Gaslit Nation Andrea Chalupa

Every dictator or wannabe dictator relies on a base of support to stay in power. For Putin, Orban, and Trump, their base is Christian nationalism – claiming God wants white, straight "Christian" men to rule, even if this means violently stripping all others of their human rights. (Nevermind what Jesus actually taught in the Gospels about loving thy neighbor!)
The Republican Party has been taken over by Christian nationalists backed by American and Russian oligarchs, in a death cult commonly known as MAGA. Trump is the strongman they've been searching for over decades of laying the groundwork for turning America into a dictatorship. Here to break it down for us is veteran filmmaker Stephen Ujlaki, who delved into the terrifying game plan of Christian nationalists for his new film, Bad Faith, out April 26 and available for pre-order.
Gaslit Nation listeners who host viewing parties of Bad Faith with their friends and family can send us a photo or email to GaslitNation@gmail.com about the event for their chance to get Gaslit merch and other fun prizes, to help spread the word about this important and urgent film. This week's bonus episode, exclusively for our subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon, will cover Iran's attack on Israel, why Ukraine must receive the same protection as the U.S.-led coalition that defended Israel, especially as MAGA continues to block aid in the House, and reports of Paul Manafort's work for Trump in the 2024 election.
We're also launching today a NEW chat group, inspired by our recent Make Art Workshop: The Business Side of Things, to complement our current general chat group, called Victory. The Art is Survival chat group is for artists in our community to share their works in progress, discover resources, and join with a community of like-minded creatives envisioning a world beyond the dictatorships the fascists want us to believe are inevitable. Thank you to all the artists out there and those who support art for believing that another world is possible! The recording of the Make Art workshop will be published Saturday May 4th, along with the transcript and a list of resources. 
To get access to both chat groups – Victory (the general chat group) and Art is Survival – all bonus shows, all episodes ad-free, exclusive invites to events, and more, be sure to sign up at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
 
Show Notes:
 
Bad Faith documentary: https://www.badfaithdocumentary.com/
 
Meet Stephen Ujlaki, the filmmaker behind Bad Faith: https://sftv.lmu.edu/faculty/?expert=stephen.ujlaki
 
Putin Ally Declares Mike Johnson 'Our Johnson'
https://www.newsweek.com/putin-ally-declares-mike-johnson-our-johnson-1890071
 
Europe is already planning for what happens if Ukraine loses. It’s ugly A newly energized Russia is already escalating grey-zone operations in Eastern Europe, says Estonia’s defense minister.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2024/04/europe-already-planning-what-happens-if-ukraine-loses-its-ugly/395715/
 
Why Did U.S. Planes Defend Israel but Not Ukraine? There are lessons for other nations in the events of the past few days.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/04/ukraine-israel-war-comparison/678077/?gift=hVZeG3M9DnxL4CekrWGK3zBTrwyTVOGzmWK5yps1Kck&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
 
U.S., NOT ISRAEL, SHOT DOWN MOST IRAN DRONES AND MISSILES American forces did most of the heavy lifting responding to Iran’s retaliation for the attack on its embassy in Damascus.
https://theintercept.com/2024/04/15/iran-attack-israel-drones-missiles/
 
How Israel and allied defenses intercepted more than 300 Iranian missiles and drones
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/04/14/middleeast/israel-air-missile-defense-iran-attack-intl-hnk-ml
 

In this week’s bonus show, we dig into Israel and evangelicals, two fellow travelers that shaped U.S. politics and the world together. Many evangelicals believe God will protect Israel, as long as they accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, or they'll burn in hell with other nonbelievers when Jesus returns. That means the destruction of Israel, a Jewish state. Digging into Speaker Mike Johnson, a staunch evangelical, and the other MAGA Christian nationalists blocking aid to Ukraine in the House, it turns out Ukraine also plays a role in evangelical “end times” prophecy. The path of the destruction of Israel goes through Ukraine, according to Pat Robertson and other evangelical leaders featured in the show notes. Does Johnson believe this? 
 
Johnson proudly proclaimed his worldview is the bible, telling Fox News: "Someone asked me today in the media, they said, 'It's curious, people are curious: What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?' I said, 'Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That's my worldview.” Johnson was featured in a German documentary about taking his daughter to a purity ball where she signed a pledge to never have sex before marriage. Purity balls are seen as dehumanizing to young girls and women
 
Pat Robertson, one of the most consequential evangelical leaders to build white Christian nationalists into a political force, taking over the GOP, claimed in a video featured in this week’s bonus show, the path to Israel's destruction begins with Russia's destruction of Ukraine. Ray Comfort, another evangelical minister with a large social media following, wrote the book Russia Will Attack Israel, and plays up Russia’s war in Ukraine as “end times” prophecy. David Jeremiah, the evangelical pastor of a megachurch, also promotes this idea in his work. The argument goes: Putin is a tool of God to raise the forces of evil against Ukraine on Russia’s path to waging war against Israel. In their logic, Ukraine must be destroyed so the final battle of good vs. evil can begin, ushering in the return of Jesus. 
 
