The Hartmann Report

Most Americans just learned, from reporting this week in The New York Times, that Trump, billionaire-funded rightwing think tanks, and some of the leaders of the GOP have a plan to flip America from a democratic republic into an authoritarian strongman-type of government should he or another like-minded MAGA Republican win the White House in 2024.Plus report from Ukraine with Veteran War Correspondent, Phil Ittner on the recent grain crisis and naval standoff. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is it time to set in stone environmental protection as a legal right? Also, Mary Grant with Food and Water Watch joins to Thom to alert us to Republican efforts to refund affordable drinking water across the nation.Plus - Thom reads from 'Climate Chaos: Lessons on Survival From Our Ancestors'See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The economy is nearly the best its ever been- so why is the media dominated by recession scare stories? How could Democrats be getting out their message better? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The GOP is exploiting the structures in our brains that are rooted deep in our DNA, the wiring that says, “I must protect 'us' from 'them,'” the wiring that kept humans tribal for 300 millennia. So how can Progressives bring America together instead?Plus - Thom reads from "Revolutionary Love: A Political Manifesto to Heal and Transform the World" by Michael Lerner See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The veteran war correspondent is on the ground in the Ukraine. Can Russia ever win the war there?- If not, is there an end-game possible that satisfies all sides? Plus- Thom reads from "Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution" by Mike Duncan See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Establishing a political and personal identity in the public’s mind early on is crucial to effective campaigning and to developing a campaign that can withstand both personal and political attacks. Plus- Thom reads from "Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence" by Anita Hill.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Trump decided Covid would mainly impact Democrats, did he direct the federal government to stop trying to save lives and start promoting policies that would eventually kill – unnecessarily – a half-million Americans?Plus - Thom reads from 'Virus: Vaccinations, the CDC, and the Hijacking of America's Response to the Pandemic' by Nina Burleigh.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With dubious legal doctrines and without standing, the Supreme Court is behaving more like a legislature than a court. Why are our Justices comforting the comfortable while pushing transformative conservative cultural shifts on an unwilling population?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump may or may not be the GOP’s nominee this time next year, but, whoever it is, now is the time to harden our democracy against a neofascist MAGA Republican rising to that office. Also, The GOP's "extremist power grab" in the new "big lie bill" is exposed. Govt shutdown coming? Can the GOP wound the Biden economy this way? Is the new GOP attack on Jack Smith to defund him? Do they have that power? And have you seen Trump's agenda if he's reelected? It's a doozy! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tragically, for the third time in our nation’s history, patriots who believe in the ideals of July 4, 1776 have to defend America against those who don’t. Also investigative journalist Greg Palast reveals how a billionaire took lavish vacations with this particular member of the Supreme Court. Can you guess how they sided when his case ended up before SCOTUS?  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In addition to stepping up to mitigate climate change & green the world’s economy, the free nations must harden our democracies against reactive rightwing violence & hate-based political movements. Also unveiling more of the entrenched corruption of Clarence Thomas - It gets worse. The Supreme Court Just Legalized Stalking. Will Malaria be the new GOP disease? Also new evidence that aliens spacecraft have crashed on Earth. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Republicans think the middle class can't be trusted to run the country. How have Reagan and his followers succeeded in massively transferring wealth upward to the very rich?- and what have been the long term political consequences?Plus - Thom reads from 'One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America' by Kevin M. Kruse.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The burden of student debt has become an increasingly pressing issue prompting a debate on its long-term implications for America's future. Critics argue that this mounting debt is tantamount to a crime against younger generations by hindering their ability to thrive & contribute to society.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is the foundation being laid in the courts- from crackpot federal judges to the billionaire's Supreme Court- on which to base Trump's takeover of Democracy? Plus - Phil Ittner is on the ground with the battle against autocracy in Ukraine.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What would America be like with a "Dear Leader" in 2024? Nazi student forced a professor to cancel her class & the school did nothing? Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes tells U.S. Supreme Court to shove it. Why dem senators should reject Elliot Abrams.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are we looking at what happens when billionaires stack the supreme court? Progressive Leader Mark Pocan shares what he's seen. Plus listeners from across the country share their insights and questions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Did Donald Trump keep top Secret documents to profit from treason? How much would America’s enemies pay to have our nuclear deterrent plan or the locations of America’s spies? While the GOP wants you focused on Hunter Biden - what Jared & Ivanka did may be far worse, with Dean Obeidallah.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stunning new evidence proves ‘radical’ feminists are right that some men really DO hate women, SHOCKER! But it’s not just men! The report found the bias inherent in both genders!! Also The GOP’s violent rhetoric is working. Emboldened by fascist talking points, their minions are ready to attack anyone they might suspect of being a “groomer” like a 9-year old girl who was simply participating in track & field for her school. Her crime? A pixie haircut!