Burn the Boats

Kris Goldsmith is an Army combat Veteran who served in Iraq. As a 19 year-old, he was assigned the task of photographing corpses and documenting mass graves. He developed severe PTSD, and in 2007, as the result of a suicide attempt that caused him to miss redeployment, he was given a less-than-honorable discharge. After years of legal battles, that discharge was upgraded. Kris went on to become an advocate for veterans with “bad paper” discharges, and helped pass crucial legislation that helps them receive the benefits they deserve. Since then, Kris has turned to combating domestic right-wing extremism. To learn more about Kris’s time in the Army, listen to his episode of Warriors In Their Own Words. Find Kris on Twitter at @KrisGoldsmith85 Learn more about his organization, High Ground Veterans Advocacy, here. Learn more about Kris’ work fighting domestic extremism here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally a reporter for the Santa Barbara Independent, Chris Meagher has worked for a number of prominent democrats. Most notably, he served as a communications advisor to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and as the national press secretary during Mayor Pete Buttigeig’s Presidential Campaign. Now as the White House Deputy Press Secretary, he is working to promote President Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ Infrastructure Plan. Split amongst three bills, the plan invests money into traditional infrastructure such as roads and bridges, as well as the development of electric vehicles and high speed internet across the country. You can find Chris on twitter at @chrismeagher46 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anne Nelson is an award-winning war correspondent, playwright, and author. Her newest book, Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, details the influence of the Council for National Policy, a powerful right-wing political coalition. Find her book here: Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right Learn more about Anne here: anne-nelson.com Follow Anne on Twitter here: @anelson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Master Sergeant Michael ‘Top’ Washington served in the Gulf War, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan between 1988 and 2004, before becoming a firefighter. His son, Mike Jr., followed in his footsteps and joined the Marines. In 2008, Mike Jr. was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan. The loss of his son sent Top into a deep depression, culminating in a moment on a bridge in Tacoma. Top had decided to end his life there, but says he felt his son’s hand pulling him back, saying, “You’re not done yet.” Since then, Top has found a new calling, as a licensed therapist focusing on fellow military veterans and first responders. To hear more from Top, check out his interview on Warriors In Their Own Words, out next Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Kander, an Army Veteran and former Senate Candidate, talks about his struggle with PTSD and his continuing public service. Jason served as an intel officer in Afghanistan and as Secretary of State of Missouri, before his Senate campaign in 2016 catapulted him onto the national stage. Despite an extremely promising mayoral race in Kansas City, he decided to step away from the public eye and focus on dealing with his PTSD. Now, he serves as the president of the Veteran’s Community Project. Check out Jason’s Podcast, Majority 54 Follow Jason on Twitter, @jasonkander Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judge Lina Hidalgo, county executive for Harris County, Texas, talks about changing the system from within and about budgeting through a values lens. Including the city of Houston, Harris County is the third most populous in the country, larger than some states. As the county's chief executive, Lina took early public health measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 and has made great strides to challenge voter suppression in Texas. Learn more about Judge Hidalgo’s work in Harris County at CJO.HarrisCountyTX.gov and find her on Twitter at @LinaHidalgoTX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elliot Ackerman, Marine combat veteran and bestselling author, talks about writing and about his fears for the future. Elliot’s latest book is 2034: A Novel of the Next World War. The Harper’s story referenced in the episode is “Civil Warning”. Learn more about Elliot’s work at elliotackerman.com and find him on Twitter at @elliotackerman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Picciolini, a former leader in the American white power movement, talks about his past and his current work in extremism prevention. Christian runs the Free Radicals Project, which is dedicated to extremism prevention and disengagement. His latest book is titled Breaking Hate: Confronting the New Culture of Extremism. Learn more about his work at christianpicciolini.com and learn about the Free Radicals Project at freeradicals.org. Find him on Twitter at @CPicciolini. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Jason Crow, former Army Ranger and congressman from Colorado’s 6th district, talks about the January 6th insurrection and the importance of truth and accountability. Rep. Crow served as a House impeachment manager during Trump’s first impeachment trial in early 2020. In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection, he has been hailed by his colleagues in Congress as “one of the heroes of that day,” for his actions guiding fellow members to safety. Learn more about Jason’s legislative priorities at crow.house.gov and find him on Twitter at @RepJasonCrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Kathleen Belew talks about the white power movement and the role of veterans in the movement’s history. Dr. Belew is a professor of U.S. history at the University of Chicago, and the nation's foremost expert on the involvement of military veterans in the white power movement. She is the author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. Find Kathleen on Twitter at @kathleen_belew and learn more about her work at kathleenbelew.