Share
To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes
Garrett Graff: America Tips Into Fascism
•
Charlie Sykes sits down with historian and journalist Garrett Graff to examine his recent warning that America has entered a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism. From federal occupations of U.S. cities and extrajudicial killings abroad to the intimidation of business leaders and the hollowing out of Congress, Graff argues the guardrails of democracy are collapsing. They talk about whether the nation has already crossed the tipping point into fascism—and what it means for the future of American politics.
More episodes
View all episodes
Trump's Easter Purge
47:35|New York Times Opinion writer David French joins Charlie to discuss the beginning of "the great Trump purge," which started with the firing of Pam Bondi but is now rippling through the Pentagon and the military.Trump's War Blunder
58:59|In this solo episode, Charlie answers listeners' questions on Trump's order on mail-in voting, the reports on Pete Hegseth's war stock, the future of NATO, and more. We decided to release this episode earlier than usual because of Trump's address to the nation.“The Military Has Been a Little Bit Confused”
40:34|Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling served as commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe during the Obama administration. In this episode, he tells Charlie that it's very difficult for the military to draft a campaign plan for Iran when the end state goal is unclear. He also discusses his new book: “If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal.”It’s Time to Admit It: We Have a Psychotic Government
45:49|Jonathan Rauch is a Brookings Institution Senior Fellow and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. In this episode, he makes the case that the Trump administration is, as a whole, psychotic, erratic, and unpredictable.“There’s No National Interest With Trump, Just Personal”
45:42|Phillips O'Brien is a historian and Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. In this episode, he joins Charlie to discuss the different ways Trump could operate in Iran right now and the biggest obstacle to it all — the fact that Trump is only motivated by personal gain and that many people have given up.Is Trump TACOing on Iran?
41:07|Former Congressman and Substack superstar, Adam Kinzinger, joins Charlie to discuss the economic implications of the Iran war, Trump's response to the death of Robert Mueller, and ICE deployment at airports.The "Wing Nut" Rise to Power
51:06|On today’s episode, Charlie welcomes author, journalist, political commentator and former Congressional candidate, John Avlon. The two discuss the stark contrast between the decorum of past presidents and Trump, along with the broken incentive structures at the heart of the American political system, and how all this has brought political extremists to the forefront of American politics.“I Phoned Donald Trump. He Answered...”
47:12|Ed Luce from the Financial Times joins Charlie to discuss his recent phone call with the president, Trump's obsession with the British Prime Minister, and whether the US is opening another front in Cuba.Trumpology and the Iran Quagmire
48:58|Trying to make sense of Trump's incoherent approach to war and peace with the New Yorker's Susan Glasser, one of the nation's foremost Trumpologists.