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mike Schmidt, district attorney for Portland, Oregon is trying to grapple with the systematic failures of our criminal justice system. Guest host Jefferson Smith invites Thom' listeners to think deeply on how Progressives can bend the arc of history towards justice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest host Jefferson Smith of the Democracy Nerd Podcast sits in for Thom Hartmann today and speaks with Desmond Meade, Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. Why did Florida give ex-felons the right to vote and then the state arrested them for it?  Also Derek Black of the University of South Carolina Law School warns that public education is under assault...why it matters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest host Jefferson Smith of the Democracy Nerd Podcast sits in for Thom Hartmann today and speaks with Dr. Eli Merritt, MD, political historian at Vanderbilt University who specializes in the Founding Era of the United States. He is the author of the recently released Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution.Article: "Why Juneteenth Matters Far More Today Than the Fourth of July" by Eli Merritt.Substack: "American Commonwealth" by Eli Merritt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sitting in for Thom Hartmann today and host of the Democracy Nerd Podcast, Jefferson Smith introduces his step-sister and Hydrology expert Angela Gygi, Director, Hollywood Orchard. What is regenerative agriculture and why we need it NOW. Article: "Walter Jehne: Restoring water cycles to naturally cool climate" by Peter Donovan. Recommended site: Understanding Ag.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest host Jefferson Smith of the Democracy Nerd Podcast sits in for Thom Hartmann today explaining the Case: "Khary Penebaker et al v. Andrew Hitt et al." (fraudulent electors). Article: "What To Know About Wisconsin Republicans' Fake 2020 Electors" by Jonathon Sadowski. Poem: "Newspaper Poem" by Vera Sidhwa. Interview: Scott Thompson, Staff Counsel - Law Forward.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest host Jefferson Smith of the Democracy Nerd Podcast sits in for Thom Hartmann today responding to the newly released Trump tapes of classified government documents and asking for sodas. Also a discussion erupts around the concerns over Artificial Intelligence and why we must be ready for the challenge.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is America the victim of its own hubris? Can we solve our problems together again, or will the assault of the billionaires succeed in taking power? Guest host Jefferson Smith asks the key questions and ponders listeners' answers.Plus - Thom reads from "Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America" by Nancy MacLean See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump's Trial is more important and historic than already-televised state court drama. Congress should act to let us watch the most important trial of the century live and in real time. Plus - why is FBI agent Kendra Kingsbury going to jail for the same crime Trump is likely to get away with?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Progressive leader Mark Pocan takes an interesting variety of calls from listeners across the nation.Also - Thom reads from "A Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Faith for the Common Good" by Jonathan Wilson-HartgroveSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The GOP & the billionaires who fund them learned their lesson. Never again would they allow a rightwing justice to stray beyond the rigid ideological boundaries set at that justices’ confirmation…Plus - Billionaire in a submersible versus 500 shipwrecked migrants- guess which one gets covered in the media?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They’ve read their history: if they can embed fascism deeply at every level of American government, business, and civic life, it will take generations to rip it out…Plus - Thom reads from "A Field Guide to White Supremacy" by Kathleen Belew and Ramon A. Gutierrez See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Watergate prosecutor says Congress could act to put cameras in Trump courtroom. Thom's listeners from across America weigh in. Plus- Thom reads from 'It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office, by Dale Beran.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Did 'We, The People' suffer irreparable harm due to the Justice Department delaying two years in prosecuting Donald Trump for his crimes? Also- Is Trump really running to avoid going to jail? Plus, Thom reads from 'Tyranny from Plato to Trump: Fools, Sycophants, and Citizens' by Andrew Fiala.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Emily Scarr is the Maryland PIRG Director & Co-Author of a new report on industrial substances known as PFAS. How are these very common chemicals potentially harming our health?Plus Thom reads from 'The Water Defenders: How Ordinary People Saved a Country from Corporate Greed by Robin Broad and John Cavanagh.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will Republicans succeed in their attacks on Jack Smith and Joe Biden? Also- Thom sets the record straight on the Presidential Records Act.Plus - Thom reads from the book "Our Man" by George Packer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pacifica radio host Sonali Kolhatkar joins Thom. As America becomes more diverse, how can alternative media tell stories that legitimize people of color?Plus - Thom reads from 'The Fight For the Soul of the Democratic Party' by John Nichols.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Phill Ittner joins Thom live from Ukraine. Can the Russians scare Kyiv with constant missile attacks? Will the Ukrainian offensive succeed in pushing back the Russian trenches?Plus - Why is the FBI going after pro-choice activists, when so many have been murdered by anti-abortionists?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Democracy is based on the will of the people - and that is a function of the information to which citizens have access. Can America rescue our nation’s currently polluted streams of information and news?Plus Thom reads from "The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump" by Michiko Kakutani, and from "The Water Defender" by Robin Broad, John Cavanagh.