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon Soltz, founder of VoteVets, talks about the organization's origins and priorities and what it means to give a voice to veterans. Jon served two tours in Iraq. VoteVets’ PAC helps elect veterans to public office at the federal, state, and local level. Find Jon on Twitter at @jonsoltz and VoteVets at @votevets. Learn more about VoteVets at votevets.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Content Warning: this episode includes some graphic descriptions of wounds and combat. Dr. Jon Heavey is an emergency room physician on the front lines of the battle against COVID, who began his medical career as a battalion surgeon with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. Jon is also the Director of Business Development at Cleveland Clinic Innovations and the co-founder of Minuteman Capital. Find Jon on Twitter at @JonHeavey and read his 2012 article “An Unbearable Price” in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine for more about his service as battalion surgeon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carlos Gauna is an artist, videographer and wildlife advocate. On his YouTube channel, TheMalibuArtist, Carlos shares his drone footage of marine life. His videos have been viewed millions of times and are a powerful tool for public education and advocacy on behalf of these animals. Find Carlos’s videos on YouTube and follow him on Instagram at @themalibuartist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Barkhuff, former Navy Seal and founder of Veterans for Responsible Leadership, talks about fighting Trumpism and the importance of belonging. Veterans for Responsible Leadership is an organization founded to help fight Trump and to serve as a tribe to compete with the white nationalism of Trumpism. In addition to founding VFRL, Dan Barkhuff is an ex-Navy SEAL, emergency medicine physician, and star of two viral videos from the Lincoln Project: “Betrayed” and “Conservative”. Find Dan on Twitter at @DBarkhuff and Veterans for Responsible Leadership at @VetsForRL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Schmidt, longtime Republican political strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project, comes on Burn the Boats to talk about his work fighting Trump and Trumpism. Steve worked on the campaigns of President George W. Bush and John McCain. He served in the White House as a senior advisor to both President Bush and Vice President Cheney, and was largely responsible for the Supreme Court nominations of Justices Alito and Roberts. Steve formally left the Republican Party in 2018 and co-founded The Lincoln Project in 2019. Find Steve on Twitter at @SteveSchmidtSES. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Howard, a veteran in the security and protection field, comes on Burn the Boats to talk about his 22 year career with the CIA and the years he spent as Chief Security Officer at Microsoft. Keep an eye out for Mike’s upcoming book on leadership, out later in 2021, titled “The Art of Ronin Leadership: Strategy, Execution, Sustained Success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This rerun from July 2020 features former congressman Max Rose and counterterrorism expert Ali Soufan talking about their work addressing the threat of transnational violent white supremacist groups in the United States and across the world. This episode aired long before the events of January 6th, but the conversation was prescient. If we want to stop threats like last week’s violent mob at the Capitol in the future, we need to listen to people like Max and Ali, who know the dangers of white supremacist terrorism and how to curb them. At the time of this recording, Max was a congressman representing New York’s 11th district, which includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. Find him on Twitter at @MaxRose4NY. A former FBI agent, Ali is now the Chairman and CEO of The Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security consultancy. Find Ali on Twitter at @Ali_H_Soufan. In this episode, Ken references a New York Times op-ed co-authored by Max and Ali in February 2020. Read “We Once Fought Jihadists. Now We Battle White Supremacists” here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio talks about the dignity of work, his Senate desk 88, and the role of both fear and hope in politics. A lifelong champion for working families, Senator Brown began his political career as the youngest member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He has served as a US Representative, as Ohio’s Secretary of State, and, since 2007, as a US Senator and one of the only Democrats in Ohio elected to statewide office. Learn more about Senator Brown’s legislative priorities on his website. Find him on Twitter at @SherrodBrown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ken celebrates the 10th anniversary of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell with Doug Wilson, former Pentagon official who played a key role in the repeal. Doug Wilson is a former Pentagon official, campaign veteran, and foreign policy expert. As Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, he played a key role in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which was signed into law by President Obama on December 22, 2010. Learn more about Doug in profiles from Politico and the Washington Blade. Read his bio from the Truman National Security Project and find him on Twitter at @DougAZDEDC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author Aida Salazar talks about writing difficult stories for children, raising a new generation of activists, and the intersections of art and activism. Learn more about Aida and her work - writing, art, activism, and more - at aidasalazar.com. Her most recent novel, Land of the Cranes, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Wood, veteran and CEO of Team Rubicon, talks about his new memoir, the value of veterans serving in disaster relief, and the power of vulnerability in leaders. Learn more about Jake’s organization Team Rubicon and find them on Twitter at @TeamRubicon. Find Jake himself on Twitter at @JakeWoodTR. His memoir, Once A Warrior: How One Veteran Found a New Mission Closer to Home, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of Acumen, talks about the role of markets in working towards a better world