Though quixotic, Shore’s campaign has taken on an impressive life of its own. She’s moving to Canada, from the United States. An internationally acclaimed professor of philosophy and history at the University of Toronto, Shore previously taught at Yale University. Her relocation comes in the wake of an increase in political instability and threats to academic freedom reign under the Trump administration. That change has been especially acute since the 2024 election.
Shore’s husband, Timothy Snyder, is a well-known scholar of European history. Together with his fellow academic, Jason Stanley, he’s made the decision to decamp together to Toronto. Their decision was influenced by concerns over Trump’s pledge to defund schools. They expressed concern with the behavior of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
That urgency behind Shore’s move grew when, while on sabbatical in Canada, she lived through Trump’s re-election. While she acknowledges that if Snyder had been alone, he might have returned to the U.S. to engage in political resistance, Shore felt an overwhelming sense of alarm about the direction of American politics.
Shore’s apprehension traces back to her worries about the potential for war in Iraq, which she questioned at that time. More recently, she has spoken, most notably in a July interview with E.J. Dionne, about her concerns about the U.S.’s descent into fascism under Trump’s guiding hand. The impact of the January 6 Capitol riots was especially personal for her. She highlighted the fact that Trump defended rioters who chanted death to his vice president. She characterized this as a new kind of “permissiveness” coming from the top of government.
As a historian, Shore is alarmed at a growing acceptance and normalization of violence in American life. She argues that Europeans have a hard time grappling with this trend. Her artistic practice foregrounds the profound anxiety. It also exposes even more disturbing parallels related to today’s American political landscape with social justice that we’ve seen from the 2008 presidential race.
Shore’s had gotten offers to teach in Geneva but decided to go to Toronto instead. Her decision is testimony to a deep alienation from the U.S., her reflections colored by anger and confusion in the aftermath of Trump’s election in 2016. She painted a jarring picture of despair washing over her. The pain was so extreme that she ended up throwing up into a plastic bag.
Shore’s critical, hopeful perspective on American politics goes further than an expression of sentiment. She has been a frequent critic of Trump, at one occasion comparing his actions to those of Stalin. A poignant example of her argument is the embarrassment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She cautioned that current government strategies, such as sending the National Guard to suppress demonstrations in Los Angeles, would lead to violence. The second purpose of these actions may be to legitimize a martial law type occupation.
Her comments are amplified by today’s clear and present urgency for scholars and citizens, which Williams is right to build on. As she recounted discussions with her peers worldwide, she pointed out their hopeful faith in America’s democratic durability. She likened their mentality to the crew of the Titanic, smugly claiming that their ship would never go down.
“The lesson of 1933 is: you get out sooner rather than later.” – Marci Shore
This analogy is emblematic of her more general fear about how comfortable we’ve become while democracy is under attack by the authoritarian right. She told us she felt a profound responsibility to raise her voice. She closely protected her colleagues and Americans who in the future could be endangered by the current regime.
“My colleagues and friends, they were walking around and saying, ‘We have checks and balances. So let’s inhale, checks and balances, exhale, checks and balances.’ I thought, my God, we’re like people on the Titanic saying, ‘Our ship can’t sink.’” – Marci Shore
Shore’s frustrations run deeper than the public’s acceptance of ever more authoritarian strains in governance. She expressed disbelief at the apparent willingness of many to align themselves with such a political trajectory:
“I’m more obligated to speak out … on behalf of my colleagues and on behalf of other Americans who are at risk.” – Marci Shore
This statement captures her horror at a more fortunate people whom she feels had a hand in bringing to power a political wave she finds abhorrent.
“Nothing was hidden. People had plenty of time to think about it, and they chose this.” – Marci Shore
As an educator, Shore has continued to wrestle with the notion of old habits resurfacing in new places. She characterizes her perspective as a “neurotic catastrophist.” She is a firm believer that history, rather than simply foreshadowing the future, is full of inklings and opportunities.
Her reflections are part of a larger discussion about what intellectuals owe to the world, particularly in times of deep political crisis. Shore reminds us that recognizing truth from falsehood lies at the core of protecting democratic principles.
“I would never say, ‘I would never go back.’ I always feel that what history teaches you is not what will happen, but what can happen.” – Marci Shore
Today, Marci Shore continues to study passionately and fearlessly at the University of Toronto. All the while, she watches closely the political landscape at home in Canada, been influenced by the US, and vice-versa. Her departure from Yale is a huge personal blow. It also opens up a larger discussion about the quality of American democracy and its effects on scholars and lay citizens alike.
“Without a distinction between truth and lies, there is no grounding for a distinction between good and evil.” – Marci Shore
As Marci Shore continues her academic pursuits at the University of Toronto, she remains vigilant about the political landscape in both Canada and the United States. Her departure from Yale symbolizes not just a personal choice but a broader commentary on the current state of American democracy and its implications for scholars and citizens alike.