Gaslit Nation

Trump, Kushner, and Netanyahu's war with Iran began with a shadowy alliance that formed in late 2016, following the US election that turned the world upside down. It was driven by two mysterious bank accounts managed in part by Jared Kushner, with a combined $2 billion–a Middle Eastern autocratic slush fund that essentially served as a bribe to the Trump family to get America–the most powerful military in the world–to unleash war on Iran–an enemy of Netanyahu, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) of the UAE, and murderous millennial Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) of Saudi Arabia.  Those are just some of the explosive revelations in investigative journalist Matthew Cole's new must-read book Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East.
With Trump furious at his ex-lawyer Alina Baba essentially selling a pardon for $50 million, and not cutting him in on the deal–a sin in Trump world where you've got to pay to play–Trump must have known about Kushner's $2 billion secret bank accounts from Middle Eastern autocratic leaders who treated Kushner like their unregistered foreign agent in Trump's White House. 
In Part I of our discussion with Matthew Cole, we discuss:
Jared Kushner was in massive debt over his family's vanity purchase of 666 5th Avenue, and therefore a major national security risk, when he managed his father-in-law's campaign for president in 2016 and entered the White House.  

In fact, several core members of the Trump campaign were deeply in debt or on shaky ground financially when they decided to unite forces and win the White House in 2016 with the Kremlin's very illegal help. In power, they all got insanely rich through corruption and lawlessness thanks to financial deals with the most powerful and imperialist autocrats running the Middle East: the UAE and Saudi Arabia. 

How the sex crimes in Jared Kushner's family mirror those of the families that run the UAE and Saudi Arabia, autocratic regimes Kushner would join forces with. 

Why George Nader, a notorious pedophile, was key to the operation of connecting the UAE and Saudi Arabia with Kushner and Trump.

Princes and Thieves unearths the crimes carried out in the shadows during Trump's first term, giving us greater insight in the crimes and corruption carried out in the open today during Trump's second. This discussion, along with Part II running next week, also provides important insights into how to hold Kushner accountable, and how to prevent another Trump regime. This is a book and a conversation you're not going to want to miss.
Gaslit Nation's episode on the midterms is running later this week.
Thank you to everyone who makes Gaslit Nation possible. The oligarchy has chilled the mainstream media into complicit silence. That is why Gaslit Nation exists: to give voice to urgent and important bombshell reports like Princes and Thieves. We are the safe haven for investigations that corporate media and their lawyers are too afraid to reveal. Your support keeps our work going. Show your support with a discounted membership at Patreon.com/Gaslit and GaslitNation.Substack.com, and join our community of listeners, get bonus shows, ad free listening, invites to exclusive events, and more. We could not make this show without our paid listeners, especially in these difficult times. 
Show Notes:
