NOTE: This is the last regular episode we will be cross-posting to Substack now that our RSS feed has migrated. Please join us over on Patreon and support us with a monthly contribution to get access to bonus episodes starting next month. (LINK)

Anthony Cumia was once one of radio's most prolific shock-jocks, best known for co-hosting "Opie and Anthony" from 1995 to 2014. In recent years, however, you're more likely to find Cumia mulling around the white nationalist movement.

This episode examines Cumia's life and career, exploring the significant impacts he had on comedy, entertainment, and politics during his professional peak. The program also chronicles the collapse of his media stardom, controversies that continue to plague him, and his relationships within far-right extremist movements.

Mike and Jared were joined by Matt [Redacted], whose last name was withheld to shield him and his otherwise normal life from potential blowback over this episode from Cumia and his cult following of super fans.

Matt is launching a new podcast soon, called "The Virus." Check that out!

~~~

Transition Music: "I'm Scum" by IDLES

Hannah Gais is a researcher and journalist who covers far-right extremism. She joins the show to look back on the white nationalist “alt-right” movement, eight years after the deadly Unite the Right white supremacist gathering in Charlottesville, Virginia. While the movement today is a shadow of its former self, the ideology that drove it seems as mainstream as ever. On this episode, we explore an uncomfortable question: did the alt-right accomplish its goals?

Links for Hannah:

• Newsletter: Posts from Underground

• Bluesky and X (Twitter)

Transition Music: "Precious" by Depeche Mode

Sign up for our Patreon now to get 50% off your first month: Patreon.com/PostingThroughIt

This has been a big year for “Posting Through It.” Since the January reboot, Mike and I have been overwhelmed by our listeners' support and how quickly the show’s audience has grown.

We now have about 10,000 subscribers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify alone. That so many people spend an hour each week with us is truly an honor, and it's validating to see how much people enjoy what we've worked hard to create.

We think it's time to kick things up a notch.

We're moving to Patreon!

We're stoked to announce that next month we'll start releasing two episodes per week. In addition to our public episodes every Monday, we’ll release a premium episode to our Patreon supporters every Thursday.

To listen to premium episodes, sign up for one of three membership tiers:

• Premium ($5/month) – Access to all weekly bonus episodes

• Platinum ($10/month) – Everything above, plus periodic "ask us anything" chats, an on-air shout-out, and exclusive pet photos

• Executive Club ($20/month) – Everything above, plus editorial input: sponsor a public episode with a custom parody ad (you imagine, we record) and assign a topic for a premium episode

Your support will help us continue making Posting Through It and allow us to explore new ways of expanding the show. If enough people sign up for Patreon, we also hope it will enable us to make the show ad-free. (If it takes a while to hit that point, Patreon supporters will get ad-free versions of those episodes in the interim.)

Note for Apple Users:

Apple charges a 30% fee on iOS in-app purchases. Before signing up on the Patreon iOS app, check if your payment method triggers Apple's 30% fee. We don't receive this extra money and can't refund Apple's charges. To avoid these fees altogether, subscribe using a web browser.

What’s happening to this Substack?

EDIT: We are going to try rerouting the RSS feed to Spotify for Creators (Anchor FM). We’ll post Monday’s episode here just to be safe, but if this works it will be the last episode distributed through our Substack. Please let me know if you experience any issues.

I'm still figuring out the best long-term solution for our RSS feed, which currently runs through Substack. For now, we'll keep using Substack's infrastructure to distribute public episodes to podcasting apps, meaning we'll be on both platforms during this transition. Premium episodes will only be available on the custom RSS feed generated by Patreon.

Moving a podcast involves some hassle. There are many available services but they all have their quirks. There may be technical hiccups as I work this out. Please let me know if you experience any issues.

Thank you for all your support. We're excited to show you what's next.

Onward,
Jared Holt

Mehdi Hasan, a journalist renowned for confronting power directly and dismantling opponents in political debates, joined Posting Through It to reflect on his viral appearance on "Surrounded" — a YouTube debate show that recruited him to argue against 20 "far-right conservatives."

Over nearly two hours, his opponents took turns sitting across from him and espousing racist bigotries, antisemitic conspiracy theories, and anti-democratic beliefs. When the cameras stopped rolling, Mehdi said one participant stood up and declared: "Left or Right, we all hate the Jews."

