Gaslit Nation

While Orban's gang of Kremlin-paid criminals burn proof of their crimes, the new leadership in Hungary goes after their propaganda machine and GOP allies who used Hungarian taxpayer money to fund CPAC. This is against U.S. law. If America had a real DOJ and functional Congress, all Republican officials would be investigated for being foreign agents of Hungary and therefore Russia. 
"Foreign governments are barred from spending money in American elections, and Americans are forbidden from soliciting or accepting it," wrote Rep. Mike Levin on Twitter (we will never call it X). "If these allegations are true, this is a direct attack on the integrity of American democracy…The American people deserve to know exactly what flowed from Orban's government into this country's political ecosystem, who was on the receiving end, and what it bought."
As Gaslit Nation has long warned, Orban's regime was funneling money and instructions from Russia to MAGA world. The RussiaGate transnational crime network never stopped. The crime spree continues and has only grown stronger. We told you so!. 
In this week's Gaslit Nation, we're re-running our interview with Peter Hidas, who as a young student helped ignite the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. Peter's story is a testament to what ordinary people can do when they refuse to bow to tyranny. The revolts that shook the Iron Curtain in 1956 laid the groundwork for the movements that would one day bring down the Soviet empire. 
This week's bonus show, available to subscribers at the Truther-teller ($5/month) and higher, will look at the latest in U.S. politics, including the Virginia election results, and where we need to keep the pressure on. To our Patreon supporters, see you at Monday's salon. Thank you to everyone who supports our independent journalism–we could not make this show without you!
The song featured in this week's episode is "Election Day" by The Spiders. Check out their music at thespidersband.com If you have a song to share on Gaslit Nation, submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628 
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit
EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join on Patreon. 

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult. Join on Patreon. 

Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on Patreon. 

Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on Patreon. 

Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join on Patreon. 

Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join on Patreon. 

Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group on Patreon. 

As always, keep it kind in our chat groups, extend grace and assume good faith. A culture of care is how we build a better world. 

Show Notes:
How to Overthrow a Dictator (Featuring the history of Andrea's father-in-law Mihai Sedaru Barbul) https://sites.libsyn.com/124622/how-to-overthrow-a-dictator 
Viktor Orbán built a 'propaganda machine.' Hungary's next leader must dismantle it https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/19/europe/orban-propaganda-media-magyar-hungary-intl 
Péter Magyar accuses outgoing foreign minister of destroying confidential documents https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/04/13/peter-magyar-accuses-outgoing-foreign-minister-of-destroying-confidential-documents
Suppressed and 'spied on' under Orban — now the press can taste freedom https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/hungary-viktor-orban-press-freedom-magyar-vj9wb0lnp
Orban supporters 'burn documents' as Russian allies face prosecution in Hungary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlqqjAvcp4Q
Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/technology/trump-palantir-data-americans.html
Palentir lays the groundwork to justify genocide. Some animals are more equal than others. This is literally Orwell: https://bsky.app/profile/andreachalupa.bsky.social/post/3mjumz5lwk22h
What can the West learn from Peter Magyar's victory in Hungary? https://theweek.com/world-news/trump-magyar-orban-hungary-maga-politics
Videos Show Russian Youths Chant Anti-War Song in St. Petersburg https://www.newsweek.com/videos-russian-youths-chant-anti-war-song-st-petersburg-10883035 
Hungary PM Orbán's advisor in hot water for saying resisting Russia is irresponsible https://www.euronews.com/2024/09/26/hungary-pm-orbans-advisor-in-hot-water-for-saying-resisting-russia-is-irresponsible

Americans must fight a war on two fronts: against MAGA fascism and Democratic Party complacency. Wajahat Ali of the Left Hook on Substack and author of Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American joins Gaslit Nation to discuss how to actually build back better this time. 
Donald Trump is America's karma of white supremacy, greed, and misogyny. But while the MAGA virus burns through our institutions, another danger is the "Big Club" in Washington, D.C. where Republicans and Democrats share the same donors, the same golf clubs, and the same refusal to tax the rich. 
The DNC thinks they can waltz into power by not being Trump, but voters want a fighter and they want accountability. We are watching a righteous rage build across the globe, from the resistance in Ukraine and Hungary to vigilante violence here at home. When an Amazon worker drops dead and colleagues are told to work around the body, the status quo makes revolution by any means inevitable. 
Ukrainians are fighting a war on two fronts: homegrown corruption and Kremlin fascism. We must see ourselves in the same fight. If the Democrats choose the James Carville "possum strategy" and refuse to face reality, they are simply clearing the deck for a more competent autocrat in 2032. 
EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state, availableon Patreon. 

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult, availableon Patreon. 

Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other, availableon Patreon. 

Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other, availableon Patreon. 

Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, availableon Patreon. 

Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, availableon Patreon. 

Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, availableon Patreon. 

As always, keep it kind in our chat groups, extend grace and assume good faith. A culture of care is how we build a better world. 

Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit
Show Notes:
Amazon Accused of Hiding Worker's Death for a Week, Making Employees Keep Working as Corpse Lay on Floor https://futurism.com/future-society/amazon-accused-hiding-death-week
Worker who allegedly set fire to California warehouse compares self to Luigi Mangione https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/10/california-warehouse-arson-luigi-mangione
Newsom Vows to Stop Proposed Billionaire Tax in California https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/newsom-billionaire-tax-california.html
Christiane Amanpour and Jill Lepore on CNN: Civil War Confederate President Wasn't Tried, Why It Matters In Trump Case https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXVOIab3ek8 
The Black Death by Thomas Asbridge review – a medieval horror story https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/apr/08/the-black-death-a-global-history-thomas-asbridge-review-pandemic-history-covid
Why Does "DoorDash Grandma" Keep Showing Up with MAGA Members? https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2026/04/14/has-doordash-grandma-appeared-with-other-gop-leaders-what-to-know/89602972007/
Aaron Rupar: "A woman named Lonna Drewes at a news conference just now accused Eric Swalwell of drugging her drink and sexually assaulting her. Here's part of her statement." https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mjhtlsrn5i2z
David Dayen: "Several important nuggets in here: • Swalwell was rebuilding Newsom's inner circle; he was the establishment hope • One lobbyist: "Were we willing to delude ourselves or not ask questions that should have been asked? 1000%" • His campaign started sending cease-and-desists last year" https://bsky.app/profile/ddayen.bsky.social/post/3mjfu4px42c25
Lesley Abravanel: "In a major shift, Cook Political Report has now moved 4 Senate seats toward the Democrats (NC,GA, OH, NE). That's on top of 5 House races that Cook Political moved leftward just last week, all partly due to Trump's  unpopular war in Iran that sent gas prices skyrocketing." https://bsky.app/profile/lesleyabravanel.bsky.social/post/3mjflo3zkdc2t

To those who could not join our launch party for Mrs. Orwell tonight, we've made you a play list from the event. It opens with a British Pathé newsreel of what to do in an air raid; Edward R. Murrow reporting from London on the Blitz; a popular war-time show "Gert & Daisy";  Flanagan and Allen's "Run Rabbit Run," and "Ay Carmela!" one of the most popular songs of the Spanish Civil War, which Eileen and Eric Blair would have heard throughout their time in Spain. We're going to play this audio at the start of tonight's event, to connect the global war of fascism vs. democracy back then to today, as Ukraine faces the same daily bombardment as Europe did under Hitler.

Gaslit Nation presents an Instagram Live discussion recorded over the weekend with the acclaimed illustrator Brahm Revel, the artist of Mrs. Orwell. Brahm is based in Barcelona, where Eileen and Eric Blair (aka George Orwell), spent their honeymoon fighting fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Eileen was holed up in the Hotel Continental, which still exists, where Stalin's agents searched her hotel room, stealing Orwell's Spain diaries and other papers, which are believed to be somewhere in Moscow to this day.
We're celebrating freedom fighters, past and present, tonight at Powerhouse Arena in DUMBO, Brooklyn at 7pm ET, for the launch of Mrs. Orwell. Patreon supporters get in free! Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman will be there, and so will the good folks of Razom for Ukraine and the Media and Democracy Project, co-sponsors of the event, because the Orwells would have been fans. So come and get a Mrs. Orwell tote bag, meet other Gaslit Nation listeners, and celebrate the defeat of Orban, MAGA, and the Kremlin in Hungary. 
Enjoy this conversation with Brahm about the creative process that went into the making of Mrs. Orwell and why the story matters for us today, in an age that needs our own creativity and defiance.
Today's Gaslit Nation Salon is still on for today at 4pm so join us via the link posted on Patreon.com/Gaslit! 
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit

FDR had to take some bold swings to transform America for the better. He had his pearl-clutching critics who thought he was going too far. But that's what was needed to usher in the New Deal and strengthen democracy and improve people's lives. The "good guys" must not be passive. We must fight back. Virginia, the world's eyes are on you to vote YES on redistricting -- vote now through April 21. You will help restore balance to Republican authoritarian gerrymandering. Your YES vote in Virginia is an emergency stop-gap meant to save our national ship from sinking and take back the gavel from Kremlin MAGA Mike Johnson in the House. Thank you to all who spread the word about this important, urgent vote, and get out the vote. If you still have questions, here's an overview from Arlington Democrats: https://www.arlingtondemocrats.org/redistricting
If you're in NYC or nearby, join us April 13 at 7pm at Powerhouse Arts Arena in DUMBO, Brooklyn, one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in all of NYC. We're going to celebrate Mrs. Orwell, Andrea's new graphic novel with the genius illustrator Brahm Revel, about an unsung heroine of literature, Eileen O'Shaughnessy Blair, the wife, muse, and unsung creative partner of Eric Blair, aka George Orwell. There would have been no Homage to Catalonia, Animal Farm, 1984 without Eileen O'Shaughnessy Blair. Patreon supporters get in for free and get a Mrs. Orwell tote bag. Message us on Patreon.com/Gaslit to get on the guest list. See you Monday night for an unforgettable evening dedicated to a defiant heroine of the power of the pen. 
Thank you to Razom for Ukraine and the Media and Democracy Project for being co-sponsors of this event. 
Details here: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/powerhousebookstores/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa