First published 2020
Joe Scarborough chronicles his complicated relationship with Donald Trump, from their first encounter in 2003 through their bitter public falling out. The Morning Joe host initially found Trump amusing and entertaining, despite recognizing his deep insecurities. Trump became a regular guest on the MSNBC show, and the two men developed what seemed like a genuine friendship. Everything changed as Trump's 2016 campaign gained momentum. Scarborough watched his friend transform into something darker, delivering speeches filled with bigotry to massive rallies. The television host began attacking Trump publicly while the candidate still called him privately for advice and support. Their relationship fractured completely during Trump's presidency, reaching its lowest point when Trump launched a vicious Twitter assault on Scarborough's co-host and partner Mika Brzezinski in 2017. Scarborough reveals the private conversations that shaped his understanding of Trump's character and his growing fear that his former friend would inflict lasting damage on American democracy.
Genres: american, political-science, politics, biography-memoir, 21st-century, journalism, current-affairs
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: United States
Period: 2003, 2016, 2017
288 pages · Hardcover · Hachette Books