Where Tyranny Begins: The Justice Department, the FBI, and the War on Democracy

by David Rohde

How Donald Trump subverted the law and Merrick Garland misjudged the need to hold him accountable before the 2024 election. Donald Trump used public firings and slanders, private co-option and threats, and the relentless spread of conspiracy theories to bend Justice Department and FBI officials to his will, from Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and William Barr to career public servants. He sowed public doubt in both agencies so successfully that when he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election, he paid little political cost. And to a greater extent than previously known, DOJ and FBI officials feared investigating Trump. The Justice Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland are now among the last lines of defense―a role they are ill-suited to play. In Where Tyranny Begins , Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist David Rohde investigates the historic struggle to prevent President Trump from turning the country’s two most powerful law-enforcement agencies into his personal political weapons. And, after he left office, to prevent him from successfully delaying and discrediting DOJ and FBI criminal investigations of his conduct.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Philosophy, American History, Government

304 pages, Hardcover

Published August 27, 2024

Reviews

[Paul Womack · Rating 5 out of 5]

An investigative overview of the recent hostory and dilemmas of the DOJ and the FBI. MAGA supporters will not like this book, which is a compelling reason to read it and take it seriously.

[Girard Bowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good overview of the Justice Dept under Trump, and the difficulties they either caused or faced - plenty of blame to go around. Not much new to those of us who have been glued to current events for the past 8 years, but I did learn new details of how much water Barr carried for Trump. Unreal. Even though Barr has said that Trump isn't fit for the presidency again, he will vote for him, I guess because there's nothing more dangerous to America than a Democratic president. I say, if you like a 40-hour work-week, civil rights, social security, the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare!!) and overtime, thank a Democrat. But what do I know?! I just like presidents with empathy and compassion. Not that there aren't Democrat villains and good Republicans, but it seems the Republican Party is reduced to gaming the system to stay in power. I'm looking at you, Federalist Society and Supreme Court - gutting voting rights and empowering legal bribery via Citizens United. Oookay, getting off the soapbox now - DGMS!

Oh, and pet peeve alert - why oh why would a serious book such as this lack an index? I would consider getting this as a reference, but without an index, it's useless for that purpose. At least it has endnotes.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Jane Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent review of known facts & culpability of too slow Merit Garland & his DOJ. Tyrant is already here.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you were asleep during Trump’s first term, this is a useful retelling of the well known history of his shattering of norms regarding the running of the Department of Justice and his bullying of cowardly Cabinet members and Justice Department officials. All of the familiar characters are here - Robert Mueller, William Barr, et al. If you follow the news closely, you will soon find out that there is nothing new to learn here. If you’re a Trump supporter, you’ll hate the anti-Trump tone and the innumerable references to “conspiracy theories.” I had heard it all before and bailed out halfway through it. I have to stop reading books that are basically a rehash of recent newspaper stories.

[April Oxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected a Trump bashing type book. It was far from that. As a scientist, this read like a well put together research article. I learned so much and have recommended it to several people!

[Evelyn Petschek · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars rounded up. A fascinating analysis of the DOJ and FBI during the Trump and Biden administrations. Solid, serious, sobering and scary reporting.

[Maria Almaguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very dark book about how the boundaries placed during the post-Watergate Nixon administration have been reversed, defied, or subverted with the devastating administration of #45. My country seems to be on a trajectory that gives me great pause and one that every citizen needs to inform themselves about.

[Scott Stoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal account of 45 and now 47 corrupted the Federal government, including scores of investigations of Clinton, Obama, the Bidens and others. Every investigation he ordered discovered nothing. The dumbest president in history, in all his inglorious ugliness is on full display in a meticulously researched book with documents and actual quotes.

[🫶Ali🫶 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I think the in depth analysis of the DOJ and how public shame works within politics is very interesting. My only qualm is that it isn’t written for an audience that could actually learn something from it. It’s written for an audience that’s already going to agree with this author.

[Elise Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drudgery

[AttackGirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another hate Trump book, UGH

[Lauryn Burbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the Justice Department, FBI and comparison to watergate vs current political issues. Appreciated the interviews and first-person accounts. Recommend if interested in American History and Law.

