Remember when Jared Kushner tried in late 2016 to establish a secret back channel to talk to Russia? Jared and Ivanka ran the Trump transition team, with Paul Manafort operating from the shadows, where he blooms like mold, pretending to have taken a step back to avoid the heat of, well, having been outed by a Ukrainian investigative journalist for being a highly paid Kremlin operative. The latest back channel between the Trump Crime Cabal and Russia is Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán, the Tiger Beat idol of CPAC. This Friday, on International Women’s Day no less, Orbán and Trump will meet at Mar-a-Lago, where America’s nuclear secrets get their own cabana.

For months now Gaslit Nation has warned that Orbán is the new Manafort, the Kremlin’s guy to make sure Trump comes to power, making their shared autocratic dreams come true. As Trump’s coup against our democracy continues, Andrea discusses Trump’s blatant shadow foreign policy with Russia mafia expert Olga Lautman and analyst Monique Camarra of the Kremlin File podcast, and the many challenges and bold action needed for democracy to fight encroaching authoritarianism, before it’s too late.

The sharks are circling, with China setting up police stations in Hungary, a European Union state. Will our democracy survive? As always, it comes down to us, as grassroots power is the most reliable power we have left. See the all new Gaslit Nation 2024 Survival on our homage – GaslitNationPod.com – for simple ways for us to pitch in as it’s all hands on deck!

Fun announcement for our Gaslit Nation community! On April 11 at 7 pm ET we’re holding another MAKE ART workshop exclusively for our subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon. Got questions about the creative process or the business side of things? Ever wanted to make art but didn’t know where or how to start? Want to know how to bring your art out into the world? Ask Andrea anything! Art is survival, and we need your mind and creativity more than ever! To get access to that, be sure to subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit.

Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

Show Notes

We'll post a link to 'Hedge Your Bets' on our social media feeds and in the show notes for this episode on our Patreon page. You can find more of The Detroit Rebellion's music on Bandcamp at detroitrebellion.bandcamp.com or detroitrebellion.blogspot.com

Submit your song to be featured on Gaslit Nation here! https://tr.ee/BuEdw13Nw-

Introducing…The Gaslit Nation 2024 Survival Guide! https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/2024-survival-guide

Trump Tyranny Tracker: Your Daily Reminder https://open.substack.com/pub/trumptyrannytracker/p/trump-tyranny-tracker-your-daily-089?r=3gxpg3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Why Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Meeting With Viktor Orbán Should Terrify Us All: With Trump set to host Orbán at his Mar-a-Lago retreat this week, it’s time to get serious about the rise of the global far right and why its worldview poses such a dire threat.

https://newrepublic.com/article/179510/trump-viktor-orban-mar-a-lago-meeting-terrify

Kushner Is Said to Have Discussed a Secret Channel to Talk to Russia

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/us/politics/kushner-talked-to-russian-envoy-about-creating-secret-channel-with-kremlin.html

How Tony Blinken’s Stepfather Changed the World—and Him: Samuel Pisar was a Holocaust survivor who pushed rival nations to engage in commerce, and he left an imprint on the likely next secretary of State.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/01/19/samuel-pisar-tony-blinken-secretary-of-state-460155