This week’s news regarding the Biden Administration’s effort to force Alphabet to divest Google Chrome is consistent with shared anti-big business sentiments in large parts of the Republican right. The attack on American pillars of U.S. prominence, including technology, the food industry, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and higher education—all the envy of the rest of the world—hints an anger that is now bringing together America’s political opposites.
Today’s self-styled MAGA followers and self-styled “progressives” are anchored in the common tradition of early 20th century agrarian populists like publisher politician Tom Watson on the right and urban populist union organizer Eugene V. Debs on the left. Despite the obvious partisan split in the nation revealed by Trump’s close victory, which nonetheless swept him into office with a decisive electoral college win and popular vote win, we are witnessing an emerging bond between the political extremes. In fact, I talked often with Donald Trump in 2015 as he planned his first candidacy, and he confided in me that he considered going to the left of Bernie Sanders to tap into national outrage.
Of course, it was not surprising when MAGA enthusiast, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) endorsed Trump’s selection of RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health & Human Services, proclaiming that “He could not be happier with the choice” despite RFK Jr.’s insistence that drinking water determines people’s gender and that vaccines cause autism. What was surprising was last week when Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis exclaimed that he was excited to endorse Trump’s anti-science HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. given shared anti-corporate perspectives suspicious of vaccines, weight-loss drugs, and other miraculous products from pioneering U.S. pharmaceutical companies. Democratic Senator Cory Booker stated he shared many of RFK Jr.’s accusations over “corporations feeding us unhealthy products” while…
