The Sunday Interview: How Blood and Soil Nationalism Went Mainstream w/Seth Cotlar

In this episode, host Annika Brockschmidt is joined by historian https://substack.com/@sethcotlar Dr. Seth Cotlar, professor at Willamette University, for a deep dive into the long history of right-wing extremism in the United States and how it migrated from the political fringe into the heart of the Republican Party. Drawing on decades of archival research, Cotlar explains how white Christian nationalism, antisemitism, and “blood and soil” ideology have shaped conservative politics far longer than many people realize. Rather than seeing today’s extremism as something new or accidental, this conversation traces clear throughlines from McCarthy-era paranoia to the Trump movement, showing how narratives about “real Americans” versus internal enemies have been refined and normalized over time. The discussion also explores how structural changes helped remove the guardrails that once kept extremists at the margins. Cotlar unpacks the role of partisan media, social platforms, and weakened political institutions in amplifying radical ideas, alongside case studies like Walter Huss, an Oregon Republican leader who quietly fused Christian Identity theology with party politics from the inside. The episode examines the mainstreaming of antisemitic conspiracies, from George Soros tropes to Holocaust denial references, and the rise of “heritage American” rhetoric rooted in blood-and-soil nationalism. By connecting historical movements to contemporary figures and language, this conversation offers essential context for understanding how extremist ideas gain legitimacy and why they continue to shape American politics today. SWAJ Contributor Annika Brockschmidt Seth Cotlar Subscribe for $3.65 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 1000+ episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Subscribe to Teología Sin Vergüenza Subscribe to American Exceptionalism Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new American Caesar: Now Available for Pre-Order HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices