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The Elephant in the Room: A Journey into the Trump Campaign and the “Alt-Right”
“But Hillary is a known Luciferian,” he tried.
“She’s not a known Luciferian,” I said.
“Well, yes and no,” he said.
In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson, the New York Times-Bestselling author of The Psychopath Test, Them, and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, travels to Cleveland at the height of summer to witness the Republican National Convention. Along the way, he reunites with an old acquaintance—the influential provocateur and conspiracy talk-show host Alex Jones—who draws him, unexpectedly, into one of the most bizarre presidential campaigns in American history.
From the private Winnebago where conspiracy theorists and fearmongers discuss key campaign decisions, to a chance encounter with notorious political operative Roger Stone, Ronson’s picaresque journey into Donald Trump’s atmosphere introduces us to the people who orbit the campaign machine, and discovers what makes them tick—and what ticks them off. Whimsical, hilarious and often downright terrifying, The Elephant in the Room captures a defining moment in our time as only Jon Ronson could see it.
“She’s not a known Luciferian,” I said.
“Well, yes and no,” he said.
In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson, the New York Times-Bestselling author of The Psychopath Test, Them, and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, travels to Cleveland at the height of summer to witness the Republican National Convention. Along the way, he reunites with an old acquaintance—the influential provocateur and conspiracy talk-show host Alex Jones—who draws him, unexpectedly, into one of the most bizarre presidential campaigns in American history.
From the private Winnebago where conspiracy theorists and fearmongers discuss key campaign decisions, to a chance encounter with notorious political operative Roger Stone, Ronson’s picaresque journey into Donald Trump’s atmosphere introduces us to the people who orbit the campaign machine, and discovers what makes them tick—and what ticks them off. Whimsical, hilarious and often downright terrifying, The Elephant in the Room captures a defining moment in our time as only Jon Ronson could see it.
57 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
733 people are currently reading
6884 people want to read
About the author
Jon Ronson
30 books5,754 followersJon Ronson is a British-American journalist, author, and filmmaker. He is known for works such as Them: Adventures with Extremists (2001), The Men Who Stare at Goats (2004), and The Psychopath Test (2011).
He has been described as a gonzo journalist, becoming a faux-naïf character in his stories. He produces informal but sceptical investigations of controversial fringe politics and science. He has published nine books and his work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, City Life and Time Out. He has made several BBC Television documentary films and two documentary series for Channel 4.
He has been described as a gonzo journalist, becoming a faux-naïf character in his stories. He produces informal but sceptical investigations of controversial fringe politics and science. He has published nine books and his work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, City Life and Time Out. He has made several BBC Television documentary films and two documentary series for Channel 4.
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October 7, 2016
"Sandy Hook is a synthetic, completely fake, with actors, in my view manufactured. I couldn't believe it at first. I knew they had actors there, clearly, but I thought they killed some real kids." - Alex Jones, January 2015
"Alex Jones is basically the most irresponsible man I have ever met. He uses his powers to inflame paranoia. He boldly makes stuff up to suit his weird agenda. Alex eschews facts and reason . . . " - Jon Ronson, September 2016
And Donald Trump, a creature who is dangerously close to becoming the leader of the free world, takes Alex Jones seriously.
Ronson teamed briefly with Jones almost two decades ago to expose a secret society; this story is featured in Them: Adventures with Extremists, but the two had a falling out over what actually occurred during the incident they both witnessed. Since then, Jones has become a man the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as "the most prolific conspiracy theorist in contemporary America." He firmly believes that government and big business have colluded to create a New World Order through "manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and—above all—inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria"* And, he is, sadly, one of the few sources Trump relies upon for news and information.
In this brief essay, Ronson examines Jones's sway over Trump as he attends the Republican National Convention, and other rallies of Trump supporters.
This is fairly horrifying. Between the influence of Jones and the slimy Roger Stone . . . be afraid. Be very afraid. There was one brief and shining moment of hope, however. When a protest ended peacefully instead of erupting into a riot, Ronson remarked, "Self-preservation took over. It ended fine." Maybe that's what will happen on November 8th.
Or maybe not . . .
As one supporter claimed, "I bet a lot of people who've never before voted will vote because Alex Jones told them to vote."
This essay takes about a half hour to read, and is currently FREE as the wind for Amazon Prime members.
*Alexander Zaitchik (March 2, 2011). "Meet Alex Jones" Rolling Stone, February 24, 2013
"Alex Jones is basically the most irresponsible man I have ever met. He uses his powers to inflame paranoia. He boldly makes stuff up to suit his weird agenda. Alex eschews facts and reason . . . " - Jon Ronson, September 2016
And Donald Trump, a creature who is dangerously close to becoming the leader of the free world, takes Alex Jones seriously.
Ronson teamed briefly with Jones almost two decades ago to expose a secret society; this story is featured in Them: Adventures with Extremists, but the two had a falling out over what actually occurred during the incident they both witnessed. Since then, Jones has become a man the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as "the most prolific conspiracy theorist in contemporary America." He firmly believes that government and big business have colluded to create a New World Order through "manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and—above all—inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria"* And, he is, sadly, one of the few sources Trump relies upon for news and information.
In this brief essay, Ronson examines Jones's sway over Trump as he attends the Republican National Convention, and other rallies of Trump supporters.
This is fairly horrifying. Between the influence of Jones and the slimy Roger Stone . . . be afraid. Be very afraid. There was one brief and shining moment of hope, however. When a protest ended peacefully instead of erupting into a riot, Ronson remarked, "Self-preservation took over. It ended fine." Maybe that's what will happen on November 8th.
Or maybe not . . .
As one supporter claimed, "I bet a lot of people who've never before voted will vote because Alex Jones told them to vote."
This essay takes about a half hour to read, and is currently FREE as the wind for Amazon Prime members.
*Alexander Zaitchik (March 2, 2011). "Meet Alex Jones" Rolling Stone, February 24, 2013
November 8, 2016
In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson takes a look at the alt-right, a formerly fringe group that has risen to take control of the Republican Party at the same time that Donald Trump has ascended to be its candidate. Unfortunately, Ronson’s piece is a rushed collection of obvious observations on American politics that’s solely out there to capitalise on the election.
