277: In the Window with Ruth Ben-Ghiat
The Lincoln Project
The Lincoln Project
4.6 • 9.1K Ratings
🗓️ 13 September 2023
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Host Reed Galen is joined by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Author and Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. They discuss the role extremist groups play in a nation’s evolution to authoritarianism, how every Trump rally since 2015 has been a radicalization site, and how the history of strongmen can inform our nation’s current political moment. If you’d like to hear more from Ruth, check out Lucid (her Substack newsletter) and pick up Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, everyone, it's Reid. Before we get started, this month, the Lincoln Project is going to be |
| 0:04.9 | dedicating itself and our energy to making sure that Americans across the country know the good |
| 0:11.6 | job that Joe Biden is doing on behalf of the American people and on behalf of the United States. |
| 0:17.2 | I hope you'll tune in to our work and share the content and materials we're putting out with your friends and neighbors. |
| 0:24.3 | Guys, the next 14 months are as crucial a time as we've seen in our living memory. |
| 0:30.3 | Go to Lincolnproject.us or join theunion.us to get involved. |
| 0:35.8 | And now, on with the show. |
| 0:45.4 | Music Union.US to get involved. And now, on with the show. Welcome back to the Lincoln Project. I'm your host, Reed Galen. Today, I'm once again joined |
| 0:51.2 | by Ruth Ben-Giott, author and professor of history and Italian at New York University. |
| 0:56.0 | Ruth is an expert on fascism, authoritarianism, war propaganda, and unfortunately Donald Trump, |
| 1:03.0 | and is the recipient of the Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other fellowships. |
| 1:07.0 | She's a columnist for MSNBC and has written for a wide variety of outlets including CNN, |
| 1:12.4 | The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post. |
| 1:15.9 | She's authored multiple books, including her latest, Strongman, from Mussolini to the present, |
| 1:20.9 | which I highly recommend. |
| 1:22.6 | She's also the founder and publisher of Lucid, her Substack Newsletter. |
| 1:26.6 | Today she's coming to us from New York City. |
| 1:28.5 | Ruth, welcome back. Thank you. I'm delighted to be here. So this morning, as we're recording this, |
| 1:34.9 | you put out a newsletter on your Lucid substack about Enrique Oterio. Enrico Terrio was the leader at one |
| 1:42.9 | point of the Proud Boys. As we're recording this yesterday, |
| 1:46.4 | he was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for his role in January 6th, sedition storming |
| 1:52.5 | the Capitol. And you said that probably half a dozen of these guys between Proud Boys, |
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