Background Briefing: October 26, 2023
Trump’s Christian Soldier MAGA Mike Johnson
We begin with an autocrat and a kleptocrat joining forces with a theocrat and explore the role of white Christian nationalism as a vital component of the coalition to reelect Trump now bolstered by Trump’s Christian soldier MAGA Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House. Joining us is Clyde Wilcox, a Professor of American government at Georgetown University and a scholar at its Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs who teaches at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar. Previously a statistician at the Federal Election Commission, he has trained diplomats in the US and abroad, spoken to international visitors in State Department programs from more than 185 countries and has consulted with presidential campaigns, trade associations, and citizen groups. He is the author of numerous books on comparative and American politics, including God’s Warriors: The Christian Right in 20th Century America, Between Two Absolutes: Public Opinion and the Politics of Abortion, The Politics of Gay Rights and Onward Christian Soldiers.
Will Iran’s Aging Supreme Leader Avoid a Wider War or Bring on the Apocalypse?
Then, with Israel about to invade Gaza and the Islamic Republic of Iran threatening to unleash its proxies, we look into whether Iran’s aging Supreme Leader will avoid a wider war or stoke the apocalyptic fires the theocratic regime routinely inflames. Joining us is Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies and Professor at the Center on Democracy, Development and Rule of Law at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University. Until 1986, he taught at Tehran University’s Faculty of Law and Political Science, where he was also a member of the Board of Directors of the university’s Center for International Relations. His books include Lost Wisdom: Rethinking Modernity in Iran, The Persian Sphinx and The Shah.
An Inside Look at the President and Joe Biden’s First Two Years in Office
Then finally we get an inside look at the president and Joe Biden’s first two years in office and speak with Franklin Foer, a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of World Without Mind: Why Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple Threaten Our Future and How Soccer Explains the World. We discuss his latest book, a New York Times bestseller, The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future.