Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher at Notre Dame, says yes. He was a Democrat for years, and has now come to be seen as an “ideological guru” of the Trump administration. But that only tells half the story ...

• SOURCES:
  • Patrick Deneen, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Ideological Gurus Battling for the Soul of Trump World," by Joshua Chaffin and Zusha Elinson (Wall Street Journal, 2025).
  • "Why the MAGA-DOGE coalition will hold," by Patrick Deneen (UnHerd, 2025).
  • "‘I Don’t Want to Violently Overthrow the Government. I Want Something Far More Revolutionary,’" by Ian Ward (POLITICO, 2023).
  • Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future, by Patrick Deneen (2023).
  • Why Liberalism Failed, by Patrick Deneen (2018).

• EXTRAS:
  • "In Search of the Real Adam Smith," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022).