[James C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Looking forward to the author’s second book laying out how the Biden administration has weaponized the DOJ. How Obama used the FBI to infiltrate Trump’s campaign, and how the highest levels of our intelligence agencies conspired to lie to the American people about Russia.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a good friend who sends me a barrage of emails bemoaning the destruction of American values and betrayal of our Constitution by our government in recent years, particularly by the Trump administration and by the Trump-appointed conservative majority of the Supreme Court. I have often responded to his comments by agreeing with his concerns but pointing out that much of this is nothing new as many of our supposed values were always little more than fig leaves used to barely cover up practices of oppression and favoring rich over poor. Still, even if our values have been hypocritical and often disregarded, the stories we have told ourselves about how wonderful we are have kept us from completely betraying the good things that we claim to stand for. Now we have sadly entered an age of "LOL Nothing Matters" where only fools believe in the values of old and the old values are used as tools against the people who are stupid enough to continue believing in them. This book is the story about how this dynamic has ruined the culture of the Justice Department, the FBI and the court system, creating a climate where they are no longer able to function effectively, because they are being manipulated from above, scorned from above and below, and rotted from within by fear of reprisals and lack of appreciation for the few remaining people with integrity. It's a depressing story, and I think that it is largely accurate. My only wish was that the book had been more hopeful and had included more ideas for solutions to these problems.

[Mr. Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can also see this review, along with others I have written, at my blog, Mr. Book's Book Reviews.

Thank you, W.W. Norton & Company, for providing this book for review consideration in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book will be released on August 27.

Mr. Book just finished Where Tyranny Begins: The Justice Department, The FBI And The War On Democracy, by David Rohde.

This is my second book that I’ve read by David Rohde. I previously read In Deep: The FBI, The CIA And The Truth About America’s “Deep State” in July 2020 and gave that an A.

The book does a great job looking at the interference between Trump and the DOJ (which includes the FBI). That story begins with how Comey helped Trump by his actions during the 2016 campaign and then continues with the interference between Trump and the Russian investigation after he took office.

I was disappointed with the coverage of the Mueller report and Barr’s whitewashing. I thought the book could have gone into more discussion of those important issues. But, that does not detract from the overall quality of this book.

The book otherwise provided great coverage of both Barr’s terrible tenure as AG, as well very good coverage of him standing up to Trump while he was trying to have the election overturned. But, even considering the latter, legal ethics expert Stephen Gillers correctly stated, “The few times Barr put the nation ahead of the president will not atone for the many times he chose the opposite. He left a wounded department.”

The book does a very good job discussing Merrick Garland’s failures by moving so slowly in the cases against Trump once for the first few years of his tenure as Attorney General. The book does a great job discussing the cases and investigations that have subsequently been undertaken against Trump.

Rohde accurately sums the problem when he says that in the past seven years, “Trump has successfully used conspiracy theories, co-option and threats to bend DOJ and FBI officials to his will to a greater extent than publicly known. Those who dared to defy him had their reputations damaged and their careers derailed. Current and former DOJ and FBI officials told me that they did not want to be named because they feared that Trump and his supporters would destroy their reputations, careers and businesses and potentially harm them and their families. That is not the rule of law. That is not democracy.”

I give this book an A. Goodreads requires grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star). After I finished reading this, I purchased the audio version so I will also be able to listen to it.

This review has been posted at Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

Mr. Book originally finished reading this on August 14, 2024.

[Ali Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where Tyranny Begins: The Justice Department, the FBI, and the War on Democracy presents a bold critique of two of the United States' most powerful institutions, the Department of Justice and the FBI.

The book examines how these agencies, once seen as protectors of democracy and law, have evolved into entities that some believe undermine the very freedoms they are tasked with safeguarding.

Through detailed case studies, historical examples, and analysis of modern-day political controversies, the author raises serious concerns about the growing influence of unelected officials within these institutions and the potential for abuse of power in politically charged environments.

The book is both a historical overview and a cautionary tale, warning readers of the dangers when institutions designed to protect democracy drift into authoritarianism. It challenges the reader to reflect on the balance between national security and individual freedoms, and how easily that balance can tip toward tyranny.

For those interested in the intersection of politics, law enforcement, and civil liberties, Where Tyranny Begins provides a thought-provoking analysis of the role that powerful government agencies play in shaping the course of democracy in America.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good, thorough examination of the DOJ under Trump, subverted from a safeguard against abuse of executive power to a tool of such abuse.

This is outlined here:
"Point #2: Evidence That Trump Tried to Pressure the Justice Department to Spread His Allegations of Election Fraud" from testimony and evidence brought out by the 06/23/22 Select Committee Hearing of the January 6th Committee.

