Podcast / Sep 9, 2026


Understanding MAGA as a Social Movement—With Bill Fletcher Jr.

Bill Fletcher joins Fighting Fascism to discuss organized labor, anti-fascist strategy, and why understanding MAGA as a social movement matters for confronting it.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Understanding MAGA as a Social Movement w/ Bill Fletcher Jr. / Fighting Fascism
byThe Nation Magazine

For this Labor Day episode we’re joined by Bill Fletcher, a longtime union organizer who’s spent the last several years working to build out the labor movement’s anti-fascist infrastructure. Bill has an important reminder for those of us who direct most of our anti-fascist energy against Trump and the oligarchy: MAGA isn’t some astroturf trick. It’s a genuine social movement representing some 25-30 percent of Americans, and any strategies that ignore this fact are missing something fundamental about today’s dangerous political reality. You can learn more about Bill's organization, Standing for Democracy, here.

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Supporters of President Donald Trump at an event in Marietta, Georgia, on July 22, 2026.

(Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)

For this Labor Day episode we’re joined by Bill Fletcher, a longtime union organizer who’s spent the past several years working to build out the labor movement’s anti-fascist infrastructure. Bill has an important reminder for those of us who direct most of our anti-fascist energy toward Trump and the oligarchy: MAGA isn’t some Astroturf trick. It’s a genuine social movement representing some 25 to 30 percent of Americans, and any strategies that ignore this fact are missing something fundamental about today’s dangerous political reality. You can learn more about Bill’s organization, Standing for Democracy, here.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: TheNation.com/subscribe

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Understanding MAGA as a Social Movement w/ Bill Fletcher Jr. / Fighting Fascism
byThe Nation Magazine

For this Labor Day episode we’re joined by Bill Fletcher, a longtime union organizer who’s spent the last several years working to build out the labor movement’s anti-fascist infrastructure. Bill has an important reminder for those of us who direct most of our anti-fascist energy against Trump and the oligarchy: MAGA isn’t some astroturf trick. It’s a genuine social movement representing some 25-30 percent of Americans, and any strategies that ignore this fact are missing something fundamental about today’s dangerous political reality. You can learn more about Bill's organization, Standing for Democracy, here.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Matt DaSilva

Matt DaSilva is a co-host of the Fighting Fascism podcast.

Aaron Regunberg

Aaron Regunberg is a climate lawyer, a contributing editor at The New Republic, and a former Rhode Island state representative.

Jonathan Smucker

Jonathan Smucker is cofounder and executive director of Popular Comms, a cofounder of Pennsylvania Stands Up, and the author of Hegemony How-To: A Roadmap for Radicals. He has worked for over 25 years as a political organizer, campaigner, and strategist, and has trained thousands of organizers and social movement participants.

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