Gaslit Nation

We dive into Ivanka and Jared's Albanian nightmare. What were they really up to while trying to develop a private island in Albania on protected land, and what are the ramifications of this secret operation in the broader war of democracy vs. fascism? Why are they trying to buy an island in a part of the world notorious for sex trafficking? 
These questions matter in light of Ivanka's brother marrying Epstein's longtime banker, and the new bombshell reporting out of the New York Times. The Times reports that the Kremlin Klown Kar (KKK) in the White House uses our tax payer-funded Situation Room–meant for sensitive national security matters–to plot the ongoing Epstein cover-up, protecting Epstein's longtime friend, convicted felon Donald Trump. Look to the show notes for a gift link of the New York Times' reporting. 
For this week's bonus show, Russian mafia expert Ogla Lautman helps connect the dots on what is up with Ivanka and Jared's mysterious island in Albania, a part of the world known for sex-trafficking. Should we be concerned? The Albanian people are–they're storming their own government in a growing anti-corruption movement over Jared and Ivanka's attempts to buy an ecologically protected island. 
We also discuss Ben Black, Leon Black's son, getting a job in the Trump administration. Both father and son are all over the Epstein files. 
To listen to this full episode and support our independent journalism, subscribe to Gaslit Nation on Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com – thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 
 
Show Notes: 
Inside the White House Freakout Over the Epstein Files The president's top advisers gathered in a series of Situation Room meetings as they struggled to contain a scandal engulfing Donald Trump himself. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/magazine/trump-epstein-files-white-house-vance-doj.html?unlocked_article_code=1.pVA.8Bpw._gUv6lvoFPWC&smid=url-share
 
Situation Room Scramble Over Sick Trump Fetish Claim Revealed https://www.thedailybeast.com/situation-room-scramble-over-sick-trump-fetish-claim-revealed/
 
Records: SC woman accused Trump, Epstein of sexual abuse in 1980s https://www.wistv.com/2026/03/09/records-sc-woman-accused-trump-epstein-sexual-abuse-1980s/
 
Donald Trump groped me in what felt like a 'twisted game' with Jeffrey Epstein, former model alleges https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/23/donald-trump-accuser-stacey-williams-jeffrey-epstein
 
Dozens of FBI records apparently missing from Epstein files, including Trump accuser interviews https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/24/us/epstein-files-trump-accuser-missing-files-invs
 
Justice Department publishes documents with sexual assault allegations against Trump https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/05/donald-trump-epstein-files-allegations-00816123
 
Opening clip: Rep. Garcia on MSNow https://bsky.app/profile/robertgarcia.house.gov/post/3mnzjwzllis2l
 
"House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia says he plans to formally ask Chairman Comer to bring JD Vance, Susie Wiles, and Kash Patel before the Committee in light of the new NYT Epstein reporting." https://bsky.app/profile/kylegriffin1.bsky.social/post/3mnzj3dj7ns2z
 
Trump appointee leading $205bn US agency had personal ties to Epstein, emails show https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/ben-black-investment-trump-epstein
 
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. Find your community at GaslitNation.Substack.com or Patreon.com/Gaslit

