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Chris Hedges on Trump, Epstein and the decline of American democracy | UpFront
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- Published on Mar 5, 2026
- One year into Donald Trump’s return to office, a wave of hardline actions - from volatile ICE raids to growing concern over political pressure on the media - has raised alarm about the expansion of the president’s power.
Then with US midterms approaching, attention is turning to whether there is any meaningful challenge to Republican grip on Congress.
So what happens next?
This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill speaks with journalist and author Chris Hedges about Trump’s second presidency and whether US democracy is on the decline.
#donaldtrump #gaza #epsteinfiles #epstein #democracy #uspolitics #ICE #chrishedges #aljazeeraenglish
Enlightening interview, thank you Al Jazeera and to the brilliant Marc Lamont and Chris Hedges
Hedges is a national treasure
Yes, but certainly hope he's gotten hip to the idea that Jimmy Dore is a plant; a GOP-Op and will refrain from communicating with him in the future.
@JamesMcCain-r4q5k
Don't forget his debate/phone call with Sam Seder in 2016. He said "vote for Trump and destroy the DNC".
Sam asked him about SCOTUS and those implications. "What if Trump gets 3 SCOTUS picks?" and JD's reply was "There's a better chance that the moon will fall into Lake Michigan".
Wow!
This was when JD was making his big pivot towards all of that libertarian $$$.
@Quietstorm9 my sentiments exactly!!!
No, he IS NOT a national treasure! ... "national treasures" DO NOT sell out their followers ...
Can't imagine anybody following Hedges as closely as I these past 20 years ...
And the perpteuation of this sacred cow as a pillar of virtue infuriates me and it should infuriate you also ...
I've got at a dozen examples of duplicitous comments (some pretty nasty) by this shape-shifting opportunist ...
Here's just one: ... KK & Friends podcast on SS, JAN 1, 2022, EP 54, go to the 1h 08m 48s mark ...
After preaching direct confrontation to tyranny for the past 20 years and saying "the constitution remains a sacred document", he refused to stand with us against the illegal and unconstitutional mandates and passports ... and just 30 days after the FDA FOIA release revealed 1,223 deaths and 25,000 medically verified injuries during the first 90 days of Fzr's trial, he said: "I don't think we can end the pandemic or the mutations until EVERYBODY gets vaccinated" ... so be aware that we're nothing more than clicks to this man, he does not give a hoot about us! ...
I've got more, much more ... all ya gotta do is ask!
@douglascarlson9006 Are you disappointed in his discussing the corporate greed around the events? He held deep distrust against the pharmaceutical companies and claimed they put profits before safety. You guys keep singling him out for some reason.
This age of the new totalitarianisms requires Chris. He is one of the very few voices whose critical intelligence is capable of making a moral judgment about the decline of society. He is vital. And I listen and read him because he is now vital.
There are plenty - and many much clearer- voices whose critical judgement is capable of meeting the moment, but with more rational, realistic, and optimistic conclusions than Hedges' bleak ones.
@LarryGardewho are the voices you are reading at the moment?
In 1991 John Pilger wrote - "They will not wear brown or black shirts, pin stipes will do." he also talked about Vichy journalists
Brown shirts are roaming the streets right now
2012. Hedges gave an interview to CSPAN (it's on RUclips): “The American empire is over and the descent will be horrifying.”
Jesus, I knew he was right. I never imagined HOW right.
Wow
Yes, I recall reading his book empire of illusion circa 2014 and recognizing the truth in his words. Seeing those premonitions come to reality so vividly has indeed been horrifying to see.
Omg, was that the interview he did that lasted like 3 hours on book tv? That was the first time I ever heard of him. A friend watched that interview and then sent me the link. I think it's fair to say that watching that changed my life. I was angry/uncomfortable with some of the things he said, but he was so compelling and always had facts to back it up. He broke my cognitive dissonance, lol.
As it should. The US is a failed democracy ran by migrated Europeans. Even non trump supporters struggle to clue in on this part.
@neveramember That's exactly it.
I had just gotten out of an absolutely HORRIFIC experience in my career.
I was unemployed. Sleeping on my sister's couch. And doing a lot of hiking to stay sane.
I listened to that during a hike and thought "Whoa...my recent experience was just an symptom of a much greater disease."
Great interview! Hedges knowledge of world power, politics, history, societies, economics, etc is phenomenal!
Call him Jesus.
Chris Hedges is a very valuable voice.
Exposing to light the abuse of power is so fundamental, yet ignored by the corporate media. Chris is absolutely right that the MSM are busy talking about the figure of Trump yet are professionally negligent by their avoidance of his power connections and consequences.
@chrisd2896 You can barely trust any media back by advertising corporate products. At best they specialize in sophistry.
What a great man Chris hedges is
Yes, he’s a modern day Jesus Christ!
@ceebrown8157 I named my three children (Chris 1, Chris 2 & Chris 3) & my German Shepard Chris after Chris hedges.
Just remember one simple aspect to protect democracy anywhere. "If roads fall silent, Parliament will become a vagabond." It means that constant public vigilance, peaceful protest, and grassroots action are essential for keeping the government accountable. Without pressure from the people, elected representatives could lose their way and disregard public interest.
Lamont is a very good interviewer - only mild steering of the guest and never upstaging. A journalists journalist.
Chomsky, what a disappointment.
Money got to him. Dude was dangling 275k in front of his eyes. Still, disheartening.
Chomsky was a military asset. He was never good. He did have courage and told the truth about the US imperial war machine. That's it.
Did you read his wife‘s statement?
@TonySmith79that’s it?
That’s huge!
Chris is covering for him.
It’s so bad that even a Chris Hedges analysis barely scratches the surface
Horrifying!!!
When the news starts asking “questions” it is a PSA.
Chris Hedges should disavow Chomsky. I've read the emails and seen his arrogant response. Chomsky now turns my stomach.
But he is his friend...🙄😵💫🙄 @17:09
you cannot separate a jew from the files. They are all over them.
@DiamondBodyFoundation
I don't care how good of a journalist you are if you're down with anyone in the pedocabal you better reconsider.
@jdotsalter910 actually the purpose of journalism is to analyse the facts, which he obviously hasn't done yet. your lack of 'care' is part of the problem not the solution. a measured response to corruption is called for particularly at high levels of power otherwise you are dead, literally. real journalists watch their words for many reasons. you seem naiive and arrogant. good luck doing something useful with your anger, not just advertising how righteous you are on a yt video comment section. ✌
@DiamondBodyFoundation
I'm not a journalist.
Neither is Chomsky. Never has been.
Hedges *is* a journalist who seems to be looking away.
Decidedly depressing
Good long form interview. Covered a lot of ground. Thanks.✌
Gah, two interviews with Hedges I watched this week. This first he cast so many aspersions against China (say what you will, but they've gotten here without perpetrating a fraction of the imperialism the United States has and that's an example we need). Second, he waves off Chomsky's involvement with Epstein, saying, "I'm a friend of Noam's." Wtf is going on?
Edit: Hedges did just publish with ferocity on his Substack about Chomsky
Thank you for your edit. ❤
China is a hyper authoritarian police state that imprisons and murders dissidents, and has been at the forefront of implementing wholesale surveillance technology, which has been used against their own citizens. I'm sorry, but as a committed Socialist which Chris is, why wouldn't you cast aspersions against China?? They have no respect for Democracy whatsoever. And secondly, yes he is/was a friend of Noam's, but go and check his yt channel where he's uploaded a video essentially condemning his actions and saying there's no excuse.
Yes but they've gotten here with dollars not yens. If there wasnt a big imperual market you coukd kiss the China market goodbye.
Hedges’s clarity is astounding and refreshing
Thanks Marc LaMonthill and Chris Hedges for being Awesome people... and doing Awesome work !!!
They think "No iD" to vote is okay! Its a racist insult to say certain groups are incapable of getting iD!
Aimé cesaire is the key there! Fascist is nothing but the return of cruel colonialism, to home.
Thank you for this, it was good to see Mr. Hedges answering questions instead of asking them.
I have never watched a better introviewer than Marc Lemont Hill..
@gracenapier4237 Mark was the guest speaker for MLK a few weeks in Madison Wisconsin. I was the photographer of the day. It was one of the best speeches that I've ever heard.
Philadelphia proud!
