Podcast Summary - The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3556: “Empire Abroad, Fascism at Home, Trump's America” featuring Jeet Heer
Date: January 9, 2026

Overview

This episode examines the tumultuous start of 2026 under the Trump administration, focusing on the intersection of U.S. imperialism abroad and the rise of authoritarianism and state violence at home. Host Sam Seder and guest Jeet Heer (The Nation) analyze recent escalations: U.S. intervention in Venezuela’s leadership, paramilitary ICE crackdowns in major U.S. cities, and the mainstream media’s role in normalizing the new status quo. The hosts scrutinize Democratic leadership's passivity and the growing disconnect with their base, while also exploring some bright spots in progressive local governance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Foreign Policy: The Venezuelan “Coup”

• Trump’s Naked Imperialism ([28:10], [30:14])
  • Trump orchestrates a leadership change in Venezuela—without regime change, openly citing oil interests.
  • Quote (Jeet Heer, [30:44]):
    “Trump... will just say things out loud that normally would not be said out loud.”
  • Trump’s maxim: “We should have taken the oil” (Iraq, now Venezuela) moves from subtext to the official rationale.
  • Polls show Republican support for wars to seize resources has increased—Trump’s rhetoric leads base opinion.
• Privatization and Spectacle ([37:57], [38:27])
  • The spoils of Venezuela go not to the American people but to oil executives, hedge funds, and Trump cronies.
  • The move echoes “Iran-Contra in the open”—U.S. bypasses national interests for private profiteering.
• Imperial Retreat and Realignment ([40:21], [45:51])
  • U.S. appears to be ceding European, Asian spheres to Russia/China in exchange for dominance in Latin America.
  • Jeet Heer warns that history shows dividing the globe into imperial spheres breeds eventual conflict.
  • The urgent need for international cooperation (climate, pandemics) is being replaced by “fortress” mentalities.
  • Quote (Jeet Heer, [41:04]):
    “If humanity is going to survive in the 21st century, we’re going to need more international cooperation…”

2. State Violence, ICE, and Fascism at Home

• Escalation of Paramilitary Policing ([57:27], [58:32], [60:21])
  • DHS and ICE are now openly acting as a paramilitary force in U.S. cities, with recent killings in Minneapolis and Portland.
  • Scenes described as reminiscent of Fallujah or Gaza, with transferred military hardware and tactics post-Iraq/Afghanistan.
  • Quote (Jeet Heer, [58:32]):
    “In some ways what they’re trying to do is to turn Minneapolis into Fallujah or into Gaza.”
• Suppression and Blowback ([62:44], [63:15])
  • The domestic use of military-grade power is a direct consequence of imperial policy—a “blowback” effect.
  • Hometown resistance is growing; polling for abolishing ICE is at an all-time high, even in the absence of Democratic leadership.
  • Quote (Jeet Heer, [63:15]):
    “Once you get government agents shooting civilians, that actually does not tap down on protests... it is traditionally the way which protests kind of spread.”
• Democratic Leadership Paralysis ([65:10], [67:57])
  • Senate Dems (esp. Schumer, Jeffries) are criticized for weak, passive responses—demurring on ICE funding, using passive language about atrocities.
  • Fight Club senators (Warren, Bernie, Van Hollen, Murphy) are urged to take public oppositional fights.
  • Quote (Jeet Heer, [67:57]):
    “You have a gangster empire abroad... and also a gangster empire at home... and you put over Chuck Schumer as your public face... I don’t see how that’s a tenable situation at all.”
• Authoritarian Thresholds ([61:45])
  • The show hammers home the idea that the U.S. is through the threshold of authoritarianism—not merely approaching it.

3. Progressive Governance and Shifting Local Power

• Zoran Mamdani’s Agenda in New York ([07:00], [10:00], [13:30])
  • Newly-elected democratic socialist mayor moves quickly on universal childcare, free buses, and rent freezes—defying centrist naysayers.
  • The hosts highlight that rapid, bold, progressive policy is possible when leadership is proactive and organized.
  • Quote (Sam Seder, [13:00]):
    “Motivated reasoning for the status quo... meanwhile, Mamdani, fresh off of what was an unimaginable win... I would not have bet that he could move that quick.”
• Contrast with Democratic Establishment ([12:58])
  • The “let’s wait and see whether change is possible” mentality is eviscerated.
  • The transition team’s preparedness is lauded—a model for left governance facing national headwinds.

