Posting Through It

Mike and Tom — two folks from the anarchist media collective It’s Going Down — joined the show for a conversation about translating the mass appeal of anti-Trump protests into meaningful acts of antifascism against a far-right extremist government. The crew looked back on antifascist organizing in recent decades, discussed ways that anyone can make their activism materially impactful, and considered how the role researchers play ha...

Mike and Jared say hello to the show’s new “Groyper” listeners then talk about Trump’s military parade, the murder of a Minnesota politician, media coverage of “No Kings” protests, Terry Moran’s exit from ABC News, and Democrats’ latest ploy to win new voters.

Links:

* Molly Ivins: The Fun’s in the Fight

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Nicholas J. Fuentes is the most prolific white nationalist in America today, and he’s just 26 years old. The Chicagoland native’s nightly livestreams have earned him a cult-following of “Groypers” who have helped him push an entire generation of young Republicans toward racist and antisemitic ideologies. This episode traces notable moments in Fuentes’ life that made him what he is today.

Amanda Moore is a freelance journalist who ha...

Edward Ongweso Jr, a writer and editor who covers tech, labor, and finance, joined for an in-depth discussion about the artificial intelligence tech industry and Silicon Valley’s efforts to expand its political power. Industry leaders have promised that their AI products will catapult humanity in a new era, but how might these tools be used to surveil, oppress, and harm the rest of us?

Edward’s links:

* His newsletter: “The Tech Bubb...

Kim Kelly, a labor journalist and author, joined to discuss how unions and other organized worker groups are faring in today’s hostile political landscape. Kim also discussed modern metal music and current-day anarchist organizing. Before that, Mike and Jared talked about MAGA supporters souring on FBI leaders Dan Bongino and Kash Patel as they try to pivot away from “deep state” conspiracy theories, like those related to Jeffrey E...

Mike and Jared return from a week off to discuss Kanye West’s pro-Hitler song, a Minnesota woman’s big payday after calling a child the n-word, Trump Administration officials supporting racist conspiracy theories about “white genocide” in South Africa, and conservative personalities debating each other’s “woke-ness.” (Note: This episode contains explicit language, more so than usual.)

And, listeners… “it's just after 10 p.m. This is...

Candace Owens soared to right-wing media superstardom within weeks of posting her first YouTube videos in 2017. This episode reviews Owens’ life and career arc, exploring how someone who was victimized by racial hatred in high school became one of the MAGA movement’s most prominent — and most divisive — political commentators. This episode features exclusive comments from Candace Owens, provided through a spokesperson, and includes...

Hannah Gais and Steven Monacelli join for a wide-ranging discussion about the state of Twitter (now called “X”) three years after Elon Musk first moved to purchase it. Since then, Musk has transformed the platform into a self-serving MAGA machine that is crowning a new generation of right-wing media royalty. Monacelli walks us through his reporting on one of the platform’s newer standouts — “Captive Dreamer” — as an example of who’...

Teddy Wilson, a journalist and researcher, joins to discuss developments within the Radical Right since Trump issued pardons and commutations for every one of his supporters involved in the 2021 riot at the US Capitol Building — including extremist movement members and supporters — at the start of his second term. Mike and Jared take a trip down memory lane to reflect on the ways Republicans have come to embrace what happened that ...

Nikki McCann Ramírez, a political reporter at Rolling Stone and co-host of the podcast “American Friction,” joined to discuss the inhumane prison system in El Salvador where the Trump administration has sent hundreds of migrants — effectively disappearing them from their families and denying them any methods of recourse. Before she joined, Mike and Jared reflected on the rising power of Stephen Miller: the architect behind the Trum...

Tim Pool draws millions of viewers — and dollars — making political podcasts and commentary videos on YouTube. This episodes explores Pool’s evolution, from a self-proclaimed “activist” live-streaming Occupy Wall Street protests to one of today’s most-popular MAGA pundits. Along the way, we review Pool’s early media career, eventual drift into far-right politics, and rapid construction of the media empire he oversees today.

Mike and...

Renée DiResta is one of the nation’s leading researchers of social media and the author of “Invisible Rulers : The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality”: a book about the ways social media platforms are used — and abused — to reshape the way we think and behave. Renée also shared her thoughts on the government’s hostility toward researchers who study social media and some of her experiences interacting with Matt Taibbi.You can read Re...

Eoin Higgins is a historian and author who joined the show to discuss his book: “Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left.” The gang talks in-depth about Glenn Greenwald and some of the other characters featured in Eoin’s book, right-wing billionaires’ attempts to undermine the news industry, and 90s techno.

Check out Eoin’s other work:

* Twitter / Bluesky

* Substack

The Anti-Defamation League has invited controversy for its leaders’ coziness with the Trump administration, and for its characterizations of student-led protests against Israel’s mass-killing of Palestinian civilians. Mike and Jared recap the events that got us here, the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, and why they see the ADL’s political maneuvering as cause for concern.

Later on, Emmy-nominated reporter Vegas Tenold joins the show to di...

Jack Posobiec is one of the MAGA movement’s biggest social media stars, recently seen accompanying Pentagon officials on an overseas trip and posing for photos with Donald Trump and JD Vance in the Oval Office. This podcast explores Posobiec’s early political career and its overlaps with white supremacist movements, “Pizzagate” conspiracy theories, and hostile state influence operations — among many other things. Mike and Jared wer...

J.M. Berger wrote the book on extremism — literally. The internationally renowned expert discussed methods of defining “extremism” and whether a mainstream political movement, like MAGA, could be accurately labeled that way.

Read J.M. Berger’s work:

* Extremism (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series)

* The Social Construction of Extremism (Dissertation)

* Lawful Extremism (Series)

~~~A huge thank you to Katharine Antoun for the show’...

Julia Carrie Wong joined the show to discuss her recent exploring comparisons between today’s Democratic Party and Vichy France: a short-lived rump state that capitulated to the German Nazi party in WWII. You can read Julia’s article here: Capitulating to Trump: why people are warning about ‘Vichy’ America.

In the wake of recent political events, the trio would also like to encourage those who are able to consider making a donation ...