Podcast Summary: The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3538 – How the Red Scare Forged Trumpism; Organizing Against ICE w/ Clay Risen, Chris Newman
Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Emma Vigeland (in for Sam Seder)
Guests: Clay Risen (New York Times reporter, author of Red Blacklists), Chris Newman (Legal Director, National Day Laborer Organizing Network)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the historical roots and chilling contemporary echoes of McCarthyite repression in today’s political climate, particularly under the Trump administration. The first long-form interview (with author Clay Risen) investigates how the Red Scare’s culture of surveillance, intolerance, and the targeting of dissent laid groundwork for political repression—especially against progressives, immigrants, and marginalized groups—in the present. The second (with Chris Newman) dives into the on-the-ground impacts of current immigration enforcement tactics, organizing strategies, and what listeners can do to support threatened communities.

Key Sections & Timestamps

1. Headlines & Context ([03:32]–[19:52])

• Political and Legal News Recap:
  • U.S. job cuts hit 1 million this year, worst since COVID ([04:32])
  • Discord among female GOP legislators and Mike Johnson ([04:52])
  • New inspector general's report slams Pete Hegseth for mishandling classified info ([05:29])
  • NYT sues Pentagon over press restrictions ([05:38])
  • Trump pardons corrupt developer, axes DEI at AT&T ([05:44])
  • CDC may drop hepatitis B vaccine for newborns ([06:09])
  • Democrats press DOJ on Epstein files ([06:28])
  • Israel bombs Gaza and Lebanon, violating ceasefires ([07:00])
  • Anniversary of Fred Hampton’s murder by FBI and police ([07:13])

Tone: Irreverent, sharp, and critical.

“The Trump administration's starting to leak like a sieve. They had a lid on this stuff for a little while, but they're worrying. The rats are scurrying here.” —Emma Vigeland ([08:19])

2. Deep Dive: The Red Scare’s Enduring Impact (Interview with Clay Risen)

[28:37] Interview begins

A. Historical Context for McCarthyism ([30:06])

• The Red Scare began with legitimate concerns over Soviet espionage, but these were weaponized to justify a broader crackdown on progressive ideas, the New Deal, labor activism, civil rights, and cultural tolerance.

“These fairly specific concerns that were counterintelligence, law enforcement issues became the pretext for a much more sweeping attack on progressive ideas... And I think that's one of the ways that it echoes today.” —Clay Risen ([30:50])

B. Parallels to Today ([31:34])

• Anti-communism quickly morphed into antisemitic, racist, and anti-labor hysteria—mirroring the Trumpist invocation of “outside invaders,” great replacement theory, and authoritarian culture war.

“There's no reason why that has to enter the conversation. And yet very quickly it did.” —Clay Risen ([32:19])

C. The Backlash Against Progress ([33:32])

• McCarthyism was fueled not only by anti-Soviet paranoia, but also by conservatives seeking to turn the clock back on advances for women, people of color, and cultural pluralism post–WWII.
• The “fight” against the New Deal as both policy and cultural order has never fully ended.

D. Hollywood and the Blacklist ([36:21])

• Real “elites” (studio owners/investors) benefited from suppressing labor activism and more socially progressive media. Ayn Rand’s role as intellectual architect of “depoliticized” Hollywood highlighted how cultural production was manipulated.

“The new Hollywood would not talk about wealth disparities, [not] civil rights... After the blacklist, the stories coming out of Hollywood changed for well over a decade.” —Clay Risen ([37:20])

E. Suppression of Liberatory Movements ([40:08])

• Women, Black Americans, and the emerging gay and lesbian community saw hard-won rights rolled back; the Red Scare justified purges under the guise of “morality” and “national security.”
• The “Lavender Scare”: targeting of LGBTQ government workers.

“Hundreds of people were fired simply because they were suspected of not following gender norms.” —Clay Risen ([42:00])

F. Binary Ideology & National Security as Pretext ([43:00])

• Leaving no room for dissent: “If you’re not with us, you’re against us.”
• Labor rights, civil rights, and social equality became synonymous with “subversion.”

