Episode description

How do we protect ourselves from Trump’s MAGA Supreme Court? Expand the court like our lives depend on it, because they do! Elie Mystal, the Justice Correspondent for The Nation, and the author of the New York Times bestselling book Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, joins Gaslit Nation to discuss urgently needed judicial reform and how to do it. 

One of the first things the Nazis did was take over the judiciary in Germany. Republicans have long waged lawfare against our democracy, and now they’re just one election away from establishing a dictatorship. The far-right’s long-game has been met with hand-wringing, complacency, and neoliberalism from Democrats. And now we’re out of time, making court expanding an urgent priority for our nation, should Kamala Harris win. 

But will the Supreme Court steal the election for Republicans, like they did for George W. Bush in 2000? That and Trump’s cult of toxic masculinity are discussed in this week’s Gaslit Nation, also featuring Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack. This week’s bonus show, available for our subscribers at the Truth-teller ($5/month) level and higher, continues the conversation with a special focus on dangerous Attorney General Merrick Garland, and answers questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) and higher for our bonus Q&A. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation and makes our independent journalism possible – we could not make this show without you! 

See you this Wednesday for our phone bank party with Sister District at 6pm ET – we’re calling into must-win Pennsylvania! RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrictnyc/event/642096/

This Thursday at 7pm ET, we’re making calls with Indivisible to hold onto the must-win Senate. RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/628701/

Look out for our special workshop How to Make a Podcast publishing October 24th for our supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, unless you grabbed the early bird special in September and signed up at the Truth-teller level and higher! 

Join our live-taping about the psychology of Trump and his MAGA cult with Dr. Bandy Lee, author of The Psychology of Trump Contagion: An Existential Danger to American Democracy and All Humankind, October 29 at 12pm ET! 

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