The Gray Area with Sean Illing The road from 9/11 to Donald Trump
Sep 13, 2021
Spencer Ackerman, a national security reporter and author of "Reign of Terror," delves into the reverberating effects of 9/11 on American politics. He examines how trauma fueled divisive political narratives leading to figures like Donald Trump. The conversation critiques the erosion of democratic values amidst the war on terror and highlights contradictions in Trump’s military policies. Ackerman also navigates the complex relationship between terrorism, religion, and U.S. foreign policy, raising questions about America's future and the lessons from its recent history.
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Ackerman's 9/11 Experience
- Spencer Ackerman, after 9/11, felt fear and trauma but also a sense of unity with Americans helping at Ground Zero.
- He later felt shame for his initial embrace of violent rhetoric and the exceptionalist worldview.
American Exceptionalism
- The unifying thread after 9/11 was American exceptionalism, the belief in America's unique role to order the world.
- It involved a sense of grievance and the idea that America is not bound by the rules it creates for others.
Path to Trump
- The War on Terror's focus on civilizational grievance and the pathologizing of Muslims fueled nativism.
- This, combined with the pain of inconclusive wars, created an opening for Trump's explanation.