Thanks for the opportunity to hear the incomparably astute Chris Hedges. Great show.
Thanks for this interview.
isnt this the cheese cake factory guy? lol
Great analyzing
Powerful conversation! This is how the world is now. Educated red flags of history. We are in a bad place internationally unfortunately due to America.
“Fair and free”
Two words that do not apply to modern times.
I have not watched this often. I am so impressed with both of you.
USA 🇺🇸 Trump is following India 🇮🇳 modi politics and dictatorship
F india
The dismissal of Chomsky and Epstein is vile. I don't care if he's your friend. He shouldn't be any longer.
🎯
He made a statement on Substack today.
@-moumou- I read that. It should have been his initial reaction, but he got it out there quickly
@D@David-rg5cwwonder if these comments have anything to do with it as he released this episode and his Chomsky comments to Substack at the same time…
@-moumou- saying what?
In this interview Hedges pitched the idea of a general strike being one of the only effective means of resistance to the oligarchy. Maybe a general strike would work, but it would have to be a sustained nationwide shutdown. The January 30, 2026, general strike called by students in Minneapolis, really only saw some solidarity in Seattle, Minneapolis, and West Virginia.
Also, the US has never had a real general strike. The Oakland General Strike of December 1946 only involved about 130,000 retail workers in Oakland, California. France seems to have them annually, and big unions like the railroad workers can usually count on the solidarity from other big unions, but commerce still goes on. For example, the 1995 general strike in France saw approximately 6 million transportation workers and civil servants walk off the job. (They were protesting Chirac's attempts to cut social services and balance the budget.) However, in a population of 60 million souls, 6 million workers taking a few days off doesn't really add up to a grève générale.
Most forms of civil disobedience are ineffective. Thoreau's refusal to pay his poll tax in 1846 got him thrown in jail for one night -- until his aunt paid the tax to bail him out -- but the Mexican-American War (1846-48) went ahead as scheduled. My participation in the big anti-war protest in San Francisco in early 2003 -- along with about a million other Americans -- did not stop Bush's Iraq war from starting a couple weeks later. Occupy Wall Street, in the autumn of 2011, had some effect, when they were actually occupying Zuccotti Park, because that annoyed the park's owners, Goldman Sachs, and inconvenienced a lot of financial workers at lunchtime. But as soon as the movement stopped taking up space downtown, they lost any leverage they had.
The most effective protests I was ever involved in were Transportation Alternatives' blockages of the avenues in Manhattan in the early 1990s. Mayor Rudy Giuliani had closed the bike lane across the 59th St bridge for construction, and TA wanted it open. So TA called out the bike messengers and various mounted idiots, like myself, to slow-roll the avenues at rush hour. The bike jams could be called a day, or a few hours, ahead of time. The cops never knew where we would strike next, and it only took a few hundred bikes to slow traffic to a crawl. These bike-jams were the precursor to the Critical Mass rallies that became popular across the country about 15 years later. TA pulled this stunt a few times in a month, and the mayor relented. The bike lane across the bridge stayed open all during the years-long project.
For a general strike to be effective, it would have to cause a massive stoppage of business and government. The only thing that came close to that was the pandemic in March of 2020. Everyone stayed home that month. Airports were empty, train stations were empty, offices were empty and the roads were mostly deserted. Globally, share prices plunged by about 34%; oil prices dropped by 60%. A work stoppage of that scale would force business and government to capitulate on any issue. But to recreate almost total non-participation in an economy like ours, you have to make people believe that their lives depended on staying home.
Great interview, both of you are greatly admired as intellectual and himanitarian titans from all people of conscience across the world
Incisive. Powerful. Right on. It,s time to re-think. Ty
This is so dire, I feel like we have no way out of this situation and I don’t have enough money to just leave the United States.
Another great conversation!!!
Trump doesn’t need to worry about the elections but he does need to be held accountable for raping children and the baby deaths associated with the Epstein files.
Just read the piece in The Guardian by Jason Stanley "Opinion | State violence against Black Americans laid the groundwork for fascism"...this interview's guest brought up Aime Cesaire's Discourse on Colonialism referenced in that article.
Agreed. There is nothing happening now that hasn’t happened to Black Americans.
