S2 E8

Donald Trump’s second term has produced a fragile economy for ordinary Americans and a profitable one for his inner circle, while he prosecutes a disastrous war with Iran that has spilled into Iraq, driven up global oil prices, triggered terror incidents at home, and led to a catastrophic U.S. missile strike that killed 175 schoolgirls after he gutted civilian‑protection offices, all as his Pentagon chief blows taxpayer money on luxury furniture, steaks, and pianos, his sons move into the drone business, Republicans push voter‑suppression via the SAVE Act, attack abortion pills and vaccines, pack key institutions with unqualified loyalists, shield predators and cronies like Ray Holmberg and Kari Lake, and try to capture independent media—yet despite rigging the system and narrowing who gets to vote, local elections in deep‑red places show voters starting to rebel, making this moment a stark choice between sliding into a cult‑driven, war‑profiteering pseudo‑monarchy or standing up for the basic promise of a republic with “no kings.”