Gaslit Nation

Wear your Sunday best and hang out at the U.S. Capitol building for your chance to chat with a member of Congress. It's a realistic way to meet the people who owe their jobs to our tax dollars, as Andrea explains–based on her own experience–in this week's bonus show. But beware of the sociopathically ambitious, dead-inside Congressional staffers enabling Mitch McConnell, and, before him, Dianne Feinstein, to cling to power long after it was time to step down. 
The rest of this week's bonus show, available in full to our Patreon, Substack, and YouTube members who power Gaslit Nation, is the recording of Monday's salon. The discussion includes Andrea meeting up with Tori Amos after her show on her tour for her new powerful album In Times of Dragons, with songs like "Shush" about MeToo thanking Courtney Love for being early warning the world about Harvey Weinstein; why the DNC may be running out of money and going into debt–even though blue wave elections have ripped through the country since Trump returned to power. And we also discuss how to tell fact from fiction in the disinformation war driven by Russia in its war on Ukraine and all democracies. 
We look forward to bringing you important discussions in the coming weeks, including Casey Michel, a kleptocracy expert sanctioned by Russia and author of the new book the United States of Oligarchy: How America's Wealthiest Ally with Dictators, Weaken the U.S., and Destroy Democracy and Maya Wiley, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the largest civil rights coalition in America, on how we expand the power of the vote–before it's too late. 
Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation–we could not make this show without you. To join our community of listeners, get bonus shows, invites to exclusive events like our Monday salons, and more, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com–discounted annual memberships are available and you can give the gift of membership. See you at Monday's salon over zoom at 4pm ET. 
Show Notes:
Want a plan to build a dream project from scratch in a world of chaos? Get Andrea's new book A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/
Watch this clip of Mr. Jones featuring two journalists in Stalin's Moscow debating–what is truth? https://www.instagram.com/p/DbdQlUrSvZ-/

Are we sleepwalking into autocracy? Dr. Mary Trump joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the terrifying psychology of her convicted-felon, traitor uncle and why "numbing out" is what the fascists want you to do. So listen up—don't check out—find your community, and mock the thin-skinned monsters into oblivion. That's how we win.
What kind of childhood produces a Donald Trump? The same kind of childhood that produced Adolf Hitler: a tyrant father, proudly cold and demeaning. Where does the Trump family's misogyny come from? According to Mary Trump, Fred Trump was a sociopath who passed his misogyny and racism to his children, except for Mary's father, Fred Jr. She says that the women in the Trump family were largely ignored, demeaned, and treated like second-class citizens. Trump himself grew up a terror toward his mother.
Brash, blond, and handsome by 1980s, coked-up, yuppie New York City standards, the young Donald Trump was Fred Trump's ticket to the ruling elite. Like Trump's mentor, the notorious power-hungry lawyer Roy Cohn, Fred Trump saw potential in young Trump to unlock doors to the halls of media and political power. Over the years, Fred gave his nepo trust-fund baby $400 million, which Trump would go on to squander in six bankruptcies and never-ending lawsuits for fraud. So, what is the skill that propelled him to the top—with Russia's very illegal help? Shamelessness.
Mary Trump helps us get under the skin of the thin-skinned wannabe dictator, and, as both an insider and a therapist, provides us with the antidote on how to stand up to the Trumps' crime-spree madness. Demand accountability and relentlessly ridicule Trump with humor and joy. Mocking the aspiring dictator is an important reminder to him and the world that—as the journalist Dorothy Thompson famously said of Hitler—they're just little men.
Our bonus shows are now included in our Tuesday episodes, exclusively for the Patreon, Substack, and YouTube communities that make Gaslit Nation possible. To hear the full episode, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com, or become a Gaslit Nation member on YouTube. Discounted annual memberships are available, and you can give the gift of Gaslit Nation, including full access to our archive going back to the start of the show.
Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation's independent journalism. We could not say what needs to be said and make this show without you.
Show Notes:
Order Andrea's new book, A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women, today: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/
Order Mary Trump's books, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Too-Much-and-Never-Enough/Mary-L-Trump/9781982141479 and The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250864635/thereckoning/
Listen to our episode on Dorothy Thompson, the journalist who famously, openly mocked the Nazis, helping defeat America First in the rise to World War II: https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/american-cassandra-the-life-of-dorothy-thompson
 
EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit and GaslitNation.Substack.com for our community

New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join on Patreon or Substack!

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: Join on Patreon or Substack!

Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: Join on Patreon or Substack!

Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: Join on Patreon or Substack!

Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join on Patreon or Substack!

Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join on Patreon or Substack!

Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join on Patreon or Substack!

As always, keep it kind in our chat groups, extend grace and assume good faith. A culture of care is how we build a better world.

In this week's bonus show, exclusive for our Patreon and Substack subscribers, we take a second look at the sudden death of Lindsey Graham. But first: what's the real story behind Laura Loomer's apology tour of Ukraine? 
Why is Loomer, a creepy MAGA influencer – more botoxed than Putin –  long rumored to be one of Trump's mistresses, suddenly sitting down with President Zelensky and apologizing for spouting Russian disinformation? Follow the money. The Kremlin is broke; Russia is on the verge of collapse. Meanwhile, Ukraine is experiencing a massive tech gold rush thanks to its innovative drone technology. Who's side do the opportunists want to be on? The side at the very start of a disruptive and lucrative tech revolution. 
Laura Loomer sees dollar signs in Ukraine. The economic advantage has switched sides from Russia to Ukraine – thanks to Ukraine's renowned tech ingenuity, which Gaslit Nation predicted would be their secret weapon. 
This week's bonus show includes a second look at Lindsey Graham's sudden death after his important and urgent trip to Ukraine, as well as our full salon discussion. Want to hear it all? Join our community of listeners on Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com – get access to bonus shows, invites to our exclusive events like our Monday salons, and more. Discounted annual memberships are available, and you can give the gift of membership. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you. 
See you at Monday's Gaslit Nation Salon 
Show Notes:
A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/
Keystone Kash's Girlfriend Posts Bonkers Claim She's Target of 'Foreign' Op https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/keystone-kash-girlfriend-posts-bonkers-093956129.html
 
Kremlin Says No News on Patel's October Trip to Russia
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/80762
 
Alexis Wilkins, girlfriend of Kash Patel, sues over 'honeypot' rumors https://www.newsnationnow.com/entertainment-news/alexis-wilkins-girlfriend-kash-patel-sues-honeypot-rumors/
 
From 2022: Gaslit Nation's prediction Ukraine's innovation would be its secret weapon https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes/dispatch-from-ukraine-malcolm-nance-and-terrell-starr-on-putins-war/

Sending FBI Director Kash Patel to Moscow right before the Midterms is like sending a coked-up frat boy into a whorehouse in hell, and the FSB will eat him alive. As Trump pushes the SAVE Act to disenfranchise millions, is he calling in Russian reinforcements to steal Congress? 
Can we overcome a gutted Voting Rights Act, MAGA poll taxes, and Russian cyber warfare and disinformation brainrotting? Yes. By treating our vote as sacred and doing the unglamorous, powerful grassroots work that wins elections–and ensured Zohran Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo not once, but twice. We deserve nice things–but we must work for them. That's how progress gets made. Our heroes who came before us felt demoralized and tired, too. Andrea's new book, A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire, shares some of their stories and insights. We can put an end to Trump and Putin's dreams of turning America into a Russian-style oligarchy by remembering our power. 
On this week's show, we're joined by comedian and activist Pete Dominick of the Stand Up with Pete Dominick podcast. We break down the Epstein files, media intimidation, and the growing resistance to authoritarianism. In our bonus show, available exclusively for our Patreon and Substack supporters, we name names of who in the media enabled Trump's rise, and Pete shares what it was like trolling Trump to his face on The Apprentice. 
We refuse to let them steal our future and our children's futures. Come discuss this and more at the Gaslit Nation Salon this Monday at 4pm ET. We could not produce this independent journalism or build this resilience community without you. Join us, get access to the Salons, and hear Part II of our interview with Pete Dominick by subscribing at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com today.
EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit and GaslitNation.Substack.com for our community

New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join on Patreon or Substack!

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: Join on Patreon or Substack!

Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: Join on Patreon or Substack!

Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other: Join on Patreon or Substack!

Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join on Patreon or Substack!

Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join on Patreon or Substack!

Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join on Patreon or Substack!

As always, keep it kind in our chat groups, extend grace and assume good faith. A culture of care is how we build a better world. 

Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit
Show Notes:
Pre-order Andrea's new book today! A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/
Listen to Stand Up! With Pete Dominick https://standupwithpete.com/
Murkowski: SAVE Act Could Require $1,000 Trips to Register to Vote https://www.newsweek.com/murkowski-save-act-could-require-1000-trips-to-register-to-vote-12214305
Trump says he spoke with Sen. Lindsey Graham hours before his death President Donald Trump said Graham called him to discuss the SAVE America Act on Saturday. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-phone-call-lindsey-graham-death-save-act-rcna552732 
FBI Director Kash Patel plans Russia trip The plans come as the U.S. and Russia have failed to come to terms on ending the war in Ukraine. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/20/kash-patel-fbi-russia-trip-01005078 
US, Russian teams met in Florida and discussed 'variety of topics,' Witkoff says https://www.reuters.com/world/us-russian-teams-met-florida-discussed-variety-topics-witkoff-says-2026-03-12/

Instead of watching Trump's speech tonight, watch Monday's Gaslit Nation Salon on July 14 - Bastille Day! Here's an excerpt. You can watch the full recording by joining our community of listeners on Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com. We had a lively discussion of Lindsey Graham's sudden death, how Russians see themselves as meat for the meatgrinder, and more.
Trump's North Korean propaganda speech tonight is meant to strongarm Republicans into passing the Trad Wife Act -- (a.k.a. the Save Act), suppressing the votes of millions of people, especially married women who will be forced to show their birth certificates to vote if they changed their last names for marriage. It would also of course target anyone who changed their names, including trans people. It's bad all around, so bad that even many Republicans can't bring themselves to support it. They know the ripple effect will be a last straw for the powder keg that is the United States during this time of political violence in a slow-moving Civil War.
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com