Call It Evil: Understanding the Trump Era is a 2026 nonfiction book by Susan Neiman on the nature of systemic evil in collective settings. Neiman writes that evil begins "When self-interest becomes the basis of reason, evil no longer needs to justify itself," adding. "It’s already been mistaken for rationality."
Reception In July 2026, Call it Evil was listed on Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026.
A review in The New York Times by Jennifer Szalai wrote the book "is less a philosophical exploration than a polemical guide to the current moment."
In an opinion piece in The New York Times, Michelle Goldberg wrote that Call It Evil should be considered a companion to Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era (2026) by Jacob Weisberg, which focuses on the people and institutions that have aided Trump in his second presidency.
References
External links Chris Hedges, "Call It Evil: Understanding the Trump Era (w/ Susan Neiman)". Scheerpost. October 1, 2026.