A harrowing tale of how political polarization threatens America’s social fabric, told through the differing fates of two communities riven by ideological and partisan battles

Donald Trump’s 2016 electoral victory set off a reign of demagoguery and—ten months into a pandemic—an incitement to violence that led a mob of thousands to descend on the Capitol in Washington, DC. Fueled by suspicion, conspiracy, and bigotry, extremists fought to seize control of the country. Many years and a reelection later, local communities around the United States continue to feel the ricochet effect of these events.

In Chaos Comes Calling, Sasha Abramsky tells the parallel stories of two communities, Shasta County, California and Sequim, Washington, where toxic alliances of QAnoners, anti-vaxxers, Christian nationalists, militia supporters, and other denizens of the far-right have worked to take control of the levers of government power. While Sequim ultimately recalibrated in 2021, returning to rationality, Shasta County has descended further into a climate of intolerance and toxic divisiveness.

By illuminating how national political polarization has seeped into local affairs, Abramsky vividly captures how extremism has transformed the country’s politics and continues to upend life at every level. His reporting provides a sobering preview of America’s future if extremism is not reined in.