Greg Olear talks to the novelist Ronlyn Domingue, author of “The Mercy of Thin Air” and the “Keeper of Tales” trilogy, about growing up and living in Louisiana, ancestral memory, reconciling the national sin of slavery, A.I., alternative societies, the creative process, and the role of the novelist in a post-Trump world. Plus: a new fragrance. Buy Ronlyn’s books: https://www.ronlyndomingue.com/booksetc Ronlyn’s website: https://www.ronlyndomingue.com/ The “Crone Energy” Substack: https://ronlynd...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 26 min
Greg Olear talks to Tony Michaels, host of The Tony Michaels podcast, about the Left’s need for talk radio-style programming, the importance of narratives, media fecklessness, how the Republican Party is a cult in search of a leader, and how WE will be Trump’s ultimate jury. Plus: a new golf experience for moms and kids. Follow Tony: https://twitter.com/thetonymichaels Listen to his podcast: https://linktr.ee/thetonymichaels Thanks HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/50prevail and use code 50prevai...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 16 min
In 2014, Putin’s Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that is part of Ukraine. This was the opening move in the full-scale invasion Putin ordered in 2022. Greg Olear talks to Elina Beketova, an in-residence fellow with the Democracy Fellowship program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and a native of Crimea, about the war-torn history of Crimea, the 2014 annexation, the collaborator problem, and the current situation in the occupied territories of Eastern Uk...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 14 min
In an interview recorded on July 29, Greg Olear talks to fascism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present” and the “Lucid” Substack, about the nature of coups, lessons from Berlusconi, the rise of Hitler, DeSantis as fascist, the extremist Texas GOP, secessions, the trucker convoy and the fascist threats in Canada, Meloni in Italy, the Vox party in Spain, and the power of nonviolent protest. Plus: Clash of the titan. Follow Ruth: https://twitter.com/ruthbenghiat Subs...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 12 min
In the Season Six Premiere of the PREVAIL podcast, Greg Olear talks to former Virginia Congressman Denver Riggleman, the senior technical advisor to the J6 Committee and the author of “The Breach: The Untold Story of the Investigation into January 6th,” about his role on the Committee, the White House blackout the day of the insurrection, the deal with Mark Meadows, Executive Order 13848 and Trump’s attempt to pervert it, Ginni Thomas, Clarence Thomas, Patrick Byrne, Rick Perry, secret comms, an...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 11 min
In the Season Five Finale of the PREVAIL podcast, Greg Olear talks to Jennifer Mercieca, a professor of rhetoric at Texas A&M and the author of “Demagogue for President: the Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump,” about myths of the Founders, rhetoric as a field of study, rhetorical devices Trump uses, how fascists learn from each other, the power of nostalgia, conservative rhetoric, “search vs. research,” and what’s going on in Texas. Plus: indictment #3. Follow Jen: https://twitter.com/jenmerc...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Five companies in Silicon Valley run the online world–which gives them enormous offline power. Greg Olear talks to Tom Kemp, the Silicon Valley-based CEO and entrepreneur and author of “Containing Big Tech: How to Protect Our Civil RIghts, Economy, and Democracy,” about the perils of Big Tech: what they do, what they shouldn’t be allowed to do, and how the government can contain the industry. Plus: ask your doctor if CRUZAC © is for you! Follow Tom: https://twitter.com/TomKemp00 Visit his websit...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Greg Olear talks to Alex Aronson,the former chief counsel to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse who advised on the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, about SCOTUS corruption, what constitutes “entertainment” for Sam Alito, John Roberts and the role of the Chief Justice, Leonard Leo, and what can be done about a judiciary that wants to end American democracy. Plus: Ronnie’s song. Follow Alex: https://twitter.com/alexaronson Read his work at Slate: https://...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Greg Olear and Candidly Tiff, the political commentator and KHive charter member, discuss the Trump indictment, the GOP presidential candidates, Joe Biden’s successes, Kamala Harris’s impressive vice presidency, and what to expect in the election of 2024 and beyond. Plus: a new vacation destination. Follow Tiff: https://twitter.com/tify330 Follow her TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@candidly_tiff Subscribe to the PREVAIL newsletter: https://gregolear.substack.com/about Would you like to tell us m...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 14
After a new introductory rant about Sam Alito and RFK, Jr., Greg Olear replays this conversation with PREVAIL contributor Nia Molinari about Rudy Guiliani, Dennis Hof, country club Republicans, and the many faces of Tucker Carlson, the most dangerous man in America. Plus: a new insurance product. Read her piece on Tucker: https://gregolear.substack.com/p/all-tuckered-out Subscribe to the PREVAIL newsletter: https://gregolear.substack.com/about Make America Great Gatsby Again! https://bookshop.or...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 13
