Krystal Kyle & Friends (private feed for slynque@hotmail.com)

Episode 235 Audio: Ben Meiselas

In our discussion with Ben Meiselas, we touch on how Trump’s approval rating has only gone up among supporters since the resurgence of discussion surrounding the Epstein case. In other words, people performatively invested in "protecting children” and calling attention to high-profile sexual abusers are not bothered by Trump being an Epstein linked possible pedophile. Epstein has publicly said that he was Trump’s best friend for over a decade. What kind of information or insight is the MAGA cult missing that would actually make them concerned about Trump’s involvement?We also look at everything Trump has said that attests to his involvement in the sexual exploitation of young women and history of sexual harassment and abuse. Now, Trump is trying to divert attention away from any proof of connection to Epstein. The big question is whether he’ll get away with it. This article from the New York Times maps out how Trump’s most important allies, both inside and outside of his administration, are split over whether the base should allow him to demand we move on from his Epstein connections, or whether those connections deserve more scrutiny and public attention. With Ben, we dive into the political implications of that rift, thinking about Trump’s next few years in office and the potential (in)stability of the MAGA cult caused by polarization around this issue.Thanks for tuning in to KK&F. You can listen to this episode as a podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and other major streaming platforms. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit krystalkyleandfriends.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 234 Audio: Tommy Vietor

On KK&F this week, we’ve got Tommy Vietor on the pod to talk about the Dems’ Tea Party moment. About a month after he announced plans to “phase out” FEMA, Donald Trump is now scrambling to back up his policy after the recent flooding disaster in Texas — with over 120 now dead. We discuss the tragedy as one that was profoundly avoidable; nobody should have been abandoned to die by their government. As we get into during our conversation, the lack of preparedness for the floods is a system failure across every level of government, and one that will become more frequent as the climate crisis intensifies.Our conversation also covers how off-track Democratic electeds see from the actual positions of their constituents on important issues. Opposition to Israel’s genocide (and full support of Israel from most of our government) shows how disconnected from its voter base the Democratic Party has become. We critique the lack of a true opposition party to Trump’s fascist evils and consider what in our political system needs to change.Thanks for tuning in to Krystal Kyle & Friends. This episode will be available as a podcast when it’s released tomorrow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit krystalkyleandfriends.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 233 Audio: David Dayen

This is Episode 233 of KK&F, where we’re talking all things Big Beautiful Bill with David Dayen. The New York Times just released an article explaining how the hell a bill designed to gut our healthcare system and hike the debt ceiling is making it through the House and Senate. Totally absent from the considerations of House and Senate Republicans voting for the bill is any interest in the well-being of their constituents. Rather, they’re succumbing without any fight to Trump’s “charm offensive,” the epitome of shady back-room dealings.It seems almost hard to believe that these legislators, from the most powerful to the least, are willing to sacrifice their last shreds of respectability in the eyes of their constituents for a golf shirt. In this conversation with David Dayen, we lock in on how Republicans are caving to Trump without a fight and how the smallest and most frivolous of favors and gifts are enough to get them on board with what Bernie Sanders is calling “the worst piece of legislation in modern American history.”Thanks for joining us for another episode of KK&F. You can listen to this episode as a podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and other major streaming platforms. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit krystalkyleandfriends.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 232 Audio: Pastor Benjamin Dixon

Zohran Mamdani won big in New York, and Dems are having a meltdown about it. How dare a Muslim socialist focusing on helping working people win the class war prevail over a disgraced sex offender? Cuomo had dark money on his side and used it to spread a message of fear about crime and homelessness in the city, trying to scare people into voting for the status quo. Cuomo and the media also baselessly smeared Zohran as an anti-Semite for daring to criticize Israel’s genocidal attacks on Palestinians. But it didn’t work. New Yorkers want better for themselves and future generations, and their knowledge of Cuomo’s governance (and travails under the Eric Adams mayoralty) has left them wanting more than the same old establishment candidates have to offer.Also in this episode, Pastor Dixon brings our attention to a serious problem sweeping social media, especially X: violent rhetoric directed at the black community, pointing toward actual mob violence. He points to Grok’s assessment of this rhetoric on X, which predicted a 50 percent chance of targeted violence against the black community in the next 18 months and a 30 percent chance of mob violence in the next two years. It’s a terrifying and bleak time as we witness the encouragement of disgusting racism from the highest echelons of our government.We talk about this time and what the left can do about it in this week’s episode. Thanks for tuning in. Today’s episode is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit krystalkyleandfriends.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 231 Audio: Cenk Uygur

This week we sat down with TYT’s Cenk Uygur to hash out our disagreements on how to approach Trump 2.0. This debate comes in the midst of Trump and Netanyahu’s regime change war in Iran and as we await Trump’s final decision on whether we will start directly bombing Iran ourselves. Notably, a number of MAGA voices have vocally opposed direct engagement. Does this anti-war commentary represent a genuine rift in MAGA which can constrain Trump’s actions and peel off some of his committed base?When Krystal and Cenk last spoke in December (full convo here) Cenk expressed a sense of optimism that the the populist right and the bro comedians in Trump’s coalition would both hold him accountable and create the possibility of some genuinely beneficial outcomes. Has this prediction been vindicated? What ultimately is the most effective strategy to block the worst of Trump’s horrors, win elections, and end the rise of fascism in America? Krystal, Kyle, and Cenk get into all this and much more in a spirited debate. Enjoy!This episode is also available on major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit krystalkyleandfriends.substack.com/subscribe