Gaslit Nation

Andrea Chalupa
Gaslit Nation

Gaslit Nation provides a deep dive on the news, skipping outrage to deliver analysis, history, context, and sharp insight on global affairs. Hosted by journalist and filmmaker Andrea Chalupa, an expert on authoritarian states who warned America about Russia and election hacking before the 2016 election.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    A Confederacy of Psychopaths: Trump and His Enablers

    The MAGA cult represents a profound public mental health crisis. Since 2017, Dr. Bandy Lee has raised the alarm about the pervasive influence of Donald Trump's psychopathy on his followers, coining the term "Trump contagion," and it may have affected people in your own circle. In her urgent book, The Psychology of Trump Contagion, Dr. Lee argues that the mental health implications of Trump's MAGA movement are significantly underestimated. With her extensive background in public sectors such as prisons and state hospitals, she has observed how toxic influences can spread. Rather than lifting those around them, healthy individuals risk adopting the pathologies of those with severe impairments—a dynamic she has witnessed in environments like street gangs or dysfunctional families, reminiscent of the Trump family itself. Trump's manipulative tactics leave many feeling trapped and powerless, distorting reality to maintain his grip on power. At the heart of Trump's pathology are his pronounced narcissism, violent tendencies, and deep-seated feelings of inadequacy—all exacerbated among his followers by societal stressors like the income inequality crisis. In Part 1 of our conversation, we delve into the dark psychology behind Trump and his enablers, including the lack of urgency by Nancy Pelosi during the first two impeachments, as this show warned, as well as the roles played by media executives, and corporate greed. This week’s bonus show, out Saturday, for our Truth-Teller ($5/month) members and higher will address pressing questions about Jill Stein in our listener Q&A, produced by our Democracy Defender ($10/month) members. We’ll also continue our discussion with Dr. Lee on how to navigate relationships with MAGA cultists, whether Trump staged his assassination attempt, and the troubling connections to pedophile rings within the corrupt family court system. Thank you to everyone who supports the show–we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Show Notes: Join our final phonebank with Sister District this Wednesday at 6pm ET! https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrictnyc/event/642096/ Near Fort Myers, Florida? Join Andrea for a day of action! https://www.mobilize.us/leecountydec/event/680718/ Are you in London? Andrea will be speaking at the Ukrainian Institute of London on Friday November 15th. Details here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ukrainianinstitutelondon/1450274 The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 40 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Warn Anew https://www.amazon.com/More-Dangerous-Case-Donald-Trump/dp/B0DJ4JZD2B The Psychology of Trump Contagion: An Existential Danger to American Democracy and All Humankind https://www.amazon.in/Psychology-Trump-Contagion-Existential-Democracy-ebook/dp/B0CW1DWBZ9 Discover more of Dr. Bandy Lee’s work at her personal site: https://bandylee.com/ This week’s opening song was “Change Happens (One Conversation at a Time) by Ellen Schwartz and Roger Bruno of the Band Too Human. Check out their work here: http://toohumanonline.com and Submit your own music here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, invites to live events, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!

    49 min
  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    Stop Eric Adams' Power Grab

    Are you a voter in New York City or know someone who is? We need your voice! Indicted Mayor Eric Adams—who, like Trump, also loves foreign bribes—pushed through ballot measures two through six that centralize more power in the mayor’s office. This consolidation risk comes at a time when we must remain vigilant against rising autocracy, especially given New York's rich history as a sanctuary for resistance, from the abolitionist movement to standing up to Trump. Be sure to vote YES on ballot measure one, which enshrines reproductice healthcare, LGBTQ rights, and more in our state constitution, and vote NO on ballot measures two to six. To help us navigate Adams' gaslighting and strategize ways to overcome America's oligarchy crisis is Jasmine Gripper, co-state director of the New York Working Families Party. Before you head to the polls, don’t miss this important interview! Be sure to vote along the Working Families Party line, especially since disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo raised the threshold for third parties to appear on the ballot. Interested in joining or starting a Working Families Party chapter in your state? Visit their website at workingfamilies.org for more information. Look out for a new Gaslit Nation out tonight featuring the chilling insights of Dr. Bandy Lee on Trump contagion and how it spreads the cult of violence that turned Germany into a dictatorship in just six months.  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, invites to live events, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!

    10 min
  3. 23 OCT

    Adopt a White Woman

    Want our shows ad free? Subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit to join our community of listeners, get bonus shows and all episodes ad free, invites to exclusive events, submit questions to our regular Q&As, and more! Discounted annual memberships available!  * The world is waiting to see if just enough Americans in a handful of states love democracy more than misogyny. Playing their role in this real-life horror show are white women—the majority have voted Republican since 2000, with more white women voters leaving Biden than leaving Trump. Why? The mental slavery of patriarchy gets internalized, just like mind-warped Russians openly embracing totalitarianism and being fed into the meat grinder in Ukraine. In this special Gaslit Nation, Terrell Starr reports from the country of Georgia, which operates like a Republican-hostage state thanks to the Kremlin’s capture of just enough political and business elites. Sound familiar? Terrell shares the resistance strategies on the ground, how they might apply to the U.S., and why he thinks the people of Georgia will overthrow their own Kremlin-backed nightmare, called Georgia Dream, this weekend at the polls. Time to dust off your Facebook friend list! Reecie Colbert, political analyst and host of The Reecie Colbert Show on Sirius XM, shares her insights into how to persuade white women in swing states not to vote for fascism. This important discussion, recorded over the summer and saved for prime get-out-the-vote season as we hit the final homestretch of Gaslit Nation’s phone banks with Sister District and Indivisible (check the show notes to RSVP for those events!), will help you reach out to the white women swing voters in your life! Listeners in our Patreon community have asked about podcasting. So this week’s bonus show will be our special How to Make a Podcast Workshop to help you raise your voice. We don’t need another “Trump is bad” podcast. But we do need more independent voices keeping a watchful eye on local corruption eclipsed by Trump’s Kremlin Klown Kar, which the media can’t get enough of, especially when it comes to normalizing Russian state capture. To hear that workshop, out this Thursday, subscribe at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) level or higher—discounted annual memberships available! Thank you to everyone who supports our independent journalism—we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! See you Wednesday for our phone bank party with Sister District at 6pm ET. Never phone banked before? It’s easy! Quick trainings are provided! RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrictnyc/event/642096/ Want help with the MAGA cultists in your life? Join our live-taping about the psychology of Trump and his MAGA cult with Dr. Bandy Lee, author of The Psychology of Trump Contagion: An Existential Danger to American Democracy and All Humankind, October 29 at 12pm ET! A zoom link will be shared on Patreon the morning of the show! This week’s opening song was “Change Happens (One Conversation at a Time) by Ellen Schwartz and Roger Bruno of the Band Too Human. Check out their work here: http://toohumanonline.com and Submit your own music here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628.   Show Notes: Elon Musk’s daily $1 million giveaway to registered voters could be illegal, experts say https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/20/politics/elon-musk-voter-giveaway-legal-questions/index.html Harris, Trump and shifting demographics in the US election: In the US presidential election in November, roughly 244 million people are eligible to vote. What demographic groups make up the country's voting population? And how have they voted in the past? https://www.dw.com/en/harris-trump-and-shifting-demographics-in-the-us-election/a-69477852 When will DeSantis listen to his own voters on ex-felons' voting rights? At a time of bitter, partisan division, a supermajority of ordinar

    42 min
  4. 19 OCT

    TEASER - The Mailman Who Won't Deliver: Who Will Stop DeJoy?

    Thank you to Democracy Defender-supporter Melissa for the question that produced this week’s Q&A Bonus show! Be sure to subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit to submit your questions, get all shows ad free, and hear the full bonus episode! Why is DeJoy still in charge? Well, it all comes down to numbers—specifically, the ones the Democrats don’t have yet. The USPS Board of Governors is still short of the votes needed to remove Louis DeJoy. There’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon with Biden's nominations of former Florida Rep. Val Demings and former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, but they need to get through Senate confirmation first. Even if that happens, the entire Democratic bloc on the board has to agree to boot DeJoy. And here’s the kicker: they’ll also need an Independent to back them. Now, about that Independent, Amber McReynolds: she was appointed by Biden. But, plot twist—this Biden appointee has gone on record saying the USPS is doing just fine. So yeah, not exactly a slam dunk for Team “Fire DeJoy.” This is how corruption is allowed to fester—DeJoy stays, he enriches his family through shady deals, and the USPS, along with its overworked staff, remains on the chopping block. It’s the Reaganomics playbook: shrink government services, weaken unions, and let privatization sweep in to pick at the bones. All while the people who depend on these services are left with empty mailboxes and a dysfunctional system. Welcome to DeJoy's America! This week’s bonus show includes a fiery continuation of Gaslit Nation's interview with Elie Mystal, Justice Correspondent for The Nation and author of the bestselling book Allow Me to Retort A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution. We discuss one of the most dangerous men in America: Merrick Garland. To listen to the full episode, be sure to subscribe at the Truth-teller ($5/month) level or higher, and to submit a question for our next Q&A bonus show, subscribe at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) level or higher. Discounted annual memberships available. Thank you to everyone who supports our independent journalism, especially during these tough times. We could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Look out for our special workshop How to Make a Podcast publishing October 24th for our supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, unless you grabbed the early bird special in September and signed up at the Truth-teller level and higher!  Join our live-taping about the psychology of Trump and his MAGA cult with Dr. Bandy Lee, author of The Psychology of Trump Contagion: An Existential Danger to American Democracy and All Humankind, October 29 at 12pm ET!  Subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit to join our community of listeners, get bonus shows and all episodes ad free, invites to exclusive events, submit questions to our regular Q&As, and more! Discounted annual memberships available!    Show Notes:   To Restore Abortion Rights, Democrats Must Win the Senate. If Democrats manage to win the White House but lose the Senate, then people in GOP-controlled states will continue to be forced to bring pregnancies to term against their will. https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/to-restore-abortion-rights-democrats-must-win-the-senate/   DeJoy maintains financial ties to former company as USPS awards it new $120 million contract. XPO Logistics pays DeJoy and family businesses at least $2.1 million annually to lease four office buildings in North Carolina https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/08/06/usps-dejoy-xpo-logistics/   Joe Biden Passes 'Essential Stop' in Bid to Save Mail-in Ballots - Attorney https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-joe-biden-mail-ballots-2024-election-postal-service-1932369   Senators call on postal board to abandon DeJoy’s USPS reforms. The overhaul is harming the Postal Service, Democrats say, though postal leadership says it just needs more time. https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/04/senators-

