“Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party Lost Its Mind” | Amanpour and Company

A majority of Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections have either expressed doubt about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, or rejected the result outright. What is the future of the GOP? Author and journalist Robert Draper examines Republican election denial as a challenge to American democracy itself, as laid out in his new book, "Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party Lost Its Mind." Draper speaks with Michel Martin about what lies ahead.

Originally aired on October 20, 2022.

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Major support for Amanpour and Company is provided by the Anderson Family Charitable Fund, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim, III, Candace King Weir, Jim Attwood and Leslie Williams, Mark J. Blechner, Bernard and Denise Schwartz, Koo and Patricia Yuen, the Leila and Mickey Straus Family Charitable Trust, Barbara Hope Zuckerberg, Jeffrey Katz and Beth Rogers, the Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation and Mutual of America.

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Amanpour and Company features wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with global thought leaders and cultural influencers on the issues and trends impacting the world each day, from politics, business and technology to arts, science and sports. Christiane Amanpour leads the conversation on global and domestic news from London with contributions by prominent journalists Walter Isaacson, Michel Martin, Alicia Menendez and Hari Sreenivasan from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City.

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[joecrowaz]

Get rid of 3 things, and this all goes away...
Gerrymandering
Citizens United
Electoral College

[rebeccawalter]

This is not the country I served in uniform. It's not even the country my son served in uniform. And I'm afraid my grandsons will never know the country I served in uniform. 😢

[stevendaleschmitt]

I don't understand why so many seemingly well informed analysts, strategists and journalists were caught completely off guard by the consequences of a trump presidency.

[hopepeace]

I have thought it was interesting that former President Obama followed the mess left by GW Bush, the economy tanking and the mess of a war in the the middle east. Now President Biden has had to follow the horror of the former president Trump, who was way too slow and too dismissive about a pandemic, increased the debt with huge tax cuts for the most wealthy and big corporations, and did his best to destroy the dignity and honor of America. For the sake of democracy we need to vote blue in the upcoming mid term election.

[blueclover]

Hello, Marjorie Taylor Green harassed her opponent so much and even threatened his family so much he had to drop out, then Green ran unopposed.
Come on, guys. Do better.

[cosmosofinfinity]

"Hecklers with a paycheck" lol brilliant way to put it

[Ahmedkhan]

We are in such deep "kaka" in this country when the Republican Party has turned toward authoritarianism and anti-democratic positions. I truly fear for this democracy.

[carolbulmer]

I’m very frightened for the citizens of the U.S.

[eternalskeptic]

He invited
He incited
They rioted
Then he denied it
Even though he'd implied it
Now he must be indicted.

[louisesumrell]

It's a case of, "I'm ignorant, selfish and vulgar, so I like politicians who seem to be ignorant, selfish and vulgar, just like me".

[bettyh]

It takes a lot of work to deprogram cultists, we are going to live with many of these problems for a very long time.

[paulamos]

'Political performance artist' This guys brilliant I shall be reading that book

[mw]

When I think of leadership in a great nation such as the United States of America, I do not see how the characters of Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Ted Cruz, Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump, demonstrate the dignity and communication demeanor required to serve. Propagandists and receptors should not be qualified for consideration, There should be a bar of standard and qualifications for the position that demonstrate loyalty to their country. Clearly this has fallen away and diminished the United States as a whole on the world stage. They do not demonstrate “for the people” servitude our country’s founder’s prescribed.

[jeffjr]

Ms Amanpour understated what we got goin on here in the states, its like the jerry springer show right now..

[gregharwood]

Toy manufacturers should make an action figure of MJT that every time it opens its mouth, it falls on its face.

[Darkrider]

We need some justice, and that means prosecution

[blueclover]

Are you kidding me, get stuff done? They'll just wait for orders from Cheeto man and fight to see who could lick his boots the most.

[redemptionunite]

Simply refer them to as "The Orcs of Mordor" seemingly ugly/scary while stealthily beating them back to the darkness of which they came from .

[rramales]

Christian conservatism in its core belief the criminal clown is a messiah, what type of human beings could possibly believe that?

[robertmiskey]

Someone explain to me how half the country has gone insane.