First published 2020
Two Washington Post journalists who won Pulitzer Prizes step back from daily political noise to examine Donald Trump's presidency systematically. Carol Leonnig and her co-author conducted hundreds of hours of interviews with over 200 administration officials, Trump confidants, and direct witnesses to piece together what happened inside the government. They gathered fresh details and insights to reveal the patterns behind the apparent chaos of Trump's time in office. The book reconstructs his presidency step by step, showing how his attempts to undermine American democratic systems proved more successful than many realized. Writing as 2020 approached, with Trump seeking reelection, the authors present their findings about a presidency that challenged fundamental democratic norms. Their investigation draws on extensive insider access to create a comprehensive picture of how Trump operated as president and what that meant for American democracy.
Genres: political-science, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Washington
Period: 2020
560 pages · Hardcover · S. Fischer