Send us a text FEMA was once America’s safety net. Under Trump, it’s being hollowed out. In this episode, Bella Goode reveals how leadership purges, political interference, and slashed resilience programs are dismantling the nation’s disaster response system—right as climate chaos hits harder than ever. What happens when help no longer comes? Key Takeaways To Listen For How Trump’s second term triggered a full-scale leadership purge at FEMAThe creation of the FEMA Review Council and its age...
Send us a text How did FEMA become the backbone of disaster response and when did it start to break? In this episode, Bella Goode lays the foundation for understanding FEMA’s original mission, its evolution after 9/11 and Katrina, and what made it a model for emergency management. From hurricane shelters to high-speed logistics, FEMA once set the standard. But under Trump’s first term, cracks began to form. This episode unpacks how the system worked, where it failed, and what it tells us abou...
Send us a text NOAA is more than a weather agency; it is America’s environmental safety net. Under Trump’s second term, that net is being torn apart, and the agency is now under direct political assault. In this episode, Bella Goode investigates how Trump’s second term has turned NOAA into a loyalty-driven operation, stripping away scientists, silencing climate research, and handing public data to private interests under Project 2025. Learn how dismantling science is not just a policy shift b...
Send us a text What happens when the system built to warn us begins to fail? In this episode, Bella Goode unpacks NOAA's vital role in weather forecasting, public safety, and climate readiness and response. Once considered the global gold standard, NOAA has saved lives through precision, speed, and scientific leadership. But when politics, budget cuts, and coordination breakdowns take hold, even world-class systems falter. This episode offers a clear look at what NOAA is, how it worked, and w...
Send us a text What happens when corruption isn't hidden, but flaunted? In this final episode of the corruption series, Bella Goode uncovers how Trump dismantled guardrails, exploited legal loopholes, and normalized presidential profiteering. From crypto conflicts to collapsing oversight, this isn’t just about scandal—it’s a systematic threat to democracy. Stay with us as we trace the erosion of accountability and what must be done to fight back. Key Takeaways To Listen For How Trump’s firi...
Send us a text In this episode, Bella Goode traces how Donald Trump didn’t just dip into corruption—he turned the presidency into a personal business empire. By comparing his actions to past scandals like Watergate and Teapot Dome, we see just how far Trump has pushed the boundaries of ethics, law, and public trust. From meme coins and luxury jets to regulatory rollbacks and foreign gifts, this episode breaks down the machinery of self-enrichment that defines Trump’s presidency. This isn’t ju...
Send us a text From Enron to Watergate to Clarence Thomas, corruption isn’t just history — it’s here, and it’s thriving. In this episode, Bella Goode examines how unchecked power rigs the system, silences accountability, and erodes democracy from within. From Ponzi schemes to political purges, learn how corruption works, who enables it, and why dismantling watchdogs threatens us all. Key Takeaways To Listen For How Enron, Madoff, Tyco, FIFA, and Theranos exposed the failure of oversight and...
Send us a text Crypto didn’t just reinvent money—it unlocked a volatile new battleground for speculation, scams, and power grabs. In part two of her Confronting Crypto series, Bella Goode dives deep into the emotional chaos and political consequences of crypto gone mainstream. From meme coins and NFTs to stablecoins and ETFs, this episode unpacks how digital currencies became tools of influence, manipulation, and even political theater. Whether you see crypto as innovation or illusion, one th...
Send us a text Cryptocurrency is more than hype—it’s transforming how money, power, and corruption move in America. In this episode, Bella Goode kicks off her Confronting Crypto series with a crash course on how Bitcoin and Ethereum really work, and why they matter to democracy. From blockchain to smart contracts, discover what’s behind the jargon, the promise, and the peril of digital money in the 21st century. Key Takeaways To Listen For Why cryptocurrency was created and the three key pr...
Send us a text This final chapter of Bella Goode’s six-part exposé on Project 2025 reveals a powerful truth: once Americans understand the plan, they reject it. Bella breaks down the latest polling—and why awareness is our strongest weapon. She also lays out 10 urgent actions Democrats must take now to stop the takeover before it becomes permanent. Plus, a striking moment in Congress, as Rep. Rosa DeLauro confronts architect Russell Vought and exposes the plan’s true goal: dismantling democra...
