This talk will explore the changing nature of conspiracy thinking in the 21st century. It will focus primarily on discourse surrounding President Donald Trump and the “outrage industry” that has been emboldened as a result. It will also suggest problems that conspiracy talk poses for maintaining a vibrant and healthy democracy.

Robert A. Goldberg is the Director of the Tanner Humanities Center and Professor of History at the University of Utah. He is the author of eight books with his last two, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Barry Goldwater and Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America (Yale University Press). His most recent publication is the co-edited volume Faith and Reason, Conscience and Conflict: The Paths of Lowell Bennion, Sterling McMurrin, and Obert Tanner (University of Utah Press). He is the recipient of twelve teaching honors along with the University of Utah’s most prestigious award, the Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence in 2008.