Gaslit Nation

To help us navigate these dark times, Gaslit Nation will hold our first book club. Join us next Monday, February 24, at 4pm ET for a salon discussion on two profound works: Albert Camus' The Stranger (the Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning. These books capture the emotional truth of our era. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychologist, offers extraordinary insights into how people confronted genocide in death camps. His account of prisoners organizing cabarets and finding spiritual connections, even in the face of death, is both harrowing and inspiring. Man's Search for Meaning is essential reading for understanding how casual sadism, like Elon Musk's highly illegal mass purge of live-saving government programs, is already taking root in the U.S. This week's bonus show also features a continuation of our conversations with Elie Mystal, author of Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America, on why we need an EU travel ban of Ivanka Trump and others complicit in the destruction of democracy in America, and investigative journalist Greg Palast, director of Vigilantes, Inc., a must-see film about the GOP's war on democracy. To access the full episode, join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/Gaslit. As we face these turbulent times, Gaslit Nation remains committed to shedding light on the truth. Stay tuned for our all-new episode this Tuesday. Together, we can weather this storm and reclaim our democracy. 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: Watch Vigilantes, Inc. for free, by Greg Palast: https://www.gregpalast.com/vigilantes-inc-stream-for-free/ Bad Law Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America https://thenewpress.com/books/bad-law Events at Gaslit Nation Feb 24 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club at our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Albert Camu's The Stranger (Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning March 17 4pm ET – Dr. Lisa Corrigan joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss America's private prison crisis in an age of fascist scapegoating NEW! Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. ONGOING! Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. NEW! Climate Crisis Committee launched in the Patreon Chat thanks to a Gaslit Nation listener who holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences NEW! Caretaker Committee launched in the Patreon Chat for our listeners who are caretakers and want to share resources, vent, and find community NEW! Public Safety page added to GaslitNationPod.com to help you better protect yourself from this lunacy (i.e. track recalls, virus threats, and more!) ONGOING! Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? ONGOING! Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

There's a troubling sense of normalcy bias among some Democratic leaders who believe they'll regain their footing in the 2026 midterms, riding another anti-Trump wave. But here's the critical question: will the United States even have free and fair elections? To answer that, we need to look back and ask: was the 2024 U.S. election free and fair? Elon Musk and Donald Trump, and those around them, break the law so brazenly, how can we trust they came to power without breaking the law? According to investigative journalist Greg Palast, this week's guest and director of the must-see film Vigilantes Inc., which you can watch for free, the answer is a resounding no. Palast's analysis reveals the shocking normalization of Republican voter suppression: over 3.5 million votes were effectively canceled in 2024. This means 3.5 million Americans were denied their fundamental right to vote. And according to Palast, a significant number of suppressed voters are nonwhite. This isn't just voter suppression; it's a modern-day resurrection of Jim Crow, fueled by the Republican Party's relentless assault on democracy. In this week's bonus episode, out Friday, Elie Mystal, the Justice Correspondent for The Nation, and author of the new book Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America, explains how the GOP's reaction to the first Black president was to gut the Voting Rights Act, paving the way for Trump. In this week's bonus episode, we also continue our conversation with Palast, diving into the power of film as a powerful force for confronting America's darkest history. Plus, we'll also hear from Mystal on why European nations must take a stand by imposing a travel ban on Ivanka Trump and others complicit in the destruction of our democracy—a move that could help hold the Musk-Trump regime accountable for its action, along with divestment strategies that brought down Apartheid. Don't miss this eye-opening episode, out Friday! 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: Watch Vigilantes, Inc. by Greg Palast for free: https://www.watchvigilantesinc.com/ Bad Law Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America https://thenewpress.com/books/bad-law Events at Gaslit Nation Feb 24 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club at our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Albert Camu's The Stranger (Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning March 17 4pm ET – Dr. Lisa Corrigan joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss America's private prison crisis in an age of fascist scapegoating NEW! Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. ONGOING! Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. NEW! Climate Crisis Committee launched in the Patreon Chat thanks to a Gaslit Nation listener who holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences NEW! Caretaker Committee launched in the Patreon Chat for our listeners who are caretakers and want to share resources, vent, and find community NEW! Public Safety page added to GaslitNationPod.com to help you better protect yourself from this lunacy (i.e. track recalls, virus threats, and more!) ONGOING! Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? ONGOING! Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

