Letters from an American – September 13, 2025

Host: Heather Cox Richardson
Date: September 14, 2025
Theme: Exploring the roots and current manifestations of narrative manipulation in American politics, highlighting recent events and their broader historical implications.

Episode Overview

Heather Cox Richardson narrates a detailed account of ongoing attempts by the Trump administration and MAGA movement to assert control through the manufacture and propagation of false political narratives. Focusing on two current stories—the attempted removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and the rightwing response to the murder of activist Charlie Kirk—Richardson draws parallels between contemporary propaganda tactics and those used by historical rightwing figures. She warns of the real-world consequences when propaganda unmoors public discourse from reality, fostering division and violence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Manufactured Allegations Against Lisa Cook

• Main Story: President Trump is pushing for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook’s removal over alleged mortgage fraud—claims now disproven by evidence.
  • Cook properly declared a Georgia property as a “vacation home,” and did not apply for improper tax exemptions.
  • The original allegations were based on standard mortgage forms, which her application overrode.
  • Irony highlighted: Bill Pulte, the official accusing Cook, has family members who claimed improper residence exemptions themselves.
  • Insight: These accusations are part of a pattern of using false narratives to control government institutions.
  • Quote:

    “Trump hoped to use the allegations against Cook to advance his control of the Federal Reserve. Now, the revelation that those allegations appear to be false highlights the degree to which this administration is attempting to achieve control of the country by pushing a false narrative and getting what its officers want before reality catches up.” (02:40)

2. The Power and Danger of False Narratives

• Historical Parallel: Richardson draws direct lines from Trump’s strategy to Senator Joe McCarthy’s 1950s techniques: releasing false, inflammatory statements to control the news cycle and damage opponents, moving on before corrections can catch up.
• White House Attitude: Cites a Bush advisor’s 2004 assertion that “we create our own reality,” encapsulating the modern abandonment of reality-based politics.
  • Quote:

    “We are an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality judiciously as you will, we’ll act again, creating other new realities which you can study too, and that’s how things