Gaslit Nation with Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior

This is an excerpt of a Gaslit Nation bonus episode. To access this and the full back catalogue of bonus episodes, special event invites, and more, subscribe to the show on Patreon by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit The Gaslit Nation Q&A is back! But first, some announcements. We're having another live taping of Gaslit Nation with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman on Tuesday June 27th at 12pm EST. For our Patreon subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, on the morning of the event, a link will be sent straight to your inbox from Patreon on how to join -- it's as easy as clicking on the link. We invite you to drop questions in the chat! And as a thank you to our community, running every month, all year long, we're selecting a Patreon subscriber every month to receive a copy of Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! The listener chosen for May 2023 is Joel Farran. Thank you for all of your support for the show, Joel! Thank you to everyone who keeps Gaslit Nation going, especially during these uncertain times. There would be no Gaslit Nation without you! In this Q&A bonus episode, the discussion includes QAnon being a confession by the Republican Party that is riddled with pedophiles and other criminals, why we need to follow the findings of the 1968 Kerner Commission Report, and why the Secret Service is a ticking time bomb. If you didn't hear your question answered this week, look out for it next week, as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues! And apologies for the late night bleariness heard in this episode, it was a late night recording once the kids were asleep. :) Show Notes: Secret Service under scrutiny ahead January 6 committee's final report https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKuLOYlJQNk The dangerous secrets inside the Secret Service, and how the agency has been shortchanged https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO1W4JygWQc Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service https://bookshop.org/p/books/zero-fail-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-secret-service-carol-leonnig/16898149?ean=9780399589034 The 1968 Kerner Commission Got It Right, But Nobody Listened https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/1968-kerner-commission-got-it-right-nobody-listened-180968318/ Rep. Katie Porter in conversation with Larry Wilmore at Live Talks Los Angeles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8uRg7XqQ-I&t=1601s

This conversation was recorded May 24, 2023 as a Gaslit Nation live taping and includes at the end a Q&A of questions dropped in the chat by our audience. Thank you to everyone who joined us! Can Florida, and with it, the rest of our democracy be saved? Or is Florida destined to be an authoritarian cesspool under Brooks Brother Viktor Orbán – Ron DeSantis? In this special solution-rich episode of Gaslit Nation, author David Pepper discusses his latest book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American. David shares important lessons from the upset of Jacksonville’s mayoral race; why Florida’s Democratic Party State Chair Nikki Fried could give DeSantis a run for his money, and we discuss how Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota have their acts together while New York’s Democratic Party remains stuck under Jay Jacobs who handed the House to Kevin McCarthy, bringing the American and therefore the global economy to the brink. (Elections have consequences, which is why Jay Jacobs must be replaced – join the movement here!) If you’re stuck in a so-called blue state like New York that’s failing due to machine politics and complacency, or if you live in a fascist-gerrymandered hostage state known as a red state, this discussion has concrete steps you can take to empower your community. Local elections are the frontlines of our democracy, no matter where you live. And none of us are in this battle alone. Thank you to everyone who joined our live taping with David Pepper. Be sure to check out his book Saving Democracy. If you would like to join a future live taping of Gaslit Nation, be sure to support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher. And to submit questions for our regular Q&As, sign up at the Democracy Defender level or higher. We’ll be back with an all new Q&A this coming Friday so stay tuned! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Our May song feature is “Paper Thin” by Confusions. You can find more of Confusions' music on Bandcamp at confusions.bandcamp.com To submit your song to the Gaslit Nation Make Art Challenge, send us your music here. Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who joined the live taping with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman and Polish artist and activist Kasia Babis who illustrated the Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! Here is the Q&A with Olga where we answered questions dropped in the chat. Before you press play, be sure to first watch this CIA recruitment video for Russians as it's brought up in the Q&A by a member of the audience. Next week we're running an inspiring interview with author David Pepper on his new book Saving Democracy, a guide for every citizen. Look out for an all new Gaslit Nation bonus episode answering questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. And let us know who you would like us to do a live taping with in the future! Thank you to everyone for supporting the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To join our community of listeners and get access to bonus episodes, invites to live tapings, and more, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit

Welcome to our special live taping of Gaslit Nation! Thank you to everyone who joined us and asked such profound and moving questions in the live Q&A. It was a replenishing joy to hear from you. Thank you so much to the great Kasia Babis, a renowned illustrator and activist in Poland who created the visual world of the Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! available now on pre-order, and out everywhere starting June 13. If you haven’t met the book’s rascally narrator yet, Judge Lackey, see him at work by watching the book’s fun animated trailer. Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman also joined the live-taping to discuss whether Putin’s days are numbered (they are!), who will replace him (someone worse?), and whether the Freedom of Russia Legion liberating Russian towns and villages inside Russia from Putin’s dictatorship is real (it appears so!), and what it all means. Will Putin use nukes, especially as Ukraine’s spring offensive gets underway? What should the world’s response be to Putin going nuclear? We're having another live taping Wednesday May 24 at 2pm EST with David Pepper on his new book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American. You can get access to that by subscribing to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher -- details will be sent out to those subscribers on how to join the live taping the morning of the event. Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit Our bonus episode this week will be the Q&A of our live taping. We’ll be back with an all new Q&A answering questions submitted by our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. To submit your questions or to get access to the bonus episodes, and our full back catalog of bonus episodes, be sure to subscribe to the show on Patreon to keep us going! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Ilya Ponomarev clip: https://twitter.com/GwarWorin/status/1660748853111410688 Freedom of Russia Legion Twitter https://twitter.com/legion_svoboda

Ralph Blumenthal, the longtime New York Times reporter who got U.F.O.'s on the frontpage of the "Paper of Record" joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the government's secret X-Files. He is the author of several books, including The Believer: Alien Encounters, Hard Science, and the Passion of John Mack, the children's book UFOhs, as well as several books on the mafia and Nazis, making him the ideal Gaslit Nation guest! This is an excerpt of an upcoming special two-part episode with Blumenthal on the nature of U.F.O.'s, what the current and potential findings mean for humanity, and the corporations believed to be monitoring research into U.F.O.'s closely for potential profit opportunities and there doesn't seem much that the shadowy government sectors allowing this will do to protect against that. Look out for more of this interview soon! For now, we couldn't wait to share this excerpt as a bit of fun as we gear up for next week's two live tapings. This coming Tuesday May 23rd at 1:30pm EST, Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins Gaslit Nation for a live taping followed by an audience Q&A. The next day Wednesday May 24th at 2pm EST David Pepper, the author of Saving Democracy, joins Gaslit Nation for a live taping to answer questions about how to defeat the fascist threat, especially in so-called "red states." If you're subscribed to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher, check your inbox for details on how to join each event the morning of that event. Joining the live tapings will be as easy as clicking on a link! Gaslit Nation will be back with an all new Q&A next week answering questions from subscribers at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Keep your questions coming! We always enjoy hearing from you! Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! If you would like to join our community of listeners and get access to all bonus episodes, including our back catalogue and event invites, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit

Sports Illustrated cover model George Santos was arrested for fraud! This week’s episode processes the shock over that news, and asks the all important question of who in their right mind would post a $500,000 bond to bail out George Santos, and what are they getting in return? Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and Santos is the smoke of a larger corruption ushering in fascist kleptocracy. In this week’s episode, Andrea is joined by old friend of the show Terrell Starr of the essential podcast Black Diplomats. Sarah is taking a step back from the show to deal with a family situation, as she has shared on Twitter. In this episode, Terrell and Andrea discuss the Durham Report, Nikki Haley and her pals the Kushners clawing their way back to the White House to steal more from the American people, and the inspiring resilience of the Ukrainian people facing off against Russia’s genocide. Next week’s live taping of Gaslit Nation on Tuesday May 23rd at 1:30pm EST will feature Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman who grew up in Brighton Beach and, instead of becoming a Trump Crime Family accomplice, co-founded an anti-corruption NGO in Europe, Institute for European Integrity. There will be a second *newly added* live taping on Wednesday May 24th at 2pm EST featuring David Pepper to discuss his new book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American. To join those events, be sure to subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher, and look out for the details sent to your inbox on the morning of May 23rd then again on May 24th. A new bonus episode comes out this Friday answering questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Pre-order our book! Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! George Santos clip: "I wanna be remembered as somebody who stood up to everybody in the time of adversity...I want people to look and say, look, times might be tough, but there was always George Santos...I think it takes a lot of resilience to go through what I've gone through." https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1655681052491276290 Craig Harrington of Media Matters for America on Jake Tapper on the Durham Report https://twitter.com/Craigipedia/status/1658207831483465732 Sarah Kendzior on The Saturday/Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart https://twitter.com/weekendcapehart/status/1657373968884547586 NEW AUDIO: Rep. George Santos tells a "joke" about a "room full of Jews.” https://twitter.com/TheBeatWithAri/status/1656424125890457603 How an Investor Lost $625,000 and His Faith in George Santos https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/nyregion/george-santos-sec-intrater.html Sanctioned-Oligarch-Connected Andrew Intrater’s GOP Donations Go Beyond Just George Santos https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/01/sanctioned-oligarch-connected-andrew-intraters-gop-donations-go-beyond-just-george-santos/ Private equity investor identified as political contributor allegedly duped by George Santos https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/andrew-intrater-private-equity-investor-santos/index.html#:~:text=Intrater%20has%20financially%20supported%20Santos,Federal%20Election%20Commission%20records%20show New York Attorney Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Money Laundering to Promote Sanctions Violations by Associate of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-attorney-pleads-guilty-conspiring-commit-money-laundering-promote-sanctions Associate of Sanctioned Oligarch Indicted for Sanctions Evasion and Money Laundering https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/associate-sanctioned-oligarch-indicted-sanctions-evasion-and-money-laundering Break the Chain Between Russian Oligarchs and Managers, and You Break Everything https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/opinion/russian-oligarchs-wealth-managers.html “They Think Very Highly of Nikki”: The Kushner Family Is Cozying Up to Nikki...

We discuss the fascist fantasy of CNN's Klan rally, what it means for our democracy, where things are headed, and what to do about it. This is an excerpt of this week's bonus show for our Patreon subscribers. To join our community of listeners and get access to weekly bonus episodes, events, and other fun perks, subscribe at Patreon.com/gaslit to help keep our show going. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation -- we could not make this show without you.

Join us May 23rd Tuesday 1:30pm EST for a live taping of Gaslit Nation and audience Q&A! If you're subscribed on Patreon at the Truth-teller level or higher, you'll receive a guest link the morning of the event to join us. Thank you to everyone who supports the show! What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward CNN to be born? Well, I think we all know the answer to that. This week we describe the foot-soldiers of criminal impunity that have arisen in the wake of the Trump presidency and the unpunished attempted coup. We start with Daniel Penny, who murdered homeless man Jordan Neely on the subway and was coddled and protected by politicians and the media. We go on to discuss domestic terrorist Mauricio Garcia, who murdered eight people in Texas after immersing himself in neo-nazi movements. We also discuss the horrific fact that snuff videos and extremely graphic images are circulating online, distributed with intent to desensitize the population to violence. We examine the root causes of the crisis – lax gun laws, institutional apathy toward suffering (especially throughout the mass death of covid), failure of federal officials to respond to a right-wing, white supremacist movement that has been building since 2008 and accelerated dramatically during the Trump era, and a media/political system that wants you to accept violent extremism as normal. Do not accept it! Andrea concludes with the latest on Russia’s war on Ukraine, a dramatic week which included drones launched at the Kremlin, and at its historical precedents as “Victory Day” comes around at a time when Putin is feeding his own population into a Stalinesque meat grinder. We have switched the day of our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and above, to Friday! This gives us time to discuss news stories that break after we record, so for the latest on Trump being held liable in court and more, listen in. We will also answer questions from Patreon subscribers at the Democracy Defender level or higher. We know times are tough – that’s why every other media company is going out of business! But that’s also why independent news is all the more important. Gaslit Nation is funded entirely by its Patreon subscribers, which is how we are able to speak our minds without fear. Please support us and keep independent journalism going! Show Notes: Cover-up King Bill Barr's recent C-SPAN interview: https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1654565277961449473 Historian Timothy Snyder on how Ukraine suffered the greatest casualties from the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union and why that matters today https://twitter.com/Biz_Ukraine_Mag/status/1655639502667276301 Run, Rabbit, Run -- a message from Ukraine to Russia from August 2022 on the eve of liberating large regions from Russian occupation. Is history about to repeat with the coming spring counteroffensive? https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1565037514888560641 The Unemployment Gap Between Black and White New Yorkers Is Widening - The New York Times (nytimes.com) What to know about the Allen mall shooter’s reported extremism | The Texas Tribune How do you become “white” in America? - The Correspondent

