Know Your Rights!
Gaslit Nation
Today marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day–the Allies landing on the beaches of Normandy to liberate Europe from fascism. As we remember the heroes, we salute the Nazi hunters of then and now. Our resistance lives on. This week, just like early June 1944, was a great week for the resistance. Welcome to the second Gaslit Nation block party of the week. Ukraine launched a stealth campaign, destroying 34% of Russia’s warplanes with cheap drones and sheer ingenuity. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the MAGA death cult is imploding. Steve Bannon just declared war on Elon Musk and called for him to be...
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“Putin is a Dead Man Walking”
Gaslit Nation
Happy Russia Military Transport Aviation Day, everyone! This June 1st, all Nazi hunters celebrated as Ukraine destroyed 34% of Russia's warplanes. We’re throwing a Gaslit Nation block party, featuring an old friend from the war, warning the world what comes next. Splitting his time between the frontline in Ukraine and his animal sanctuary in South Africa, conservationist Lionel De Lange runs aid to animals and people alike on the frontlines of Russia’s genocidal invasion, including shooting down drones at night. We discuss how World War III has already started; Russia’s recent...
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Build, Baby, Build! The World Needs Your Light - TEASER
Gaslit Nation
In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood before a group of students and asked them: What is your life’s blueprint? Nearly 60 years later, that question still echoes louder than ever. We’re living in a time of weaponized exhaustion. Democracy is being undermined, basic human rights are under attack, and billionaires are playing dictator, gleefully sentencing millions to death by slashing desperately needed aid. But history shows us again and again: when the forces of destruction rise, ordinary people must rise higher. Dr. King built a movement in the face of death threats, betrayals, and...
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How We Got Here
Gaslit Nation
This past year, what feels like a hundred in Trump years, Gaslit Nation listeners have asked the same question: How did we get here? The answer, though deeply unsettling, is vital to understand. It's the story of a 40-year campaign waged by far-right Christian nationalists, Big Oil, and corporate power to undermine our democracy. To help us all make sense of this crisis moment, as a firehose of corruption and racist disinformation blasts from the White House, we’ve created a special “Best of Gaslit Nation” episode. This powerful montage connects the dots with help from some of the most...
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Stop Cuomo: The Lindsey Boylan Interview
Gaslit Nation
A 2021 Department of Justice investigation concluded that former Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 13 women, fostering a toxic workplace culture defined by power abuse, intimidation, and retaliation. In 2020, Lindsey Boylan did something brave and necessary. After years of working under former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, she became the first woman to publicly accuse him of sexual harassment. Her voice cracked the silence, and eventually, 13 women in total came forward as part of a Department of Justice investigation that began under the Biden administration. That courage forced Cuomo...
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Lawless
Gaslit Nation
The Fox News Supreme Court is a political weapon, and it’s being wielded to wreck what remains of American democracy. What happens if Trump declares martial law? This week on Gaslit Nation, Andrea interviews Leah Litman, a constitutional law professor at the University of Michigan Law School, co-host of the award-winning podcast, and author of the new book . This Court is a multi-decade effort by conservatives to seize power they couldn’t win through democratic means. Litman warns about what the Fox News Court is up to. If you thought things were bad, we’re staring down a term...
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TEASER - We Can Overcome Oligarchy
Gaslit Nation
How much have the Trumps made since returning to power? According to The New York Times, a staggering $2 billion in the last month alone. From Russia to the Middle East, the Trumps have long cultivated ties with the global oligarchy, welcoming support from some of the world’s most repressive regimes to gain power in 2016 and, now, to enrich themselves. You’ve likely heard about the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russian operatives. And perhaps you know about Trump’s covert meeting with sanctioned Egyptian dictator Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the UN General Assembly that...
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Brad Lander for NYC Mayor
Gaslit Nation
New York City’s mayoral race is heating up, and into the inferno walks Brad Lander: City Comptroller, longtime progressive pain in the ass (in the best way), and, most importantly, not a corrupt tool of the oligarchy. That alone is refreshing. Lander’s running on a revolutionary NYC platform: competence, decency, and not being Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, or a trash fire named Donald Trump. He’s spent his career backing tenants, workers, and immigrants, including showing up at an ICE facility to demand Newark mayor Ras Baraka’s release. On Gaslit Nation, Lander made it clear: he’s not...
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The Qatar/Trump Super Special
Gaslit Nation
Welcome to the jetstream, where elite criminal impunity flies above laws and accountability. Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins Gaslit Nation to connect the global dots on oligarchy in the White House. We start with Qatar, a small but powerful gas station dictatorship, and a leading financier of terrorists. Once diplomatically isolated for its links to fellow terror-state Iran as well as groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS, Qatar has been back in business, brokering nuclear talks with Russia and Iran, investing billions with the Kremlin, propping up Hamas, and gifting Trump a...