Obviously Christian nationalists like Johnson and others in the MAGA cult blocking aid to Ukraine are motivated by power and money. They align with strongmen like Trump to consolidate their support and enrich themselves. Both Putin and Orban used Christianian nationalism to entrench their regimes. Johnson was caught taking Kremlin-linked donations in 2018, as discussed in the recent bonus show for Patreon subscribers, The Kremlin Owns Mike Johnson. 
 
Russia does its part to feed into these “end times” fever dreams. The philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, Russia’s Steve Bannon, recently said, "Jerusalem will be a Russian city or it will not exist at all.” As Trump’s white Christian nationalist base cheers on Putin’s genocide in Ukraine and Netanyahu’s genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, Russia oppresses and kills evangelicals in occupied Ukraine, according to a recent PBS Newshour report, and Christians are increasingly harassed and pushed out by ultra-Orthodox Israelis. 
 
The persecution of fellow Christians may likely mean nothing to Johnson if he shares the belief that accelerating global conflicts will ultimately bring back Jesus. What he has made clear through his words and actions is that he takes the bible literally, like many evangelicals. With Ukraine increasingly in the crossfire of “end times” prophecies, spun in megachurches and their disinformation echo chambers, we have to come to terms that we’re up against a doomsday cult, not a political party. Biden cannot shame or reason with these people. He must work around them to save Ukraine. 
 
Contact your rep today through this site by a Gaslit Nation listener and demand they ensure the discharge petitions are signed, successfully forcing a vote on Ukraine aid: https://helpukrainewin.com/
 
***
 
Thank you to everyone who attended the Make Art Workshop:

Reminder! This Thursday, fight for your mind! To get inspired to make art and bring your projects across the finish line, join us for the Gaslit Nation LIVE Make Art Workshop this Thursday April 11 at 7pm EST – be sure to be subscribed at the Truth-teller level or higher to get your ticket to the event! 
 
We also ask you to urge members of Congress to sign the discharge petitions to overcome MAGA’s blockade of Ukraine aid in the House. Use this handy site made by a Gaslit Nation listener to contact your reps today: https://helpukrainewin.com/
 
In this week’s Gaslit Nation, Andrea and Terrell Star of the Black Diplomats Podcast & Substack get raptured! No, we’re still here, fighting fascism at home and abroad. And still with us, unfortunately, is Trump’s actual army of far-right Christian nationalists determined to destroy our democracy from within. What’s needed to fight a holy war? Another holy war, if your faith is in empathy and science. 
 
In this End Times-themed discussion (in honor of the 4.8 earthquake striking near Trump’s Bedminister golf course, opening up the gates of hell just in time for the election, and the solar eclipse that blinded the latest winners of the Darwin Awards), we discuss how to protect democracy against a transnational crime syndicate wielding Christian nationalism as its weapon. We also review the must-watch documentary "Bad Faith," based on the book by former Gaslit Nation guest and journalist Anne Nelson, titled Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right. We also look at Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to help Trump come to power, Michael Flynn’s propaganda tour to energize authoritarian voters, the most dangerous men in the Biden administration who should have been replaced long ago, and why, in a time of genocide and other existential threats, straight white old guys are no longer a “safe bet.” But we’ll vote for Biden anyway, because we don’t have the time or resources to fight for survival and against a second, never-ending Trump regime. 
 
This week’s bonus episode, exclusively for our supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher, is a discussion of Evangelicals and Israel – staunch allies for opportunistic reasons. They also constitute a crucial element in Trump's potential Electoral College victory, where Biden barely squeaked by thanks to a mere 44,000 votes scattered across Georgia, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Yes, it was that close. So don't forget to pre-order the documentary Bad Faith, organize a watch party with friends and neighbors, and complete the recommended steps in the Gaslit Nation 2024 Survival Guide. What is your plan to help protect our democracy this year from Trump and his dreaded Project 2025, discussed in this week’s episode? 
 
To our supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions for our upcoming Q&A! We always enjoy hearing from you! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 
 
Join the conversation with a community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit and get bonus shows, all episodes ad free, submit questions to our regular Q&As, get exclusive invites to live events, and more! 
 
