Host Reed Galen is joined by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Author and Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. They discuss what to take away from the latest E. Jean Carroll verdict, how autocrats and criminal behavior often go hand-in-hand, and Greg Abbott’s handling of the Texas border as viewed through a lens of authoritarianism. Plus, why eroding trust in democratic institutions is an autocrat’s greatest weapon. If you’d like to hear more from Ruth, check out Lucid (her Substack newsletter) and pick up Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present. For more from Reed Galen, subscribe to “The Home Front”. If you’d like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices