Updated May 13, 2025 – I originally made the decision to unpublish all the content related to them on this website. I’ve decided to republish it for the sake of clarity and historical accuracy. Some of their people were very helpful in sorting out the truth in the early days after Trump left office. So those posts are republished. However, it remains that I do not recommend them overall.
For the past four or five months I’ve barely watched or shared content from Badlands Media. I had already given people a heads-up last August in the post Badlands Media vs. True the Vote, Gregg Phillips, Catherine Engelbrecht that something seemed off. There were other red flags about Badlands that I kept in the back of my mind including some strong negative statements Gregg Phillips made in recent months on Truth Social regarding “devolution” as he called it. I didn’t say anything more, but simply chose to mostly stop sharing Badlands content.
I will say now that part of it was an increasing amount of profanity and coarse conversation. They had received consistent pushback from their community about the use of profanity and it was held in check for quite some time. However, at some point they seemed to decide they were going to do it their way. It got steadily worse to the point that every time I turned on a show to try again, I almost immediately turned it off. It was either f-bombs or lewd comments or really condescending discussions regarding other people. The shows had gone from being informative and fun places to hang out to snarky and vulgar.
I don’t know exactly what happened, but there was a big shake-up at Badlands over the past month or two. Several content creators are out including the woman who co-founded the company (and has been devastated by it personally and, apparently, financially). She signed an NDA so she can’t discuss it. I haven’t seen any kind of public explanation by the remaining Badlands people. Obviously I have no idea what happened since I wasn’t there and don’t personally know any of the people involved. However, it confirmed to me that I have probably been correct in not recommending their content any longer.
(The timing is interesting given that it appears this all started unraveling around the same time I stopped recommending them. There was a palpable shift that was evident to me even though I didn’t have any idea what was going on behind the scenes.)
I still think there is a person at Badlands who throws up all kinds of red flags. I can’t prove it. It’s just a strong feeling.
Today I went through and unpublished my posts that contained links or embedded video content from Badlands and Badlands creators. I know I probably haven’t found them all and there are internal links I’ll have to find and delete. Unfortunately, I do have discussions in some of my podcasts related to their content and links to some of these posts in every one of my podcast posts.
This is the perfect example of why I removed my recommended news sources page several months ago. There is so much garbage going on behind the scenes with every website and organization that I don’t even like recommending people right now.
That’s also why it’s sometimes difficult to remain motivated to keep adding and updating the content here. I take seriously my commitment to not wanting to mislead anyone. I now have to go through 72 podcast posts and remove all the links to Badlands-related content. The podcasts with related content will need a disclaimer added because I’m not removing my own podcasts from my own website.
In any case, that’s what I’m observing and the actions I’m personally taking in response.
Yes, I picked up on this too with the Devolution Saturday show. I like listening to Chris Paul on that show and his podcast sometimes. I have noticed the cocky attitude and language towards others and people are calling them out on it, but they are losing people and their message because of it. I subscribe to a substack of someone who is no longer with them and it was cryptic and strange from this person which really puzzled me. Sounded like both personal life and possibly things going on with Badlands. I quit listening cuz this all turned me off.
Thanks for posting this so now I know it wasn’t just me picking up on these issues.
Hi Kris,
No, it isn’t just you. Or me. I suspect this conversation is going on in many places.
Would you please share a link to the Substack you mentioned? I’d like to read it.
Sallie
I am very glad I found this link. I had been listening to Badlands before they were Badlands when Patel patriot John Herold. I recently disconnected from them because I noticed the same trends that you observed in others have observed. I have gotten tired of their snarky, condescending comments and thinking that they are the only ones that know everything in the political world. I literally could not take the obnoxiousness and vulgarities. I am also about 20 to 30 years older and probably a lot wiser than most of them about what’s going on and has been going on in America in the world.
Hi Rob,
There was a time before Jon had any kind of social media presence that my post about Devolution was the number 1 or number 2 result in Google. It got steady traffic every day as people became aware of the theory. So all that to say, I started following him very early on.
I’ve wondered if they are controlled opposition or something else. The entire thing has just taken such a weird and negative turn. The big red flag for me was when there was a falling out with Gregg and Catherine.
I suppose time will tell.
Sallie
Yes, the Gregg and Catherine matter concerned me as well.
Thanks
This is very cryptic in some ways to me….wonder if she had to sign an NDA? I would be interested in your thoughts on this.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thekateawakening/p/moving-forward
I watched Kate’s first show back on her own Rumble channel Monday evening because I wanted to hear and see what she had to say. She read quite a bit of this as part of her show. Although I have significant differences with her regarding spiritual matters, she has always struck me as a genuine truth teller with a kind heart.
Did she do something wrong? I don’t know. I wasn’t there.
