On the Media (WNYC Studios)

Episode: Donald Trump's 'Darth Vader' is Approving Thousands of Federal Layoffs. Plus, the Rise of Nick Fuentes
Date: October 24, 2025
Hosts: Brooke Gladstone, Micah Loewinger

Episode Overview

This episode of On the Media explores two major stories shaping the current American political and media climate:

• The powerful yet low-profile role of Russell Vogt (dubbed Trump’s “Darth Vader” and “shadow president”) in overseeing mass federal layoffs and advancing a hardline right-wing, Christian nationalist agenda within the Trump administration.
• The rise and influence of Gen Z neo-Nazi streamer Nick Fuentes, the Groypers, and the normalization of extremist rhetoric within parts of the right, including how this plays out in Republican circles and public discourse—plus debate on how both right and left handle the infiltration of bigotry into their respective movements.
• The episode also features a segment on recent threats to student press freedom in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests and administrative crackdowns at universities.

Main Segment 1: Russell Vogt and the Machinery of Mass Federal Layoffs

Guest: Andy Kroll, ProPublica reporter
Key Segment: [03:19–21:06]

The Federal Government Shutdown and Vogt’s Role

• Amid a government shutdown—marked by standoffs over health care and Medicaid—Russell Vogt, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), quietly announced the start of “RIFs” (reductions in force), i.e., mass federal layoffs (over 4,000 workers across agencies).
• Described by President Trump as “Darth Vader” (“They call him Darth Vader. I call him a fine man.” — Trump, [04:23]), Vogt is, according to Andy Kroll, “the shadowiest of the shadow presidents” in Trump’s orbit ([04:51]).

Vogt’s Power and Ideology

• OMB traditionally distributes congressionally appropriated funds; under Vogt, it has become the engine for Trump’s ideological agenda: freezing funds, mass layoffs, permanent program cuts ([05:23]).
• Vogt’s background fuses a “slash government at all costs mentality” with an explicitly Christian nationalist worldview ([07:00]).
• Career trajectory: From mailroom in Phil Graham’s Senate office (“the most hated man in America”) to advocacy at Heritage Action, where he attacked GOP “betrayers” and pressured the party to hew further right ([08:03]–[11:03]).

Vogt’s Philosophy and Strategy

• He views the current political climate as “the late stages of a complete Marxist takeover” of America ([12:08]), arguing the deep state is in enemy hands and praising mass layoffs and shutdowns as means to “save the country.”
• Notable quote, from a private 2023 speech:

  “We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected when they wake up in the morning ... We want to put them in trauma.” ([16:26], Vogt audio clip)

• Publicly couches budget-slashing as “eliminating the woke element” or “reining in weaponized agencies,” but practices selective largesse for Trump priorities (e.g., buying jets for Homeland Security) ([13:11–13:46]).

Legal and Constitutional Stakes

• Vogt’s maneuvers (mass firings, freezing congressionally appropriated funds) raise weighty constitutional questions—will the conservative-majority Supreme Court side with enhanced presidential power? ([17:26])
• Kroll:

  "He's dropped a grenade into this system." ([17:26])

• The broader project is to make the presidency vastly more powerful, with far-reaching effects even if and when control shifts to another party.

Long-Term Outlook and Federal Worker Response

• Vogt views his mission in apocalyptic, even religious terms—a war for “the future of Western civilization,” likened to America’s 1860s (the Civil War) ([18:29]).
• Federal workers, despite being traumatized, are finding solidarity and considering collective resistance:

  “There is solidarity among them ... I would not be surprised to see from collectives of federal workers speaking out to defend their jobs, their colleagues, and the civil service itself.” ([19:37], Andy Kroll)

Main Segment 2: Nick Fuentes, Groypers, and the New Right’s Extremism

Guest: Ben Lorber, Political Research Associates, author on antisemitism
Key Segment: [22:27–40:05]

The Groypers and Leaked Chats

• Breaking news: Trump’s controversial Office of Special Counsel nominee, Paul Ingrassia, withdraws after texts reveal racist, pro-Nazi comments ([22:30–22:42]).
• The leak of a Young Republican group chat containing explicit racism, Nazi praise, and incel rhetoric highlights the far-right’s seep into GOP spaces ([23:15–24:18]).

Nick Fuentes: Profile and Agenda

• Fuentes, Gen Z neo-Nazi and leader of the “Groypers,” pushes the right toward Christo-fascist, misogynist, and white nationalist positions ([26:41]):

  “He wants the conservative movement to reflect an exclusionary Christian nationalist vision... ban most LGBTQ expression... praised Franco and Hitler... sees Trump as just a start.” ([26:41], Ben Lorber)

• Fuentes calls himself a “tugboat,” aiming to drag the conservative movement “kicking and screaming” further right ([26:41]).

