A Strange And Terrifying Journey Into The Upside-Down World Of Trump’s MAGA Rallies

Sonali Kolhatkar speaks with Carl Hoffman about the world of Trump's MAGA rallies.

President Donald Trump, still on strong steroid and antiviral medication and still contagious with the coronavirus, has announced that while he is recuperating from his illness, his campaign will resume his trademark MAGA rallies. The president ought to be worried considered that numerous polls show him trailing his opponent Joe Biden even in battleground states like Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

But, Trump has another ace up his sleeve. He is amassing what he calls his “army” of supporters to be “poll watchers” on election night – a thinly veiled attempt at calling paramilitary-style groups of armed vigilantes to intimidate Democratic voters. My next guest immersed himself in what he calls The Upside-Down World of Trump’s MAGA Rallies, attending 8 campaign events in 8 states over 3 months.

Carl Hoffman, author of the New York Times bestseller Savage Harvest, former contributing editor to National Geographic Traveler and Wired, and has traveled on assignment to eighty countries. His new book is Liar’s Circus: A Strange and Terrifying Journey Into the Upside-Down World of Trump’s MAGA Rallies.

Rising Up with Sonali is a radio and television show that brings progressive news coverage rooted in gender and racial justice to a wide audience. Rising Up With Sonali was built on the foundation of Sonali Kolhatkar's earlier show, Uprising, which became the longest-running drive-time radio show on KPFK in Los Angeles hosted by a woman. RUS airs on Free Speech TV every weekday.

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