Authoritarian populism and emancipatory politics in the rural United States

•The Democratic Party's neoliberal turn alienated its working-class base.•A white-washed version of “the rural” drives ethno-nationalist populism in the USA.•Historical and contemporary cases of multiracial unity deserve greater attention.•Internal colonialism is key to analyzing racial formation and urban/rural divides.•Uncertainty, when recognized as a shared problem, can build solidarity.