Stay ConnectedThe Refuse Fascism podcast is an independent and all-volunteer show that produces weekly episodes that expose, analyze, and oppose the very real danger and threat of fascism coming to power in the United States.
Hosted by Sam Goldman, produced by volunteers with Refuse Fascism.
Copyright: © Refuse Fascism
Sam talks with Merle Hoffman, long-time abortion rights activist and founder of one of the largest abortion clinics in the country, who has just written a memoir chronicling her decades of experience fighting for abortion rights. Get the book here: Choices: A Post Roe Abortion Rights Manifesto
merlehoffman.com and choicesmedical.com or on Twitter: @MerleHoffman.
For those looking for abortion care visit abortionfinder.org and prochoice.org
For funding abortion agencies nationally visit abortionfunds.org.
About the book:
In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe V. Wade and a country divided, a pioneer in the pro-choice movement and women's healthcare offers an unapologetic and authoritative take on abortion and women's right to choose. Merle Hoffman has been at the forefront of the reproductive freedom movement since the 1970s. Three years before the Supreme Court legalized abortion through Roe v. Wade, she helped to establish one of the United States' first abortion centers in Flushing, Queens, and later went on to found Choices, one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive women's medical facilities.
For the last five decades, Hoffman has been a steadfast warrior and fierce advocate for every woman's right to choose when and whether or not to be a mother. Now, amidst the aftermath of the Dobbs Decision, Hoffman has carefully compiled her decades of analysis, research, and experience into a tour de force manifesto that sheds light on the catastrophic repercussions of overturning Roe, and what we must do moving forward to ensure the safety and legality of abortion nationally. In Choices, Hoffman expresses her views on where we are and what lies ahead. She covers topics ranging from: revamping the healthcare system to support women's rights; combatting rising authoritarianism; the weaponization of religion; fighting the antis; practicing courage; sabotage from within the movement; and activating the next generation in the fight for reproductive justice.
Upcoming Event!
Join us for our next Patron-only Virtual Event:
Sunday April 28, 5PM ET
Book Club Chat discussing Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
Register for Zoom at Patreon.com/RefuseFascism (see pinned post)
*Not a patron? Fix that here: patreon.com/refusefascism
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus, Sam is on TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
· Venmo: Refuse-Fascism
· Cashapp: $RefuseFascism
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Related Episodes:
Rick Perlstein: The Infernal Triangle + Christian Nationalist Project 2025
Project 2025: Roadmap for Fascist Consolidation
Abortion, Birth Control and What’s Next with Roxy Szal + Commentary From Coco Das
Voices from Abortion Rights Frontlines in Iowa
Speedbumps on the Highway to Christian Fascism and the Resistance Still Needed
Sam welcomes back onto the show Anthony DiMaggio and Henry Giroux to discuss their latest book Fascism on Trial: Education and the Possibility of Democracy. Dr. Henry A. Giroux is a renowned educator and author of multiple books on fascism and pedagogy. He holds the Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest in English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University, Canada. Follow Dr. Giroux on Twitter at @HenryGiroux and visit his website at henryagiroux.com.
Dr. Anthony R. DiMaggio is a Professor of Political Science at Lehigh University, USA. He is the author of Rising Fascism in America: It Can Happen Here. Read his writings at Counterpunch and Salon.
Upcoming Event!
Join us for our next Patron-only Virtual Event:
April 28, 5PM ET
Book Club Chat discussing Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
*Not a patron? Fix that here: patreon.com/refusefascism
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus, Sam is on TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
· Venmo: Refuse-Fascism
· Cashapp: $RefuseFascism
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Previous Episodes with Henry Giroux:
The Nazification of American Education
Trump Is Not Trumpism and Trumpism Is Not Dead
Previous Episodes with Anthony DiMaggio:
The Continuing January 6 Coup
It Can, It Has, It Is Happening Here
The Evidence of Rising Neo-Fascism
Sam speaks to the Supreme Court facilitating the further erosion of civil rights & foreboding upcoming elections outside of the U.S.
Then, frequent guest and guest host of the show, Coco Das shares reflections on SB4 (Texas' "Show Me Your Papers" law) and talks with award-winning Turkish writer and political thinker Ece Temelkuran discussing her essay in Prospect Magazine, Fascism isn’t just a German problem. Follow Ece on Twitter @ETemelkuran. She'll be speaking at Ways Forward in a Divided World, Georgetown University Global Dialogues April 22-26.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Supreme Court grants Gov. Greg Abbott's wish to turn Texas into a far-right dictatorship by Amanda Marcotte
The Fascist Attack on Medication Abortion
Upcoming Event!
Join us for our next Patron-only Virtual Event:
April 28, 5PM ET
Book Club Chat discussing Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
*Not a patron? Fix that here: patreon.com/refusefascism
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus, Sam is on TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
· Venmo: Refuse-Fascism
· Cashapp: $RefuseFascism
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Sam comments on the downward spiral of the legal cases against Trump and the further consolidation of the RNC and “conservative movement” around MAGA fascism. Then, we share two interviews with people who have been actively resisting the escalating genocide in Gaza.
First, a conversation with Dr. Nicole Erin Morse, Associate Professor of Media Studies and former Director of the Center for Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Florida Atlantic University. They are a scholar of queer and trans media production and a community organizer in South Florida with Jewish Voice for Peace and the Community Hotline for Incarcerated People. Read their op-ed I Refuse to Endorse Zionism, So I Am Resigning From My Leadership Position.
Then Sam chats with Lela Tolajian, human rights activist and Georgetown University student about the genocide in Gaza, action being taken on college campuses and beyond to stop it, and the efforts to suppress that movement. Read her op-ed We, Jewish students, must not be silent on the genocide in Gaza. Follow her on Twitter at @LTolajian.
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus, Sam is on TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
· Venmo: Refuse-Fascism
· Cashapp: $RefuseFascism
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Related Episodes:
Combatting Disinformation
Susan Neiman on Universalism Against Nationalism
Stop the Genocide in Gaza
Sam talks with historian Rick Perlstein, author of multiple books about the US conservative movement including Nixonland, about his latest work on the contemporary era and the nexus between the fascists, the media, and the Democratic Party; what he calls "the infernal triangle." Subscribe to his newsletter at prospect.org and follow him on Twitter at @rickperlstein.
Then, Sam talks to journalist Jennifer Cohn about the full Christian Nationalist theocratic program. Follow her on Twitter at @jennycohn1 and read her writings at crownewsletter.substack.com and buckscountybeacon.com.
Mentioned in this episode:
Democracy Now: “American Fascism”: Historian Rick Perlstein on Trump’s Grip on the GOP & Chances of a Second Jan. 6
Shocking Online Manifesto Reveals Project 2025’s Link To A Coordinated ‘Christian Nationalism Project’ by Jennifer Cohn
The Far-Right Playbook for American Authoritarianism Project 2025 by Global Project Against Hate and Extremism
Five Four Pod on Trump v Anderson (SCOTUS CO ballot case)
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus, Sam is on TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
· Venmo: Refuse-Fascism
· Cashapp: $RefuseFascism
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Related Episodes:
The Cataclysm of a Second Trump Term
The Institutions Still Won't Save Us
Civil War Historians: Trump Is Disqualified + Report from Eagle Pass, TX
The Evangelical Prophets Anointing Trump
Project 2025: Roadmap for Fascist Consolidation
Sam comments on SCOTUS hearing Trump's presidential immunity claim and Trump and Biden visits to the Texas-Mexico border.
Then, she talks with Dr. Clarence Lusane to discuss the catastrophe for humanity of a second Trump presidency & lessons from the international rise of fascism.
Dr. Lusane is a professor and Director of the International Affairs program at Howard University. He is an independent expert to the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance. His latest book is Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy. Read more from him here.
Plus: journalist Amanda Moore (@noturtlesoup17), who was banned from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) joins us to provide insight on the neo-Nazis and other far-right figures she witnessed waltz unimpeded into CPAC. You can follow her work here.
Mentioned In the Episode:
The Catastrophe of a Second Trump Presidency by Clarence Lusane
I Was Banned From CPAC, but the Extremists Weren’t by Amanda Moore
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus, Sam is on TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
· Venmo: Refuse-Fascism
· Cashapp: $RefuseFascism
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Related Episodes:
Fascist Fringe and Fascist Mainstream
The Institutions Still Won't Save Us
Civil War Historians: Trump is Disqualified + Report From Eagle Pass Texas
Sam talks with Dr. Lee McIntyre, philosopher and author of numerous books including How to Talk to A Science Denier and his latest, On Disinformation:
"Drawing on his twenty years of experience as a scholar of science denial, McIntyre explains how autocrats wield disinformation to manipulate a populace and deny obvious realities, why the best way to combat disinformation is to disrupt its spread, and most importantly, how we can win the war on truth."
Follow his work at leemcintyrebooks.com and @leecmcintyre and get involved with The Mental Immunity Project.
Mentioned in this episode:
Alabama's targeting of IVF is the Christian right's attempt to control motherhood by Amanda Marcotte
Alabama’s IVF Ruling Is Christian Theology Masquerading as Law by Elie Mystal
Alabama’s embryos ruling is a terrifying preview of another Trump presidency by Sarah Posner
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus, Sam is on TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Related Episodes:
The Evangelical Prophets Anointing Trump
Teach Truth Not Lies with Dr. Marvin Dunn
Sam speaks to developments in Trump's trials, the "pendulum swing" of political power, Gaza and the 2024 election, and more. Then, she talks with Jared Holt, Senior Research Analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. His writing can be found in various outlets including: The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Columbia Journalism Review, HuffPost and GEN Magazine and his Substack is postthroughit.substack.com. Read his recent piece Election 2024: A rematch for the fate of US democracy
Mentioned in this episode:
From “Man Bites Dog” and “Oh My God” to “Dog Bites Man” and “Oh Well” On the Trivialization and Normalization of Fascism and Other Evils
Earth to Media: Try to Get It—Nice, Ordinary People Can Be Fascists by Brynn Tannehill
Project 2025: How Trump Loyalists and Right-Wing Leaders Are Paving a Fast Road to Fascism
Trump and the GOP’s Fascist Rhetoric Has Broad Appeal: Poll by Tim Dickinson
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus, Sam is on TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Related Episodes:
The Fantasy of the Reasonable Republican
Project 2025: Roadmap for Fascist Consolidation
The White Power Movement in 2024
The GOP: Fascist, Nothing Semi- About It
Danielle Moodie: How to Stand Up to Fascist Bullies
Sam talks with historian, activist and RefuseFascism.org editorial board member Paul Street about the coming year and his take on all the wild things happening as well as to come. Follow Paul's work on Substack at paulstreet.substack.com.
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus! Sam recently joined TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Sam talks with Dr. Manisha Sinha, historian of the US Civil War and Reconstruction and one of 25 historians who signed onto the amicus brief supporting Colorado's decision to remove Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot according to the 14th amendment (which bars insurrectionists from public office).
Read the brief here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-719/298895/20240126151819211_23-719%20Brief.pdf
Learn more about Dr. Sinha's work at manishasinha.com and read her book, The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860-1920. Follow her on Twitter at @ProfMSinha.
Then, we share a bit of a report from Coco Das, who has gone to Eagle Pass, Texas (epicenter of the conflict at the border between Abbott-controlled National Guard troops and federally controlled Border Patrol) as part of an effort to investigate the situation and bring the message "we don't have an immigration problem, we have an imperialism problem!" The full interview with Coco from The RNL Show can be viewed here. Coco is a member of the Refuse Fascism editorial board, however this trip was not on behalf of Refuse Fascism. Follow Coco on Twitter at @coco_das.
Mentioned in the episode:
Texas Is Spoiling for a Civil War by Elie Mystal
Find out more about Refuse Fascism and get involved at RefuseFascism.org. We're still on Twitter (@RefuseFascism) and other social platforms including Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky. Plus! Sam recently joined TikTok, check out @samgoldmanrf.
You can also send your comments to samanthagoldman@refusefascism.org or @SamBGoldman. Record a voice message for the show here. Connect with the movement at RefuseFascism.org and support:
· paypal.me/refusefascism
· donate.refusefascism.org
Music for this episode: Penny the Snitch by Ikebe Shakedown
Related Episodes:
The White Power Movement in 2024
The Year Ahead and the New Fascism Syllabus
The Nightmare Immigrants Face At The Texas Border
Ian Millhiser on Trump’s Trials + Paul Street on Jan 6 Anniversary
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
