"My book this week is The [History of the] Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, which I choose because this month, February 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of the publication of the first volume of that famous book in February 1776. There are six volumes altogether, the last published in 1788, but February 1776 announces the arrival of this tremendous achievement of historical research and English literary triumph."
"Before turning to either the dialogue or the book, I wanna begin with some thoughts about a very upsetting thing that happened over the past few days, and that is the posting on the social-media account of the president of the United States of a scurrilous, racist, insulting, and stupid video about the past president of the United States President Barack Obama and his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama."
"David is then joined by Stephen Richer, a former Republican county recorder of Maricopa County. They discuss Stephen's experience navigating Trump's 2020 election denial, standing up to pressure from the president, and confronting election denialism within his own party. They also examine the Trump administration's current activities in Georgia and how they could set the stage for more election denialism in 2026."
A scurrilous, racist AI video of Barack and Michelle Obama was posted and quickly deleted from President Trump's Truth Social account. Such presidential behavior undermines other actions that resemble normal governance and erodes public confidence in institutional norms. Stephen Richer, a former Republican Maricopa County recorder, faced and resisted pressure during Trump's 2020 election denial and confronted election denialism within his own party. Current Trump administration activities in Georgia raise the prospect of renewed election denialism entering 2026. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire marks its 250th anniversary, and Gibbon's moralizing of history can mislead modern readers.
Read at The Atlantic
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