Will the courts be Democracy’s last stand?
Shrinking Trump
Really American Media
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 14 February 2025
⏱️ 95 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Dr John Gartner and Dr Harry Segal cover the approaching threat to the rule of law with the help of their guest, Barbara McQuade, law professor at the University of Michigan and frequent legal commentator on MSNBC.
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In this 40th, all-new riveting episode, our hosts analyze another tumultuous week of the Trump administration, headlined by the startling dystopian influence of Elon Musk. We’ll dissect all of the unsettling events that signal a perilous slope towards authoritarianism.
Our guest Barbara McQuaid, a renowned legal expert, joins the show to share her unique perspective on the ongoing constitutional battles and the fragility of our democracy.
We’ll start with a stark reflection on Trump's methodical dismantling of our democracy and discuss the psyche behind Donald’s severe personality disorder and progressing signs of dementia. Dr.’s Gartner and Siegel highlight how Donald's constant lies can have an effect of hypnosis, which is a tactic regularly deployed by authoritarians to instill chaos and fear.
The hosts liken Musk to a contemporary Darth Vader, who is asserting control over vast swathes of Trump’s empire. Donald’s "Hitlerian attack on democracy," as they posit, is only exacerbated by Musk's growing influence.
Musk’s reckless spree through federal agencies with unchecked hypomania, they explain, is equally alarming to Trump's chaos. We’ll also take a look at the parallels between Musk and other destructive historical figures.
The doctors caution our listeners to be aware of Elon’s sophisticated use of disinformation, which has too often proved to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Dr. Siegel, drawing on his unparalleled psychological insights, urges us to arm ourselves with consciousness and resilience.
In this new world, Shrinking Trump continues to deliver messages of resilience and awareness, as we dissect the characters and narratives at play. Be sure to tune in next week as Trump’s unraveling saga continues.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Spice Lovers. Are you ready to fill the fire this winter? |
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| 0:15.0 | Don't be a denier, own the fire. |
| 0:18.0 | Try new Extra Flaming Hot Walkers. and try the rest of our range with extra |
| 0:23.3 | flaming hot Doritos, Walker's Max, and What's It's Crunchy. I'm Dr. John Gartner and I'm Dr. Harry |
| 0:32.2 | Siegel. And welcome to another session of shrinking Trump. John, this is our 40th episode. |
| 0:38.4 | We've been at this for 40 weeks. |
| 0:40.9 | Amazing. |
| 0:41.9 | And we began because we were so worried about Trump's |
| 0:45.1 | severe personality disorder and in signs of early signs |
| 0:51.2 | of dementia that we cataloged during the campaign. |
| 0:55.0 | And we were hoping that we could bring attention to the incipient dementia and also the severe personality disorder, |
| 1:04.0 | which really results not just in criminal behavior, but in criminal thinking. Once Trump won the election and we were sitting here together, John and I, bracing for what would happen when Trump took power, |
| 1:23.6 | we had a kind of pause and we had people coming on who are spiritual leaders and practitioners. |
| 1:31.3 | We had therapists coming on. We also had journalists and historians trying to get a sense of this moment. |
| 1:39.3 | How do we understand it? How do we cope with it? And how do we prepare for what's to come? |
| 1:47.0 | And here we are the end of a, what, third week? |
| 1:52.2 | And it feels like we've been at this for months, right, John? |
| 1:56.4 | You know, it really does, I mean, I would be a monster if it gave me any satisfaction to be right. |
| 2:03.7 | And sadly, now what we're chronicling is the exact sort of Hitlerian attack on democracy that we predicted, that we warned about. |
| 2:15.3 | So we have, we warned, and now, unfortunately, we're going to |
... |
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