Bestselling author of World War Z Max Brooks joins broadcaster/comedian Chip Franklin and former Assistant FBI Director Frank Figliuzzi to discuss how to reframe the fight for democracy away from "doom and gloom" in the latest episode of "Frankly."

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We are living in unprecedented times. With so many domestic and foreign threats looming, this is, as Frank calls it, “an absolutely unprecedented, dangerous part of history.” Our hosts are here to help you break through the panic and fear to better understand those threats.

In this episode, we are joined by author Max Brooks, son of legendary actor Mel Brooks. Max is the bestselling author of numerous books, including World War Z. He was also a Senior Fellow of the Modern War Institute at West Point, New York. 

“He's not only an author and an actor,” Chip said. “He looks deep into this stuff. His book World War Z was read and discussed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He's been invited to speak at a variety of military functions and engagements, the Naval War College, the FEMA hurricane drill in San Antonio, and many war game scenarios.”

From Putin to China, we’ll talk about many of the most pressing threats facing America today, and hear why he thinks miscalculation presents the greatest danger to global security. Max also tells us exactly why in this age of cyber warfare the military needs to have more creativity and courage.

What does a second Trump administration look like? And is there any hope for Democrats after Biden’s poor debate performance? You’ll hear our answers to these pressing questions and more in this awesome episode. 

“I think anybody who predicts the future with any certainty nowadays is either a liar or an idiot,” Max said. “But I can tell you that I think the failure of last night was not Biden. It was our reaction to Biden.”

Brooks uses his expertise to explain that Americans shouldn’t be so doom and gloom, which is very timely following Biden’s debate performance and the ensuing discord. “No matter what a problem is, we are never doomed,” Max said. “There are always solutions. And if we focus on those we actually start working on what we can do.”

He also tells our listeners how he uses reality in his fictional works to show that there are real systems in place to keep us safe, and challenges us to study and familiarize ourselves with the nature of these looming threats so that we can start working on how to solve it.

Former Acting Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe joins hosts Chip Franklin and Frank Figliuzzi to discuss how Trump and MAGA world’s attacks have endangered him and his family in the latest episode of Frankly.

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You’ll hear first hand about Andrew McCabe’s experience in the Trump administration. McCabe was fired as Acting Director of the FBI by Trump’s Attorney General back in March 2018, only hours before he was eligible for retirement. The firing was an act of political retribution for Andy opening two investigations into Trump - one to determine if the former President had obstructed justice by firing James Comey, and the other to determine if Trump was acting on behalf of the Russian government.

“It was incredibly stressful,” Andy told us. “We were making very hard choices with really no precedent to follow. But that's just what you do when you're in the FBI. We don't pledge fealty to a king or a prime minister or a president. We swear an oath to the constitution and we do what we believe is necessary under the constitution, whether people are going to like it or not.”

McCabe has since been cleared of wrongdoing, and awarded back pay as well as his pension. Nevertheless, since then, Andy has been a repeated and leading target for harassment and threats by Steve Bannon and Donald Trump. He was one of the brave few to stand up to Donald Trump- and now he pays the price. 

In this fantastic episode, we’ll discuss how MAGA’s intimidation tactics and Trump’s threat to reclassify 50,000 government leaders into political appointees will likely influence future decisions by the FBI and DOJ. 

“When Trump starts to attack someone personally, what generates from that is a perimeter of fear,” Andy told us. “And everyone who's within that perimeter recedes into a defensive crouch. That fear is an organized crime tactic. That's the fear that gets people to comply.”

We’ll also talk about the horrors that a second Trump term could pose, including the terrifying prospect of Michael Flynn serving as the next Attorney General. “To see where he is with this QAnon stuff is just sad,” McCabe surmised. “I put him right up there with Giuliani as one of the few people whose fall has been just so tragic and so obvious.”

From ISIS-K, to Hamas in the US, to domestic terror, Andrew breaks down the most chilling looming threats to our national security. This is absolutely something everyone needs to hear.

Frank also gives us a quick update on his brand new, TOP RANKED book Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers. Be sure to grab a copy if you haven’t already. “It's launch was three weeks ago, and to my amazement, we're into the third printing already,” he said. “I felt compelled to write about it when I realized there were about 850 murders of women alongside our nation's highways, and the FBI said with confidence that most of those murders are committed by long haul truckers.”

Be sure to join us next week as we host author and actor Max Brooks for another awesome episode of Frankly. 

