Republic of Lies

"[An] engrossing assessment of the profitable mainstreaming of conspiracy mongering in civic and political life . . . A lucid look at a slippery topic." —Kirkus Reviews

American society has always been fertile ground for conspiracy theories, but with the election of Donald Trump, previously outlandish ideas suddenly attained legitimacy. Trump himself is a conspiracy enthusiast: From his claim that global warming is a Chinese hoax to the accusations of "fake news," he has fanned the flames of suspicion.


But it was not one man alone who gave these ideas increased power. Republic of Lies looks beyond the caricatures of conspiracy theorists to explain their tenacity. Without lending the theories validity, Anna Merlan gives a nuanced, sympathetic account of the people behind them, across the political spectrum, and the circumstances that helped them take hold. The lack of a social safety net, inadequate education, bitter culture wars, and years of economic insecurity have created large groups of people who feel forgotten by their government and even besieged by it. Our contemporary conditions are a perfect petri dish for conspiracy movements: a durable, permanent, elastic climate of alienation and resentment. All the while, an army of politicians and media figures have peddled fear to serve their own ends.


Bringing together penetrating historical analysis and gripping on-the-ground reporting, Republic of Lies transforms our understanding of American paranoia.


"A captivating book that illuminates the landscape of conspiracy theories and what they might say about society as a whole." —New York Magazine