The Lean to the Left Podcast

After nearly 850 episodes, I’ve made the difficult decision to bring the Lean to the Left podcast to a close, at least for the foreseeable future. My wife, Jackie, passed away on August 15 after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Since then, I’ve found it difficult to give the podcast the focus and energy needed to produce the kind of program my guests and audience deserve. At 83, and afte...

Largely due to Donald Trump's energy policies, electricity bills are climbing across the country. But according to conservative energy advocate David Jenkins, much of what Americans are being told about renewable energy in order to protect the fossil fuel industry simply doesn’t hold up. In this episode of Lean to the Left, Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, challenge...

America is deeply divided politically and economically, and the debate increasingly seems to come down to two choices: capitalism or socialism. Chuck Marvin believes that’s the wrong choice. Marvin, a longtime construction-industry consultant and author of America 5.0: The Principled Revolution Ending Division, joins Bob Gatty on Lean to the Left to explain his Prosperity Through Equality proposal...

Child abuse doesn't end when childhood does. A child abuse survivor, Sheryl Hauk knows that firsthand. A retired educator, survivor of childhood sexual abuse and author of Piece by Piece: A Memoir of Survival, Resilience, and the Power of Creativity, Sheryl spent decades keeping her own trauma private. Today, she is using her experience to fight for stronger protections, greater accountability and...

Veterans are filing claims for benefits they earned — but some of those claims may be disappearing into what veteran advocate Steve Miller describes as a VA “black hole.” Miller, a former member of the 82nd Airborne Division and president of Wellness for Veterans, says claims submitted through veterans service organizations are being transmitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs but are not al...

Mathew Toro is 32 years old—and says he is already preparing to run for president of the United States in 2036. Toro says this is not a sudden ambition, but a 16-year effort he began planning in 2020, when he was just 26 years old. He is building that effort around what he calls an “Economic Justice Revolution,” a proposal designed to return more corporate profits to the workers who helped create...

Democrats must get tough to win Congress and defeat Donald Trump and his MAGA allies in the House and Senate, says longtime activist Patrick Reynolds. Watch four killer ads he produced to hammer Trump and his MAGA allies in the key House and Senate races that could determine control of Congress. The grandson of tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, Patrick became nationally known when he turned against the...

The political aftermath of Lindsey Graham’s death sees South Carolina politics suddenly thrown wide open—but the political consequences could extend far beyond one Senate seat. In this special summer edition of Dixie Dems, Bob Gatty of South Carolina, Arthur Hill of North Carolina, and Robert Thompson of Georgia examine the fight to replace Graham, Donald Trump’s endorsement of Graham’s sister, an...

Since Donald Trump constantly claims U.S. elections are rigged, can South Carolina trust its voter rolls? Following the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina is preparing for a special election that could have major consequences for the state—and for control of the U.S. Senate. But before voters choose Graham’s successor, investigative journalist Alison Greene says South Carolina’s v...

Why do Democrats so often lose the message war and allow Republicans to dominate the political conversation—even when Democrats and progressives have popular policies? Legendary progressive strategist and activist David Fenton says Democrats are practicing what amounts to “unilateral disarmament” in today’s information war. After more than 50 years helping movements win public support, he believes...

What if you arrived at your polling place on Election Day and discovered your name was no longer on the voter rolls? Investigative journalist Alison Greene returns to Lean to the Left to explain why that scenario may be more common than many Americans realize—and, more importantly, what voters can do now to protect themselves before the 2026 midterm elections. In this follow-up conversation, Green...

Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions may have far greater consequences than most Americans realize. One gives presidents significantly more authority over independent federal agencies. The other removes limits on coordinated campaign spending, allowing political parties and candidates to work together with far fewer restrictions. Individually, each ruling is important. Taken together, they may...

What does South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dr. Jermaine Johnson want to do if elected governor? In this 4-minute highlight reel, Johnson outlines his plans to improve roads, strengthen public schools, expand healthcare access, reform taxes, address affordable housing, regulate AI data centers, and tackle other key issues facing South Carolina. 🎥 Hear the full exclusive interview on...

South Carolina Democratic nominee for governor Dr. Jermaine Johnson discusses his plans for addressing key issues, including roads, schools, healthcare, taxes and more, in an exclusive interview with Lean to the Left. To bring voters into the discussion, this conversation is driven by questions submitted through social media, giving South Carolina citizens a chance to ask Johnson about the issues...

In this episode of Lean to the Left, host Bob Gatty talks with podcasting expert Michelle Glogovac, founder of MLG Collective, author of How to Get on Podcasts, and host of multiple successful podcasts including Read the Damn Book, Kitchen Briefs, and Beyond the Campaign. Michelle explains why podcasting continues to grow despite intense competition, how independent podcasters can compete with maj...

With the free press and democracy under attack, Marcel Reid has spent years fighting to protect whistleblowers, journalists, and the public's right to know the truth. A former ACORN whistleblower, Reid now organizes the annual Whistleblower Summit for Civil and Human Rights and advocates for those who risk everything to expose corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse. In this powerful conversation, Rei...

Alarming questions about the security of U.S. elections involving so-called "ghost voters" and allegations of Russian interference are raised in this episode of Lean to the Left. Investigative journalist Alison Greene discusses her work examining Florida voter registration records and explains why the evidence she uncovered deserves immediate public attention and further independent review. Greene...

Did Republicans benefit from election irregularities in key battleground states? According to the nonpartisan Election Truth Alliance (ETA), statistical analyses in Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other states identified patterns that warrant further investigation. In this episode of Lean to the Left, Bob Gatty speaks with ETA Executive Director Lilli McGregor about the organization's fi...

Is a historic Democratic upset coming in the deep South? Can a Democrat really flip South Carolina’s deeply red 7th Congressional District? Retired Navy Command Master Chief and small business owner John Vincent says yes — and he explains why in this explosive interview with Lean to the Left host Bob Gatty. Vincent, who is challenging MAGA Republican Congressman Russell Fry, argues that Fry’s unwa...

Can a Republican candidate who is against Trump and rejects MAGA politics still win in deep red South Carolina? Marine veteran and congressional candidate Sam Gibbons says yes. In this revealing conversation with Bob Gatty on Lean to the Left, Gibbons explains why he’s challenging longtime Congressman Joe Wilson in South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District — and why he believes Donald Trump has...

What really happened in the Jeffrey Epstein case — and why do so many Americans believe the full truth is still being hidden? Investigative journalist Nick Bryant joins the Lean to the Left podcast to discuss his 15 years-long investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, alleged government cover-ups, trafficking victims, blackmail claims, and why he says “the cover-up never ended.” Bryant helped bring worl...

Why are Americans going broke trying to stay healthy? The real question is why is healthcare in America so expensive in the first place — and who profits from it? On this episode of the Lean to the Left podcast, Bob Gatty talks with Dr. Adam Cunningham, founder of Sylk Health, about the hidden costs of healthcare, the medical debt crisis, and why millions of Americans are struggling to afford trea...

Why is healthcare in America so expensive — and why do insurance companies seem to control so much of the system? On this episode of the Lean to the Left podcast, orthopedic surgeon and author Dr. Erica Rowe Urquhart joins Bob Gatty to expose what she calls the “hidden cause” of America’s healthcare crisis. Drawing on two decades of frontline medical experience, Dr. Urquhart explains how insurance...

US Healthcare Crisis: Why are Americans sicker—and dying younger—despite spending more on healthcare than any country in the world? In this eye-opening episode of Lean to the Left, Bob Gatty interviews physician and author Steven Bezruchka, whose new book Born Sick in the USA exposes the real reasons behind America’s declining health. 👉 It’s not just healthcare. 👉 It’s inequality. 👉 It’s early...

What if aliens could fix America’s biggest problems? In this episode of Lean to the Left, host Bob Gatty conducts a fascinating interview with author Paul McGrath about his mind-bending sci-fi series Terran Incognito—including his latest book Left Is Right. McGrath uses alien characters to tackle real-world issues like: Gun violence in America Militia extremism Human trafficking Political division...