Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Donald Trump has a long record of demeaning and berating women. He’s also linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his name appears literally thousands of times in relation to what is arguably the biggest, sickest sex abuse scandal ever. So why is the sexism at the heart of Trumpism taken so lightly? In this episode, we look at how sexism functions in today’s fascist resurgence with experts Nina Burleigh, Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart and Annie Wilkinson. Burleigh is a journalist, best-selling author, documentary producer, and publisher of “American Freakshow” on Substack. Rev. Washington-Leapheart is a minister, professor, and the first-ever Strategic Partnerships Director at Political Research Associates (PRA), a social justice research and strategy center founded in 1981 by the feminist political scientist Jean Hardisty. In 2025 PRA dedicated an entire issue of their journal to the relationship between gender and authoritarianism, with a lead essay written by Wilkinson. Hear what our guests are taking away from the Epstein story, why authoritarians are afraid of feminism, and how women’s leadership poses such a threat to fascists. All that, plus a commentary from Laura on impunity in our times.

“It's not just about a sex case. It's not just about the mistreatment of women, I'm sorry to say, because that's a big part of it. It's the underpinning of how Epstein maybe was operating. It's really about influence, foreign affairs, and the way the last 20 years of American foreign policy has played out.” - Nina Burleigh

“The most unprotected women in the United States throughout our history have been Black women . . . It's sort of okay for a MAGA influencer to say that Black women have brains that process more slowly than any, and nobody challenges that.” - Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart

“Research shows that across history, when women and feminist are out in front of a pro-democracy coalition, we win. The Trump regime and authoritarians around the world, they know that . . . We often see that women's rights and LGBTQ rights are some of the first to go.” - Annie Wilkinson

Guests:
Nina Burleigh: NYT Bestselling Author & Journalist; Substack, American Freakshow
Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart: Strategic Partnerships Director, Political Research Associates
Annie Wilkinson: Senior Research Analyst, Political Research Associates

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CREDITS:
Executive Producer: Laura Flanders
Supervising Producer: Sabrina Artel
Senior Producer: Jeremiah Cothren
Senior Consulting Producer: Rory O’Connor
Senior Video Editor: David Neumann
Video Editor: Veronica Delgado
Audio Director: Jeannie Hopper
Development Director: Sarah Miller
Communications Director: Janet Hernandez

Thumbnail photo by NBC. Photo of Nina Burleigh by Erik Freeland.

00:00 - Misogyny and the Jeffrey Epstein Case
4:30 - Patriarchy and Authoritarianism
7:53 - Backlash and the Threat to Women's Rights
13:37 - Why Authoritarians Fear Feminism
18:03 - Resignations, Impunity and What Happens Next