It's another jam-packed Emptywheel Friday with Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net. Trump's threat to annihilate Iran, what the "ceasefire" actually means (and who it benefited), JD Vance's trip to Hungary to shore up a Russian asset, and the death of an American soldier that Russia helped cause — which Trump is ignoring. And, of course, Melania. Ooh boy did her little presser yesterday open a huge can of worms.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Yes, I want our nation and the world to be rid of the demented orange man currently occupying the Oval Office. Judging by his actions and statements this week alone, it's clear that he's not fit for office. That seems to be the situation that the 25th Amendment to the Constitution was written to address. Or was it? Our first guest today is Maureen Tkacik, investigations editor of The American Prospect. She & David Dayen looked into it and what they found might surprise you. Then our old friend Driftglass steps away from his blog and the Professional Left Podcast to join us for the rest of the hour to discuss the full catastrophe: the war, the chaos, and the constitutional shitshow Trump has dragged this country into.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Comedy writer, satirist, and Morning Sedition / Daily Show veteran Jim Earl joins us LIVE to talk Trump's wild weekend — from death rumors to threatening a "whole civilization" to calling a 2-week ceasefire a win. We'll dig into the Iran deal Iran is calling their victory, the Strait of Hormuz toll road nobody asked for, Pete Hegseth crediting God for wartime diplomacy, and who's next on Trump's purge list. Plus — Jim's book Mourning Remembrance: Mocking Obituaries Ripped from the Headlines is more relevant than ever.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today's episode features journalist and political analyst Frederick Clarkson, Senior Research Analyst at Political Research Associates, who has spent four decades covering the intersection of religion and politics in America. Fred joins us to break down the growing influence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) — a charismatic Christian movement whose leaders claim direct revelations from God and are pursuing religious and political dominion over American society.

We'll dig into three major stories Fred is currently reporting on: Trump's recent promotion of a decades-old prophecy from a dead charismatic preacher to build support for his Iran policy; a guide to the 24 most influential NAR apostles and prophets operating in the U.S. today — many of whom were connected to January 6th; and the largely unreported story of newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's ties to City Elders, a Tulsa-based NAR-affiliated organization with an explicit goal of placing its people in government at every level.

From "holy war" rhetoric in the military to theocratic creep in the GOP, Fred helps us understand how a movement most Americans have never heard of is quietly reshaping the political landscape — and why that matters for democracy.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is a problem in 2026 and in the D'ump regime. There has been creeping Christianity in our government for more than a few years now, but this cabal of creepy "Christians" has taken it to a whole new level. And it reared it's ugly head over the Easter and Passover holidays. Jonathan Larsen (of The Fucking News) today puts on his serious JonathanLarsen.substack.com journalist's hat to bring us some of this offensive weird sect of Christianity stuff that's infected this government.

I also shared a segment from my show from January 3, 2020. Trump had just launched an attack on Iran that killed Iranian General Sulieman. I called a random hotel in Tehran, hoping to reach someone who speaks English so we could have a conversation between two humans who don't want war. It was everything I had hoped for!

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net joins me every Friday to discuss most of the news that you need to know about since we spoke the week before. Today, we began with the breaking news this morning that a US fighter jet was shot down over Iran. One of the two pilots had been rescued. The other was still missing when we finished recording at about 1pm Eastern. If anything happens to that missing pilot, it's Pete Hegseth's fault. As Marcy said, we must all call our congressional representatives and demand he be fired! And there's lots more...

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sometimes I don't exactly what I'll be talking about until shortly before the show begins. I had a few ideas for today... but two hours before showtime the breaking news dropped in my lap and my plans changed... Pam Bondi is OUT as Attorney General. We had hints it would be happening, and then it did.

Also, the orange pustule showed what a spoiled brat of an insolent child he is with a nasty UNtruth social post about Bruce Springsteen. So, I reached out to The Nation's Joan Walsh (who's as big a fan as I am), and asked her to join us. And last night, I pestered by friend Brad Friedman of the Brad Blog (who's on vacation this week) because I thought I should interrupt his time off to see what he thinks of all of this.

Today was supposed to be spring cleaning... that'll have to wait for next week. Tomorrow, it's another Emptywheel Friday with Marcy Wheeler!

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today is April 1st, April Fools Day, and our nation's biggest fool again made a fool of himself, becoming the first-ever sitting guy in the oval office (sorry, I can't call him president) to attend a Supreme Court hearing. That the case is over an Executive Order he issued on his first day in office makes it even more idiotic. Or, if you prefer, the word he likes to call other people, "STUPID."

But we know that every accusation is a confession everything he says is projection, it's not surprising. Thankfully, our favorite legal expert LISA GRAVES will take some time out of her very busy day to spend some time with us today too... And Bruce Springsteen kicked off his special Land of Hope & Dreams tour in Minneapolis last night...

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tim Karr is Senior Director of Communications & Strategy for FreePress.net, an organization that's been fighting to protect media and technology, knowing they're essential to our democracy, and to make sure they're used for justice. Today Tim and I spoke about how this regime's takeover of the FCC is being used to control all aspects of those components, doing grave danger to our nation and democracy along the way

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We did it! For the third time now, millions of patriots took to the streets of the USA and many more joined in from foreign shores to stand up for democracy and against an evil, sociopathic narcissistic ruler who thinks he should be king in a nation that was borne on the premise that there are no kings. His actions have set our 250-year young experiment with a fragile democracy on a collision course to upend the global infrastructure, causing more than one expert to predict our demise if we stay on this course. Today on the show, after a look at where we go from here, we'll check in with our professor - Dr. Art Jipson, University of Dayton professor of sociology, prolific writer, and aka Dr J, host of the Tuesday Afternoon Alternative at WUDR, since 2004!

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy