Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America

by Barbara McQuade

Overview

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An urgent, comprehensive explanation of the ways disinformation is impacting democracy, and practical solutions that can be pursued to strengthen the public, media, and truth-based politics

MSNBC's legal analyst breaks down the ways disinformation has become a tool to drive voters to extremes, disempower our legal structures, and consolidate power in the hands of the few.

"One of the most acute observers of our time shares . . . a compelling work about a challenge that—left unexamined and left unchecked—could undermine our democracy." —Eric H. Holder Jr, 82nd Attorney General of the United States

American society is more polarized than ever before. We are strategically being pushed apart by disinformation—the deliberate spreading of lies disguised as truth—and it comes at us from all sides: opportunists on the far right, Russian misinformed social media influencers, among others. It's endangering our democracy and causing havoc in our electoral system, schools, hospitals, workplaces, and in our Capitol. Advances in technology including rapid developments in artificial intelligence threaten to make the problems even worse by amplifying false claims and manufacturing credibility.

In Attack from Within, legal scholar and analyst Barbara McQuade, shows us how to identify the ways disinformation is seeping into all facets of our society and how we can fight against it. The book includes:

• The authoritarian playbook: a brief history of disinformation from Mussolini and Hitler to Bolsonaro and Trump, chronicles the ways in which authoritarians have used disinformation to seize and retain power.
• Disinformation tactics—like demonizing the other, seducing with nostalgia, silencing critics, muzzling the media, condemning the courts; stoking violence—and reasons why they work.
• An explanation of why America is particularly vulnerable to disinformation and how it exploits our First Amendment Freedoms, sparks threats and violence, and destabilizes social structures.
• Real, accessible solutions for countering disinformation and maintaining the rule of law such as making domestic terrorism a federal crime, increasing media literacy in schools, criminalizing doxxing, and much more.

Disinformation is designed to evoke a strong emotional response to push us toward more extreme views, unable to find common ground with others. The false claims that led to the breathtaking attack on our Capitol in 2021 may have been only a dress rehearsal. Attack from Within shows us how to prevent it from happening again, thus preserving our country’s hard-won democracy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781644213636
Publisher:	Seven Stories Press
Publication date:	02/27/2024
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	21,684
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Barbara McQuade is a professor from practice at the University of Michigan Law School, her alma mater, where she teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, and data privacy. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and a co-host of the podcast #SistersInLaw. From 2010 to 2017, McQuade served as U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Ms. McQuade was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in her position. Earlier in her career, she worked as a sports writer and copy editor, a judicial law clerk, an associate in private practice, and an assistant U.S. attorney. She and her husband have four children and live in Ann Arbor.

Read an Excerpt

Diagnosing the Problem

I wrote this book hoping to spark a national conversation about the danger of disinformation, and how we can defeat it. Throughout history, authoritarians have used disinformation to seize power from the people. As a former national security prosecutor, I see self-serving forces sabotaging our country. Manipulators are using disinformation to poison discourse and stoke divisions in society. False statements on social media, posted under fake personas and amplified by automated accounts, can make some people believe ridiculous lies, such as claims that Hillary Clinton sold weapons to ISIS or that school districts were putting kitty litter in restrooms for students who identified as cats. Disinformation is designed to evoke a strong emotional response, in order to push us toward more extreme views. And our outrage is not confined to digital spaces—our communications online drive animosity in real life. Our country’s constantly changing demographics naturally bring differences of opinion, but the bitter divides are not the inevitable result of a pluralistic society with diverse ethnic, racial, religious, and social groups. They are the product of a deliberate attack through disinformation. Lies are becoming increasingly normalized, and our democracy is in peril. The conversation I propose is not a debate about Democratic and Republican politics. It is about the essential need for truth in self-governance. 

Throughout our history, America has been targeted with disinformation from hostile foreign adversaries such as Russia, long the master of propaganda. In 1923, the young Soviet Union set up is first office for dezinformatsiya, or disinformation. Intelligence operatives crafted communications designed to deceive Western intelligence agencies by exaggerating Soviet military strength, and then sent them through the Estonian mission in Moscow, where the operatives correctly predicted the letters would be opened and read, and the false information shared with allies. In the early 1980s, at the dawn of the AIDS epidemic, the Soviets propagated the false story that the US government had created the virus in a lab as a biological weapon.

Ironically, one of the factors that makes us susceptible to disinformation is our nation’s fundamental value of free speech. Federalist Paper No. 63 warned of the risk of being “misled by the artful misrepresentations of interested men.” Since the days when people began telling the fable of George Washington confessing to his father about chopping down a cherry tree because he could not tell a lie, Americans have engaged in the spread of mythology and propaganda. Senator Joseph McCarthy’s lies pushed the Red Scare. The invasion of Iraq was based on false claims about weapons of mass destruction, later blamed on “faulty intelligence.” 