and how the kind of work she does has changed in recent years as the rising generation demands sustainability, inclusion, equity, and justice. Jacqueline’s organization, Acumen, is a nonprofit impact investment fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of poverty. Learn more about Acumen on their website and find them on Twitter at @Acumen. Find Jacqueline on Twitter at @JNovogratz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The day after the election, we're airing a rerun on Burn the Boats. Listen to Ken's conversation with Pete Buttigieg from this summer - talking about patriotism, his hopes for the future of our country, and the need for America to rebuild trust. Pete Buttigieg is the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Learn more about his new PAC at wintheera.com and by watching his Twitter feed at @PeteButtigieg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just days before the 2020 election, Ken passes the mic to guest host Esosa Osa, Research and Policy Director for Fair Fight Action. Esosa interviews Sylvia Albert from Common Cause about voting rights and next week's election. Sylvia Albert is the Director of Voting and Elections at Common Cause. Common Cause is a nonpartisan national organization focused on strengthening democracy through litigation, lobbying, and grassroots organizing. Find Common Cause on Twitter at @CommonCause and find Sylvia at @TheSylviaAlbert. Burn the Boats’ guest host this week, Esosa Osa, is the Research and Policy Director at Fair Fight Action. Fair Fight Action is a national voting rights organization based in Georgia and founded by Stacey Abrams. Find Fair Fight on Twitter at @FairFightAction and find Esosa at @Esosa_Osa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MJ Hegar, Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, talks about her campaign, what drove her to run in the first place, and the prejudiced responses she sometimes gets to the Purple Heart on her license plate. MJ is an Air Force veteran, author of the memoir Shoot Like a Girl, and one of the only women to ever be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor. Learn more about MJ’s campaign for Texas’s Senate seat at https://mjfortexas.com/. Find her on Twitter at @MJHegar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Tim Ryan talks politics - Trump, Ohio, and Tim’s current reelection campaign. He also talks about something he wishes all politicians would practice: mindfulness. Tim is a United States Congressman representing Ohio’s 13th district. Learn more about him and his platform at timryan.house.gov. Find him on Twitter at @RepTimRyan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Representative Cheri Bustos, congresswoman from Illinois and chair of the DCCC, talks about the values that women bring to leadership and about winning as a Democrat in a district that also voted for Trump. Learn more about Rep. Bustos’s legislative priorities on her website. Find her on Twitter at @RepCheri. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Sec. Leon Panetta talks about the ultimate tough decision: as Director of the CIA, Panetta oversaw the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, launching a raid into Pakistan based on uncertain intelligence. He talks about that decision, as well as the current presidential administration and the state of our political landscape. Secretary Leon Panetta is a lifelong public servant, having served in many different roles: US Congressman, Chief of Staff to President Clinton, director of the CIA, and the Secretary of Defense under President Obama. He now serves as Chairman of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, located at California State University - Monterey Bay and focused in part on bringing young people into public service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Scaramucci talks about his brief tenure as the White House Communications Director and his recent decision to denounce Trump, as well as his journey from working class to Goldman Sachs and the White House. Find Anthony on Twitter at @scaramucci. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Swati Mylavarapu is a major voice in Silicon Valley who has turned her talents to politics and social change. Pete Buttigieg’s chief investment officer and founder of Incite.org and the Arena, Swati talks to Ken about campaign finance and about diving into politics as a relative outsider. Find Swati on Twitter at @Swatipedia. Incite.org is Swati’s values-based investment fund, made up of Incite Ventures LLC, Incite Labs, and Incite Politics - a three-pronged approach to creating social change. Learn more on their website. Arena is the candidate and campaign staff training platform that Swati co-founded with Ravi Gupta following the 2016 election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Towne, endurance athlete and principal with the Boston Consulting Group, has climbed the tallest mountain on every continent - including Mount Everest, and rowed the Drake Passage with the Discovery Channel series The Impossible Row. He talks about climbing Mount Everest and rowing the Drake Passage and about the smaller challenges he takes on to help make the world a better place. Watch Andrew and his crew row the Drake Passage on Discovery’s The Impossible Row. You can also learn about the organization he traveled abroad with as a student and now serves on the board for, Youth for Understanding, at yfu.