Jeff Sharlet is the author of the new book Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, and the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, which led to the must-watch Netflix docuseries The Family. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper’s; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He currently teaches the art of writing as a professor at Dartmouth College. In this week's bonus episode, Sharlet takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A to share what art, music, books, and documentaries and other things he recommends to help process the times we live in. We will be back with an all new bonus episode Q&A next week. For subscribers at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions to be answered in an upcoming episode! Thank you so much for your support of the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To join our community on Patreon and help keep the show going, sign up here: Patreon.com/Gaslit

With political violence on the rise in America, along with disinformation, mainstream propaganda and the consolidation of media under conservative ownership, the scapegoating of LGBTQ+ people, women, and nonwhite people, and the weaponization of government in several Republican-led states, are we headed towards a civil war? In this week's episode, Andrea interviews Jeff Sharlet, the author of the new book Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet is also the author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, that launched the must-watch Netflix series of the same name, that takes viewers into the dark heart of corruption known as the National Prayer Breakfast, and how it's used as a tool for the extreme religious right to consolidate power. In Undertow, Sharlet takes readers on a cross-country roadtrip to show how we're in a slow-motion civil war, and provides ways to confront this dangerous crossroads, including lessons from Civil Rights leader and artist Harry Belafonte. Sharlet is the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper’s; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He currently teaches the art of writing as a professor at Dartmouth College. In our bonus episode, out later this week for Patreon subscribers at the Truth-teller level or higher, Sharlet takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A to share what art, music, books, and documentaries and other cultural resources that he recommends to help process the times we live in. We will share a free excerpt of that for all listeners wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back with an all new Gaslit Nation episode next week, along with our regular Q&A bonus episode for Patreon subscribers. For supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions to be answered in an upcoming bonus episode. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation and keeps our show going! To join our community of listeners, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit

Next week we're running an interview with Jeff Sharlet, the author or editor of several best-selling books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, which led to the must-watch Netflix docuseries The Family. Sharlet is out with a new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. This weeek's Q&A discussion includes updates on wannabe mass-shooter Discord Traitor Bro, otherwise known as Jack Teixeira; springtime for Putin -- all the things currently going wrong in Russia's ongoing genocidal invasion of Ukraine and what to look out for next; the consolidation of media under far-right ownership, and preserving our free speech in the digital sphere, and more! If you didn't hear your question answered this week, look out for it soon as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues. And for our listeners at the Democracy Defender level or higher, keep your questions coming. We always enjoy hearing from you. Thank you all for your support of the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To join our community on Patreon, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit

This week we take a look at the slate for 2024, including recently declared candidate President Biden, career criminal seditionist Donald Trump, Marianne Williamson, Robert Kennedy Jr, and possibly two more Republicans – the faltering Ron DeSantis, and the demonic Tucker Carlson, who recently was set free from his Fox News hellscape to possibly run for office. We contemplate a Carlson run, examine the Fox News lawsuit, and discuss the gutting of investigative reporting and the demise of cable news in general. At the end of the show, we debate about how Biden is doing and what he should be doing – not to win, but to fulfill his campaign promises and serve the American people, which is his job! We also discuss the Kremlin’s latest moves into Sudan and the operations of the Wagner Group: the brutal band of professional mercenaries that has been active in Ukraine, Syria, and other regions the Kremlin seeks to drag into their sphere of influence. We discuss the history of Russia’s efforts in Africa and how Obama official Susan Rice helped paved the road for the current disaster. We also discuss what it means that Rice is finally leaving the Biden administration. Every week we do a bonus episode for our Patreon subscribers. We’ve decided to start releasing them later in the week because we often have extra topics we don’t get to in the main show. So this week, stay tuned for some extra Gaslit Nation as well as the answers to our listener Q&A! To submit a question, join at the Democracy Defender level or higher. To listen to the bonus episode, join at the Truth-Teller level or higher. Gaslit Nation is one of few podcasts that is free to all and that keeps all of our episodes archived online in transcript form. This is important as news websites continue to go under or paywall their content. We are under no corporate control and are funded entirely by our listeners. Help keep Gaslit Nation going by joining us on Patreon! Show Notes: Submit your song for the Gaslit Nation Make Art song series. Sign up here. Clip: CNN on Russia in Sudan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQapgnGwLBw Clip: Tucker Carlson’s Disinformation on Ukraine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG8uLFHJWVE Clip: Tucker Carlson defending child rap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr1WnL070hc Clip: Don Lemon on Vivek Ramaswamy https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1650563196795641871 Russia is plundering gold in Sudan to boost Putin’s war effort in Ukraine https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/29/africa/sudan-russia-gold-investigation-cmd-intl/index.html South African Border War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Border_War Putin’s Private Army Accused of Raping New Moms on Maternity Ward https://www.thedailybeast.com/wagner-group-mercenaries-accused-of-raping-new-moms-on-maternity-ward-in-central-african-republic Rex Tillerson Is Running the State Department Into the Ground https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/04/rex-tillerson-is-running-the-state-department-into-the-ground-215677/ Shot 5-year-old girl in head: Prisoners from Wagner confess to killing children in Bakhmut and Soledar https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/shot-5-old-girl-head-120100855.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGXtXRZip4dbSPAHNmLau_eGyS6S7xX-IinzOlzTLPpPy3-l3wG6eay7o8myxP5i28E8fZizEV8BGjVpahNPC7atwhHDmKZ3TW1BrXK61L-dcbn-4rhyGe13jPFFCHDz2qvF_0rJdTovCObPDC-xNvAPsbVNwe8ziFnxRstM3KUj Xi Condemns Killings in African Nation Where Russian and Chinese Interests Compete https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/20/world/europe/central-african-republic-russia-china.html Airman Shared Sensitive Intelligence More Widely and for Longer Than Previously Known https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/us/politics/jack-teixeira-leaks-russia-ukraine.html “Stunning”: Reporters who uncovered Matt Gaetz evidence baffled after DOJ drops sex trafficking case ...