Ronson’s in to the alt-right is Alex Jones, the human turd who runs the conspiracy drivel show InfoWars among other deplorable outlets. Ronson gave Jones his big break in July 2000 by suggesting they sneak into Bohemian Grove, a supposedly Satanic gathering place for world leaders to make human sacrifices to their owl god Moloch - the farcical episode of what they actually see is covered in Ronson’s book, Them: Adventures with Extremists (highly recommended) but suffice it to say it isn’t quite so insane.
Through Jones, Ronson meets Roger Stone, an even more deplorable scumfuck who’s advising Trump and whose clients are usually third-world dictators who commit crimes against humanity. Ronson also meets Glenn Beck, another right-wing lunatic who’s bafflingly popular.
What does Ronson make out of meeting all of these powerful right-wing figures? Not much. He shows them to be opportunistic, which, duh, but then so is Ronson who’s exploiting his connections to cobble together this short book to make some quick cash. Some people at Trump rallies are racist and ill-informed and a strong cult-like vibe emanates from these gatherings. These are some really banal and basic observations that anyone who’s been paying attention to the election will already know and don’t need Ronson to point out.
Ronson seems to genuinely like Alex Jones but Jones still comes off as a nutbar - that’s not Ronson though, he’s just reporting what Jones says and Jones says nothing but madness. Jones does try to take credit for informing Trump policy, which he seems proud of, and Ronson seems wary about. But Ronson spends quite a bit of time telling the reader that he made Jones, which he seems proud of, unaware that if that’s so then he has a hand in the toxic nature of Trump’s speeches: Ronson made Jones, Jones helped make Trump.
Disappointingly there’s no real examination of the alt-right or what it means on a broader scale, particularly with regards to the future of the Republican Party, and most of the piece is Ronson reporting on things anyone who’s been following the election will already be aware of. I usually like Jon Ronson’s reportage but The Elephant in the Room is an unfocused, insubstantial and shamelessly opportunistic book.
Ronson’s in to the alt-right is Alex Jones, the human turd who runs the conspiracy drivel show InfoWars among other deplorable outlets. Ronson gave Jones his big break in July 2000 by suggesting they sneak into Bohemian Grove, a supposedly Satanic gathering place for world leaders to make human sacrifices to their owl god Moloch - the farcical episode of what they actually see is covered in Ronson’s book, Them: Adventures with Extremists (highly recommended) but suffice it to say it isn’t quite so insane.
Through Jones, Ronson meets Roger Stone, an even more deplorable scumfuck who’s advising Trump and whose clients are usually third-world dictators who commit crimes against humanity. Ronson also meets Glenn Beck, another right-wing lunatic who’s bafflingly popular.
What does Ronson make out of meeting all of these powerful right-wing figures? Not much. He shows them to be opportunistic, which, duh, but then so is Ronson who’s exploiting his connections to cobble together this short book to make some quick cash. Some people at Trump rallies are racist and ill-informed and a strong cult-like vibe emanates from these gatherings. These are some really banal and basic observations that anyone who’s been paying attention to the election will already know and don’t need Ronson to point out.
Ronson seems to genuinely like Alex Jones but Jones still comes off as a nutbar - that’s not Ronson though, he’s just reporting what Jones says and Jones says nothing but madness. Jones does try to take credit for informing Trump policy, which he seems proud of, and Ronson seems wary about. But Ronson spends quite a bit of time telling the reader that he made Jones, which he seems proud of, unaware that if that’s so then he has a hand in the toxic nature of Trump’s speeches: Ronson made Jones, Jones helped make Trump.
Disappointingly there’s no real examination of the alt-right or what it means on a broader scale, particularly with regards to the future of the Republican Party, and most of the piece is Ronson reporting on things anyone who’s been following the election will already be aware of. I usually like Jon Ronson’s reportage but The Elephant in the Room is an unfocused, insubstantial and shamelessly opportunistic book.
February 8, 2017
It's almost like the far-right inhabit a parallel dimension with its own institutions, its own history and its own--I hesitate to use the term--knowledge. It's a place where truth is overrated, where empirical evidence means nothing, where global warming isn't happening, where governments stage school shootings to take citizens' guns away, where trickle-down economics actually works and where, implausibly, white males are a disenfranchised group under attack. This is what makes Donald Trump so shocking to so many of us: he's not from our world. A portal has opened between our world and this bizarre other realm and Trump is its ambassador. Jon Ronson has profiled this dimension and its crackpot emperor, Texas talk radio charlatan Alex Jones, before in his 2001 book Them: Adventures with Extremists. Here, Ronson returns to the lunatic fringe and to Jones himself in the wake of Trump's inexplicable success and examines in this work's 40 pages how ideas and rhetoric from the "alt-right" margins have become, in the wake of Trump, mainstream discourse. Jones is, of course, completely insane, yet it's Jones's conspiracy fantasies that directly inform Trump's batshit tweets and non-sequitur public statements. The Elephant in the Room is a brief work, but it's a relevant examination of how fringe illogic threatens mainstream objective reality, how this parallel dimension might envelop our world. It's also a funny and disturbing look at an echo chamber of insular halfwits.
October 16, 2019
Put this down in the "It's not a book, but I'm reviewing it anyway" category.
I quite enjoy Jon Ronson's work. His most recent book, So You've Been Publicly Shamed, was a fascinating look at online bullying before looking at online bullying became de rigueur. "The Elephant in the Room" is a relatively short look at Trump's 2016 campaign and, most particularly, the cartoonish conservative radio personality Alex Jones, a man infamous for his on-air propagation of expensive, useless meds and conspiracy theories (Jones believes the horrendous 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary was "staged").
Ronson is always interesting to read but he fails to breathe new life into reports of the 2016 campaign. That campaign, three years later, feels tired and overdone. There's just not that much more to say about it that hasn't already been said, and the choice to focus on a despicable figure like Jones made me feel like I was wasting time on a figure I just didn't care to hear about.
Nothing special.
I quite enjoy Jon Ronson's work. His most recent book, So You've Been Publicly Shamed, was a fascinating look at online bullying before looking at online bullying became de rigueur. "The Elephant in the Room" is a relatively short look at Trump's 2016 campaign and, most particularly, the cartoonish conservative radio personality Alex Jones, a man infamous for his on-air propagation of expensive, useless meds and conspiracy theories (Jones believes the horrendous 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary was "staged").
