We are entering a new chapter where the children are taking the wheel. In this episode Rick speaks with journalist and author David Corn to discuss the chaotic implications of a Trump administration return, the rise of figures like Elon Musk and RFK Jr., and the dangerous erosion of government institutions. They dive into concerns about unqualified leadership, the dismantling of public health systems, and the weaponization of agencies like the FBI under Trump loyalists.
Joe and Alex discuss how everything you've probably read about this week was a distraction from Trump's endgame. We all have to pay very, very close attention to what's happening behind the curtain. Why Trump's crypto capture scheme could be the biggest story in our lifetimes. And how social media is quickly becoming an arm of the state. TikTok, X, and now even Facebook... and why in the face of all Trump's distractions this week and beyond, Joe explains why we have to be more vigilant than ever.
Last week the folks on Fox were angrier than ever that Joe Biden lasted until the end of his term and that Vice President Kamala Harris declared it was not in her nature to go “quietly into the night.” Fox News personalities claimed that Trump negotiated the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Sean Hannity and others declared that the FDA’s decision to ban a food dye. The network also bolstered Melania Trump’s false claim that the Obama administration impeded her move into the White House during her husband’s first term even though Mrs. Trump lived in Manhattan for the first five months of her husband’s presidency.
This might be the scariest fact we've ever seen about social media. You know it's bad, but this bad? And it explains a lot about how crazy political discussions have gotten online. 0.1% of users? No really. The amount of disinformation is staggering. And what does it do to our brains? Plus: What people miss when Trump lies. When we roll our eyes, we miss the point.
And - despite the challenges in front of us - why is Joe optimistic about how we can break out of the funhouse?
Read "Inside the funhouse mirror factory" here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X24001313
Read the Atlantic article here: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/01/january-6-justification-machine/681215/?gift=bcL26f46jRxbKrUp1kTCRFgu6En8nVf7xwPsSYEqCiU&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
And visit getrealnews.org.
Trump's going off the rails. And there's nobody left to stop him. Why his lawsuits against ABC and Ann Selzer aren't only ridiculous - they're really dangerous. And those tax cuts? Why Joe and Alex aren't holding their breaths. And how about all those tariffs bringing down inflation and gas prices? Joe thinks this might be Trump's biggest lie of all time - and that's saying something. Finally - handing Elon the keys to the government - what could go wrong? Read Dan Gilmor's newsletter, Cornerstone of Democracy, here: https://cornerstone.ghost.io/essentials-december-17-2024/
LP Co-founder George Conway refuses to be quiet as he joins Rick to dissect Trump's cabinet nominees and his administration's deterrence of actual "good talent."
Follow George Conway on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile//gtconway.bsky.social.
Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X or at https://bsky.app/profile/therickwilson.bsky.social at Bluesky, and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.
