Spy vs Fash: Chris Mathias on His New Antifascist Spy Thriller
From The Beautiful Idea by The Beautiful Idea
April 29, 2026 · 1h 9m
About this episode
Chris Mathias discusses his new book on antifascist activism and the fight against the radical right.
On this episode of The Beautiful Idea, we speak with long-running journalist and researcher Chris Mathias on his new book, "To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right." In the book, Mathias profiles multiple antifascist researchers and activists, shinning a light on grassroots opposition to fascism and the everyday people that put themselves in harms way to stand up to violent white supremacists. During our discussion, we talk about several of the people profiled in the book, as well as how many organizers and researchers are now turning their attention on ICE. We also talk about how the GOP has consumed much of the existing white nationalist movement, what happens to fascist street formations with Trump in power, and how journalists, communities, and organizers can respond. https://bsky.app/profile/letsgomathias.bsky.social https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/30/antifa-unmasking-ice Follow Chris and his reporting here on BlueSky and be sure to check out this piece at the Guardian about how antifascist sleuths are now turning their attention to unmasking ICE agents. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/To-Catch-a-Fascist/Christopher-Mathias/9781668034767
People in this episode
Host: The Beautiful Idea
Guest: Chris Mathias
Topics covered
- antifascism
- journalism
- activism
- white supremacy
- politics
Keywords
- antifascist
- white supremacists
- activists
- journalism
- GOP
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ICE, GOP, The Guardian
Books & works: To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right
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