Gaslit Nation

FDR had to take some bold swings to transform America for the better. He had his pearl-clutching critics who thought he was going too far. But that's what was needed to usher in the New Deal and strengthen democracy and improve people's lives. The "good guys" must not be passive. We must fight back. Virginia, the world's eyes are on you to vote YES on redistricting -- vote now through April 21. You will help restore balance to Republican authoritarian gerrymandering. Your YES vote in Virginia is an emergency stop-gap meant to save our national ship from sinking and take back the gavel from Kremlin MAGA Mike Johnson in the House. Thank you to all who spread the word about this important, urgent vote, and get out the vote. If you still have questions, here's an overview from Arlington Democrats: https://www.arlingtondemocrats.org/redistricting
If you're in NYC or nearby, join us April 13 at 7pm at Powerhouse Arts Arena in DUMBO, Brooklyn, one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in all of NYC. We're going to celebrate Mrs. Orwell, Andrea's new graphic novel with the genius illustrator Brahm Revel, about an unsung heroine of literature, Eileen O'Shaughnessy Blair, the wife, muse, and unsung creative partner of Eric Blair, aka George Orwell. There would have been no Homage to Catalonia, Animal Farm, 1984 without Eileen O'Shaughnessy Blair. Patreon supporters get in for free and get a Mrs. Orwell tote bag. Message us on Patreon.com/Gaslit to get on the guest list. See you Monday night for an unforgettable evening dedicated to a defiant heroine of the power of the pen. 
Thank you to Razom for Ukraine and the Media and Democracy Project for being co-sponsors of this event. 
Details here: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/powerhousebookstores/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa

Vice President JD Vance, a creation of the Peter Thiel dark-money machine, traveled to Hungary to openly threaten voters on behalf of the Kremlin's favorite strongman, Viktor Orban. This is emotional blackmail on a global scale. Vance effectively told a post-Soviet nation that if they don't re-elect Orban this Sunday, they lose the protection of the U.S. military. It's a "nice country you've got there, shame if something happened to it" mafia tactic.
Why is MAGA obsessed with Hungary? Because the EU is a regulatory miracle that Big Money hates. To the Peter Thiels of the world, Orban is the wedge designed to divide the EU, weaken Russian sanctions, and pave the way for a fascist Bannon nightmare across the continent. Under Orban, Hungary has become the most corrupt state in the EU, suffering from massive brain drain and crumbling infrastructure.
Despite the threats, there is hope. On Sunday, April 12, Hungarians may unite behind a charismatic new leader, Péter Magyar. Will they choose freedom and fight against tyranny, like in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, or will MAGA's blackmail work? We shall see. For a look at the MAGA virus in the UK, we continue our conversation with Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell's 1984.
Want to hear Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chats, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
Join our April 13 book launch and live-taping to celebrate Mrs. Orwell. Patreon supporters get in free!  https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/
 
Show Notes:
 
Where the US got $20B to bail out Argentina https://www.npr.org/2025/11/13/nx-s1-5607023/where-the-us-got-20b-to-bail-out-argentina
 
Hungary eyes US financial shield as EU funds remain frozen https://www.reuters.com/world/us-financial-shield-bolsters-hungary-amid-eu-funding-freeze-minister-says-2025-11-10/
 
Andrea's thread on Hungary's decline under Orban https://x.com/AndreaChalupa/status/1766082022781354193
 
MAGA's favorite strongman might be on the brink of defeat. We're about to find out whether an authoritarian can lose at the ballot box. https://www.vox.com/politics/485058/hungary-election-2026-orban-trump-vance-maga
 
Viktor Orbán told Putin 'I am at your service' in October phone call https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/07/viktor-orban-told-putin-i-am-at-your-service-in-october-phonecall
 
Italy: Steve Bannon's populist academy in the Trisulti monastery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjSL1ofqGb8
 
Epstein files shed more light on Steve Bannon's efforts to influence European politics https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/05/jeffrey-epstein-files-steve-bannon-european-politics 
 
How Jeffrey Epstein sought to help Steve Bannon build a global populist movement https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/09/politics/steve-bannon-jeffrey-epstein-global-populism
 
Péter Magyar, the former Orban ally vying for power in Hungary https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78l7vyylgqo