Undeniably, the United States also engages in information warfare, using psychological operations (psyops) to manipulate foreign populations for strategic advantage. Although little is written about psyops in the public domain, according to the US Army’s website, the American military “uses psychological warfare to deliberately mislead enemy forces during a combat situation.” The military also uses communication strategies “to influence the emotions, motives, reasoning, and behavior of foreign governments and citizens.” An important caveat of US psyops, however, is that they are not to be used on the American people. 

The current strain of falsehoods is altogether different. As a tactic relentlessly used today by a shrinking American political party to maintain a popular base, disinformation in the United States defrauds the American people. The profound damage it causes is not part of some far-off dystopian future. The harm is apparent here and now. 

This is a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, and the stakes could not be higher. Legislation in a number of states is harming democracy by making it increasingly difficult to cast a ballot. Election suppression laws create obstacles to voting, such as limits on early voting, prohibitions of third-party assistance for delivering ballots, restrictions on voting by mail, and limits on the number and locations of ballot deposit boxes. These restrictions have a disparate impact on communities of color, young people, and the economically disadvantaged—not coincidentally, all likely Democratic Party voters—leaving some of them effectively disenfranchised. Election deniers serving as secretaries of state, canvassers, and poll workers are endangering the integrity of our electoral process. Political violence has become a reality, as public officials face threats, harassment, and attacks. In 2020, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer was the subject of a plot to kidnap her and put her on “trial” for objections to her stay-home orders during the Covid-19 pandemic after Trump called it a hoax. Two years later, an intruder broke into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and brutally attacked her husband in a twisted act of political protest. In 2023, Solomon Peña, a Republican candidate for the statehouse in New Mexico who refused to concede defeat, was arrested on charges of orchestrating shootings into the homes of four elected officials, all Democrats, narrowly missing a ten-year-old girl asleep in her bed. 

In addition to elected officials, members of the public are at risk. Lies scapegoating people of color, immigrants, Asian Americans, Jewish people, and the LGBTQ+ community have coincided with increases in hate crimes. Claims that the FBI is a “disgrace” and that the government has “weaponized” criminal investigations are eroding public faith in law enforcement. When people are led to believe that police officers and federal agents are corrupt, they become reluctant to provide tips and information that officers need to solve crimes. Jurors tend to distrust the testimony of federal agents when they have been told the FBI “plants” evidence, as Trump claimed following the 2022 search of his Florida home for classified documents after he had left office. A diminishing ability to enforce the law reduces public safety and cultivates corruption. 

A lack of trust in the criminal justice system also fosters vigilante violence, a direct assault on the rule of law. Untrained civilians are taking up arms to right perceived wrongs, leading to the kind of destruction wrought by teen gunman Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020 and more than one thousand insurrectionists in our nation’s capital on January 6, 2021. Much of the American right glamorizes assault weapons, based on the absurd claim that the Second Amendment protects not only the right to bear arms but also the right to overthrow our government, insisting that ordinary citizens must be able to match the firepower of the US military. Flamethrowing congresswoman Lauren Boebert (R-CO) has said the Second Amendment “has nothing to do with hunting, unless you’re talking about hunting tyrants, maybe.” Promoting assault weapons ownership has become a membership ritual in the far-right wing of the Republican Party, even though these are the very same kinds of guns that have made mass shootings an American epidemic. 
The threat to our safety extends to our national security. Once the model democracy for the world, the United States is now ridiculed for its dysfunction. Enemies of democracy point to the chaos that followed the 2020 election as proof that our system of government is a failed experiment. Since World War II, our foreign policy has centered on spreading democracy, which advances international peace and American interests abroad by reducing military threats, creating trade partners, and preventing refugee crises by promoting human rights and political stability. Our surrender to disinformation tarnishes the reputation of democracy on the world stage. Our critics have a point—the attack on the peaceful transfer of presidential power is stark evidence that disinformation threatens our form of government. 

It is easy to take our civil rights and freedoms for granted. Most of us assume that American democracy will always be here. We have lived through challenging times before—the Civil War, two world wars, the Great Depression, Jim Crow, the civil unrest of the 1960s—and we have always endured. But democracies are not invincible. As Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt write in their book How Democracies Die, some democracies collapse in violent coups, such as those that have occurred in Argentina, Chile, Greece, Nigeria, Thailand, and other countries where government takeovers were achieved with military force. But other democracies have faltered through the abuse of democratic norms, such as Adolf Hitler’s Germany, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela. Democracies have recently suffered backsliding in Hungary, the Philippines, and Turkey, among other countries. As Levitsky and Ziblatt describe these silent coups: “There are no tanks in the streets. Constitutions and other nominally democratic institutions remain in place. People still vote. Elected autocrats maintain a veneer of democracy while eviscerating its substance.” 
America is experiencing a similar attack from within, and disinformation is the weapon of choice. If the attack succeeds, elections will be decided by manipulators, unjust laws will be enacted by the puppets those manipulators install, and political violence, corruption, militia activity, and vigilante violence will likely become widespread and routine. When power is acquired through disinformation, coups can eventually be accomplished without bloodshed. Disinformation operations turn us on ourselves. As a result, we become outraged or fearful, then cynical, and finally numb and apathetic. It is not an overstatement to say that disinformation threatens to destroy the United States as we know it.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
Disinformed to Death

1 The Authoritarian Playbook: How
Disinformers Gain Power

2 From Gaslighting to the Liar’s Dividend:
Disinformation Tactics

3 Hearts Are Bigger Than Minds:
Why Disinformation Works

4 The New Engines of Disinformation:
The Danger of Emerging Technology

5 The Land of the Free: Why America Is
Particularly Vulnerable to Disinformation

6 “Stop the Steal”: Disinformation Is
Destroying Democracy

7 “Somebody Is Going to Get Killed”: Disinformation
Is Endangering Public Safety and National Security

8 Trial by Combat: Disinformation Is
Eroding the Rule of Law

9 We Alone Can Fix It: Proposed Solutions

10 We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident: A Way Forward

Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

12/11/2023

MSNBC legal analyst McQuade debuts with a concise introduction to the threat to American democracy posed by “the deliberate use of lies to manipulate people, whether to extract profit or to advance a political agenda.” She covers all aspects of disinformation, including its historical antecedents, the ways in which the human mind is susceptible to it, and the possibility that technological advances such as AI will exacerbate an already serious problem. McQuade makes clear that the phenomenon predated Donald Trump’s candidacy and presidency, quoting the Federalist Papers to show that the Founding Fathers were concerned about disinformation. Still, while McQuade notes examples from both sides of the political divide, the bulk of her critique is aimed at Trumpists, in particular for the 2020 election denialism that led to the January 6 insurrection. She remains cautiously optimistic about the future of American democracy and proposes logical if familiar actions to mitigate the harm of disinformation, such as holding social media more accountable for content on their platforms, strengthening local journalism, teaching media literacy, and restoring civics education to school curricula. Though there’s not much new here, it’s still a useful guide for those curious about the past and future of political disinformation. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"A concise introduction to the threat to American democracy . . . for those curious about the past and future of political disinformation.” —Publishers Weekly

"A great public servant and one of the most acute observers of our time shares insightful views about the menace of disinformation—its history, its dangers, how it threatens America in particular and how we fix the problem. This is a compelling work about a challenge that—left unexamined and left unchecked—could undermine our democracy." 
—Eric H. Holder Jr, 82nd Attorney General of the United States

“A comprehensive guide to the dynamics of disinformation and a necessary call to the ethical commitment to truth that all democracies require."
—Timothy Snyder, author of the New York Times bestseller On Tyranny

“Barbara McQuade brings an experienced and refreshingly sober lens to America's current challenges. Her writing and legal analysis is an antidote to both ignorance and political hysteria—at a time when we all need to be informed and vigilant about the threats posed by would-be authoritarians and their enablers.” 
—Ari Melber, MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent; Host, "The Beat with Ari Melber"

"Is our democracy destined for death by disinformation? That is among the urgent questions addressed by Barb McQuade in this timely and engaging book. McQuade, a former national security prosecutor, argues that information warfare is at the center of efforts by far-right operatives, including Republican party elites, to turn Americans against each other and inflame racial and other hatreds, sabotaging our civil society and America's position as a leader of the free world. She also offers solutions to the epidemic of disinformation, from enhanced regulation of social media companies to accountability measures against bots to support for local journalism. It is essential reading and her message that we must make truth in democracy our national purpose could not come at a better moment." 
—Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present.

"Meticulous, lucid, compelling.  Spurred by the 'fierce urgency of now,' McQuade has laid out how we can recognize and then disarm the weapon of disinformation and, in the process, save American democracy."
—Carol Anderson, author of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy and the New York Times bestseller White Rage

“Barb McQuade offers a sweeping and panoramic view of the disinformation landscape and how it contributes to the erosion of our shared reality, which is a sine qua non for the rule of law. Like any seasoned prosecutor she marshals the evidence, presents expert testimony, and makes the case for why this threat is one we must address together, as citizens. Her book is a wake-up call for the need to take back power from social media platforms and would-be authoritarians and restore our democratic norms and responsibility to the truth.”
—Asha Rangappa, Assistant Dean and Senior Lecturer, Jackson School of Global Affairs, Yale University, Former FBI Counterintelligence Agent

