Episode Details

Donald Trump has a long record of demeaning and berating women. He’s also linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his name appears literally thousands of times in relation to what is arguably the biggest, sickest sex abuse scandal ever. So why is the sexism at the heart of Trumpism taken so lightly? In this episode, we look at how sexism functions in today’s fascist resurgence with experts Nina Burleigh, Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart and Annie Wilkinson. Burleigh is a journalist, best-selling author, documentary producer, and publisher of “American Freakshow” on Substack. Rev. Washington-Leapheart is a minister, professor, and the first-ever Strategic Partnerships Director at Political Research Associates (PRA), a social justice research and strategy center founded in 1981 by the feminist political scientist Jean Hardisty. In 2025 PRA dedicated an entire issue of their journal to the relationship between gender and authoritarianism, with a lead essay written by Wilkinson. Hear what our guests are taking away from the Epstein story, why authoritarians are afraid of feminism, and how women’s leadership poses such a threat to fascists. All that, plus a commentary from Laura on impunity in our times.

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