"No one said a word," Mehdi recalled.

The episode's explosive popularity (10.2 million views on YouTube alone) has reignited debates about "platforming" extremism and whether engaging with the far-right this way serves any constructive purpose. On this episode, we explore those criticisms with Mehdi, discuss his “hygiene tests” for debates, and explore why so many people who try to face off against the far-right end up failing.

Links for Mehdi:

• Check out Zeteo.com

• Read “Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking”

• Watch “7 Debate Lessons YOU Can Learn From My Jubilee Video”

• Follow @mehdirhasan on X and @mehdirhasan.bsky.social on Bluesky

Transition Music: “WILL U STILL U” by Jeff Rosenstock

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Share

Anna Merlan is a senior reporter at Mother Jones who covers disinformation, technology, and extremism. She joined us to discuss the Trump Administration's efforts to address the "Epstein Files" controversy and why calming supporters' anger over this issue has proven particularly challenging. We also explored how right-wing media has sought to downplay Ghislaine Maxwell's role in Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.

Links for Anna:

• Read her story in Mother Jones: How Does the Epstein Scandal End?

• Check out her book: “Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power”

• Follow her on Bluesky: @annamerlan.bsky.social‬

Transition Music: “Stars” by Hum

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Share

Dave Portnoy has leveraged his digital media empire — Barstool Sports — to amass so much political influence that there’s a term for it: "Barstool Conservatism." This episode retraces the story of Portnoy’s life and career to explain how he made millions combining sports entertainment, reactionary politics, and pizza reviews. It also reflects on Portnoy’s influence within the broader MAGA movement and “manosphere.”

Mike and Jared are joined by Robert Silverman, a feature writer who has covered Portnoy and his media empire at excruciating length. Practically everything you’ll hear on this episode comes directly from his reporting. (Listeners will remember Silverman from April’s “Who the Hell is Tim Pool?” episode.)

Links to Robert’s reporting:

• Inside Barstool Sports’ Culture of Online Hate: ‘They Treat Sexual Harassment and Cyberbullying as a Game’ (The Daily Beast, 2018)

• Barstool Sports ‘Hemorrhaging Money,’ Top Editor Flips Out at Writers (The Daily Beast, 2020)

• How Barstool Built an Empire by Swiping Sports Highlights (The Daily Beast, 2023)

Transition Music: “Sports” by Viagra Boys

Get 50% off your first Magic Mind subscription using the code THROUGHIT50 at https://www.magicmind.com/throughit50. #magicmind #mentalperformance

“Who the Hell?” is an unofficial longform series that examines the lives and careers of prominent right-wing social media personalities. Prior episodes in this series covered Jack Posobiec, Tim Pool, Candace Owens, and Nick Fuentes.

Ben Lorber is a senior research analyst at Political Research Associates. He joined the show for a discussion about the pro-Israel groups cheapening the real antisemitism affecting Jewish people by doing things like pick fights against children’s entertainers like Ms. Rachel and Elmo. How do we keep our moral compass steady against those who seek to wield it as a bludgeon to silence critics of the Israeli government?

Links for Ben:

• Read his book: “Safety through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism”

• Check out his work: Political Research Associates

• Follow his socials: X and BlueSky

Exit Track: “Hunger for Death” by PUP

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Hey gang,

I’m writing this morning because I was excited to be able to join Jonathan Capehart and Eugene Daniels on MSNBC this morning to talk about conspiracy theories and why they feel inseparable from our politics today. We also discussed how the Trump administration has incorporated those theories into its own policy priorities.

“This is an administration that has been written, is starring, and is produced by conspiracy theorists,” I told them. “You can look at personnel, whether it is Stephen Miller and the way he talks about immigration. Kash Patel [and] Dan Bongino, the way they talk about the deep state. RFK Jr., COVID, and so on.”

“There’s that saying that personnel is policy, right? So much of the Trump movement has been animated by this idea that Trump is some kind of political outsider against their core belief of a broad-arching conspiracy or these shadowy force in government. So, not only talking about it, but giving the perception of acting on it or in some cases legitimately acting on it, is like throwing a big T-bone steak to his base.”

