Tom Nichols: Into Darkness

To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes

Charlie Sykes

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.9 • 718 Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Charlie Sykes and Tom Nichols return to “the gloom” for a conversation about political violence, creeping authoritarianism, and the weaponization of tragedy. They explore how figures like Donald Trump and Stephen Miller are openly embracing rhetoric and policies with fascist undertones, while allies and opponents alike struggle to respond. From propaganda to the weakening of America’s “democratic immune system,” the discussion confronts how fragile democracy has become—and why speaking plainly about the threats is more urgent than ever.

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Transcript

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1:43.4	Hello, Darkness, my old friend, welcome back to the To the Contrary podcast. I'm Charlie Sykes, joined by my fellow denizen of darkness. Tom Nichols. Tom, thanks for coming back on the podcast. Thank you for welcoming me back to the gloom, Charlie.
2:00.5	Well, okay, we need to find something to be, you know, positive about.
2:04.1	So apparently work on the new White House ballroom has begun and is proceeding.
2:08.6	It's going to be bigger, even bigger than we originally thought it was.
	...

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