American Doom

The discussion dives into the unsettling rise of authoritarianism on American streets, spotlighting shocking incidents involving immigration agents and law enforcement. Videos reveal aggressive tactics, like agents tasering bystanders or detaining citizens, sparking outrage. The negligence of mainstream media in reporting these events is highlighted, emphasizing the need for independent journalism. Listeners are urged to document abuses and advocate for social accountability to combat these alarming trends.

The podcast dives deep into the struggles of contemporary journalism, revealing a world increasingly overshadowed by fatigue and disillusionment. It reflects on the evolving media landscape and the emotional toll on journalists facing relentless demands. Technology's paradox of connectivity versus cultural homogenization is also examined, highlighting how modern life disconnects us from meaningful experiences. Ultimately, there's a call for reimagining our engagement with media, advocating for a more thoughtful approach to navigate this complex reality.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is currently — as of the last court filing and the Trump regime’s word — residing in one of the worst prisons in the world in El Salvador. He’s there because of a mistake, lawyers representing the Trump administration have said. It was a mistake in the micro sense, but Garcia’s deportation and confinement in a Salvadoran hellhole are no accident: this is about punishment and pain.Today, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) will travel to El Salvador to try to get Garcia back. This is something pretty brave in terms of American politics — he is standing up for an undocumented immigrant in Garcia, thereby doing what Republicans think will help them. You see, the Trump regime and vehemently anti-immigrant ghouls like Stephen Miller believe it’s in their electoral interest to have Democrats defending people like Garcia — who because of his skin color and where he’s from they naturally associate with being a bad guy. But Van Hollen doesn’t appear to care about any of that and is simply doing the right thing.Remember that? Remember when, regardless of party or whether it was politically advantageous, lawmakers would occasionally do what was right? Like John McCain telling one of his supporters that Barack Obama was a good man, or Obama being courteous and respectful to Trump. That all seems like a thing of the past now that the American right is engaged in a zero-sum, point-scoring game that rushes us ever closer to democratic decline. Meanwhile, people like Garcia get caught in the middle.American Doom is free but is not possible without the support of my subscribers. I’m an independent journalist and your paid subscriptions help keep me independent.Legal immigrants who have played by the rules are also getting the shaft under the Trump regime. Not only are Elon Musk and his pals lying about them getting Social Security benefits, as I reported two weeks ago for Rolling Stone, but now, Musk’s DOGE goons have classified legal immigrants as dead in a ham-fisted effort to cut them off from benefits they aren’t receiving. This will result in many legal immigrants not being able to get on-the-books jobs, access their bank accounts, and many of the other things that require having a Social Security number. The apparent hope is that by making them even more of second-class citizens, these immigrants will deport themselves. Meanwhile, Garcia has been sent to a place that is life-threatening for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Garcia was granted some level of protective status by an immigration judge because he had fled El Salvador, fearing gangs like MS-13. Now, he’s in one of the worst prisons in the world right alongside of all of those gang members, and people like Trump, Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, Karoline Leavitt and congressional Republicans are both lying about Garcia being a member of MS-13 and simultaneously saying, Fuck it. He deserves to be there anyway because he came here illegally.That’s some of where we’re at, but unfortunately there’s a lot more where all this comes from. To unpack this distressing case I caught up with Arturo Dominguez, who runs Decolonized Journalism, which you should immediately subscribe to. Arturo has a piece out today that explains how Garcia has gone from a random immigrant from El Salvador to the face of the Trump administration’s illegal and unethical immigration plans. ***Want to scroll more Doom? Why not:* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_* Facebook This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Donald Trump is an existential threat not just to American democracy, but to our role as the world’s most prosperous and powerful nation. Many people have known this for a long time—Republicans have known this, as have decorated military generals who are lifelong conservatives. Americans of all political stripes, socioeconomic statuses and educational backgrounds know this. Democrats certainly know this.Which is why I am so confused as to why Al Green, the representative from Texas, was the only member of Congress and the only Democrat to forcefully protest Trump’s speech last night. Not long into Trump’s remarks, Green stood to interrupt the president, waving his cane. House Speaker Mike Johnson first called for order, then for Green’s removal.Outside the chambers, Green said he’d simply had enough. He told reporters he couldn’t stand by anymore as Trump claimed to be ushering the nation into a new “golden age” while working to cut services like Medicaid and Social Security.“You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid!” Green yelled before being removed, referencing Trump’s oft-cited claim of a mandate from the American electorate to do basically whatever he wants.That’s it. That’s all you need to know. One guy stood up and said this is enough, was kicked out, and now he’ll be in the history books as a footnote to this particular chapter in our ongoing story of decline.***If you appreciate the clarity of this brief story, please consider a paid subsciption to support the independent journalism of American Doom. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Just a reminder that my work here is made possible by the support of paid subscribers. In the last week I’ve covered the militarization of immigration enforcement; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to the White House; the Trump-Zelenenskyy debacle; DOGE’s failure to find a single instance of fraud in the federal government; and DOGE’s work dismantling the Social Security Administration. If you appreciate me keeping up with the news—and breaking it—please consider a paid subscription to American Doom for as little as $5 a month, or contributing to our Doom Coffee Fund. Onward - jg***Last week, a video went viral that I think is a sad and troubling reflection not just of where we are, but where we’re headed. In it, Teresa Borrenpohl, an outspoken liberal in her community of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is ripped from her seat at a Republican town hall by three private security guards. Nearby, Sheriff Bob Norris filmed the ordeal, threatening to pepper spray Borrenpohl.Now, I’ve discovered that Norris is deep into far-right belief systems. His online footprint shows a man who is up to his eyeballs in right-wing culture war battles and messaging, which you can read below at Public Notice.Private security acting with the approval of law enforcement is a troubling situation in any context, but it becomes more so in a political climate in which many members of law enforcement are openly supportive of the authoritarian tactics of Donald Trump and Republicans.It’s bad enough that Trump is talking about militarizing immigration enforcement and using the military to crack down on protests. Adding fuel to that fire is the support for and emboldening of private citizens to act as police themselves—vigilantes is a word that comes to mind. That seems like a recipe for widespread civil unrest and the actual denigration of law and order that Trump and Republicans claim to care so much about.In today’s episode of the American Doom Podcast, I speak to Laura Tenneson and Tamara Sines-Kermelis, two friends of Borrenpohl’s who witnessed the ordeal. ***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did the best he could, but there’s just no way to win — or even compromise — with American leadership this far afield from reasonable adult behavior. A day before the world watched Donald Trump and JD Vance ambush Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had to negotiate the same environment — albeit one less fraught as the political and culture war hell that Zelenskyy walked into. Whether you’re Zelenskyy, or Starmer, or a Democratic or Republican member of Congress, the problem with negotiating with Trump is that it’s like negotiating with a terrorist. There can be no compromise with people whose only goal is to break things, and that’s exactly what Trump, Vance and congressional Republicans are doing. They have no plan other than to break the government, then divide the pieces amongst themselves, and allow the rest of us to fight for whatever is left.I know things are already crazy, but it’s probably going to get much worse. To support American Doom’s work cutting through the madness, please consider a paid subscription below.It’s an odd plan because it potentially reflects a complete lack of a sense of self-preservation. If Trump and his government-breaking toady, Elon Musk, succeed in dismantling Social Security as it appears they’re trying to do, it could result in older Americans — largely Republican voters —revolting against their elected officials. I think you’re starting to see that in the form of voters at town hall events in Republican districts speaking out against congressional Republicans. But the terrorists among us like Trump, Vance and their army of actual insurrectionists and far-right base don’t care about any of the negative consequences that could harm Americans if Musk’s breaking of the social safety net is effective. They just want to break, punish and inflict pain on anyone and everything they perceive as an enemy. In this way, they’re really are true belivers. They’re willing to sacrifice themselves for a higher cause. This makes them impossible to negotiate with, because they have nothing to fear. Still, we must try. This seemingly impossible scenario of having to negotiate with a madman is the position that Starmer was in when he walked into the White House just a few days ago. So, I wanted to get the British perspective on his visit from Daniel Bates, a British writer and journalist based in New York who has covered some of the biggest stories of the last decade. I met Dan in Ferguson a few days after Michael Brown was killed there in August 2014, and we’ve kept in touch ever since. These days, Dan spends a lot of time updating UK readers o court battles and other developments related to Jeffrey Epstein. I caught up with Dan about Starmer’s visit, what American abdication of responsibility in Ukraine means for Britain and Europe, and the latest debacle involving the White House, right-wing influencers, and documents tied to the Epstein case.***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Legacy media is capitulating to Trump (just Google Jeff Bezos if you haven’t already heard). That’s why it’s important to support independent media like American Doom. The best way to support our work is through a paid subscription. Last week, news came from Texas that an 11-year-old girl killed herself because her classmates were bullying her about being deported. She is a victim of Donald Trump and Republicans’ endless denigration of immigrants of all races, from all walks of life. May the memory of Jocelynn Rojo Carranza live on forever, and be a lesson to those of us who care enough about our fellow human beings to speak out against the ruthlessness and oppression we’re seeing from the White House. One of those speaking truth to power when it comes to immigration is Arturo Dominguez, who runs the excellent Decolonized Journalism newsletter. In today’s edition of the American Doom Podcast, Arturo and I discuss the ways in which the Trump administration is essentially trying to stop all non-white immigration—including by military force, if necessary. To support my work, please choose a paid subscription to American Doom or drop a few dollars in the Doom Coffee Fund. There’s a lot of news right now, so I have a lot coming down the pike. Your paid support goes directly toward helping me to continue my independent journalism here at American Doom.***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

