‘It’s such a paradox’: Author explains why Trump supporters fall for the president’s ‘unvarnished, unscripted’ persona — even as he feeds them lies

“Any imbecile might decide on a certain Monday to become a captain, and by Tuesday, with no qualifications whatsoever, that imbecile could take charge of a 300,000-ton vessel and the thousands of lives contained within.” This statement, one that is so reflective of this time in American history, is made in the opening pages of “The Captain and the Glory,” a new book by author Dave Eggers.

Eggers, who works in multiple genres from nonfiction to screenplay, turns his gaze towards the Trump administration through this new satirical novel. He writes of a petulant Captain — a man who is quick to toss his opposition overboard, makes nonsensical morning announcements about spiders that typically slip into observations about his penis, and steers the ship and its passengers further and further out to sea.

I spoke with Eggers about his time on the campaign trail in 2016, his experience with Trump supporters and their understanding of truth, and catharsis. Continue reading.