Think of the 2016 U.S. presidential election as a marriage between the Russian mafia in the West and the Russian mafia in the East. Now, there's talk out of Moscow that Trump has agreed to build a literal tunnel connecting Alaska to Russia, with Elon Musk's help. Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman of the Trump Tyranny Tracker joins us to ring the alarm on this MAGA-backed project, an insane move right when Russia's own neighbors are digging trenches to protect themselves from Putin.
So many crimes, so little time to cover them all. That's exactly why Gaslit Nation is joining forces with Olga and the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Together, we'll connect the dots and help you stay grounded against Steve Bannon's deliberate demoralization strategy of "flooding the zone with sh*t." We are up against a global kleptocracy enabled by opportunists across corporate America, the mainstream media, and elite law firms. None of us can do this work alone, which is why Andrea and Olga are partnering up. We're here to make covering this horror show more sustainable, build real civic power, and carry each other through the chaos to stay vigilant and fight back.
We also look at why the liaison for Trump's ballroom project took a trip to Moscow. Was he in search of a bribe? Is the ballroom just another Kremlin money-laundering scheme? For this week's bonus show, out Thursday, made with love and rage for our listeners who make our independent journalism possible, out later this week, we look at Jared and Ivanka's mysterious Albanian island–what are those two up to? 
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. Find your community at GaslitNation.Substack.com or Patreon.com/Gaslit
Show Notes:
Join Gaslit Nation's Songwriting Workshop June 22nd at 4pm ET with Leslie Nuss. Be sure to subscribe to Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com to join live or get the recording. Learn more about Leslie Nuss here: https://leslienuss.com/
Want to hear your music on Gaslit Nation? Submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628
Knicks Clip: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZVpIn3yX1d/
Clip: "My mayor's Muslim / My bagel's Jewish / My Christian's Dior / Knicks in four!" https://www.instagram.com/reels/DZP8-3zRKYJ/
Clip: Trump is booed louder than the Spurs at Madison Square Garden https://bsky.app/profile/phillewis.bsky.social/post/3mnsxpyssls2s
A "Putin-Trump Tunnel" Connecting Russia and Alaska? Putin's Wallet Says an Agreement Will Be Signed Tomorrow https://olgalautman.substack.com/p/a-putin-trump-tunnel-connecting-russia
Underwater tunnel from Russia to Alaska will be built: Putin envoy https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/underwater-tunnel-russia-alaska-built-185910791.html
ICE is spending millions of dollars on iris scanners, expanding its arsenal of tech tools https://www.npr.org/2026/05/27/nx-s1-5822429/ice-buys-iris-scanners-tech-tools
'Democracy isn't working': Many young adults believe voting is not important, AP-NORC poll finds https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democracy-isnt-working-many-young-adults-believe-voting-is-not-important-ap-norc-poll-finds
AP-NORC America 250 Poll: Only a third believe the American Dream still exists. https://apnorc.org/projects/ap-norc-america-250-poll/
GEO Group's "Dark Money" Donation to a Group Tied to a Top Lawmaker: ICE's top detention contractor donated $250,000 to a group linked to Representative Jim Jordan, who chairs a committee overseeing the agency — these types of donations are usually cloaked in secrecy. https://www.npr.org/2026/05/27/nx-s1-5822429/ice-buys-iris-scanners-tech-tools
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

We need to talk about the "creator economy" and the stylish influencers pushing disinformation and misinformation directly into our feeds. The more glossy you are, the more attention you get–and attention is the new currency. That is the same ethos of the princess-haired women swanning around Mar-a-Lago. It's a deliberate dumbing down of society. When gloss replaces the time-intensive grind of investigative journalism, the autocrats and oligarchs who push this strategy distract and confuse us, and ensure important voices who can't win a Sephora Hunger Games get shut out. 
In this week's bonus show, Gaslit Nation also covers the chilling expansion of America's police state, focusing on the horrifying conditions at the Delaney detention center in New Jersey. Inmates are on hunger strike to demand basic human rights, mirroring the brutal history of political prisoners under Stalin's regime. We must raise our voices, pressure our elected officials (like Governor Mikie Sherrill), and refuse to look away.
Do not let the Mar-a-Lago face creator economy and the attention-hungry gatekeepers confuse and wear you down. Stay grounded in your moral force and amplify the truth.
Listen to the full episode on Patreon and support our independent journalism. Shape the show and raise your voice at the Gaslit Nation Salon Monday at 4 PM Eastern. Look out for exciting announcements this coming Monday with a special sneak peak exclusively for our Patreon supporters. Can't make it? Listen to the recording later only on Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports the show. 
Show Notes:
Opening clip: Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath & EdTech https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dFgGnY87MGw

Clip: Editor Sara Hadir spreading Ryan Grim's disinformation https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYxFSFvIvfL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Watch Andrea Chalupa's journalistic thriller, Mr. Jones https://www.samuelgoldwynfilms.com/mr-jones/#

Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder https://bookshop.org/p/books/bloodlands-europe-between-hitler-and-stalin-timothy-snyder/8fa8bc938f216251?ean=9781541600065&next=t

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/558051/on-tyranny-by-timothy-snyder/

Orwell and the Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm by Andrea Chalupa https://www.amazon.com/Orwell-Refugees-Untold-Story-Animal-ebook/dp/B007JNKF5G

"They raped every German female from eight to 80" by Antony Beevor in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/may/01/news.features11

Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American by Wajahat Ali https://www.porchlightbooks.com/products/go-back-to-where-you-came-from-wajahat-ali-9781324050322

Listen to Andrea's sweeping discussion with Wajahat Ali on his Substack show, The Left Hook https://substack.com/@gaslitnation/note/p-200496672?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=2mrjsl

Watch the classic investigative journalism film, Spotlight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPZhUM8VlpQ

Ryan and Emily DEBATE: Did Soviets END The Holocaust? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJuwsu109YM

Laurie Santos, professor at Yale, on how students today just stare at their phones https://www.instagram.com/p/DZJUBPCHyM4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D

The toll on press covering Delaney Hall https://bsky.app/profile/marisakabas.bsky.social/post/3mnarxbejw22l

Learn more about the hunger strike and protests at the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/02/ice-detention-camp-delaney-hall

