Donald Trump’s Victimhood Complex with Ruth Ben-Ghiat
The Lincoln Project
The Lincoln Project
4.7 • 8.4K Ratings
🗓️ 29 March 2023
⏱️ 41 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 how the entire GOP has become an autocratic entity (not just the MAGA extremists), why Trump’s propaganda has turned into policy, and how Donald Trump’s victimhood complex is just another play from the standard authoritarian playbook. Plus, what’s the fallout from the original sin of not prosecuting Donald Trump? If you’d like to connect with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected].
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey gang, it's Reid. Before we get started, I just want to say that we pride ourselves here at the Lincoln Project podcast for having the best most knowledgeable guests we can find to talk about authoritarianism, democracy, and what it means for the future of the United States. |
| 0:15.0 | I hope that as you listen to these guests, you'll check out their work, whether or not it's their Twitter feed, their sub-stacks, the books they've written, they all have an incredible amount to share, and I hope you'll take advantage of it. |
| 0:29.0 | And now on with the show. |
| 0:39.0 | Welcome back to the Lincoln Project. I'm your host, Reid Gailan. |
| 0:43.0 | Today, I'm joined by Ruth Bindgill, author and professor of history and Italian at New York University. |
| 0:49.0 | Ruth is an expert on fascism, authoritarianism, war, propaganda, and like so many of us, Donald Trump. |
| 0:56.0 | She's the recipient of the Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other fellowships. |
| 1:00.0 | Ruth is a columnist for MSNBC and has written for a wide variety of outlets including CNN, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post. |
| 1:09.0 | She's authored multiple books, including Her Latest, which is a must-read, strongman from Mussolini to the present. I highly recommend it, found wherever fine books are sold. |
| 1:19.0 | She is also the publisher of Lucid, her sub-stack newsletter. |
| 1:23.0 | Today, she's coming to us from New York City. |
| 1:25.0 | Ruth, welcome back. |
| 1:27.0 | Thank you. Delighted to be here. |
| 1:29.0 | Alright, so before we get into the nitty gritty of, you know, what we're seeing with potential indictments, and as we record this, Donald Trump has not yet been indicted. |
| 1:39.0 | But by the time people listen to this, maybe he will. |
| 1:41.0 | But I want to ask a little bit about the psychology of the follower. |
| 1:47.0 | What we see now, Ruth, would you categorize it as the Republican Party is an authoritarian movement, or Donald Trump and Maga are an authoritarian movement, and the Republican Party is its political wing? |
| 2:02.0 | How would you say it? |
| 2:03.0 | Honestly, the entire GOP, and by this I don't mean the Republican voters. I mean the Party, is an autocratic entity at this point. |
| 2:15.0 | And we can talk about all the ways that's true. |
| 2:18.0 | Within that, there are the Maga, you know, Trump's hardcore. |
| 2:23.0 | And it's tempting to say that they are the extremists within the movement. |
... |
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