Want a plan to bash the patriarchy? Live your most creative life and help build a better world with Andrea's new book, A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/
Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East, by Matthew Cole https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Princes-and-Thieves/Matthew-Cole/9781668095324
What you need to know about 666 Fifth Avenue https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-666-fifth-avenue/
"Princes and Thieves" Author Matthew Cole on Jared Kushner & the "Secret Plot to Remake Middle East" https://www.democracynow.org/2026/11/2/matthew_cole_jared_kushner_book
Jared Kushner Threatens Legal Action Over Vanity Fair Story Alleging Secret Bank Accounts https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/jared-kushner-vanity-fair-book-legal-threat/
Jared Kushner's Phone Was Hacked. It Exposed an Alleged $2 Billion Foreign Money Web  https://dailycaller.com/2026/10/23/jared-kushner-phone-hacked-foreign-money-web-united-arab-emirates-saudi-matthew-cole/
How Kushner Conducted Foreign Policy for Profit https://business-standard.com/book/how-kushner-conducted-foreign-policy-for-profit-126110100856_1.html
Raskin Urges Kushner to Recuse Himself From Negotiations Amid Book's Allegations https://truthout.org/video/raskin-urges-kushner-to-recuse-himself-from-negotiations-amid-books-allegations/
Susan Rice Told House Investigators Why She Unmasked Trump Officials  https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/13/politics/susan-rice-house-investigators-unmasked-trump-officials
Kushners Unload 666 Fifth Ave. to Brookfield in 99-Year Lease https://fortune.com/2018/08/04/kushners-666-fifth-avenue-lease
House Democrats Investigate Mysterious Qatar-Linked Cash Infusion That Bailed Out Kushner Building https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/house-democrats-investigate-mysterious-qatar-linked-cash-infusion-bailed
Mueller Probe Witness Gets 10-Year Sentence on Child Porn, Abuse Charges https://news.yahoo.com/mueller-probe-witness-gets-10-180948775.html
Mueller Witness Pleads Guilty in Illegal Scheme to Funnel UAE Money to Hillary Clinton's 2016 Campaign https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=1532055
Lukoil's Foreign Asset Sale Becomes Part of U.S.–Russia Talks on Ending Ukraine War, NYT Reports https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/10/05/lukoil-s-foreign-asset-sale-becomes-part-of-u-s-russia-talks-on-ending-ukraine-war-nyt-reports
U.S. Peace Negotiations With Russia Could Now Involve Multi-Billion Dollar Lukoil Deal, NYT Reports https://kyivindependent.com/u-s-peace-negotiations-with-russia-could-now-involve-multi-billion-dollar-lukoil-deal-nyt-reports/
US and Israel Strike Iran https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20260228/us-and-israel-strike-iran
Jared Kushner Threatens Legal Action Over Vanity Fair Story Alleging Secret Bank Accounts https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/jared-kushner-vanity-fair-book-legal-threat/ 
A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/politics/julio-herrera-pardon-alina-habba.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
Raskin targets Kushner over alleged foreign money ties The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee is already staking out jurisdiction over Jared Kushner investigations if Democrats take back the House. https://www.ms.now/news/raskin-kushner-alleged-foreign-money-ties

