America’s Emerging Plutocracy

The populist right is trashing the expert class and replacing it with a naked rule of the rich.

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks as Vice President J.D. Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff embrace at the White House in Washington. December 5, 2025, 12:12 PM

One of the differences between President Donald Trump’s second term and his first has been a full-blown attack on the expert class. Vice President JD Vance urges that we trust our common sense over the ideas of “the experts.” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is overruling the views of the medical establishment on issues like vaccines. Attorney General Pam Bondi forces out Justice Department officials who prize professionalism over personal loyalty. Stephen Miller h

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