Gaslit Nation

The American tragedy of Donald J. Trump is about to come to an end with a popular front that elects the first Black and South Asian woman president of the United States. America is ready, and so is Gaslit Nation, with our historic number of phone banks to ensure we rub MAGA’s nose in their defeat.

The KKK, the Know Nothings, Nazis, MAGA—whatever you want to call them—will always be among us, as hate and ignorance are human nature. What’s important now is that we focus on building our political power, not only to elect Kamala Harris but to ensure that she has the Congress and state governments she needs to bring much-needed reforms to our broken system, especially to our courts. We must commit to holding her accountable as president as well as actively call out the racist and misogynistic attacks from the far-right and the media. Build with your community today, because we’re going to need each other in these critical and exciting years ahead. 

In this special episode, Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack, who has interviewed Kamala Harris on a number of occasions, joins Gaslit Nation to discuss why she can win. This week’s bonus show, exclusive to our subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, includes questions from our listeners subscribed at the Democracy Defender level and higher, and examines what Kamala Harris’s foreign policy may look like, especially in regard to Ukraine.

Thank you to everyone who supports the show—we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

Join the conversation with a community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit and get bonus shows, all episodes ad free, submit questions to our regular Q&As, get exclusive invites to live events, and more! Subscribe today at Patreon.com/Gaslit! 

Show Notes:

Book Launch Reception for In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones – Sept 16

• Monday September 16th 7pm at the Ukrainian Institute of America join us for a wine reception and live taping of Gaslit Nation with Terrell Starr for the launch of the graphic novel adaptation of Andrea’s film Mr. Jones! Get in free by subscribing at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon!

Indivisible x Gaslit Nation Phonebank Party! — August 15 at 7pm ET

• Every third Thursday through election day and on election eve in November we’re calling voters in Republican-hostage states in the Midwest with Indivisible to ensure a Democratic Senate. Sign up here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

Sister District x Gaslit Nation Phonebank Parties! – Every Wednesday in October! 

• Every Wednesday through October, we’re phone-banking with Sister District, calling voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia. Sign up here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrictnyc/event/642096/

Terrell Starr of the Blacki Diplomats Podcast & Substack https://terrellstarr.com/

Opening Clip: “Don’t ever carry as a personal burden your capacity to do whatever you dream and aspire to do based on other people’s limited ability to see who can do what. Sometimes people will open the door for you, sometimes they won’t.. and then you need to kick that fucking door down” https://x.com/Acyn/status/1790047553511195053

Clip: “Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) on his re-election and vetoing anti-trans bills: "All children are children of God … I was going to stand up for the most marginalized children who didn't deserve either a state legislature or an entire campaign picking on them." https://x.com/HeartlandSignal/status/1726806702421610566

Clip: Ashton Pittman: “Flashback 2012: The Obama campaign wasn't ready to endorse marriage equality. But when asked about it, Joe Biden broke with the campaign's messaging and endorsed it. An avalanche of Democrats, including President Obama, soon followed him.” https://x.com/ashtonpittman/status/1815132808790020228

Clip: In praise of Joe Biden: https://x.com/maddenifico/status/1815457006083600802

Stephen Miller Meltdown https://x.com/MollyJongFast/status/1815210257330659594

Drake VS Kendrick Explained to White People https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3uWj2MpydI&t=1s

Kendrick Lamar/Kamala Harris mash-up https://x.com/tolstoybb/status/1815102526561419439

America Is Ready for a Black Female President—but Not Kamala Harris by Keli Goff https://www.thedailybeast.com/america-is-ready-for-a-black-female-presidentbut-not-kamala-harris?utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=twitter_owned_tdb&via=twitter_page&utm_campaign=owned_social

Biden stopped his campaign and endorsed Kamala Harris. What's next and how do we overcome this turbulence to protect our democracy from Trump and Project 2025? This raw and quick episode was recorded in response to requests from listeners and our production team to capture this moment and reassure everyone that America has been here before and we will once again overcome as that is the story of American history.

In the meantime, we'll see you at the Gaslit Nation/Indivisible phonebank on August 15 at 7pm for Lucas Kunce. Don't panic: Do the work. https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

From the genius who brought you Sarah Palin: Longtime Republican operative Steve Schmidt launched the Pass the Torch USA super PAC to replace Joe Biden on the ballot with anyone else. When they couldn’t find anyone else, they ran businessman and Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips. Is that why so many centrist Democrats who call for an open convention, bypassing Black progressive Kamala Harris, use the rallying cry, “Pass the torch”?

