Hillbilly Hypocrisy

JD Vance and the Dark Future of MAGA Politics

By: Nathan J. Robinson

An eye-opening exploration of the man at the center of a movement poised to reshape the fabric of American society.

J.D. Vance has rapidly risen to power and become the most likely individual to succeed Donald Trump as leader of the MAGA movement. Yet his core political beliefs remain opaque; in only a few years, he has transformed from an outspoken Trump critic into his most enthusiastic enabler. He claims to be a populist everyman, yet he is an ally of both tech oligarchs and dangerous reactionaries. Who is J.D. Vance, and what does he really believe? Is he an opportunist searching for status, or an ideologue committed to pushing America further into authoritarianism?

Hillbilly Hypocrisy is a study of one of the most mysterious and consequential figures in politics and an urgent examination of the broader MAGA ecosystem from Peter Thiel and Elon Musk to Steve Bannon. Author Nathan J. Robinson argues that the emerging post-Trump right is a vehicle for the self-interested pursuit of power and wealth for a motley group of Christian nationalists and tech overlords with J.D. Vance at its helm. These faux anti-elitists are intent on entrenching inequality and gutting regulations at the expense of the American people.

This deeply-researched and engaging book illuminates the figures vying for control once Trump exits public life. It is vital reading for anyone who wants to understand the forces that want to dictate the trajectory of our country for decades to come.