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Greg Palast

News & Politics Podcasts

Greg Palast is an investigative reporter, whose stories appear on BBC Television, The Guardian, Al Jazeera and Rolling Stone. You can read/watch his reports at GregPalast.com. He is the author of the NY Times bestsellers The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits, Armed Madhouse, and the highly acclaimed Vultures’ Picnic. You can stream his new film, Vigilante: Georgia’s Vote Suppression Hitman — introduced by Martin Sheen and narrated by Rosario Dawson — for a limited time at: VigilanteMovie.com

Location:

United States

Description:

Greg Palast is an investigative reporter, whose stories appear on BBC Television, The Guardian, Al Jazeera and Rolling Stone. You can read/watch his reports at GregPalast.com. He is the author of the NY Times bestsellers The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits, Armed Madhouse, and the highly acclaimed Vultures’ Picnic. You can stream his new film, Vigilante: Georgia’s Vote Suppression Hitman — introduced by Martin Sheen and narrated by Rosario Dawson — for a limited time at: VigilanteMovie.com

Twitter:

@Greg_Palast

Language:

English


Episodes
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I was on the phone with RFK Jr. when he lost his mind

9/18/2025
RFK Jr. is putting lives at risk — I can’t stay silent. His attacks on mRNA research and science funding aren’t politics — they’re threats to our health and future. This is painful. This is horrible and feels a bit like a betrayal. But I have no choice. Bobby Kennedy Jr. was my friend and co-author. We wrote stories together for Rolling Stone. Bobby introduced my New York Times bestseller and wrote a chapter for Billionaires and Ballot Bandits. And, with Jesse Jackson, we co-authored the Number 1 selling adult single issue comic book of all time, Steal Back Your Vote. But then, Bobby lost his mind... This is my story: https://www.gregpalast.com/i-was-on-the-phone-with-rfk-jr-when-he-lost-his-mind/

Duration:00:09:57

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From Reagan to Trump, the Hidden History of a Scheme

9/11/2025
Thom Hartmann lays bare the origins of the scheme to take from the poor and give to the rich in his brilliant book, The Hidden History of Neoliberalism. Get Thom’s book at your fave bookstore — or, to support my own reporting for the Hartmann program, make a tax-deductible donation to our foundation and get a copy of The Hidden History (I’ll sign the foreword) as our thanks: https://donorbox.org/thom-hartmann-s-the-hidden-history-of-neoliberalism?preview=1756859378 Support independent journalism. Buy Greg a coffee: https://buy.stripe.com/14kdRh1QhgDi34s4gh

Duration:00:06:14

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Bobby, why are you threatening my life?

9/8/2025
Bobby Bobby, Bobby Kennedy, my dear dear friend of so many years, my co-author at Rolling Stone, Bobby, why are you threatening my life? Why are you threatening lives across America and even our not-yet-born great-grandchildren. You’ve blocked mRNA vaccine research. RESEARCH!!!! Bobby, you know damn well that mRNA is our best hope for an anti-cancer vaccine. What are you doing to us, Bobby? Bobby, my friend, you are sick, physically and mentally. I’m sympathetic, but don’t make everyone else as sick as you. If you want to know about my years-long friendship with RFK Jr., and why I am compelled to go public with this private information about him, read my story, “I was on the phone with RFK Junior when he lost his mind." https://www.gregpalast.com/i-was-on-the-phone-with-rfk-jr-when-he-lost-his-mind/

Duration:00:02:41

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Flashpoints: “If we get rid of FEMA, people will die. It's just that simple.”

8/20/2025
The flood in Kerrville, Texas, was not an Act of God, it was an Act of Trump. My new 1-hour special, All Washed Away, shows the horrific connection between the drownings in Texas and in New Orleans — 20 years ago this month — and the Trump/DOGE scheme to sell off FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Trump and his DOGE buddies had, just before the Texas flood, cut the heart out of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashed one out of three FEMA staff employees just before the Texas flood. The head of FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center, Jeremy Greenberg, whose job was to warn of such floods, was forced out just weeks before the Texas catastrophe. And since the DOGE massacre of April, FEMA’s San Antonio office has had no permanent Warning-Coordination Meteorologist. Trump has announced he’s planning to close FEMA by this December. His fantasy is, ultimately, to privatize emergency evacuation. Been there. Done that. The privatization of emergency evacuation led to over a thousand Americans floating face down in New Orleans in 2005. Back in 2006, I did an investigation of the drownings in New Orleans for a program called Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman. Watch the film of the investigation, All Washed Away, which I've just updated with an exposé of the Trump drownings of 2025 — available for free on YouTube and Substack. ▶️ https://gregpalastinvestigates.substack.com/p/all-washed-away

