How did an indecorous outsider manage to game the system put in place by the elite class and bulldoze his way through the Republican Party and into the White House? Journalist and author Matt Taibbi has a pretty good idea that he lays out in his new book, “Insane Clown President”—and that he discusses with Chris Hedges in this week’s episode of “On Contact.”

Hedges has an idea, too. As the Truthdig columnist and “On Contact” host puts it in the introduction to this show, “An image-based culture, one dominated by junk politics, communicates through narratives, pictures and carefully orchestrated spectacle as well as manufactured pseudo-drama.” Who better than President Donald Trump to capitalize on those cultural conditions, as well as on the breakdown of American institutions purportedly charged with safeguarding democracy?

Watch Hedges and Taibbi make sense of the insane state of the union in the clip below:

–Posted by Kasia Anderson

 Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig
In this Article:
#celebrity#donald trump#matt taibbi#on contact with chris hedges#reality tv#rolling stone#rt#trump administration