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Pope Leo and Opus Dei - TEASER
Gaslit Nation
Fifteen years after Sarah Silverman’s viral call to we now have a “Marxist Pope,” according to Trump stormtrooper Laura Loomer, and our wildest dreams. This week for Gaslit Nation’s bonus show, we dive into the groundbreaking election of the first American pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, whose ancestry ties him to Black lineage. While many celebrate this historic milestone, deeper questions remain. Most crucially, Pope Leo’s stance on Opus Dei, a secretive, powerful crime cult aligned with far-right politics and accused of human trafficking and labor...
info_outlineThe 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 Illegal Tech-Backed Coup
To build trust, stick to the facts. When Trump’s administration acts illegally, say it—especially in the headline. Call it what it is: a tech-backed coup that exposes Americans' most sensitive data and replaces federal workers with unsecured A.I. to establish a new surveillance state.
2. Make Private Prison Execs Famous
Investigate the financial interests behind Trump’s immigration system—expose executives, board members, and their connections. Pursue them with cameras; they can’t hide behind profits while lives are ruined and civil liberties eroded.
3. Fascism Needs Ignorance
From dismantling the Department of Education to the “War on Woke” in universities, Trump continues delegitimizing education. This isn’t about competition with other countries—it’s about giving everyone the chance to grow as independent thinkers who reject fascism.
4. Follow the Money
Investigate Trump’s major donors and their role in Musk’s illegal purge of government services. Hold them accountable—ask how they view their investments amid the chaos. Track their contracts and regulatory benefits.
5. Expose National Security Threats
Trump removed key military officials who prevented unlawful actions. Without them, who will stop him? Trump holds the nuclear football, cozying up to adversaries, sending bombs to Israel, and threatening wars against Canada and Greenland. Focus on how our adversaries are taking advantage.
6. Kleptowatch
Focus on how companies exploit customers through greedflation and Amazon’s payola for search visibility. While the Biden administration has much to answer for, the media must spotlight the absence of enforcement of investigations brought by Lina Khan and Tim Wu, leaving corporate kleptocrats unchecked.
7. Media Must Thoroughly Cover Media
Journalists must cover media attacks, including blocked access to info and censorship (e.g., Ann Telnaes at WaPo). Report on media ecosystem shifts, address bias, and clarify distinctions between reporting, opinion, and lies. Provide context on media ownership.
8. Draw Historical Parallels
Trump, Musk, and allies are enacting policies similar to dictators like Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin. The media must challenge their unfounded assertions. They are attacking the press and critics, reminiscent of regimes like Pol Pot’s and Rwanda's genocide.
9. Trump is Trying to Turn America into an Autocracy: Act Like It
Columbia Journalism Review shared 10 essential tips for journalists reporting from autocracies. Share these with your teams, including your company's lawyers—killing big stories and obeying in advance is self-destructive.
10. Shine a Light on Private Prisons
The private prison industry needs scrutiny, especially with Trump’s lack of oversight. Innocent people are caught in reckless immigration raids as the system grows unchecked. Regular coverage of Guantanamo Bay is crucial due to its history of unlawful detention and Trump’s plan for a prison camp there for 30,000 people.
11. Gilead is Here
The media has abandoned calling out Trump’s toxic masculinity regarding reproductive rights and civil rights. Raise awareness of the deadly consequences for women, including trans women, and all nonwhite people.
12. Access Journalism is Betrayal
Fascism’s history includes journalists from major outlets becoming "masters of euphemism," (to quote Gareth Jones), downplaying atrocities and broken laws to protect access. History will remember you for doing your job or being bought. Doing your job well can save lives and democracy.
13. Family Members Deserve Special Attention
Trump’s administration is granting lucrative positions to family members of allies and donors, giving them undue influence over policy. These self-dealing networks must be mapped and exposed.
14. Unmask Voter Suppression
Election analysis must address gerrymandering, unfair Senate representation favoring "red states," the Electoral College designed to protect elites, and the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. Don’t treat our voter suppression crisis like "horse race" politics.
15. Focus on the 1%
Expose extreme wealth inequality—how the 1% dodge taxes and exploit loopholes to preserve their wealth. Put a spotlight on how inequality fuels authoritarianism and is a direct threat to democracy.
16. Cover Protests
Highlight actions challenging the White House’s destructive crimes. People need to see that citizens care about the laws being broken by Trump’s administration and that they're not alone.
17. They're Testing Boundaries: Say It
When something is "unprecedented," that means they're testing boundaries, to see what they can get away with. Say it.
18. The Weird Fights Matter
Trump renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America may seem "weird," but it's part of the fascist pageantry, like Mussolini's famous eyeliner and Putin's shirtless photos. Look to experts in autocracy to see which stories are being used as a distraction and which stories are important to cover.
An expanded version of the Gaslit Nation Media Guide can be found here: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/media-guide
For More: Ten Tips for Reporting in an Autocracy American journalists have much to learn from colleagues in countries where democracy has been under siege. https://www.cjr.org/political_press/ten-tips-for-reporting-in-an-autocracy.php
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Music Credit: "Tafi Maradi no voice" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/