The Atlantic Current

Ep. 72: The Biography Of Donald Trump, Part VI: A Fake Comeback Leads To Reality TV

The sweeping biography of Donald Trump as cultural figure comes to an end. Trump weathers his collapse by audaciously — and hysterically — creating a brilliant but imaginary comeback. Left outside the business world, Trump is rescued by reality television, which rehabilitates his reputation and leads to a new business model of licensing anything he can. But, by the early 2010s, even that career seems to be at an end. An ignominious appearance on cable television in a show for washed-up, scandal-ridden celebrities seems to augur the end of one the most remarkable careers in American entertainment, and a last hurrah for a man who dramatically changed American culture, for better or for worse. Check out atlanticcurrent.substack.com for show notes!

Ep. 71: Trump Calls For A United Ireland, Hopefully Before AI Kills Us All

Donald Trump sends the island of Ireland into an uproar as he calls for a unified Ireland. Is it, as some believe, a coordinated effort to take a shot at a Labour government that won’t cooperate enough overseas? Or, as Vince argues, is it another case of Trump substituting his “common sense” for detailed understanding? Tull and Vince have fun with the visit, while Tull details the promise and peril of what a United Ireland might look like. And with the “actually, AI could kill everyone” risk storming into the news cycle, the two bring their respective expertise — and dark humor — to the complex, fascinating, and terrifying future of the technology.

Ep. 70: September 11, Then And Now

Ahead of the 25th anniversary, Vince and Tull revisit that day. Vince discusses what it was like being in Manhattan as the Twin Towers were hit and fell, while Tull offers his own remembrance from a rural pub in Ireland. The aftermath of the event — particularly when the US veered into Iraq — has colored that day, and Tull asks if Americans have ever fully come to grips with what happened. Vince closes with a heartfelt plea — and a way, to, perhaps to properly honor the victims.

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Ep. 69: The Biography Of Donald Trump, Part V: Crashing In AC

The fall of Donald Trump in the late 1980s has been extensively documented, yet not particularly well understood. Despite the narrative from his critics then and now, across the decade Trump’s deal-making prowess remains on display. But it’s his managerial style and, most importantly, strategic ineptitude, that dooms Trump not just in Atlantic City casinos but throughout his empire. The fascinating story of how, and why, Donald Trump blew up.

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Ep. 68: Leaving Certs And Six-Figure Colleges

With “leaving certs” done in Ireland, Tull and Vince turn their attention to higher education. Vince is startled by the seemingly unforgiving path to higher education in Ireland. Tull is brought to silence by the costs of college in the U.S. And while young people in both countries have a seemingly easy choice to make, the duo closes with a discussion of why the right move in dollars is so difficult for many eighteen-year-olds to make. Check out atlanticcurrent.substack.com for show notes and more!

Ep. 67: Silly Season

With the political scene mostly quiet, Tull and Vince focus in on some of the wildest, funniest, and outright dumbest stories of the week. A MAGA influencer publicly alleges a ‘deep state’ conspiracy, and outs herself in the process. A tiny left-wing party in Ireland threatens to fracture again, leading to a fond discussion of one of the funniest political scenes ever put on film. A sitting US Senator provides a shocking defense for an anti-government stance, and a race in Alaska leads to a riotous discussion of historical elections where two candidates share the same name. Check out atlanticcurrent.substack.com for show notes and more!

Ep. 66: Dark To Light

Tull and Vince cover the death of five teenagers on an Irish highway, and how it might drive a sea change in attitudes toward policing and criminal justice. The focus then turns to lighter stories in the States: one of the wilder statements ever uttered in a political debate, and the 35-year-old White House aide who found herself at the center of a massive story — in part because her president left Americans with so little else to talk about. Check out show notes, updates, and more at atlanticcurrent.substack.com.

Ep. 65: The Biography of Donald Trump, Part IV: Lies Become Truth

In 1976, Donald Trump gives an interview to the New York Times which is stunning in its brazen falsehoods. Seven years later, Trump Tower opens — and, for a time, shows that Trump has become what he had earlier only pretended to be. A rollicking story of how Trump played the media, used his connections, dealt with the Mob, and set the foundation for his rise to fame in the 1980s. Check out show notes, updates, and more at atlanticcurrent.substack.com.

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Ep. 64: Reds And Muslims In Michigan

Tull and Vince focus on two primary elections in the great state of Michigan as test cases for and reflections of a new Red Scare (and Green Scare) in the US. How a man who spent less than $2,000 and suspended his campaign won — and whether a formidable candidate with an impressive resume and a “funny-sounding name” can do the same in November. Check out the show notes at atlanticcurrent.substack.com!

