The new administration is purging data from government websites and databases, such as the Department of Justice and the National Security Agency. On this week's On the Media, a historian shares the political playbook for rewriting the past in order to control the future. Plus, meet the different Christian groups vying for power at the White House.[01:00] Host Micah Loewinger looks at the White House’s purge of data and records. He talks to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/dara-kerr">Dara Kerr</a>, a reporter at the Guardian, about President Trump’s attempt to ramp up deportations and how ICE is fudging its numbers. Micah also speaks with <a href="https://www.mollywhite.net/">Molly White</a>, author of the newsletter “<a href="https://www.citationneeded.news/">Citation Needed</a>” and Wikipedia editor, about why Musk and others on the right are going after Wikipedia. [13:24] Host Brooke Gladstone talks to <a href="https://campuspress.yale.edu/jasonstanley/">Jason Stanley</a>, professor of philosophy at Yale University and author of the book <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Erasing-History/Jason-Stanley/9781668056912">Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future</a>, about the narrative the new administration is constructing.[31:46] Brooke Gladstone hears from <a href="https://icjs.org/people/matthew-d-taylor/">Matthew D. Taylor</a>, author of <a href="https://icjs.org/the-violent-take-it-by-force/">The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy</a>. They discuss the three Christian factions jostling for power in the new administration: the independent Charismatics like Trump’s faith adviser Paula White-Cain, the trad Catholics (represented by J.D. Vance), and the theobros (epitomized by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth).Further reading:<ul><li>“<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/06/ice-us-immigration-deportations-google">US immigration is creating a mirage of mass deportations on Google search</a>,” by Dara Kerr</li><li>“<a href="https://www.citationneeded.news/elon-musk-and-the-rights-war-on-wikipedia/">Elon Musk and the right’s war on Wikipedia</a>,” by Molly White</li><li><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Erasing-History/Jason-Stanley/9781668056912">Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future</a>, by Jason Stanley</li><li><a href="https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6380">The second coming of Donald J. Trump</a>,” by Matthew D. Taylor</li></ul>
On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (<a href="https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm">https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm</a>). Follow our show on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/onthemedia/?hl=en">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/onthemedia">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OnTheMedia">Facebook</a> @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

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