Invisible Threads: Weaving Mental Health and Democracy in Trump Times with Kate Woodsome

Kate Woodsome is the founder of The Invisible Threads Project, which studies the relationship between mental health and democracy. We talked about the recent election of Trump and the support for that process from the Heritage Foundation, Opus Dei implications, and Project 2025. She was part of The Washington Post team who won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in coverage of the January 6th Capitol attack. Woodsome left The Washington Post in 2023, stating in her biography that she could no longer normalize the trauma, burnout, and moral injury pervasive in the industry. She noted in our discussion that her childhood contained abuse and trauma that the Capitol attack would reawaken. Once able to rely on being a workaholic who pushed through, she decided to take a step back and focus on healing and the rediscovery of self-identity and self-worth. This eventually allowed her to return to focus on social movements. She covered The People’s March on January 18th, 2025, and then went on to speak with Trump supporters outside of the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., following his inauguration. “What I’m really trying to focus on is civil discourse and looking at the underlying roots of our problems, as opposed to their ugly symptoms,” said Woodsome.We discussed looking for opportunities with family and friends to find common ground and common beliefs. We also discussed empowering people to think for themselves. Not everyone is as radicalized, and fringe members may not fully understand the beliefs and practices of the core community.

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