LA vs. Trump: Bill Gallegos; Jesus the Revolutionary: Reza Aslan; Bob Dylan's Xmas album: Sean Wilentz

·58 min·5 clips

How did Los Angeles force Donald Trump to withdraw over 4,000 National Guard troops in 2025?

The episode opens with host Jon Wiener introducing the show's focus on politics and the left. He previews three seasonal features: Bill Gallegos on LA's resistance to Trump, Reza Aslan on Jesus as a revolutionary, and Sean Wilentz on Bob Dylan's Christmas album. The first segment details Trump's 2025 occupation of LA with National Guard and Marines to target immigrants. Bill Gallegos, former Executive Director of Communities for a Better Environment, explains Trump's animosity toward LA's blue politics, minority population, and labor movement. Gallegos describes the resistance coalition involving Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Karen Bass, lawsuits by the ACLU and other groups, and grassroots organizing. A key moment was the assault on SEIU president David Huerta by ICE agents, which mobilized labor unions. Other groups included worker centers, faith communities like CLU and the AME Church, and organizations like CHIRLA. Gallegos emphasizes building on existing organizing foundations and the need for strategic focus beyond tactics. The second segment features Reza Aslan discussing his book 'The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.' Aslan, a Muslim-born scholar, recounts his evangelical phase and academic journey to study the historical Jesus. He argues Jesus was a Jewish revolutionary executed for sedition by Rome, not a divine figure. Aslan explains how early Christians made Jesus less Jewish and blamed Jews for his death to appeal to Roman audiences after 70 AD. He critiques Gospel stories like Jesus' birth in Bethlehem as theological truths rather than historical facts. The third segment has Sean Wilentz analyzing Bob Dylan's Christmas album. Wilentz, Dylan's official historian, notes the album includes covers of songs by Bing Crosby and others, with royalties donated to charity. He interprets it as Dylan exploring pre-rock genres, recalling his childhood, and possibly signaling a new artistic phase. Wilentz discusses tracks like 'Here Comes Santa Claus' and 'Must Be Santa,' featuring David Hidalgo, and connects the album to Dylan's Christian beliefs and past cover albums that preceded major shifts. The episode concludes with credits and a reminder of the show's availability online.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Living in the USA