In this discussion, Steven Monacelli, an independent investigative journalist in Texas, dives into the rise of a new form of American fascism and competitive authoritarianism. He examines radical ideologies infiltrating institutions, including a shocking ICE lawyer with extremist ties. Steven explores the contradictions within right-wing movements and the unexpected alliances among Trump supporters. The conversation also sheds light on the harmful influence of individuals like Elon Musk and calls for heightened accountability within government agencies.

It’s becoming more and more clear that the Trump administration is simply the enforcement and policy arm of an American right that believes in a post-democratic world order. That’s why we see things like Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaking the language of autocrats like Vladimir Putin—and more or less doing their bidding. Your subscription dollars help fund my independent journalism. Throw a few bucks my way to stay on top of the madness to come. The dismantling of USAID has already resulted in the loss of funding for aid programs in Ukraine, like one that helps fund refugee centers in cities near the frontlines of the country’s war with Russia. But the Trump administration wants so much more. Unfortunately for Ukrainians, few of the administration’s goals appear to align with that of the war-torn country, which for the last three years has been the victim of Russian expansionism.Today I’m talking with Tim Mak, a former NPR reporter who I first met a decade ago when he was working at the Daily Beast. Now, Mak runs the Counteroffensive, a newsletter that focuses on the human stories of war—and life—in Ukraine. You can listen and watch today’s episode here, on YouTube and Spotify and Apple podcasts. If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I humbly ask for your support for as little as $5 a month or $40 a year. You can also throw some cash my way at the Doom Coffee Fund.***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe

Good afternoon and welcome to the latest edition of the American Doom podcast. Today I’m talking with Teddy Wilson, a journalist and researcher who runs Radical Reports, a newsletter focused on the far-right. I highly suggest you sign up for Teddy’s newsletter to stay abreast of all the swirling madness of domestic extremism, which is most certainly not going away and whose adherents are not sitting idly by as Trump continues his dismantling of the federal government. You can listen and watch today’s episode here, on YouTube and Spotify and Apple podcasts. If you’re not already a paid subscriber, I humbly ask for your support for as little as $5 a month or $40 a year. You can also throw some cash my way at the Doom Coffee Fund. ***Please follow AD on our social media for a little more doom to your scroll. That’s what we all need, right?* Bluesky - @americandoom.bsky.social* TikTok - @americandoom_* YouTube - @americandoom_* Instagram - @americandoom_* X - @americandoom_ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.american-doom.com/subscribe