"An indispensable citizen's guide to the anti-democratic MAGA Right in America."–Congressman Jamie Raskin "Meticulously researched, elegantly written, and hard-hitting."–Kristin Kobes Du Mez The acclaimed author of The Power Worshippers exposes the inner workings of the "engine of unreason" roiling American culture and politics. Why have so many Americans turned against democracy? In this deeply reported book, Katherine Stewart takes us to conferences of conspiracy-mongers, backroom strategy gatherings, and services at extremist churches, and profiles the people who want to tear it all down. She introduces us to reactionary Catholic activists, atheist billionaires, pseudo-Platonist intellectuals, self-appointed apostles of Jesus, disciples of Ayn Rand, women-hating opponents of "the gynocracy," pronatalists preoccupied with the dearth of white babies, Covid truthers, militia members masquerading as "concerned moms" and battalions of spirit warriors who appear to be inventing a new style of religion even as they set about attacking democracy at its foundations. Along the way, she provides a compelling analysis of the authoritarian reaction in the United States. She demonstrates that the movement relies on several distinct constituencies, with very different and often conflicting agendas. Stewart's reporting and comprehensive political analysis helps reframe the conversation about the moral collapse of conservatism in America and points the way forward toward a democratic future.
Here is the life-and-death story most news outlets have missed. Under the evermore intense pressure of multi-billionaire donors determined to shackle democracy and entrepreneurial Christian nationalist leaders eager to take away our freedoms, the Right has radicalized since 2020 into outright fascism, full of menace and exhortations to violence against a majority they have worked diligently to dehumanize. Katherine Stewart provides a bracing must-read story of how the varied streams have merged into a mighty river moving toward massive destruction—and explains to readers how together we can divert it.