The Lie That Binds - Episode 4: The Trap

Episode 4: The Trap

08/18/20 • 59 min

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Since Trump took office, the Radical Right has taken complete control of the US court system, but he didn’t mastermind this himself. The conservative coalition-building that led to this takeover started decades earlier, with the birth of the right-wing extremist Federalist Society. Its members have been whispering in the ear of every conservative president since Reagan, and today, Trump has appointed a record-breaking 200+ of their most devoted judges to sit on our federal court and interpret our constitutional rights. In this episode, we examine where the Radical Right’s takeover of the U.S. court system fits into the Right’s overarching strategy to snuff out reproductive freedom, even if that means overriding what over 70 percent of voters want.

We are joined by Ilyse Hogue (President of NARAL), Ellie Langford (Director of Research at NARAL), Wendy Davis (Candidate for Congress, TX-21) Imani Gandy (Senior Editor Legal and Policy, Rewire.News, podcast host: Boom Lawyered) Linda Greenhouse (Senior Research Scholar, Yale Law School), and Dahlia Lithwick (Senior Editor and Legal Correspondent for Slate; podcast host: Amicus) Vanita Gupta (Former head of USDOJ Civil Rights Division). For more information on our podcast contributors, visit: https://theliethatbinds.com/the-podcast/

Based on the book “The Lie that Binds,” by NARAL Pro-Choice America President, Ilyse Hogue, with Ellie Langford, director of research.

Previous Episode

Episode 3: The Machine

Believe it or not, Trump isn’t the first misogynistic celebrity to move from television to the White House. In 1980, Ronald Reagan was used by the Radical Right as a proof of concept for the power of their newly formed coalition. 40 years later, the Radical Right again united behind a man whose name is synonymous with grotesque wealth and debauchery, this time armed with their self-proclaimed moral high ground. In this episode, we explore the parallels between the rise of these two anti-choice presidents, and the political machine that launched them both.

We are joined by Ilyse Hogue (President of NARAL), Ellie Langford (Director of Research at NARAL), Pamela Merritt (Reproductive Justice activist), Imani Gandy (Senior Editor Legal and Policy, Rewire.News, podcast host: Boom Lawyered) Linda Greenhouse (Senior Research Scholar, Yale Law School), and Dahlia Lithwick (Senior Editor and Legal Correspondent for Slate; podcast host: Amicus). For more information on our podcast contributors, visit: https://theliethatbinds.com/the-podcast/

Based on the book “The Lie that Binds,” by NARAL Pro-Choice America President, Ilyse Hogue, with Ellie Langford, director of research.

Next Episode

Episode 5: The Foot Soldiers

The Radical Right has always had a so-called “fringe” within their base. That fringe consistently wields violence and intimidation to silence their opponents. In the public eye, mainstream conservatives try to maintain distance from these bad actors -- but this week we reveal how in private, these same conservative leaders have actually supported, protected, and encouraged them every step of the way. From bombings at abortion clinics in the 1980s to the GamerGate controversy in the 2010s, the GOP has consistently fanned the flames of extremism. Whether we totally succumb to the inferno is up to progressives working together to combat the lies.

David S. Cohen (Author of Obstacle Course: The Everyday Struggle to Get an Abortion in America), Ilyse Hogue (President of NARAL), Ellie Langford (Director of Research at NARAL), Angelo Carusone (President and CEO of Media Matters), Melissa Ryan (CEO of CARD Strategies and Editor of “Ctrl Alt-Right Delete”), Amanda Marcotte (Senior Politics Writer for Salon), Brianna Wu (Former 2020 Candidate for US House in Massachusetts)