4. Media Complicity & Narrative Control

• CBS and Tony Dokoupil’s Performance ([108:04], [112:05], [121:29])
  • Hosts mercilessly mock the vacuous, centrist “both sides” approach used in mainstream news to describe ICE shootings.
  • Dokoupil quote, [112:05]:
    “But sometimes what matters most is what is yet to be said at all and what we all still need to hear... what we have not yet heard is one another.”
  • The refusal to directly condemn state murder or choose sides is equated with a cowardly moral abdication and normalization of fascism.
  • The show also highlights the demoralization among mainstream journalists who feel their institutions have been captured by non-confrontational, pro-regime corporate logic.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the obviousness of plunder ([30:44])
  Jeet Heer: “Trump... will just say things out loud that normally would not be said out loud.”

• On the material beneficiaries of empire ([34:17])
  Jeet Heer: “I have yet to see my oil check. I don’t think anyone listening to this program has personally profited from any of these imperial ventures.”

• On resource-based militarism ([44:25])
  Jeet Heer: “With Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and Mussolini’s Italy, what you saw is these countries wanted to be self sufficient, not trade, but they needed resources and that was the fuel of their militarism.”

• On the intersection of war and masculinity ([47:04])
  Jeet Heer: “Masculinity in decline is as important as the profit motive... the US needs to kick ass somewhere in the world because otherwise things aren’t looking that great.”

• On Democrats’ complicity ([67:57])
  Jeet Heer: “You put over Chuck Schumer as your public face... I don’t see how that’s really a tenable situation at all... that's the weakest link.”

• On paramilitary force at home ([58:32])
  Jeet Heer: “They’re trying to turn Minneapolis into Fallujah or into Gaza.”

• On the politics of false neutrality ([121:29])
  Tony Dokoupil: “It’s to find a way to live with people who are genuinely different from us, to try to be fair to them, and in doing so, make things better and keep things decent...”

  Reaction (Sam Seder, [123:45]):
  “Thanks, Smokey the Bear. Leave the park better than you found it.”

• On the risk of “waiting for the midterms” ([70:42])
  Sam Seder: “This is the stuff you look back in history books and go, this is where they made the mistake. You had a leadership that was just believing that the ship feels like it’s going to hold together.”

• On progressive base vs. leadership ([71:43])
  Jeet Heer: “Normie average Democrats are far more radical than they were in 2018 and even 2020... the real question is at what point does the party start to listen to its base, or does the base try to overthrow the leadership?”

Important Segment Timestamps

• [07:00]-[15:38]: Zoran Mamdani's progressive policy blitz and implications for left governance
• [28:10]-[45:51]: Venezuela coup, mercenary imperialism, and new American foreign policy paradigms
• [57:27]-[67:57]: Paramilitary ICE violence in U.S. cities; failures of Democratic leaders to resist
• [108:04]-[123:45]: CBS/Tony Dokoupil’s “both sides” take on ICE killings and media normalization
• [70:42]-[71:43], [64:27]: The stakes: Democratic establishment’s passivity as democracy is eroded

Episode Tone

The conversation is urgent, sardonic, and at times deeply frustrated. Sam Seder and his co-hosts blend rigorous critique with biting satire, often amplifying their points with incredulous humor and mockery (especially of mainstream news figures). Jeet Heer maintains a dry, analytical perspective, drawing upon historical parallels and big-picture assessments. Throughout, the mood is a mix of disbelief, anger, and a thread of hope in grassroots organizing and local progressive victories.

Conclusion

The episode paints a dire portrait of America in 2026: the open embrace of imperial plunder, the spread of state violence at home, and a sheepish, ineffectual political class more interested in process than in confronting encroaching fascism. Yet, the grassroots response—local progressive government, street resistance, and a restless Democratic base—offers a potential source of renewal. The show closes on the note that direct, public confrontation and bold organizing—locally and nationally—are now urgent imperatives.