Why American Resistance Keeps Failing | Tad Stoermer

Why American Resistance Keeps Failing | Tad Stoermer

Americans are angry. Millions of people recognize the danger posed by authoritarianism. So why does opposition so often feel fragmented, exhausted, and ineffective? My guest this week is historian, Army veteran, and returning On Offense guest Tad Stoermer, author of A Resistance History of the United States. In his new book, Tad argues that Americans have been taught a version of history that encourages us to trust institutions, celebrate founders, and wait for change rather than understanding how ordinary people have actually resisted abuses of power throughout American history. We discuss: * Why so many Americans feel exhausted after a decade of political crisis * The difference between protest and resistance * What today’s opposition can learn from the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement * Why Tad believes “pacifiers” hold democratic movements back * What we’ve misunderstood about George Washington, the American founding, and the mythology surrounding both * Why resistance movements need a vision for the future, not just a reaction to the present * How ordinary people can identify their role in a broader movement for democratic change This is not a conversation about nostalgia. It’s a conversation about power, organizing, and what it takes to build something capable of confronting authoritarianism. As always, I end by asking the same question: What can you do to go on offense? Tad’s answer may challenge everything you’ve been told about how change happens in America. Follow Tad Stoermer: Tad Stoermer on Substack [https://substack.com/@tadstoermer] Buy the book: A Resistance History of the United States by Tad Stoermer [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/808100/a-resistance-history-of-the-united-states-by-tad-stoermer/]

How QAnon Took Over MAGA | Denver Riggleman

What happened to QAnon? Most Americans stopped talking about it after January 6. The headlines faded. The QAnon Shaman disappeared from the news. The movement seemed to dissolve. But according to former Congressman and January 6 investigator Denver Riggleman, QAnon never really went away. In this episode of On Offense, Kris Goldsmith sits down with Riggleman to discuss how QAnon evolved from an internet conspiracy theory into a broader political identity, why conspiracy culture remains deeply embedded in American politics, and what the January 6 investigation revealed about the networks and personalities behind the movement. Drawing on his book The Breach, Riggleman explains how conspiracy movements adapt, fragment, and survive—and why understanding those movements is essential for anyone concerned about the future of American democracy. Topics include: * QAnon and its lasting influence on American politics * The role of Mike Flynn and other influential figures * The January 6 attack and its aftermath * Radicalization, conspiracy culture, and political identity * How extremist movements evolve over time * What Americans still misunderstand about January 6 If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to On Offense on your favorite podcast app and visit OnOffense.Substack.com for additional reporting, analysis, and interviews.

How To Be a Dissident in Trump’s America | Gal Beckerman

Gal Beckerman, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of How to Be a Dissident, joins Kris Goldsmith to discuss conformity, authoritarianism, propaganda, and the pressures that cause ordinary people to stay silent while democratic institutions erode around them. But more importantly, they discuss what makes dissidents different — and the values, behaviors, and habits that shape people willing to resist normalization during moments of democratic decline. Drawing from dissident movements across history — and from the lived reality of Trump’s second administration — Beckerman argues that resistance begins long before politics. It begins with the refusal to normalize cruelty, corruption, fear, and obedience. Together, Kris and Gal discuss: * why authoritarianism depends on adaptation and exhaustion; * how propaganda reshapes identity and social behavior; * the psychological pressure to conform; * why some people comply while others “sit apart”; * the role of community and “neighborism” in resisting authoritarian politics; * why “hopeful pessimism” may be necessary for democratic survival; * and what integrity looks like in moments of democratic decline. This is a conversation about how human beings behave when institutions fail — and how we choose who we become in the process. Buy How to Be a Dissident by Gal Beckerman: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/816867/how-to-be-a-dissident-by-gal-beckerman/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/816867/how-to-be-a-dissident-by-gal-beckerman/] Subscribe to On Offense on Substack: https://onoffense.substack.com/ [https://onoffense.substack.com/] Subscribe to VALOR Media Network: https://www.youtube.com/@VALORMediaNetwork [https://www.youtube.com/@VALORMediaNetwork]

Why Fascism Keeps Coming Back in America | Omer Aziz

Omer Aziz, author of Shadows of the Republic: The Rebirth of Fascism in America and How to Defeat It for Good [https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889836643/Shadows-of-the-Republic], joins Kris Goldsmith to discuss why fascism in America cannot be understood purely as an electoral or political phenomenon. Drawing from history, media culture, masculinity, religion, and modern online radicalization, Aziz explains how fascist movements use spectacle, identity, belonging, and entertainment to recruit followers — and why democratic movements consistently underestimate those forces. Kris and Omer discuss the rise of right-wing influencer culture, the collapse of civic institutions and “third spaces,” the radicalization of young men, why Trump may ultimately be remembered as a symptom rather than the endpoint of a broader movement, and why defeating Trump electorally will not be enough to defeat the conditions that produced him. They also examine: * the relationship between fascism and spectacle * Joe Rogan and the entertainment ecosystem surrounding MAGA * why fascism appeals to some marginalized groups * propaganda and media normalization * anti-fascism as community and purpose * the dangers of complacency after electoral victories * how democratic movements can begin rebuilding civic culture from the ground up Omer Aziz is a writer, lawyer, and former foreign policy advisor. He is the author of Shadows of the Republic and Brown Boy, and his work has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper’s, The New York Times, and the Boston Globe. Subscribe to On Offense with Kris Goldsmith on Substack: https://onoffense.substack.com/ [https://onoffense.substack.com/]

How to Save Our Democracy | Tim Heaphy, Jan 6 and Charlottesville Investigator

Former January 6 investigative counsel Tim Heaphy joins Kris Goldsmith for a difficult conversation about whether American democracy still works — and whether it can survive what’s happening now. Heaphy, a former U.S. Attorney and author of Harbingers and the forthcoming We Are the Answer: How to Save Our Democracy [https://steerforth.com/product/we-are-the-answer-9781586424565/], helped lead major investigations into both the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally and the January 6 insurrection. But this interview isn’t about revisiting history. It’s about the present moment. Kris and Tim discuss the Trump administration’s indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and the Southern Poverty Law Center, the weaponization of the justice system, political violence, disinformation, institutional collapse, accountability, and whether Americans should still have faith in the systems meant to protect democracy. Throughout the conversation, Kris challenges Heaphy’s core belief that institutions can still function if enough people stay engaged. Can democracy be repaired? Or are we already past that point? Links: * Buy We Are the Answer: How to Save Our Democracy by Tim Heaphy [https://steerforth.com/product/we-are-the-answer-9781586424565/] * Subscribe to On Offense on Substack [https://onoffense.substack.com/] * Support Task Force Butler Institute [https://www.taskforcebutler.org/] * Support Veterans Fighting Fascism [https://www.veteransfightingfascism.org/]