America will soon have a president who laughs easily and a humorous vice president, leading what will be the most progressive and joyful administration in American history. Kamala Harris made a strong choice by selecting beloved football coach, former teacher, and Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate. This move unites the Democrats’ Big Tent coalition, which has historically won them the White House. Walz's heartfelt and straightforward approach won him a U.S. House seat in a rural Republican district and re-election as governor of Minnesota, where he used a slim Democratic majority to achieve bold progressive victories: strengthening LGBTQ+ protections to make Minnesota a refuge for trans people; committing to decarbonization by 2040; protecting reproductive healthcare; significantly reducing child poverty; implementing automatic voter registration; strengthening gun safety laws; signing into law free school meals and free public college; banning forever chemicals known as PFAS; calling for a ceasefire and hostage deal early; and much more. 

Harris reportedly chose Walz to collaborate on advancing a progressive national agenda, and his humor is an added bonus. Walz won hearts across America by labeling MAGA as “weird,” because it is. His famous charm will destroy J.D. Vance, a fascist tool of dark lord Peter Thiel. Harris and Walz are roughly the same age, which means, if we hold on tight, we could have eight years of President Harris followed by eight years of President Walz, strengthening America's future as we build a sustainable economy for all, especially for the planet.

***

You think modern women have it tough now? Not too long ago, in 2007, Christopher Hitchens wrote an essay for Vanity Fair titled, “Why Women Aren’t Funny.” In it, he argued, “Whereas women, bless their tender hearts, would prefer that life be fair, and even sweet, rather than the sordid mess it actually is. Jokes about calamitous visits to the doctor or the shrink or the bathroom, or the venting of sexual frustration on furry domestic animals, are a male province.” In his view, women are precious baby-making machines, and that power forces them into being a solemn presence–a reserved audience for men, who have evolved with the purpose of making society laugh.  

Today, a woman vice president of the United States is the second most powerful person in the world. And the most that her enemies can come up with is that she laughs too much and has never given birth. The slim pickings of criticism of Kamala Harris by MAGA are as thin as Hitchens' arguments, and they all boil down to misogyny that will be relegated to history books. 

That era was defined by the reign of “the rape joke king” Tucker Max, bestselling author of the book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, in case you’ve blocked him out of your memory. Coming of age during that time, a group of childhood girlfriends decided to create their own satire of this misogynistic hellscape, Betches Media. Joining us this week on Gaslit Nation to make sense of the war on women, past and present, and what to do about it is Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches Media and co-author, along with Emily Amick of the popular civic-action Instagram account Emily in Your Phone, Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and Our Lives. 

This conversation was recorded during one of the darkest weeks in American democracy: the Republican National Convention. As they say, it’s aways darkest before the dawn. Much has changed since then, but this conversation with Sami Sage remains as current as ever as we celebrate the opening words of the Gaslit Nation Action Guide: Democracy is a lifestyle. That’s the only way we ensure the first Black woman president, and secure our democracy in the critical years to come. 

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! RSVP here: https://ukrainianinstitute.org/event/books-at-the-institute-chalupa/

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/

Show Notes:

Casablanca clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOeFhSzoTuc

Why Women Aren’t Funny 

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2007/01/hitchens200701

Betches Media

https://betches.com/

In 2000, Republicans stole Florida by scrubbing voter rolls and stopping the recount. In 2004, Republicans stole Ohio by suppressing the vote through deliberately engineered long voting lines and other election day chaos. In 2024, Republicans are throwing everything they can at Georgia. Republican officials in the state are helping them, even those harassed by Trump’s Big Lie. 

If MAGA can’t steal the Electoral College outright, their fallback plan is to get close, drawing a tie. This would send the election to the House of Representatives. There, MAGA loyalist Mike Johnson, who blocked urgently needed Ukraine aid for six critical months, giving Russia the advantage on the battlefield, would likely pick Trump.The Senate, in control of Democrats, would pick the Vice President, likely Kamala Harris, who would then very likely be replaced by Trump’s White House as the Heritage Foundation massacres the government with Project 2025, Christian nationalism’s decades long plan to establish a dictatorship. They have 10,000 Trump loyalists already in place, ready to carry this out, according to a recent report by ProPublica. 

In March, the U.S. sanctioned two PR firms in Russia hired by the Kremlin to manipulate Americans into spreading disinformation to “divide and conquer” Trump’s opposition in the 2024 election. So it begs the question, why isn’t the DOJ, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and Secretaries of State stepping up to stop homegrown threats?: 

Why is the Christian nationalist group Ziklag allowed to fund EagleAI, which empowers MAGA activists to challenge voter registrations, including 10,000 voters in Georgia? (Remember, Trump only needed 11k votes to win Georgia in 2020). 

• Why is the Department of Homeland Security allowing voting machines in Georgia or anywhere in the country whose data was breached by MAGA loyalist Sidney Powell, with that data already spread among MAGA and possibly to foreign adversaries, like Russia? 

• Why is the DOJ letting Elon Musk fund a new version of Cambridge Analytica, targeting voters in swing states? 

• Why are the Secretaries of State allowing around 70 MAGA loyalists with histories of refusing to certify elections to remain in positions of power in 16 counties in six swing states, including Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, especially given the history of such loyalists to break the law, as they did in Georgia, helping Sidney Powell steal sensitive voting machine data? 

This week’s bonus show also looks at J.D. Vance’s war on people who don’t birth children. That brings us to this viral quote from a recent article published on the site of The Heritage Foundation, architects of Project 2025: “Joseph Stalin had an utter disregard for human life, and his regime claimed the lives of 9,000,000-20,000,000 of its own subjects. Yet even Stalin understood that society depended on strong, intact families.” This is an actual quote from Heritage Foundation Senior Research Associate Emma Waters. Her piece was taken down after it went viral, but you can read an archived version in the show notes. All that and more is discussed in this week’s Q&A shaped by listeners’ questions subscribed at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) and higher on Patreon. To join the conversation, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Discounted annual memberships are available! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 

RSVP to the live taping of Gaslit Nation featuring Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast at the Ukrainian Institute of America on September 16 at 7pm. Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher get in free–message us to be added to the guest list! More details here: https://ukrainianinstitute.org/event/books-at-the-institute-chalupa/

Show Notes:

These Swing State Election Officials Are Pro-Trump Election Deniers At least 70 pro-Trump conspiracists are election officials in key battleground counties — and they are poised to make a giant mess on Election Day https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-swing-state-officials-election-deniers-1235069692/

Russia is relying on unwitting Americans to spread election disinformation, US officials say https://apnews.com/article/russia-trump-biden-harris-china-election-disinformation-54d7e44de370f016e87ab7df33fd11c8

Inside Ziklag, the Secret Organization of Wealthy Christians Trying to Sway the Election and Change the Country https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-ziklag-secret-christian-charity-2024-election

Politics How an Elon Musk PAC is using voter data to help Trump beat Harris in 2024 election https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/02/elon-musk-pac-voter-data-trump-harris.html

Web Archive: The Heritage Foundation took down this piece really handing it to Stalin https://web.archive.org/web/20240306073726/https://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/commentary/crushing-societys-building-block

Democrats Should Remember that They Won Florida in 2000 https://theintercept.com/2018/11/10/democrats-should-remember-al-gore-won-florida-in-2000-but-lost-the-presidency-with-a-preemptive-surrender/

Ohio in 2004: None Dare Call It Stolen https://harpers.org/archive/2005/08/none-dare-call-it-stolen/

Reform the Electoral College – Learn More About the National Vote Pact https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/5/28/reform-the-electoral-college

“The work of Project 2025 is largely done. Under Paul Dans, the project has assembled a database of more than 10,000 names — job candidates vetted for loyalty to Trump’s cause — who will be ready to deploy into federal agencies after the 2024 election.” https://x.com/AlisonKodjak/status/1819335000434548958

Days before the 2016 election, Rudy Giuliani went on Fox News promising a "big surprise," emphasizing his point with a Crypt Keeper cackle. "We've got a couple of things up our sleeves that should turn this around." The vast majority of the polls had Hillary Clinton comfortably winning.

Paul Manafort, the Kremlin's longtime operative in Ukraine and Trump’s longtime friend and neighbor, had laid low in recent weeks following a bombshell report out of Ukraine that he took millions of dollars in off-the-books payments from Ukrainian kleptocrat and wannabe strongman Viktor Yanukovych. However, Manafort broke his silence days before the election and wrote on Twitter: "Battleground states moving to Trump en masse. Media not liking the pattern. By Sunday, Trump will be over 270 in polls." But the polls said no such thing.

Why were Giuliani and Manafort suddenly so confident Trump would pull off an upset? The 400-page Mueller Report and the bipartisan Senate Intelligence report both exposed how the Trump campaign and the Kremlin came to power in 2016: through pumping out disinformation to suppress the vote, cyberattacks stealing sensitive data, and hacking the voting systems of all 50 states. That very illegal strategy has been in play ever since and is mainstream for the MAGA fascist movement openly trying to overthrow our democracy and install a Christian nationalist dictatorship, with Trump as their long-awaited strongman, a perfect God’s imperfect vessel.