One thing is clear: the energy and organization used by Democratic Party elites and their megadonors to push Biden off the ballot at this late stage and bypass Kamala has never been seen before to address our nation’s most pressing crises, from the climate crisis to kleptocracy. And the mainstream media won’t tell you this because they’re owned by conservatives working with, you guessed it, Democratic Party elites. Just take former Obama White House official Robert Gibbs, who was hired as an image-maker for David Zaslav, the anti-Biden CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery, who called for a new president and boasted about Republicans (the MAGA far-right) being welcomed on CNN. He also defended the disturbing CNN Trump town hall. So if you’re wondering why CNN has become Trump propaganda, it’s because of Zaslav.

Given how wrong the polls were in 2022 and 2016, and the disifnormation that can pollute them, Biden/Harris have a strong chance to win this November. In this special bonus show, Gaslit Nation listeners share their questions and concerns for our nation. It includes a recap of the Oscars of Kleptocracy – the Republican National Convention. To listen to the full episode, be sure to subscribe at the Truth-teller level and higher. And to submit your questions to our regular Q&As, subscribe to the show at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

Save the date! Book launch party and live Gaslit Nation taping September 16 at the Ukrainian Institute of America for In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones, the graphic novel adaptation of the shooting script for the journalistic thriller, Mr. Jones. Wine reception to follow. Patreon supporters subscribed at the Truth-teller level or higher get in for free! Make sure you’re subscribed to be added to the guest list: Patreon.com/Gaslit

Every third Thursday of the month through the election we’re phonebanking for Senate races in Republican-hostage states to leave no voter behind! RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

We’re phonebanking every Wednesday in October for state races in the must-win battlegrounds of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia! RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/642096/?utm_source=2024-natlpb-gn

Show Notes:

Pass the Torch USA https://www.factcheck.org/2024/01/pass-the-torch-usa/

David Zaslav Hires Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs as Warner Bros. Discovery Comms Chief (Exclusive) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/david-zaslav-hires-robert-gibbs-warner-bros-discovery-comms-chief-1235925399/

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav would like a new president, too https://www.businessinsider.com/wbd-david-zaslav-biden-trump-election-regulation-sun-valley-2024-7

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells reporters this morning in Brooklyn that he's team Biden/Harris https://x.com/Bogs4NY/status/1814301077082087505

Clip from AOC Instagram Live on the effort to replace Biden/Harris https://x.com/claycane/status/1814287730215457266

"It's A Man's Man's Man's World" plays as Donald Trump walks into RNC Night 3. https://x.com/therecount/status/1813745920787517860

Ramaswamy: And our message to Gen Z is this. You want to be a rebel? You want to be a hippie? You want to stick it to the man? Show up on your college campus and try calling yourself a conservative. https://x.com/Acyn/status/1813373723271135741

Election Polls Are Only 60 Percent Accurate, Which Is 0 Percent Surprising. https://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/online/election-polls-are-only-60-percent-accurate-which-0-percent/

You're telling us to be civil and tone down the rhetoric? Well, excuse us, but we’re not the ones who attempted to violently overthrow our democracy! Ignoring a crisis won't solve it. Yet that's exactly what the mainstream media is doing by “both-sidesing” America’s political violence crisis driven by the far-right. 

Much of the mainstream media continues to fall in line, pumping out propaganda to normalize Trump. They claim he'll change this time. But you already know that he won’t, because you listen to our show!

Meanwhile, these same media outlets continue to fawn over the MAGA fascist rally known as the Republican National Convention, featuring a who's who of Kremlin disinformation agents like Trump’s VP pick JD Vance. It’s like watching a very dark comedy where the punchline is always at the expense of democracy.

Now, for those who crave staying grounded and self-care with facts, this week's bonus show will analyze the GOP’s Kremlin Convention and prepare us for the week ahead! We’ll dive deep into questions from our Democracy Defender-level supporters ($10/month) and higher, including whether there’s a Russian version of AIPAC. To access bonus shows, get all episodes ad-free, enjoy exclusive invites, and more, subscribe at the Truth-teller level ($5/month) or higher! Annual discounts are available so subscribe today! 

And finally, mark your calendars! The book launch party for the Mr. Jones graphic novel, In the Shadow of Stalin: The Making of Mr. Jones, is on September 16th at the Ukrainian Institute of America at 7 pm. It’ll be a live taping of Gaslit Nation, featuring special guests and a wine reception. Gaslit Nation Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher get in free, so sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit.

Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 

Every third Thursday of the month through the election we’re phonebank for Senate races in Republican-hostage states to leave no voter behind! RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

We’re phonebanking every Wednesday in October for state races in the must-win battlegrounds of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia! RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/642096/?utm_source=2024-natlpb-gn

Save the date! Book launch party and live Gaslit Nation taping September 16 at the Ukrainian Institute of America for In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones, the graphic novel adaptation of the shooting script for the journalistic thriller, Mr. Jones. Wine reception to follow. Patreon supporters subscribed at the Truth-teller level or higher get in for free! Make sure you’re subscribed to be added to the guest list: Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Got questions? If you're subscribed at the Democracy Defender-level or higher on Patreon, send us your questions for our regular Q&As! They help inspire the show! 

Show Notes:

Bernie Sanders: Joe Biden for President https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/13/opinion/joe-biden-president.html

Merrick Garland Both-Sides the Coup

https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2022/1/12/merrick-garland-both-sides

Thomas Matthew Crooks: What we know about the Trump attacker

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gw58wv4e9o

Southern Poverty Law Center quoted on Thomas Matthew Crooks shooting https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/14/us/trump-shooting-thomas-matthew-crooks-intl-hnk/index.html

Trump Shooter Once Donated Money to a Democratic Cause? Some social media users claimed a 69-year-old man with the same name as Trump's would-be assassin actually made the donation.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-shooter-donation/

“Of the 444 people killed at the hands of extremists over the past 10 years, 335 (or 75%) were killed by right-wing extremists.” https://www.adl.org/resources/report/murder-and-extremism-united-states-2022

Report: Domestic Terrorism Is Still a Greater Threat Than Islamic Extremism

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/03/domestic-terror-still-greater-threat-than-islamic-extremism.html

White and far-right extremists kill more cops, but FBI tracks black extremists more closely, many worry Read more at: https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article196423174.html#storylink=cpy

Is white extremism the biggest domestic terror threat in the US? For years US terror warnings have focused on groups like Al Qaeda or Daesh, but the latest warnings from US law enforcement agencies point to homegrown terrorists as the most immediate danger.

https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/is-white-extremism-the-biggest-domestic-terror-threat-in-the-us-27940

The Inside Story of Sean Patrick Maloney’s Face Plant in New York

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/11/sean-patrick-maloney-new-york-red-wave-dccc-house.html

FEC Document Concludes Trump Paid Actors to Attend Event at Which He Launched 2016 Campaign

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/01/trump-paid-actors-to-fill-out-campaign-launch-fec-says.html

Mehdi Hasan on Twitter: “Don’t know whether to laugh or cry: apparently one of the reasons Vance radicalized and went from moderate Never Trumper to insane MAGA Trumper is because the Netflix movie of his book got panned by liberal movie critics. It was the “last straw”, according to a friend. Amazing.” https://x.com/mehdirhasan/status/1813048609035751843

Over two million people tuned in to see if an 81-year-old man would fall on his face at Thursday night’s press conference. Instead, they received a deep-dive lecture on foreign policy. That’s more than the TV audience for the Oscars. Now, Democrats are finally pushing back against Trump’s fascist blueprint, Project 2025, with their own 100-day plan for 2025, most of which can only be passed if Democrats win control of both chambers of Congress. Still, Biden voicing these solutions while the world scrutinizes his every step and gaffe promotes a culture of change we desperately need to rebuild our democracy. Much of Biden’s plan can also be implemented on the state level, where Democrats have increasingly expanded their power, thanks to grassroots efforts.

These next four weeks, as we head into the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, will be the last window of opportunity to replace Biden. Expect a continued bloodbath in the press as centrist Democrats, allegedly paid off by megadonors, continue their sabotage of Biden’s campaign and pro-labor agenda to rebuild the middle class. As Minnesota House candidate Will Stencil wrote on Twitter: “What makes this so depressing is that if you stop doing theater criticism on the strength of his voice or whatever, this is a clip of a US president strongly defending a working-class economic boom he successfully fought to create. And no one wants to hear that or seems to care.” Meanwhile, leading Black women voices, like Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project, and Stacey Abrams, continue to push back. Jones wrote on Twitter: “This is what I am hearing from so many Black Americans and especially Black women who feel 1) that their vote, decision, and concerns are being undermined by non-Black people in the Democratic Party, 2) that too many people reporting and commenting do not seem to understand the stakes, and 3) that perhaps the polling is reflecting a Democratic Party that is attacking its own candidate rather than the opposing one.” Several new polls show Biden ahead of Trump, and reports say that his press conference reassured jittery megadonors. Was the Biden panic ultimately good for Biden?

