Emmy Award winner David Simon explains the making of "The Plot Against America," his new HBO miniseries starring Zoe Kazan, Morgan Spector, Winona Ryder and John Turturro. Simon shares with Salon that the idea grew out of the 2016 election and the rise in overt xenophobia and racism towards immigrants.

"Whoever's coming in is subject to the same iconic fears, just devoted worries of the Americans already here, which is, they're not going to be American enough," Simon said on "Salon Talks." "That stuff can lead to political power because those kind of resentments travel with people's worst fears."

"The Plot Against America," based on Philip Roth's novel, focuses on a Jewish family living in 1940s New Jersey. The series re-imagines American history as if Charles Lindbergh became president. The limited series debuts March 16 on HBO.

Watch the episode to hear more from Simon, the creator behind "The Corner," "The Wire" and "The Deuce," about building his writers' rooms and why working with actors is a different, richer experience today.