Rob talked to Jesse Hawken, host of the Junk Filter podcast, about Donald Trump’s recent threats to Canada to institute tariffs or possible just annex the country if we don’t solve the crisis of fentanyl-dealing migrants sneaking across the border, a problem which, as far as anyone understands, doesn’t seem to be based in reality. The reaction from the Canadian political and media class has been very revealing as to the true nature of the Canada/US relationship.

Also revealing: the flippant response on social media to the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, in which the seething anger and resentment that many Americans feel about the health insurance industry, and the exploitative ruling class in general, was on full display.

Andrew Perez of Rolling Stone joins us to talk about some of Trump’s recent administrative picks, especially Kash Patel at the FBI, along with what Dr. Oz can do while running Medicare that will further enrich private health insurance companies. We also examine some of the prominent Trump donors who are being handsomely rewarded with government posts.Yo…

Tucker Carlson revealed he was mauled by a demon in his sleep. Elon Musk’s America PAC mistreats canvassers. Bill Clinton heads to Michigan to woo voters. All that and more as we cover the final days of the election. Our most recent premium episode with Brett Erlich about Tony Hinchcliffe’s “jokes” at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally is available for paid subscribers here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-324-kill-tony-ft-brett-erlich

Ryan Grim, author of the new book “The Squad,” joins us to talk about the book, some of the stories in it, Trump being removed from the ballot in Colorado, and a poetry reading that will give you chills. You can grab a copy of The Squad here:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-squad-aoc-and-the-hope-of-a-political-revolution-ryan-grim/19995389?ean=9781250869074

Our most recent premium episode for our beloved paid interns is with Ed Zitron. It was a ton of fun. You can listen here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-235-havana-syndrome-the-movie

Ed Zitron is back as we go through the hot new Netflix blockbuster “Leave The World Behind.” The Obama-produced feature is rife with plot holes, suspense that doesn’t pay off, an underwhelming finale and a script that leaves audiences confused and wondering what the hell they just watched. Also, Havana Syndrome. You can check out Ed’s newsletter here: ht…

Congress passed the $886 billion NDAA this week, which will further enrich shareholders and executives of military contractors. Sean Morrow of More Perfect Union joins us to explain the deceptive messaging around military spending, with political leaders trying to frame it as “creating jobs.” We also take a victory lab for our new music video dropping. You can follow Sean here: https://twitter.com/snmrrwOur latest premium episode with Steve Monacelli about Tucker Carlson’s expanding media empire and his role in getting Alex Jones back on Twitter is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-233-tucker-carlsons-media-ecosystem

To gain access to the full episode, and to receive an additional episode every week, you can subscribe here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe

Steve Monacelli, an investigative reporter based in Dallas, joins us to discuss Tucker Carlson’s latest media plays, including his role in helping Alex Jones get back on Twitter. We talk about how easy it is to find funding for right-wing media enterprises and the lopsided media landscape that creates. You can follow Steve here: https://twitter.com/steva…

We talk about HBomberguy’s behemoth of a video on plagiarism, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott using the 9/11 hijackers as an example of people working together during a motivational team speech, and an update on attacks resuming in Gaza. Our most recent premium episode with Jason Koebler about ChatGPT’s training model is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-231-violating-chatgpts-tos-ft

To receive an additional episode every week you can subscribe to the show at InsurgentsPod.com/subscribe

Jason Koebler, co-founder of 404 Media, joins us to explain what Google Researchers discovered when they asked ChatGPT to repeat the same word forever. What may seem like a simple request, revealed some alarming information about what ChatGPT is trained on, the risks with broad scraping practices and more. We explore th…

Spencer Ackerman returns to the show to recap the life of Henry Kissinger. Spencer was commissioned last year to write the obituary for Kissinger for Rolling Stone, which published this week and you should read here. We go through the obituary, talk about what went into the process, what decisions he made when framing Kissinger’s legacy and we also get into how the media typically whitewashes the legacy of America’s worst figures after they die. Our latest premium episode with Ken Klippenstein is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-229-wheelin-and-arms-dealin-ft | To gain access to this episode, and all our bonus content which includes an additional episode every week, please consider becoming a subscriber here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe

Ken Klippenstein is unfortunately back on the show. This time it’s to discuss two recent pieces in The Intercept about the IDF’s secret meetings on Capitol Hill which come just as Biden is moving to lift nearly all restrictions on the US weapons stockpiles for Israel. You can follow Ken here: https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein

Returning guest Kylie Cheung joins the show for a conversation about the wave of Neo-McCarthyism affecting Hollywood actresses like Melissa Barrera and Susan Sarandon who speak out about Israel’s crimes in Gaza, the liberal mask slippage moment exemplified by creepy smirking racist Stuart Seldowitz, people trying to weaponize LGBTQIA+ or abortion rights to justify the mass murder of Palestinians and more. Oh, and whether Lightning McQueen can really be considered the GOAT with his impressive record of 7 Piston Cups.