Ronson is always interesting to read but he fails to breathe new life into reports of the 2016 campaign. That campaign, three years later, feels tired and overdone. There's just not that much more to say about it that hasn't already been said, and the choice to focus on a despicable figure like Jones made me feel like I was wasting time on a figure I just didn't care to hear about.
Nothing special.
October 12, 2016
I will read and enjoy basically anything Jon Ronson puts out, and this was a really good glimpse into how exactly Trump managed to get anywhere close to where he is right now.
January 31, 2019
When Trump strategist Roger Stone was arrested last week, journalist Jon Ronson tweeted that he’d met him before and wrote about it in this short book. I love Ronson’s work, and I trust his opinion, so I did something I’ve resisted doing until now: I downloaded the Kindle app just to read the book.
I never realized it, but Jon Ronson actually got conspiracy theorist Alex Jones his start. He details their collaboration in his previous book Them: Adventures with Extremists , which I haven’t read, but now want to more than ever. Ronson and Jones lost touch over the years, but each gained a much bigger audience in that time. In the summer of 2016, when Trump and Hillary were out on the campaign trail, Ronson attended a rally where Jones was speaking. Jones, spotting him in the crowd, invited him backstage. That is when he met Roger Stone.
The most telling observation Ronson made about Roger Stone was that he started off as the quietest person in the room, just sizing things up. He portrayed him as a slick strategist, just like everyone else does. So if you’ve watched the Netflix documentary “Get Me Roger Stone” and John Oliver’s exposé on Alex Jones, you won’t find much that’s new here. Ditto if you’ve read a few analyses of Trump’s rallies and the crowd they appeal to. But if you like Jon Ronson’s voice, you won’t mind the redundancy. No two reporters are exactly alike.
The most stirring part of the book came at the very end, though. Ronson wrote it before Trump won the election. In 2016, he was like so many of us in America, horrified by the racism that Trump was whipping up in people, worried about what that meant for the country as a whole, but taking it as a warning. He didn’t believe Trump would actually win.
So Ronson’s concluding paragraphs are a real kick in the stomach. He was warning about the signs of fascism on the rise in the world. That was the elephant in the room. But he didn’t predict that they’d gain power and that we’d need to fight this hard. Those two paragraphs now seem quaint, almost naïve. But here we are at a precarious point in history. There is a resistance pushing back on Trump, Putin, Stone, and their ilk, but they might still get away with it. We can’t be so sure of our own victory, even though the midterm elections went well for Democrats, or more to the point, for democracy. So now Ronson’s warning back then has a double-edge. Yes, we have to resist fascism. It might have stronger and deeper roots than we think.
I never realized it, but Jon Ronson actually got conspiracy theorist Alex Jones his start. He details their collaboration in his previous book Them: Adventures with Extremists , which I haven’t read, but now want to more than ever. Ronson and Jones lost touch over the years, but each gained a much bigger audience in that time. In the summer of 2016, when Trump and Hillary were out on the campaign trail, Ronson attended a rally where Jones was speaking. Jones, spotting him in the crowd, invited him backstage. That is when he met Roger Stone.
The most telling observation Ronson made about Roger Stone was that he started off as the quietest person in the room, just sizing things up. He portrayed him as a slick strategist, just like everyone else does. So if you’ve watched the Netflix documentary “Get Me Roger Stone” and John Oliver’s exposé on Alex Jones, you won’t find much that’s new here. Ditto if you’ve read a few analyses of Trump’s rallies and the crowd they appeal to. But if you like Jon Ronson’s voice, you won’t mind the redundancy. No two reporters are exactly alike.
The most stirring part of the book came at the very end, though. Ronson wrote it before Trump won the election. In 2016, he was like so many of us in America, horrified by the racism that Trump was whipping up in people, worried about what that meant for the country as a whole, but taking it as a warning. He didn’t believe Trump would actually win.
So Ronson’s concluding paragraphs are a real kick in the stomach. He was warning about the signs of fascism on the rise in the world. That was the elephant in the room. But he didn’t predict that they’d gain power and that we’d need to fight this hard. Those two paragraphs now seem quaint, almost naïve. But here we are at a precarious point in history. There is a resistance pushing back on Trump, Putin, Stone, and their ilk, but they might still get away with it. We can’t be so sure of our own victory, even though the midterm elections went well for Democrats, or more to the point, for democracy. So now Ronson’s warning back then has a double-edge. Yes, we have to resist fascism. It might have stronger and deeper roots than we think.
April 10, 2022
The Elephant in the Room is about the early stages of Trump's presidential campaign when most commenators thought that such a fool and a charlatan stood no chance of winning the presidency. Listening to this short, entertaining book in 2022 it still seems a completely reasonable assumption.
Towards the end of the book Jon Ronson says "The idea of Donald Trump and Alex Jones and Roger Stone and Stephen Bannon having power over us — that is terrifying". It certainly was.
Although it's now history, this is still a book that is worth a read, or a listen. Jon Ronson always investigates fascinating stories.
3/5
“But Hillary is a known Luciferian,” he tried.
“She’s not a known Luciferian,” I said.
“Well, yes and no,” he said.
In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson, the New York Times-Bestselling author of The Psychopath Test, Them, and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, travels to Cleveland at the height of summer to witness the Republican National Convention. Along the way, he reunites with an old acquaintance—the influential provocateur and conspiracy talk-show host Alex Jones—who draws him, unexpectedly, into one of the most bizarre presidential campaigns in American history.
From the private Winnebago where conspiracy theorists and fearmongers discuss key campaign decisions, to a chance encounter with notorious political operative Roger Stone, Ronson’s picaresque journey into Donald Trump’s atmosphere introduces us to the people who orbit the campaign machine, and discovers what makes them tick—and what ticks them off. Whimsical, hilarious and often downright terrifying, The Elephant in the Room captures a defining moment in our time as only Jon Ronson could see it.
Towards the end of the book Jon Ronson says "The idea of Donald Trump and Alex Jones and Roger Stone and Stephen Bannon having power over us — that is terrifying". It certainly was.
