“[An] excellent new book.”—Michelle Goldberg, New York Times The story of the radical conservative intellectual movement shaping Donald Trump’s agenda—and how it threatens freedoms, values, and democracy in America. Donald Trump is not a great thinker, but his victory in the 2016 presidential election represented a significant opportunity for those aligned with him and sparked a radicalization and restructuring of the American conservative intellectual world. In Furious Minds, Laura Field, who spent nearly a decade within conservative academic circles, documents the rise of the New Right—the network of scholars, public intellectuals, and influential figures providing ideological fuel to Trumpism. This movement includes figures such as Patrick Deneen, Christopher Rufo, Peter Thiel, and J. D. Vance. Their agenda is designed to last and has serious long-term implications for liberal democracy. The New Right has precedents in American history but is distinguished by its youth, misogyny, and notable successes—including Vance’s rise to vice president. The movement—which gathers allies from the right-wing Claremont Institute, the National Conservative movement, post-liberal groups, and the Hard Right—advocates for nationalist economics, strict border controls, isolationism, and reactionary social values. It helped strategize January 6 and created Project 2025. But above all, the New Right is engaged in an extensive cultural war against modern liberal pluralism. It is determined to seize state power and wield it in new, anti-liberal ways—from universities to the international stage—all driven by its vision of restoring a pure America. With acuity and urgency, Furious Minds narrates the story of the thinkers of the New Right—and their powerful assault on the freedoms, values, and ideals of Americans.