This week's bonus show is our live recording with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman, who answers listener questions about combating the Russian-backed fascist threat of the Musk/Trump regime. We also discuss Trump and Russia's attempts to strongarm Ukraine into a deal that would buy Russia time to continue its genocidal invasion. Don't miss this special episode. A heartfelt thank you to all our Gaslit Nation supporters. This show wouldn't be possible without you. Together, we're shining a light on the truth and fighting for a better future. 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: Olga Lautman Substack: https://trumptyrannytracker.substack.com/ Events at Gaslit Nation Feb 24 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club at our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Albert Camu's The Stranger (Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning March 17 4pm ET – Dr. Lisa Corrigan joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss America's private prison crisis in an age of fascist scapegoating NEW! Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. ONGOING! Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. NEW! Climate Crisis Committee launched in the Patreon Chat thanks to a Gaslit Nation listener who holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences NEW! Caretaker Committee launched in the Patreon Chat for our listeners who are caretakers and want to share resources, vent, and find community NEW! Public Safety page added to GaslitNationPod.com to help you better protect yourself from this lunacy (i.e. track recalls, virus threats, and more!) ONGOING! Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? ONGOING! Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

One of the most striking aspects of living under a dictatorship is how eerily normal life can appear on the surface. The sun still rises, children still play in parks. Yet, beneath this façade of normalcy, the foundations of democracy are being purged. Drug-fueled Nazi oligarchs, emboldened by their unchecked power, withhold critical funding, endanger lives, and proudly defy the courts. They destroy the rule of law and unleash a culture of corruption, all while the world watches America turn into a failed state. Joining us to unpack this dystopian nightmare, as well as what must be done to overcome this global threat, is Elie Mystal, Justice Correspondent for The Nation and author of the new book Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America. Mystal, a prophetic voice in the fight for democracy, breaks down what Biden and the Democrats should have done to curb Trump and MAGA extremism when they had the chance. (We'll be shouting we told you so all the way to the gulag!) He explains why Merrick Garland was, as we warned, a threat to democracy, what actions Democrats and the people must take now in the limited time we have left, and why New York State Attorney General Tish James serves as a vital reminder of the importance of local resistance. Most importantly, Mystal calls on world leaders to divest from America, an urgent strategy that helped bring down apartheid. This week's bonus show is our live recording with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman, who answers listener questions about combating the Russian-backed fascist threat of the Musk/Trump regime. We also discuss Trump and Russia's attempts to strongarm Ukraine into a deal that would buy Russia time to continue its genocidal invasion. Don't miss this special episode, coming to you on Friday. A heartfelt thank you to all our Gaslit Nation supporters. This show wouldn't be possible without you. Together, we're shining a light on the truth and fighting for a better future. 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! Events at Gaslit Nation Feb 24 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club at our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Albert Camu's The Stranger (Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning March 17 4pm ET – Dr. Lisa Corrigan joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss America's private prison crisis in an age of fascist scapegoating NEW! Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. ONGOING! Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. NEW! Climate Crisis Committee launched in the Patreon Chat thanks to a Gaslit Nation listener who holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences NEW! Caretaker Committee launched in the Patreon Chat for our listeners who are caretakers and want to share resources, vent, and find community NEW! Public Safety page added to GaslitNationPod.com to help you better protect yourself from this lunacy (i.e. track recalls, virus threats, and more!): https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/public-safety ONGOING! Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet?: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/survey-reject-hypernormalization ONGOING! Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

Protests matter because they challenge the regime's legitimacy, remind us we're not alone, and connect us with incredible people fighting to protect human rights in an era of rising technofascism. At the People's March in Washington, DC, in January, which protested MAGA fascism, Andrea met Dr. Meena Bewtra, a physician with Doctors for America—a group of doctors on the frontlines of advocating for healthcare as a human right. In this live taping with our Patreon community, Dr. Bewtra answers listeners' questions. If you have a question for her, let us know, and we'll do our best to get it answered. In the meantime, you can follow Doctors for America on social media. The group recently sued the Trump White House over the removal of health information from vital government websites. 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! Events at Gaslit Nation Feb 7 8:30pm ET - Gaslit Nation Board Game Night! We're playing Codenames. Click here for a primer! Feb 10 4pm ET – Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Russia, Ukraine, and Trump Feb 24 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club at our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Albert Camu's The Stranger (Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning March 17 4pm ET – Dr. Lisa Corrigan joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss America's private prison crisis in an age of fascist scapegoating NEW! Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. ONGOING! Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. NEW! Climate Crisis Committee launched in the Patreon Chat thanks to a Gaslit Nation listener who holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences NEW! Caretaker Committee launched in the Patreon Chat for our listeners who are caretakers and want to share resources, vent, and find community NEW! Public Safety page added to GaslitNationPod.com to help you better protect yourself from this lunacy (i.e. track recalls, virus threats, and more!) ONGOING! Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Available on GaslitNationPod.com ONGOING! Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Thank you to everyone who supports the show!

