Trump and the Business Class: A Fragile Alliance

The Republican Party has become a hegemonic force in US politics today. But how much of their dominance is predicated on Donald Trump’s personal rule?

On this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber discusses the historic evolution of the Republicans with Paul Heideman, author of “Trump’s Takeover of the Republican Party,” an essay in the upcoming issue of Catalyst. Vivek and Paul focus on the business coalitions behind Trump, how he was able to muster elite support, and how the level of that support is a lot lower than it seems.

Read the article here: https://catalyst-journal.com/2025/04/trumps-takeover-of-the-republicans

Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy, and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.