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thom speaks with labor leaders Rob Baril & Ed Hawthorne on the issues facing American workers. How are contractors and tip employees being exploited at wages far below what it costs to make a living?Plus- Thom reads from his book 'Screwed: The Undeclared War on the American Middle Class'.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is the GOP Plan to Be Content With a "Red States" Fascist Empire? Jim Jordan wants to know why disinformation experts have been studying disinformation - here's why Jim.... Shouldn't the 10 house republicans who conspired with Trump to overturn the election be indicted as well? Is Trump trying to provoke a replay of 1963 with his vows to "go after" Biden? Crazy Alert! McCarthy's latest defense of Trump, "the bathroom has a lock" Really!?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If we continue to allow violence (like January 6th) and violent rhetoric to spread through the American body politic, we stand a very real chance of losing our republic. Plus Thom reads from his book 'We The People- A Call to Take Back America'.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will Trump face a jury of his peers for some of his crimes, or will he delay the process indefinitely? Thom gets the view from Washington as Progressive leader Ro Khanna takes listener calls from across the nation.Also, Thom reads from "Original Wisdom: Stories From An Ancient Way of Knowing" by Robert WolffSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a decision that shocked most observers, the Supreme Court this week ruled that an Alabama Republican gerrymander was in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. John Roberts and Bret Kavanaugh joined the Court’s three Democratic appointees in upholding the principle that “packing and cracking” congressional districts along racial lines was illegal. What happened? Crazy Alert! Big oil tells Fox-so-called-News there is "no health risk" from inhaling toxic smoke - he has a bridge to sell you too.... Geeky Science! How visceral fat has a negative effect on your thinking. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump Indictment revealed! Also why billionaires hate social security. The Harlan Crow plot thickens with Manchin & Sinema intrigue and It's Time to Investigate Ginni Thomas.  Geeky Science! They knew the earth would burn. Can this judge stop the GOP from playing doctor? Guest Interview: Susan Corke - Where are the trends & threats of hate of far-right extremism taking America?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Trump faces the music for a small slice of his crimes against our nation & our democracy, let’s not forget that he’s not the first. He was carrying on a GOP tradition stretching back to 1968… Plus, the demise of CNN - what did the Trumpian far-right move do for CNN? Phil Ittner - Did Russia accidentally lose Crimea and maybe the war too? Congressman Mark Pocan phones in for an update from DC. The Saudis want us to forget it's a murderous dictatorship - the Americans that have played into it are now rich & bought off.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s time to tax the rich, be they individuals or giant corporations, if we want to restore the American middle class and return our nation to the vitality that was once normal… You have a right to own a gun, but a right to travel? Not so much... Crazy Alert! Fox News Host: Why Try to Save Earth When Afterlife Is Real? Sam Schwartz - Survivors of gun violence and mass shootings weigh in. Dr. Peter H. Glick - The Three Ages of Water Military whistleblower alleges the government is concealing extraterrestrial spacecraft - are they?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Turn on a light, the old saying goes, and the cockroaches will scatter. It’s time to bring honest and unflinching light to the Republican Party’s use of the word “woke”… Grift Alert! Of course the pool guy drained Trump's pool into the room where the video surveillance is.... I told you Clarence Thomas was corrupt - we now have the receipts! Nikki Haley fails to hide her bigotry and hate. Also Dr. Bandy Lee is going to court.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Republicans know the only way they can continue to hold onto national power — and even keep their control over states like Texas, Georgia, and Florida — is by making it difficult to register and vote… McCarthy is releasing Jan 6th tapes to far-right conspiracy groups. Does MTG have blackmail material on the guy? Was this the price he had to pay for her vote to make him speaker?"Crazy Alert! Judge refuses to derail EJ Carroll case because trump is a persecuted "white christian" The Terminator Alert! Did an AI just attack its human operator?! Joe Manchin confesses his willingness to make Trump prez, again. Geeky Science! Pass on the Splenda - It's not splendid.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The crisis for any Republican who wants to run against Trump is that they’ll have to run to the right of fascism. But what occupies that space? Pure, raw, genocidal dictatorship that ends America... Also Facebook and Twitter are fighting paying for news that they make money from.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We did it before, and the result was the creation of the world’s first and largest middle class and a level of peace and prosperity that held its own until Ronald Reagan took a meat-axe to it… The North Carolina GOP just called the Rev. William Barber a poverty pimp - wow! how low can you sink? Also, It is like a return to stonewall or the civil rights movement. They’re bringing the oppressed to the oppressor.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Phil Ittner checks in with Thom from the front line of Russia's war on Ukraine. Thom reads from Samuel Moore's book 'Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War'.Plus - the surprising correlations between eating junk food and the damaging impacts of insomnia.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Climate scientists are fleeing twitter- but is this just the tip of the 'iceberg' of a right-wing propaganda push against the reality of climate change?Plus - brain shrinkage?- science fiction stuff or a surprisingly real problem?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.