It’s amazing that people in a country built on genocide and slavery are surprised that we’re morphing into fascism.
That and US foreign policy. There is no distance between US Foreign Policy and Domestic Policy
I read Césaire (en français) for my undergraduate. This situation is not new to any population who has encountered settler colonialism. Now, it’s colonialism visited upon the white population.
Thank you Marc and Chris! You are both gems
You ain’t low Marc! 😂 love the duality
There's a lot of smart people in the country but we're missing wisdom, which people like Hedges provides
I can’t watch this interview until they take the contour off of Dr. Hill’s face lol
Chomsky isn’t a friend you should have after everything came out 🧐
The Phoenix Program have come home to roost. DHS is a carbon copy.
Great interview! JBP
Great interview
Thank you for having Chris on again
I thank God that I stumble upon such gems immediately.
America demands an alternative policy and policy makers that puts domestic interest before foreign interest.
Both parties are 💩….we as tax payers should see this by now unless you are a sheep with a blindfold on. This USA government system is so corrupt beyond fixing.
@lm292000 when did the democrats hire masked guys?
I've never heard the democratic party explained in this way before, Pelosi, Jeffries, and Schumer controlling the leadership and money.
All scum
So Israel has bought the American government. Bought and paid fir with their own taxpayers money. Americans, how do you feel now? They even may have tried to setup another fascist government, just like Hitler. Let’s hope they never find out what the true core of Epstein operation is….! It’s all quite apocalyptic isn’t it…. Like the man said, the more they try to stop the story the more lefs it grows. It’s a modern perversion of the Medusa story…! 😮
I applaud Marc for his versatilty with being able to participate and faclitate various topics of conversations.....hes on this channel and does the JBP
About women and girls being molested, raped, “compromised”- females are constantly being victimized in Western society, and in Most societies. As a woman who was molested as a 12 yr old, you feel mostly ashamed of your experience, as if you called it upon yourself- for smiling too much or being friendly, Not for being seductive or anything like that. People don’t readily believe you. They think you are exaggerating. You learn, overtime, to forgive yourself. The guilty parties almost always get away with it.😢
I love listening to Chris Hedges analyses.
Thanks for mentioning Modi too.
Great interview with Chris Hedges…. Depressing… but grateful to learn from him
Amazing interview. Chris needs to be heard way more than he is now.
It's so sad to see Marc Lamont Hill hoping for Democrats to be the big boys in the room. It's really sad to see.
I agree. Democrats created ICE and universal police body cams. I will never vote Blue again, Green for me only
@stretchasmr7688 - Might as well make your polling place the trash can if you’re going to throw your vote away.
@ace1daIn my wildest fantasies, I dream of every American calling bs on the entire system & refusing to vote.
It's painfully clear that we can't vote our way out of this total corruption.
He is a good Brother and super talented in politics, but has no vision and spiritual strength to power it. The Democrats have a special spell on bookworms.
he's teeing chris up. are you people simple?
Great episode!
Hedges is pure gold. Thanks for the interview.
Thank you Mark for this enlightening interview with Chris
Chris is the voice we so desperately need to hear and listen to today! His books are outstanding! Thank you for this interview.
Great questions!
Genocide is us..........but will we face it, and change ourselves, radically, in time??? If what is happening in Gaza doesn't make you ashamed, sick and outraged...you are still part of the imperial world order. In these days, it means your vulnerable to the death squads, as they come home from foreign crimes.
Germaine Greer famously wrote that, “Women have very little idea how much men hate them.” An Increasing number do.
Also Noem always had disdain for women.
i made that point about chomsky as well for a long while. You cannot hold an academic position for that long without being heavily misogynistic.
Imo greer is a symbol of women who subjugate and demean other women using the power structures which work to rape women. She is a faux feminist. But you are right, more women are realising how systemic abuse in our culture works.
I'm a proud misogynist. ❤
This doesn't mean I don't love women. I do. I just see the reality of what they are. Take them on those terms. I do not pretend they are something they are not.
And I still question if the majority of females should have ever been given the vote . Feminism , especially late stage , was a attempt to pretend women were something they simply weren't. Even the women often disliked feminism. But ultimately. Feminism freed men . It did perhaps more to free men than anything to benefit women.