On this episode of HIT SHOW Frankly, NBC MSNBC Analyst John Heilmann joins hosts Chip Franklin and Frank Figliuzzi to find out just how close the presidential race is, and talk about the reliability of polls. We’ll also be exploring the very real threat to democracy posed by a Trump win. 

“The playbook is there,” Frank said. “No one should ever feign surprise if Trump gets reelected and starts doing things that are clearly antithetical to democracy and the rule of law.”

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Our guest is author and top national affairs analyst John Heilemann. In this gripping interview, John explains where he thinks the MAGA movement originated and takes our listeners on a journey through what he calls “The genesis of Trump, and the populist grievance based on nationalist, xenophobic racism.” 

John gives us the inside scoop on what the presidential poll numbers look like today, and cautions our listeners against reading too heavily into them. “Stop clinging. Don't cling anymore. The election is going to be really close,” he said. “It's a margin of error election.”

We’ll break down the very real national security threat posed today by Christian nationalists and white supremacists who support MAGA, as well as the looming dangers that a second Trump administration poses to our democracy. 

“You'd be looking at a very volatile circumstance in the country,” John said. “A very volatile, threatening, and vulnerable one, particularly for people who are perceived as enemies of the administration. Trump knows how to do things now with the government that he didn't in the four years that he was in office. And he will be unconstrained, in a more, not just ruthless, but more effective way.”

In this episode, John shares stories of a few great experiences from his time on the frontline of journalism. He also gives a crystal clear breakdown of the behemoth that is the American media today and explains why mainstream outlets don’t do more to address rising threats like Christian nationalism. As Chip summarized, the media is “trying to find an audience that likes what we have to say, as opposed to challenging people with new ideas and new approaches to policy and philosophy.”

Former assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner joins broadcaster / comedian Chip Franklin and former Asst. FBI Director Frank Figliuzzi to discuss Supreme Court delays and pathways for Trump to land in prison in the latest episode of "Frankly."

Each week, Frank and Chip take a hard look at America’s soft spots and break down the biggest threats to our national security. In this edge-of-your-seat interview, you will find out how the outcomes of Trump’s trials are tied into the growing threat of extreme political violence from the right, and the very real potential loss of our democracy entirely.

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Be sure to pick up a copy of Frank’s brand new TOP RANKED book, Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers

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Kirschner, a former 30 year prosecutor and legal analyst from MSNBC and NBC News, joins the show to give our listeners the latest sobering update on the remaining federal charges against Donald Trump. You’ll also hear firsthand why Glenn thinks there is a real possibility for Trump to be sentenced to prison after the 34 felony convictions in NY. 

“I think [The judge] will appreciate that if there's no punishment for somebody who committed 34 felony offenses to try to gain unfair advantage in a presidential election, then you are basically encouraging others who would choose to follow in Donald Trump's footsteps to do it all over again,” Glenn said. “And the only punishment is incarceration.”

Beating Trump in court is not difficult, as Glenn explains. “Once it moves into a court of law, Donald Trump is done,” he said. “He's done in every single criminal prosecution because the evidence of his guilt is overwhelming, incontrovertible.”

But getting cases to trial for the bevy of Trump’s remaining charges, however, is not going to be easy. “Everything is on hold in Georgia,” Glenn told us. “It seems that there's no chance that we'll see a trial prior to November. “And things go from bad in Georgia to worse in Florida, courtesy of Judge Cannon.”

Glenn will break down for our listeners exactly why Judge Cannon should recuse herself from the classified documents case, and explain what her most recent delay tactics will likely mean for its outcome. “This is judicial insanity, and it is going unchecked thus far,” he said.”

What avenues does Jack Smith have for appeals or motions for recusal in Florida? How legitimate is the ongoing appeal of Judge McAfee’s decision not to disqualify Fani Willis in the Georgia case, and when might we see it resolved? You’ll get the hard-hitting truth on these questions and more in this excellent interview. 

Glenn also gives us a somber rundown on the state of Trump’s legal battles at the Supreme Court and tells us exactly what he thinks the high court is going to do with the question of presidential immunity. “The Supreme Court is not normal,” he said. “I have no confidence that they will get this right.”

As Glenn put it, “We are slouching toward, if not the end of our republic, we're slouching toward giving Donald Trump an opportunity to retake the reins of federal power and become the dictator on day one he told us he will become.

Be sure to subscribe to Glenn’s viral YouTube channel, Justice Matters! 