The choice is simple, Michigan. If you don't vote for Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a Rhodes Scholar, a public servant on the frontlines of healthcare for Michiganders, then you're voting for Jared Kushner's lawless oligarchy, where everyone is in danger. Kushner and his autocrat buddies in Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Russia want to turn American into an autocracy where might makes right, journalists and activists are routinely killed, every day is a fight for survival. Abdul will fight for the U.S. Constitution. So join Gaslit Nation in fighting for Abdul. Take some time to make some calls to Michigan voters, some of the famously nicest voters in the Union. Here are the details of how to join from anywhere: https://go.abdulforsenate.com/virtual-phone-bank
Reminder: There's no salon today so that you, our dear listeners, can help get out the vote, and remind 10 friends and family members to make their plan to vote. Let's leave it all out on the field to hold these lawless criminals accountable, while we still can. 
The song you heard at the start of this mini-episode is "Ride at Dawn" by Deena Marie. Find it and more of her music here: https://open.spotify.com/album/35GalHCnxyIoAK1hnDaJDk
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com 
Pre-order A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women by November 24 and forward your receipt to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We'll send you a thank-you gift and a signed book plate to make your first-edition personally inscribed. Get your copy here: https://www.andreachalupa.com/unreasonable/

Trump has his personal defense attorney, Todd Blanche, whom he met through longtime Kremlin operative Paul Manafort, investigating Democrats in Alaska for two Dan Sullivans being on a rank choice voter ballot, where the duplicated name doesn't make much of a difference. What is the real reason? Gaslit Nation's bonus show takes you into the five alarm fire of Putin trying to entrench a hostile takeover in Alaska. 
How? The same way Russia has always held extortion-power leverage over its neighbors: energy dependence. This is a Gaslit Nation you don't want to miss. And if you know anyone in Alaska, share this episode with them. 
How did the Kremlin's big energy venture in Alaska make it this far? The answer lies in their close allies, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a regime that helped get Jared Kushner out of debt in 2016 and onto the path of becoming a Russian-style oligarch. This week's Gaslit Nation bonus show dives deeper into Kushner, the UAE, and their friends in the Kremlin, and their plot for us here at home. 
To listen to the full episode and support our independent journalism subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com. Discounted memberships are available–and on Patreon, you can give the gift of Gaslit Nation. Thank you to everyone who makes our independent journalism possible – we could not make this show without you. 
Help Ukraine make it through the winter. Bid on these items, including the chance to develop your own story with Andrea, to benefit Razom for Ukraine. Check out our silent auction here: https://givebutter.com/c/Gaslit-Razom/auction
Haunt Steven Bannon's nightmares with us. Pre-order Andrea's new book, A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire, from your local bookstore or BookShop.org. Forward your receipt to GaslitNation@gmail.com for a pre-order gift and a signed book plate to turn your first edition into a signed copy. Pre-order here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/
Program this voter protection number into your phone: 1-866-OUR VOTE // 866-687-8683 https://866ourvote.org/
Show Notes:
Volunteer for Dr. Annie Andrew's Senate Campaign in South Carolina: https://drannieandrews.com/get-involved/
I Talked to Tom, the Viral 'Jonestown' Trump Rally Guy https://www.thehandbasket.co/p/tom-hoyle-jonestown-trump-rally-fox-news-viral-clip
Company Linked to Darline Graham's Husband Was Sanctioned for Arming Russia Against Ukraine https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/darline-graham-lindsey-husband-russia-ukraine-sanctions
Darline Graham's Husband Linked to Sanctioned Firm Aiding Russia's War https://www.rawstory.com/darline-graham-2678160855/
New NYT/Siena Poll Shows SC Senate Race Tied as Andrews, Graham Deadlocked at 48% https://abcnews4.com/news/local/new-nytsiena-poll-shows-sc-senate-race-tied-as-andrews-graham-deadlocked-at-48
Democrats in Striking Distance: New CNN Polls in Four States Highlight Party's Path to Senate Majority https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/29/politics/cnn-polls-michigan-maine-texas-kansas-senate-races-midterms-vis
Latest Polls in 2026 Midterms https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/10/29/latest-polls-in-2026-midterms-democrats-lead-in-texas-maine-michigan-kansas-new-hampshire/
Former CEO: Russian Firm Backed Alaska Gas Venture https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/former-ceo-russian-firm-backed-184339250.html
Russia Secretly Financed Alaska Gas Project https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/10/24/8059533/
Whistleblower CEO Quits Over Hidden Russian Cash Behind Gas Deal in Trump Peace Talks https://www.rawstory.com/russia-alaska-gas/
Witkoff Faces Backlash for Calling Putin a "Humanitarian" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/steve-witkoff-putin-humanitarian-backlash/
Trump Signs Order Waiving Graham Act Sanctions on Russia https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-signs-order-waiving-graham-act-sanctions-russia/story?id=137341529
Trump Waives Graham Act Sanctions on Russia Before They Take Effect  https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-waives-graham-act-sanctions-on-russia/33878335.html
Initial Shipment of Russian Diesel Heads to the US After Trump-Putin Deal  https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/10/23/initial-shipment-of-russian-diesel-heads-to-the-us-after-trump-putin-deal/
Trump's Russian Diesel Is a Legal Hot Potato With a Five-Year Fuse https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Trumps-Russian-Diesel-Is-a-Legal-Hot-Potato-With-a-Five-Year-Fuse.html
A Requiem for Ukraine, and America  https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/a-requiem-for-ukraine-and-america/
Musk Accuses Ukraine of Violating Starlink's Terms of Service Following Dispute Over Coverage https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/25/europe/starlink-musk-violation-accusations-intl
Donald Trump Jr.'s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-wedding-bankrolled-russian-oligarch-umar-kremlev-putin