The book's final set of chapters goes into detail on the documents cases; cases because there was the one for Trump and one for Biden. The author overtly tries to point out faults from both presidents in how they handled the documents investigations but it is hard to objectively not see Biden's response as mature and responsible with Trump's as comically criminal and pointlessly so.

[madyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely horrible to read right now, simply because it lays out every mistake that was made during the first trump administration and biden's administration regarding the prosecution of trump and his distorted relationship with the law. it is so infuriating to read about grown adult after grown adult working their way into trump's arms by being insanely evil and then crying when he kicks them to the curb after they disagree with him one time. it is infuriating that so many people around him don't seem to understand that he does not care about other human beings. it is infuriating to read about the same things happening four or five years ago happening literally right now. it is infuriating that no one stopped a second trump administration from taking place.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an in depth review of the role of the FBI and Justice department and how political and public pressure has diminished their ability to protect and defend democracy. The blatant dismissal of norms and intentional corruption of the law has confused the DOJ and FBI making them reluctant to apply the rule of law to politicians, mainly Trump due to fear of appearing biased and for employees fear of having their careers destroyed. It concludes that is time to codify and overhaul the regulations and norms of these agencies before our democracy crumbles. I found it very disheartening and it certainly did not improve my view of the weak DOJ.

[J Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very informative book. Well worth the reading effort. The title is adequate to describe the kind of information you will get from studying this book. I very much doubt that David Rohde is happy about our 2024 election results. Our democracy is truly in trouble, in my humble opinion. In Rohde's naration you can see how things have deteriorated with unchecked conspiracy theories all over the internet and so many people believing them, for the simple reason that it resonates with their own world view, and lets face it, finding out answers for one's self can be laborious. Read this book!

[Brandon Hatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you closely followed the news during Trump’s first term, Where Tyranny Begins doesn’t offer much beyond what you already know. While the book does include some behind-the-scenes comments from key figures in his administration, none of it is particularly surprising or groundbreaking. The real value lies in the epilogue, which explores the potential trajectory of American politics in a way that is worth considering. Otherwise, the book feels like a rehash of widely reported events rather than a fresh or deeply insightful analysis.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyranny begins where the law ends. Mr. Rohde focuses on three attorney generals: two from the first Trump administration and one from the Biden administration. Drawing from interviews with first person witnesses, the author presents a balanced view of the attorney generals' approach to their duties, their ideas of the position, what went right and wrong, and the implications of their actions.

This is good book on the final days of the Trump administration and three+ years of the Biden administration. It also provides insight into the political considerations faced by the FBI.

[Tyler Prehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe not the most well-organized book I’ve ever read, but it *is really insightful to hear through paraphrased interviews and a summarized series of events how Trump and his aides have so effectively manipulated the public’s view of federal institutions.

The next book I’m about to read is called The Changing World Order by Ray Dalio, and I’m admittedly a little nervous to find out how close we could be to a complete overhaul of the US.

[Debra George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed

This book rehashes Trump’s interactions with the DOJ and the FBI over the last seven years. It is evident that upholding the norms and ethics that have always made the justice system work fail us when we are dealing with someone who has no respect for norms and ethics. Unfortunately this book offers no new insight or solutions

[Lee Strawhun · Rating 5 out of 5]

So HEARTBREAKING

Reading this book just gave me a sense of how hard it was for so many good people to do the right thing. It just means we care for our families and our nation so much that whenever someone comes at us like Trump, and his elaborate schemes,we end up compromising what we know is the right thing to do.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid book that I learned a lot from. It was interesting to hear the chronological timeline of the justice department proceedings during Trump’s first presidency and into Biden’s. Reading this really made me wonder how people could’ve voted for him after all of this and maybe some people would’ve benefitted from reading this before November 5, 2024 but oh well.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, though already out of date, was a comprehensive account of the run up to the authoritarian moment we find ourselves in. It is tragic that so many saw what was coming, but failed to act. We are in a 1930s Germany moment, and no one seems to have learned from history. In other words, we are f#€#d!

[Alethea Hammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eulogy for the 1st Republic

The Founding Fathers gave us a constitutional republic. We kept it alive for nearly 250 years. But they counted too heavily on presidents having a sense of history and honor. They did not expect a politician with absolutely no sense of shame. It was good while it lasted.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly, this is another books that reconfirms the worst of how the Trump presidency was executed. Well researched and reported, it reveals the disheartening decline of government, due mostly to the power grab of one corrupt president.