous time, and what she thinks is actually in the Epstein files. While the media hyperventilates over Epstein and what Trump may or may not have known, they somehow keep "forgetting" that Trump has already been found liable for rape. In Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President, Carroll shares her story of surviving Trump's vindictive legal war chest with incredible grace, strength, and humor–taking us inside the nihilistic minds of his sychopantic legal team. She describes the thrill of confronting Trump in court with the truth, and describes the crushing cost women pay for daring to take on any man for rape, let alone the President of the United States. Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: If you, or someone you know, is a survivor of rape–you are not alone. There are several support networks for survivors. For a comprehensive list of options, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) put together resources for survivors. Do not suffer in silence. Reach out and ask for help: https://barcc.org/get-help/resources/ Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President https://bookshop.org/p/books/not-my-type-one-woman-vs-a-president-e-jean-carroll/fb4802f812cba0d7?ean=9781250381682&next=t Jeffrey Epstein's Brother Claims He Heard 'from a Pretty Good Source' That Epstein Files Are Being Scrubbed of Republican Names https://people.com/epstein-s-brother-heard-from-a-pretty-good-source-that-the-epstein-files-are-being-scrubbed-of-republican-names-11851691 Op-Ed: Alina Habba should be removed as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey https://hudsoncountyview.com/op-ed-alina-habba-should-be-removed-as-acting-u-s-attorney-for-new-jersey/ Appeals court upholds E. Jean Carroll's $83.3 million defamation judgment against Trump https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/appeals-court-upholds-e-jean-carrolls-83-3-million-defamation-judgment-against-trump Trump asks Supreme Court to overturn E Jean Carroll verdict https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0egyzm5yjo Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOPxssNm0Nk Clip: https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m5wc7pimqs2u Clip: https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m5wdk6wjoo2j EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: December 1st 4pm ET – Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky + Total Resistance by H. Von Dach – Poetry and guerrilla strategy: tools for survival and defiance. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join here. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: join here. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, available here. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available here. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available here. Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community