Subscribe to The Insurgents to support the show by smashing the button below:

Mike Rothschild (no relation) joins us to discuss Elon Musk’s latest anti-Semitic controversy and advertiser exodus, which triggered a lawsuit targeting Media Matters. He also tells us about his new book, Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories, which is available here.

Brett Erlich joins Jordan to talk about Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally which featured racist and xenophobic lines from many of the speakers but comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist lines about Puerto Rico has the Trump campaign distancing themselves from him.

We also talk about Brett performing for Mark Zuckerberg this weekend. Yes, really.

Chuck Modi, a DC-based justice journalist, joins Jordan to recap what he saw on the ground at the If Not Now/Jewish Voice For Peace pro-ceasefire protest outside the DNC on Wednesday night. What began as a candlelight vigil and peaceful demonstration quickly turned ugly after police began roughing up protesters, throwing them to the ground and using pepper spray .Democratic and Republican politicians quickly ran to the media to demonize the protesters, despite videos captured by Chuck and others disproving their claims.

We discuss the state violence used to quash movements, the tricks used by police to escalate protests, and the role the media should play in moments like this. You can follow Chuck here: https://twitter.com/ChuckModi1/Our most recent premium episode with Jack Crosbie about the role reporters are playing in Gaza is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-225-witnesses-to-the-horror-ft#details

Jack Crosbie returns to the show to discuss the ongoing war in Gaza, Israel’s misinformation campaign, and the importance of reporters on the ground in Gaza. You can follow Jack here: https://twitter.com/jscros | Demand a ceasefire here: CeasefireToday.com

Jodi Jacobson, executive director of Healthcare Across Borders, joins us to recap the win in Ohio for abortion rights. As an experienced abortion advocate and someone who worked in progressive politics for years, Jodi shines a light on why, despite Roe’s overturned, seemingly red states are voting to codify abortion rights. We get into what it means for Republicans going forward and how Democrats still aren’t out of the woods given Biden’s tanking popularity due to his handling of Israel’s attacks on Gaza. You can follow Jodi here: https://twitter.com/jljacobson | Our most recent premium episode for our Paid Interns is with Eva Borgwardt of If Not Now. You can access that episode by becoming a subscriber: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-223-the-slogan-police-ft-eva-borgwardt#details

Eva Borgwardt of If Not Now joins us to discuss the slogan policing of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who now faces censure in the House for using the phrase “From The River To The Sea” to champion Palestinian rights. We get into the reactions to that phrase, the misconceptions of it, how the Jewish community is conditioned to p…

Hassan El-Tayyab, with Friends Committee on National Legislation, joins Jordan to discuss Israel’s attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp and the increasing evidence of Israel committing war crimes. We also cover the movement for peace in Gaza and why it’s critical to keep the pressure up on Congress and the Biden administration to demand a ceasefire. We also explore the dehumanizing language we’re seeing from US and Israeli officials and the effect it has. Please take action at CeasefireToday.com | You can follow Hassan here: https://twitter.com/HassanElTayyab | Our most recent premium episode with Eli Valley is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-221-not-in-our-name-ft-eli-valley

Eli Valley returns to the show to discuss how US politicians and interest groups have weaponized “anti-Zionism,” the Biden administrations comparison of pro-Palestinian protesters with Nazis in Charlottesville, Meghan McCain re-upping Eli’s comic about her, John Fetterman’s staff removing a voter from an event for asking about a ceasefire and more. You c…

Mindy Isser, an organizer and activist in Philly, joins us to discuss the actions in Pennsylvania calling for John Fetterman to support a ceasefire. From there we discuss how some members of the Jewish community have weaponized grief from the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks to justify Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, which as of now has claimed 7,000 lives including 3,000 children. You can follow Mindy here: https://twitter.com/mindyisser | You can learn more about Jewish Voice For Peace here: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