“…It was then weaponized by people who, you know, saw it to their advantage to say, okay, in this column is going to be everything I like, and over in that column is going to be everything I don't like.” —Clay Risen ([43:00])

G. Parallels in Today’s War on Education ([44:45])

• The “Minute Women” of the Red Scare era prefigured today’s Moms for Liberty: anti-communist women organizing to purge schools of “suspect” books and progressive teachers.
• Educators were broadly surveilled and often purged for old activism or leftist associations.

“Great teachers were suddenly kicked out of the profession for spurious reasons. Right at the time when... we really needed great teachers.” —Clay Risen ([46:52])

[46:52] Interview End

3. Organizing Against ICE: Tools, Tactics, and Urgency (Interview with Chris Newman)

[48:54] Interview begins

A. ICE Escalation and Community Impact ([49:07])

• Massive spike in ICE raids, with a focus on non-criminal undocumented immigrants, especially day laborers.
• Targeting of hiring sites and public gathering places, motivating urgent on-the-ground organizing.

“It's fair to say that the day labor community has been terrorized... And I've never seen anything like the crisis we're facing.” —Chris Newman ([50:15])

B. Organizing Tactics & Community Solidarity ([53:00])

• “Adopt a Corner” program mobilizes local families and activists to monitor ICE raids, provide know-your-rights info, and create rapid response networks.
• Community accompaniment to ICE hearings, legal defense fundraising, direct action at major employers (e.g., Home Depot).

“I think people, you know... see communities coming together, organizing around individual cases, accompanying people to ICE hearings, raising money, passing the hat for legal defense...” —Chris Newman ([53:53])

C. Challenges of Political Response ([55:39])

• Contrasts between responses by governors and mayors: spotlights progressive action in Illinois vs. lagging leadership in California.
• Calls for a “scorecard”—policy over rhetoric—for Democratic leaders running for higher office.

D. Policy Solutions & Legal Interventions ([60:31])

• Sanctuary policies: bar local police from cooperating with ICE, as in California.
• Legal interventions: cities can proactively litigate federal overreach (e.g., military parades, ICE acting in defiance of local laws).
• Creative, affirmative lawsuits and rapid response organizing crucial.

“The best way to have better messaging is to have good policies. And the first and best policy that you can have is something that prevents local police and sheriffs and criminal justice from cooperating with ICE.” —Chris Newman ([61:08])

E. What Listeners Can Do ([67:20])

• Donate to direct legal defense funds (link in show notes).
• Volunteer for “Adopt a Corner,” distribute “ICE is not welcome” flyers to local businesses, join community response efforts.
• Stay informed and act locally: Community actions, even small ones, help fight isolation and build resilience.

“My biggest fear, Emma, is that there's a sort of thing that's happening where people aren't clicking on the links anymore because they don't want to get bummed out a little bit...” —Chris Newman ([70:03])

[72:02] Interview End

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Clay Risen on Echoes of History:
  “What happened during the Red Scare was the imposition of a real black and white ideology... that then was weaponized by people who saw it to their advantage.” ([43:00])

• Chris Newman on Hyperlocal Organizing:
  “The leadership that we're seeing... is coming from the streets and we're just trying to support that leadership.” ([55:05])

• Emma Vigeland’s Framing:
  “There's no national messaging from the Democratic Party about how immigrants are our strength… you don't hear that from the Democrats. And I want that to change.” ([59:43])

Episode Highlights

• Historical Insight: Offers a nuanced view on how the Red Scare set political and cultural precedents used by today’s authoritarian movements.
• Contemporary Parallels: Direct connections drawn between McCarthy-era tactics (blacklists, cultural panic, purges) and today’s Trumpist policy, especially on civil rights and immigration.
• Grassroots Mobilization: Practical lessons from labor and immigrant organizers, emphasizing the need for local action, legal innovation, and sustained solidarity.
• Urgency & Hope: Despite grim news, guests highlight powerful community defense and the importance of small actions.

Takeaways

• The playbook of repression and culture war from the Red Scare is alive in contemporary right-wing politics.
• Solidarity, vigilance, and active organizing—especially at the local level—are critical tools in resisting both governmental overreach and cultural rollback.
• Both interviews stress that while history rhymes, it’s grassroots action and policy innovation that will shape the next chapter.

For more information, links, and opportunities to take action, see the show notes and visit Majority.FM.

[End of Summary]