Terrell Starr of the essential Black Diplomats Podcast & Substack joins Gaslit Nation, days after returning home from Ukraine, to help us make sense of this sh*tshow and where we go from here. Questions from Gaslit Nation listeners subscribed at the Democracy Defender level and higher are shared on the show, along with comments and questions in the chat of this special live-taping. Stay tuned for more live-taping announcements soon! And see everyone at Gaslit Nation’s phonebank with Indivisible this Thursday, July 18th at 7 PM, hot off the heels of the MAGA cult rally in Wisconsin! RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/ 

Want to listen to the full episode and receive all bonus shows ad-free and more? Subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit to join our community of listeners, get bonus shows and all episodes ad free, invites to exclusive events, submit questions to our regular Q&As, and more!

Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

Show Notes:

The Cult Age: Interview with Cult Expert Dr. Janja Lalich https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2022/4/13/cults-dr-janja-lalich

Sahil Kapur, Senior National Political Reporter, for NBC News: “In Detroit, Biden pitches his 100-day plan for 2025: Restore Roe v. Wade. Pass the John Lewis voting rights bill and Freedom To Vote Act. Eliminate medical debt. Raise minimum wage. Pass the PRO Act. Ban assault weapons. "Keep leading the world" on climate change & clean energy.” https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/1811912368944799946

Will Stancil on Twitter: “What makes this so depressing is that if you stop doing theater criticism on the strength of his voice or whatever, this is a clip of a US president strongly defending a working-class economic boom he successfully fought to create. And no one wants to hear that or seems to care.” https://x.com/whstancil/status/1811552005678072008

Nikole Hannah-Jones on Twitter: “This is what I am hearing from so many Black Americans and especially Black women who feel 1) That their vote, decision and concerns are being undermined by non-Black people in the Democratic Party 2) That too many people reporting and commenting do not seem to understand the stakes. 3) That perhaps the polling is reflecting a Democratic Party that is attacking its own candidate rather than the opposing one.” https://x.com/nhannahjones/status/1811737786099335524

Jake Sherman of Punch Bowl News: “NEW -- A source tells me a group of NY donors have committed $2M to HMP, the House Dem super PAC, to help the Dems who came out early against/criticizing Biden -- Angie Craig, Marie Glusenkamp Perez, Jared Golden and Pat Ryan Donors include @novogratz , Nancy and Andrew Jarecki, Gideon and Zoe Stein and 30+ other donors.” https://x.com/JakeSherman/status/1811484709953683770

Gaslit Nation planned to take a vacation this week, to charge up our batteries. Instead, we’re running a raw quick take on the Biden hysteria fueled by Rupert Murdoch and the New York Times (just like in 2016!) Why are so many in the media once again helping Trump come to power? Follow the money! 

To our supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, get your questions in to us by this Thursday July 11 for our next mega-episode Q&A, which will cover the people-powered victories in the UK and French elections, as well as the far-right disinformation war on democracy here at home in the US. 

Then join us this Thursday 8pm ET for a special live-taping of Gaslit Nation with cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich, the author of several books on the inner workings of cults and how to escape them, including Take Back Your Life. We’ll be discussing the MAGA cult, the weaponization of cults, and how to help a loved one who fell down a disinformation rabbit hole. A Zoom link will go out this Thursday to our subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher at Patreon.com/Gaslit – so be sure to get your ticket by subscribing! 

Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 

Show Notes:

Berkman Klein Center releases report on media coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign Comprehensive analysis documents how highly partisan right-wing sources helped shape mainstream press coverage prior to the election https://hls.harvard.edu/today/berkman-klein-releases-report-media-coverage-2016-presidential-campaign/

But Her Emails! Behind The New York Times’ Maddening Hillary Clinton Coverage https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/10/but-her-emails-behind-the-new-york-times-maddening-hillary-clinton-coverage

Epstein Accuser Sues Famed Psychiatrist for ‘Depraved’ Sexual Abuse https://www.thedailybeast.com/epstein-accuser-sues-famed-psychiatrist-henry-jarecki-for-depraved-sexual-abuse

Jeffrey Epstein’s Ex Says He Boasted About Being a Mossad Agent https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-ex-says-he-boasted-about-being-a-mossad-agent

These Are the Men Named in the New Epstein Documents https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-jeffrey-epstein-documents-name-bill-clinton-donald-trump-david-copperfield-as-his-pals

Epstein Files on Trump’s Child Rape https://x.com/lesleyabravanel/status/1809951921903407594?t=2z5PVS_OEyy0KG4tqGiCjg&s=19

Dark Money and the Courts The Right-Wing Takeover of the Judiciary https://www.acslaw.org/analysis/reports/dark-money/

After 50 Years, This Right-Wing Law Factory Is Crazier Than Ever The American Legislative Exchange Council is where corporations and far-right groups go to buy government policy. https://prospect.org/power/2023-10-04-alec-50-years-right-wing-law-factory/

New York Times Now Claims Video Footage Is Evidence of Biden’s Decline https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/new-york-times-now-claims-video-footage-is-evidence-of-bidens-decline/

Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post spreading disinformation against Biden https://x.com/nypost/status/1801555018929123647?t=xMQ9U_XOEm_NFlAjDpBaDA&s=19

Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News spreading disinformation against Biden https://x.com/DecodingFoxNews/status/1803661752933998889?t=p8EgABfbhCTbkqLRKLnuKA&s=19

American Cassandra: The Life of Dorothy Thompson https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2023/12/27/dorothy-thompson-peter-kurth

Yellen defends global corporate minimum tax deal amid Republican criticism https://www.reuters.com/world/us/yellen-us-negotiating-rd-tax-credit-part-global-tax-deal-2024-04-30/

The 2024 US election is the People vs. the autocrats. Trump is supported by Putin and Netanyahu. They would love to see him back in power. As part of the dictator’s playbook, they want to divide and conquer, including weaponizing social movements so that we’re fighting each other rather than building power together. How can we tell fact from fiction if progressive social movements are infiltrated by bad actors? 

For more on that, this week’s bonus show is a continuation of the inspiring conversation with Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor, authors of Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea. Hunt-Hendrix, who holds a PhD in Religion, Ethics, and Politics from Princeton University, and is a founder of the progressive organizations Solidaire and Way to Win, met Taylor, a co-founder of the Debt Collective (a union of debtors), a filmmaker, and the author of The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart, Democracy May Not Exist But We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone, and The People’s Platform (winner of an American Book Award), among other works, at Occupy Wall Street. They share what they’ve learned since then on how to stay hopeful while building collective power.

To our subscribers at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) and higher, get your questions in by July 11th for our next Q&A bonus show, publishing Saturday July 13th. And be sure to tune into our next live-taping featuring cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich, author of the books Take Back Your Life and Bounded Choice. She is the founder of the nonprofit, the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion. To get your ticket to the live-taping, be sure to subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show! 

Cult Expert Dr. Janja Lalich Live-Taping - July 11 8pm ET

• July 15th kicks off the Republican National Convention/Hitler rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To help us cope with the mainstream media, especially the New York Times, continuing to normalize Trump and his MAGA cult, we’re producing a live taping with cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich. Bring your questions about how to navitage this perilous time of rampant disinformation and manipulation, learn the signs of cult grooming, and how to help loved ones who have fallen victim. This will be Dr. Lalich’s second time on the show. You can listen to the interview with her from April 2022 here. 

In the Shadow of Stalin Book Launch - September 4 7pm ET

• Gaslit Nation will host a live taping at a book launch in New York City for In the Shadow of Stalin, the graphic novel adaptation of Mr. Jones. It includes scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut of the film, or it would have been three hours long! The evening will include a special meet-up just for Patreon supporters. We look forward to sharing more details as we get closer. If you want a book event/live taping of Gaslit Nation in your town or city, let us know! 

Indivisible x Gaslit Nation Phonebank Party! - July 18 at 7pm ET

• Open to all, Gaslit Nation and Indivisible are kicking things off early this year, really early! When there’s such a thing as Project 2025, there’s no time to waste. Come join us for our first phone bank party of the season, as we make calls to our fellow citizens in Republican hostage states, to refuse to abandon those on the frontlines of American authoritarianism, and to plant seeds of change. We’re going in! RSVP here to join us! https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

In a time of hyper-polarization, how do we build the coalitions we need and expand our power against the fascist oligarchs we’re up against? To help us make sense of these times, relying on history during eras of social unrest and revolution, are the authors of a new book, Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea, Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor.

