Fracturing the MAGA base: A conversation on the War in Iran and its Reverberations at Home, with Steven Gardiner
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran and its effects on the MAGA coalition and anti-authoritarian organizing.
In this Season 4 bonus episode, Koki sits down with PRA’s Principal Research Advisor Steven Gardiner to discuss the outset of the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran, how the war compares to a history of U.S. imperial violence, and what it signals about the second Trump administration and its authoritarian project. Gardiner provides analysis of how the lack of support for the war signals possibilities for meaningful rupture in the MAGA coalition and adds significant complexity in the lead up to the 2026 midterm elections. The conversation concludes with an evaluation of what this war means for anti-authoritarian organizing. What can and should organizers be doing to respond effectively in this moment? How do preparedness and resiliency factor into a strategic emphasis on recruitment and mobilization? With the possibility of significant fracture within the MAGA coalition and historically low levels of support for the war within the U.S. electorate, this is a time to act—both to deliver a unified rebuke of the war and to block Trump’s authoritarian progress. Steven Gardiner is the Principal Research Advisor and former Research Director at Political Research Associates. He has been…
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