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Gen. Stanley McChrystal reflects on his formerly-beloved painting of Robert E. Lee and his perspective on Confederate symbols. The Atlantic op-ed that Ken reads from in this episode is titled “At 63, I Threw Away My Prized Portrait of Robert E. Lee”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete Buttigieg, former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, talks about his campaign and the choice to end it, patriotism and hopes for the future of our country, and the need for America to rebuild trust. Learn more about Pete’s new PAC at wintheera.com and by watching his Twitter feed at @PeteButtigieg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US Representative Max Rose and counterterrorism expert Ali Soufan talk about the work they’re doing to address the threat of transnational violent white supremacist groups in the United States and across the world. Max is a Congressman representing New York’s 11th district, which includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. Find him on Twitter at @RepMaxRose. A former FBI agent, Ali is now the Chairman and CEO of The Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security consultancy. Find Ali on Twitter at @Ali_H_Soufan. In this episode, Ken references an op-ed co-authored by Max and Ali this February. Read “We Once Fought Jihadists. Now We Battle White Supremacists.” on the New York Times website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Longwell, publisher of the Bulwark and co-founder of Republicans for the Rule of Law, talks about being a staunchly “Never Trump” Republican and about what the future of her party looks like. Sarah is the publisher of the Bulwark, co-founder of Republicans for the Rule of Law, past board chair of the Log Cabin Republicans, and CEO of DC-based communications firm Longwell Partners. You can follow Sarah on Twitter at @SarahLongwell25. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This rerun in honor of Pride month features a conversation with Gina Ortiz Jones, Democratic candidate for Congress in Texas’s 23rd district, about the challenges of being a gay service member under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, as well as her difficult race to represent her district. Gina Ortiz Jones is an Air Force veteran, intelligence officer, and candidate for US Representative in Texas’s 23rd congressional district. Learn more on Gina's website and find her on Twitter at @GinaOrtizJones and on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Guttenberg, gun safety advocate whose daughter Jaime was killed at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, talks about how the loss of his daughter drives him, what changes must be made to ensure safer gun laws, and what draws Americans to firearms in the first place. Fred’s organization is called Orange Ribbons for Jaime and you can find them on Twitter at @Ribbons4Jaime . You can find Fred himself on Twitter at @fred_guttenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mansoor Shams, founder of MuslimMarine.org, talks about both his good and bad experiences as a Muslim in the US Marine Corps, about patriotism in today’s America, and about making his life’s mission opening the minds of others. Mansoor is a veteran, speaker, leader, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. You can learn more about his work at MuslimMarine.org and follow him on Twitter at @MansoorTShams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien talks about the current news landscape, what success means in journalism, and her flexibility and optimism in seizing new opportunities. Soledad is the CEO of Starfish Media Group and host of Matter of Fact, airing Sundays on the Hearst network. You can learn more about her work at soledadobrienproductions.com and follow her on Twitter at @SoledadOBrien. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy McGrath, candidate for the US Senate seat in Kentucky, talks about the state of the Senate under her opponent Mitch McConnell, about her experiences campaigning in such a high-profile race, and about how her days as a fighter pilot informed her approach to leadership and patriotism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Sanberg, progressive entrepreneur and investor in Los Angeles, talks about his work to end poverty, his personal connection to the cause, and about the role of both politics and faith in how Americans think about economics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Honorable Patrick Murphy talks about the role of the military in American democracy, about his leadership in getting Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repealed, and about the challenge that servicemembers face when their oaths to the Constitution conflict with orders from the president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Manion, president of the Travis Manion Foundation, talks about losing her brother to war, about her own PTSD diagnosis, and about harnessing her brother’s memory to do good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naila Awan from Demos and Ben Guess from the ACLU of Ohio talk about the importance of full voting rights for all and the work they are each doing to achieve that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, and Casey Weinstein, state representative for Ohio’s District 37, talk about gun safety and the intimidation they have received for standing up for what they believe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Rieckhoff, host of the Angry Americans podcast, talks about being an independent in today’s political climate, about the role of veterans in our country, and about anger as a political force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Kristol, founder of The Weekly Standard and chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle under George H. W. Bush, talks about the current state of the Republican party, how it got there, and his bipartisan push for political decency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Beth Bruggeman, the president of The Mission Continues, talks about her experiences as a woman in the Marine Corps, about the responsibility of teaching military leadership in wartime, and about the work TMC does to harness the energy and skills of veterans to work on social issues in their communities. Learn more about The Mission Continues on their website, https://missioncontinues.org/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode, Ken continues his conversation with Adam Frankel, talking about what it was like to write speeches for President Obama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Frankel, former speechwriter for President Obama and author of a new memoir, The Survivors, talks about generational trauma - from his grandparents’ experiences in the Holocaust to his mother’s struggles with mental illness and a revelation about Adam’s own identity - and the importance of honesty in his family’s healing process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices