The Republican War on Knowledge

12 snips

Oct 9, 2025

Stacey Abrams chats with Adam Serwer, a senior writer at The Atlantic and author of The Cruelty Is the Point, to explore the ongoing attack on knowledge in America. They discuss how the Republican Party manipulates facts, distorts historical narratives, and undermines scientific inquiry. Adam highlights the serious implications of these actions for democracy and civil rights, emphasizing the importance of historical literacy and public vigilance. They also provide actionable steps for individuals to combat misinformation and protect knowledge in their communities.

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INSIGHT

History Erasure Enables Injustice

Erasing or sanitizing history makes structural inequality appear natural and undeserving of remedy.
Serwer argues this mythic version of America removes the moral basis for confronting racial and gender injustice.

INSIGHT

Democracy As A Veneer

Authoritarians keep democratic forms while hollowing out their power so leaders aren't accountable.
Serwer explains controlling education, media, and research makes the country easier to dominate long-term.

INSIGHT

DEI Is Civil-Rights Under Attack

DEI attacks are not just about trainings but about dismantling civil-rights enforcement and permitting discrimination.
Serwer frames the campaign as restoring legal permission to exclude protected groups.

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Knowledge is power — a familiar cliché, but one that’s never felt more urgent. Trump and his Republican lackeys have launched alarming efforts to distort facts, manipulate evidence, and dilute the truth in order to disempower us. Very little has been left untouched, and the harm to scientific inquiry, the study of history, and institutions that preserve historical memory will be hard to reverse. Understanding our history is how we know that despite the dark chapters, this country is resilient. Knowledge is the key to being able to take action to shape our futures. This systematic campaign to upend reality is straight out of an autocrat’s playbook. This week on Assembly Required, Stacey is joined by Adam Serwer, senior writer at The Atlantic and author of The Cruelty Is the Point, to unpack the Republican attack on knowledge, its real world impact, and explore what we can do to resist their attempts to replace truth with ideology.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Learn & Do More:

Be Curious: Pick up a copy of Adam’s book, The Cruelty Is the Point, and explore his powerful writing for The Atlantic for sharp, insightful commentary on how to make sense of our current reality.
Solve Problems: If your local school district is taking steps to undermine education or restrict knowledge, speak up. Attend school board meetings whether or not you have kids in the system. Follow the example of parents in Florida who’ve organized supplemental Black history lessons at local cultural centers. Educators and creators are also using TikTok to share important history lessons, a reminder that learning can thrive anywhere.
Do Good: ProPublica reported that the Trump administration destroyed 94 million pounds of food rather than allowing it to be delivered to food banks across the country. As the economy weakens and furloughed federal employees face financial strain, consider supporting your local food bank. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to find one near you and learn how you can help.