On Background with Susan Crabtree

Explosive fraud allegations in Minnesota and California are shaking Democratic leadership—and this episode of On Background breaks it all down. Investigative journalist Susan Crabtree explains why Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s sudden exit may be tied to massive fraud scandals and mounting political pressure from Amy Klobuchar.

Then comes California, where Crabtree draws chilling parallels to Gavin Newsom, detailing alleged failures involving homelessness spending, wildfire recovery, utilities, COVID relief, and education funding. She argues that audits were blocked, accountability was avoided, and entrenched political interests benefited. In the meantime, the legacy media largely looked the other way.

As federal scrutiny intensifies, Crabtree predicts 2026 will be a year of investigations, whistleblowers, and political reckoning for one-party rule.

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In this episode of On Background, Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers are joined by former FBI Special Agent Rich Staropoli to expose the catastrophic breakdown in security and leadership following the Brown University shooting. From delayed alerts and missing camera footage to the complete absence of command authority, the response was disorganized, unserious, and dangerous. Officials prioritized optics over action, messaging over manhunts, and political caution over public safety. Staropoli explains why this was not confusion but institutional failure, and why these same patterns are now spreading nationwide. This episode lays out exactly what went wrong, who is responsible, and why these failures will continue unless they are confronted directly.

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In this episode, Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers unpack the chaotic and fast-moving revelations surrounding the arrest of alleged J6 pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr. They highlight contradictions in FBI narratives, questions about the timing of the arrest after five years, and concerns about the involvement of DOJ prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine, previously accused of attempting to coerce false confessions in Proud Boys cases. The hosts scrutinize media spin, disputed claims that Cole is a “right-wing election denier,” and potential motives that appear inconsistent with his background. They explore whistleblower leaks, possible institutional bias, and the FBI’s history of questionable investigations while stressing the need for evidence-based scrutiny.

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In Ep. 9, Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers interview IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler, who helped expose the Hunter Biden tax case and testified before Congress about political interference and DOJ obstruction. Ziegler recounts early red flags, including blocked interviews, suppressed search warrants, and prosecutors removing references to “political figure one.” He explains how he and supervisor Gary Shapley became whistleblowers after being sidelined from the case and describes the retaliation, personal fallout, and political pressure they endured. Ziegler emphasizes that his actions were nonpartisan, rooted in fairness and accountability, and reveals how extensive evidence contradicted DOJ narratives. He also discusses the “deep state,” whistleblower protections, and ongoing reforms needed within federal agencies.

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In Ep. 8, Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers speak with The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis about The Federalist’s Dow Prize–winning investigation that dismantled the Russia-collusion narrative. Davis recounts early red flags surrounding the Steele dossier, CNN’s role as “patient zero,” and James Comey’s long history of manipulative tactics. He details how the media, intelligence agencies, and political operatives worked in tandem to perpetuate the hoax, destroy Michael Flynn, and target outlets like The Federalist through censorship and financial pressure. The conversation also exposes the incestuous ties within Washington’s media ecosystem and warns that the same global censorship and political-lawfare forces remain active and poised to intensify.

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Ep. 7 of On Background examines newly uncovered social-media posts attributed to Trump shooter Thomas Crooks, which contradict initial FBI claims that he had little online presence. Hosts Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers speak with former Secret Service agents Rich Staropoli and Frank Loveridge, who sharply criticize the FBI and Secret Service for failing to detect Crooks’ online threats and for providing inconsistent public explanations. The guests argue that political pressure, agency mismanagement, and staffing crises contributed to lapses in protective intelligence. They also question why the FBI will not clarify whether Crooks was previously on its radar and discuss broader issues of morale, corruption, and resource shortages within the Secret Service.

In this episode of On Background with Susan Crabtree, Crabtree and Eric Eggers go inside the growing clash between ICE and Border Patrol—and what it reveals about the Trump administration’s aggressive new immigration strategy. Award-winning reporter Anna Giaritelli exposes the internal power struggle shaping deportation operations, the White House pressure for mass arrests, and why millions of Hispanics are suddenly rethinking their political loyalties. She breaks down how fear-driven messaging, self-deportation claims, and agency infighting are reshaping enforcement on the ground, from Chicago to Charlotte. Giaritelli also opens up about her harrowing assault in Washington, D.C., revealing deep failures in the city’s courts and crime-reporting system. From immigration upheaval to urban safety breakdowns, this episode uncovers the forces redefining America’s security landscape.

In this episode of On Background with Susan Crabtree, Crabtree and Eric Eggers break down Gavin Newsom’s stunning victory in California’s Prop 50 election and what it means for 2028. Crabtree reveals how Newsom turned a crushing Republican defeat into a national springboard—despite his record of sky-high costs, rampant homelessness, and mass exodus from the state. They discuss how new maps could disenfranchise millions of GOP voters and set up a Supreme Court showdown. From California to New York, Crabtree and Eggers trace the Democrats’ coast-to-coast surge — and how Newsom’s political machine is already reshaping the battlefield.

In this episode of On Background with Susan Crabtree, Crabtree and Eric Eggers expose Gavin Newsom’s latest reinvention after his viral All the Smoke podcast appearance, where he claimed a blue-collar, “hustlin’” childhood. Crabtree dismantles that narrative, revealing Newsom’s lifelong ties to the Getty and Pelosi families and the elite network that built his career. The hosts also debunk Newsom’s mythic baseball backstory and uncover how his carefully crafted image masks privilege, political ambition, and manipulation ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run.

In this episode of On Background with Susan Crabtree, Crabtree and Eric Eggers uncover explosive new details about the White House cocaine scandal and expose ongoing failures inside the Secret Service. Crabtree reveals how evidence tied to “Cocaine 1600” was destroyed under Director Kimberly Cheatle, and she breaks another exclusive about an unfit agent on Vice President Kamala Harris’s detail. Former California corrections official Doug Eckenrod joins to reveal how Governor Gavin Newsom’s mass prisoner releases fueled a surge in crime, overdoses, and lawlessness across the state.