Send us a text Project 2025 is no longer an abstract playbook. It is a blueprint that decides exactly who prospers and who pays. Through three vivid “day-in-the-life” stories, Bella Goode reveals how dismantling income redistribution, gutting protections, and super-charging executive power would touch every household — from SNAP recipients to Fortune-500 CEOs. Listen in to discover what happens when the government stops safeguarding its citizens and starts serving only the loyal and the power...
Send us a text Who is behind the most dangerous authoritarian push in modern U.S. politics? In Part Two of this exposé, Bella Goode uncovers how Russell Vought and Stephen Miller—two unelected power brokers—are already executing Project 2025. From dismantling agencies to planning military crackdowns and weaponizing the law, their agenda is no longer theoretical. Tune in to learn what they’ve already done, what’s coming next, and what it will take to stop them. Key Takeaways To Listen For Ho...
Send us a text Who’s really behind the most dangerous government overhaul in American history? In this episode, Bella Goode pulls back the curtain on the two unelected men—Russell Vought and Stephen Miller—who are quietly constructing the legal and bureaucratic foundation of authoritarian rule in the United States. They’re not candidates. They’re not influencers. But they’re already reshaping your rights, your government, and the future of American democracy. Key Takeaways To Listen For Rus...
Send us a text Where did Project 2025 really come from, and who’s behind its push for authoritarian power? In this episode, Bella Goode takes listeners inside the origin story of the most coordinated political blueprint in modern history. From right-wing think tanks and MAGA insiders to billionaires funding extremism and global inspiration from autocrats abroad, Project 2025 isn’t just Trump’s plan—it’s a full-scale ideological operation years in the making. Key Takeaways To Listen For The...
Send us a text What is Project 2025, and why are experts calling it a roadmap to authoritarianism? In this episode, Bella Goode unpacks the 4 strategic pillars of Trump’s plan to seize lasting control of the federal government. What’s at stake isn’t just policy, it’s the survival of democracy as we know it. Tune in to learn what they’re planning and why it matters more than ever. Key Takeaways To Listen For Pillar One: How Project 2025 aims to abolish the Department of Education and impose ...
Send us a text Episode Summary Welcome to Surviving Trump. I’m Bella Goode. This is the first episode in a new five-part series on Project 2025 — a sweeping plan already reshaping the U.S. government from the inside out. Drafted by the Heritage Foundation and backed by more than 100 right-wing organizations, Project 2025 is not a theory. It’s a 900-page blueprint for dismantling the federal system as we know it — eliminating checks and balances, replacing public servants with ideological loya...
Send us a text Episode Summary In Episode 28, Bella Goode lays out a bold and urgent strategy to fight back against Trump’s second-term agenda and the authoritarian blueprint known as Project 2025. After covering the MAGA base, the donor class, and the fractured opposition in previous episodes, this one delivers something different — a clear, coordinated plan of action. It's called the Democracy Defense Plan (DDP), and it’s more than messaging. It’s infrastructure, execution, and survival. Th...
Send us a text Episode Summary: In Part Three of our four-part series on Donald Trump’s first 100 days of his second term, we’re shifting perspectives to examine how anti-Trump voices are responding to his chaotic and controversial return to power. For Trump’s critics — from journalists and activists to everyday Americans — these 100 days are not just a rocky start but a dangerous turning point. From executive overreach to economic fallout, from mass deportations to media crackdowns, we explo...
Send us a text Episode Summary: In the second instalment of our four-part series examining Trump’s first 100 days, Episode 26 of Surviving Trump explores the intense loyalty of the MAGA base — the voters who see Trump not just as a political leader but as a personal champion. We dive into the cultural, emotional, and economic drivers of this loyalty and why, despite economic uncertainty and political chaos, Trump’s most fervent supporters remain more committed than ever. We also examine how r...
Send us a text Episode Summary: In the first of a four-part series examining Donald Trump’s second-term first 100 days, Episode 25 of Surviving Trumptakes us into the minds of the Wealth Protectors — the high-income donors, corporate executives, and conservative insiders who see Trump as a powerful tool to protect their interests and expand their influence. This episode unpacks how these elites view Trump as a strategic asset, a bulldozer clearing a path for profit and deregulation. We exam...