Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

We are resharing this episode, which originally published on May 6th, 2025. You’ve probably seen footage or photos of people protesting the Trump regime. Some data suggests that the volume of protestors is higher than in Trump’s first term. But at the same time, you might be wondering if we’re seeing enough civil resistance to preserve American democracy. Our guest this week is one of the authors of a study that found that just 3.5% of the population taking to the streets is enough to block authoritarian takeover. Erica Chenoweth is a political scientist at Harvard. They join to discuss historical and contemporary strategies for protesting, democratic backsliding, global comparisons and more.

Amid all of the political turmoil and global crises, one source of hope stands out: our ability to power modern life with zero emissions. Scientists warn that to limit global warming, emissions need to be cut significantly in the coming years to reach net-zero by mid-century. Bill McKibben, founder of climate justice organization 350.org [http://350.org/] and Third Act, joins WITHpod to discuss his new book "Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization," reasons he's optimistic and more.

When President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on all Chinese imports, China retaliated back with tariffs of its own. Since February 2025, the US and China have engaged in a renewed trade war – and to this day, no agreement is in sight. Bill Bishop, a China expert and former media executive with more than a decade experience living and working in China, joins Chris Hayes to unpack the state of US-China trade relations under Trump 2.0. This conversation was recorded on July 29, 2025. Tickets are on sale now for MSNBC Live [https://www.msnbcevents.com/] – our second live community event featuring more than a dozen MSNBC hosts. The day-long event will be held on October 11th at Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. To buy tickets visit msnbc.com/live25 [https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-live-25].

This week, President Trump called Baltimore “so far gone” amid the deployment of the National Guard in DC. In reality, Baltimore has seen record low rates of violent crime the past few years. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joins WITHpod to talk about the perception versus reality for crime stats in in Baltimore, the city’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan and more. Tickets are on sale now for MSNBC Live [https://www.msnbcevents.com/] – our second live community event featuring more than a dozen MSNBC hosts. The day-long event will be held on October 11th at Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. To buy tickets visit msnbc.com/live25 [https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-live-25].

Author and journalist E. Jean Carroll successfully sued Donald Trump in two civil suits, one for sexual abuse and another for defamation. The two suits resulted in a total of $88.3 million in damages awarded to Carroll, both of which are under appeal. She has written five books including her latest, “Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President." She joins WITHpod to discuss suing Trump, advice she has for young women and more.  Tickets are on sale now for MSNBC Live [https://www.msnbcevents.com/] – our second live community event featuring more than a dozen MSNBC hosts. The day-long event will be held on October 11th at Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. To buy tickets visit msnbc.com/live25 [https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-live-25].