Did the Road to Trump Start in the 90’s? with John Ganz

Aug 7, 2025

John Ganz, journalist and author of the Unpopular Front newsletter, dives into how the tumultuous 1990s set the stage for today's political climate and the rise of Trumpism. He argues that while many view the decade nostalgically, it was marked by economic strife and discontent that fueled anti-establishment sentiments. Ganz connects historical figures like Ross Perot to current populist movements, and he emphasizes the irony of today's political rhetoric, showcasing how chaos and chance shape our history and future.

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INSIGHT

Seeds of Trumpism in the 90s

The 1990s housed marginal political figures whose ideas foreshadowed the rise of Trumpism.
These "losers" planted the seeds of a new American political landscape that emerged later.

INSIGHT

90s Economic and Media Shifts

Economic and social shifts in the 1990s destabilized America’s middle class and ideological consensus.
Media evolution exposed fragmented, angry public sentiments masked by mainstream appearances.

INSIGHT

Democracy's Paradoxical Stress

American democracy is under stress from both anti-democratic forces and inherent undemocratic constitutional limits.
Populist demands paradoxically undermine the democratic system they seek to improve.

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How has the past thirty years of American politics impacted our present?

In this episode, Atossa Araxia Abrahamian speaks to journalist and author John Ganz about how the 1990s were the perfect storm that created a new America that birthed the Donald Trump Era.

Many today look back on the 1990s with a sense of nostalgia. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the election of Bill Clinton, Americans of the 90s were ready for a “kinder, gentler America.” But as Ganz argues, the decade was far more turbulent than it seemed. Beneath the surface ran the aftershocks of Reagan-era economics, the rise of anti-establishment rhetoric and a hunger for strongman-style leadership. In retrospect, the decade was a precursor to today’s fractured political landscape. Looking to the present, Ganz reminds us that while history may be shaped by deep structures, it’s just as often steered by chaos and chance. Whether that’s a warning – or a window of opportunity – is up to us.

John Ganz is the author of the widely acclaimed Unpopular Front newsletter for Substack and writes a monthly column for the Nation. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, New Republic, New Statesman and other publications. Today we’re discussing his new book, When The Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracies, and the Origins of Trumpism, an analysis of the tumult of the early 1990s and the rise of a new America that birthed the Donald Trump Era.

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