If you want to see where America is headed, watch The Bibi Files. The greatest threat to Israeli democracy, as well as peace for both Palestinians and Israelis, continues to be Bibi Netanyahu and his wife, Sara. Joining us this week are filmmakers Alexis Bloom, director of The Bibi Files, and producer Alex Gibney, who is also working on a documentary on Luigi Mangione and the corruption of the healthcare industry. Check the show notes for a link to watch The Bibi Files–one of the most chilling true crime dramas that show how corruption threatens international security. As you know by now, Nazi Elon Musk has a team of Hitler Youth dismantling our democracy. We're in a generational struggle, but history shows we can prevail. We defeated the genocidal traitors of the Confederacy, defeated the Nazis in World War II, and dismantled Jim Crow. Ignorance and hate are sadly human traits, but so are progress, collaboration, and the pursuit of a better future. Our role now is to be sand in their gears. You individually don't need to fight every battle, but if we each adopt just one cause that matters deeply to us and take action—by calling our representatives, showing up in person to talk them out of their fog of complacency, and primary every Democrat who is not meeting this moment—we can slow down the violence of the MAGA agenda and build political power of our own. And in doing so, we can safeguard a future where our families, communities, and the world enjoy a livable future. If there's one thing these broken little men fear, it's your defiance, your inner light, and your capacity for creative action. They want us demoralized, but we can be hopeful. Now more than ever, we need to come together. 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: Watch The Bibi Files https://www.jolt.film/watch/the-bibi-files Andrea's interview on Jessica Denson's Lights On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjpmySxlrKI A 25-Year-Old with Elon Musk Ties Has Direct Access to the Federal Payment System https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-associate-bfs-federal-payment-system/ AOC Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&feature=shared&v=CVgNJf6CsBA Andrea's 2005 review of Alex Gibney's Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room https://www.portlandmercury.com/movies-and-tv/2005/04/28/33542/smarter-than-you 'Unfathomable': How this stunning Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade came together https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43676830/how-stunning-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade-came-together-los-angeles-lakers-dallas-mavericks From Chad Loder: NEW: Archived tweets for Gavin Kriger, Musk's 20-something DOGE employee wreaking havoc inside USAID, shows that Kriger has retweeted multiple neo-Nazis including Nick Fuentes, leader of the so-called Groyper movement, and another popular explicit Nazi account recently unmasked by @travisbrown.dev https://bsky.app/profile/chadloder.bsky.social/post/3lhc52j6kns2d From Justin Baragona: Joe Kent, the guy Trump is nominating to lead his counterterrorism division, employed Proud Boys and Patriot Front members, met with Nick Fuentes and sat down with a neo-Nazi YouTuber for an interview. https://bsky.app/profile/justinbaragona.bsky.social/post/3lhcuqiqhzc2y From Asha Rangappa: Honestly someone needs to let the dean of the college know that one of their students is actively violating several federal laws. I am certain that violates the student code of conduct and university disciplinary action might be the only enforcement mechanism we have right now https://bsky.app/profile/asharangappa.bsky.social/post/3lhcoe3c3ok2l Events at Gaslit Nation Feb 7 8:30pm ET - Gaslit Nation Board Game Night! We're playing Codenames. Get the Zoom link by joining Patreon.com/Gaslit. Feb 10 4pm ET – Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Russia, Ukraine, and Trump Feb 24 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club at our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Albert Camu's The Stranger (Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning March 17 4pm ET – Dr. Lisa Corrigan joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss America's private prison crisis in an age of fascist scapegoating NEW! Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. ONGOING! Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. NEW! Climate Crisis Committee launched in the Patreon Chat thanks to a Gaslit Nation listener who holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences NEW! Caretaker Committee launched in the Patreon Chat for our listeners who are caretakers and want to share resources, vent, and find community NEW! Public Safety page added to GaslitNationPod.com to help you better protect yourself from this lunacy (i.e. track recalls, virus threats, and more!). Find it on the homepage of GaslitNationPod.com. ONGOING! Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Find it on GaslitNationPod.com. ONGOING! Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Thank you to everyone who supports the show!

