Blowback: How the War on Terror Built the American Far Right | Matt Kennard

Blowback: How the War on Terror Built the American Far Right | Matt Kennard

July 31, 2026 · 1h 20m

About this episode

Matt Kennard discusses how the War on Terror contributed to the rise of the American far right and its implications for US politics.

Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership Donate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim Investigative journalist Matt Kennard joins us to discuss Irregular Army, his investigation into how white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other extremists found their way into the US military during the War on Terror. From Iraq and Afghanistan to Donald Trump, MAGA and Pete Hegseth, Kennard argues that the consequences of those years are now playing out at the highest levels of American politics. We explore the rise of the far right, Islamophobia, US military power and foreign policy, and ask whether the War on Terror helped create the political forces reshaping America today. Get Matt Kennard’s book Irregular Army here: https://amzn.eu/d/09zq5TXF You can find Matt Kennard here: IG: https://www.instagram.com/kennarduk X: https://x.com/kennardmatt Become a member here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership Or give your one-off donation here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/donate Listen to the audio version of the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636a Apple Podcasts…

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Host: Muhammad Jalal

Guest: Matt Kennard

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Baitulmaal

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Books & works: Irregular Army

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