Ep. 63: Mayo For Sam, The New IRA, and Grilled Fauci

Mayo’s win in the All-Ireland Gaelic football final sparks a warm discussion on the joy of sports, curses, and a detour into the insanity of American amateur athletics. But news elsewhere is more grim: renewed terrorist threats in the North, and a complete inability in the US (or anywhere else) to reckon with the damage caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. In both cases, Tull and Vince provide typically brilliant insight - but, in both cases, an easy answer is unfortunately impossible. Check out atlanticcurrent.substack.com for show notes, updates, and more!

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Ep. 62: The Biography of Donald Trump, Part III: A Scandal And A Star Are Born

Now clearly the favorite son, Donald Trump returns to New York City aiming to make a name for himself. But a rocky start and an infamous scandal follow. Yet through connections, corruption, and some will of his own, Donald Trump is able to both close his first major deal and begin to catch the eye of a New York media all too willing to enable him. Visit atlanticcurrent.substack.com for show notes and more!

Ep. 61: Niall Collins And The Aughinish Yawn

Tull sparks another social media controversy for an Irish politician — this time, when TD Niall Collins replies to legitimate concern about the Aughinish Alumina plant with a “yawn” emoji. After covering the story in Ep. 53 - which one listener called the “best podcast I have listened to” on Aughinish and its Russian shipments - Tull and Vince take the chance to update listeners on new developments. Private and public investigations are closing in, yet the apparent strategy from Fianna Fáil and the government is to simply take the middle road — pleasing no one, and accomplishing little. See show notes here: https://atlanticcurrent.substack.com/

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Ep. 60: Platner Part II, Lindsey Graham, And The Schism On The Left

Tull and Vince complete the incredible story of Graham Platner, and explore its aftereffects. Platner’s collapse highlights both the ineptitude of national Democrats, and the battle for the party’s soul and direction. The two discuss why Platner’s story has faded — despite the most serious allegation against a major political candidate in over a century — and the lesson provided by the late senator Lindsey Graham.

Ep. 59: Lynn Boylan, Gaeilge, And Sinn Féin Cringe

A clip from Tull showing Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan lamenting the inability to speak Irish in an EU meeting — only to prove her own inability to do so — has gone mega-viral, and sparks the first Atlantic Current emergency podcast. Tull and Vince have some fun with the mix of indignation and ignorance, along with the possibility of literally dying from embarrassment, but also probe the repeated and bizarre missteps Sinn Féin keeps making around Gaeilge.

Ep. 58: The Rise And Fall of Graham Platner, Part I

The stunning rise and collapse of Graham Platner is one of the most fascinating political stories of the decade. In less than a year, Platner went from anonymity to being a front-runner for a United States seat and potential presidential contender to ignominy. And while his personal failings make for great drama (and some dark humor), his story also reflects key themes in politics nationally and worldwide — while also potentially having a ripple effect around the globe.

Ep. 57: The Biography of Donald Trump, Part II: Fred Jr. Clears The Way

At thirteen years old, Donald Trump is sent to military school. At home, his older brother Fred Jr. — handsome, charming, and skilled — is set to join and eventually take over the family business. But battles between father and son, new loves, and the beginnings of an all-too-common disease will change the course of Fred Jr.’s life. It will also open a path for Donald to become the new golden boy of the family — and wind up with the immense wealth and connections of Fred Trump Sr. at his back.

Ep. 56: Live On Tape From Ireland

For the first time, Tull and Vince record in person from an undisclosed location in Ireland. The witty, wide-ranging conversation covers America’s 250th birthday (and why Vince is fine missing it), a potential scandal in Galway, and the collapse in cryptocurrency prices.

Ep. 55: The Biography Of Donald Trump, Part I: Eyes On Manhattan

As a politician, Donald Trump has been analyzed, covered, and discussed more than anyone in modern history. But that discussion has obscured a fascinating pre-political career in which Trump had a huge impact on American culture — and reflected so many of the major trends across the country in the postwar period. In Part I of this multi-episode event, Vince and Tull look at Donald Trump’s childhood, why Manhattan was always the goal, and how the dynamics of the Trump family shaped Donald Trump as an entertainer and, eventually, as a president.

Ep. 54: Irish "Vetocracy", Dark Secrets, And The World Cup

Tull and Vince tour a number of stories that highlight broader problems across the United States and Europe. Manna’s decision to pause operations in Ireland leads to claims that the country has become a “vetocracy” and highlights a rising backlash against tech. In the North, Jeffrey Donaldson faces punishment for his crimes. In the US, Republicans continue to argue — with hysterically poor evidence — that others should as well. But the episode closes on a lighter note, with a look at the success of the World Cup and some timely craic on what it tells us about Europeans and Americans.

Ep. 53: The Shame of Aughinish

Tull details the stunning — and infuriating — history of Aughinish Alumina in County Limerick. While the plant has made international news amid revelations that its output appears to be supporting the Russian war machine, the larger scandal may well center on the health of area citizens and the effect on their environment. It’s a scandal underpinned by four decades of indifference from and neglect by Irish politicians — up to and including the current Taoiseach himself.