• Money, Lies, God, and the Taxonomy of Reactionary Nihilism (with Katherine Stewart)
    Feb 21 2025

    Katherine Stewart is the author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, the award-winning book upon which the documentary feature, God & Country, produced by Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner, is based. She has covered the intersection of faith and politics for over 15 years; her work appears in the New York Times, The Washington Post, the New Republic, the Guardian, and Religion News Service, and she has been featured on broadcast media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, and NPR. Her 2012 book, The Good News Club, covered the religious right’s effort to infiltrate and undermine public education. Her spectacular new book, MONEY, LIES, AND GOD: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy, came out this week.

    Greg Olear talks to Stewart about the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States, the impetus for writing the book, her research process, the rhetoric of the movement and the lies used to boost its popularity, reactionary nihilism, the various factions within the movement, and what we can do to take democracy back.

    Find her at @kathsstewart and katherinestewart.me.

    Subscribe to The Five 8:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA

    Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17

    ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:

    https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Mayor of the Night, President of Darkness (with Christopher Steele)
    Jan 17 2025

    Christopher Steele began his twenty-two-year career as an intelligence professional and Russia expert within the British government in 1987, soon after graduating from Cambridge University. He was posted to Moscow, where he served through the fall of the Soviet Union, and Paris, before returning to London to become one of the government’s senior intelligence experts and advisers on Russia. In 2009, he founded the private intelligence company Orbis Business Intelligence. His series of intelligence reports, collectively known as the Steele Dossier, helped expose Donald Trump’s ties to the Kremlin.

    Greg Olear talks to Steele about the Dossier, the kompromat tape, Dmitri Simes, Prague, Rosneft, Ukraine, the FBI, political cowardice, lawfare, Putin, Trump, Xi, Keir Starmer, the political situation in Canada and Western Europe, Elon Musk, and Steele’s excellent new book, “Unredacted: Russia, Trump, and the Fight for Democracy.”

    Buy the book:

    https://www.harpercollins.com/products/unredacted-christopher-steele?variant=43103633899554

    Follow Christopher Steele:

    https://x.com/Chris_D_Steele

    Follow Orbis:
    https://x.com/orbisBIofficial

    Follow Greg on BlueSky:

    https://bsky.app/profile/gregolear.bsky.social

    Subscribe to The Five 8:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA

    Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17

    ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:

    https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T

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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • American Dream, Georgian Dream (with Alex Hall Hall) SEASON FINALE
    Dec 20 2024

    For more than 30 years, Alexandra Hall Hall worked as a diplomat in the British Foreign Office, with postings in Washington, Bangkok, Delhi, Bogota, and Tbilisi, where she was the British ambassador to Georgia. She is now the co-host of the Disorder podcast. This is an interview from Friday’s episode of THE FIVE 8. Having just returned from Tbilisi, she talks about the situation there. Plus: Holly Jolly.

    Follow Alex Hall-Hall:
    https://bsky.app/profile/alexhh.bsky.social

    Subscribe to The Five 8:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA

    Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17

    ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:

    https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T

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    47 mins
  • The Fascism Episode / America the Stupidful
    Dec 6 2024

    Many times in the last two years, we have warned about the grim consequences of allowing a wannabe dictator–who attempted to overthrow the government on his way out the door four years ago–back into the White House. What we warned about has happened. We are 45 days away from Donald Trump’s second inauguration. And based on who the Mussolini of Queens has picked for his cabinet and staff positions, it looks like he was dead serious about being a dictator on Day One.

    This week, I will replay clips of some of my past guests talking about American fascism. We must now listen not as a warning, but as a way to be prepared. This episode features clips from interviews with the defense analyst Brynn Tannehill, author of AMERICAN FASCISM; historian Manisha Sinha, author of THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SECOND AMERICAN REPUBLIC; True North Research executive director Lisa Graves; and strategic communications expert Robbie Harris. Plus: chapter 5 of ROUGH BEAST, and a new patriotic anthem for our times.

    Follow Greg on BlueSky:
    https://bsky.app/profile/gregolear.bsky.social

    Subscribe to The Five 8:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA

    Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17

    ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:

    https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T

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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • I-Need-An-Attorney General: The Matt Gaetz Episode (with Gal Suburban)
    Nov 22 2024
    Subscribe to The Five 8: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17 ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • The Mourning After (with Jimmy Kennedy)
    Nov 15 2024

    Jimmy Kennedy was the executive producer of the first season of The Noel Casler Podcast, the afternoon drive producer for The Kent Sterling Show on CBS Sports 1430 AM in Indianapolis, and a gameday staff member with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He is currently the host and producer of his own show, JBK On Air, where he interviews a variety of guests including athletes, political commentators, media personalities, & more. Jimmy, who has cerebral palsy, is a longtime public speaker with the non-profit organization Timmy Global Health, where he advocates on behalf of people with disabilities.

    In this conversation, Greg Olear and Jimmy Kennedy discuss the aftermath of the recent election, reflecting on the surprising outcomes and the implications for democracy. Kennedy shares his personal journey in broadcasting, highlighting the importance of storytelling and the impact of his experiences on his podcasting endeavors. They discuss the implications of Trump's policies on Social Security, the intersection of politics and sports, and the challenges of maintaining relationships in a politically divided society. They delve into the rights of people with disabilities under the Trump administration, the importance of finding hope amidst political turmoil, and the potential future of American politics with figures like JD Vance. Plus: coming attractions.

    Subscribe to Jimmy’s podcast:
    https://linktr.ee/jbkonair

    Support Timmy Global Health:

    https://www.timmyglobalhealth.org/

    Subscribe to The Five 8:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA

    Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17

    ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:

    https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T

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    http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • The Five 8: Election Wednesday Special
    Nov 8 2024

    This episode of the live YouTube show “The Five 8” was recorded on Wednesday, November 6, 2024–the night after the election. It is not the show we planned to do, certainly not the show we wanted to do, but the show we had to do. Featuring Stephanie “LB” Koff and Greg Olear.

    Subscribe to The Five 8:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA

    Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17

    ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:

    https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T

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    http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • The 270+ Election Day Special: Our Democracy Has a Russia Problem (with Gal Suburban)
    Nov 1 2024

    It’s been just over 100 days since Kamala Harris officially replaced Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, but it feels like an eternity. With just four days until the most consequential presidential election since 1860, Greg Olear talks to OSINT researcher ne plus ultra Gal Suburban about what to expect on Election Day–and, more ominously, what schemes may come in the weeks after the election is decided.

    Among the topics discussed: Elon Musk, Mike Flynn, JD Vance, Maria Butina, and more. Plus: a MAGA voting PSA.

    Follow Gal Suburban:

    https://x.com/5GW_HotTakes

    Subscribe to The Five 8:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA

    Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17

    ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:

    https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T

    Would you like to tell us more about you?
    http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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    1 hr and 33 mins