"Barbara McQuade offers a superb, easy-to-read assessment of the information war being waged in America right now, what the stakes are, and what can be done to turn things around. As someone who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, I understand the dangers of authoritarianism. If you want to understand the risks to democracy and how we can address them, read this important book."
— Martina Navratilova

“Barb McQuade has the rare ability to ask the right questions and then answer them. Her take on disinformation — how and why it's been used — is critical to understanding this point in our nation's history. Attack from Within is essential reading for everyone. “
—Joyce Vance, Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law, University of Alabama School of Law, and former US Attorney in Alabama

“Barb McQuade traces the history of disinformation from its inception to modern day brilliantly linking past challenges of falsehoods and how they become amplified in the digital age. Barb then goes a step further offering a comprehensive plan for restoring the integrity of information and instilling resiliency in our democracies.  A remarkable, well versed study that’s a must read for all citizens.” 
—Clint Watts, Former FBI Special Agent, Consultant to FBI National Security Branch

"Whenever Professor McQuade has something to say, I listen—and learn. Attack from Within is a brilliantly vital defense of truth, justice and the rule of law against a multitude of political and technological threats to our precious democracy."
—David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer

“In Attack from Within, Barbara McQuade offers a comprehensive and necessary account of the ways in which disinformation undermines American democracy. Drawing comparisons between authoritarians of the past through Trump, with a series of chilling anecdotes, McQuade crystallizes the seriousness of what happened on January 6th and the ongoing threat to our country. Now more than never, it’s critical to read this profound book.”
—Preet Bharara, Former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York

"At a time when it couldn’t be more needed, Barbara McQuade provides readers with a clear, straightforward yet urgent warning about the true threat misinformation poses. As a journalist, I found particularly poignant McQuade’s clear-eyed view of the importance of a free press to a free society, and the way threats and attacks on journalists endanger everyone. This book is required reading for any American who wants to understand the threat misinformation poses, and a roadmap for how to fight against that threat."
—Kimberly Atkins Stohr, Senior Opinion Writer, The Boston Globe

"Barbara McQuade has written a compelling page turner. You’ll learn how authoritarians destroy democracy through mis- and disinformation and the psychological forces inherent in all of us that make us believe them even when we know it’s a con."
—Jill Wine-Banks, author of The Watergate Girl, MSNBC analyst, co-host, #SistersInLaw and iGenPolitics podcasts

"Have you ever read something so timely, so thorough, and so realthat you’re constantly reminded of it, that you start noticing things everywhere that fit the framework or prove the point? Barbara McQuade’s Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America is one of those important, relevant books."
—AL.com oped by Dan Carsen

From the Publisher

2023-12-06
A legal scholar examines disinformation as a go-to in the authoritarian toolbox.

Disinformation is ubiquitous and often laughably transparent, as when Trump brays about the 2020 election, but it works. As McQuade notes, two-thirds of Republicans believe that “the essential workings of democracy are corrupt, that made-up claims of fraud are true…and that violence is a legitimate response.” The Jan. 6 insurrection may just have been a practice run, but meanwhile the disinformation flows, abetted by election deniers who have been busily taking over state and local GOP branches and becoming overseers of future elections. McQuade examines several aspects of the playbook. One longtime Trump ploy is to paint his opponents with idiotic epithets such as “Sleepy Joe” and “Ron DeSanctimonious,” which “seem juvenile, but they serve the same manipulative purpose as other forms of disinformation.” The author doesn’t spare the media, which, she argues, has exaggerated its watchdog role to assume that government malfeasance and corruption are more widespread than the facts warrant, constantly hunting for the next scandal. Disinformation is a Clausewitzian war by other means, a way of dominating and diminishing opponents without violence, and it relies on constant lying. The current GOP dogma, for example, is not just that Trump won in 2020, but also that we live in a republic and not a democracy that demands that our leaders should make decisions for us, “providing cover for far-right values that are not shared by the majority of Americans.” McQuade’s handbook doesn’t add much to the literature on disinformation, but as a national security prosecutor, she’s well placed to liken what’s going on now to al-Qaeda’s mastery of digital media “to recruit and radicalize members with propaganda”—a thought guaranteed to trouble one’s sleep.

The book has little news for anyone who’s been paying attention, but it’s a useful overview all the same.

Kirkus Reviews

A comprehensive guide to the dynamics of disinformation and a necessary call to the ethical commitment to truth that all democracies require.”

New York Times bestselling author Timothy Snyder

Attack from Within is a brilliantly vital defense of truth, justice, and the rule of law against a multitude of political and technological threats to our precious democracy.”

Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer David Maraniss

Offer[s] a comprehensive plan for restoring the integrity of information and instilling resiliency in our democracies...A must-read for all citizens.”

former FBI Special Agent and consultant to FBI Nat Clint Watts