This special episode of Gaslit Nation looks at the ways Trump is trying to steal the election and what must be done to stop him. This is an episode you’re going to want to share with your family and friends. Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack also joins the show to discuss the US election in the context of global affairs. This week’s bonus show, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller ($5/month) level and higher, answers questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) level and higher, including on how to hold Rupert Murdoch accountable and reasons why Ukraine must join NATO. 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! 

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/

Show Notes:

Clip: “‘Trump’s Project 2025 leader Kevin Roberts: “We are winning… In ways that the other side doesn't yet know… We’re not gonna tell you everything that's coming… [Get] ready to fight’’ https://x.com/KamalaHQ/status/1816573433741795598

Clip: Trump: 'You won't have to vote anymore my beautiful Christians' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngy_VknAfXw

Clip: Venezuela elections could end Maduro’s rule https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-6PSFBwNt4

Clip: Maduro Wins Venezuela Election, Opposition Rejects Poll Results https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIfBk9F7rWU

Clip: Giuliani hinted at 'a pretty big surprise' days before the FBI announcement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDY4tSibYpo

Clip: ““To all the athletes who could not come and be here because Russia killed them. I dedicate this to them.” Olga Kharlan after winning bronze at the Paris #Olympics.” https://x.com/United24media/status/1818200501890023865

Clip: “.@jemelehill “Do you think Donald Trump is afraid to debate you? @KamalaHarris: “He should be.” https://x.com/notcapnamerica/status/1818039705038110886

A data tool being used to challenge voter registrations is raising many concerns https://www.npr.org/2024/06/04/nx-s1-4991945/voter-registration-mass-challenges-georgia

The Georgia Voting Machine Theft Poses a Direct Threat to the 2024 Election https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/10/georgia-trump-vote-theft-2024-election.html

Trump allies breach U.S. voting systems in search of 2020 fraud ‘evidence’ https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-breaches/

Georgia Senate Democrats: “What the hell is this, @GaSecofState? Canceling voters?! This tool empowers conspiracy theorists and other bad actors to deny Georgians the right to vote. We demand this be taken down immediately.” #gapol #gasenatedems https://x.com/GASenateDems/status/1817949715234717988

Should Ukraine join Nato? Open letter We don’t agree that Nato membership for Ukraine would provoke a conflict with Russia https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/27/ukraine-nato-membership?fbclid=IwY2xjawEUeM1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQwuQZWseMmw8DF1C22ycT-d_bF-QPnEra88QCrAIlFgf8Kev-uDxqNPpQ_aem_qbpdJm26_W-KofKewkUVUw

 Inside Ziklag, the Secret Organization of Wealthy Christians Trying to Sway the Election and Change the Country https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-ziklag-secret-christian-charity-2024-election

Manafort tweets for the first time since being ousted from Trump campaign https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/paul-manafort-first-tweet-since-leaving-trump-230735

He Confirmed Russia Meddled in 2016 to Help Trump. Now, He’s Speaking Out Trump viewed the 2017 intel report as his 'Achilles heel.' The analyst who wrote it opens up about Trump, Russia and what really happened in 2016 https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/cia-ica-report-author-trump-russia-1235067814/

Cyberattack hits Georgia county at center of voting software breach State officials in Georgia have severed Coffee County’s access to statewide election systems while the breach is being addressed. https://cyberscoop.com/cyberattack-hits-georgia-county-at-center-of-voting-software-breach/

Voting experts warn of ‘serious threats’ for 2024 from election equipment software breaches https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/voting-experts-warn-of-serious-threats-for-2024-from-election-equipment-software-breaches 

Election officials prepare for a range of threats in 2024, from hostile countries to conspiracy theorists https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/election-officials-prepare-for-a-range-of-threats-in-2024-from-hostile-countries-to-conspiracy-theorists

Securing the 2024 Election Facebook X LinkedIn Federal, state, and local officials must work together to safeguard the democratic process. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/securing-2024-election

Voters are being told that the election system is both under attack and vulnerable to manipulation. https://theintercept.com/2024/03/06/homeland-security-us-elections/

Georgia election officials withheld evidence in voting machine breach, group alleges A filing accuses county election officials of withholding records related to unauthorized copying of voting software by Trump allies in 2021. https://cyberscoop.com/georgia-election-officials-withheld-evidence-in-voting-machine-breach-group-alleges/

How DEF CON’s election hackers are trying to protect themselves There may be lessons for 2024 election workers in the precautions taken at the conference to protect election security researchers from harassment. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/13/def-cons-election-hackers-2024-00110981