Our most recent premium episode with Sana Saeed on how the western media is spinning Israel’s attacks on Gaza is available here for subscribers: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-219-whose-story-gets-told-ft-sana#details

Sana Saeed, media critic with AJ Plus, joins us to breakdown how the western media has framed Israel’s attacks on Gaza, how broadcasters frame conversations with Palestinians, how it contrasts with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and more. You can follow Sana here: https://twitter.com/SanaSaeed | Take action to demand a ceasefire here: https://ceasefiretod…

We continue our coverage of the situation in Gaza and the calls for ceasefire. Biden, in a televised address, called for increased funding to Israel. We explore the impact and what any purportedly anti-war member of Congress should do now, beginning with calling for a ceasefire. You can take action to support the calls for a ceasefire here: CeasefireToday.com | Our most recent premium episode for our beloved Paid Interns is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-217-ceasefire-now#details

Jeremy Appel, writer of The Orchard, joins us for an update on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The US declined to push for restraint or use its aid to Israel as leverage to mitigate the attacks on Gaza. Now, the Health Ministry reports that nearly 3,000 people in Gaza have died and over 12,000 have been wounded. As Israel prepares for a ground invasio…

Tariq Habash, a former Biden administration staffer who resigned over the genocide in Gaza, joins us to talk about the state of the presidential race and his new organization, A New Policy, which seeks to change US policy toward the Middle East and, through lobbying and advocacy, put forward a more diplomatic, peace-first approach.

You can support A New Policy at anewpolicy.org

As mentioned in this episode, Jordan is a finalist in the Anthem Awards for “CeasefireToday.com.” If you are able, please cast a vote for the site here.Our most recent premium episode for paid subscribers is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-322-the-dead-man

Omar Baddar, Palestinian-American political analyst, joins us for an update on Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza. The western media, as is the case whenever there are attacks on Gaza or Palestinians at large, has largely looked away as Israel continues to commit war crimes. While the UN and Amnesty sound the alarm, the US recommits its blanket support for Israel and war hawks salivate over the prospect of expanding the conflict to include Iran. | You can follow Omar here: https://twitter.com/OmarBaddar | Our most recent premium episode with Ryan Grim of The Intercept is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-215-a-cycle-of-violence-ft-ryan#details

Ryan Grim of The Intercept joins us to discuss Hamas’ attack on Israel, how the Israeli government has responded by bombing Gaza and the context that preceded this weekend’s heartbreaking events that was curiously absent in both the media’s coverage and the broader reaction from the West.

Nikhil Goyal, former Bernie Sanders advisor and author of “Live To See The Day: Coming of Age In American Poverty,” joins us to break down Kevin McCarthy’s removal as Speaker of the House. To us, it’s obviously very funny but to the right wing pundit class, it’s somehow shameful the Democrats didn’t vote to protect McCarthy. We get into how the GOP has let the genie out of the bottle with this move and how we’ll likely see similar occurrences later.From there, Nikhil tells us about his book which follows three kids in Philly living in poverty to illustrate how our system allows people, including many children, to fall through the cracks and what an appropriate policy response should be to poverty in America.

Our most recent premium episode for Paid Interns is with Jon Siebels of Eve 6. You can listen to that episode here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-213-live-nations-pr-stunt-ft-jon#details

Jon Siebels of Eve 6 joins us to talk about Live Nation’s recent announcement that it will be ending merch cuts, offering artists travel stipends and a handful of other things to better “support artists.” The company, which has an effective monopoly over the music industry through its control over music venues, servi…

We have two interviews for you all in this episode!First, writer and producer Ben Mekler joins Jordan to recap the WGA’s wins after a successful strike. We explore how the writers banded together as the studios repeatedly insisted their demands were outlandish and would never happen. The wins they achieved together are a lesson in the importance of collective bargaining and Ben shares the sentiment in the room as the WGA learned about the deal they had won.Then we sat down with Dave Weigel of Semafor to recap the second GOP debate. We of course revisited Chris Christie’s “Donald Duck” slam on Donald Trump, how the field was ready to respond to Vivek Ramaswamy’s eagerness, and ultimately what they’re even doing since polling shows nobody running even comes close to competing with Trump. Our most recent premium episode for our beloved Paid Interns is available here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-211-canadian-oopsie-ft-derek-davison#details

To become a subscriber to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe at InsurgentsPod.com/subscribe or by clicking the button below:

