In a moment that demands not just outrage but strategy, cohosts Aaron Regunberg, Jonathan Smucker, and Matt DaSilva, are here with concrete lessons to help listeners fight back against fascism.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Contact: Caitlin Graf, The Nation, press [at] thenation.com, 212-209-5400
Contact: Caitlin Graf, The Nation, press [at] thenation.com, 212-209-5400
New York, NY—The Nation, America’s leading source of progressive politics and culture, today announced our podcast, Fighting Fascism, with long-time political organizers Aaron Regunberg and Jonathan Smucker, and cohost Matt DaSilva, as your guides to fighting back against the latest executive overreach and outrages roiling the country.
The new weekly program will discuss the history of fascist takeovers, the conditions enabling them, and the resistance movements that have defeated them, to draw lessons for today’s fights against Trump, MAGA, and the growing threat of modern authoritarianism. Each week, Regunberg and DaSilva, with frequent appearances from Smucker, will sit down with historians, strategists, and activists from inside and outside of The Nation’s orbit to draw real lessons for the fights happening right now.
“Fighting Fascism treats antifascism not as just a moral posture, but as a strategy rooted in building majorities,” said Nation president Bhaskar Sunkara. “It will be an important part of The Nation‘s expanding audio lineup.”
“We’re in a moment that demands not just outrage, but strategy,” added Aaron Regunberg. “We’ve all asked ourselves that question, ‘What would you have done in 1930s Germany?’ Well, here we are. This show is an opportunity to think through what we can do about it.”
In Episode 1, authors Astra Taylor and Mark Bray have a big picture conversation about what antifascist organizing actually looks like in this moment—and why building a majoritarian coalition isn’t as hard as it sounds: Let’s Fight Some Fascists.
In Episode 2, Morris Katz, lead strategist for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, explains why the Democratic Party keeps fumbling and how to make it stop: What if Democrats Didn’t Suck?
In Episode 3, Nation columnist David Klion talks about the role that Israel has played in the rise of American fascism and what it all means for American Jews: America, Israel, and the Jews.
Forthcoming episodes will feature historian Eric Rauchway on America’s original antifascist, FDR; tenants union organizer Tara Ranghuveer; journalist Charlotte Alter on AI and Big Tech; and much, much more.
Future episodes will go live every Monday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and check out our other regular programming and limited-run series at thenation.com/podcasts.
Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets.
Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.
As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war.
In these dark times, independent journalism is uniquely able to uncover the falsehoods that threaten our republic—and civilians around the world—and shine a bright light on the truth.
The Nation’s experienced team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers understands the scale of what we’re up against and the urgency with which we have to act. That’s why we’re publishing critical reporting and analysis of the war on Iran, ICE violence at home, new forms of voter suppression emerging in the courts, and much more.
But this journalism is possible only with your support.
This March, The Nation needs to raise $50,000 to ensure that we have the resources for reporting and analysis that sets the record straight and empowers people of conscience to organize. Will you donate today?
Over the last few years, The Nation has grown our interesting and expansive audio content through podcast programming that by turns informs, infuriates, and surprises our listeners. This includes weekly shows Start Making Sense with Jon Wiener, Edge of Sports with Dave Zirin, Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer, Tech Won’t Save Us with Paris Marx, and American Prestige with Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison. We’ve also produced limited series on everything from law to economic insecurity to politics and climate including, most recently, A People’s Climate with Shilpi Chhotray—produced in partnership with CounterStream Media and recently nominated for a prestigious Webby Award in the category of Best Show: Sustainability & Environment! Together, Nation podcasts offer a unique perspective with an ear to the stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
For interview requests or further information, please see contact information above. Fighting Fascism is produced by Nik Damants.
ABOUT: Aaron Regunberg (@AaronRegunberg) is a co-host of the Fighting Fascism podcast as well as a climate lawyer, contributing editor at The New Republic, and former Rhode Island state representative.
Matt DaSilva (@mattydasilva) is a co-host of the Fighting Fascism podcast and an actor and writer based in Queens, New York. He’s appeared in plays and musicals across the country; recent credits include the world premiere of the new musical Huzzah! and the Heathers Deluxe Edition cast recording. In addition to his acting career, Matt has worked in progressive politics, organized labor, and climate activism.
Jonathan Smucker (@jonathansmucker) is a co-host of the Fighting Fascism podcast as well as cofounder and executive director of Popular Comms, a cofounder of Pennsylvania Stands Up, and the author of Hegemony How-To: A Roadmap for Radicals. He has worked for over 25 years as a political organizer, campaigner, and strategist, and has trained thousands of organizers and social movement participants.
Founded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cultural life, from the debut of the telegraph to the rise of Twitter, serving as a critical, independent, and progressive voice in American journalism.