As Donald Trump holds the world hostage with his sloppy Iran War, and JD Vance campaigns for Orban, the Kremlin's weapon in Hungary, Gaslit Nation returns to a shared family history of resistance. Andrea is joined this week by the brilliant artist Maya Hayuk to break down the story behind Andrea's new graphic novel, Mrs. Orwell. Born from a decade of research into the Holodomor, Stalin's genocide famine in Ukraine, Mrs. Orwell is a monument to an unsung heroine of literature and the truth the Kremlin tried to bury.
We also cover the horrifying reality of the current front lines of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where the UNESCO heritage site of L'viv's ancient city center was bombed by Russia while the U.S. sleepwalks through yet another "war of choice." While we share the intense rage of seeing Ukrainians having to bailout Trump and Vance in Iran, we remain focused on the agency of the people. The oligarch mafia model, which relies on apathy, despair, and nihilism, is being challenged by a culture of defiance. 
We end with a miraculous artifact: a 1947 Ukrainian translation of Animal Farm discovered in both Andrea and Maya's families. This book, distributed in post-WWII refugee camps, is a sign that the spirit of rebellion cannot be extinguished. We refuse to be "useful idiots" for the transnational crime network; we have each other, and we are going to build a better world from the ashes. 
For our bonus episode out later this week, we take a closer look at JD and Usha Vance's trip to Hungary to serve the Kremlin, and the latest hellscape headlines. To listen, subscribe to our Patreon at the Truth-Teller level ($5/month) or higher. For more on the Ukrainian refugee camp Animal Farm, read Andrea's book Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm, which Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller ($10/month) and up level get for free. 
Your support gives us the freedom to tell the truth–thank you for making Gaslit Nation possible!
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:
Maya Hayuk's artwork: https://www.instagram.com/mayahayuk/
Join our April 13 book launch and live-taping to celebrate Mrs. Orwell. Patreon supporters get in free!  https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/
Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm https://www.amazon.com/Orwell-Refugees-Untold-Story-Animal-ebook/dp/B007JNKF5G
EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join on Patreon

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult. Join on Patreon

Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on Patreon

Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on Patreon

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

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

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

Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

Congratulations to Pam Bondi for doing everything the fascist serial predator, convicted felon, and Russian asset wanted, only to be ritually humiliated by Trump anyway. The Epstein cover-up continues. So make Bondi testify–and get asked to leave every restaurant and bar she ever tries to enter, for protecting pedophiles. 
Come to the Gaslit Nation Salon today at 4pm ET to discuss this and more, including sharing what's happening in your neck of the woods. Find the Zoom link on Patreon.com/Gaslit or in the show notes below. 
Thanks to Patreon for the Mrs. Orwell tote bags, which we will be giving away to supporters at the April 13 book launch at PowerHouse Arena in Dumbo, Brooklyn, and to our Fact Checker and higher supporters on Patreon, until the gifts run out. 
Show Notes: 
Join our April 13 book launch and live-taping to celebrate Mrs. Orwell. Patreon supporters get in free!  https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/
Today! Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm EST. Sign up here to join us: https://www.patreon.com/posts/zoom-link-for-et-154921053?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Today! Come to the Media and Democracy Project x Gaslit Nation Substack Live April 6 at 5:30pm ET to discuss Mrs. Orwell and its lessons for us today https://open.substack.com/live-stream/150582
Opening clip: Ro Khanna says Pam Bondi still needs to testify to Congress over Epstein files: Full interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJup1mIeb9Y

As we fight the daily battles of the "Great Disillusionment," corruption and unchecked greed are poisoning our bodies. Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, a group dedicated to helping the world transition away from plastics, joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the systemic corruption wreaking havoc on our environment, our water, and our food.
We are now breathing, eating, and drinking a credit card's worth of plastic every single week. Big Oil, facing a transition away from fossil fuels for energy, financially depends in our dependence on plastic. They have turned our bodies into a landfill to keep their profits soaring. We also discuss the threat of deep sea mining, the minerals war between the US and China, why everyone should read Donut Economics by the "planet's economist" Kate Raworth on how to build a sustainable economy, and why ending the "forever wars" requires a transition to renewable energies. 
Join us to celebrate the power of art and defiance at the book launch of Mrs. Orwell, Andrea's inspiring new graphic novel, illustrated by the genius Brahm Revel.
When: April 13

Where: PowerHouse Books Arena, DUMBO, Brooklyn
Details here: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/

Patreon Supporters: You and your guests get in free and receive a complimentary book! Just message us through Patreon to claim yours.
Not a member yet? Join our community at Patreon.com/Gaslit. We couldn't make this show without you–see you there!
Show Notes:
A Plastic Planet: https://aplasticplanet.com/
Follow-up study of genotoxic effects in individuals exposed to oil from the tanker Prestige, seven years after the accident https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24370900/
Sian Sutherland: "Innovating the Business of Plastics" https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/herman-daly-toward-an-ecological-economics-5-2/
Dr. Jeremy Williams: The Truth About Rare Earth Mineral Mining https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8OMk9JapDM
EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon. 

Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community