Can the Free World Survive Trump and Putin?
Gaslit Nation
This week’s special guest, Adrian Karatnycky, has been on the frontlines for decades fighting for democracy both at home and abroad. In his critically acclaimed book , Adrian traces Ukraine’s struggle for independence from the fall of the Soviet Union to Russia's genocidal invasion today, drawing important lessons for protecting democracies worldwide. He has worked alongside civil rights legend Bayard Rustin and the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in America. He also supported Poland’s Solidarity movement, which helped bring down the Iron Curtain, and played a key role in...
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Gene Sharp’s From Dictatorship to Democracy - TEASER
Gaslit Nation
Why did Trump hit 185 countries with tariffs, , but not Russia and its vassal state Belarus, used to wage Russia’s genocidal invasion of Ukraine? It’s almost like Trump is a Russian asset, repaying Russia for helping him rise to power twice and for all the easy money he received over the years when no credible institution would lend to this trust-fund kid who went bankrupt six times. But why crash the global economy? The answer only makes sense if you’re Putin. As a dictator with no electoral pressure, Putin benefits from destabilizing democracies. By causing economic chaos, he weakens...
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How to Overthrow a Dictator
Gaslit Nation
Romania made headlines—and shocked the world—when it annulled a presidential election at the end of last year, citing evidence of foreign interference aimed at supporting a pro-Russian far-right candidate. It was a bold and necessary move, one that stands in stark contrast to what the U.S. should have done—and is now facing the consequences for not doing. But why would Romania take such a decisive stand? The answer lies in its history. Romania’s Moscow-backed dictatorship was among the most brutal behind the Iron Curtain, a painful past that still unites much of the country today. In...
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Introducing ArchiveGate: Trump’s Dangerous Attack on the National Archives
Gaslit Nation
If you thought SignalGate was bad, wait until you hear about ArchiveGate. Trump illegally fired the National Archivist—the first president in U.S. history to do so since the position was established in the 1930s. This wasn’t just about a change in leadership; it was revenge on the Archivist’s office alerting the DOJ about Trump’s stolen classified documents, which were stored around Mar-a-Lago, a known hub for foreign spies. But it gets worse. Marco Rubio, who is currently the Trump/Putin lackey Secretary of State, is also serving as the acting National Archivist. This...
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Unpacking SignalGate with Olga Lautman - TEASER
Gaslit Nation
In this week's Gaslit Nation bonus show, we’re joined by Olga Lautman, an expert on the Russian mafia. Her Substack, , is a vital resource documenting Trump’s war against America, and the global war of fascism vs. democracy. Olga made headlines recently by exposing connections between Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, and Russia, connected to SignalGate. (We call it the Kremlin Klown Kar for a reason!) Olga breaks down the implications of SignalGate and Trump’s Putin-backed war against our democracy. We also discuss a disturbing trend: an...
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Gaslit Nation Media Guide: "Fascism Needs Ignorance"
Gaslit Nation
The Gaslit Nation Media Committee, a watchdog against access journalism and regime propaganda, has developed this essential guide. We urge all members of the media to reject complicity in the erosion of democracy. The American crisis is a global struggle between democracy and fascism—one that threatens the entire world. Each of us has a role in defending freedom. If you work in media, use this guide to safeguard your integrity, your liberty, and the values we cherish—before it’s too late. Doing your job well can save lives and democracy. 1. Don’t Bury the Lede: Call It an...
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Nazi Hunting
Gaslit Nation
What’s the best way to fight evil? Laugh at fascist idiots and keep hunting Nazis, with your camera and the power of your voice. This week, we’re honored to welcome legend Sandi Bachom, an award-winning documentary filmmaker of such powerful films as Telling Jokes in Auschwitz and a Getty Images contributor whose work has appeared in acclaimed films like Laura Poitras’s All The Beauty and All The Bloodshed, Danny’s Strong’s Dopesick, and Alex Gibney’s Crime of the Century. But Sandi isn’t just behind the camera—she’s on the frontlines, documenting Nazis, like...
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"We Are Becoming an Apartheid State."
Gaslit Nation
Here's the first half of our recording of Monday's Gaslit Nation Salon with , author of , and . Dr. Corrigan is the Director of the Gender Studies Program at the University of Arkansas, and Affiliate Faculty in both African & African American Studies and Latin American and Latino Studies. The full discussion was over two hours, with Dr. Corrigan staying on to answer listeners' questions. Patreon supporters can find the full two-hour video recording of our discussion at Patreon.com/Gaslit. See you at Monday's salon at 4pm ET with Rise and Resist! If you need to channel your rage...
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A Love Letter to Canada
Gaslit Nation
What’s the easiest way for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to invade Canada? Simple: Have voters sit out the upcoming election and let Pierre Poilievre become Prime Minister. If you’re Canadian—especially if you live abroad—now’s the time to get organized. Make sure you and at least five of your family and friends have a plan to vote. Not sure if you’re registered? Voting from abroad? Double-check your registration and make sure you’ve got everything you need In this week’s Gaslit Nation Canada Super Special, we’re joined by the amazing Leigh McGowan from , plus , a...
