Fever Dreams

By The Daily BeastGovernment

Fever Dreams episodes

April 27, 2022 The Intellectual Dark Webbers Behind 'Groomer' Panic Feat. Anthony Fisher
'Groomer' panic is sweeping the nation as right-wing types turn against LGBTQ rights, and the talking points—as with the backlash against Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools—can directly be traced back to a group of anti-wokeness activists on the "intellectual dark web." As The Daily Beast's senior opinion editor Anthony Fisher notes, the 'anti-wokeness' activists have "created this groundswell that is absolutely affecting policy," with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' own press secretary is now parroting the leaders of the movement. Meanwhile, the co-hosts discuss how Elon Musk's successful bid for Twitter is galvanizing the right (and QAnon numerologists), and how two manosphere influencers in Romania have been raided in connection with an human-trafficking and rape investigation.
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50 min
April 20, 2022 Brainpill Bankruptcy feat. Nikki McCann Ramirez
Would you buddy up to a neo-Nazi for a cut of crowdfunded “patriot freedom” cash? That’s the question reportedly wracking a wing of a D.C. jail, where multiple alleged January 6 rioters are being detained. This week on Fever Dreams, hosts Will Sommer and Kelly Weill dive into the far right’s money troubles—both behind bars and outside them, as three of Alex Jones’ companies file for bankruptcy. Media Matters associate research director Nikki McCann Ramirez joins the podcast to discuss Tucker Carlson’s bizarre new “special” on masculinity, which features a guy tanning his balls on what looks like a Tesla charger. Elsewhere, Will and Kelly check in on the stinkiest new QAnon trend: not bathing due to fear of snake water.
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56 min
April 13, 2022 Paging Seymour Butts Feat. Taylor Lorenz
No, passenger “Let’s go Brandon” does not need to check-in at Gate 10. It’s just the latest right-wing trend that has conservatives paging fake passengers over airport intercoms. This week, Fever Dreams brings you the bleeding edge in COVID-19 conspiracy theories (this time about snake blood), as well as dispatches from Colorado and Pennsylvania, where primary contests are revealing divides between the GOP mainstream and its growing QAnon wing. Finally, we’re joined by Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz, who brings us up to speed on Republican TikTok and the battle for Gen Z viewers. The kids aren’t alright.
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1 hr
April 06, 2022 The People's Court, Feat. Murder Bryan
Hosts Asawin Suebsaeng and Will Sommer have one thing on their minds: how they can score $2,500 to land spots on a bogus “grand jury” indicting Anthony Fauci. On this week’s episode, Swin and Will discuss the burgeoning trend of soaking your fans by selling them “super juror” spots on fake grand juries aimed at Fauci and Hunter Biden. Street Fight podcast host Murder Bryan joins to explore the world of right-wing shock jocks, with a focus on “Mancow” Muller. Bryan also weighs in on a QAnon referee scandal that has roiled pro wrestling. Elsewhere on the ep, Swin and Will talk about the right’s new crusade to prove that Disney is part of a groomer cabal, and Herschel Walker’s troubled Senate campaign.
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1 hr 1 min
March 30, 2022 'Playboy' Poems of the Trump Attorney, Feat. Elizabeth Williamson
Some of Donald Trump's lawyers have some cringe hobbies, like trying to do coup d'états. But did you know that one of them is an amateur poet, who has written verses about "THE TORONTO SUBWAY SYSTEM" and, "of life and sex and puzzled joy, a chopped up mess of Miss Playboy." In this week's episode of Fever Dreams, hosts Will Sommer and Asawin Suebsaeng bring you dramatic readings of the Trump "legal B-team" poetry. Elsewhere on the pod, our hosts welcome New York Times writer Elizabeth Williamson to discuss her new book on the Sandy Hook massacre, Alex Jones, and "the Battle for Truth." For those interested in plumbing the depths of Ginni Thomas's efforts to support Trump's efforts to cling to power, Sommer breaks down the wild, undeniable QAnon connections. Finally, for listeners curious about the question, "Why are Capitol Hill Republicans so furious this week about (alleged!) cocaine-fueled orgies involving 70-something year-olds?" our hosts—unfortunately—have an answer for you!
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1 hr 2 min
March 23, 2022 Alex Pwned, Feat. Ryan Mac
Fever Dreams host Will returns to the pod to talk with Swin about Alex Jones’s maybe-fake illness, which conveniently struck him down right before a Sandy Hook deposition. New York Times reporter Ryan Mac stops by to talk about Republican mega-donor Peter Thiel’s plans for 2022 — what is that guy up to? Also on the agenda: the trucker convoy’s bumbling, accident-prone attempts to terrorize DC and the Ohio Senate race that nearly turned into a real-life brawl. Finally, Swin kicks off his farewell tour by announcing he’s leaving the pod and The Daily Beast for good.
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54 min
March 16, 2022 My Own Private (Nazi) Idaho, Feat. C.J. Ciaramella
Is this the country’s most off-the-rails local Republican party? This week, Fever Dreams checks in on the Kootenai County, Idaho GOP, where local leaders are accused of trying to force a hostile takeover of the local Democratic party, and install an antisemitic troll as the new Democratic leader. Plus, we bring you the latest from Mar-A-Lago, where Donald Trump is making angry phone calls about his floundering social media site, Truth Social. We’re also joined by Reason reporter C.J. Ciaramella, who tells us about the FBI’s secret collection of police brutality statistics—and why those numbers might never see the light of day.

