When Vice President JD Vance was asked about aliens, he couldn't resist steering the conversation toward demons. This demon talk goes beyond his personal beliefs, it points to a broader strategy within MAGA to energize the Christian right. By leaning into dark, supernatural themes, right-wing influencers are trying to tap into curiosity about the diabolical as a way to draw in younger audiences (mostly with fear). In this episode, Amanda shows why this good vs. evil strategy is doomed to fail and discusses the right's obsession with the occult with this week is Taylor Leigh, an ex-evangelical and practicing Satanist.

JD Vance's defense of the Iran war is raising serious questions about his political future. He is trying to project alpha male strength, but standing next to Donald Trump his image is cracking! For one, he's defending the same war he warned us all against. In this episode, Amanda breaks down why this moment could define Vance's long-term ambitions for the 2028 presidential race with guest Scott Lemieux, professor of political science at the University of Washington

As the U.S. military escalates tensions with Iran, the stakes on the world stage couldn't be higher. But back home, defense secretary Pete Hegseth is preoccupied with something else entirely: his image in the mirror. Reports that photographers were removed from the Pentagon for taking "unflattering" pics raise serious questions about his priorities. In this episode of Standing Room Only, Amanda break down how Pete's macho, ego-driven approach is backfiring in real time and explains the real consequences for the rest of us with guest Heather Digby Parton, contributing writer at Salon.

Turning Point USA wellness influencer Alex Clark regularly urges her female audience to get married young, quit their jobs and have lots of babies. There's just one problem: she's an unmarried, childless working woman herself. In this episode, Amand takes a closer look at Clark's podcast, Culture Apothecary, and her role headlining events for TPUSA. Behind the lifestyle advice and wellness aesthetic is a larger political project—one that mixes anti-science health claims, pro-natalist messaging and close ties to Republican politicians. This week's guest is Rebecca Watson of skepchick.org.

The feud between Candace Owens and Erika Kirk isn't just juicy online drama. Owens' viral "Bride of Charlie" series, which takes shots at the widow of Charlie Kirk's family and personal life, reveals a deeper problem inside the right-wing movement: why prominent conservative women so often turn on each other. In this episode, Amanda explains the Candace Owens vs. Erika Kirk controversy, what the "Bride of Charlie" videos are really about, and what this conflict says about MAGA media culture, conspiracy theory influencers and right-wing online politics. Brandy Zadrozny, senior reporter at MSNBC, is the guest. Follow Brandy on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:zha4tsu7otgnojc7uoxhjmkr

Having a big family isn't the same thing as having a happy or healthy one, but don't tell that to the MAGA dads shaping policy in the White House. For guys like Pete Hegseth and JD Vance, fatherhood often seems less about being present, supportive or loving, and more about how many kids they can claim as proof of traditional values. At a time when most families can barely afford to raise even one child, this obsession with big families feels tone-deaf at best and dangerous at worst. In this episode, Amanda talks about what's really behind the rhetoric: pro-natalism, Christian nationalism and the politics of control. Steve Kennedy of the People's Parity Project is the guest.

After rapper Nicki Minaj proclaimed she's Trump's "#1 fan" and Kid Rock headlined that sad TPUSA halftime show, it's worth asking: why do certain celebrities drift toward MAGA politics? Amanda breaks down the overlap between right-wing politics and celebrity culture, and why fading stars like Kid Rock and Nicki Minaj have become MAGA magnets. And the reputational fallout cannot be ignored. Artists are pulling out of Kid Rock's Rock the Country festival and Minaj's plans for fresh popularity are backfiring. This episode's guest is hip-hop commentator Jay Smooth.

For over 20 years, Tucker Carlson has persisted as one of the most influential conservative voices. He's a longtime culture-war provocateur, first on cable news and now on YouTube. But the real key to his success isn't longevity, it's his willingness to amplify the right's strangest and most extreme instincts. In this episode, Amanda breaks down why Tucker Carlson's conversations keep getting weirder and why liberals can't afford to ignore his growing political influence. Her guest is New Yorker writer Jason Zengerle, whose book "Hated By All the Right People" is all about Tucker.