Oops! The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons welcomed a 98-year-old SS unit veteran last week, and he received a bipartisan standing ovation. Derek Davison, author of Foreign Exchanges and host of American Prestige joins us to break down the alarming incident, which Canadian political leaders tried to later dismiss as an oversight. This special guest …

Dan Boguslaw of The Intercept and author of the new piece breaking down how the UAW tricked the Big 3 with their strike preparations joins us today. We get into what the UAW demands are, how the Big 3 are responding, a new and stronger approach to negotiations by UAW President Shawn Fain and how the Biden administration’s lackluster response creates a vacuum for hollow populists on the right to exploit. To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe at InsurgentsPod.com/subscribe or by clicking the button below:

Our most recent premium episode with Liv Agar on Lauren Boebert’s hot date at Beetlejuice the Musical, the missing F-35, John Fetterman conspiracies and more is available here:

Liv Agar returns to the show to discuss Lauren Boebert’s steamy Beetlejuice the musical date, the conspiracies around John Fetterman, the Russell Brand allegations, the missing F-35, Netanyahu telling Elon Musk to curb anti-Semitism on Twitter, India potentially being behind a Sikh leader’s killing in Canada and much more.You can follow Liv here: https:…

Juniper of Western Kabuki joins us to discuss Vivek Ramaswamy’s “change of heart” on TikTok after meeting with Jake Paul. We explore the broader GOP’s rhetoric on China and especially Mexico, with increasingly militaristic threats being waged by 2024 hopefuls. We also get into MSN’s grim AI-generated obituary for a former NBA player, Brandon Hunter, and what a future of “AI art” would actually look like. You can follow Juniper here: https://twitter.com/junlper/ | Our most recent premium episode for our beloved paid interns is with Parker Molloy. We discussed Aaron Rodgers’ injury, the most bizarre 9/11 tributes and much more. You can listen to that episode here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-207-a-911-youll-never-forget-ft#details

To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe at InsurgentsPod.com/subscribe or by clicking the button below: https://www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe

Parker Molloy, media critic and author of The Present Age, joins Jordan to discuss Aaron Rodgers’ injury, the most hairbrained “tributes” on 9/11, the Washington Post’s bizarre opposition research piece about a House candidate who streamed on Chaturbate, how the media can be more responsible in 2024 and much more. This was a fun one.You can subscribe to…

As mentioned in this episode, Jordan is a finalist in the Anthem Awards for “CeasefireToday.com.” If you are able, please cast a vote for the site here. In this episode, Rob updates Jordan on Trump’s appearance on The Undertaker’s podcast and we examine why Harris is campaigning with Liz Cheney.

Isaiah Martin, the potential “next Gen Z member of Congress” launched his campaign this week to both fanfare and criticism. Adam Johnson, co-host of Citations Needed joined us to break down the launch, the hollowness in “generational politics” and more.We also get into the looming government shutdown and how, yet again, social safety net programs are on the chopping block. We also talk about Bill Maher calling for the writers strike to end and his comments that writers’ demands are “kooky.”You can follow Adam here: https://twitter.com/adamjohnsonCHI

To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe at InsurgentsPod.com/subscribe or by clicking the button below:

Jared Holt returns to the show to break down the cases and sentences for the leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers for their roles in orchestrating, planning and leading the events at the Capitol on January 6.We also get into Tucker Carlson’s “exclusive” interview with a guy who claims he smoked crack and had sex with Barack Obama. Shocking!

Braxton Brewington of The Debt Collective joins Jordan for a conversation about how the Biden administration has tried and is continuing to try to cancel some student loan debt. Braxton and The Debt Collective, along with other student borrower advocates, have shown there are other ways—completely within Biden’s authority—the administration can still cancel student loan debt. We explore some of those avenues and discuss a new tool The Debt Collective has created that might help some borrowers have their loans cancelled sooner.You can learn more about The Debt Collective at debtcollective.org and you can find the tool we discuss here: https://tools.debtcollective.org/run/student/#/1

Our premium episode from this week featured Dave Anthony, host of The Dollop. It was great getting him worked up over Bidenomics, the homelessness crisis, student loans, Exxon and more. You can subscribe to hear that episode here:

Dave Anthony, host of “The Dollop” and “The Audit” joins us to discuss the Democrats’ 2024 messaging that the economy is great and people who might disagree because of their own material conditions are just wrong. We touch on how student loan payments resuming next month will impact the economy and people’s quality of life, risking fueling cynicism and …

