Judy: Heading into the final
days of the midterms, large
parts of the Republican base
remain fervent believers and
former president Donald Trump's
lies that he won the last
election.
Lisa Desjardins sits down with
the author of a new book looking
into what he calls a politics of
hysteria.
Reporter: Several recent bugs
try to make sense of January 6
and former president Donald
Trump's reach but one, "Weapons
of mass delusion" focus in on
some of the stars.
The author is joining me now.
There has been some news that
overlaps with the themes in your
book.
When you look at the right and
the reporting and what we know
about the attack on Paul Pelosi,
what do you think of it?
>> I think it falls under the
category of terribly shocking
and not terribly surprising.
We have seen what began as the
coarsening of political rhetoric
become demonization of the other
side.
I'm not putting this on anyone
in particular but I do think
violence against the husband of
the speaker is something that
has been foreshadowed.
Reporter: Your boat gets at
something I have been wrestling
with daily which is group
thinking and mob mentality.
I want to ask you to read a
passage that sparked some
thought for me especially.
>> I conclude this way -- amid
the tangled threads of American
life, only one strand stood out
-- people.
It was omnipresent, stable and
oddly stabilizing.
A kind of dark lodestar to
measure one's thinking against.
So long as there was evil, there
was righteousness.
Identify people and the details
did not matter.
The fax did not matter.
Reporter: When I was tweeting my
reporting about the attack on
Paul Pelosi I saw an
unprecedented number of
responses that were just vile,
blaming Paul Pelosi,
conspiracies and beyond.
Some Republican lawmakers have
repeated those ideas in the last
few days.
>> They are preposterous but
they have an antecedent.
The way the speaker has been
targeted over the years and not
just been the but of jokes but
really has been objectified as
almost a demon force of the
left.
Reporter: Given that, what did
you learn about so many
Americans that are smart come to
believe in things like election
denial?
>> They dwell in an ecosystem
where that is all they hear and
know.
The influencers in the media and
officeholders and neighbors told
them this.
All of their information sources
tell them this.
Lacking any alternative voice or
reason to seek out an
alternative voice, they come to
believe that up is down and
black is white.
Reporter: And they believe they
are the heroes.
>> They believe the stakes are
existential and the other site
is evil and that they are
patriotic.
And that notion justifies the
instruction on January 6.
Reporter: You sketch out some
characters that are often
portrayed in almost cartoonish
ys but above all, Marjorie
Greene.
>> It has been tempting to say
that what drives her is a lust
for attention.
Part of it is true.
One should also take her at her
word that she decided to run for
congress in 2019 because
Republicans in her view were not
doing enough and when she went
to go visit with Republicans or
tried to on capitol hill come
she could not get them to talk
to her.
I think there is a sense of
vendetta against her own party
that she carries to this day.
The tendency is to focus on
someone like Marjorie Greene and
Matt Gaetz and others and view
them as the performative wing of
the Republican party.
The corollary is big nor the
performers and they will go
away.
That you are only giving them
oxygen.
It is allied by the fact that
Marjorie Greene has grown in
influence in her own party.
She is a top fundraiser.
Leadership is scared out of
their minds.
They are offering her plum
committee assignments.
Reporter: You have talked to her
and among your takeaways is her
complete does -- her complete
disregard for Kevin Mccarthy who
is in position to become speaker
should they gain the majority
which they could.
What do you think that kind of
Republican majority would look
like given your reporting in
your book?
>> The first thing that is
likely to happen as Marjorie
Greene said to me is there will
be a lot of investigations.
She things she will get on a
judiciary committee.
The guide likely to be the chair
of oversight, James comer has
said he would welcome her.
We can expect investigations
relating to the pandemic, hunter
Biden's laptop etc.
We can also expect there to be
impeachment inquiries.
Marjorie Greene has been
submitting resolutions for
impeachment since literally
Biden's first full day in
office.
What happens after that remains
to be seen.
There could be social wedge
issues tied to the debt ceiling
but that will be in a hostage
situation.
Reporter: Do you think Kevin
Mccarthy can control Marjorie
Greene and her allies?
>> Many have said if Mccarthy
gets majority of 25% that he can
disregard Marjorie Greene.
The fact is they are paying
attention to Marjorie Greene and
she thinks it is because she
represents the base of the party
which is still controlled by
Donald Trump.
Reporter: The title of your book
is -- weapons of mass delusion.
How deep does the delusion go?
How dangerous is it for the
country?
>> It is deep and dangerous.
It is the real focus of the
book.
The delusion of tens of millions
of Americans who continue to
believe that the 2020 election
was stolen and that Democrats
cheat to win but also believe
the corollary lies.
For example, January 6 was
either the work of antifraud or
a peaceful protest or staged by
the FBI.
They believe covid vaccines are
ineffectual or killers.
Reporter: All untrue.
>> That is right.
When you have party that is
based on tens of millions of
individuals believing in things
that are provably false, you
have to ask when will truth the
restored?
And one -- and what does one
make of a party whose platform
is the stuff of lies.
It is a scary situation.
Reporter: Thank you for your
reporting.
The book is weapons of mass
delusion.
Thank you.