Although it's now history, this is still a book that is worth a read, or a listen. Jon Ronson always investigates fascinating stories.
3/5
“But Hillary is a known Luciferian,” he tried.
“She’s not a known Luciferian,” I said.
“Well, yes and no,” he said.
In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson, the New York Times-Bestselling author of The Psychopath Test, Them, and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, travels to Cleveland at the height of summer to witness the Republican National Convention. Along the way, he reunites with an old acquaintance—the influential provocateur and conspiracy talk-show host Alex Jones—who draws him, unexpectedly, into one of the most bizarre presidential campaigns in American history.
From the private Winnebago where conspiracy theorists and fearmongers discuss key campaign decisions, to a chance encounter with notorious political operative Roger Stone, Ronson’s picaresque journey into Donald Trump’s atmosphere introduces us to the people who orbit the campaign machine, and discovers what makes them tick—and what ticks them off. Whimsical, hilarious and often downright terrifying, The Elephant in the Room captures a defining moment in our time as only Jon Ronson could see it.
October 4, 2025
Jon Ronson was there at the beginning of the MAGA movement, and we’re lucky enough that he narrates his own audiobook edition of the birth of what came to be called the “alt-right” but which we have simplified to “Nazi.” We innocents think that it all began in 2015, and that the enthusiasts have gotten crazier and more detached from reality. Ronson reveals that they were always delusional; they’re just more visible and, having tasted victory and violence, more desperate.
Early in this slender book, Ronson says:
Ronson proceeds to tell you how it happened in the sense of what events followed on each other. What I wish that Ronson had done, though, is spend less time on the back-and-forth and more on how people fell for the Greatest Con on Earth. I’ll be reading Ronson’s Them: Adventures with Extremists in hopes that he reveals the answer in that longer book.
That said, even with Donald Trump safely out of the White House, I feel as if it’s still a MAGA world, and we ignore the danger at our peril.
Early in this slender book, Ronson says:
The world in which Alex [Jones] is a leading voice — a loose collection of conspiracy theorists and nationalists and some racists — suddenly had a name: the alt-right movement… I would never have predicted that these people would one day have the ear of a presidential nominee, that their movement might carry a man to victory. How’d it happen?
Ronson proceeds to tell you how it happened in the sense of what events followed on each other. What I wish that Ronson had done, though, is spend less time on the back-and-forth and more on how people fell for the Greatest Con on Earth. I’ll be reading Ronson’s Them: Adventures with Extremists in hopes that he reveals the answer in that longer book.
That said, even with Donald Trump safely out of the White House, I feel as if it’s still a MAGA world, and we ignore the danger at our peril.
October 27, 2016
A very short piece - more like a chapter in his books than a book in itself - about the influence of the alt right on Trump's presidential campaign.
Having previously come into contact with Alex Jones, the alt right conspiracy theorist and talk show host, while writing a 2000 book, Ronson realised that he had a way into the mindset of those involved in the Trump campaign and having secured access to Jones, he also managed to gain access to Roger Stone, a close confidant of the presidential nominee, while both were on the campaign trail.
The politics of the alt right are pretty alien to most mainstream thinkers in UK, and from afar media outlets are pretty mystified as to Trump's popularity in US. In the study, Ronson exposes the influence the two men mentioned above have on the nominee's thinking - there's no doubt where his politics lie - while at the same time he recognises the problem of social media as used by both sides in polarising opinion and diverting debate away from genuine issues.
Ronson's conclusion? If Trump is elected, and is listening to and is influenced by these figures in his policy making - God help us all...
Having previously come into contact with Alex Jones, the alt right conspiracy theorist and talk show host, while writing a 2000 book, Ronson realised that he had a way into the mindset of those involved in the Trump campaign and having secured access to Jones, he also managed to gain access to Roger Stone, a close confidant of the presidential nominee, while both were on the campaign trail.
The politics of the alt right are pretty alien to most mainstream thinkers in UK, and from afar media outlets are pretty mystified as to Trump's popularity in US. In the study, Ronson exposes the influence the two men mentioned above have on the nominee's thinking - there's no doubt where his politics lie - while at the same time he recognises the problem of social media as used by both sides in polarising opinion and diverting debate away from genuine issues.
Ronson's conclusion? If Trump is elected, and is listening to and is influenced by these figures in his policy making - God help us all...
October 14, 2019
How I like the article-length, or pamphlet-length brevity of this e-book.
This is mostly about Alex Jones, with a little about Roger Stone, and very very little about anything "alt right." It is mostly straight reportage, which, it would appear, is harder than it sounds.
Consider this. Ronson keeps revisiting that time he and Alex Jones crashed the Bohemian Grove. It seems self-indulgent, but there's a reason he does it:
“It was sick,” he told Violet. “It was much worse than I expected.”
“I’m not going to lie,” said Mike. “I was scared to death in there. The whole place was full of owl statues and gods.”
“It was a pagan ceremony worshipping the earth and engaging in human sacrifice,” said Alex.
“Oh, come on, mock human sacrifice at worst,” I said.
“Look,” snapped Alex. “We understand they weren’t literally killing a person. But they were burning an effigy in deference to their owl god. This was bizarre Luciferian garbage.”
Mike gave me a look filled with loathing. They were extremely annoyed that I hadn’t found the ceremony horrifying.
Don't be Mike and Alex, hypocrite lecteur. There's nothing horrifying here.
This is mostly about Alex Jones, with a little about Roger Stone, and very very little about anything "alt right." It is mostly straight reportage, which, it would appear, is harder than it sounds.
Consider this. Ronson keeps revisiting that time he and Alex Jones crashed the Bohemian Grove. It seems self-indulgent, but there's a reason he does it:
“It was sick,” he told Violet. “It was much worse than I expected.”
“I’m not going to lie,” said Mike. “I was scared to death in there. The whole place was full of owl statues and gods.”
“It was a pagan ceremony worshipping the earth and engaging in human sacrifice,” said Alex.
“Oh, come on, mock human sacrifice at worst,” I said.
“Look,” snapped Alex. “We understand they weren’t literally killing a person. But they were burning an effigy in deference to their owl god. This was bizarre Luciferian garbage.”
Mike gave me a look filled with loathing. They were extremely annoyed that I hadn’t found the ceremony horrifying.
Don't be Mike and Alex, hypocrite lecteur. There's nothing horrifying here.
September 27, 2019
Jon Ronson first met Alex Jones when he was writing his book THEM about extremists, back then Alex wasn’t the star he would later become and they met while Ronson was talking to people rebuilding the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, TX. They developed an odd friendship, snuck into Bohemian Grove together, and later drifted apart over the way they interpreted what they saw.
This short book is written during the rise of Trump when the author sees a current candidate hanging with Jones & decides to renew old acquaintances and try to figure out how an extremist and his ideas became united with a mainstream republican candidates....and his thoughts on what it might mean if he won office. Scary then, scarier now.
This short book is written during the rise of Trump when the author sees a current candidate hanging with Jones & decides to renew old acquaintances and try to figure out how an extremist and his ideas became united with a mainstream republican candidates....and his thoughts on what it might mean if he won office. Scary then, scarier now.
June 17, 2024
Note to self; before you buy a kindle book, look at the amount of pages before you pay decent money for what is basically a booklet
January 3, 2017
Now it all seems like a dream within a dream, the presidential race of 2016. Unfortunately, we are still stuck in that inner dream, will be for the next four years. This longform piece of journalism by the king of weird liberal journalism isn't really about Trump. It's more about Alex Jones, the demented soul behind Info Wars, a psychotic fringe media website that peddled a lot of the fake news and conspiracy theories that helped win Trump his new fuhrership.
And like most of Jon Ronson's work, it's just as much about Jon Ronson as it is about its purported subject. It turns out Jon Ronson is kind of responsible for Alex Jones, as his investigative piece about the Bohemian Grove catapulted Jones to stardom, and thus, Ronson is at least a little bit to blame for Trump. Let's not overstate Ronson's influence, though. There's plenty of blame to go around.
Ronson doesn't fear Trump; or more correctly, I'm sure he does, but his fear in this piece mostly stems from the wackos Trump surrounds himself with. The final paragraph smacks of terrible irony:
Well, I hate to break it to you, Jon...
I get the decision to publish this in September, before the actual election took place. The (totally logical) assumption was Trump would crash and burn on election day, and a piece about Trump published post-Trump would lose some of its savor. But I would really like to read an update to this piece with a Trump presidency in the future.
***One quick note that is probably annoying. Did this piece not even warrant a single mention of Bernie Sanders? Most of the piece had to do with the primaries, when it was far from certain that Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic nominee. In the future, I believe two people will be remembered from this election, and they will stand in stark contrast. The history books will talk about Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders; Hillary Clinton will be a footnote as the candidate who somehow flubbed what should have been an easy victory. I've got to stop myself there or I will descend into a novella-length digression about who is really to blame for the current.... um, situation.
And like most of Jon Ronson's work, it's just as much about Jon Ronson as it is about its purported subject. It turns out Jon Ronson is kind of responsible for Alex Jones, as his investigative piece about the Bohemian Grove catapulted Jones to stardom, and thus, Ronson is at least a little bit to blame for Trump. Let's not overstate Ronson's influence, though. There's plenty of blame to go around.
Ronson doesn't fear Trump; or more correctly, I'm sure he does, but his fear in this piece mostly stems from the wackos Trump surrounds himself with. The final paragraph smacks of terrible irony:
But if some disaster unfolds—if Hillary's health declines further, or she grows ever more off-puttingly secretive—and Trump gets elected, he could bring Alex and the others with him. The idea of Donald Trump and Alex Jones and Roger Stone and Stephen Bannon having power over us—that is terrifying.
Well, I hate to break it to you, Jon...
I get the decision to publish this in September, before the actual election took place. The (totally logical) assumption was Trump would crash and burn on election day, and a piece about Trump published post-Trump would lose some of its savor. But I would really like to read an update to this piece with a Trump presidency in the future.
***One quick note that is probably annoying. Did this piece not even warrant a single mention of Bernie Sanders? Most of the piece had to do with the primaries, when it was far from certain that Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic nominee. In the future, I believe two people will be remembered from this election, and they will stand in stark contrast. The history books will talk about Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders; Hillary Clinton will be a footnote as the candidate who somehow flubbed what should have been an easy victory. I've got to stop myself there or I will descend into a novella-length digression about who is really to blame for the current.... um, situation.
October 23, 2017
I read this for a few reasons:
1) I had already bought it (on Kindle, so it's not like donating it or giving it away was an option), so even after reading So You've Been Publicly Shamed (which was okay, but I wanted it to be better) and The Psychopath Test (which was not good at all) and deciding I wasn't a Ronson fan, I figured I might as well read it.
2) It's only 44 pages.
3) And I'm behind on my Reading Challenge.
4) It's only going to get less timely.
None of those reasons being: "Because I thought I would enjoy it." And I did not. I just don't like Ronson's writing. He always seems curiously removed from what he's writing about, and not in an objective, journalistic way, but in an I'm just doing this for a paycheck way. The things he tells us and the things he shows us often do not match.
This particular piece has additional shortcomings that his other books did not - for example, it's INCREDIBLY disorganized. I think it was originally a magazine feature, but that doesn't explain how difficult it is to keep track of where and when each vignette is taking place. There are no headings, spacing cues, in-text reminders, or anything to give the reader context or continuity.
And finally, it's just a depressing, distressing topic which we all now know had a terrible outcome. I'm not sure if this article would have read better at the time it was written, before the Darkest Timeline Divergence Election, but it adds absolutely nothing to the discussion now.
I had hoped it would be an interesting window into the alt-right by focusing on their rallies, pundits, and people, but mostly it was just ramblings about the author's bizarre relationship with Alex Jones. Even at 44 pages, it's really not worth your time.
1) I had already bought it (on Kindle, so it's not like donating it or giving it away was an option), so even after reading So You've Been Publicly Shamed (which was okay, but I wanted it to be better) and The Psychopath Test (which was not good at all) and deciding I wasn't a Ronson fan, I figured I might as well read it.
2) It's only 44 pages.
3) And I'm behind on my Reading Challenge.
4) It's only going to get less timely.