I do know that I think way less of Badlands and Jon based on what I can see as an outsider – especially if he screwed her over financially. ESPECIALLY that when Kate was clearly part of what made Badlands become anything remotely significant.
If this is who Jon truly is and how he handles his business affairs, she will look back on this and be thankful she escaped when she did – no matter how painful it is right now.
Yes, I agree with you. The way I have seen Jon behave on Devolution Power hour, it would not surprise me if this is possibly how he handles business affairs and treats others, those others who are no longer there as well. There are others on his shows he treats horribly in public as well. Just what I have observed like you.
What is Kate Awakenings regular channel on Rumble? I would like to listen if you don’t mind passing it along.
There is someone else on Badlands that I enjoy listening to from my state. She is a great person and does great shows. I hope she doesn’t lose out in all this.
I appreciate the insight….
Hi Kris,
Here’s the video from Monday night on her channel.
https://rumble.com/v53g9p8-the-kate-awakening-live-062424.html
I’m just now reading the comments under that video. Kris and I weren’t the only ones noticing how Badlands had changed in recent months.
Very interesting.
Comments are very interesting under Wednesdays Devolution and Kate Awakening. Not sure how true to facts, but if true, this was personal and business. I had wonderings a long while back that things might not be “kosher”…. NDA’s typically are to protect the person/business/organization imposing them. Not the other way around. A reason to be concerned on how they do business.
It’s not worth the time to write an entire post about this, but here’s an update based on the fifteen minutes I spent poking around last evening.
Badlands continues to implode. Apparently something happened during the “Devolution Power Hour” last Wednesday and Kyle left abruptly in the middle of it. The overwhelming consensus in the comments was that Jon and BB were massively rude to Kyle. I suspect things have been brewing behind the scenes for some time.
Sunday was the last episode of “Defected” and Kyle was not there. I did not stick around to hear any more.
All of the thoughtful, intuitive people are being driven out of Badlands.
Very sad. It could have grown into something special. But toxicity among prominent personalities will probably eventually take it down.
I also want to make note that the one of the best shows on Badlands (Defected) is now gone. Apparently there was a spectacular blow-up between Jon, BB, and Kyle. Jon and BB ganged up on Kyle and he left.
I don’t know what led up to it, but Kyle was one of the best people at Badlands. I didn’t always agree with him, but he is an excellent thinker and analyzer of information. On top of that, he seemed to be a solid human being.
Someone pointed out in the Rumble comments that in life a narcissist will drive away the empaths and only the sycophants will remain. I don’t know if that applies here because I don’t know all the people at Badlands. I only watched a few shows.
However, I will say that Kate and Kyle both appear to me to fit the empath type very well. They were both pushed out.
Make of it what you will.
I have noticed that Jon and BB can get very “rude” is a nice way of saying it, although I really haven’t listened to any shows on a consistent basis in a long time. There are two or 3 personalities as a part of Badlands that I wish would leave. I imagine the paycheck could be holding them back and the fact their shows are separate from Jon being in their shows….
I’ve updated this post today.
The only one’s I like listening to is Chris Paul and his Be Reasonable podcast which will be an occasional listen and Ashe in America. There is another Christian guy who is on Culture of Change which is an occasional listen. I just don’t go there as much anymore to Badlands at all. Not much has changed for the better.
So Jon has finally spoken publicly about what is going on in this video (scripted with his lawyers). I’m only part way into it, but I definitely wanted to share it since this is the first I’ve seen of him addressing the situation.
It’s unfortunate that they simply didn’t explain what was going on sooner. I’ve honestly missed listening to some of their shows. But between the vulgarity and behind-the-scenes drama, I lost interest.
I also looked at their “Our Team” page on the website and the person I thought threw up all kinds of red flags is no longer with Badlands. Not surprised.
https://rumble.com/v70ezi8-meagan-kate-brenner-v.-badlands-media-llc.html
I watched the entire video before I went to bed last night. Unreal. I just left this comment over on Rumble.
https://rumble.com/v70ezi8-meagan-kate-brenner-v.-badlands-media-llc.html#comment-597048690
This is the post to which I’m referring.
https://sallieborrink.com/understanding-the-devolution-series-by-patel-patriot
Very enlightening video. I wish he had said something much sooner. I wonder if he didn’t want a defamation lawsuit but got a lawsuit anyway. Now he will probably sue for defamation against many others. I listened to Kate for a couple of her podcasts and then she got into some New Agey type stuff and I unfollowed her. Her podcasts got strange.
I am glad Patrick Gunnels is gone. He was such a drag on them. I quit listening because of him and couldn’t take the language and wasn’t sure what to make of the whole situation. I haven’t listened to Chris Paul in a while and like him.
Thanks for sharing this update.