The Salty Live

Thank you to so many of you who joined Olga Lautman and me last night for Authoritarian Tactics: Trump, Putin and the Global Playbook. We discussed the similarities between how Putin has turned the Russian Federation into an authoritarian regime and what Donald Trump is attempting to do here in the United States.

The legacy media has utterly failed in describing how Trump’s assault on universities, his installation of loyalists across the federal government, his efforts to build a surveillance state, his moves to incarcerate “homegrown” undesirables, his assault on the courts, and his attempts to shut down the media are the hallmarks of an authoritarian regime. It is as though our media cannot bring itself to say that all of these things are connected to the destruction of our democracy. By the time The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN connect the dots, Trump will have put them of business and it will be too late.

Make no mistake: everything that Trump is doing is straight out of the authoritarian playbook. It is exactly what Vladimir Putin did 25 years ago when he became the president of Russia — except Trump is moving much more quickly.

Olga and I convened this emergency episode of Pax Americana as a warning. The parallels are all there and we don’t need to look too hard to notice them. I urge you to watch the episode above if you missed it. You can also stream the audio wherever you get your podcasts.

As always, I invite you to join Olga and me for our weekly Pax Americana week show on Thursdays at 11 AM ET.

It is the third Wednesday of the month, so my newsletter will post later today at The Banter . I’ll add it to the Week in Review on Sunday.

In the meantime, please join JoJoFromJerz, Michelle Kinney, Tara Setmayer and me for our weekly show Over It! at 12 PM ET today. You can stream it here.

If you are near a tv this morning, I’ll be on MSNBC in the 10 AM hour to talk about how voters are pushing back on all this at Republican town hall meetings.

Stay safe and stay salty,

Julie

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to so many of you for tuning into today’s episode of Pax Americana. Olga Lautman and I are deeply grateful that we keep growing this audience and community every week.

We connected the dots that legacy media just won’t when it comes to the Trump family’s relationship with Russia. Don’t turn away from what is so apparent.

In case you missed this episode, you can catch it above.

Join us every Wednesday at 11 AM ET for a new episode of Pax Americana. If there are any issues you would like us to discuss or any questions for Olga and me, please drop them in the comments below.

Also, if you already don’t follow Olga Lautman and her Trump Tyranny Trackerwhat are you waiting for?

Show notes, courtesy of Olga:

* No Tariffs on Russia — Trump’s tariffs spared Russia despite 2024 trade of $3.5 billion. Meanwhile, Ukraine, a key U.S. ally under a genocidal assault, faces tariffs on steel and other goods, highlighting where Trump’s loyalties lie. Source: Newsweek

* Pentagon Considering Cutting 10,000 Troops From Europe — Trump is reviewing a proposal to withdraw up to 10,000 U.S. troops from Eastern Europe—about half of those sent by Biden after Russia’s 2022 full-scale genocidal invasion of Ukraine. Source: NBC News

* US Neo-Nazi Group with Russia-Based Leader Calls for Targeted Ukraine Attacks — The Base, a U.S.-designated neo-Nazi terrorist group led by American Rinaldo Nazzaro from St. Petersburg, Russia, is calling for assassinations and attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure to support Kremlin goals during ceasefire negotiations. Source: The Guardian

* Here Comes the Gulag — Trump is trying to socialize his plan to send American citizens to CECOT, the Salvadorian hellhole gulag.

* While the Economy Burns, Trump Plans a Parade — As Trump’s reckless tariffs tank the economy, his focus is nowhere near jobs or stability. Instead, he’s fixated on staging a dictator-style military parade in the heart of Washington, DC.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to everyone who joined JoJoFromJerz, Michelle Kinney and me for our emergency Substack Live tonight!

Why is Trump tanking the economy? We have some ideas about that one. Watch more above.

Salty Politics is a reader-supported publication. If you find this content to be of value to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to everyone who joined Olga Lautman and me for today’s episode of Pax Americana.

We covered so much ground in just over an hour — much of it hiding in plain sight but completely ignored by legacy media.

I invite you to watch the whole show above if you missed it live. Courtesy of Olga, here are the show notes:

Show Notes

* Ukrainian children — Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the State Department preserved a critical database documenting the mass kidnappings of Ukrainian children by Russia—data lawmakers feared was deleted after Trump defunded the Yale-led program tracking the kidnappings. Russia has kidnapped over 21,000 Ukrainian children in an act of genocide. Thank you to everyone for speaking out and pressuring Congress. Source: New York Times

* The Bonkers Putin to Pentagon Pipeline — Pete Hegseth’s use of the Russian term “near abroad” in Pentagon strategy reflects the growing influence of authoritarian-aligned think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, which has deepened ties with Orbán’s pro-Kremlin regime in Hungary. The language — and the policy — highlight a broader shift by Trump and his cronies toward aligning with Putin’s worldview and undermining Western alliances and democracies.

* Kirill Dmitriev: Putin’s Messenger Arrives In Washington — Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s most trusted financial operator and messenger, has quietly arrived in Washington. Not in disgrace. But with a special temporary sanctions waiver, personally approved by Trump, so he could waltz into the White House under the guise of "ceasefire talks."

* Influencer Paid by Russia Added to White House Press Pool — Tim Pool, a right-wing YouTuber who took Russian money to spread propaganda and disinformation about Ukraine and the 2024 election, has been added to Trump’s White House press pool. Source: Daily Beast

Join us every Thursday at 11 AM as we delve into our nation’s foreign policy and how it is being influenced by the Kremlin.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Spotlight PA: Democrat James Malone wins Pa. Senate race in Trump +15 district, a major upset

CNN: Republicans grow concerned about Trump’s handpicked candidate in Florida special election

Newsweek: Democrats' Chances of Flipping House Seat Trump Won by 30 Points: Poll

New York Times: Trump Asks Stefanik to Withdraw Bid to Be U.N. Ambassador

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Kate E, Earl Brownlee, Dawn Marie Galtieri, Ethan Cochran, and many others for tuning into my live video with Olga Lautman!

This week, we covered Signalgate and what it means for our national security well beyond what the legacy media is covering. Plus, four American servicemen have disappeared in Lithuania and our commander-in-chief claims to know nothing about it. Really?

If you missed our Live episode today, you can catch it here. And please join us every Thursday at 11 AM for brand new episodes of Pax Americana.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you A Word, Please, from Adi Weiss, Linda Weide, Michelle Kinney, Jennifer Wells, Earl Brownlee, and many others for tuning into Pax Americana, which premiered today at 11 AM ET.

Each week, Olga Lautman and I will discuss U.S. foreign policy and how it affects our country and our shifting alliances. If you missed this week’s episode, you can watch it above. Catch us live at 11 AM ET every Thursday.

If you do not follow Olga Lautman yet, please subscribe to her must-read Trump Tyranny Tracker and her Unmasking Russia newsletters on Substack.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to many of you for tuning into my live video with Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.! Join me for my next live video in the app.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Canary, Gerry Manning, Renée Paternoster, Earl Brownlee, Ottalie, and many others for tuning into my live video with Olga Lautman! Join me for my next live video in the app and please follow Olga’s Trump Tyranny Tracker for your daily dose of the horrors being foisted on us.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you JR Roessl, Frances, Amy Earle, Perry Albertson, Allison A, and many others for tuning into my live video with Charlotte Clymer! Join me for my next live video with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Monday at 7 PM ET.

This morning at 10 AM ET, please join Tara Setmayer, Michelle Kinney and JoJoFromJerz for Saturday morning Coffee and Conversation. You can catch it here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe