Future democrats/democratic futures? Trump, 2020, and what lies ahead for American and European polities

Hosted by The NUI Galway MA in Culture and Colonialism and the Moore Institute and Discussion lead by James Mcdermott Senior Member of the U.S. house of representatives.

Jim McDermott is a Senior Member of the U.S. House of Representatives with over 40 years of public service in the federal and state government. As a Democratic Member of Congress (Washington’s 7th Congressional District) from 1989-2016, he was a champion of issues relating to social justice, healthcare, veterans’ reintegration, and foreign affairs and international engagement. He is particularly known for his prescient opposition to the Iraq War, which earned him the sobriquet of “Baghdad Jim” from Conservative media. He also served in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, working with casualties returning from Vietnam.

Jim McDermott’s discussion will address a wide range of contemporary political issues, particularly the effects of Donald Trump on the American electoral and representative system, the prospects of Democrat candidates in the 2020 election, and the wider question of what lies ahead for America and Europe in this period of rising ethno-nationalism and political upheaval.