The Progressive American's 4th Anniversary: A Retrospective
Celebrating four years of The Progressive American newsletter and podcast
Hi everyone,
I hope you are doing well. Today marks the fourth anniversary of this newsletter’s creation. While it initially started as an extension of my Medium, it has since evolved into a podcast and YouTube show that has grown in both presentation and style. I thought I would review a few of my favorite articles and interviews from the last few years to celebrate the last four years of The Progressive American.
My Interviews
While I started The Progressive American YouTube channel as a side project, I have also enjoyed conversing with various guests about politics. Here are some of my favorite interviews.
1. Impeachment: Interview with Dr. Budzisz
Four years ago, Donald Trump faced a second impeachment proceeding over the attack on the Capitol, and I had the great pleasure of talking with Dr. Christopher Budzisz, an Associate Professor of Politics at Loras College.
While this interview was one of the earlier ones I did, and I have learned a lot since then, it was still one of the more historic moments for the channel and the show due to its connection to January 6th. With the recent announcement that Trump has pardoned the January 6th insurrectionists and my subsequent reaction to it, this interview takes on a special level of pertinence.
2. Talking Christian Nationalism with NateTalksToYou
In this interview, I had the pleasure of talking with fellow YouTuber and political commentator NateTalkstoYou about the rise of Christian Nationalism. We discussed the dangers of theocratic control, far-right control over religion in public life, and much more! With Trump’s inauguration speech claiming God’s protection, it is especially important to remember that the current abuses of religion and the First Amendment are not normal.
3. How the Senate Fell into Partisanship: Interview with Ira Shapiro
In this interview, which took place earlier last year, Senate expert, author, and former aide to Bill Clinton, Ira Shapiro, joined me to discuss his book The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America (2024). This interview was especially interesting because it didn’t simply evaluate partisanship but the fall of a critical institution in American politics: The U.S. Senate.
4. Sexism in Elections with Dr. Isabel Skinner
The most recent of my interviews, my interview with Dr. Isabel Skinner, is perhaps one of my favorites. Not only because it handles a topic that I researched for my master’s but also because it has a direct impact on the recent presidential election. As I noted in my video response to Darby Callahan defending the interview, I don’t believe that sexism was the only reason that Kamala Harris lost the election. However, to deny it was a significant contributing factor.
The Newsletter
Throughout the last several years, switching back and forth between Substack and WordPress has been somewhat difficult, thanks to a host of issues, including Elon’s purchase of Twitter. However, despite those issues, there has been a plethora of stories that I was able to cover over the years.
Among some of the more interesting ones are:
Why I Support Ukraine (2024)
RFK Jr. Opposed Critical Covid Vaccines; Risked American Lives (2025)
Ceasefire in Gaza at Last (2025)
However, the one that got the most attention was my piece on the revelation that Trump had nuclear secrets stowed away at Mar-A-Lago. The piece, titled It Got Worse: Trump Searched For Nuclear Records (2022), is still up on Medium and my old website it is both my favorite and my most hated.
It was the most popular article I have ever written, but it also represents a systematic failure of our government to hold one man accountable. The fact that Trump, despite holding onto government secrets, is now President is something we will all have to come to terms with for years to come.
Still, this coverage has been a labor of passion that I couldn’t have done without my supporters over the years. Thank you very much for supporting The Progressive American, and I hope you will continue to do so for years to come!