Contact Representative Mikie Sherrill to demand action on Delaney Hall https://sherrill.house.gov/contact

Sign up for the Gaslit Nation Patreon to attend the upcoming songwriting workshop with Leslie Nuss on June 22n at 4pm ET and access the exclusive Monday Salons https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Trump is what happens when a bunch of slave owners set up a government to protect their wealth by establishing elite rule through the Senate, Electoral College, and no one fixing it for 250 years. We can and will build a better country from the ashes of MAGA's dumpster fire. We return to our summer 2025 conversation with Osita Nwanevu, a contributing editor for The New Republic, a columnist for The Guardian, and the author of the new book The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding.
Look out for an all new episode of Gaslit Nation this Thursday on Trump starting to pull the U.S. out of NATO, the moral stain on America of Delaney Hall where there is an ongoing hunger strike over inhumane conditions and a cover-up by the Department of Homeland Security. We're up against the same forces that carried out the genocide of the Native Americans and the authoritarian terror of slavery. But this time, millions of Americans are standing up, fighting back. Look out for Thursday's bonus show, available in full for our Patreon subscribers who make Gaslit Nation possible.
At this Monday's salon at 4pm ET get ready for some big announcements about the future of the show as we dig in our heels to rebuild our democracy and demand accountability. More soon!
EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
June 22nd Songwriting Workshop with Leslie Nuss. Come explore the power of art at our Monday June 22nd Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm ET opened with a songwriting workshop by Leslie.

Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

Join the California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state - available on Patreon.com. 

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult - available on Patreon.com. 

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

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

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

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

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

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:
Listen to Andrea's recent interview with Jonathan Fink on his YouTube show Silicone Curtain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqbUFEGX03Q
The Right of the People Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding By Osita Nwanevu https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704686/the-right-of-the-people-by-osita-nwanevu/
Russia slams key Ukrainian cities in one of deadliest offensives in months https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/01/europe/russia-attack-kyiv-building-damage-intl-hnk
New Jersey sues Delaney Hall operators for access after allegations of inhumane conditions https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/02/us/delaney-hall-new-jersey-ice-protests-tuesday

In this week's Gaslit Nation bonus show, we dive deeper into the "Iron Triangles" of corruption that enabled Epstein's network, with a special focus on the women co-conspirators. Like Trump is the rotting face of a death cult fascist movement that will outlive him, Epstein was a figurehead of a sprawling transnational crime syndicate, one enabled by powerbrokers still operating in plain sight. 
Joining this discussion are investigative filmmaker Dave Pederson, the producer of the anti-corruption documentaries Americonned and Super Size Me, and OSINT investigator Patrick Duggan who created a searchable database of the Epstein files before the DOJ could delete them.
As Felon 47 uses the might of his regime to harass survivor E. Jean Carroll, for risking her life to stand up to him for sexual assault, they want us demoralized and checked out. Instead, fight back by watching and amplifying her new documentary, out now, Ask E. Jean, and go to the Gaslit Nation Action Guide for more ways to fight back. 
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:
 
Watch: Official Trailer of the documentary Ask E. Jean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgyI8GStcao
 
Part I: Ghislaine Maxwell and the Intelligence Pipeline https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-other-man-who-links-melania-directly-to-epstein/
 
The Astonishing Work of Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez https://carriekaufman.substack.com/p/the-astonishing-work-of-alisa-valdes
 
Investigative journalist Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez says she was attacked by energy weapons for her explosive investigations connecting Epstein to military intelligence, says she is fleeing the US https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:tz7mjvor7gjmglqsggkc5cn6/post/3mmsmyqvzok22
 
Havana Syndrome Is Real - and They Tried to Bury It (with Michael Weiss) - Part One https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/havana-syndrome-is-real-and-they-tried-to-bury-it/id1728340033?i=1000756556282
 
The Quiet War: Invisible Attacks https://www.youtube.com/live/gAD0BnkNme8
 
The Man Who Links Melania Directly to Epstein https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-other-man-who-links-melania-directly-to-epstein/
 
Video: Melania Trump denies close ties to Jeffrey Epstein https://youtube.com/shorts/W3pCW8UU8cc?si=SxWAh3LX8KPrHrjU
 
The E. Jean Carroll Interview https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes/the-e-jean-carroll-interview/
 
Congress members say Delaney Hall detainees fed small portions 'often' containing maggots https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/delaney-hall-hunger-strike-protests/6506125/
 
Greg Sargent: "Just insane. New Jersey Gov Mikie Sherrill says DHS just denied state health inspectors full access to Delaney Hall. She's calling for it to be shut down." https://bsky.app/profile/gregsargent.bsky.social/post/3mmwotxgask23