Duration:00:31:09

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Got Purged? Counterpoint’s Scott Harris and Palast Discuss the Antidote to Voter Suppression

7/24/2025
In this episode of Counterpoint, host Scott Harris talks to Greg Palast about his latest article, “The Evil Scheme to Purge Half a Million Voters,” which reveals how control of the US Senate could come down to ugly ethnic cleansing of the voter rolls. Want to push back against the purges? Here’s what you can do: • Spread this. Like it, and share it. • Subscribe to my new Substack, @GregPalastInvestigates • Check if you’ve been purged by CHECKING YOUR REGISTRATION at Vote.org — NOW! And, if you think our investigations are important, then I’m asking you to donate to support our mighty little band of sleuths.

Duration:00:21:19

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Are You Sick of 'Winning' Yet?

6/18/2025
Palast discusses Trump, tariffs, FEMA and that birthday parade with WVON Midday Show host Cleopatra Draper. Support independent journalism. Buy Greg a coffee. Stay informed. Sign up to our newsletter.

Duration:00:38:49

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The Great American Tariff Scam — A Thom Hartmann Program Daily Song

6/5/2025
"Steel was strong, but the truth is cold, He sold out the workers for a bar of gold." This song, which was created by the Thom Hartmann Program, was inspired by Greg Palast's latest article for the Hartmann Report,The Great American Tariff Scam — read it here. The Great American Tariff Scam Lyrics [Verse 1] He stood in a mill with his red tie tight Told the boys in hard hats, “I’ll stand and fight” But behind that grin and the photo flash Was a deal with the devil and a payday stash Steel was strong, but the truth is cold He sold out the workers for a bar of gold Laid off in Gary, gone in Duluth While the billionaires laughed in their tailored suits [Chorus] 🎶 It’s the Great American Tariff Scam A fist full of promises, a smoke screen sham Jobs fall down while the prices climb And the ones who get rich are the friends of the crime He said “I’m here to help,” then he took what he can— That’s the Great American Tariff Scam 🎶 [Verse 2] Steel rolls rustin’ by the railroad track While Wall Street wolves keep slappin’ our backs They killed the deal that could save the plant Now the furnaces cool and the wages slant Imports rise with a tariff tax Domestic jobs? Ain’t comin’ back From cars to cables, we all pay more While they cheer from behind their private doors [Chorus] 🎶 It’s the Great American Tariff Scam Wrapped in a flag with a glory cam He blocks the fix and blames the flame Says “I’m the hero!”—but he lit the game He’s the arsonist in a fireman’s van— That’s the Great American Tariff Scam 🎶 [Bridge] He said, “I’m here for the working man” But he hands the loot to the richest hands From Nippon Steel to the union hall It’s always the worker that takes the fall [Verse 3] Now the ladle’s dry and the silence loud As the union boys stand heads unbowed They know the truth from the spin and smoke From every empty promise that the huckster spoke [Final Chorus] 🎶 It’s the Great American Tariff Scam With a hard hat lie and a photo glam The jobs went south, the truth went cold But he sold you pride like it’s solid gold Steel don’t bend, but a worker can— In the Great American Tariff Scam 🎶 [Outro – spoken over a slow fade] “Praise me,” he said, “I stopped the fire.” But he was the one with the gasoline and the lighter. Subscribe to The Hartmann Report.

Duration:00:02:48

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Driving It Home: Don't Count On Political Parties To Save Your Vote

3/15/2025
Don't count on government or political parties to save your vote. You need to get active. Learn more at: GregPalast.com Support independent journalism, buy Greg a coffee!

Duration:00:26:27

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Election Crimes Bulletin: How Trump Has Already Fixed 2026

3/4/2025
You can ignore Trump slyly hinting to the Lord’s chosen that he just might call off the next election. But don’t ignore this: Trump won’t be calling off the election because he doesn’t have to. The Fix for 26 is already in. “Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote any more, my beautiful Christians.” The Republican plan is to win next year’s election this year. Yes, the voting will be bent, jacked and hammered this year, 2025, one year before the official voting. Find out how. Listen to this Election Crimes Bulletin and read my latest report at: GregPalast.com Support independent journalism, buy Greg a coffee!

