FURIOUS MINDS | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation

The story of the radical conservative intellectual movement shaping Donald Trump's agenda--and how it threatens American freedoms, values, and democracy

Donald Trump is not a big thinker, but his 2016 presidential victory presented a grand opportunity for people who are, and it set off a radicalization and reconfiguration of the American conservative intellectual world. In Furious Minds, Laura Field, who spent close to a decade in conservative academic circles, chronicles the rise of the New Right--the network of academics, public intellectuals, and influencers who provide ideological fuel to Trumpism. This movement includes figures such as Patrick Deneen, Christopher Rufo, Peter Thiel, and JD Vance. Their agenda is built to last, and it has dire long-term implications for liberal democracy.

The New Right has precedents in American history, but it is distinct for its youthfulness, misogyny, and extraordinary successes--most notably the elevation of Vance to the vice presidency. The movement--which draws together associates of the right-wing Claremont Institute, National Conservatives, Postliberals, and the Hard Right--advocates nationalist economics, tight borders, isolationism, and reactionary social values. It helped to strategize January 6th and created Project 2025. But above all, the New Right is engaged in a vast culture war against modern liberal pluralism. It is determined to harness state power and use it in new, illiberal ways, from college campuses to the international scene--all driven by the fantasy of restoring a pure America.

Incisive and urgent, Furious Minds tells the story of the thinkers of the New Right--and their powerful assault on American freedoms, values, and ideals. 

Laura K. Field is joining us on the Busboys stage alongside Benjamin Wittes, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, to dive deeper into the making of the Maga New Right. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Field will be signing following the program.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 5:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of FURIOUS MINDS will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person.

We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books

Laura K. Field is a nonresident fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution, an associate of the Illiberalism Studies Program at GW, and a scholar in residence at American University. She holds a PhD in political theory and public law from the University of Texas at Austin, and has written for The New Republic, Politico, The Bulwark, Le Monde and other publications. Her book “Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right” is out with Princeton University Press in November, 2025. 

Benjamin Wittes is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He co-founded and is the editor-in-chief of Lawfare, is a contributing writer at the Atlantic and a law analyst at NBC News and MSNBC and has authored numerous books and his writing has appeared in a wide range of journals and magazines. Wittes was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1990, and he has black belts in both taekwondo and aikido.

BOOK DETAILS

Furious Minds

The Making of the Maga New Right

By Laura K. Field

November 04, 2025 | Hardcover, 432 pages, $35.00

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Busboys and Poets