Julian, Jake and Travis of QAnon Anonymous join us to recap the GOP debate, Trump’s interview with Tucker Carlson (and Trump’s thoughts on Jeffrey Epstein), the Alien and Avatar franchises and so much more. This was a fun one!Subscribe to the QAnon Anonymous podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/qanonanonymous

To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe

The right has conditioned its base to assume the absolute worse, most nefarious intent in response to even the most moderate societal improvements. We explore how that social conditioning has changed the way people see public transit and the “15 minute cities” conspiracy. We also revisit Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” in the wake of it hi…

Dharna Noor, climate reporter for The Guardian, joins us for our 200th episode. We discuss the wildfires in Maui, the ludicrous conspiracies about their origin, big oil rebutting attempts by local leaders over the past few years to reign in their emissions, and more.We also spend some time talking about Hurricane Hilary, which is expected to make landfall in Southern California this weekend. Calling it a rare occurrence is an understatement. It’s once-in-a-century, with the last one making landfall happening back in 1939. We examine the link between climate change and extreme weather like this storm which, as we’ve mentioned repeatedly on this show, is a direct cause of climate change worsening.In spite of this, we make sure to reflect on the importance of remaining committed to fight climate change and lift up the young climate activists in Montana who recently won a landmark climate case.You can follow Dharna here: https://twitter.com/dharnanoorTo become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe

By now you’ve probably heard Oliver Anthony’s totally organic viral sensation song Rich Men North of Richmond. Maybe you’re even already sick of the discourse around it. Perhaps you might have even found yourself liking or enjoying it because of the way it ostensibly is about the rich exploiting the working class, or the feeling of hopelessness and alie…

Jordan’s still on the move — but took time to very generously agree to give up his podcast revenue share — so today Rob is speaking to Luke O’Neil, author of Welcome to Hell World and the new collection of short fiction A Creature Wanting Form (which you can purchase by clicking the link there.)

There’s some sports chat, we talk about the conflicting emotions involved in being Weezer Guys, but mainly we spent most of the time relitigating the 2015 Democratic Primary. Not enough people are doing that! In all seriousness Luke has really carved out a place for himself as a must-read documentarian of the grim reality of modern America so it was great to have him appear on this episode.

Follow Luke on twitter here and bluesky here.

And subscribe to the Insurgents podcast by clicking this button:

Jordan is on the move with the rest of the paid interns, and since it didn’t feel right to have a 200th episode without him, here’s episode 199.5 with Sam Knight of the District Sentinel. Is the economy really thriving, and the rest of us are wrong for feeling like it isn’t? Is Trump going to run in 2024 from prison like a bloated orange reactionary ver…

We’ve reunited after a few busy weeks of solo episodes. We discuss Jordan’s travel through Arizona and Nevada, the recent push by the Harris campaign to do more online media and podcasts and the state of the race which isn’t looking great for Democrats.

Our most recent premium episode is available to subscribers here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-320-ultimatum-ft-erik-sperling

Taylor Lorenz joins us again to talk about her upcoming book “Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet.” We explore how the creator economy has ballooned but still lacks basic worker protections afforded to some of their creative counterparts. We spend some time talking about the various worker strikes and the need for unions in other creative industries.We also, of course, discuss the cop slide video. You can preorder her book here:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/extremely-online-the-untold-story-of-fame-influence-and-power-on-the-internet-taylor-lorenz/19718842 —To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe

Ron DeSantis claims to be rebooting his campaign after a series of fits and starts that have plagued his campaign. We get into whether or not his campaign is offering anything different and of course discuss the fancam video that featured the Nazi “Black Sun” symbol.We also take a look at RFK Jr.’s fanbase and how it, strangely!!!, is full of conservati…

Friend of the show Dwight, formerly of Eat the Rich, joins Jordan to recap the Congressional hearings on UFOs and aliens. We talk about Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge’s contributions to the UFO and alien revelations and revisit the classic Art Bell “Area 51 call.”From there, we discuss both Dianne Feinstein’s and Mitch McConnell’s declining health, which were publicly on display this week.And it wouldn’t be a Dwight episode without climate catastrophe. Water temperatures off the coast of Florida are reaching “hot tub levels” and July is poised to be the hottest month on record. We share how we must fight through climate despair, even if its in vain.To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe