Topic: Anna Merlin

Author Anna Merlin discusses her book "Republic of Lies," which tracks the rise of conspiracy theories from fringe sites like InfoWars to Fox News and the presidency. She argues that state-backed disinformation aims to make objective truth feel unknowable. The hosts mock the framing that only "right-wing" conspiracies exist.

Author Anna Merlin discusses the rise of conspiracy theories in her book Republic of Lies, tracing the path of misinformation from fringe sites like InfoWars to Fox News and the presidency. The discussion includes the theory that state-backed disinformation from Russia aims to make objective truth appear unknowable.