Director of the Tech Transparency Project, Katie Paul, joins broadcaster/comedian Chip Franklin and former Asst. FBI Director Frank Figliuzzi to discuss how social media platforms like Facebook are enabling extremism in the latest episode of "Frankly."

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Katie Paul is a specialist at tracking online criminal activity on social media platforms. She also serves as co-director of the Antiquities Trafficking and Heritage Anthropology Research Project and a founding member of the Alliance to Counter Crime Online. 

Frank was extremely alarmed when he read Katie’s most recent shocking report about the resurgence of militia groups on Facebook. “I write a regular column for MSNBC daily, and I shamelessly quoted from her work,” he told us. That's why we've decided to do this episode today. People need to know the violent militia movement is far from over and social media continues to contribute to the problem.”

In this eye-opening episode, you’ll hear about the rising threat of extreme militia groups online and find out what role Facebook’s algorithm plays in making their daunting resurgence possible. The level of organizing, recruiting, training, and cross-state training coordination that's on full display on these platforms is unlike anything Katie has seen before.

“Companies have just. simply not invested in scaling their efforts at moderation or curbing harm, from terrorism to trafficking to militias in the United States,” Katie said. “And unfortunately, we're also dealing with a situation where these companies have tuned their algorithms to really promote the most extreme content, the content that's going to get the biggest rise out of people.”

How many groups are we talking about? What role do social media platforms like Facebook play in amplifying these militia groups? And what does this all mean for the possibility of violence leading up to the November election? You won’t want to miss the answers to these questions and more in this awesome interview.

“We’re getting closer to a broader understanding that Facebook is making money to push content to them, which is important and terrifying,” said Chip. “There's a continuing theme that changes and broadens and blossoms and frightens all in the same. It is truly one of those doors that you open and you have no idea what's going to be on the other side.”

You can learn more about Katie’s work at techtransparency.org and follow her on Twitter at @TTP_updates.

Rich Logis, a former die-hard MAGA follower and founder of Leaving MAGA, joins us for this episode of Frankly, a Really American media podcast with former FBI director Frank Figliuzzi and Chip Franklin.

Fighting back against MAGA is not easy, as we heard first-hand from former GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger last week. As Chip said, “So it makes me think that if you were going to leave MAGA, the smartest thing to do is be quiet. But our next guest has not chosen that route. He has become the impetus behind this organization called Leaving MAGA and that's a pretty big risk.”

Be sure to pick up a copy of Frank’s brand new book, Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers.

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In this episode you’ll be taken on a journey deep down the MAGA rabbit hole to find out what makes folks like Rich gravitate to Trumpworld in the first place. You’ll hear the story of how the movement overtook his life and why he eventually disavowed MAGA. You’ll also find out exactly what he’s doing now to empower others to do the same.

Rich uses his unique perspective to help our listeners understand what it will take to reconcile with MAGA supporters and shares guidance on how we can all better approach the conversation with friends and family. He also has a strong prediction about what’s going to happen in November that you’re not going to want to miss.

Now, Rich is running Leaving MAGA, “a safe, non-judgmental community for those who leave MAGA, as well as for those who are having doubts about, or remorse over, their devotion to Trump and MAGA.”

“My time in MAGA did strain, to some extent, my relationships with my wife and kids.  And I know that's happening by the millions. There are millions of Americans who are estranged from and alienated from their friends and their loved ones. That's why reconciliation is so crucial as part of the work of Leaving MAGA. In very simple terms: We're a destination for those who leave.”

You can find out more at LeavingMAGA.org, and be sure to follow Rich on Twitter @LeavingMAGA, and @PerfectOurUnion.

Former GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger joins broadcaster / comedian Chip Franklin and former Asst. FBI Director Frank Figliuzzi to discuss the most effective way to defeat Donald Trump in the latest episode of "Frankly."

Adam is a veteran, former Congressman, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, and one of only two Republicans to serve on the January 6th committee.

In this interview you’ll hear his shocking first-hand account of the Jan 6 insurrection. We’ll ask which political party he belongs to now, if he will run for office again, and what he can teach us about standing up to Trump.

This is an interview you won’t want to miss. 

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“I'm thrilled that we've got a guest today that actually represents what we want American government to look like,” Frank Figliuzzi said. “Which is somebody who will do the right thing under pressure.”

