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Slate Podcasts
Daily news updates from across the Slate Podcast network.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 31, 2020 • 48min
Losing the Fear of Evangelical Hell
Virginia Heffernan talks to ex-evangelical writer Chrissy Stroop, co-editor of “Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church,” about being raised in—and leaving—a fundamentalist discipline, what she learned in her religious school, Christian apologetics, where fundamentalism and authoritarianism intersect, and how she lost her visceral fear of Hell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 29, 2020 • 12min
The Creepiness Factor of Dershowitz and Starr
In this Trumpcast Plus preview, Virginia Heffernan talks to writer Karen Schwartz about her recent piece in NBC News about Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz, then dives deeper into Dershowitz’s former clients and the overall creepiness factor of it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 25, 2020 • 48min
These Rhetorical Devices Help Trump Maintain Power
Virginia Heffernan talks to Dr. Jennifer Mercieca, professor of rhetoric and author of Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump, breaking down how he uses language to control his audience, philosophical explorations of Hobbes and Descartes, the unexamined rhetorical life of Hillary Clinton, and rhetorical devices to watch in the 2020 presidential campaigns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 22, 2020 • 1h 5min
What Does The Presidency Even Mean After Trump
Virginia Heffernan talks to Susan Hennessey and Ben Wittes of Lawfare about their new book, Unmaking the Presidency, which explores Trump’s impact on the presidency and asks how his successor might be able to revive the role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 20, 2020 • 51min
A Hinky Feeling From The Trump GOP
Virginia Heffernan talks to longtime GOP strategist Rick Wilson about evangelical political issues, media pundits, and stirring the ire of Rush Limbaugh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 9, 2020 • 53min
Why People Fall For Trump’s Political Cult
Virginia Heffernan talks to Steven Hassan, author of The Cult of Trump, about why we fall for cults, Trump’s brainwashing, and stories of his own deprogramming from a political cult in the 1970s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 8, 2020 • 55min
The Depth of the Pentagon’s Legal Concerns
Virginia Heffernan talks to Kate Brannen, editorial director of Just Security, about her story uncovering the unredacted version of emails, mostly between Michael Duffey, associate director of national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Elaine McCusker, the acting Pentagon comptroller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 5, 2020 • 44min
The Big Themes of Bit Trump Players
Virginia Heffernan talks to Daily Beast White House reporter Asawin Suebsaeng about Jenna Ellis, Vanilla Ice, and reporting in the age of distraction and misinformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 31, 2019 • 52min
Writing About Political Characters From New York
Virginia Heffernan talks to Olivia Nuzzi of New York magazine about her coverage of Trump, Rudolph Giuliani, and reporting on presidential candidates and New York characters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 27, 2019 • 11min
The World Through the Eyes of a Trump Impersonator
Virginia Heffernan catches up with John Di Domenico, the peerless voice behind our Trump tweets, and goes deep into his experiences working different gigs as a full-time professional Trump impersonator and what he does when engaging with Trump’s fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
