On Democracy with FPWellman – Details, episodes & analysis

We’ve all seen the shocking videos of masked men in plain clothes grabbing people and bundling them off in broad daylight claiming they’re illegal immigrants. Now Trump has implemented the Alien Enemies Act to justify his suspension of due process for potentially thousands of Venezuelans and others in the United States. The fundamental right to due process is enshrined in our Constitution for all “individuals” in the U.S. Not citizens…individuals. What happens when that fundamental right is thrown out? Where does it end? How has Trump’s war on immigrants unfolded while millions of Americans are distracted by the flood of other outrageous acts? Fred sits down with Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow for the American Immigration Council, on the danger we all face when due process is stripped for anyone, the outrageous shipment of immigrants to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT, and what it means to all of us. Sponsors: StopBox: Go to https://stopboxusa.com and enter code FRED10 for 10% off your entire order and a special Buy One, Get One Free for their StopBox Pro as well.

We are witnessing staggering corruption and indecency from the Trump Administration. From disappearing immigrants off the streets to plans for stripping Medicare and Medicaid from millions of Americans. Democrats are demanding their elected representatives fight back and one Senator isn’t shrinking from facing his voters. Senator Kim has been holding repeated town halls in the reddest districts of his state to hear his constituents. He has a stellar reputation in Washington and shot to the public’s eye when he was seen cleaning up the Capitol Rotunda after the January 6th violence. Senator Kim was a three term Member of Congress before running for Bob Menendez’s seat after his indictment for a host of crimes. He is the son of Korean immigrants and has led a life of public service. Andy had a career working as a diplomat and a civilian advisor to the Commanding Generals in Afghanistan before serving on the National Security Council staff under President Obama before returning home to unseat one of the leading authors of legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He is now the junior Senator from New Jersey. Sponsors: StopBox: Go to https://stopboxusa.com and enter code FRED10 for 10% off your entire order and a special Buy One, Get One Free for their StopBox Pro as well.

Donald Trump pardoned all of January 6th rioters including the leaders of the Oathkeepers and Proud Boys. It only took minutes for them to be welcomed with open arms back on the same Capitol grounds they stormed 4 years ago. It marks another dark turn towards extremism and a challenge for the opposition to this movement. Against this backdrop the Democrats are preparing for the critical February 1st leadership vote that will usher in a much-demanded new direction. Former Arkansas candidate for governor Dr. Chris Jones is running for Vice Chairman of the party and joins Fred to discuss his priorities and what comes next for the DNC. Chris grew up Arkansas. He attended Morehouse College on a full NASA Scholarship, then went on to study at MIT earning a Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Technology & Policy, and a Ph.D. in Urban Planning. After becoming an ordained minister, he returned home to Arkansas. He was the Democratic nominee for Arkansas Governor in 2022, launched Vortex PAC and has served as co-chair of Dirt Road Democrats driving rural outreach and recruiting. Learn more about his bid for DNC Vice Chair here: https://www.vicechairjones.com/ Sponsors: Lumen: Take the next step in improving your health go to lumen.me/FRED to get 15% off your Lumen.

Tom Nichols is often everyone’s favorite internet foil as a Never Trump but still very conservative political voice with strong opinions on music and Jeopardy too. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years, and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School. His books include The Death of Expertise and ‘Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy.’ He is also a five-time undefeated Jeopardy champion.

Kevin M. Kruse knows all too well that as Winston Churchill said, “those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” He has made it his life’s work to show how today’s issues have historic precedent and roots that we ignore at our peril. He is a Professor of History at Princeton University. He specializes in the political, social, and urban/suburban history of twentieth-century America, with a particular interest in conflicts over race, rights, and religion and the making of modern conservatism. His most recent publication is ‘Myth America’ a collection of historians taking on the biggest legends and lies about our past.

Who is fighting for our children’s best interests before anything else? Dr. Annie Andrews is a pediatrician and mom who was the Democratic nominee in South Carolina’s First Congressional district in 2022 and is now doing just that. With her cofounder Renee Harvey they have launched Their Future. Our Vote. to be the voice for children and the issues impacting their lives and future.

John Sipher and Fred talk about the danger of authoritarians, Republicans riding the violence, and the undermining of the intelligence community. Sipher is a former CIA officer and now nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and co-founder of Spycraft Entertainment, a production firm providing content and talent to the entertainment industry. He is a foreign policy, intelligence, and national security expert. In 2014, Sipher retired from a 28-year career at the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Clandestine Service. At the time of his retirement, he was a member of the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, the leadership team that guides CIA activities globally. 

Dennis Aftergut is a former federal prosecutor who has argued and won cases in the Supreme Court of the United States and of California.  As Chief Assistant City Attorney in San Francisco in the era before Obergefell v. Hodges, Dennis successfully defended suits brought by Pat Robertson’s legal foundation and United Airlines challenging San Francisco’s ground-breaking Equal Benefits Ordinance, a nondiscrimination law assuring workers with domestic partners the same employment benefits as afforded to straight employees who were married. Today he is a constant source of legal perspective on the insanity of the right in a host of publications. He and Fred discuss the absolute flood of legal issues around the country today and the state of the Judiciary as a pillar of our democracy.

Fred is solo this week and finds there is hope to be found in Democratic victories in Wisconsin and local elections but the Trump Circus in New York is getting a lot of attention and hiding the real game that is afoot. That shell game is hiding the real ball in play across the country as Republican led states take what some want to call ‘culture wars’ to dangerous levels that will have real world casualties. 

Kris Brown is President of Brady one of the oldest and most respected anti-gun violence organizations in the United States named after legendary White House Press Secretary and gun violence advocates Jim and Sarah Brady. Kris has led Brady since 2016 and is a long time veteran of gun violence prevention work starting her career on Capitol Hill working for Rep. Jim Moran, advocating for the bill that would eventually become the groundbreaking Brady Bill requiring background checks on federally licensed gun sales. She and Fred had a robust discussion about how the continued refusal by Congress and leaders to enact laws to end this scourge is a true failure of democracy.