Don't count America out just yet! Democrats flipped a state Senate seat in Iowa, in a district Trump won by 21 percent—a resounding rebuke to the psychopath in the White House. In an election year that saw incumbents lose all over the world, Trump barely scraped by with one of the narrowest victories in generations, even with the help of the world's richest man, Elon Musk, bribing voters, rampant far-right disinformation, voter suppression laws, several Russian bomb threats, and GOP ratf*cking—everything we covered on the show during the 2024 election, asking, "Is anyone going to do anything, Merrick Garland?" Americans are notoriously fickle, flipping back and forth between parties 16 times since 2000. Expect a shift in the midterms and a potential flip in the 2028 presidential election. But here's the real question: what if our elections have become as fake as Russia's? We'll dive into that in an upcoming episode to explore what leverage we have left to protect the integrity of our vote. What matters most now is unity in opposition to Trump. But how can we come together when so much resentment remains over who refused to vote for Kamala Harris out of protest and encouraged others to do the same. In this week's bonus show of Gaslit Nation, Andrea and Terrell Starr from the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack discuss how we can set aside our differences, forgive the past, and unite for the future of our democracy. It's the beginning of a tough conversation that ignited online after Trump essentially called for ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the deportation of pro-Palestinian protesters here at home—an outcome many of us warned about when we urged people to vote for the sake of humanity's survival. 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: Rachel Maddow episode that includes segment on Curtis Yarvin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UdHdjuodPg Transcript: Rachel Maddow episode that includes segment on Curtis Yarvin: https://www.happyscribe.com/public/the-rachel-maddow-show/exclusive-rachel-maddow-interviews-mn-governor-tim-walz-as-trump-plots-end-of-u-s New York Times profile of Curtis Yarvin (gift article) https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/magazine/curtis-yarvin-interview.html?unlocked_article_code=1.tU4.5F3W.Vw3JZNQC_UYS&smid=url-share Terrell Starr // Black Diplomats Substack https://substack.com/@terrellstarr The size of Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, explained in 5 charts https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-size-of-donald-trumps-2024-election-victory-explained-in-5-charts Trump's Gaza proposal rejected by allies and condemned as ethnic cleansing plan https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/26/trump-resumes-sending-2000-pound-bombs-to-israel-undoing-biden-pause Iowa Democrats flip Senate seat in special election to cut into Republican majority https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/01/28/iowa-democrats-flip-senate-seat-in-special-election-chris-cournoyer/77999519007/ Don't Let Liberal Purity Elect Trump https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/opinion/gaza-harris-trump.html Events at Gaslit Nation Feb 3 4:30pm ET – Dr. Meena Bewtra of Doctors for America joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to share how to protect Obamacare and medicaid Feb 7 8:30pm ET - Gaslit Nation Board Game Night! We're playing Codenames. Here's a primer: https://youtu.be/zQVHkl8oQEU?si=YjkUvZa9XQQTVlF8 Feb 10 4pm ET – Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Russia, Ukraine, and Trump Feb 24 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club at our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss Albert Camu's The Stranger (Matthew Ward translation) and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning March 17 4pm ET – Dr. Lisa Corrigan joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss America's private prison crisis in an age of fascist scapegoating NEW! Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon ONGOING! Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon NEW! Climate Crisis Committee launched in the Patreon Chat thanks to a Gaslit Nation listener who holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences NEW! Caretaker Committee launched in the Patreon Chat for our listeners who are caretakers and want to share resources, vent, and find community NEW! Public Safety page added to GaslitNationPod.com to help you better protect yourself from this lunacy (i.e. track recalls, virus threats, and more!) https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/public-safety ONGOING! Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? It's available on GaslitNationPod.com https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/survey-reject-hypernormalization ONGOING! Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Thank you to everyone who supports the show!

Welcome to week two of Trump and Project 2025's Reign of Terror. A convicted felon, a Russian asset, an adjudicated rapist, a chronic cheater, a trust-fund brat with six bankruptcies, and a psychopath displaying clear signs of dementia is dismantling the foundations of American democracy, just as promised—and just as we warned. The cruelty is sending dangerous shockwaves across the globe. With each passing day under this regime, the nightmare grows darker. But here on Gaslit Nation, we're fighting back. Truth is on our side, and our collective liberation and survival depend on our unity and resolve. Together, we can resist, rebuild, and reclaim the future. This week, we're joined by Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack, reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine. He shares his insights on how people around the world can navigate these perilous times, and offers ways forward for the opposition here at home. In this week's bonus show—available to our Truth-teller subscribers ($5/month and above)—we tackle a difficult and necessary conversation: how the Left can unite despite lingering resentments over the 2024 election, including the question of who refused to vote and why. Gaza will cease to exist under Trump. Under President Kamala Harris, we stood a stronger chance to shift the status quo on Israel and Palestine. We warned that the moral imperative was to vote for the lesser evil to avoid the total evil now being unleashed on the world. 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! Action alert! Call your members of Congress–find their numbers here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member Tell them: Vote NO on Kash Patel for FBI Director; Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence; and RFK Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services Also, here's a script demanding frozen federal funding be restored: https://bsky.app/profile/celestepewter.bsky.social/post/3lgs36dktik2w 🎲 Game Night Alert! 🎲 Join us for Board Game Night with our Patreon community on February 7 at 8:30pm EST / 5:30pm PST. This time, we're playing Codenames—a fun, easy-to-learn game that's perfect for beginners and pros alike! Never played before? No worries! Check out this quick rules primer to get up to speed: Watch Here! Grab your snacks, bring your friends, and let's play! Grab your membership at Patreon.com/Gaslit!🕹️✨ Take Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey! More info here: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/survey-reject-hypernormalization Show Notes: Black Diplomats Substack: https://terrellstarr.substack.com/ Trump, Egypt, and Russia: A Nuclear Power Horror Story https://sites.libsyn.com/124622/trump-egypt-and-russia-a-nuclear-power-horror-story-teaser White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion: Trillions of dollars could be on hold, according to an Office of Management and Budget memo. https://wapo.st/4gfgcHQ Researchers are terrified of Trump's freeze on science. The rest of us should be, too. Government support is essential to science. The Trump administration kneecapped it. https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/396911/trump-science-nih-censorship-blackout CDC ordered to stop working with WHO immediately, upending expectations of an extended withdrawal https://apnews.com/article/cdc-who-trump-548cf18b1c409c7d22e17311ccdfe1f6 Senior USAID staff put on leave amid Trump's order halting foreign aid: The move comes as officials accuse the agency of trying to "circumvent" Trump's aid freeze, according to emails obtained by The Post. https://wapo.st/42qpQnM Trump's abrupt decision to play DJ, a sign of 'accelerating cognitive decline' says Cornell expert https://as.cornell.edu/news/trumps-abrupt-decision-play-dj-sign-accelerating-cognitive-decline-says-cornell-expert October 2024 episode referenced in this discussion: Adopt a White Woman: https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/adopt-a-white-woman Money from For-profit Prisons to US Representatives, 1990-2024 https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary?cycle=All&ind=G7000&recipdetail=H&sortorder=N ICYMI: Here are previous documents the Security Committee has shared: Tech Travel Tips : https://web.tresorit.com/l/hmKP6#FFHiLuu45pSJtMo_Z9Zp9Q Why defending your right to privacy is important: https://web.tresorit.com/l/73FHq#ip5_zE6hhWkuaDMBAAhpYw Introduction to VPN https://web.tresorit.com/l/WHdqz#-zI5O7Q2zHznO_NG7aZWPQ Three Security Steps to Take Today: https://web.tresorit.com/l/417K9#CaDJOcOrEOta4T5oDlNsYw Practice Safe Data Security: https://web.tresorit.com/l/hiw9s#wOykkL6Lh_Hz_TbRsiCiEQ Read all the details in the PDF here: https://web.tresorit.com/l/W6ots#IydZ2pnTmE1MLPJLkLZ73A For the Gaslit Nation Book Club – First Meeting at the Gaslit Nation Salon on February 24 at 4pm ET: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-s-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/8996943?ean=9780807014271 The Stranger: Introduction by Keith Gore Albert Camus (Author) Matthew Ward (Translator) https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-stranger-introduction-by-keith-gore-albert-camus/18890716?ean=9780679420262