Click here to watch a clip of my appearance

I was also proud to be introduced as a co-host of “Posting Through It” during this segment. I feel it speaks volumes to what we’ve already accomplished here since the reboot and how well it’s been received. Thank you for following along and listening to the show. We’re also grateful for everyone who has thrown a couple bucks in the tip jar to help us keep the project afloat. We’ve got a fun summer schedule planned and I can’t wait to share these upcoming episodes with you.

Have a great weekend, everyone! We’ve got another new episode hitting the feeds on Monday. Long live Posting Through It.

-Jared Holt

Will Sommer is a senior reporter at The Bulwark, where he authors the newsletter “False Flag.” A longtime chronicler of right-wing media, Will joins the show to discuss the fallout facing the Trump Administration as it backs off its promise to release the “Epstein Files.” After years of promising to unveil new information about one of the highest profile pedophiles in United States history, the administration has reversed course entirely — leading some MAGA movement figures to call for resignations of key administration figures.

Get 50% off your first Magic Mind subscription using the code THROUGHIT50 at https://www.magicmind.com/throughit50. #magicmind #mentalperformance

Links for Will:

• Subscribe to his newsletter: “False Flag” at The Bulwark

• Read his book: “Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America” via HarperCollins

• Follow him on X and Bluesky

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Share

Jeff Tischauser, an academic and researcher covering the “white power” movement, joins the show to talk about Patriot Front: a neofascist group known for it’s theatric flash demonstrations and plentiful propaganda. This episode walks through the early years of Patriot Front, scrutinizes its stated beliefs and objectives, sizes up what threat they actually pose, and examines why MAGA keeps alleging its members are “feds.”

The show will be off next week. We’ll return on July 14.

Get 50% off your first Magic Mind subscription using the code THROUGHIT50 at https://www.magicmind.com/throughit50. #magicmind #mentalperformance

Jeff’s reporting on Patriot Front:

• Patriot Front Timeline

• Patriot Front secretly using the active clubs network to sustain its influence

• Patriot Front Leader Involved in Fatal Utah Car Crash

• ‘We Will Fight!’ The Soldier Waging War Against America from Fort Liberty

• Extremist lawyer appears to be training Patriot Front members to fight

Outro Music: “It’s Alive” by Ratboys

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Mike and Tom — two folks from the anarchist media collective It’s Going Down — joined the show for a conversation about translating the mass appeal of anti-Trump protests into meaningful acts of antifascism against a far-right extremist government. The crew looked back on antifascist organizing in recent decades, discussed ways that anyone can make their activism materially impactful, and considered how the role researchers play has changed in the second Trump era.

Links:

• Website: It’s Going Down

• Podcast: “The Beautiful Idea”

• Social: Bluesky / Mastodon

• Unicorn Riot: Protest ‘Peacekeepers’ Shot Two People at a March in Salt Lake City. One Died, the Other Went to Jail.

Outro Song: “I Got Heaven” by Mannequin Pussy

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Mike and Jared say hello to the show’s new “Groyper” listeners then talk about Trump’s military parade, the murder of a Minnesota politician, media coverage of “No Kings” protests, Terry Moran’s exit from ABC News, and Democrats’ latest ploy to win new voters.

Links:

• Molly Ivins: The Fun’s in the Fight

Like this episode? Share it with your friends and followers!

Share

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Nicholas J. Fuentes is the most prolific white nationalist in America today, and he’s just 26 years old. The Chicagoland native’s nightly livestreams have earned him a cult-following of “Groypers” who have helped him push an entire generation of young Republicans toward racist and antisemitic ideologies. This episode traces notable moments in Fuentes’ life that made him what he is today.

Amanda Moore is a freelance journalist who has covered far-right extremist movements for national news outlets, including Mother Jones, The Intercept, and The Nation. Moore spent nearly a year undercover in far-right movements and draws upon that experience to inform her reporting.

Links for Amanda:

• Follow Amanda on social media: X (Twitter) / BlueSky

• Subscribe to Amanda’s newsletter: “The Turtle Diaries”

Share

Edward Ongweso Jr, a writer and editor who covers tech, labor, and finance, joined for an in-depth discussion about the artificial intelligence tech industry and Silicon Valley’s efforts to expand its political power. Industry leaders have promised that their AI products will catapult humanity in a new era, but how might these tools be used to surveil, oppress, and harm the rest of us?

