Donald Trump's kleptocracy didn't happen overnight–it was part of the Kremlin's long game. With reports of Russia trying to explode planes headed to the US, we're running out of time to wake up before it's too late.

In this week's bonus show for Gaslit Nation's Patreon supporters, who keep our independent journalism going in these dark times of institutional rot, media capitulation, and complacency, Andrea warns that we're nearing the point of no return. Putin can now say the U.S. and Russia are aligned, because they are. Trump's regime is declaring a return to the Monroe Doctrine, claiming the Western Hemisphere belongs to the U.S. That's exactly what Putin does in Eastern Europe.

The Pentagon is handing Trump's gestapo-like immigration agenda $2 billion on top of $75 billion for ICE in Trump's Big Ugly Bill. Like Putin, Trump is building a gulag and gearing up for conflict with our neighbors, including Mexico, Venezuela, and whoever else he wants to casually kill. As we've long warned, Trump wants to become the Putin of North America, because that's his plan for staying in power indefinitely: enrich his family, build a dynastic oligarchy, and protect it with sadistic security services.

To help us fight back and stay grounded in the gaslighting, this special bonus show includes a discussion of Gaslit Nation's Book Club: Total Resistance by Hans von Dach–a civilian guerrilla resistance guide produced by a Swiss military theorist in preparation for Soviet occupation during the Cold War–and Deaf Republic, a play-like book of poems by Ukrainian-born poet Ilya Kaminsky. 

"At the trial of God, we will ask: why did you allow all this?," Kaminsky writes, "And the answer will be an echo: why did you allow all this?"

We have to stop the worst from happening and wake people up before it's too late. For ways to fight back, check out, and share, the Gaslit Nation Action Guide on GaslitNationPod.com.

The full discussion of this month's book club will be published on Patreon Monday morning, along with the Zoom link for the Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm ET later that day. To get access to that, join our community on Patreon at Patreon.com/Gaslit and get invites to exclusive events, bonus shows, all episodes ad free, and more. Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit – discounted annual memberships are available and you can give the gift of member. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you. 

Show Notes:

Today in Washington, DC! Celebrate voices of resistance with COURIER. Reflect on 2025's lessons and explore how courage drives the fights ahead. Andrea will be speaking tonight, joined by other independent journalists and activists. More info here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/courage-cowardice-tickets-1968694585501?aff=promotoolkit

Total Resistance by H Von Dach https://bookshop.org/p/books/total-resistance-h-von-dach/df1aa810a26bacea?ean=9781607963042&next=t

Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky https://bookshop.org/p/books/deaf-republic-poems-ilya-kaminsky/33e16033f9269bdf?ean=9781555978310&next=t

Read and Resist: The Gaslit Nation Book Club https://www.patreon.com/posts/read-and-resist-132804210?utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link&utm_id=4d59916b-2d54-46a3-b9e7-76fa99f42f1e&utm_medium=email

Trump strategy document revives Monroe Doctrine, slams Europe https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/trump-strategy-document-revives-monroe-doctrine-slams-europe-2025-12-05/

$2 Billion in Pentagon Funds Said to Go to Anti-Immigrant Operations: Democratic lawmakers said in a report that shifting Defense Department funding to support the Trump administration's immigration agenda has hurt military readiness. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/us/politics/defense-department-funds-immigration.html?smid=url-share

Russia Suspected of Plotting to Send Incendiary Devices on U.S.-Bound Planes: Two devices that ignited in Europe, officials say, were part of a covert operation to put them on cargo or passenger aircraft https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/us/politics/defense-department-funds-immigration.html?smid=url-share

Kremlin hails Trump's national security strategy as aligned with Russia's vision: Moscow welcomes White House document critical of the EU as talks to end the Ukraine war enter a key phase https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/07/kremlin-hails-trump-national-security-strategy-as-aligned-with-russia-vision