Max Boot: The Corrosion of Conservatism

When Donald Trump announced his presidential bid in 2015, conservative historian Max Boot couldn’t help but think he was watching a dystopian science-fiction movie. He couldn’t fathom that the party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan could endorse a reality TV star with no prior political experience and a laundry list of controversies.

This created an ideological dislocation so shattering that Boot’s transformation from Republican foreign policy adviser to celebrated anti-Trump columnist is the dramatic story of his new book, The Corrosion of Conservatism.

After joining other prominent conservatives such as David Frum, Rick Wilson and Ana Navarro in denouncing Trump’s candidacy and subsequent presidency, Boot left the Republican Party. No longer a Republican, but also not a Democrat, Boot’s journey from a movement conservative to a man without a party is one worth hearing about. While 90 percent of his fellow Republicans endorsed President Trump’s agenda in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Boot stood his ground, enduring the criticism of conservative colleagues.

Join us for this important conversation about a party at a never-ending crossroads and the movement by people such as Max Boot to reclaim the Republican Party in the name of conservative fiscal and national security principles.

Speakers
Image - Boot

Max Boot

Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Columnist, The Washington Post; Author, The Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left the Right; Twitter @MaxBoot

Image - Marisa Lagos

In Conversation with Marisa Lagos

Political Reporter, KQED