Surviving Trump: Your Essential Guide to His Second Term

Season 2 Trailer- The Hypothesis

Send us a textSeason Two of Surviving Trump examines the coordinated effort behind Trump's second term and the role of Project 2025 in reshaping American democracy and political power.  Support the showBella Goode is a pseudonym — but the voice, research, and mission are all real. A Republican turned Democrat advocate in 2016, I was raised by middle class parents in Pennsylvania. I’m a former marketing executive, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner with an MBA from Wharton and a Master’s in Psychology from Penn. I spent decades telling stories in the business world; now I use those skills to connect the dots in American politics. I’m here because the truth matters — and because the stakes have never been higher. Surviving Trump isn’t lighthearted. It’s clarity, evidence, and a fight for the future of our democracy. Follow my blog on Substack bellagoodepodcast.substack.com

The Moral Project: White Supremacy and the Direction We Are Being Pulled

Send us a textIn this bonus episode launching Season Two of Surviving Trump, host Bella Goode names the ideology beneath the policies, chaos, and power consolidation of Trump’s second term.Season Two begins with a central hypothesis: fear of demographic change has become fear of losing power — and that fear is now reshaping governance in the United States. This episode deepens that hypothesis by identifying the moral worldview giving it direction.Drawing from a recent column by Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and longtime voice on democracy and power, Bella examines a series of questions that, taken together, reveal a consistent pattern rather than isolated actions. Why does the administration blur the line between democracy and despotism? Why does it align with authoritarian leaders abroad while targeting immigrants, Muslims, people of color, and diversity initiatives at home? Why are women of color in positions of power so frequently singled out for investigation or intimidation?Reich’s conclusion is blunt: this administration is not defending democracy. It is rejecting democracy’s moral foundation altogether.This episode explains that rejection through clear distinctions:White supremacy as the umbrella ideology — the belief that power and belonging should be ordered by race, and that hierarchy is natural or necessary.White nationalism as its political expression — shaping immigration, citizenship, and voting to preserve white dominance and answer the question: who is the nation for?White Christian nationalism as its moral expression — asserting religious hierarchy, gender control, and cultural dominance to answer the question: who is morally legitimate?These are not separate ideologies. They are interconnected expressions of the same hierarchy, operating politically, morally, and institutionally at the same time.The episode then connects this ideology directly to Project 2025, explaining how it functions as the moral project in written form — translating hierarchy into law, policy, and governance by redefining who belongs, who deserves power, and whose rights matter.Finally, Bella asks the question too often obscured by daily chaos and scandal: what if they succeed? What does life look like when hierarchy becomes law, rights become conditional, dissent becomes disloyalty, and democracy exists in name only?This episode is not about a single policy or moment. It is about direction — and the moral collapse pulling the country away from democratic equality and toward permanent hierarchy.Referenced column by Robert Reich:https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/after-almost-a-year-of-trump-ii-whats?r=5grhm5&utm_medium=iosAlso available:Season Two, Episode One — the first foundation episode laying out the core hypothesis of the season.Support the showBella Goode is a pseudonym — but the voice, research, and mission are all real. A Republican turned Democrat advocate in 2016, I was raised by middle class parents in Pennsylvania. I’m a former marketing executive, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner with an MBA from Wharton and a Master’s in Psychology from Penn. I spent decades telling stories in the business world; now I use those skills to connect the dots in American politics. I’m here because the truth matters — and because the stakes have never been higher. Surviving Trump isn’t lighthearted. It’s clarity, evidence, and a fight for the future of our democracy. Follow my blog on Substack bellagoodepodcast.substack.com

Fear of Change → Fear of Losing Power: The hypothesis behind Trump’s second term—and how this season connects the dots

Send us a textEpisode SummarySeason 2 of Surviving Trump begins with a clear question: Is the chaos of Donald Trump’s second term accidental, or is it intentional?In this episode, host Bella Goode explains why the daily flood of executive orders, court fights, immigration raids, and power grabs should not be seen as random. She argues that these actions are connected—and that they all point to a single goal: preserving White political dominance in a country that is rapidly changing.What This Episode ShowsThis episode lays out the central idea behind Season 2. Trump’s second term is not being run on impulse. It is being guided by a written plan called Project 2025—a 900-page document produced by the Heritage Foundation and longtime Trump allies. Although Trump denied any involvement with the project during the 2024 campaign, its authors are now inside the administration, and its proposals are being put into action.Project 2025 explains why so many policies move in the same direction at once. Mass deportations, attacks on birthright citizenship, voter suppression, court defiance, and the transfer of power to the presidency are not separate fights. They work together to control who belongs, who counts, and who holds political power.Who Is Driving the PlanThis episode introduces the people turning Project 2025 into policy, including Stephen Miller, Trump’s chief immigration strategist, and Russell Vought, the budget director reshaping federal staffing, spending, and authority. Working with a network of conservative operatives and institutions, they are using the federal government to lock in political dominance by changing the rules of democracy itself.What Season 2 Will DoSeason 2 focuses on one simple task: showing how Trump’s second-term policies connect to Project 2025 and how Project 2025 is designed to preserve white supremacy.Each episode runs 10 to 15 minutes (sometimes more) and focuses on one policy at a time. Bella explains what the policy does, who’s behind it, and how it is being enforced. She then shows how it ties back to Project 2025 and how it affects real people, communities, and democratic institutions.Support the showBella Goode is a pseudonym — but the voice, research, and mission are all real. A Republican turned Democrat advocate in 2016, I was raised by middle class parents in Pennsylvania. I’m a former marketing executive, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner with an MBA from Wharton and a Master’s in Psychology from Penn. I spent decades telling stories in the business world; now I use those skills to connect the dots in American politics. I’m here because the truth matters — and because the stakes have never been higher. Surviving Trump isn’t lighthearted. It’s clarity, evidence, and a fight for the future of our democracy. Follow my blog on Substack bellagoodepodcast.substack.com