One week ago, Jack Smith unsealed the 38-count indictment against Donald John Trump and his valet, Waltine Nauta. OSINT researcher extraordinaire Gal Suburban breaks it all down with Greg Olear. Plus: it’s Nauta love song. Follow Gal: https://twitter.com/gal_suburban Subscribe to the PREVAIL newsletter: https://gregolear.substack.com/about Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short. * Make America Great Gatsby Again! htt...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 18 min
“If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.” Seven years ago today, Donald Trump, Jr., held the infamous Trump Tower meeting with a Kremlin-connected attorney and other Russian proxies. Greg Olear and Cliff Schecter break down the Trump/Russia sit-down. Plus: golf for kids. Follow Cliff: https://twitter.com/cliffschecter Subscribe to Blue Amp: https://www.youtube.com/@cschecter Subscribe to the PREVAIL newsletter: https://gregolear.substack.com/about Would you like to tell us...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr 25 min
Where have all the manufacturing jobs gone? Is it possible to bring them back? Can an American manufacturing company exist in today’s market? Greg Olear talks to the best-selling author and journalist Rachel Slade, whose forthcoming new book, “Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (And How It Got That Way),” explores these and other ideas. They also discuss unions, Reagan, kaizen, floating capital in emerging markets, work culture, China, American Roots,a...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Greg Olear welcomes Arthur Snell back to the program. After graduating from Oxford with a first class degree in history, Snell joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. A fluent Arabic speaker, he served in Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Yemen, and Iraq, and then headed the international strand of the UK Government’s Prevent counterterrorism program. He is currently a geopolitical consultant, author of “How Britain Broke the World,” and host of the hit podcast “Doomsday Watch” which has produ...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Greg Olear talks to the mental health therapist P. Shavaun Scott, author of “The Minds of Mass Killers: Understanding and Interrupting the Pathway to Violence,” about the scourge of mass shootings, how to identify potential killers before they strike, and what can be done about the problem. Plus: Stephanie St. John’s National Anthem for 2022. Follow Shavaun: https://twitter.com/shavaunscott Buy her book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MB86W17/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 The Nati...
May 19, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Greg Olear’s guest is the former diplomat John Fowler, co-founder of International Intrigue, a media outfit that provides smart, insightful, and witty commentary on global politics. They first discuss the politics of John’s native Australia, and then turn their attention to China, the country where he served as a diplomat: Xi, the possibility of China ever becoming a democracy, Hong Kong, the oppression of the Uyghurs, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s relationship with Moscow, and the...
May 12, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 12
Greg Olear hits some of the week’s prevailing news topics: the debt ceiling, Tucker Carlson’s racist text, the Paul Stanley thing, and graft on the Supreme Court. Then he welcomes the British actor and comedian Will Sebag-Montefiore for a discussion on the state of British politics, the coronation, doing comedy in 2023, method acting, and “Succession.” Plus: a congratulatory message from the Bank of the Badda Bing. Follow Will: https://twitter.com/wsebag His TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wseba...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 11
Greg Olear is joined by the historian, columnist, and author Elwood Watson. They discuss Biden-Harris 2024, Biden’s place in history, how the 2020s are like the 1850s, the potential for a new civil war, creeping fascism, the word “woke,” and the current state of masculinity. Plus: Grateful. Follow Elwood: https://twitter.com/bleachbred Buy his new book: https://www.amazon.com/Keepin-Real-Essays-Contemorary-America/dp/1789380502/ Read his work: https://muckrack.com/elwood-watson Subscribe to the ...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 10
As a bonus for PREVAIL listeners, Greg Olear shares the latest episode of THE FIVE 8, the live YouTube show he does on Friday nights with his friend Stephanie Koff, aka LB. We take FIVE of the week's most notable & newsworthy topics and spend 8 minutes covering each one. Five 8-minute segments. Three minutes of evolving animation by CHUNK. Two revved-up hosts. One comic interlude. One special guest (and sometimes more). And as many cocktails as we deem necessary. Friday nights, LIVE, 5 Pacif...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Greg Olear is joined by the immigration attorney Samira Ghaderi, who talks about the protests in Iran that started in September, prompted by the death of Jina Amini in police custody. They discuss the brutal incident that started the protests, the significance of Amini being Kurdish, the crimes committed by the Khamenei regime, the fracturing of the movement, and the future of Iran. Plus: help from our friends. Follow Samira: https://twitter.com/Samira_Ghaderi Subscribe to the PREVAIL newsletter...