Hunt-Hendrix, who holds a PhD in Religion, Ethics, and Politics from Princeton University, and is a founder of the progressive organizations Solidaire and Way to Win, met Taylor, a co-founder of the Debt Collective (a union of debtors), a filmmaker, and the author of The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart, Democracy May Not Exist But We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone, and The People’s Platform (winner of an American Book Award), among other works, at Occupy Wall Street. They share what they’ve learned since then on how to stay hopeful while building collective power.

To our subscribers at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) and higher, get your questions in by July 11th for our next Q&A bonus show, publishing Saturday July 13th. And be sure to tune into our next live-taping featuring cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich, author of the books Take Back Your Life and Bounded Choice. She is the founder of the nonprofit, the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion. To get your ticket to the live-taping, be sure to subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show! 

Cult Expert Dr. Janja Lalich Live-Taping - July 11 8pm ET

• July 15th kicks off the Republican National Convention/Hitler rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To help us cope with the mainstream media, especially the New York Times, continuing to normalize Trump and his MAGA cult, we’re producing a live taping with cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich. Bring your questions about how to navitage this perilous time of rampant disinformation and manipulation, learn the signs of cult grooming, and how to help loved ones who have fallen victim. This will be Dr. Lalich’s second time on the show. You can listen to the interview with her from April 2022 here. 

In the Shadow of Stalin Book Launch - September 4 7pm ET

• Gaslit Nation will host a live taping at a book launch in New York City for In the Shadow of Stalin, the graphic novel adaptation of Mr. Jones. It includes scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut of the film, or it would have been three hours long! The evening will include a special meet-up just for Patreon supporters. We look forward to sharing more details as we get closer. If you want a book event/live taping of Gaslit Nation in your town or city, let us know! 

Indivisible x Gaslit Nation Phonebank Party! - July 18 at 7pm ET

• Open to all, Gaslit Nation and Indivisible are kicking things off early this year, really early! When there’s such a thing as Project 2025, there’s no time to waste. Come join us for our first phone bank party of the season, as we make calls to our fellow citizens in Republican hostage states, to refuse to abandon those on the frontlines of American authoritarianism, and to plant seeds of change. We’re going in! RSVP here to join us! https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

The song you heard at the top of the show was 'Bouge' by Marine Futin. You can find more music by Marine Futin on all streaming platforms or at marinefutin.com.

Let’s talk about that Black Mirror episode we all witnessed on Thursday known as CNN’s debate featuring a prolific liar, indicted criminal, and serial rapist, without any fact-checkers save for one overworked 81-year old man with the busiest job in the world. What were your thoughts on the debate? Leave a comment below or email us at [email protected]!

This week’s bonus show, exclusive to our subscribers at the Truth-teller level ($5/month) or higher on Patreon is the audience Q&A at our live-taping with investigative journalist Craig Unger. He is the author of several internationally bestselling books on the far-right’s war on democracy, including House of Trump, House of Putin; House of Bush, House of Saud; and American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery. Unger will return for another live taping in the fall to discuss his latest book, Den of Spies: Reagan, Carter, and the Secret History of the Treason That Stole the White House.

To our subscribers at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) and higher, get your questions in by July 11th for our next Q&A bonus show, publishing Saturday July 13th. And be sure to tune into our next live-taping featuring cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich, author of the books Take Back Your Life and Bounded Choice. She is the founder of the nonprofit, the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion. To get your ticket to the live-taping, be sure to subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show! 

This is an excerpt of this week's bonus show. To listen to the full episode subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit to join our community of listeners, get bonus shows, and all episodes ad free, invites to exclusive events, submit questions to our regular Q&As, and more!

Cult Expert Dr. Janja Lalich Live-Taping - July 11 8pm ET

• July 15th kicks off the Republican National Convention/Hitler rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To help us cope with the mainstream media, especially the New York Times, continuing to normalize Trump and his MAGA cult, we’re producing a live taping with cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich. Bring your questions about how to navitage this perilous time of rampant disinformation and manipulation, learn the signs of cult grooming, and how to help loved ones who have fallen victim. This will be Dr. Lalich’s second time on the show. You can listen to the interview with her from April 2022 here. 

In the Shadow of Stalin Book Launch - September 4 7pm ET

• Gaslit Nation will host a live taping at a book launch in New York City for In the Shadow of Stalin, the graphic novel adaptation of Mr. Jones. It includes scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut of the film, or it would have been three hours long! The evening will include a special meet-up just for Patreon supporters. We look forward to sharing more details as we get closer. If you want a book event/live taping of Gaslit Nation in your town or city, let us know! 

Indivisible x Gaslit Nation Phonebank Party! - July 18 at 7pm ET

• Open to all, Gaslit Nation and Indivisible are kicking things off early this year, really early! When there’s such a thing as Project 2025, there’s no time to waste. Come join us for our first phone bank party of the season, as we make calls to our fellow citizens in Republican hostage states, to refuse to abandon those on the frontlines of American authoritarianism, and to plant seeds of change. We’re going in! 

RSVP here to join us! https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

Show Notes

Supreme Court Imperils an Array of Federal Rules

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/06/28/us/supreme-court-chevron?pvid=2dyuAaxnLrEFe73e9JTibfa7&smid=url-share

After Halting Debate Performance, Biden Tries to Reassure Democrats at Rally

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/06/28/us/trump-biden-debate?pvid=Njp7Xr2DGZ0y9XRXdMLzltkD&smid=url-share

Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. Were Close to Being Charged With Felony Fraud

https://www.propublica.org/article/ivanka-donald-trump-jr-close-to-being-charged-felony-fraud

Biden Signs Bill to Protect Same-Sex Marriage Rights

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/13/us/politics/biden-same-sex-marriage-bill.html

Now that Jeffrey Epstein is dead (is he?) and Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison, who is serving their billionaire global market of pedophiles? Is Bill Barr, with his connections to traitor FBI agent and Russian spy Robert Hanssen, a Russian asset like Trump? Why isn’t the mainstream media sounding the alarm about the many Kremlin connections to Trump and his family, as well as Russia’s infiltration of the so-called “Deep State,” the FBI, and the CIA?

In this special live taping of Gaslit Nation, celebrating George Orwell’s birthday, we break down all this and more with fearless investigative journalist Craig Unger. He is the author of several internationally bestselling books on the far-right’s war on democracy, including House of Trump, House of Putin; House of Bush, House of Saud; and American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery. Unger will return for another live taping in the fall to discuss his latest book, Den of Spies: Reagan, Carter, and the Secret History of the Treason That Stole the White House.

This week’s bonus show, available to subscribers at the Truth-Teller level ($5/month) and higher, is a continuation of our discussion with Unger, featuring questions from our audience. Thank you to everyone who joined our live taping and asked fascinating questions in the chat! We look forward to seeing you at our next live taping on July 15th with cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich, who will help us make sense of the MAGA death cult rally known as the Republican National Convention! To get access to that and more, including bonus shows and all episodes ad free, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit! 

Cult Expert Dr. Janja Lalich Live-Taping - July 15 8pm ET

• July 15th kicks off the Republican National Convention/Hitler rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To help us cope with the mainstream media, especially the New York Times, continuing to normalize Trump and his MAGA cult, we’re producing a live taping with cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich. Bring your questions about how to navitage this perilous time of rampant disinformation and manipulation, learn the signs of cult grooming, and how to help loved ones who have fallen victim. This will be Dr. Lalich’s second time on the show. You can listen to the interview with her from April 2022 here. 

In the Shadow of Stalin Book Launch - September 4th at 7pm  

• Gaslit Nation will host a live taping at a book launch in New York City for In the Shadow of Stalin, the graphic novel adaptation of Mr. Jones, at the Ukrainian Institute of America. It includes scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut of the film, or it would have been three hours long! The evening will include a special meet-up just for Patreon supporters. We look forward to sharing more details as we get closer. If you want a book event/live taping of Gaslit Nation in your town or city, let us know! 

Indivisible x Gaslit Nation Phonebank Party! - July 18 at 8pm ET

• Open to all, Gaslit Nation and Indivisible are kicking things off early this year, really early! When there’s such a thing as Project 2025, there’s no time to waste. Come join us for our first phone bank party of the season, as we make calls to our fellow citizens in Republican hostage states, to refuse to abandon those on the frontlines of American authoritarianism, and to plant seeds of change. We’re going in! 

RSVP here to join us! https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!