Problem became the damage on society and culture from feminism. And the male / female tensions increased , relations became destructive. Family units damaged. Feminism was destructive . And a lie
Great interview. Very informative. Thank you.
I am generalizing with this take but it appears the fall of empire stems from the flaw of human nature. The allure of greed leads to corruption that results in the demise of empire.
the GOAT! we need part 2
Capitalism is the root of all problems
as an economic and political system it works better than any other.
@jeffnorris8848 people living under feudalism or under ancient slavery also believed their system was the only one that would ever exist
WOW it is working soooooo good right now get out of here bot
@Quietstorm9That’s not really the same thing tbh
@Quietstorm9
When you come up with something better than capitalism, let me know
One of the most important interviews you'll ever witness.
Hedges hit every nail on the head here.
Great analysis.
Much respect for having C. Hedges on. He's one of the greatest truthtellers of our time.✌🏾💚
Good stuff.
I wish some of the podcast bros would have him on . He not only would steer them in the right direction politically but his voice needs to be heard by the masses.
Love your clear and involving program. Would it not be a better convention to refer to Trump's actions and ideas as "Republicans"?
The Republican office holders are without a doubt behind the 2025 directives are they not? And they, each and every Republican, is cowardly and conveniently hiding behind their client (a lawyer thing to do) so that they don't get much heat and voters won't think of their representative as part of the group that makes a thing like Trump powerful. Please refer to any of Mr. T's actions, etc. as "the Republican's are saying, creating, making, and so on. That would be an additional great service you are making to this society.
What the “Republican” party certainly not it is conservative, it is now a Trump party so now “Republican “ means MAGA or Christian Nationalistic. Whatever it is, it’s a cult But your point is right in that they die behind trump while their agenda is enacted.
Maga is a part of the republican party. . maga is not trump. Trump is not maga. Maga is a large part of trumps base. But not everything trump does or says is maga. Not every policy is maga.
It's a moral and civic duty to Boycott all products and services made in The United States of America.
I'm American I buy local and used
Good thing we don’t make products here, lol, but agreed
@PowerfulWarrior69😅😅😅
@mattellis7906 much like trying to boycott Russian products, it only hurts the people who are the most vulnerable amongst the population. Anyone that can produce real change is so well insulated, also like Russia, that they aren't going to be personally affected, look at Musk
@aaronbadour7828 boycotting Russian products might be hard in you live in Europe, but it's not hard here in North America. Also, Russia is a country, Musk is a person. Tech stocks faced a massive sell-off last week. Please keep in mind, that boycotts have worked in the past, like in India and the global boycott that helped bring down apartheid. Europe is just doing a terrible job on the Russian boycott. Boycotts are also psychological, and they get comfortable people to speak up and stop being bystanders. There are too many bystanders in the United States, which is why fascism is taking over.
7:50 Brilliantly spoken.
Absolutely lovely interview
Saying it like it is! Appreciate you, Chris Hedges and sorely miss Christopher Hitchens. His Hitchslaps would be loud mic drops today!
Brilliant interview!
Excellent interview
All power to the people....
Great interview.
USA is done, sorry Americans, you did let this happen.
USA democracy is DEAD. The Supreme Court is compromised.
In the past monopolies were broken up by the Gov so this wouldn’t happen.
I enjoy the conversation between these two.
Mark knows the right questions to ask and then gives Chris the room to fully articulate his answer.
The global war of terror came home ...
TY, Chris.😊
Our demise, manufactured or not is the lack of education and affordability. The older I get, the more I realize how this is the main issue, people would vote very differently if education was a major enshrined right. The rest, affordable healthcare, more corp abuse stop gaps, social media influence would be limited, etc would come to fruition.
The irony of history.
Look at where we're at, it's unbelievable.
Not if you've watched genocide live against a population 65 percent under 16
🇺🇲 FAFO if social construct > social contract !? 😒
Two great people together love it
Thank you for telling the truth
Good point about the ease of the neo-......s to squash unorganized localized resistance and push back towards facism.
We may want to delve deeper in understanding the many meanings behind the word “powerful”, particularly in describing some men being entirely othered at this time.
Marc should really have followee up on a few of Chris's answers.