Closing Out Season 1: A year of truth-telling, and a preview of what Season 2 will uncover.

Send us a textIn this bonus episode of Surviving Trump, Bella Goode closes out Season 1 — a year of straight talk about what’s happening inside our government, who’s driving the agenda, and how those decisions affect everyday Americans. Over 56 episodes, this season broke down Trump’s second-term plans with a singular  mission: expose the unqualified people running his administration and the egregious actions and policies shaping the future.Season 1 covered:the Pillars of Democracy (5 episodes)Donald Trump (6 episodes)Elon Musk (6 episodes)Tariffs (3 episodes)National Security (3 episodes)Trumps first 100 days (4 episodes)Project 2025 (6 episodes)Crypto and Corruption (5 episodes)NOAA and FEMA (6 episodes)Political Violence (3 episodes)ICE (6 episodes)Taxpayer Waste (1 episode)By the end of the year, the pattern was unmistakable: every action-all the chaos- fit into a larger strategy.Season 2 will explore this strategy —digging deep into Project 2025 and its ties to White supremacy. It uncovers the fear motivating the administration and its base: the recognition among many White conservatives that demographic change is about to threaten their political dominance.And, we will  show how this ideology becomes federal power — through redistricting, census manipulation, voter suppression, civil-rights rollbacks, loyalty purges, enforcement tactics, and propaganda built on grievance.Every episode follows the same goal: show how demographic fear becomes policy, from the White House down to local election offices- the very policies aimed at preserving a White America. This is information every American needs to understand.Season 2 premieres January 8th.Until then, Bella takes a break for rest, reflection, and time with family and friends.Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting this work.See you January 8th.Support the showBella Goode is a pseudonym — but the voice, research, and mission are all real. A Republican turned Democrat advocate in 2016, I was raised by middle class parents in Pennsylvania. I’m a former marketing executive, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner with an MBA from Wharton and a Master’s in Psychology from Penn. I spent decades telling stories in the business world; now I use those skills to connect the dots in American politics. I’m here because the truth matters — and because the stakes have never been higher. Surviving Trump isn’t lighthearted. It’s clarity, evidence, and a fight for the future of our democracy. Follow my blog on Substack bellagoodepodcast.substack.com

Episode 56: NOAA & FEMA — America’s Safety Net Under Siege

Send us a textTrump’s assault on FEMA and NOAA is leaving America weaker in the face of disaster. In this episode, Bella Goode reveals how mass layoffs, budget cuts, and political interference are tearing apart the backbone of our disaster response system. From privatized forecasts to untested AI replacing experts, the safety net we’ve always relied on is being dismantled in real time. Listen now to understand what’s at stake before the next hurricane, flood, or wildfire hits.Key Takeaways To Listen ForWhy NOAA and FEMA’s partnership has historically meant the difference between chaos and coordinationHow mass layoffs, budget cuts, and privatization are crippling weather forecasting and federal disaster reliefThe Trump administration’s push to decentralize FEMA and shift disaster costs to underfunded statesWhy overreliance on AI without human oversight threatens public safety during fast-moving crisesThe real-world consequences of a fragmented systemResources Mentioned In This EpisodeThe Heritage FoundationCenter for Renewing AmericaNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationFEMA Join the CommunitySubscribe to Surviving Trump on Substack to keep me churning. bellagoodepodcast.substack.comKnow someone who thinks Project 2025 won’t affect them? Share this episode. Help them see the full picture.Join me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SurvivingTrump?Join me on X  https://x.com/bella_good3658Join me on Linked In   Https://www.linkedin.com/in/survivingtrumpSupport the showBella Goode is a pseudonym — but the voice, research, and mission are all real. A Republican turned Democrat advocate in 2016, I was raised by middle class parents in Pennsylvania. I’m a former marketing executive, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner with an MBA from Wharton and a Master’s in Psychology from Penn. I spent decades telling stories in the business world; now I use those skills to connect the dots in American politics. I’m here because the truth matters — and because the stakes have never been higher. Surviving Trump isn’t lighthearted. It’s clarity, evidence, and a fight for the future of our democracy. Follow my blog on Substack bellagoodepodcast.substack.com