Edward’s links:

• His newsletter: “The Tech Bubble”

• His podcast: “This Machine Kills”

• His socials: X (Twitter) and Bluesky

• Articles referenced:

  • Evgeny Morozov: “The True Threat of Artificial Intelligence”

  • Meredith Whittaker: “Origin Stories: Plantations, Computers, and Industrial Control”

  • Edward Ongweso: “AI, slavery, surveillance, and capitalism”

Transition Music: “NEVER ENOUGH” by Turnstile

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Subscribe now

Kim Kelly, a labor journalist and author, joined to discuss how unions and other organized worker groups are faring in today’s hostile political landscape. Kim also discussed modern metal music and current-day anarchist organizing. Before that, Mike and Jared talked about MAGA supporters souring on FBI leaders Dan Bongino and Kash Patel as they try to pivot away from “deep state” conspiracy theories, like those related to Jeffrey Epstein’s death in 2019.

Links for Kim Kelly:

• Her book: “Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor”

  • Young reader’s edition: “Fight to Win! Heroes of American Labor”

• Her articles: inthesetimes.com/authors/kim-kelly

• Her heavy metal newsletter: salvo.ghost.io/

• Her Patreon page: patreon.com/kimkelly

Outro song: “Enshrined in Concrete” by Glacial Tomb

Subscribe now

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Mike and Jared return from a week off to discuss Kanye West’s pro-Hitler song, a Minnesota woman’s big payday after calling a child the n-word, Trump Administration officials supporting racist conspiracy theories about “white genocide” in South Africa, and conservative personalities debating each other’s “woke-ness.” (Note: This episode contains explicit language, more so than usual.)

And, listeners… “it's just after 10 p.m. This is the adult tour, which means you can drink if you want and we can say whatever the HELL we want.”

Subscribe now

Throw a few bucks in our digital tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/postingthroughitpod

Candace Owens soared to right-wing media superstardom within weeks of posting her first YouTube videos in 2017. This episode reviews Owens’ life and career arc, exploring how someone who was victimized by racial hatred in high school became one of the MAGA movement’s most prominent — and most divisive — political commentators. This episode features exclusive comments from Candace Owens, provided through a spokesperson, and includes previously unreported details about her life story.

Madeline Peltz, a longtime researcher of right-wing media, joined Mike and Jared on this episode. Peltz’s first book “PICK ME: The Right-Wing Siege of Gender and Gen-Z,” will be published by Sourcebooks next year.

Links for Madeline Peltz:

• Bluesky: @peltzmadeline.bsky.social

• X/Twitter: @peltzmadeline

Transition Music: “Pharmacist” by Alvvays

Programming Note: We’re taking next week off. We’ll be back on May 19.

Subscribe now

Hannah Gais and Steven Monacelli join for a wide-ranging discussion about the state of Twitter (now called “X”) three years after Elon Musk first moved to purchase it. Since then, Musk has transformed the platform into a self-serving MAGA machine that is crowning a new generation of right-wing media royalty. Monacelli walks us through his reporting on one of the platform’s newer standouts — “Captive Dreamer” — as an example of who’s benefiting from the new status quo.

Links for Steven Monacelli:

• Daily Dot: “A Hitler-quoting ‘Aryan’ has the attention of JD Vance and Elon Musk—who is @captivedreamer7?”

• Bluesky: @stevanzetti.bsky.social

• Contact/Work: linktr.ee/Stevanzetti

Links for Hannah Gais:

• Bluesky: @hannahgais.bsky.social

• Newsletter: postsfromunderground.ghost.io/

Transition Music: “California Magic” by Goose

Teddy Wilson, a journalist and researcher, joins to discuss developments within the Radical Right since Trump issued pardons and commutations for every one of his supporters involved in the 2021 riot at the US Capitol Building — including extremist movement members and supporters — at the start of his second term. Mike and Jared take a trip down memory lane to reflect on the ways Republicans have come to embrace what happened that day.

Links:

• Teddy’s newsletter: radicalreports.org

• Teddy’s tracking of Capitol riot defendants: capitolriotmap.com

• Teddy’s account on Bluesky: @reportbywilson.bsky.social

Transition Music: “head empty blues” by Ekko Astral