QAA’s Julian Feeld joins us today to give us his report from last week’s CPAC convention. We look at the usual carnival of cruelty on display at the Gaylord Convention Center, with an added layer of vindictiveness in the second Trump era. We also discuss at how QAnon has been fully metabolized into political discourse, and check in on some classic characters like Mike Lindell and JFK. Jr. Finally, a rather grim reading series looking at the lonely political life of Senator Fetterman.

Find QAA wherever you get podcasts, and subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/qanonanonymous
Check out Julian’s recent Jacobin pieces
On the current state of QAnon: https://jacobin.com/2025/02/qanon-legacy-conspiracy-trump-patel
And his report from CPAC: https://jacobin.com/2025/03/cpac-trump-bannon-far-right

Finally, go see Eephus when it comes to your town: https://www.musicboxfilms.com/film/eephus/

913 - Only the Lonely feat. Julian Feeld (3/3/25)

We start the show discussing the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil in a glaring escalation of attacks on American civil liberties in behalf of Israel & its supporters. We’re then joined by journalist and co-host of the Odd Lots podcast Joe Weisenthal to take a shockingly timely (for us) look at markets, tariffs, crypto, and economic policy under the 2nd Trump administration. Is there a plan here? Who’s actually in charge? Will these tariffs ever actually happen? Are we careening toward a recession? Joe shares his thoughts on these questions and more with us.

Listen to Odd Lots wherever you get podcasts, and find Joe’s work at Bloomberg here: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AQ0VXvE12t0/joe-weisenthal

Go see Eephus as it rolls out to your neck of the woods, search for showtimes @ https://www.eephusfilm.com/

915 - Hero Hedge feat. Joe Weisenthal (3/10/25)

D.J. Byrnes of Ohio’s independent news outlet The Rooster returns to the show. We look at constituent outrage at elected officials, D.J.’s sojourn to DC, Cleveland’s $2.5 Billion stadium debacle, and D.J. relates an incredible story of bamboozling Vivek Ramaswamy.

Then, Eephus director Carson Lund and writer & star Nate Fisher join Will to discuss the film, its inspirations, how they went about shooting it, Meat Raffles, and some of their all-time favorite Baseball Guys.

Find D.J.’s chronicle of Ohio depravity at the Rooster: https://www.rooster.info/
Find showtimes for Eephus @ https://www.eephusfilm.com/

917 - Touchdown Tim Chitters feat. D.J. Byrnes & Eephus (3/17/25)

Delaware state rep Madinah Wilson-Anton returns to the show to brief us on Elon Musk’s attempts to rewrite the state laws of Delaware to help him secure a $50 billion+ compensation package. We discuss the “race to the bottom” in state business laws, and the new wave of assaults on basic legal legitimacy in pursuit of complete oligarchical control.

Then, Matt Bruenig joins us to discuss the hot new word on all the wonks’ lips: ABUNDANCE. We review the Abundance Agenda, Matt gives us his takes on the policies, and we evaluate the Abundance potential as a viable organizing principle for the moribund Democratic party.

Check out NLRB Edge, Matt’s labor law newsletter: https://www.nlrbedge.com/  

919 - Abruendance Agenda feat. Madinah Wilson-Anton & Matt Bruenig (3/24/25)

Tim “T-Bone” Faust makes a long overdue return to the program to brief us on the series of guerilla town halls on Medicaid he’s been doing in Wisconsin. But first, we start with a brief roundup on one of the most important health issues facing the nation today: Soda, and the role it plays in keeping Americans healthy. Tim then takes us through the current administration’s assault on Medicaid & Medicare, how the failure to push for healthcare reform in the face of COVID paved the way for hucksters like RFK Jr, and how health justice remains a bedrock principle for a left political program going forward.

Tim is happy to book a town hall in YOUR neck of the woods if you reach out to him: https://x.com/crulge

And here’s a quick flier he put together for Hands Off Medicaid if you want more info: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jusscubmipf5fsd5hob24/national-flyer.pdf?rlkey=b1327wky6zte79m00g8peo8iq&e=2&st=d3dngrl3&dl=0

On Will’s rec, go see “The Encampments” if you have the chance: https://www.watermelonpictures.com/films/the-encampments

921 - Health Scare feat. Tim Faust (3/31/25)

Felix sits down with writer & journalist Peter Korotaev for a wide ranging conversation on the state of the Russo-Ukranian War in the wake of the Trump administration’s spat with Zelensky & attempts at a peace deal, and loads of context on the politics of Ukraine, Russia, various oligarchs, the Atlantic Council, and other non-state actors that have led to this point.

You can find Peter’s writing on Ukraine here: https://substack.com/@eventsinukraine

And some other writing of note:

For al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/1/23/why-is-ukraine-struggling-to-mobilise-its-citizens-to-fight

Jacobin: https://jacobin.com/2022/07/ukraine-neoliberalism-war-russia-eu-imf

Canada Files: https://www.thecanadafiles.com/articles?author=645e6f082224bb01e8f3f37c

Arena https://arena.org.au/ukraines-borderline-disorder/

Bonus: Ukrainian Politics Deep Dive feat. Peter Korotaev

Semafor reporter Dave Weigel returns to the show to look at the political angles to Trump’s tariff regime and the global economic shocks. We discuss the various attempts to backfill justifications, responses from GOP and Democrats, and how this is all somehow about wokeness and masculinity or something. We also discuss last week’s special election in Wisconsin, and what it can tell us about Trump (and Elon)’s strength going forward.

Find Dave’s work on Semafor here: https://www.semafor.com/author/david-weigel


923 - The Banks Are Out of Money feat. Dave Weigel (4/7/25)

Before addressing the news of the day, Will & Kath catch up with Felix on their re-watch of beloved series BANSHEE, which segues nicely into discussion of the baffling firebombing of the Pennsylvania governor's mansion. We then move on to the increasingly horrific and blatantly illegal renditions of American residents into foreign prisons, and the further construction of Fortress America. We also look at potential democratic responses, from Cory Booker’s filibuster, to Kamala slowly stepping back into the spotlight, and finally Bernie & AOC’s recent rally in LA. 

Find EEPHUS streaming on VOD and new Eephus merch at: www.eephusfilm.com

925 - Banshee, PA Chamber of Commerce feat. Kath Kreuger (4/14/25)

Historian and author Greg Grandin joins us to discuss his new book America, América: A New History of the New World, which looks at the five century history of colonization & conquest of the New World, and how North & South America developed their distinct identities through a long history of mutual interaction and opposition.  We also catch up with Greg for his takes on the death of Pope Francis, the state of American empire at the start of the second Trump term, the U.S.’s lack of a forward-looking political horizon, and what possibilities we might see in the future of Latin America. 

Buy America, América: A New History of the New World online here, or wherever you get books: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747326/america-america-by-greg-grandin/

927 - Americas, The Beautiful feat. Greg Grandin (4/21/25)

The first episode of this season of Movie Mindset is free for all listeners as always. To listen to the rest of the season, subscribe at www.patreon.com/chapotraphouse

When you love movies, you’ve got to watch them. There’s no other way…Movie Mindset Season 3 commences with our first ever single feature on the most referenced movie in Chapo Trap House history: Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece Casino. Will and Hesse are joined by Felix to take a kaleidoscopic and dizzying dive into the inferno of American greed that is Las Vegas. Anchored by a triumvirate of all career great performances from Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci in FULL PSYCHO MODE, Casino is by equal turns hilarious and stomach turning and stands alone as Scorsese’s grandest and most generous examination of evil and the tragic flaws that doom us all. 

Should you listen even if you haven’t seen this movie?
Why take a chance? At least that the way we feel about it.

Movie Mindset 33 - Casino feat. Felix

The opening lines of this song were lifted directly from a movie I saw on TCM. For the life of me, I can't track down what movie it was. Extra points awarded to those who can identify it.

Musically, this song has transformed countless times. We've played most iterations live. It's always been consistent melodically but everything else was up-for-grabs. We finally stopped rewriting with this version due to the driving beat and melodic bass line. For me, Marina's harmony was the final touch that settled it once-and-for-all.

Randy Bishop

Lyrics

"Can I tell you tomorrow?"
"I don't think I'll be 10 years older by then."
Oh, the distinguished man.

His time sides, with his money not his life
He won't break your heart
He won't even start
So when you walk away
Don't you dare bat-a-lash
Just dodge and dash despite the cliche.

Smile at the evangelist
Hands off his mistress.
Oh, I don't think you can best
His tantalizing bliss.

His heart beats to his money not belief
He won't break your heart
He won't even start
So when you walk away
Don't you dare bat-a-lash
Just dodge and dash despite the cliche.

The Distinguished Man

The Bell Beat

Related tracks