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1 hr 3 min
March 09, 2022 Trump’s ICE Man Heads To Nazi-Palooza, Feat. Chris Mathias
America First Political Action Conference, a white nationalist event, keeps its location secret, in part to keep the press away. This week’s guest, HuffPost Christopher Mathias, found the location anyway. He joins Fever Dreams to discuss his bizarre conversation with former ICE Director Tom Homan, who was a scheduled AFPAC speaker, but bailed out at the last minute. Elsewhere on the podcast, we check in on Donald Trump and far-right “Boogaloo Boys,” both of which have been daydreaming about conducting bizarre military stunts in Ukraine, like disguising American jets as Chinese and bombing Russia. (Trump’s suggestion.) Later, we visit the right-wing trucker convoy that attempted to encircle D.C. So far, they’re fighting a losing battle against beltway traffic.
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56 min
March 02, 2022 Dance Dance Revo-Putin, Feat. Adam Rawnsley
Donald Trump is racking up massive Secret Service bills—and hassling those agents about their physical fitness and whether they voted for him. This week on Fever Dreams, we visit wannabe demagogues at home and abroad. In Florida, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke at a Hitler-hyping white nationalist conference. Other members of her party, meanwhile, prefer to heap praise on Vladimir Putin, whom they laud as “anti-woke” as he oversees Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That attack is so large that researchers have been sounding alarm bells about Russia’s military buildup for months. This week’s guest, Daily Beast reporter Adam Rawnsley, describes how researchers have tracked Russian troop movements through Google maps and TikTok videos, bursting the Russian military narrative about the reason for the invasion.

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53 min
February 23, 2022 Phat Earth, Feat. Dylan Gelula
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is back with a wacky new claim, this time about Fever Dreams host Asawin Suebsaeng. It’s not true—but it’s not even the weirdest conspiracy theory on this week’s podcast, where we preview co-host Kelly Weill’s new book about the flat earth movement. We check in on a flat earther who got arrested for trying to hand out flyers at a school playground, and learn why the movement even alienates some QAnon believers. Actress Dylan Gelula joins us to discuss her podcast “Lecture Hall” and why we can blame Mad Cow Disease for the rise of Dr. Phil. Elsewhere, we try to log into Donald Trump’s new social network (which is too glitchy to load) and learn about an upcoming gathering of clout-chasing white supremacists, and the politicians who support them.
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53 min

About Fever Dreams

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Inside the right’s push to retake power, from the conspiracy-slingers to the MAGA acolytes to the straight-up grifters. Thought the Trump era was crazy? Wait ’til you hear what they have planned next.…