Slate Presents

Randy and Vicki Weaver moved their family to a remote Idaho cabin. They feared their world would be destroyed in an apocalyptic confrontation with the federal government. They were right. In this first episode of our new narrative miniseries Standoff, host Ruth Graham explores the ideologies and influences that led to the deadly siege at Ruby Ridge in 1992.

Get full access to Standoff: What Happened at Ruby Ridge with Slate Plus. Join to unlock the full season—plus ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Standoff show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit slate.com/standoffplus for access wherever you listen.

Episode Art:

John Magaw (L), director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, shows weapons to US Sen. Arlen Specter, R-PA, during Senate hearings 08 September on Capitol Hill. The committee is investigating the actions of federal agencies involved in the raid in Ruby Ridge, Idaho. The weapons were those that white separatist Randy Weaver sold to an undercover ATF agent. Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Mannie Garcia/AFP via Getty Images.

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In 1992, hundreds of armed federal agents surrounded a family of white separatists in a ramshackle mountaintop cabin. Eleven days later, three people were dead—and the story of Ruby Ridge was just beginning. Journalist Ruth Graham explores a tragedy that’s become a foundational myth for the modern right, and finds some frightening lessons about power and paranoia. 

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1992, hundreds of armed federal agents surrounded a family of white separatists in a ramshackle mountaintop cabin. Eleven days later, three people were dead—and the story of Ruby Ridge was just beginning. Journalist Ruth Graham explores a tragedy that’s become a foundational myth for the modern right, and finds some frightening lessons about power and paranoia. 

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.