Adam Kinzinger suffered severe backlash from friends and family for standing up to Trump while in Congress, but he tells our listeners the most bothersome part was that so many of his Republican colleagues refused to do the same. “This isn't some disagreement on tax Policy where we all can have a different view and compromise a little bit,” he said. “This is existential to whether or not democracy can survive.” 

In this interview, we’ll take you inside the halls of Congress on January 6 to get a glimpse of Adam’s experiences that day. “January six was a terrible day, a symptom of what happens when you convince a significant amount of the country an election was stolen,” he said. “I told my staff to stay home. I asked my wife to stay home. I take my gun for the first time. I felt just a darkness that I've never felt in my life.”

You’ll also hear Adam explain why he chose to sacrifice his career in Congress for the good of the country, and how he’s spending his political energy nowadays convincing Republican voters not to support Trump. 

Find out more at www.country1st.com, and be sure to check out his book, Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country.

You’ll also want to to pre-order your copy of Frank’s new book, Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers, coming out May 28!

Our website: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frankly-podcast

Hosts Chip Franklin and former FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi are joined by David Malicoat, an expert in cyber security and technology management.

David is currently serving as the Chief Information Security Officer at Direct Marketing Solutions and an Adjunct Professor in Cybersecurity at Collin College. In this episode our team talks with David about one of the most pressing threats to our national security - cyber attacks on our vulnerable critical infrastructure like water or electricity.

The safety of our nation depends on understanding and addressing these threats. That’s why this show is so important: to have these conversations, and to look at what we can be doing to prepare for and raise awareness of potential cyber-attacks on our critical infrastructure.

Frank Figluizzi underscores this point by revealing that during his time at the FBI, they were constantly reacting to bad actors seeking to hack into and manipulate our critical infrastructure systems. And the shocking examples he discusses are stories that we all really need to hear. He tells us, “ you're talking about our critical infrastructure, about FAA control towers, 911 systems, water supply. Whether you can pump gas or use the ATM. today. This is an item for all of us to get really educated on.”

You’ll get an eye-opening explanation of how terrorists and nation states can use our water and other infrastructure supplies to attack the United States and how our adversaries are changing their tactics to avoid culpability.

David refers to our water supply as the “soft underbelly” of American infrastructure, where 80% of water distribution in this country is run by small coops. He shares a frightening tale of how, in January of this year, the arid Texas town of Muleshoe, was infiltrated by a team of Russian-sponsored hackers and tens of thousands of fresh water were dumped on the ground before anyone was able to stop it. 

The team discusses why groups operate this way and what kind of message they are trying to send. We also talked about exactly what would happen if the electric grid were attacked and gave folks some handy tips to prepare for such a disaster.

In this awesome interview we discussed a range of vital issues, including the balance of security vs privacy, the role of the federal government vs that of the private sector in addressing these threats, and the problems we face addressing these issues in Congress. 

As Frank says, “We're always 10 steps behind technology. Legislation is 10 steps behind. There are senators who have no idea how things work technologically. And so we're always reactive. We're always responding to a crisis. And then somebody says, ‘Oh, we should have some legislation’. “

Frank also has a stark warning about the future of American cyber security if Trump wins in November. “It comes down to who’s in charge,” he said”. “If we have people with the mindset of America First means America only, or ‘We don't need nato,’ or ‘we can piss off our allies,’ then look out because it pays to have friends in the world and if you don't you're going to be blind.”

Check out David on his podcast called Professional CISO. Also be sure to pre-order your copy of Frank’s new book, Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers, coming out May 28!

And stay tuned! Next week, our host is Adam Kinzinger and he has A LOT on his mind. You won’t want to miss it.

Welcome to Frankly, a new weekly dive into national security issues with hosts Chip Franklin and former assistant director of the FBI and MSNBC contributor Frank Figliuzzi.

On this premier episode we are joined by David Sanger, a Pulitzer-prize winning chief Washington correspondent for the New York times. He's also author of The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age as well as his new book, New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West.

David tells us what he thinks the greatest national security threat to the US is today, and which country it might come from. The chilling answer is probably not what you would expect.

We discuss the implications of the latest pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the country, what the delay in passing Ukraine aid means for the war and our global standing, and compare two very different visions of international policy between the candidates for President.

We also talk with David about Chinese threats to our infrastructure, evolving attempts by multiple adversaries to interfere in our elections, and the highly elevated current risk of a terror attack on US soil.

David tells us China and Russia have evolved in their interference techniques, and are now amplifying real stories to lure you into their fake news accounts.

You won't want to miss this deep dive into the state of American national security.