Ep 76 (7/4/18) Did Hunter S. Thompson predict the rise of Trumpism in 1966? Guest: Susan McWilliams

TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent

It was 1965 when Hunter S. Thompson published his breakthrough article “The Motorcycle Gangs: Losers and Outsiders" for the magazine The Nation. But did the work, which Thompson expanded into a book the following year entitled “Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs,” uncover more than just the inner workings of this mysterious, potentially dangerous outfit? Susan McWilliams, professor of politics at Pomona College in Claremont, California, published her own Nation article, entitled “This Political Theorist Predicted the Rise of Trumpism. His Name Was Hunter S. Thompson.” just five weeks into the Trump presidency. The granddaughter of Carey McWilliams, editor of The Nation magazine from 1955 to 1975, Prof. McWilliams believes that in his reporting on the Angels Thompson discovered the political origins of Donald Trump’s rise to power. In this episode of “TrumpWatch” on WBAI, Prof. McWilliams explains to host Jesse Lent why the “gonzo” journalist’s work on the motorcycle club continues to be such an effective window into the psyche of the President’s core base of supporters, even in light of Trump’s recent attacks on Harley-Davidson, the preferred vehicle of the Hell’s Angels.