Omer Aziz, author of Shadows of the Republic: The Rebirth of Fascism in America and How to Defeat It for Good, joins Kris Goldsmith to discuss why fascism in America cannot be understood purely as an electoral or political phenomenon.
Drawing from history, media culture, masculinity, religion, and modern online radicalization, Aziz explains how fascist movements use spectacle, identity, belonging, and entertainment to recruit followers — and why democratic movements consistently underestimate those forces.
Kris and Omer discuss the rise of right-wing influencer culture, the collapse of civic institutions and “third spaces,” the radicalization of young men, why Trump may ultimately be remembered as a symptom rather than the endpoint of a broader movement, and why defeating Trump electorally will not be enough to defeat the conditions that produced him.
They also examine:
the relationship between fascism and spectacle
Joe Rogan and the entertainment ecosystem surrounding MAGA
why fascism appeals to some marginalized groups
propaganda and media normalization
anti-fascism as community and purpose
the dangers of complacency after electoral victories
how democratic movements can begin rebuilding civic culture from the ground up
Omer Aziz is a writer, lawyer, and former foreign policy advisor. He is the author of Shadows of the Republic and Brown Boy, and his work has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper’s, The New York Times, and the Boston Globe.
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