Duration:00:32:21

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Asian Americans are the fastest growing voter group in America — and Trump just dissed them

8/10/2024
The Asian American community is the fastest growing voter group in America. Since the last presidential election, 2 million more Asian Americans have become eligible to vote. There are now 15 million potential Asian American voters. When you look at swing states, like Georgia, there are 328,000 Asian Americans eligible to vote in Georgia. That's the state that Biden won by less than 12,000 votes. And there’s almost 1.1 million Asian Americans in Texas. If they are allowed to vote, Texas turns blue. It's also a young demographic, and Asian Americans tend to vote three quarters Democratic. So, the GOP's doing everything that they can to crush the Asian American vote. It is racism by statistics. ▶️ Get the full story at GregPalast.com

Duration:00:21:56

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This Election is Going to be a Vote Suppression Bacchanalia

7/13/2024
Let's stop counting Biden's brain cells, and start counting vigilantes. This election is going to be a Vote Suppression Bacchanalia — I’ve never seen anything like it. Mark Elias, who's considered the number one voting rights attorney these days, has said it’s is a virus coming out of Georgia. And it is. Before the last election we found that under a little-noticed provision of Georgia’s 2021 voting restriction law, SB202, 88 GOP operatives had filed challenges to block a breathtaking 180,000 voters from having their ballots counted. One woman alone had challenged a staggering 32,379 voters in Cobb County. This new Georgia law circumvented restrictions on states removing voters from the rolls within 90 days of an election, by allowing individuals to challenge an unlimited number of voters. And now this vigilante vote challenge tactic is spreading to other swing states. The organization that created the challenge lists is a group out of Texas called True the Vote. In Georgia in 2022, when they first launched this vigilante game, they had 88 vigilante vote challengers, now they have an army of 44,000 operating in battleground states across the US. But understand where this vigilante voter challenge scheme comes from. The Ku Klux Klan created this system in 1946 when they incorporated themselves as Vigilantes Inc. According to the FBI, the Klan challenged every single black voter in many counties in Georgia. And it worked. The Klan got their chief strategist, Eugene Talmadge, elected governor. Here's the strange thing... In 1946 — before the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act — Harry Truman's FBI was about to arrest Talmadge for leading this mass attack on Black voters, but days before they were going to arrest him, Talmadge drank himself to death. So, it was illegal in 1946, and now we have the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Civil Rights Act, and somehow mass challenges of voters of color are perfectly fine with our federal courts?!? The NAACP and Reverend Jesse Jackson, of Rainbow PUSH, have begged Biden to sign an executive order to stop these vigilante vote challenges. They're a clear violation of federal law, even without the Voting Rights Act. They're also a violation of our Constitution. And that's what the FBI under Harry Truman thought — so why isn't the FBI saying the same thing today? It was illegal in 1946, and it ought to be illegal now. For more on this, subscribe to our newsletter.

Duration:00:27:35

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Election Crimes Bulletin: Trump Plan for 2024 Taken from KKK Plan of 1946

6/18/2024
The Election Crimes Bulletin is back for the 2024 Election season. In this week's episode we reveal how the Trump plan for 2024 — to use an army of vigilantes to challenge Black voters — is the exact same plan the Klan successfully used to elect Georgia governor Eugene Talmadge in 1946. Learn more at: GregPalast.com

Duration:00:23:56

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Surreal News: Don’t Buy Exxon’s Fable Of The Drunken Captain

4/10/2024
35 years after the Exxon Valdez ran aground, causing America’s greatest environmental disaster, investigative journalist Greg Palast explains why you shouldn't buy big oil's fable of the drunken captain. Get the full story at: https://www.gregpalast.com/dont-buy-exxons-fable-of-the-drunken-captain-2/

Duration:00:19:21

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Elise Paschen reads Wi’-gi-e, the inspiration for Killers of the Flower Moon

3/10/2024
Before Scorsese’s film, before Grann’s book, there was a poem... Osage poet Elise Paschen reads “Wi’-gi-e”, the poem which inspired the title of the book and film, Killers of the Flower Moon. We filmed her special reading of the poem, which she dedicates to Lily Gladstone, who portrays Osage Native Mollie Burkhart in the film. If there is any justice in this world, Gladstone will win the Oscar for Best Actress. It was Elise, co-founder of Poetry in Motion, whose poem is spoken in the voice of Mollie Burkhart, who first brought Mollie’s story to wider attention. (In the film, Mollie’s husband, Ernest Burkhart, is portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio.) After you hear Elise, make sure you catch the trailer for our documentary, Long Knife, produced by George DiCaprio and Greg Palast, which brings the story of the Osage up to date, focusing on the Osage Nation’s fight against the thievery of the Brothers Koch. This video was filmed by Battiste Fenwick on the Osage Reservation and edited by Esther Shubinski | @manytrailsproduction. Elise Paschen 's poem “Wi’-gi-e” is published in Bestiary (Red Hen Press, 2009). #KillersOfTheFlowerMoon #ElisePaschen #LilyGladstone #MartinScorsese #LeonardoDiCaprio #AcademyAwards #AcademyAwards2024 #Oscars #Oscars2024

Duration:00:02:20

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Court Approves Vigilante Mass Voter Challenges; Devastating Threat to 2024 Election

1/8/2024
A federal court in Georgia has just ruled that a challenge to 360,000 Georgians’ right to vote—suspiciously targeting Black voters—does not violate the Voting Rights Act. This decision poses a devastating threat to the 2024 election. Judge Steve C. Jones slapped aside the suit brought by Stacy Abrams’ Fair Fight against Texas group True the Vote, which had created the hit list of voters. The judge cited “lack of evidentiary support”—but he refused to hear our evidence, which is featured in our film Vigilante. And because the ruling came down from a federal court, True the Vote has a green light to expand its mass challenge of voters to other states including, according to the triumphant group itself, Arizona, Texas and several other swing states. One disastrous decision by the court helped sink Fair Fight’s case. Fair Fight needed to show that the 80 vigilante challengers relied on True the Votes’ target list. The incriminating evidence was caught on camera and included in our film Vigilante: Georgia’s Vote Suppression Hitman. Republican Party official Pam Reardon personally challenged a breathtaking 32,379 voters. Reardon told me, cameras rolling, that she didn’t bother to check any of the info on these voters because she simply took the list from True the Vote. GOP official Reardon said, “I can’t go through 32,000 people. I was handed the list by True the Vote.” Case closed…except the judge would not let Fair Fight put our film into evidence. To match the expansion of True the Votes’ vigilante vote challenge tactics, we're expanding our exposé. Support our new film, Vigilantes Inc. (out Fall 2024), and help us stop these mass voter challenges. ➡️ Donate and get a screen credit: https://palastinvestigativefund.org/vigilantes-2024/

Duration:00:20:22

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Court Rules only Voting Rights Criminals Can Sue Voting Rights Criminals—No Kidding!?!

12/6/2023
Set your hair on fire right now, because a recent ruling by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals virtually repeals the last living section of the Voting Rights Act. This ruling, at the moment, applies to Arkansas, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri. But it's going to go to the US Supreme Court, then look out. Because if the SCOTUS judges go along with this ruling, the whole of the United States will be Jim Crow’d. ► For more on this go to: https://www.gregpalast.com/court-says-only-voting-rights-violators-may-sue/

Duration:00:22:31

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Lawyers Guild Show: Palast Reports from the Frontlines of Democracy

9/7/2023
If the new vote suppression tactics first used by Brian Kemp in Georgia — and exposed in investigative reporter Greg Palast’s new film Vigilante — are allowed to spread across the United States, then vote suppression, not the voters, will pick the next president. In this episode of the KPFK Lawyers Guild Show, hosts Jim Lafferty and Maria Hall talk to Palast about the new existential threats to our democracy.

Duration:00:24:22

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Will Venue-Shopping Help Trump Evade Conviction in Georgia?

8/25/2023
Will Georgia DA Fani Willis secure a conviction in her case against Donald Trump? Or will venue-shopping help Trump secure a more amenable jury pool to help him evade conviction?

Duration:00:29:11

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Trump indicted under RICO statutes

8/16/2023
Donald Trump and 18 others have been indicted by Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, under RICO organized crime statues for trying to fix the 2020 presidential elections. Greg Palast reports from Oklahoma on the RICO indictment and on the planned right-wing high-jacking of the Native American vote in 2024. “The RICO statutes are designed to find the spider in the middle of the web, and there's one spider, an orange spider, in the middle of this web.” Learn more at GregPalast.com

Duration:00:15:38

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Georgia scrubs voter rolls — again — removes 191,473 voters

7/26/2023
Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, has just announced he’s removing 191,473 voters from the Georgia voter rolls. In the press release, Raffensperger boasts that Georgia has the “Cleanest voter lists in America” — of course, they've bleached them whiter than white. Meanwhile, as reported by Meidas Touch host Fred Wellman, a right wing data miner has filed an Open Records request for “Copies of the signature cards used in the election process” — for ALL 7 million Georgia voters — including “the voter's name, address, and signature.” This is very dangerous. I presume it’s for the purpose of mass vigilante challenges to ballots. And it's not just about Georgia. The Peach State is the GOP's test kitchen for vote suppression trickery, which they then roll out nationwide. Vote suppression is class war by other means. It's about power and resources. They're not stealing votes to steal elections. They're stealing votes to steal the money. Stay informed, sign up to our FREE newsletter at: GregPalast.com/subscribe

Duration:00:24:38