Ruth Ben-Ghiat Says ‘Slightly Criminal’ Herschel Walker’s ‘Lawless Masculinity’ Explains MAGA Support After Abortion News

Historian and author Ruth Ben-Ghiat told radio host Dean Obeidallah that the constantly developing story of Herschel Walker paying for an abortion and his GOP voters continuing to support him represents the “lawless masculinity” of authoritarianism.

On Friday’s edition of The Dean Obeidallah Show, the host asked the “Strongmen: Mussolini To The Present” author to weigh in on the ongoing saga of the Georgia Republican, who is accused of paying for abortions and was attacked by his own son on Twitter in recent weeks.

Ben-Ghiat told the host that Walker is the “slightly lawless, slightly criminal” type that “fits right in” with Donald Trump‘s authoritarian GOP where domestic abuse accusations are a “badge of honor.”

DEAN OBEIDALLAH: Last thing. And I don’t know if there’s anything here in the big picture. Is it just politics? But Herschel Walker and paying for the abortion, no doubt he paid for it. No doubt. And Republicans rallying around him, and they don’t care, even though to them it’s all about life, and ‘every life is precious.’ Except when Herschel Walker kills that life, I guess, and pays for it, then it’s okay. Anything there beyond politics that you see in terms of authoritarianism and authoritarian movements?

RUTH BEN-GHIAT: Yeah, I see it as this lawless masculinity. Because, you know, he’s abusive and this kind of paying for abortions and just, again, treating women badly, that’s one of the main themes in this person’s life history. And the GOP will be behind– Also like somebody who is slightly lawless, slightly criminal. And look how many people Trump had employed in his West Wing who had domestic abuse accusations. And and, you know, that’s like a badge of honor for some Republicans, it seems, because there’s so many of them who are backed despite being violent misogynists. So he fits right in in that way.

Watch above via The Dean Obeidallah Show on SiriusXM.