First published 2022
MSNBC host and Politico White House Bureau Chief Jonathan Lemire examines how Donald Trump's refusal to accept electoral defeat became a defining political strategy. Lemire traces this phenomenon from its 2016 origins, when Trump first claimed at an Ohio rally that elections might be "rigged" against him, through his 2020 loss and the resulting January 6th Capitol attack. The author argues that Trump's persistent dishonesty about election integrity has transformed American political behavior across party lines. Democrats now structure their responses around anticipating Trump's lies, while Republicans have adapted their own conduct to accommodate his approach. Through extensive interviews and political reporting, Lemire shows how Trump maintains political influence even after his electoral defeat by continuing to promote false claims about voting systems.
Genres: american, political-science, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Ohio, United States
Period: 2016, 2020
320 pages · Hardcover · Flatiron Books