Christian Taliban

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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?

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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 Trump 2024 Campaign With Donald Trump mostly focused on his own legal peril—leaving staffers free to run the campaign—the candidate's third bid for the White House is as efficient as it is explicitly authoritarian. How worried should you be? Very. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/inside-trump-2024-campaign

Narrow Wins In These Key States Powered Biden To The Presidency https://www.npr.org/2020/12/02/940689086/narrow-wins-in-these-key-states-powered-biden-to-the-presidency

Obama Warned Trump Against Hiring Mike Flynn, Say Officials The warning came less than 48 hours after the November election when the two sat down for a conversation in the Oval Office. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/obama-warned-trump-against-hiring-mike-flynn-say-officials-n756316

Trump could face more FBI raids as witness suggests documents still hidden: ex-prosecutor https://www.rawstory.com/classified-documents-2667695220/

The latest in Republican Gaslighting: Democratic Oregon House candidate is big Republican donor Brian Maguire has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to state and federal Republican candidates and causes https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/04/04/democratic-oregon-house-candidate-is-big-republican-donor/

The Electoral College question looming over 2024 Whether the GOP has maintained its Electoral College advantage could determine how close the Biden vs. Trump contest really is — and who wins in the end. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/electoral-college-question-looming-2024-rcna145950

State Department sees unprecedented flood of internal dissent memos over Gaza war Exclusive: Eight internal dissent memos were sent by State Department staff during the first two months of the Gaza war, compared to just one sent during the first three years of the Iraq War https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/state-department-gaza-blinken-protest-b2525345.html

Trump pledges to expel immigrants who support Hamas, ban Muslims from the U.S. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-pledges-expel-immigrants-who-support-hamas-ban-muslims-us-2023-10-16/

Biden Shields Palestinians in the U.S. From Deportation The president, who is facing mounting criticism over U.S. support for Israel, used an authority that exempts people from deportation if their homeland is in crisis. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/14/us/politics/biden-palestinians-deportation.html

About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated Self-identified Christians make up 63% of U.S. population in 2021, down from 75% a decade ago https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/12/14/about-three-in-ten-u-s-adults-are-now-religiously-unaffiliated/

For American Evangelicals Who Back Israel, 'Neutrality Isn't an Option' Conservative Christians' strong connection to Israel forms the backbone of Republican support, and is tied to beliefs about biblical promises and prophecy. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/15/us/american-evangelicals-israel-hamas.html

What is an evangelical Christian? In America, evangelicalism has become as much a political as a religious identity https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/03/01/what-is-an-evangelical-christian

Investigators for the Justice Department wanted to search Donald Trump's New Jersey golf club for top secret documents but lacked probable cause to secure a warrant, says a report. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-classified-documents-bedminster-search-b2366013.html

Women and children are the main victims of the Israel-Hamas war with 16,000 killed, UN says https://apnews.com/article/women-children-gaza-war-victims-un-inequality-f0f89a724543b99c2c22439e7af09405