What's the easiest way for dictator Xi Jinping of China to invade Taiwan? Bribe the President of the United States! Trump's loyalty lies in enriching himself and his family, all thanks to the highest bidder – including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and others. As China shows more signs of preparing to invade Taiwan, Musk's Twitter is normalizing this very idea. Andrea and Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman discuss this and more, including Trump and Melania's meme coin cash grab, in this week's Gaslit Nation bonus show. We also cover ways to fight back, even if things seem to spiral out of control. Olga Lautman will join the Gaslit Nation Salon on February 10 at 4pm ET! And don't miss our Gaslit Nation Game Night on Friday, February 7 at 8:30pm ET—we'll be playing Codenames! For game night, make sure to create a free account on BoardGameArena.com. Zoom links will be shared the morning of the events on Patreon.com/Gaslit, so be sure to subscribe and help support the show! 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: Check out Olga Lautman's Substack! https://substack.com/@olgalautman?utm_source=profile-page Opening Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xvJYrSsXPA Excellent thread on Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan's lawsuits holding corporate giants accountable: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1880370418932150623.html Trump's Crypto Meme Coin Is His Most Lucrative Get-Rich Scheme Yet https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/what-just-happened-with-usdtrump-and-usdmelania-meme-coins.html China Suddenly Building Fleet Of Special Barges Suitable For Taiwan Landings https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/01/china-suddenly-building-fleet-of-special-barges-suitable-for-taiwan-landings/ Man says his binned Bitcoin fortune now worth £500m https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr0dyy152jo ICYMI: Here are previous documents the Security Committee has shared: • Tech Travel Tips : https://web.tresorit.com/l/hmKP6#FFHiLuu45pSJtMo_Z9Zp9Q • Why defending your right to privacy is important: https://web.tresorit.com/l/73FHq#ip5_zE6hhWkuaDMBAAhpYw • Introduction to VPN https://web.tresorit.com/l/WHdqz#-zI5O7Q2zHznO_NG7aZWPQ • Three Security Steps to Take Today: https://web.tresorit.com/l/417K9#CaDJOcOrEOta4T5oDlNsYw • Practice Safe Data Security: https://web.tresorit.com/l/hiw9s#wOykkL6Lh_Hz_TbRsiCiEQ Read all the details in the PDF here: https://web.tresorit.com/l/W6ots#IydZ2pnTmE1MLPJLkLZ73A For the Gaslit Nation Book Club – First Meeting at the Gaslit Nation Salon on February 24 at 4pm ET: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-s-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/8996943?ean=9780807014271 The Stranger: Introduction by Keith Gore Albert Camus (Author) Matthew Ward (Translator) https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-stranger-introduction-by-keith-gore-albert-camus/18890716?ean=9780679420262

Trump used and discarded the powerful Fred Trump daddy figures who helped him rise to power: infamous lawyer Roy Cohn, whom he abandoned as Cohn was dying of AIDS; Fox News kingmaker Roger Ailes, forced out over sexual harassment allegations; and, possibly, Vladimir Putin. The Russians invested decades of financial and other support into Trump and his family, as Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman explains on this week's Gaslit Nation. But now, with American oligarchs, unlimited money, immunity granted by the illegitimate Supreme Court, pardon power, and a mainstream media eager to please, Trump has everything Putin could only dream of. What we saw during that grim inauguration weekend, followed by a flood of dangerous executive orders, shows that Trump, as promised, intends to be a dictator from day one. Tech giants, who had a front-row seat to his inauguration, give Trump a social media disinformation machine rivaling the Kremlin's. We're in for dark times, but there's hope. Our traitorous enemies and oligarchs are, in the end, incredibly stupid, and they'll ultimately destroy each other. This week's bonus show, available to supporters at the Truth-teller ($5/month) level and higher, continues the conversation. We'll discuss Trump and Melania's meme coin pump-and-dump scheme that fleeced their own supporters, how Trump is paving the way for Chinese dominance and Xi's long-sought invasion of Taiwan, and ways to fight back, no matter how deliberately chaotic things get. Remember to protect your sleep during this time and check out the helpful reminder on developing good sleep hygiene in the show notes. They want us overwhelmed and scared, but we must stay sharp and fit. Commit to mindful and healthy practices, including unplugging when needed. By staying strong, we can help carry each other through what lies ahead. No matter how dark things get, we'll get through it together! Afterall, Trump is America, a nation built on the largest Native American mass grave and the genocide of slavery. Trump has always been here. We will fight our way through to another chapter of hard-won progress for future generations to look back on in horror. Olga Lautman will join the Gaslit Nation Salon on February 10 at 4pm ET! And don't forget our Gaslit Nation Game Night on Friday February 7th at 8:30pm ET–we're playing Codenames! For game night, be sure to make an account on BoardGameArena.com. Both events are for our Patreon community. Zoom links will be shared the morning of the events on Patreon.com/Gaslit so be sure to subscribe to help support the show! 