NAS Lecture Series - Republicans Threaten U.S. Democracy

Lecture Series of the North American Studies Program
Dr. Philipp Adorf, University of Bonn:
Can It Happen Here? How the Republicans Threaten U.S. Democracy
Descriptions of political opponents as “vermin” and migrants engaged in “poisoning the blood of our country” illustrate the extent to which Donald Trump’s rhetoric has further radicalized since he left the Oval Office. While the threat posed by the former – and potentially future – president attracts most attention, the role of the Republicans in damaging US democracy is far more extensive and runs deeper. Today’s Republican Party can be described, Dr. Adorf argues, as a populist, profoundly illiberal and white nationalist movement whose reluctance to abide by democratic norms and conventions predates the Trump era and will affect the United States long term.