None of those reasons being: "Because I thought I would enjoy it." And I did not. I just don't like Ronson's writing. He always seems curiously removed from what he's writing about, and not in an objective, journalistic way, but in an I'm just doing this for a paycheck way. The things he tells us and the things he shows us often do not match.
This particular piece has additional shortcomings that his other books did not - for example, it's INCREDIBLY disorganized. I think it was originally a magazine feature, but that doesn't explain how difficult it is to keep track of where and when each vignette is taking place. There are no headings, spacing cues, in-text reminders, or anything to give the reader context or continuity.
And finally, it's just a depressing, distressing topic which we all now know had a terrible outcome. I'm not sure if this article would have read better at the time it was written, before the Darkest Timeline Divergence Election, but it adds absolutely nothing to the discussion now.
I had hoped it would be an interesting window into the alt-right by focusing on their rallies, pundits, and people, but mostly it was just ramblings about the author's bizarre relationship with Alex Jones. Even at 44 pages, it's really not worth your time.
January 15, 2018
A very quick read, almost a longform magazine piece. The Elephant in the Room is Jon Ronson exploring the culture of the alt-right and the rise of Trump through professional radio conspiracy salesman Alex Jones. Ronson met Jones back in the 90's when Ronson was researching his book Them: Adventures with Extremists and he invited the young Alex Jones to help him sneak into Bohemian Grove to watch CEO's and politicians take plave in an owl ritual involving burning a human effigy. Ronson re-connects with Jones at a rally and the backstory and their discussions are what frame this short book. Ronson likes Jones, and he does come across as a likable guy, possibly allowing Ronson to downplay some of the more unsavory things he's said and done. Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone does not come off so well, more like a sweating glowering Dick Cheney, maybe with less personality.
It's a short book, less than 50 pages so you really just get to skim the surface of the topic but Ronson is a fun writer. My advice is to listen to at least one of his book narrated by him, then you will hear his very pleasing British accent and speaking style whenever you read one of his books.
It's a short book, less than 50 pages so you really just get to skim the surface of the topic but Ronson is a fun writer. My advice is to listen to at least one of his book narrated by him, then you will hear his very pleasing British accent and speaking style whenever you read one of his books.
May 3, 2017
Too journalistic. At best, it is good for a little entertainment; however, by exaggerating, showing off and reflecting on only a small part of reality, it is impossible to picture the whole reality. In other words, by the same level of analytical depth and maneuvering on selected events, it is easy to refute any political figure or idea.
To be more influential, the author puts too much focus on anger, violence and racism to denounce Trump's campaigns. At some point, he even criticizes a bunch of journalists for being drama-starving f***ing journalists. But the reader wonders whether the same logic more or less applies to this book. I also did not like the writing styles; very idiomatic and somehow jargonistic.
To be more influential, the author puts too much focus on anger, violence and racism to denounce Trump's campaigns. At some point, he even criticizes a bunch of journalists for being drama-starving f***ing journalists. But the reader wonders whether the same logic more or less applies to this book. I also did not like the writing styles; very idiomatic and somehow jargonistic.
October 11, 2016
Excuse me, I need to go take a Silkwood shower.
March 8, 2017
3.5 Stars. This was written and published before the election, and it's absolutely terrifying to read now that we're living through a Trump presidency.
August 31, 2017
Alex is basically the most irresponsible man I have ever met. He uses his powers to inflame paranoia. He boldly makes stuff up to suit his weird agenda. Alex eschews facts and reason and he definitely should not have political sway.(Kindle Locations 42-44).
This book is mainly about crazy man Alex Jones, and maybe his influence on Trump. But really it is all about Trump. It is always about Trump. That is the sad thing living in the world now, everything is about Trump whether you want it to be or not.
I can see why Ronson confesses an affection for Jones even while Jones says outlandish things. If you can force yourself to watch him for even a few minutes he can be kind of engaging. In a tragic car wreck kind of way. But still, I’ll admit the dude has something that makes it hard to take your eyes off him.
But after warming up, Alex became as brilliant and audacious as ever — a beat poet of paranoia. He was also, like Trump, a man for whom lying was not a problem. (Kindle Locations 650-651).
I would be curious to know what a Trump / Alex Jones type would think of this book. Since for the most part Ronson simply lets them damn themselves with their one words. BUT I bet if they read the parts where Ronson points out blatant, full throated lies, by either Jones or Trump they would shift to Hilary or Bill or Obama or some other demon of the “liberal” force of darkness.
Anyhooo…what we get from this book is a clarification of who loves Trump. And while I am sure there are many Trump-sters who think of themselves as calm rational voters who were just tired of the status quo, if they voted for him they are just as crazy as Alex Jones. Whoops, already got sidetracked there. Sorry about that.
So what do we learn from this book? I think it is that the connection between Trump and Alex Jones is straight and strong. I mean that Trump repeats bat shit crazy ideas that come from Alex Jones.
I don’t want to sidetracked again but with one Google search you can find their connections and if you voted for him and don’t remember, well, you should remember and own it.
Some headlines..
*Jones Said He Advised Trump To Say The Presidential Election Would Be “Rigged.”
*Trump Adopted The False Claim That Obama And Clinton Founded ISIS.
*Trump Picked Up The False Claim That “Millions Of People” Voted Illegally
*Trump Adopted The “Hillary For Prison” Theme After Infowars Popularized It
*Trump Claimed Media Outlets Have Been Covering Up Terrorist Attacks -- A Popular Infowars Conspiracy Theory.
*Jones Took Credit For Trump’s Call To Audit The Federal Reserve.
*Trump Cited Infowars Video About Alleged Mexican Drug Smuggling. Jones Took Credit For Introducing The Phrase “Enemy Media" To Trump
Ok, now we have established Jones says crazy stuff and Trump repeats crazy stuff. Where do we go from there?
I guess it just reinforces the current trend of political discourse of there being no baseline of facts or reason accepted as common ground. It is all emotion and enthusiasm. The less you worry about what “actually” happened the more forcefully you can say what you think. And the more forceful the better. Passion trumps thinking.
I got a little off track again, but back to the book. Ronson talks with Jones and Roger Stone who turns out to be a Jones fan who recognized that Jones could help Trump win over people. Stone recognized that Jones’ crazy if adopted by Trump would endear him to millions. And he was right. And again, if you voted for Trump you need to acknowledge that it was the gleeful crazy that really brought you in and sealed the deal.
