The Republican party is broken, argues Robert Draper in his 2022 book Weapons of Mass Delusion. The leaders of the Republican party, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Madison Cawthorn, have made hysteria a new brand of politics. As a result of this hysteria, the very foundation of the American republic is being threatened by people who have become radicalized by extreme beliefs, some of which are perpetuated by the politicians above. In an interview promoting the book, Draper said that " a large part of the electorate has turned against a reality-based form of democracy and instead is embracing a succession of lies that have, I think, in part soured them on the notion of democracy." This is ultimately the thesis of his book. This mass delusion, as the title suggests, culminated in the January 6th invasion of the United States Capitol. But the delusion continues, Draper warns and threatens the United States and the freedom of everyone who lives inside of it—unless it (and the politicians who further the delusion) stops.
In their review of the novel, The Guardian wrote that "Robert Draper dissects the Trumpian nightmare" in his story That quote reflects what the book is about and how others felt about the book. Kirkus Reviews, for instance, wrote in their glowing review of Weapons of Mass Delusion that the book is "An important investigation into the radicalization of far-right American lawmakers."