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Controlled Opposition - TEASER
Gaslit Nation
What’s the Republican spending bill all about? It’s an extremely dangerous powergab engineered by Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House and dirty lawyer who came up with the legal strategy to try to overturn the 2020 election. The Republican spending bill essentially grants legal protections to Trump and Musk’s ongoing illegal mass purge, to protect them against court orders–one of the last levers of power we have left. Any Democrat who votes for this is complicit in Trump and Musk’s tech-backed coup, illegally mass firing federal workers to replace them with an A.I. surveillance...
info_outlineAmerica joined Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Israel, led by indicted corrupt criminal and Putin pal Netanyahu, wanted for war crimes, to vote against Ukraine’s United Nations resolution calling for peace and an end to Russia’s genocidal invasion. In this week’s Gaslit Nation, Andrea and Terrell Starr, of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack, joining from Kyiv, explain how we got here and what to do about it. Fascism helped build America, and global resistance to fascism will help us overcome the threats we face in this dangerous crossroads for America, and the world.
People are waking up from their shock and fighting back. Over $250,000 was raised on GoFundMe for Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl, the woman roughly dragged out of a town hall. The sheriff who threatened her with arrest from the stage is under investigation, along with his three unidentified rent-a-cops. Protests continue at Tesla dealerships, as well as Republican town halls across the country. Tesla owners face vandalism threats and pay to remove the logo, as the company’s stock plummets. Twenty-one civil servants of the United States Digital Service, taken over by DOGE, resigned, writing in their letter: “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations. However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.” France’s President Emmanuel Macron fact checked Trump at the White House and helped a banned AP reporter ask a question, and promised to strengthen security across Europe, including for Ukraine. At the Governors Ball in the White House, before Trump, the Army Choir sang the resistance anthem against tyranny, from Les Miserables, "Do You Hear the People Sing?"
To help us lift up our hearts and minds for the work ahead, this week’s bonus show, for our Patreon members at the Truth-teller level and higher, is our recorded first ever Gaslit Nation book club, looking at Albert Camus’ The Stranger (Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, to see what wisdom they hold for us today, and how these two works “talk to each other.” Thank you to everyone who supports the show–we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
Show Notes:
Want ideas on how to resist?
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Friday February 28 – U.S. Economic Blackout: No corporate spending, shop small, plan ahead. Details here: https://thirdact.org/texas/2025/02/10/u-s-economic-blackout-planned-for-feb-28/
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Tuesday March 4 – 50501 Protest. Find one near you or start one here: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/
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Tuesday March 4 – Protect Our Kids Protest by the American Federation of Teachers, to protest the destruction of the Department of Education. Details here: https://www.aft.org/ProtectOurKids and here: https://www.mobilize.us/aft/
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Friday March 7 – Stand Up for Science Protest. Details here: https://standupforscience2025.org/
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Tesla Takedown Protests – ongoing. Details here.: https://www.teslatakedown.com/
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Friday March 14 – NOW March in Washington, DC. Details here: https://nowmarch.org/
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Don’t Just Do Nothing: 20 Things You Can Do to Counter Fascism: https://itsgoingdown.org/dont-just-do-nothing-20-things-you-can-do-to-counter-fascism/
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Protect democracy by protecting yourself: Bookmark! The Ultimate Guide to an Untrackable Phone : https://www.tacticalprivacywire.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-an-untrackable-phone/
Two days after a woman was dragged from a Coeur d’Alene town hall, Sheriff Bob Norris and other parties will face investigation into conduct https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/feb/24/two-days-after-a-woman-was-dragged-from-a-coeur-da/
Justice for Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl: Fight for the First https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-dr-borrenpohl-fight-for-the-first/cl/s?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp13_t1-amp14_c&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link
Hegseth Defends Trump’s Firing of Joint Chiefs Chairman Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview on Sunday that Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. was “not the right man for the moment” and praised President Trump’s handling of the war in Ukraine. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/23/us/politics/hegseth-trump-cq-brown-pentagon.html
Trump and Hegseth’s Pentagon purge undermines the armed forces How to damage military morale and recruiting? Trump and Hegseth seem to be trying to find out, alas. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/02/23/trump-hegseth-pentagon-generals/
New FBI director Kash Patel plans to relocate up to 1,500 employees https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/new-fbi-director-kash-patel-plans-relocate-1500-119064886
Mike Galsworthy on BlueSky: “Just America & Israel voting with Russia, Iran, North Korea... ...against Ukraine.” https://bsky.app/profile/mikegalsworthy.bsky.social/post/3lix7n4o4tc2w
French prosecutor seeks 5-year jail sentence and ban from office for far-right leader
TikTokers Are ‘Hunting’ Tesla Cybertrucks to Project Anti-Musk Messages on the Tailgate https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tiktokers-hunting-tesla-cybertrucks-project-174834791.html