This week on Amped Up, Cliff Schecter sits down with the incomparable Shannon Watts—founder of Moms Demand Action and author of the brand-new book Fired Up. What follows is part masterclass in grassroots activism, part therapy session for a country that still hasn’t dealt with its gun violence trauma.
Shannon walks us through the moment that transformed her from a suburban mom folding laundry in Indiana into a force the NRA had to reckon with. Spoiler: It started with rage and a Facebook page, and ended with a national movement that’s flipped legislatures and rewritten the playbook on political power.
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Alongside guest host David Shuster, Cliff and Shannon dive deep into the maddening 2013 Senate vote that killed the Manchin-Toomey background check bill—even after 20 children were slaughtered at Sandy Hook. That betrayal became the fuel for Watts’ movement. And in typical Cliff fashion, he joined Shannon in pulling no punches on the Democrats who sold out to the NRA, only to find themselves politically extinct a few years later.
It’s a history lesson and a warning shot: if you're not with the people, the people will move on without you.
But this episode isn’t just about tragedy and political cowardice—it’s about how women have turned pain into power. Fired Up isn’t just a memoir, it’s a how-to guide for igniting your own spark at any age. Shannon explains her "fire formula"—a recipe of values, abilities, and desires that, when lit, can burn through the bullshit society throws at women.
Shannon shares stories of women who ran for office, launched new careers, or simply refused to disappear after public failure. The takeaway? You don’t have to be perfect—you just have to be relentless.
The conversation also hits the gritty reality of blowback. Watts details the coordinated threats she faced—sexualized, targeted, and relentless—and how the far-right, including people like Dana Loesch, tried to make her a cautionary tale.
But instead, she became a symbol of what happens when you refuse to shut up and sit down. From Texas militias open-carrying at rallies to the quiet strength of community organizing in red states, Shannon's been in the trenches—and she’s still fighting.
In the end, Shannon, David & Cliff reminds us—again—that incremental change isn’t weakness, it’s how you win the long game. And Shannon’s story proves it. From Indiana to California to now Florida (yes, that Florida), she’s still building bonfires across the country—both literal and metaphorical. And if you’re still asking what you can do in the face of rising authoritarianism, here’s your answer: Find your fire, find your people, and never let the bastards wear you down.
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