Apr 21, 2023•59 min•Ep. 9
Greg Olear is joined by Max Fawcett, the lead columnist for Canada’s National Observer and the host of the podcast “Maxed Out with Max Fawcett.” They discuss Justin Trudeau’s standing, when Canada might hold another election, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, the state of Canadian fascism, UCP in Alberta, Alberta separatism, the Han Dong scandal, disinformation in the media, Joe Biden’s visit to Canada, and the best Canadian musicians. Plus: a new record label. Follow him on Twitter: https://t...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 3
Greg Olear is joined by the ethnobotanist Mark J. Plotkin, president of the Amazon Conservation Team, author of “Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice” and “The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know,” and the host of “The Plants of the Gods.” They discuss his career as an ethnobotanist studying the Amazon, the medicinal properties of plants and animals found there, “The Last of Us,” wine, beer, opium, psychedelics, and climate change. Plus: on top of spaghetti. Follow Mark: https://twitter.com/DocMarkPlo...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 7
Greg Olear is joined by Aja Raden, author of “The Truth About Lies” and “Stoned,” to talk about “Nothing Lasts Forever,” the new documentary about the diamond industry in which she appears. They also discuss “peak crazy,” the banking crisis, Elon Musk and the future of Twitter, the protests in Israel, the benefits of the two-party system, fascism, incels, and the difference between silicon and diamonds when making computer chips. Plus: a little dance number. Follow Aja on Twitter: https://twitte...
Mar 24, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 6
Greg Olear is joined by the pseudonymous Nia Molinari, the retired stripper, screenwriter, mob watcher, and PREVAIL contributor, who tells her epic “F*ck Giuliani” story. They also discuss Tucker Carlson’s strange relationship with dead pimp Dennis Hof, an obscure Serbian crime lord now in police custody, the strip club landscape in 1999 NYC and how it correlated to the politics of the various crime families, and Rudy’s shady dealings over the last four decades. Plus: a bank you KNOW ain’t woke....
Mar 17, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 5
Greg Olear is joined by consultant, commentator & writer Cliff Schecter, of the Blue Amp Channel. They discuss the current political climate, Nazis in Ohio, why the Dems would be crazy to not run Joe Biden again in ‘24, and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Plus: Evita Without Charisma. Follow Cliff: https://twitter.com/cliffschecter Subscribe to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/cschecter Sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/greg Subscribe to t...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 4
Kat Abughazaleh’s job at Media Matters For America, as she puts it in her Twitter bio, is to watch Tucker Carlson so we don’t have to. Greg Olear talks to her about MMFA’s mission, how she found herself watching many hours of primetime Fox News, what makes good content for the network, how Fox News coverage has changed since J6, all things Tucker Carlson, and Mike Huckabee’s Christofascist children’s books. Plus: a new song about a bad guy. Follow Kat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/abughazalehk...
Mar 03, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 3
Bernie Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history – and he ran it for decades before finally getting caught. Greg Olear talks to Jim Campbell, author of “Madoff Talks,” about how he got access to Bernie and his family, his contribution to the Netflix docu-series “Madoff: Monster of Wall Street,” the complexity of the Madoff scheme, the failure of the regulatory agencies to identify and stop the fraud, and the similarities and differences between Bernie Madoff and Sam Bankman-Fried. Plus: a n...
Feb 24, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 2
Can the U.S. survive another pandemic? In the Season 5 Premiere, Greg Olear talks to Vanity Fair contributing editor Katherine Eban about the perils of the generic drug boom, her 2020 reporting on Jared Kushner and the botched pandemic response, and her current reporting on our preparedness to a potential new coronavirus outbreak. Follow Katherine Eban: https://twitter.com/KatherineEban Read her reporting: https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/katherine-eban Buy her book: https://www.amazon.com...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 1
Fascism is on the rise in the United States. Greg Olear talks to Ruth Ben-Ghiat, professor of history, expert on authoritarianism, and author of “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present,” about Mussolini & Hitler, Putin & Trump, and the dictator’s “tools of rule.” Plus: a song about the new covid cure. Follow Ruth Ben-Ghiat: https://twitter.com/ruthbenghiat Subscribe to LUCID: https://lucid.substack.com/ Buy STRONGMEN: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324001546 Subscribe to the PREVAIL newslet...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 96
In this reprise of a special episode, Greg Olear asks his talented friends Alison Weller, Robert Burke Warren, Diana Spechler, and Tom Gualtieri to read four of his narrative pieces on Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and Vladimir Putin. Plus: a better SCOTUS steakhouse. Subscribe to the PREVAIL newsletter: https://gregolear.substack.com/about Make America Great Gatsby Again! https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798...
Feb 03, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 18