Normalization and Growth via New Media

• The Groypers provoke right-wing events, mainstreaming extremist positions (e.g., attacking Charlie Kirk for not going far right enough) ([27:31]).
• Post-Elon Musk takeover of Twitter/X amplified Fuentes and his followers, with antisemitic, white nationalist content spreading rapidly post-October 7th ([30:12]–[31:26]):

  “Once Elon Musk opened the floodgates, Nick Fuentes accounts had been reinstated... and the platform really became awash with even more hardline anti-Semitic and white nationalist content.” ([30:12], Ben Lorber)

• Fuentes’ brand thrives on outsider status, denouncing Trump and other right figures for not being radical enough ([28:42–29:53]).

Establishment Pushback and “No Enemies on the Right”

• The mainstream right publicly distances itself from Fuentes, seeing him as too toxic, though most agree with his views “85%” ([34:23]).
• Example: Ben Shapiro warning about the normalization of Nazi rhetoric in conservative circles ([36:34]–[36:46]).
• The policy of “no enemies on the right” among MAGA influencers discourages policing their own ranks, creating room for outright fascists ([36:59]).

False Equivalency and Antisemitism Across Politics

• The Democratic Party, too, recently confronted a candidate with a Nazi tattoo, sparking intra-party debate about redemption and root policies ([37:30–38:21]).
• Lorber clarifies, this is not a both-sides issue—the right is openly platforming bigotry, while the left’s incident is isolated.

  “This kind of anti-Semitism has always been implicit, at least in MAGA politics. And people like Nick Fuentes have been at the vanguard of trying to make it explicit.” ([39:18], Ben Lorber)

Main Segment 3: Student Press Freedom Under Attack

Guest: Gregorio Olivera Gutierrez, editor, The Retrograde (formerly The Mercury, UT Dallas)
Key Segment: [41:27–54:02]

Government Crackdown on Student Protesters and Media

• Student media groups, led by The Stanford Daily, are suing Trump officials, claiming international students are self-censoring due to threats of deportation for pro-Palestinian speech ([41:27]).
• Gregorio Olivera Gutierrez recounts the UT Dallas experience: after covering a police raid on student encampments (with SWAT and excessive force), The Mercury faced administrative retribution ([43:32–47:05]).

  “We thought, that's kind of insane. We have just seen the most violent event in campus history.” ([44:51], Olivera Gutierrez)

Censorship and Retaliation

• The cover of their special issue—juxtaposing students and riot police, blood spots, and the president’s email—prompted the demotion of their advisor and administrative accusations of “journalistic malpractice.”
• After resisting demands for prior review (pre-publication censorship), Olivera Gutierrez and staff were removed for alleged bylaw violations.

  “That's what journalism sometimes is.” ([48:16], Mike Hiestand, Student Press Law Center)

Aftermath: Student Journalism's Vitality and Resistance

• Striking Mercury staff founded a new independent paper, The Retrograde; secured student government support and community funding. Other Texas student journalists face similar intimidation, administration threats, or self-censorship ([51:50–53:13]).

  “We're in a cauldron because we're being boiled alive.” ([53:13], Olivera Gutierrez)

• On why student journalism persists:

  “Once you stop doing journalism, people can just act with impunity ... If it were up to them, we wouldn't be here.” ([53:27], Olivera Gutierrez)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Vogt’s Philosophy:
  “We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected ... We want to put them in trauma.” — Russell Vogt ([16:26], audio clip)
• On Administrative Power Grabs:
  "Vote has thrown a wrench, or as one person in our story put it, dropped a grenade into this system." — Andy Kroll ([17:26])
• On the Groypers’ Influence:
  “Groypers are all over the government, and everyone knows that there's groypers in every department, every agency.” — Nick Fuentes ([23:51])
• On Antisemitism in Politics:
  “This kind of anti-Semitism has always been implicit, at least in MAGA politics. And people like Nick Fuentes have been at the vanguard of trying to make it explicit.” — Ben Lorber ([39:18])
• On Student Journalism:
  “Once you stop doing journalism, people can just act with impunity.” — Gregorio Olivera Gutierrez ([53:27])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:19 – 21:06: Russell Vogt, OMB, government layoffs, Trump’s shadow presidency (w/ Andy Kroll)
• 22:27 – 40:05: Nick Fuentes, Groypers, normalization of extremism, holes in party discipline (w/ Ben Lorber)
• 41:27 – 54:02: Student press freedom, crackdown on protest coverage, new independent media (w/ Gregorio Olivera Gutierrez)

Tone and Style

The discussion features On the Media’s trademark blend of sharp skepticism and in-depth analysis, expertly balancing outrage with meticulous reporting and first-person narratives from sources inside the bureaucracy, new right, and student media.

Takeaway

This episode vividly unpacks how unaccountable power—wielded by bureaucratic insiders like Russell Vogt and cultural extremists like Nick Fuentes—can reshape government and public discourse. Yet, it also finds resilience: in the solidarity of federal workers and the reinvention of student journalism amidst censorship attempts. Through stories at the national and campus level, On the Media exposes both the architecture of new forms of repression and the creativity of those who resist it.