In his freshly released book American Flames, Italian scholar Federico Petroni paints a vivid picture of a United States grappling with a deep identity crisis. He argues that growing economic divides are fueling a kind of “class secession,” where different income groups increasingly see themselves as separate societies.
Petroni also turns his eye to the political arena, insisting that former President Donald Trump is headed for a “resounding defeat” in the upcoming midterm elections. If his forecast holds, the loss could signal a broader shift in American politics, reshaping the conversation around class, culture, and the nation’s future.