Live Free. Die Fast. Get Digested… slowly. Welcome to “Alligator Alcatraz,” America’s first concentration camp. Plus, Rachel and Aaron explore the future, or not, of Elon Musk’s new “America Party.” Why, exactly, is America stuck with a two-party system? Meteorologists show us how cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service impact weather disaster warning systems. And Jeffrey Epstein’s client list: What happened to piss off MAGA all over again?LINKS:The Cycle on Subtack: Elon Musk announces a new partyKXAN-TV (Austin, TX): Head of local weather warnings takes early retirement as NOAA cuts continueOxford Reference: Duverger’s LawHit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game
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Episode 19: No Wars
What the hell is happening with Iran and Donald “No Wars” Trump? This week Rachel and Aaron break down the confusion, and the rift it’s causing in MAGA’s alt-reality. Plus, Rachel has an important lesson for the news media about the difference between rioting and protesting. How decaying democracy has opened the door to political violence and… who told “Whisky Pete” Hegseth to “be a man” during a hearing on Capitol Hill?LINKS:New York Times: Shifting Views and Misdirection: How Trump Decided to Strike IranTucker Carlson: Tucker Confronts Ted Cruz on His Support for Regime Change in IranSen. Slotkin to Hegseth: “Be a man”The Cycle: Monday Memo (Substack): Welcome Back to the ’70s, Baby!Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game
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Episode 18: Fire & I.C.E.
What is the public hearing about Trump’s order to send more troops to Los Angeles? A lot of folks don’t even know who to blame. Plus, Rachel compares the fiery I.C.E. protests with how the Nazis rose to power in 1930s Germany. How Elon’s and Don’s Big Beautiful Breakup threatens the President’s tax cuts for billionaires. We unpack the DOJ’s fishy case against Kilmar Abrego Garcea and the headlines Americans are reading. And what, exactly, does tear gas taste like?LINKS:Newsom to Defense Secretary Hegseth: Rescind National Guard OrderLA Protesters Angry w/ Mayor Karen Bass & Governor Gavin NewsomJustice Department documents re: Kilmar Abrego GarciaThe Cycle Monday Memo: Something Wicked This Way Comes (Substack)POLITICO: ‘You essentially destroyed any chance I have,’ DNC chair told David Hogg in private meeting Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game
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Episode 17: Taco Tuesday
This week Rachel and Aaron follow Elon “Black Eye” Musk out the door as he whines about the American political system he destroyed. Plus: cracks in the ice when it comes to criticizing Donald Trump and the Big Ugly Bill, a weird reminder of death from a U.S. Senator (and a weirder “apology”). What happens when you call a fascist… a fascist? And we take a hard look at the Great Replacement Theory through the lens of Tucker Carlson.LINKS:New York Times: On the Campaign Trail, Elon Musk Juggled Drugs and Family DramaAssociated Press: Musk put a spotlight on federal spending, but cut less than he wantedElon Musk interview on CBS This MorningSen. Rand Paul on Face the NationSen. Joni Ernst: “We’re all going to die”Ernst makes sarcastic “apology” in graveyardWoman calls out Rep. Mike Flood as a fascistTrump confronted by TACO TheoryTucker Carlson interview with Canadian MP Maxime BernierTrump throws 500-word hissyfit about Leornard Leo and the Federalist SocietyThe Cycle on SubtackHit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game
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Episode 16: Let Them Eat Tariffs
This week Rachel and Aaron translate whatever Donald “Marie Antoinette” Trump is trying to say about groceries, tariffs and Wal-Mart. Plus, an alarming shakeup in the national intelligence community. How does it compare to Adolph Hitler? And criticism of Trump from his former VP. For Mike Pence, it’s as salty as it gets. And the latest threat from Trump’s DOJ: If you can’t charge ‘em, shame ‘em.LINKS:Trump post: Wal-Mart should ‘EAT THE TARIFFS’Associated Press: Gabbard fires 2 top intelligence officials and will shift office that preps Trump’s daily briefNBC’s Meet the Press: Interview with Mike Pence (May 18, 2025)Fox: Sunday Morning Futures: Interview with Kash Patel & Dan Bongino (May 18, 2025)USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on Trump bannerNBC News: DOJ 'weaponization' group will shame individuals it can't charge with crimesCNN: James Comey’s ‘weird’ social media approach lands him in hot waterVIDEO: Rep. Swalwell presses HS Secretary Noem on doctored photoThe Cycle on Subtack: Trump's Executive Orders Serve One Sinister PurposeHit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game
About This is America: Checked In for the Checked Out
From the front lines of protecting democracy, political analysts Rachel Bitecofer and Aaron Murphy, authors of Hit 'Em Where it Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game (Crown, 2024), host a brief, weekly look at "what you need to know" about Trump 2.0. They're checked in for the checked out.This is America is a callback to William L. Shirer's groundbreaking This is Berlin broadcasts from the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.Subscribe to Rachel's The Cycle on Substack at thecycle.substack.com.Hit 'Em Where it Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game:hitemwhereithurts.com.
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