    21 min
  5. 16 OCT

    Expand the Court: The Elie Mystal Interview

    How do we protect ourselves from Trump’s MAGA Supreme Court? Expand the court like our lives depend on it, because they do! Elie Mystal, the Justice Correspondent for The Nation, and the author of the New York Times bestselling book Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, joins Gaslit Nation to discuss urgently needed judicial reform and how to do it.  One of the first things the Nazis did was take over the judiciary in Germany. Republicans have long waged lawfare against our democracy, and now they’re just one election away from establishing a dictatorship. The far-right’s long-game has been met with hand-wringing, complacency, and neoliberalism from Democrats. And now we’re out of time, making court expanding an urgent priority for our nation, should Kamala Harris win.  But will the Supreme Court steal the election for Republicans, like they did for George W. Bush in 2000? That and Trump’s cult of toxic masculinity are discussed in this week’s Gaslit Nation, also featuring Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack. This week’s bonus show, available for our subscribers at the Truth-teller ($5/month) level and higher, continues the conversation with a special focus on dangerous Attorney General Merrick Garland, and answers questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) and higher for our bonus Q&A. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation and makes our independent journalism possible – we could not make this show without you!  See you this Wednesday for our phone bank party with Sister District at 6pm ET – we’re calling into must-win Pennsylvania! RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrictnyc/event/642096/ This Thursday at 7pm ET, we’re making calls with Indivisible to hold onto the must-win Senate. RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/ Look out for our special workshop How to Make a Podcast publishing October 24th for our supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, unless you grabbed the early bird special in September and signed up at the Truth-teller level and higher!  Join our live-taping about the psychology of Trump and his MAGA cult with Dr. Bandy Lee, author of The Psychology of Trump Contagion: An Existential Danger to American Democracy and All Humankind, October 29 at 12pm ET!  Subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit to join our community of listeners, get bonus shows and all episodes ad free, invites to exclusive events, submit questions to our regular Q&As, and more! Discounted annual memberships available!

    40 min
  6. 13 OCT

    Letter to a German Friend

    In the darkest days of World War II, Algerian-French writer Albert Camus sent a defiant message to the Nazis: our victory is inevitable. If you're feeling any election anxiety or grappling with uncertainty about the months ahead, watch this video on Camus' powerful Letter to a German Friend, from his book Resistance, Rebellion, and Death. It's a reminder that our resistance to authoritarianism has deep, resilient roots. And if you're dealing with MAGA extremists in your life—whether you're navigating tough conversations, protecting your space from harassment, or simply trying to understand the cult of Trump—join our live taping with Dr. Bandy Lee, author of The Psychology of Trump Contagion: An Existential Danger to American Democracy and All Humankind, on October 29 at 12 PM ET for our Truth-Teller-level subscribers and higher. You can also send in your questions for Dr. Lee through Patreon if you can't make the live event. On October 24th at 7pm ET, we're releasing a recording of our How to Make a Podcast workshop to answer the questions we frequently get from listeners and help you find your voice. This will be available to our Democracy Defender-level subscribers and above, starting today. We have a lot of exciting events lined up in the coming weeks to connect with our community of listeners. Don’t miss our Political Salons every Monday at 4 PM ET on Zoom—a space to vent, ask questions, share what's going on in your world, and just hang out. It's become a dynamic part of shaping the show! Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation—we couldn't make this show without you. Be sure to subscribe and join us for the lively discussions ahead! A programming change: Our bonus episode Q&A answering questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender-level and higher will now run next Saturday. Get your questions in, if you haven't yet! Photo: With my uncle Vitalij Keis in his library. For more on his story, listen to our 2013 interview with NPR here: https://theworld.org/stories/2013/08/15/orwells-animal-farm-and-ukrainian-refugees Show Notes: Camus’ Letters to a German Friend, a Warning for Our Times https://casdinteret.com/2021/11/albert-camus-letters-to-a-german-friend-warning/ Broadcast to Germany: Dorothy Thompson Speaking https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1943/01/broadcast-to-germany-dorothy-thompson-speaking/657045/ Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ and Ukrainian Refugees https://theworld.org/stories/2013/08/15/orwells-animal-farm-and-ukrainian-refugees Orwell and the Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm https://www.amazon.com/Orwell-Refugees-Untold-Story-Animal-ebook/dp/B007JNKF5G

    15 min

About

Gaslit Nation provides a deep dive on the news, skipping outrage to deliver analysis, history, context, and sharp insight on global affairs. Hosted by journalist and filmmaker Andrea Chalupa, an expert on authoritarian states who warned America about Russia and election hacking before the 2016 election.

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