How do we take our democracy back from the oligarchs and build a livable future? When we're up against all the money in the world, what is our leverage? And what does an economy based on human dignity look like? Economist Isabella Weber joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the urgent answers in her new book, Anti-Fascist Economics: In Defense of Affordability, Dignity, and Democracy. 
Weber grew up in Nuremberg, Germany, an ancient city--important for the Holy Roman Empire--which is why the Nazis chose it to launch the Third Reich, with their racist Nuremberg Laws and fascist pageantry rallies. Witnessing the scars of that nightmare, she studied the history of how business elites empower fascism to crush workers and keep them in line. History repeats today with American oligarchs and high-powered law firms cozying up to Trump as his goon squad, ICE, disappears people off the street, and to concentration camps, and his regime weaponizes the government against dissidents and elections. 
We discuss the oligarchs' revolt of threatening to leave states that dare to force them to pay their fair share in taxes, how FDR won the war against wannabe oligarchs as a national security urgency of protecting democracy, the chilling legacy of Joe McCarthy's Red Scare, how to confront the weaponization of greed used by Russian oligarchs to hijack democracies, and much more. To listen to our full discussion, grab your discounted annual membership at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com – thank you to everyone who supports our independent journalism during these difficult times. It means a lot. 
Fight back with Gaslit Nation: Join our Halloween phonebank with Indivisible this Wednesday, October 28 at 6pm ET. RSVP here: https://indivisible.org/events/indivisible-and-gaslit-nation-halloween-phone-bank-party/
Help Ukraine make it through the winter. Bid on these items, including the chance to develop your own story with Andrea, to benefit Razom for Ukraine. Check out our silent auction here: https://givebutter.com/c/Gaslit-Razom/auction
Haunt Steven Bannon's nightmares with us. Pre-order Andrea's new book, A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire, from your local bookstore or BookShop.org. Forward your receipt to GaslitNation@gmail.com for a pre-order gift and a signed book plate to turn your first edition into a signed copy. Pre-order here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/
Program this voter protection number into your phone: 1-866-OUR VOTE // 866-687-8683 https://866ourvote.org/
 
Show Notes:
Anti-Fascist Economics, by Isabella Weber https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804175/anti-fascist-economics-by-isabella-weber/
Isabella Weber on Anti-Fascist Economics: https://www.isabellaweber.com/anti-fascist-economics
Germany's Far-Right Achieves an Electoral Breakthrough in Key State Election https://www.wunc.org/2026-09-06/germanys-far-right-achieves-an-electoral-breakthrough-in-key-state-election
Sheinbaum, Business Sector Agree to Lower Basic Food Prices https://mexiconewsdaily.com/?p=409456
Oil Companies Made $200 Billion in Profits in 2022. Here's How https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/03/03/oil-companies-made-200-billion-in-profits-in-2022.html
Address at Madison Square Garden, October 31, 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-madison-square-garden-new-york-city-1
Political Aspects of Full Employment, by Michał Kalecki https://mronline.org/2010/05/22/political-aspects-of-full-employment/
Mark Zuckerberg Makes Deal With Meta to Help Him Pay California Billionaire Tax, If It Passes https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2026/10/22/mark-zuckerberg-makes-deal-with-meta-to-help-him-pay-california-billionaire-tax-if-it-passes0
Meta Apologizes After Suspending "No Kings" Instagram Account https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2026/10/19/meta-apologizes-after-suspending-no-kings-instagram-account
Trump's DOJ Investigating Suspiciously Well-Timed Trades https://thedailybeast.com/trumps-doj-investigating-suspiciously-well-timed-trades/
Mysterious Trading Patterns Follow Trump Into War https://axios.com/2026/03/25/trump-iran-oil-insider-trading
The Rise of End Times Fascism, by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/13/end-times-fascism-far-right-trump-musk
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, Article 1 https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html
 
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com

We're opening today's Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm ET with a sneak peak at Matthew Cole's damning new book on Dutch intelligence hacking Jared Kushner and discovery that the corruption is so much worse than even we thought. Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East is explosive. Kushner and the whole Kremlin Klown Kar used illegal means to come to power and stay in power--they should be in prison.
Be a part of that conversation and join our live-audience Q&As every Monday at the Gaslit Nation at 4pm by grabbing your membership at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com -- thank you to everyone who supports our independent journalism. 
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com.