Political power in the United States no longer lies with the two major political parties, but rather with “a tiny group of rich mega-donors.” That’s according to Jane Mayer who profiles Robert Mercer, the billionaire who helped Donald Trump win the presidency. Mayer’s reporting in The New Yorker reveals how Mercer and his daughter Rebekah strategically invested large amounts of money in Breitbart News and helped position Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway as President Trump’s key advisors. Mayer joins us to talk about the impact of the Mercers’ funding and other cases of “dark money,” including a $10 million campaign supporting Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination. Her latest book, now in paperback, is “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right.”
Related Links:
- The Reclusive Hedge-Fund Tycoon Behind the Trump Presidency (The New Yorker)
- More Information about “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right” (Penguin Random House Books)