And for any who thought Roger Stone is just a quirky guy who likes trump and wears gangster suits from Guys and Dolls…
...some things I had learned about Stone the night before . Like how, in the 1980s and 1990s, he and his friend Paul Manafort — Trump’s campaign manager — had been partners in a lobbying firm with a client list that included a great many murderous dictators. Like Angola’s Jonas Savimbi , who paid Stone and Manafort’s firm $ 600,000 in 1985 to lobby for him in the United States . (Kindle Locations 403-406).
Ferdinand Marcos was a client of Paul Manafort and Roger Stone’s lobbying firm. He paid it an annual retainer of $ 950,000 to “tamp down concerns about [his] human rights record,” according to Politico magazine’s Kenneth P. Vogel. Anti - elitism was Alex’s thing, but all that seemed pretty elitist to me. Did Alex care about that? (Kindle Locations 461-463).
Wait I just realized why I keep getting off track, I don’t know what track I want to be on. Reading about Trump, Jones and Stone, we have the foundation of rational thought pull away so you are intellectually drifting and have trouble getting your bearings.
Bottom line, good book, well worth the read. And given that Trump obviously has no plans to change and his true base is as strong as ever, in effect Jones has won the day. We lost, he won. That is all.
This book is mainly about crazy man Alex Jones, and maybe his influence on Trump. But really it is all about Trump. It is always about Trump. That is the sad thing living in the world now, everything is about Trump whether you want it to be or not.
I can see why Ronson confesses an affection for Jones even while Jones says outlandish things. If you can force yourself to watch him for even a few minutes he can be kind of engaging. In a tragic car wreck kind of way. But still, I’ll admit the dude has something that makes it hard to take your eyes off him.
But after warming up, Alex became as brilliant and audacious as ever — a beat poet of paranoia. He was also, like Trump, a man for whom lying was not a problem. (Kindle Locations 650-651).
I would be curious to know what a Trump / Alex Jones type would think of this book. Since for the most part Ronson simply lets them damn themselves with their one words. BUT I bet if they read the parts where Ronson points out blatant, full throated lies, by either Jones or Trump they would shift to Hilary or Bill or Obama or some other demon of the “liberal” force of darkness.
Anyhooo…what we get from this book is a clarification of who loves Trump. And while I am sure there are many Trump-sters who think of themselves as calm rational voters who were just tired of the status quo, if they voted for him they are just as crazy as Alex Jones. Whoops, already got sidetracked there. Sorry about that.
So what do we learn from this book? I think it is that the connection between Trump and Alex Jones is straight and strong. I mean that Trump repeats bat shit crazy ideas that come from Alex Jones.
I don’t want to sidetracked again but with one Google search you can find their connections and if you voted for him and don’t remember, well, you should remember and own it.
Some headlines..
*Jones Said He Advised Trump To Say The Presidential Election Would Be “Rigged.”
*Trump Adopted The False Claim That Obama And Clinton Founded ISIS.
*Trump Picked Up The False Claim That “Millions Of People” Voted Illegally
*Trump Adopted The “Hillary For Prison” Theme After Infowars Popularized It
*Trump Claimed Media Outlets Have Been Covering Up Terrorist Attacks -- A Popular Infowars Conspiracy Theory.
*Jones Took Credit For Trump’s Call To Audit The Federal Reserve.
*Trump Cited Infowars Video About Alleged Mexican Drug Smuggling. Jones Took Credit For Introducing The Phrase “Enemy Media" To Trump
Ok, now we have established Jones says crazy stuff and Trump repeats crazy stuff. Where do we go from there?
I guess it just reinforces the current trend of political discourse of there being no baseline of facts or reason accepted as common ground. It is all emotion and enthusiasm. The less you worry about what “actually” happened the more forcefully you can say what you think. And the more forceful the better. Passion trumps thinking.
I got a little off track again, but back to the book. Ronson talks with Jones and Roger Stone who turns out to be a Jones fan who recognized that Jones could help Trump win over people. Stone recognized that Jones’ crazy if adopted by Trump would endear him to millions. And he was right. And again, if you voted for Trump you need to acknowledge that it was the gleeful crazy that really brought you in and sealed the deal.
And for any who thought Roger Stone is just a quirky guy who likes trump and wears gangster suits from Guys and Dolls…
...some things I had learned about Stone the night before . Like how, in the 1980s and 1990s, he and his friend Paul Manafort — Trump’s campaign manager — had been partners in a lobbying firm with a client list that included a great many murderous dictators. Like Angola’s Jonas Savimbi , who paid Stone and Manafort’s firm $ 600,000 in 1985 to lobby for him in the United States . (Kindle Locations 403-406).
Ferdinand Marcos was a client of Paul Manafort and Roger Stone’s lobbying firm. He paid it an annual retainer of $ 950,000 to “tamp down concerns about [his] human rights record,” according to Politico magazine’s Kenneth P. Vogel. Anti - elitism was Alex’s thing, but all that seemed pretty elitist to me. Did Alex care about that? (Kindle Locations 461-463).
Wait I just realized why I keep getting off track, I don’t know what track I want to be on. Reading about Trump, Jones and Stone, we have the foundation of rational thought pull away so you are intellectually drifting and have trouble getting your bearings.
Bottom line, good book, well worth the read. And given that Trump obviously has no plans to change and his true base is as strong as ever, in effect Jones has won the day. We lost, he won. That is all.
October 8, 2017
But the alt-right’s appeal remains marginal because the huge majority of young Americans like multiculturism. They aren’t paranoid or hateful about other races. Those ideas are ridiculous to them. The alt-right’s small gains in popularity will not be enough to win Trump the election. This is not Germany in the 1930.
Hm. So obivously this was written before the election, which I didn’t realize until this exact paragraph very close towards the end of the book. I guess this is what happens when you buy books after just skimming over the summary.
Ronson talks about his experiences with Alex Jones - whom he claims to like, but doesn’t actually seem to like, understandibly - both in the past and during Trump’s campaign. And in that context he also talks about the background of some of the other people Trump chose to surround himself with, Stephen Bannon among others.