Another week, another set of traitors that somehow our (compromised) national security institutions were not able to catch in time! This week we take a look at Jake Teixeira, a traitor who leaked classified intelligence documents on Discord and became the new mascot of the far-right, and “Donbass Devushka”, the pathetic online persona of a former Naval official and all-around asshole from New Jersey named Sarah Bils. These two are just the latest iteration of a broader online propaganda initiative, ongoing for over a decade, to weaponize intelligence against Ukraine on behalf of the Kremlin and its American right-wing backers. We look at the long history of intelligence failures that have led us to the point that a bunch of randos in a Discord forum are more in tune with intelligence than our politicians, who behave like characters in a reality TV show. We discuss the lack of accountability from the FBI and DOJ and the complicity of seditionists like Marjorie Taylor Green who recite their little lines in tandem with their task masters. We discuss Wagner Group and other terrorist outlets attacking Ukraine, as well as the slow-moving war itself, and Andrea again implores the US government to give Ukraine the military equipment that it needs so the war will actually end – and the only way it can end with a chance of peace for the world is with a Ukraine win. For our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and higher, we answer questions from our subscribers about AI and fascism, why Americans don't protest like the French, the Tennessee legislature and the protests, Clarence Thomas, NC Dem turncoat Tricia Cotham, who should primary Biden, the fading career of DeSantis, and more! And if you join at the Democracy Defender level or higher, you can join us at our live show for our upcoming graphic novel Dictatorship – It’s Easier Than You Think, which will be out June 13! The live show will be May 23 at 1:30 EST. Gaslit Nation is an independent podcast made possible entirely by our Patreon community, so please consider joining and getting extra features and more! Show Notes: News clip on Discord Bro Leaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFZo2t11AsM Trump/Tucker clip: https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1645954118551322626 Italian PM clip calling out Kremlin shills: https://twitter.com/KyivPost/status/1639206906786103296 Donbass Devushka clip: https://twitter.com/jabuttee/status/1646547974858653699 Social-Media Account Overseen by Former Navy Noncommissioned Officer Helped Spread Secrets https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-account-overseen-by-former-navy-noncommissioned-officer-helped-spread-secrets-a4b5643b UPDATED: Feds Investigating Former Sailor Behind Pro-Russian ‘Donbass Devushka’ Accounts https://news.usni.org/2023/04/17/feds-investigating-former-sailor-behind-pro-russian-donbass-devushka-accounts Nexta on Sarah Bils, Russian Disinformation Grifter: https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1647729855587385347 A Russian Disinformation Empire in Oak Harbor, Washington https://malcontentment.com/a-russian-disinformation-empire-in-oak-harbor-washington/

This week's discussion includes recommendations for trusted sources on Ukraine and Russia; the slowdown in the Senate as Dianne Feinstein refuses to retire, endangering our democracy by not showing up for work which impairs Democrats' ability to confirm judges to balance out Trump and McConnell's court-packing; and how A.I. risks worsening our fascism crisis. We cover all this and more. If you want to hear the full episode and submit your questions for our regular Gaslit Nation Q&As, subscribe to the show on Patreon.com/Gaslit and never miss an episode! You will not have access to every episode of Gaslit Nation unless you subscribe! Join our community of listeners today!

We're doing a live taping of Gaslit Nation on May 23 at 1:30pm EST. Make sure you're subscribed to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher to get access to that special live event to celebrate the launch of our book Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! It’s been a busy week for nazis, neo-confederates, and crimelords – and for the people fighting them! We start out this week by discussing the ProPublica article on corrupt SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas and his Hitler swag loving backer, Harlan Crow. Sarah gives a lot of background into their relationship, including 1) allegations of sex trafficking by Crow’s brother and his ties to a client of Jeffrey Epstein 2) Thomas’s ties to GOP sex trafficking and blackmail cases in the 1980s including the Franklin Scandal 3) the combination of bribes and blackmail GOP elites use to keep their judges and reps in line 4) and how the media exposed Thomas’s corrupt relationships long ago, but officials refused to act! Then we discuss the heartening news out of Tennessee, where representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson refused to accept their expulsion on baseless grounds, shone a light into the Tennessee legislature’s corruption, gave fuel to a national protest movement, and got reinstated into office with a global platform. We discuss the protests and large voter turnouts in gerrymandered hostage states like Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and how this may indicate a bigger anti-authoritarian movement in America to come. Then Andrea details what was in those classified documents found on a Minecraft Discord server (seriously), what they mean for Russia’s war on Ukraine, and what Ukraine still needs to win the war: the global democratic alliance must make up its mind if it wants Ukraine to win the war, then give Ukraine what it keeps asking for to win the war: ATACMS (long range missiles) and F-16s. We released our weekly Patreon bonus episode -- a special on violent feuds among the Kremlin’s elites -- earlier than usual so if you are a subscriber at the Truth-Teller level or higher, be sure to check that out. We will be back next week with our usual Q&A, so keep your questions coming! Gaslit Nation is 100% listener supported, so please consider signing up on Patreon to keep this show possible! Pre-Order Gaslit Nation’s first book! Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250781000/dictatorshipitseasierthanyouthink Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips From GOP Donor — ProPublica Friendship between Thomas and Crow Triggers Controversy -- Again - The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times (typepad.com) Justice Thomas Reports Wealth of Gifts - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) What Really Goes On At Bohemian Grove (grunge.com) Clarence Thomas: Our Freakazoid Supreme Should Overturn Himself (nickbryantnyc.com) Tennessee Republicans’ Power Grab Has Been in the Works for a Long Time | The New Republic Trammell Crow Jr. Named in Human Trafficking Case (dallasexpress.com) Trammell Crow Jr: Billionaire linked to Sarah Ferguson accused of financing US sex trafficking ring (telegraph.co.uk) The Paid Pundits Defending Clarence Thomas And His Billionaire Benefactor (levernews.com) Where does the Tennessee House Speaker actually live?

