Surviving Trump: With Democracy On Life Support

Episode Summary:
In this opening episode of our three-part national security series, we go back to basics — defining what national security actually is, how it’s evolved over time, and what it’s supposed to protect us from. We walk through the full range of threats facing America in 2025 — from cyberattacks and domestic extremism to climate collapse and geopolitical instability — and show how the system meant to keep us safe is...

Episode 21: Tariff World – How Trump’s Trade War Broke The Global Economy

What’s in this episode
In the final instalment of our three-part series on Trump’s April 2025 tariffs, host Bella Goode steps back to explore the global fallout of America’s most reckless trade war in modern history. From dairy farmers in Quebec to chip manufacturers in Japan, we follow the ripple effects of a policy with no economic modeling and...

Episode Summary:
In Episode 20 of Surviving Trump, host Bella Goode digs into the real-world consequences of Donald Trump’s sweeping April 2025 tariffs. From wheat fields in Kansas to factory floors in Ohio, the economic pain is spreading. You’ll hear why top economists are calling the policy “economic malpractice,” and how working families, small businesses, and farmers are footing the bill. With inflation rising, profits vani...

Episode Summary:
In Episode 19 of Surviving Trump, host Bella Goode unpacks Donald Trump’s massive April 2025 tariff announcement—the largest unilateral economic move in modern U.S. history. This episode breaks down what tariffs actually are, how Trump’s new policy distorts their use, and why this isn’t just about trade — it’s about power. From market collapses and economic misinformation to ideological fantasy and authoritaria...

Episode Summary

In the final chapter of our six-part Musk series, Bella Goode delivers a powerful reckoning with the fallout of Elon Musk’s DOGE regime—a techno-authoritarian experiment that has left America's democratic infrastructure gasping for air.

Far beyond a failed efficiency program, DOGE has become a vehicle for chaos, control, and collapse. With institutions gutted, benefits blocked, and public trust in freefall, Episo...

In Part 5 of our six-part series on Elon Musk, we zoom out from Washington to the world stage. Musk isn’t just dismantling the U.S. government from within—he’s reshaping global politics without ever holding elected office. From Starlink in Ukraine to political meddling in Germany, from Tesla’s entanglements in China to his cozy rapport with Putin, Musk is acting like a rogue superpower. And no one voted him in.

This episode also fea...

Understanding Musk’s mental health and leadership is crucial to assessing his influence in both business and politics. While this analysis is based on observations prior to 2025, it serves as critical context for understanding his current role in the Trump administration. His erratic behavior, mood swings, and history of impulsive decision-making were once confined to the corporate world—now, they shape national policy.

Elon Musk is...

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency—DOGE—has become the engine behind a hostile takeover of the U.S. federal government. Guided by the radical Project 2025 blueprint, Musk and Trump are orchestrating a full-scale dismantling of America’s public institutions under the guise of "efficiency."

In Part Three of our six-part Musk series, Bella Goode unpacks how DOGE operates as a power-consolidation machine—firing ca...

Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative—the Department of Government Efficiency—was sold as a revolution in streamlined governance. But in the wake of its rollout, America is facing a whirlwind of legal battles, shattered institutions, and deepening national division.

In Part Four of our series, we trace the real-world consequences of Musk’s rise inside the Trump administration. What began as a tech-driven experiment in "cutting waste"...

Elon Musk is not just a billionaire tech mogul—he’s one of the most polarizing figures of our time. Some hail him as a genius innovator, while others view him as an erratic and dangerous figure who wields too much power. But to truly understand Musk, we need to start at the beginning.

In this first episode of our five-part deep dive, we uncover:

• Musk’s childhood in South Africa – A life shaped by extreme privilege, emotional abus...

Episode Summary

New here? Just jumping around? You’re in the right place.
In this quick guide, host Bella Goode breaks down how Surviving Trump is structured — and how to listen in a way that works for you.

You don’t have to go in order. Every episode stands on its own, but together they reveal a much bigger picture:

• What’s happening to our government
• Who’s driving the changes
• How democracy is being reshaped from the inside out
<...

Donald Trump’s second term isn’t about governance—it’s about absolute power. But behind the headlines and the chaos, the theory of Unitary Executive Power is quietly reshaping the government into something far more Authoritarian.

Unlike traditional governance, this theory argues that all executive power belongs to the president alone—unchecked and unchallenged. Today, we break down:

• The origins of Unitary Executive Theory – How i...

Donald Trump’s second term isn’t about governance—it’s about absolute power. But behind the headlines and the chaos, Russell Vought is quietly orchestrating one of the most radical transformations of the U.S. government in modern history. 

Unlike Trump, Vought isn’t a showman. He’s a strategist, an ideologue, and one of the key architects of Project 2025—a blueprint for dismantling democracy and consolidating presidential authority....

Donald Trump’s second term isn’t just a political disaster—it’s a psychological and institutional crisis. In this episode, we examine:

• Trump Traumatic Stress Disorder (TTSD) – how his rule is inflicting PTSD-like symptoms on millions.
• Mental health impacts – the anxiety, exhaustion, and despair triggered by his leadership.
• The neuroscience of authoritarian trauma – how Trump’s chaos is literally rewiring our brains.
• The destruction...

Donald Trump’s second term is not about governance—it’s about absolute power. In this episode, we dissect his authoritarian playbook, exposing how his deep psychological need for dominance is reshaping the government to serve him personally.  We’ll cover:

• Trump’s power grabs – from stacking the courts to turning federal agencies into loyalty tests.
• Weaponizing law enforcement – using the military and police as his personal enforc...

Trump is more than a political leader—he is the center of a cult-like movement that has transformed the Republican Party and threatens the future of American democracy.

In this episode, we explore:

• Who are MAGA followers? The different factions that make up Trump’s base.
• Why do they worship him? The psychology behind their unwavering devotion.
• The role of religion – How evangelicals have cast him as a divine savior.
• The dangers of t...

In this first installment of our six-part deep dive into Donald Trump, we explore one of the most urgent and widely debated topics: his mental state.

For years, mental health experts followed the Goldwater Rule, which discouraged diagnosing political figures without personal examination. But with Trump, many professionals have broken their silence. His narcissism, compulsive lying, detachment from reality, and lack of empathy are ex...

In this final episode of our series on the 10 Pillars of Democracy, we confront two urgent threats:

• Pillar 9: Immigration – The Mass Deportation Agenda
• Pillar 10: Transparency, Accountability & Disinformation – The War on Truth

With Project 2025, Trump’s administration is executing one of the most radical immigration crackdowns in American history. The plan includes mass deportations, the militarization of the border, and...

This episode of Surviving Trump explores two deeply unsettling shifts in American democracy:

• Pillar 7: Civil Rights – The Rollback of Civil Liberties
• Pillar 8: The Politicization of Law Enforcement & the Military

With sweeping executive orders, Trump’s administration is dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, reversing decades of civil rights protections, and reshaping the justice system to serve p...