Dylan Bird hosts an hour-long panel discussion with historian and writer Dr Emma Shortis and award-winning author Don Watson about the current political landscape in the United States for Queenscliffe Literary Festival.

The US politics experts share their thoughts on the phenomenon of MAGA and Trumpism, understanding Donald Trump as a product of American history, the key events and figures that led the country to its current moment, the responsibility of the Democratic Party, the Trump administration’s inflaming of political violence, and Australia’s relationship with the US.

“[Trump’s] framing of himself as anti-war or as somebody who’s going to win wars has a huge amount of appeal in the United States. It’s all of those structural issues – structural inequality, the history of American adventurism – that created this space for Trump, and the Democrats are hugely responsible for seeding that ground” – Dr Emma Shortis

Photo credit: supplied.