The Deep Politics of the Government Shutdown
On this episode of The Time of Monsters: Chris Lehmann on racism, austerity and the Democrats finding courage.
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.
The Deep Politics of the Government Shutdown w/ Chris Lehmann
Donald Trump has plunged the nation into another government shutdown. I spoke with my
Nation colleague Chris Lehmann about the larger political stakes. We take up Trump’s shifting
rhetoric, which has started with false and racist claims about undocumented immigrants
receiving benefits and now seems to be about gloating over austerity. We also take up the
Democratic party response, and the way the base of the party has forced the leadership to take
a stronger stance. Chris’ article on the shutdown can be found here.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Republicans John Thune and Mike Johnson during a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2025.
(Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg via Getty Images)Donald Trump has plunged the nation into another government shutdown. I spoke with my Nation colleague Chris Lehmann about the larger political stakes. We take up Trump’s shifting rhetoric, which has started with false and racist claims about undocumented immigrants receiving benefits and now seems to be about gloating over austerity. We also discuss the Democratic Party’s response, and the way the base of the party has forced the leadership to take a stronger stance. Chris’s article on the shutdown can be found here.
Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.
The American Right’s Civil War Over Israel w/ David Austin Walsh
Much has been written about how the Israel/Palestine conflict is dividing the left, but the
same is true of the right. Tucker Carlson’s interview with the antisemitic critic of Israel Nick
Fuentes has created an intense debate on the right about anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism,
currently playing itself out in turmoil at the Heritage Foundation. I spoke with the historian
David Austin Walsh, whose bookTaking America Back: The Conservative Movement and the Far
Right provides a crucial background for this story.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Search Results placeholder