 Electronic pollbook security raises concerns going into 2024 https://apnews.com/article/arizona-united-states-government-2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-los-angeles-651d0e923973daf28ff3b9d6105b4d74

 Cyberattack forces Georgia county to sever connection to state voter registration system https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/politics/georgia-coffee-county-cyberattack-voter-system/index.html

The Coalition of Good Governance on the Coffee County, GA April 2024 Cyberattack and Government Response https://myemail-api.constantcontact.com/And-Now--a-Fourth-Coffee-County-Breach--.html?soid=1109272168263&aid=ToQ-Ima3GxI

As Secretary of State for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton pressed the Russian reset button with a laughing Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s thuggish foreign minister who just endorsed JD Vance. In the early months of his administration, Joe Biden held a press conference with Vladimir Putin and gifted him a pair of aviator glasses while smiling European officials looked on. Will Kamala Harris, as President, surround herself with a national security team that convinces her to make the same mistakes?

In this special episode, Gaslit Nation examines Kamala Harris’s foreign policy experience over the years to see what kind of Commander-in-Chief she would be. What’s clear is that she’s a heavyweight, the most experienced in global affairs running for office since Hillary Clinton and George H. W. Bush, who used to run the C.I.A. What will her foreign policy be on Ukraine, Gaza, and who will be her national security advisor to replace the feckless Jake Sullivan?

To our subscribers at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) level and higher, be sure to get your questions in by this coming Tuesday July 29 for our next Q&A bonus show! We always love hearing from you! This episode is exclusive to our supporters at the Truth-teller ($5/month) 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:

Kamala Harris would bring greater foreign policy experience than most new US presidents Were she elected president in November, the vice president would likely oversee significant continuity with Biden’s foreign policy – except, perhaps, on Gaza.

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/07/kamala-harris-would-bring-greater-foreign-policy-experience-most-new-us-presidents

I worked to elect Kamala Harris. She must break with Biden on Israel and Palestine Lily Greenberg Call https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/23/kamala-harris-israel-palestine-policy-election

National Security Action on Kamala Harris’s Foreign Policy Compared to Trump’s https://nationalsecurityaction.org/kamala-harris-is-the-strong-experienced-foreign-policy-leader-america-needs

The Department of the Navy Hosts Climate Tabletop Exercise with Caribbean Partners https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/3816482/the-department-of-the-navy-hosts-climate-tabletop-exercise-with-caribbean-partn/

Third Anniversary of the U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America https://www.state.gov/third-anniversary-of-the-u-s-strategy-for-addressing-the-root-causes-of-migration-in-central-america/

Maya Harris on Twitter: “Yes!!! Jake Sullivan is one of the sweetest, smartest people I know. We shared an office for almost 2 yrs as Hillary’s senior policy advisors for the 2016 campaign. Quite the whirlwind of emotion running into each other backstage in DE the night we finally declared victory…” https://x.com/mayaharris_/status/1330923543987695616

Third Anniversary of the U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America https://www.state.gov/third-anniversary-of-the-u-s-strategy-for-addressing-the-root-causes-of-migration-in-central-america/

Losing the Long Game The False Promise of Regime Change in the Middle East https://www.cfr.org/book/losing-long-game

An Open World How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order https://www.cfr.org/book/open-world

Kamala Harris would bring greater foreign policy experience than most new US presidents Were she elected president in November, the vice president would likely oversee significant continuity with Biden’s foreign policy – except, perhaps, on Gaza. https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/07/kamala-harris-would-bring-greater-foreign-policy-experience-most-new-us-presidents

Here are the world leaders Harris has on speed dial Vice President Kamala Harris would enter the White House with working ties with some allied heads of state — others she’d have to build. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/23/kamala-harris-world-leaders-00170676

Harris Candidacy Gives Democrats a Chance to Pivot on Gaza What she can do to right U.S. foreign policy and bring back voters. https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/07/24/kamala-harris-gaza-israel-democrats-united-states-presidential-race/

VP Harris' Flight Delayed After Possible 'Havana Syndrome' Incident In Hanoi https://www.npr.org/2021/08/24/1030663913/kamala-harris-havana-syndrome-vietnam-delay-embassy

Who is Ella Emhoff? How Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter could affect her run for president https://forward.com/fast-forward/636240/ella-emhoff-kamala-harris-stepdaughter-gaza-palestine/

Clip: Kamala Harris speaks at the Summit for Peace in Ukraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcShf-Pe8UE&t=967s

Clip: USA Today on the history of the migrant crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jswmlDUhGuk

Clip: Kamala Harris met with war criminal Netanyahu and he's reportedly fuming after she called for a permanent ceasefire and end to the war https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIitFvZjeBw

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/