The Intellectual Movement Behind MAGA (with Laura Field)

The Intellectual Movement Behind MAGA (with Laura Field)

From The Briefing with Michael Waldman by Brennan Center for Justice

May 27, 2026 · 56 min

About this episode

Laura Field discusses the intellectual movement behind the MAGA new right and its influence on contemporary conservative politics.

Today, there is a great deal of ferment on the right. The primary ideas and policies are very different from those that previously dominated conservative politics. They are obscure and provocative and often run counter to the traditional U.S. embrace of liberalism and constitutional democracy. And they are increasingly influential in Washington and elsewhere. Listen as Laura Field, author of Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right , dives into the characters, ideas, and institutions that have shaped the creation of the intellectual movement behind the MAGA new right. Check out Furious Minds here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691255262/furious-minds?srsltid=AfmBOoozolQd2eDrGtMZLSzjlnw59ENrh-gr034Jfn3H2xN3M1jfO-s3 . Recorded on May 22, 2026.The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.

People in this episode

Host: Michael Waldman

Guest: Laura Field

Topics covered

  • MAGA movement
  • conservative politics
  • intellectual movements
  • Washington influence
  • liberalism
  • constitutional democracy

Keywords

  • MAGA
  • conservatism
  • intellectual movement
  • politics
  • Washington
  • liberalism
  • democracy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Brennan Center for Justice

Books & works: Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right

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