It’s all very entertaining, not particularly long (it took me about an hour to read, maybe less), and reading it now, about a year too late, didn’t actually make it any less interesting. Though it did make the ending sound slightly different.
The idea of Donald Trump and Alex Jones and Roger Stone and Stephen Bannon having power over us - that is terrifying.
November 7, 2016
What if Alex Jones and his audience were in the White House? What if Roger Stone types were there too? That's the scary conclusion to Ronson's latest, "The Elephant in the Room". And that's a horrible thought.
Let's stop short of fearing an American Hitler is here in the form of Trump. Ronson makes it clear, that is not what we're facing with a Trump presidency. But if Trump were to fill his cabinet with Jones types, well, it's a scary thought indeed. Imagine policy built on misinformation, propaganda, and wish fulfilment. And striking down, literally, your political enemies. That's what a Trump presidency could look like.
I read this and write this review forty-eight hours before the election. Yesterday, I finished reading and reviewed, "White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America" by Nancy Isenberg which can be found here at Goodreads.com. I'm not leading into the conclusion that Team Trump is White Trash. I'm saying that if you want to understand the Trump campaign, read the description of Andrew Jackson's campaign as told by Isenberg in her book. It's happening again in 2016. History repeats itself.
Let's stop short of fearing an American Hitler is here in the form of Trump. Ronson makes it clear, that is not what we're facing with a Trump presidency. But if Trump were to fill his cabinet with Jones types, well, it's a scary thought indeed. Imagine policy built on misinformation, propaganda, and wish fulfilment. And striking down, literally, your political enemies. That's what a Trump presidency could look like.
I read this and write this review forty-eight hours before the election. Yesterday, I finished reading and reviewed, "White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America" by Nancy Isenberg which can be found here at Goodreads.com. I'm not leading into the conclusion that Team Trump is White Trash. I'm saying that if you want to understand the Trump campaign, read the description of Andrew Jackson's campaign as told by Isenberg in her book. It's happening again in 2016. History repeats itself.
October 8, 2016
Ronson at it again
Love Robson's writing and was excited to see what he would do with a smaller format. I wasn't disappointed. Once again, he manages to paint a balanced picture without compromising his tone or perspective.
Love Robson's writing and was excited to see what he would do with a smaller format. I wasn't disappointed. Once again, he manages to paint a balanced picture without compromising his tone or perspective.
Read
February 7, 2017Vou recomendar esse Kindle Single (são só umas 50 páginas) pra todo mundo interessado em ler um pouquinho sobre as figuras mais bizarras que cercam/ajudaram a eleger o Drumpf. Muito medo.
June 18, 2020
Like of all of Ronson's best work, it challenged my preconceptions.
March 2, 2017
The 45th POTUS has said and done so many despicable things over the past year that it can be difficult to keep it all in your head. When I was reading 'It Can't Happen Here' by Sinclair Lewis a few weeks ago, it occurred to be that the only tactic that Buzz Windrip (the fictional dictator of the United States) employed in the novel that the Trump campaign had not replicated in real life was the creation of a personal army. Then, reading 'The Elephant in the Room', I was reminded of the Republican campaign's volunteer security team, Bikers for Trump: the equivalent of Windrip's Minute Men.
I always enjoy Jon Ronson's journalism; his nebbish, faux-naïf act, deployed with a serious intent. Here, he describes his ongoing relationship with the far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and Alex Jones' apparent influence over Donald Trump. As usual, it is superbly and hilariously written, as well as thoroughly chilling. Another thing that I forgot in the midst of the election shitstorm: Trump insinuating from his podium that the “second amendment people” could do something about Hilary Clinton.
The closing paragraphs have taken on a different resonance since December 2016. In them, Jon Ronson predicts that Trump cannot win the election, believing that the far right's apparent power swell is minor, and that the youth of the country overwhelmingly reject the so-called 'alt-right's' agenda. The idea of the likes of Trump and Steve Bannon getting into the Oval Office is, he says, terrifying.
I always enjoy Jon Ronson's journalism; his nebbish, faux-naïf act, deployed with a serious intent. Here, he describes his ongoing relationship with the far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and Alex Jones' apparent influence over Donald Trump. As usual, it is superbly and hilariously written, as well as thoroughly chilling. Another thing that I forgot in the midst of the election shitstorm: Trump insinuating from his podium that the “second amendment people” could do something about Hilary Clinton.
The closing paragraphs have taken on a different resonance since December 2016. In them, Jon Ronson predicts that Trump cannot win the election, believing that the far right's apparent power swell is minor, and that the youth of the country overwhelmingly reject the so-called 'alt-right's' agenda. The idea of the likes of Trump and Steve Bannon getting into the Oval Office is, he says, terrifying.
January 28, 2025
I enjoyed this . Ronson is great at bringing humanity into his commentary. Even when he’s writing about people with intolerant tendencies in polarising situations. He also writes with his trademark humour including incongruous detail and self deprecating wit.
It is only 4 stars because I would have liked it to be longer.
It is only 4 stars because I would have liked it to be longer.
October 9, 2017
I love this guy's work. Amazing stuff as always.
July 3, 2018
Interesting and a bit unsettling.
November 3, 2016
Omg
What a stupid , unbelievable bunch of hogwash. I read this thing because I like to look at both sides before voting and do a lot of research it I have never come across such hateful, stupid writing before. In the belief for e everyone running for office cannot possibility control their followers, I will not hold hillary responsible for this diatribe from an idiot who obviously has too much time and not enough brains to write a civil discourse on the political future of our great nation.
What a stupid , unbelievable bunch of hogwash. I read this thing because I like to look at both sides before voting and do a lot of research it I have never come across such hateful, stupid writing before. In the belief for e everyone running for office cannot possibility control their followers, I will not hold hillary responsible for this diatribe from an idiot who obviously has too much time and not enough brains to write a civil discourse on the political future of our great nation.
October 12, 2016
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is utterly confused as to how Trump could possibly be President of the US. It shows some of the sick people Trump gets his information from: Alex Jones from Infowars and Roger Stone. One claimed that Sandy Hook was a fake propaganda event with actors and invented children. The other used to be a lobbyist for Trumps casinos and war criminals. Great influences Trump.
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