by Josh Dawsey
First published 2025
Donald Trump sits for an exclusive interview ten days before his second inauguration, reflecting on his stunning comeback. "The whole world was against me, and I won," he declares. Award-winning reporters Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf chronicle how America's first convicted felon president regained the White House. Their account begins in August 2022 with the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago and follows Trump's decision to run again. The narrative tracks his campaign's defeat of dozen primary challengers including Ron DeSantis, while Trump weathered four indictments and two assassination attempts. Campaign manager Susie Wiles crafts the winning strategy. Meanwhile, Joe Biden dismisses age concerns and polling data, surviving his own special counsel investigation and his son Hunter's trial. Biden's catastrophic debate performance forces his withdrawal, leaving Kamala Harris just 107 days to mount a presidential campaign. She struggles to escape Biden's shadow as he complicates her efforts. On November 5th, 2024, Trump wins election as the forty-seventh president, returning to power seeking revenge.
Genres: american, politics, thriller, 21st-century, political-thriller, american-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, political-intrigue
Setting: Mar-a-Lago, United States
Period: 2022, 2024
416 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press