White supremacist myths turn defeated leaders into heroic victors. Are Donald Trump and the MAGA movement the next Lost cause?

Donald Trump is the lead contender for the Republican nomination for President once again. And with pending indictment looming in the headlines, the opportunity arises for the former president to yet again, control the narrative of his defeat.

If we turn to history, we’ll see that this story isn’t unfamiliar. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. David Blight, author of "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom," joins host Kai Wright to tell the story of the Confederacy’s Lost Cause mythology–how it was created, why it still matters today, and how similar it may feel to the narrative of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. Plus, we open our pre-election time capsule and hear from listeners about their wildest dreams for the future of the country and themselves.

This episode was originally published as ‘MAGA, the New Confederate Lost Cause’ on November 16, 2020. Listen to more episodes here.

Companion listening for this episode:

American Political Myths Have Consequences For Us All (2/9/2023)

From the “Southern Strategy” to the civil rights movement, we’re surfacing what is true about our nation’s past, and what is propaganda masquerading as history.

“Notes from America” airs live on Sunday evenings at 6pm ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts. To catch all the action, tune into the show on Sunday nights via the stream on notesfromamerica.org or on WNYC’s YouTube channel.

We want to hear from you! Connect with us on Instagram and Twitter @noteswithkai or email us at notes@wnyc.org.

Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.

Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

Trump, the GOP, and a New Confederacy

Notes from America with Kai Wright