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This is America: Checked In for the Checked Out

This is America: Checked In for the Checked Out

By: Rachel Bitecofer & Aaron Murphy
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About this listen

From the front lines of protecting democracy, political analysts Rachel Bitecofer and Aaron Murphy, authors of Hit 'Em Where it Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game (Crown, 2024), host a brief, weekly look at "what you need to know" about Trump 2.0. They're checked in for the checked out.

This is America is a callback to William L. Shirer's groundbreaking This is Berlin broadcasts from the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Subscribe to Rachel's The Cycle on Substack at thecycle.substack.com.

Hit 'Em Where it Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game:

hitemwhereithurts.com.

Rachel Bitecofer & Aaron Murphy 2025 Political Science Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • Episode 24: 'Because We Can'

    Episode 24: 'Because We Can'
    Aug 12 2025

    Why are Republicans trying to give themselves an edge in Congress? In the words of one GOP lawmaker: “Because we can.” This week, Rachel and Aaron separate the facts from JD Vance’s alt reality as some Democrats prepare to fight fire with fire. Plus: Trump takes federal control over Washington DC. And South Park sends up America’s most notorious puppy killer.

    LINKS:

    • YouTube: President Trump holds news conference on plans to address D.C. crime
    • Gavin Newsom to Trump: ‘You Are Playing With Fire’
    • The Cycle (Substack): Appeasement Didn’t Work Then; It Won’t Work Now
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    20 mins
  • Episode 23: Stubborn Things

    Episode 23: Stubborn Things
    Aug 5 2025

    Facts are stubborn things, at least two of Trump’s predecessors have said. And for Trump on the economy—and Jeffrey Epstein–-there’s nothing to see here. This week Rachel and Aaron look at what the latest job numbers mean for Trump 2.0. Plus, Trump is making his own list… of political enemies. And secret documents in a secret annex at FBI Headquarters? Pssh.

    LINKS

    • New York Times: Until Trump Fired Her, She Was an Economist With Bipartisan Support
    • ABC News: Joe Rogan slams Trump administration over Epstein investigation: 'Trying to gaslight'
    • The Breakfast Club: Charlamagne Responds To Donald Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ Post About Him
    • The Cycle (Substack): The Anatomy of “Othering”: How Authoritarians Build Permission for Violence
    • Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game’
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    27 mins
  • Episode 22: Fire with Fire

    Episode 22: Fire with Fire
    Jul 29 2025

    This week Rachel and Aaron stick to the one scandal that’s finally sticking to Teflon Don: Jeffrey Epstein, and the Trump Administration’s spectacular inability to control the narrative. Rachel dives into the need to “politicize everything.” A look at how Trump 2.0 is using immigration to destroy democracy with quiet bureaucracy. And why are some Dems demanding to fight “fire with fire” after the latest GOP effort to retain control of the U.S. House?

    LINKS:

    • The Cycle (Substack): Politicize Everything: A Blueprint for a Party that Fights
    • YouTube: 'You’ve got no rights’: teenage US citizen records violent arrest by immigration officers
    • The Guardian: How Trump has supercharged the immigration crackdown - in data
    • YouTube: 'Epstein Partied With Trump': Texas Congressional Candidate Dragged Out Of Hearing
    • YouTube: California's Newsom Calls To 'Fight Fire With Fire' As Texas Considers Redistricting
    • Surrounded (Jubilee Media): 1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives (ft. Mehdi Hasan)
    • 50501: Rage Against the Regime | August 2, 2025
    • The National: Convicted US Felon to Arrive in Scotland
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
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