
Burn the Boats
Burn the Boats is an award-winning podcast featuring intimate conversations with change-makers from every walk of life. Host Ken Harbaugh interviews politicians, authors, activists, and others about the most important issues of our time.
Latest episodes

Nov 13, 2023 • 20min
Countdown to Dallas Episode 1: What Happened in Dealey Plaza?
Evergreen Podcasts, the network that brings you Burn the Boats, is pleased to introduce Countdown to Dallas.On the sixtieth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, former White House correspondent Paul Brandus takes an in-depth look at the seemingly unconnected events that led to that infamous afternoon in Dallas, Texas. He explores the troubled and broken life of Kennedy’s killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, and challenges six decades worth of conspiracy theories—none of which have been proven.Enjoy the first episode here. You can find more episodes of Countdown to Dallas in your favorite listening app, or at Evergreenpodcasts.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 7, 2023 • 51min
Nancy MacLean: Democracy in Chains
Nancy MacLean is a historian and professor at Duke University. Her book Democracy in Chains details how the radical right, funded by billionaires, has slowly molded the American political landscape to change the rules of democracy in their favor… all with the help of an economist you have likely never heard of. Today’s episode is guest hosted by Amanda Weinstein. She studies the quality of life in suburban America and is the co-host of the podcast, The Suburban Women Problem.Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to https://RocketMoney.com/boatsVisit https://Lomi.com/BOATS and use code BOATS at checkout to save $50!Get a free thirty-day supply of SuperBeets Heart Chews and a free full-sized bag of turmeric chews valued at $25 by going to boatsbeets.comHead to https://Rhone.com/BOATS and use code BOATS to save 20% off your entire order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 31, 2023 • 51min
Rep. Pat Ryan: Republican Chaos
Pat Ryan is an Army combat vet who represents New York’s 18th district. In this interview, he talks about the unprecedented House Speaker elections, right-wing extremism, and his new resolution. Go to https://neurohacker.com/BOATS to try Qualia Senolytic with code BOATS for up to 50% off Qualia SenolyticGet up to 50% off for a limited time when you go to shopbeam.com/BOATS and use code CYBER at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2023 • 43min
Dr. Kathleen Belew: Trump is Quoting Hilter
Dr. Kathleen Belew is a historian and expert on the American white power movement. In this episode, she explains how the rhetoric used by Trump and Alt-Right groups is both dangerous and purposeful. Dr. Kathleen Belew is a professor at Northwestern University and author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. You can find Kathleen on Twitter at @Kathleen_Belew, and learn more about her at kathleenbelew.com.Head to MANUKORA.com/BOATS or use code BOATS, you’ll automatically get an extra free pack of 850+ honey sticks with your order - a $15 value.Get a free thirty-day supply of SuperBeets Heart Chews and a free full-sized bag of turmeric chews valued at $25 by going to boatsbeets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 17, 2023 • 1h 10min
Katherine Stewart: The Growth of Christian Nationalism
Katherine Stewart is a reporter and author who has covered religious liberty, politics, policy, and education for over a decade. Her book The Power Worshippers details how the religious right has risen to power, and how they plan to use that power to impose their vision on American Society.This episode is guest hosted by Dara Starr Tucker. Following the January 6th insurrection, Dara was inspired to educate others about the political and social issues facing our country, and has become an online political commentator. Her video commentaries have garnered widespread attention, her TikTok and Instagram channels have over a million subscribers, and last year she started the podcast I’m All Over the Place to take a deeper dive into the content she posts. Go to https://neurohacker.com/BOATS to try Qualia Senolytic with code BOATS for up to 50% off Qualia SenolyticHead to https://Rhone.com/BOATS and use code BOATS to save 20% off your entire order!Get a free thirty-day supply of SuperBeets Heart Chews and a free full-sized bag of turmeric chews valued at $25 by going to boatsbeets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 10, 2023 • 51min
Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Trump’s Plan
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is an historian who specializes in authoritarianism and propaganda. Her most recent book, Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present, examines how authoritarians use propaganda, virility, corruption, and violence to stay in power, and how they can be opposed. In this interview, Ruth reveals how Trump and the radical right are paving a path toward authoritarianism in the US. If you’d like to hear more from Ruth, you can subscribe to her weekly newsletter Lucid for free. Also, make sure to check out her website, ruthbenghiat.com, and follow her on Twitter @ruthbenghiat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 3, 2023 • 56min
