David L. Swartz, "The Academic Trumpists: Radicals Against Liberal Diversity" (Routledge, 2024)

Sep 26, 2024

David L. Swartz, an author delving into the intersections of academia and Trump-era politics, discusses his book that uncovers a surprising phenomenon: academics who support Trump. He identifies 109 'Academic Trumpists' in notable institutions who embrace a populist stance against liberal values. The conversation explores these academics' motivations, their distinct networks, and the contradictions of their beliefs in a largely liberal environment. Swartz also contrasts them with anti-Trump conservatives, shedding light on the evolving dynamics within academia.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Academic Trumpists: A Paradox

02:39 • 6min

Navigating Academic Conservatism

08:41 • 23min

Contrasting Conservative Academics

31:53 • 12min

Analyzing Political Dynamics: Critiques and Potential Alliances

44:17 • 4min

Election Dynamics and Campus Culture in 2024

48:14 • 3min

Conservative Perspectives on Ideology

51:20 • 6min

Remember the bleach drinking episode? Remember ‘alternative facts’? Remember ‘I have the best words’? These elements of the Trump presidency spoke to a fundamental part of his politics: truth and science were not prime among his considerations. Given this, one may assume that academics would have been especially unlikely to be drawn to the Trump presidency.

Yet, in his fascinating book The Academic Trumpists: Radicals against Liberal Democracy (Routledge, 2024), David Swartz outlines a group of public intellectuals who supported, and largely continue to support, Trump. These 109 Academic Trumpists are not marginal to American academia but rather can be found in middle to high-ranking schools and sometimes have backgrounds in elite institutions. Swartz demonstrates however how they cluster in particular disciplines and institutions and make use of a significant network of populist conservative thinktanks. By comparing these Trumpists with 89 conservative professors who are anti-Trump, Swartz is able to show the distinctive political positions the Trumpists adopt, especially concerning ‘liberal’ campus culture and the appeal of Trump as a ‘wrecking ball’. This populist politics and their distinct networks differ them from their conservative peers who see Trump as a threat and fundamentally not conservative.

In our conversation we discuss who these academic Trumpists are, the details of their positioning and why, despite everything, they continue to support Trump. We also consider what possibility there maybe for an allegiance between liberal and anti-Trump conservative professors in the US.

Your host Matt Dawson is Professor of Sociology at the University of Glasgow with research interests in social theory and the history of sociology. He is the author of a number of books, including G.D.H. Cole and British Sociology: A Study in Semi-Alienation (2024, Palgrave Macmillan)

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