Trump’s 100 days, with Ruth Ben-Ghiat
An episode of the Media Confidential podcast, hosted by Prospect Magazine, titled "Trump’s 100 days, with Ruth Ben-Ghiat" was published on August 28, 2025 and runs 45 minutes.
August 28, 2025 ·45m · Media Confidential
Summary
You’ve been listening to the Prospect Podcast, Media Confidential’s sister podcast. To subscribe on Spotify, click HERE. For Apple podcasts, click HERE. Has Trump's America become an autocracy?While Media Confidential is on a short break, we’re bringing you the best of our sister podcast, the Prospect Podcast. Back in April, Ellen and Alona were joined by scholar of authoritarianism, Ruth Ben-Ghiat. Ruth analyses the Trump administration’s rapid shift towards authoritarianism. She talks about Trump’s personality cult, how strongmen portray machismo and the potential for a female strongman figure.She also discusses how autocrats use corruption, violence and propaganda to stay in power, and how ICE roundups echo the past, resembling a “secret police force”. Ruth answers: can the Democrats can learn anything from Trump? What’s the best way to challenge an illiberal president? And how does this end?Plus, Ellen and Alona discuss their bookshelves for this week's “banger or dud”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode Description
You’ve been listening to the Prospect Podcast, Media Confidential’s sister podcast. To subscribe on Spotify, click HERE.
For Apple podcasts, click HERE.
Has Trump's America become an autocracy?
While Media Confidential is on a short break, we’re bringing you the best of our sister podcast, the Prospect Podcast. Back in April, Ellen and Alona were joined by scholar of authoritarianism, Ruth Ben-Ghiat. Ruth analyses the Trump administration’s rapid shift towards authoritarianism. She talks about Trump’s personality cult, how strongmen portray machismo and the potential for a female strongman figure.
She also discusses how autocrats use corruption, violence and propaganda to stay in power, and how ICE roundups echo the past, resembling a “secret police force”. Ruth answers: can the Democrats can learn anything from Trump? What’s the best way to challenge an illiberal president? And how does this end?
Plus, Ellen and Alona discuss their bookshelves for this week's “banger or dud”.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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