This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss how Donald Trump is using the powerful mechanisms of government prosecution to reverse-engineer crimes supposedly committed by his enemies. They also cover his diatribe against Tylenol at the disastrous press conference on autism, as well as the echoes of past Red Scares in today’s free speech climate.
Joining the conversation is historian Beverly Gage, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning *G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century*, who provides insight into these historical parallels.
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### Notes and References from This Week’s Show
– Alan Feuer, Glenn Thrush, Maggie Haberman, and Devlin Barrett: *Trump’s DOJ Shut It Down*
– Paul Rosenzweig for *The Atlantic*: *A Most Profound Transgression*
– Andrew McCarthy for *National Review*: *Trump Proves to Be His Own Worst Enemy on Push for Payback Probes*
– David Frum for *The Atlantic*: *Trump Might Be Losing His Race Against Time*
– Lena H. Sun and Dan Diamond for *The Washington Post*: *Trump’s Escalating Attacks on Vaccines Shock Public Health Leaders*
– Megan Messerly, Tim Rohn, Dasha Burns, and Carmen Paun for *Politico*: *Trump’s Tylenol Diatribe Was Rooted in Frustration*
– Arthur L. Caplan for *STAT*: *Trump’s Antifa Executive Order Is Dangerously Vague*
– Ezra Klein for *The New York Times* (Opinion, *The Ezra Klein Show*): *Trump Is Building the Blue Scare*
– Renee DiResta and Clay Risen for *The Lawfare Podcast*: *Lawfare Daily: McCarthyism and Its Echoes in Modern Politics* (audio, 43 mins)
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### This Week’s Chatters
– **Emily:**
– Oliver Milman for *The Guardian*: “Hundreds plunge in Chicago River for first official swim in nearly 100 years”
– Chris Bentley for *WBUR*: “Swimmers race in the Chicago River for first time in nearly 100 years”
– **John:**
– *HGTV Magazine*: “Here’s the Story desk: Military intelligence: Ukraine hits drone factory in Russia’s Tatarstan”
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### Slate Plus Bonus Episode
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss the debate around Trump’s new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa workers. Will it score points or be an own goal for U.S. jobs? Tune in to hear their insights.
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### Gabfest Reads
In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author and Yale professor Judith Resnik about her new book *Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy*. Their discussion explores the history of the prison system’s use of punishments like whipping, how the practice came to an end, and more.
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### Contact Us
Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
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**Podcast production by:** Cheyna Roth
**Research by:** Emily Ditto
You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages [here](https://slate.com/political-gabfest).
https://slate.com/podcasts/political-gabfest/2025/09/politics-trump-and-rfk-jr-push-false-harmful-narratives-about-autism-and-tylenol?via=rss
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