Need a laugh? American fascists Elon Musk and Matt Taibbi are fighting each other over on Twitter. Meanwhile, in Russia, the fascists are fighting each other, including the recent bombing of a Russian propagandist in a cafe owned by Prighozin, the founder of the Wagner Group, Russian mercenaries named after Hitler's favorite composer. We know there's a lot of horror to discuss in America right now -- the KKK political lynching in Tennessee, the Texas court ruling against the abortion pill, a possible Trump indictment out of Georgia, and more. We will discuss all of that and more in next week's episode. For now, we're tracking the escalating civil war among Russia's ruling elites and what it means for the war in Ukraine, Putin's fate, and how China may be playing a role. This episode was recorded Monday April 3rd. It's an excerpt of our bonus episode. To sign up to hear all of our shows and submit questions to our regular Q&As, join our community of listeners at Patreon.com/gaslit

Fifty years after he was first investigated by the Department of Justice, Donald Trump has finally been indicted…for a crime for which the statute of limitations may have run out. On Tuesday, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg announced 34 charges of falsifying business records in 2017. It is possible there are extenuating circumstances that make the case still timely – we will have to see. Regardless of what transpires, it does not change the big picture: Trump is guilty of a multitude of atrocities against the American people and he and his backers pose a clear and present danger. We review the details of the Stormy Daniels case and the other crimes for which he should be charged, among them, sedition, abuse of the pardon power, obstruction of justice, rape, election interference, racketeering, and much, much more – and we note the terrible precedent it sets that crimes affecting national security and public safety (like, say, fomenting a violent coup!) go unpunished, opening the door for a successor to commit them. We discuss the media’s continued role as a PR outlet for Trump and the loss of publicly available archives that make it easier for the public to forget his other crimes. We also break down why Bragg was the first prosecutor to finally indict him when so many others – Mueller, Garland, Comey, Vance, etc – have failed, and speculate on what will happen in other state and local investigations. There is a LOT to unpack in this episode so be sure to tune in! For our bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and higher, we answer questions from our Patreon subscribers on secessionist movements, the media outlets stoking civil war, whether Trump poses a flight risk, how 1980s militias and crime cults shape today’s politics, and much more! We have another bonus dropping later this week so make sure to sign up. Patreon members now have the opportunity to win a free copy of our upcoming graphic novel Dictatorship – It’s Easier Than You Think! We will be giving away one copy each month to a subscriber selected at random. Gaslit Nation is a 100% independent podcast made possible by listener support. If you like us, please spread the word, as we are shadowbanned on Musk’s Twitter and often cannot even post links to our own show! Happy indictment day! SHOW NOTES: Opening clip: https://twitter.com/brenonade/status/1641555295926099969?s=20 Closing clip of Comedian Michael Rapaport confronting Marjorie Taylor Greene https://twitter.com/MovieEv/status/1643321452400197632?t=AOSICEsvfZlVLpInMOrvrg&s=19 Twitter is convinced Melania Trump looks 'scared to death' as she meets Vladimir Putin https://finance.yahoo.com/video/twitter-convinced-melania-trump-looks-184142266.html Mueller referred evidence of 14 other potential crimes to federal officials. Only two of them are publicly known https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/mueller-evidence-14-potential-crimes-only-two-publicly-known.html Mueller She Wrote on Twitter on Trump Indictment Originating from Mueller Investigation: https://twitter.com/MuellerSheWrote/status/1641620212066967552?t=hMmwg-URW82BOM5sR4QIBA&s=19 Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury on more than 30 counts related to business fraud https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/30/politics/donald-trump-indictment/index.html?utm_source=twcnnbrk&utm_content=2023-03-31T00%3A17%3A15&utm_term=link&utm_medium=social Trump loses bid to narrow rape accuser E Jean Carroll’s defamation case https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-e-jean-carrol-defamation-b2310975.html New York Young Republicans Statement on Trump Indictment: https://twitter.com/AndreaChalupa/status/1641876783409553429 Viktor Orban, the Ron DeSantis of the European Union, released a statement of support for Trump on Twitter, writing: “Keep on fighting, Mr. President! We are with you.” https://twitter.com/PM_ViktorOrban/status/1642819156880785408/photo/1 Ricky Vaughn Indictment:...