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: Check out Olga Lautman's Substack! https://substack.com/@olgalautman?utm_source=profile-page ICYMI: Here are previous documents the Security Committee has shared: • Tech Travel Tips : https://web.tresorit.com/l/hmKP6#FFHiLuu45pSJtMo_Z9Zp9Q • Why defending your right to privacy is important: https://web.tresorit.com/l/73FHq#ip5_zE6hhWkuaDMBAAhpYw • Introduction to VPN https://web.tresorit.com/l/WHdqz#-zI5O7Q2zHznO_NG7aZWPQ • Three Security Steps to Take Today: https://web.tresorit.com/l/417K9#CaDJOcOrEOta4T5oDlNsYw • Practice Safe Data Security: https://web.tresorit.com/l/hiw9s#wOykkL6Lh_Hz_TbRsiCiEQ Read all the details in the PDF here: https://web.tresorit.com/l/W6ots#IydZ2pnTmE1MLPJLkLZ73A For the Gaslit Nation Book Club – First Meeting at the Gaslit Nation Salon on February 24 at 4pm ET Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://bookshop.org/p/books/man-s-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/8996943?ean=9780807014271 The Stranger: Introduction by Keith Gore Albert Camus (Author) Matthew Ward (Translator) https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-stranger-introduction-by-keith-gore-albert-camus/18890716?ean=9780679420262 Opening Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e49VEpWg61M Martin Luther King, Jr., "What Is Your Life's Blueprint?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmtOGXreTOU Elon Musk's Anti-Semitic, Apartheid-Loving Grandfather The billionaire has described his grandfather as a risk-taking adventurer. A closer read of history reveals something much darker. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/09/joshua-haldeman-elon-musk-grandfather-apartheid-antisemitism/675396/ Trump's Crypto Meme Coin Is His Most Lucrative Get-Rich Scheme Yet https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/what-just-happened-with-usdtrump-and-usdmelania-meme-coins.html German-Soviet Pact The German-Soviet Pact was signed in August 1939. It paved the way for Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to invade and occupy Poland that September. The pact was an agreement of convenience between two bitter enemies. It permitted them to carve up spheres of influence in eastern Europe, while pledging not to attack each other for 10 years. Less than two years later, however, Hitler launched an invasion of the Soviet Union. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-soviet-pact#:~:text=This%20agreement%20is%20commonly%20referred,or%20the%20Hitler%2DStalin%20Pact.&text=The%20arrangement%20included%20a%2010,economic%20cooperation%20and%20territorial%20expansion. Trump pauses US foreign development aid for 90 days, orders review https://kyivindependent.com/trump-pauses-all-us-foreign-aid-for-90-days-pending-review/ Elon Musk's Father on Their Nazis History: https://x.com/DillyHussain88/status/1881670092993560772 Did Elon Musk steal the election for Trump? (Yes!): https://x.com/CalltoActivism/status/1881118080212115627 House GOP crafts bill to let Trump purchase Greenland https://www.axios.com/2025/01/13/trump-buy-greenland-house-republican-bill In Rare Criticism, Trump Says Putin Is 'Destroying Russia': President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia praised President Trump's second inauguration, but the American leader did not return the compliment. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/21/us/politics/trump-putin-russia-ukraine.html?unlocked_article_code=1.q04.QTOS.5McfXW68PNkf&smid=url-share Welcome to the era of gangster tech regulation Our tech overlords all have problems, and they want to buy the solutions. https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/20/24346317/trump-gangster-tech-regulation-corruption-grift We Need A New Deal To Save Local Journalism https://defector.com/a-new-deal-to-save-local-journalism-la-fires News site focused on Elon Musk to launch https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/nx-s1-5268286/elon-musk-news-site-popular-information Three media stories to watch for the next 4 years https://www.semafor.com/article/01/19/2025/three-media-stories-to-watch-for-the-next-4-years Trump signs executive order to pause TikTok ban, provide immunity to tech firms https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/nx-s1-5268701/trump-executive-order-tiktok-ban Bad Faith (Christian nationalism documentary) https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/4/16/bad-faith Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379