The Hartmann Report

Thom Hartmann is joined by Katrina Vanden Huevel discussing how Donald Trump is ratcheting up American imperialism during his presidency.For the Book Club, Thom reads from "In Putin's Footsteps" by Nina L. Khrushcheva and "The Age of Eisenhower" by William I. Hitchcock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rep. Mark Pocan explains new efforts of Congress to limit and redefine war powers after Trump's strike against Soliemani. Listeners call in with concern after Trump's proactive escalation with Iran.  For the Book Club, Thom reads from "The Fifth Risk" by Michael Lewis and "The Embattled Vote in America" by Allan Lichtman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, an interview with author and former Congressman Alan Grayson starts out an hour-long think about impeachment. We must not forget the catalog of Trump's crimes- and why is Trump moving to hide how much his frequent golfing on his own courses costs the nation and profits himself? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Did Trump order the hit on Iran's general because both Pompeo and Republican Senators leaned on Trump to create a distraction from impeachment? And, Progressive House Rep Ro Khanna explains what's going on with the resolution on the President's war powers- and what might be the next steps towards putting Trump on trial in the Senate. Will Congress be able to keep Trump from taking us to war, much like it was Congress that finally ended the Vietnam war? Or will a cornered Trump find more insane ways to dominate the news cycle? Plus- Thom's take on Putin's level of control over Trump.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump's impetuous killing of a senior Iranian administration official led to a military crisis that apparently led to an airliner with hundreds of people aboard being shot out of the sky 10 miles from Tehran. It’s increasingly looking like the Ukrainian International Airlines jet that went down within hours of the Iranian missile strike after taking off from Tehran was shot down by a missile itself. So, who shot down the jet? And why does the Trump Administration refuse to discuss it?Rep. Mark Pocan calls in an update from the Congress debating an update to the War Powers Act and other news.For the Book Club Thom reads a portion from "Last Boat Out of Shanghai" by Helen Zia.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The entire crisis in the Middle East that seems to be resolving itself right now started when Donald Trump ordered the assassination of the number three official in the Iranian government. He has no legal authority to do that, under the Constitution and under US law, unless he can prove that he did so to stop a far more destructive and imminent attack against Americans or American interests.Declassify the Intelligence Now!Is John Bolton's sudden interest in agreeing to testify motivated by his upcoming book deal? With all the media attention on Trump's debacle in Iran, is the catastrophic loss of habitat and animal life in the Australian fires being overlooked? For the Book Club, Thom reads selections from "Monarchy of Fear" by Martha Nussbaum and "Revolutionary Love" by Michael Lerner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thom says we must get the message out right now- before any attacks happen- that this is all on Donald Trump, this is not on us. Trump is deliberately picking this fight as a useful crisis to cover up his crimes and grab totalitarian power, as many have done before him- most recently Victor Orban of Hungary. We must speak out now, we must act now, because as soon as Iran retaliates militarily Trump will begin to beat the drums of war.Major Danny Sjursen on Trump’s Illegal, Impeachable Act of War.Are Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo cheering Trump on because they are millenialist Christians hoping war with Iran would be the end times and Jesus would come back? Will Trump find the same courage that Jimmy Carter had to choose peace, even if it means he might lose the election?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Trump risks World War III, will the media defend the fig leaf of excuses offered by the likes of Mike Pence, who once helped sell our disastrous invasion of Iraq- and now can't keep the facts straight? Why did we kill a man who defended the US embassy from ISIS, and who was just instrumental in destroying the rebel Islamic state?.. and was Soleimani assassinated on his way to peace talks with Saudi Arabia? Were activists in Iran, who have taken over a thousand casualties fighting for democracy there, about to change the government?- Now Trump's action has powerfully strengthened the hardliners there, and made a hero of a hated figure. We hear from Iranians living in America to get their perspective.And what about the news Trump is trying to hide?- leaked unredacted emails proving Barr and others were shaking down Ukraine, proof Trump got 2 billion dollar loans from Putin before he became president, and evidence Trump's crime family has been playing the stock market based on knowing what Trump is about to do... is that why somebody bought up Lockheed stock bigtime the day before the assassination?.. Is this the ultimate media distraction?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Television host Chuck Todd of Meet the Press admitted that he has now, finally, after all these years, realized that Republicans come on his show and others specifically to tell lies and spread disinformation. How can you trust TV news and chat today?For the book club, Thom reads from "Truth in Our Times: Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts" by David E. McCraw.Congressman Mark Pocan answers listener questions from around the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Economist Richard Wolff joins Thom with a look at the propping up of the American economy on the brink of a war Donald Trump has deliberately cultivated.As thousands of troops are deployed to the Persian Gulf, are we watching another Archduke Ferdinand situation unfolding? Thom thinks we are heading towards a bi-polar world, with Iran, Russian, and China on one side, and America, Saudi Arabia, and Israel on the other, as well as possibly Europe. How could this relate to the Fed propping up the economy and the long withheld consequences of bailing out the world economy is 2008? Even though the constitution says that only Congress may declare war, will Trump use these crises to become something like a king?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.