Obviously we discuss the Trump indictment in this week's bonus episode. We also discuss whether the mainstream media wants and would profit from a civil war in America. Our discussion comes from questions submitted by listeners of our show. To submit your quesitons and to hear our bonus shows and never miss an episode of Gaslit Nation subscribe on Patreon.com/gaslit

In a classic American road trip tale, Sarah went on vacation hearing that indictments for Trump were imminent, turned off the news for a week, and came back to the very unindicted Trump holding a fascist rally in Waco. Why, it’s almost like the legal pundit class lying to the American people for eight years was lying yet again! This is accountability theater, nothing more. And it’s profoundly dangerous. This week, we discuss the lack of indictments for Trump, the many crimes that he should be indicted for, the idiocy that the Stormy Daniels case of all things is where officials are focused, and the DOJ’s failure to combat domestic terrorism and transnational organized crime. Sarah gives a long history lesson about the Oklahoma City bombings and predecessor cases like the Fort Smith Sedition Trial of 1988, and Andrea discusses gun violence and the organized political oppression of LGBTQ communities that has been on the rise for the last few years. We also discuss Trump’s confessional flaunting about his relationship with the IRS, which backs up reporting Sarah did in HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT four years ago, and the Trump camp’s use of political violence to intimidate Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. And of course we detail Merrick Garland’s failure to address any of these ongoing crises. In our bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, we answer questions submitted by our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. This week’s Q&A includes the pressing question and its many implications: Does Putin have a body double? For more and to support the show, sign up on Patreon to join our community of listeners and support independent journalism. We also have an exciting announcement – we co-wrote a book! And it’s a graphic novel! About dictators! Currently listed in the humor section of Amazon! DICTATORSHIP – IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK will be published on June 13 and it is available for preorder now. We take you on a world historical tour of dictators, how they got in power, how they stayed in power, and how to get them out. This is the first Gaslit Nation book and we will be giving more information on special signed copies for Patreon subscribers. Stay tuned! Our featured song for March 2023 is “Nickel and Dime” by Sofia Echegaray. You can find more of Sofia's music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sofia-echegaray If you would like your music featured on Gaslit Nation, submit a song here.

Does Putin have a body double? This debate matters as it reveals a growing civil war among Russia's elite. We answer this and more questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher on Patreon. To join our community of listeners and submit your own questions, subcribe to the show by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit