Epstein, Trump & How Misogyny Fuels Fascism

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 Visit Laura on Substack to read more about upcoming changes to the show, and subscribe to be the first to know about new projects and what comes next. Find Laura at lauraflanders.substack.com Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE    / @lauraflandersandfriends   🎧 PODCAST: Listen to this week's episode on major podcast platforms: https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/... Podcast subscribers also receive the full, uncut conversation from this week's show: https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/... ✏️SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for Show Notes and learn more about this week's episode:   / 150662704   Laura Flanders & Friends is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners. 📩Newsletter: For more in-depth analysis, including a weekly newsletter and commentaries by Laura Flanders, subscribe on Substack: https://lauraflanders.substack.com/ Follow the show and Laura Flanders on Bluesky! https://bsky.app/profile/lauraflander... https://bsky.app/profile/gritlaura.bs... DONATE TODAY at https://lauraflanders.org/donate or consider becoming a PATREON partner at   / lauraflandersandfriends   🔔Subscribe to get weekly episodes that prompt you to think critically about the world around you. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit the 'Like' button and share it with your network. 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