J.D. Vance’s Shocker on Trump and Sexual Assault Unmasks the True MAGA

This week we learned that Donald Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance repeatedly suggested in 2016 that he believed Trump committed sexual assault. Vance has since softened his views, but this saga captures the essential Vance: He knows exactly what he has now attached himself to, but sees Trump as a vehicle to accomplish some truly radical societal transformations. We talked to tech writer Gil Duran, author of a good piece in The New Republic tracing the “techno-authoritarian” worldview driving Vance, about what his evolution from clear-eyed Trump critic to full MAGA devotee says about today’s red-pilled right—and about our politics more broadly. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Every weekday, The New Republic’s Greg Sargent brings you a fresh way of thinking about the biggest political stories of the moment, offered up in an entertaining, information-packed conversation with a leading lawmaker, journalist, or newsmaker. We go deep into the stories behind the headlines leading TNR and other news outlets—while making it fun and fast.