Check out our new merch! Get your “F*ck Putin” t-shirt or mug today! https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/57796740-f-ck-putin?store_id=3129329



SHOW NOTES:
 
Clip: Watch the trailer for Bad Faith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WYseVO29ZU
 
Clip: Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s New York State Campaign Manager Proudly Declares They’re Trying to Help Trump Win https://twitter.com/cwebbonline/status/1777021184737194221
 
Clip: Michael Flynn: From Government Insider to Holy Warrior | FRONTLINE + AP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHqohI-ZNhY
 
Inside the Election Denial Groups Planning to Disrupt November https://www.wired.com/story/election-denial-groups-november-2024/
 
Inside the Terrifyingly Competent Trum

This is an excerpt of this week's bonus show. To hear the full episode subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit. If you're already subscribed, be sure to grab our RSS feed on Patreon to never miss an episode!
Mike Johnson is Lucy playing football with Charlie Brown. The MAGA Ken doll delayed the vote for Ukraine aid by several more weeks, coming through for Donald Trump, his MAGA cult of violence, and their Kremlin backers. Call it what it is: treason. In this heated bonus show, Andrea is joined by Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman and Italy-based analyst Monique Camarra of the Kremlin File podcast, debating whether Mike Johnson will ever hold his long promised Ukraine aid vote, and ways to overcome his existential threat to civilians in Russia’s ongoing genocide. 
 
Our discussion was recorded on Tuesday, and includes a debate between Andrea and Olga on whether Mike Johnson will ever come through. We also discuss President Macron doubling down on sending NATO troops to Ukraine, and the long history of Russian terrorism and Western complacency. On Tuesday, Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the latest in the 2024 election and ways to overcome the threats to our democracy. Later in the month, Ari Berman of Mother Jones will be on the show to discuss his new book Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People--And the Fight to Resist It. 
 
Want to help unblock Ukraine aid in Congress? Contact Joaquin Castro (D-TX) at (202) 225-3236 and Mark Pocan (D-WI) at (202) 225-2906 and demand that they sign the two bipartisan discharge petitions put forth by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), which would force a vote in the House to pass aid for Ukraine. For more on that effort, read this urgent statement from the humanitarian nonprofit Razom for Ukraine: https://www.razomforukraine.org/razom-for-ukraine-calls-on-house-democrats-to-sign-discharge-petition/
 
To our supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions for our upcoming Q&A! We always enjoy hearing from you! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
 
Fight for your mind! To get inspired to make art and bring your projects across the finish line, join us for the Gaslit Nation LIVE Make Art Workshop on April 11 at 7pm EST – be sure to be subscribed at the Truth-teller level or higher to get your ticket to the event! 
 
Join the conversation with a community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit and get bonus shows, all episodes ad free, submit questions to our regular Q&As, get exclusive invites to live events, and more! 
 
Check out our new merch! Get your “F*ck Putin” t-shirt or mug today! https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/57796740-f-ck-putin?store_id=3129329
 

If there’s one thing fascists love it’s using the threat of terrorism to rile up their base. The largest terrorist attack in Moscow in decades signals a resurgent ISIS, one that Trump and his MAGA cult will no doubt campaign off of, to “scare out” the vote. (The independent voter needed to win close states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin may not care about Netanyahu’s terrorism, only that committed by brown people). How will Trump and his longtime crime-partner Paul Manafort, rumored to officially join the campaign soon (Manafort never left!), capitalize off the growing terror threats, worsened by Trump and Putin ally Netanyahu and his genocidal war to cling to power?
 
In this week’s Gaslit Nation, Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman and analyst Monique Camarra of the Kremlin File podcast join Andrea to discuss the Crocus theater attack in Moscow and why Russia is a favorite target of ISIS, the latest reporting on the Kremlin's Havana Syndrome electronic warfare that has attacked around 1,500 people serving in the U.S. government and their families, and whether Trump will unleash violence if he loses, or wins.  
 
Our bonus episode this week features a debate among Gaslit Nation and Kremlin File over MAGA Ken doll Mike Johnson. Is he actually serious about bringing Ukraine aide up for a vote, or is he stringing us along as ammunition runs dangerously low and more Russian missiles make it through? As Congress comes back into session next week, we discuss all the ways they could actually do something to stop Russia’s genocide in Ukraine–a laboratory for Russian aggression that eventually reaches us. Be sure to apply pressure by calling your representatives in Congress, and use this handy tool made by a Gaslit Nation listener to contact your rep today: https://helpukrainewin.com/
 
Fight for your mind! To get inspired to make art and bring your projects across the finish line, join us for the Gaslit Nation LIVE Make Art Workshop on April 11 at 7pm EST – be sure to be subscribed at the Truth-teller level or higher to get your ticket to the event! 
 
Join the conversation with a community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit and get bonus shows, all episodes ad free, submit questions to our regular Q&As, get exclusive invites to live events, and more! 
 
Check out our new merch! Get your “F*ck Putin” t-shirt or mug today! https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/57796740-f-ck-putin?store_id=3129329
 
Submit your song for the Gaslit Nation song feature! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628
 
Show Notes:
 
How ISIS has Europe and the US in sights after deadly Moscow attack
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/30/europe/how-isis-has-europe-and-the-us-in-sights-after-deadly-moscow-attack/index.html
 
New in SpyWeek CIA and Moscow terror, Havana Syndrome, rogue diplomat Ric Grenell, Paul Manafort’s return, a creepy Army Psyops recruiting ad & more
https://www.spytalk.co/p/new-in-spyweek-7e9
 
Trump may enlist Paul Manafort, who was criticized for Russia ties The former campaign manager was pardoned by Trump for bank and tax fraud convictions and accusations he hid millions he made consulting for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/18/trump-manafort-2024-campaign/
 
Feds seek $3M from Paul Manafort over failing to disclose offshore accounts A civil lawsuit signals the Justice Department views penalties as not covered by President Donald Trump’s pardon of his former adviser.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/28/paul-manafort-trump-lawsuit-00028717
 
What to know about Havana Syndrome after investigation links illness to Russia
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/01/havana-syndrome-russia-attacks-us-officials
 
How the conflict between Hamas and Israel fuels terror threats in the West
https://www.icct.nl/publication/how-conflict-between-hamas-and-israel-fuels-terro

For decades in its war on terror following 9/11 the U.S. government poured resources, including its own terror tactics, in combating Islamic radicalism during the rise of ISIS. Meanwhile, white domestic terrorism, fueled by extreme religious groups like white evangelicals, increasingly went unchecked, leading to Trump and his violent January 6 insurrection. Can those same far-right Chrstian extremists help Trump win the Electoral College? 
 
This week’s bonus show, based on a listener's question and exclusively for our subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon, looks at the potential impact of the far-right Christian vote and ways to counteract it. The episode answers other questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender-level and higher on Steve Bannon’s terror tactics, exposing white women slaveholders in American history, and more! To submit your questions and comments for a future Q&A, be sure to subscribe to the show at the Democracy Defender level or higher only on Patreon! 
 
Fight for your mind! To get inspired to make art and bring your projects across the finish line, join us for the Gaslit Nation LIVE Make Art Workshop on April 11 at 7pm EST – be sure to be subscribed at the Truth-teller level or higher to get your ticket to the event! 
 
Be sure to check out this really cool art initiative out of Michigan from Gaslit Nation listeners!: Breaking down walls through art and expression: https://umdearborn.edu/news/breaking-down-walls-through-art-and-expression
 
There’s also this important work from another Gaslit Nation listener in our community that’s part of the long overdue solution for modernizing America’s rail service: Fed plan contains more passenger trains for Utah https://buildingsaltlake.com/fed-plan-contains-more-passenger-trains-for-utah/ More info here: Federal Railroad Administration's Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study fralongdistancerailstudy.org
 
Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 
 
Join the conversation with a community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit and get bonus shows, all episodes ad free, submit questions to our regular Q&As, get exclusive invites to live events, and more! 
 
Check out our new merch! Get your “F*ck Putin” t-shirt or mug today! https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/57796740-f-ck-putin?store_id=3129329
 
Submit your song for the Gaslit Nation song feature! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628
 
Show Notes:
 
They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South https://bookshop.org/p/books/they-were-her-property-white-women-as-slave-owners-in-the-american-south-stephanie-e-jones-rogers/8493268?ean=9780300251838
 
How Evangelicals Became a Voting Bloc Evangelical voters’ focus on policy over character came much earlier than you think. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/march-web-only/evangelicals-voting-bloc-super-tuesday-donald-trump-charact.html
 
Religious Group Voting and the 2020 Election https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/324410/religious-group-voting-2020-election.aspx
 
It’s Time to Talk About Violent Christian Extremism There’s a “strong authoritarian streak” that runs through parts of American evangelicalism, warns Elizabeth Neumann. What should be done about it? https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/02/04/qanon-christian-extremism-nationalism-violence-466034
 
Why QAnon Has Attracted So Many White Evangelicals https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-qanon-has-attracted-so-many-white-evangelicals/
 
The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-undertow-scenes-from-a-slow-civil-war-jeff-sharlet/18515351?ean=9781324006497
 
The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-family-the-secret-fundamenta