Alex Finley: Russia and the Intelligence Community
Alex Finley is a former officer within the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, where she served in West Africa and Europe. She is now a columnist and author who focuses on security and intelligence issues. In this episode, she discusses authoritarianism, the intelligence community, Russia, and how former Trump officials were susceptible to foreign influence.Visit https://Lomi.com/BOATS and use code BOATS at checkout to save $50!Get a free thirty-day supply of SuperBeets Heart Chews and a free full-sized bag of turmeric chews valued at $25 by going to boatsbeets.comTo shop plant based bags and replace single use plastics all over your home, visit holdonbags.com/BOATS or enter BOATS at checkout to save 20% off your order.Head to https://Rhone.com/BOATS and use code BOATS to save 20% off your entire order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 26, 2023 • 48min
Mike Rothschild: Analyzing Anti-Semitic Conspiracies
Mike Rothschild is a journalist and expert on conspiracy theories. His new book, Jewish Space Lasers, details how myths about the Rothschilds, a German-Jewish banking family, have influenced anti-semitic conspiracy theories for 200 years.In this interview Mike talks about the origins of anti-semitic conspiracies, and how they’ve grown to dominate right-wing American politics.Head to MANUKORA.com/BOATS or use code BOATS, you’ll automatically get an extra free pack of 850+ honey sticks with your order - a $15 value.Head to https://tryfum.com/BOATS and use code BOATS to save 10% off when you get the journey pack today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 19, 2023 • 36min
Dr. Dan Barkhuff: Political Violence on the Horizon
Former Navy SEAL and founder of Veterans for Responsible Leadership explains why he thinks Civil War in the US is unrealistic, but future political violence isn’t.Dan is a former Navy SEAL with multiple combat deployments. After returning home, he attended Harvard Medical School and became an Emergency Medicine doctor at the University of Vermont.Dan is a conservative, but was appalled by Trump’s comments and messages during the 2016 election. Dan did not vote for Trump in that election, but decided to give him a chance. After a year of the Trump Presidency, Dan said Trump was “worse than I thought he would be—and I thought he was going to be terrible.” In response, Dan created Veterans for Responsible Leadership, an organization that is dedicated to holding public officials accountable and helping to defeat candidates like Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 12, 2023 • 1h 2min
David Hogg: Demanding an End to Gun Violence
David Hogg discusses the political burden placed on Gen-Z, his trauma from the Parkland shooting, gun violence, and protests.David is a survivor of the Parkland shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas in 2018. Following the attack, he and his classmates founded March for Our Lives, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence in the U.S, and held the largest single day of protest against gun violence in history.Since then, David has become a leader in the fight to end gun violence. He graduated from Harvard this year, and has co-founded Leaders We Deserve, an organization that aims to help elect young, progressive candidates to office. In the wake of the UNC shooting, a March for Our Lives Protest is being held today in Raleigh. Learn more here.David Hogg discusses the political burden placed on Gen-Z, his trauma from the Parkland shooting, gun violence, and protests.David is a survivor of the Parkland shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas in 2018. Following the attack, he and his classmates founded March for Our Lives, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence in the U.S, and held the largest single day of protest against gun violence in history.Since then, David has become a leader in the fight to end gun violence. He graduated from Harvard this year, and has co-founded Leaders We Deserve, an organization that aims to help elect young, progressive candidates to office. In the wake of the UNC shooting, a March for Our Lives Protest is being held today in Raleigh. Learn more here. Head to https://tryfum.com/BOATS and use code BOATS to save 10% off when you get the journey pack today!Neurohacker: Go to https://neurohacker.com/BOATS to try Qualia Senolytic with code BOATS for up to 50% off Qualia Senolytic.Head to MANUKORA.com/BOATS or use code BOATS, you’ll automatically get an extra free pack of 850+ honey sticks with your order - a $15 value.Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to https://RocketMoney.com/boats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices