While We Slept: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and the Corruption of American Democracy

by Peter N. Grant Jr.

In 2016, Vladimir Putin ordered Russian intelligence to execute an active measures and disinformation operation targeting the American presidential election. While the election of Donald Trump was a desired outcome of this campaign, its overall goal was to discredit American democracy in the eyes of its own citizens and the world. It succeeded.

While We Slept provides a side-by-side examination of the lives and characters of Putin and Trump. It details the connections Trump and his campaign had with Russia’s intelligence services, oligarchs, and Eurasian organized crime through a synthesis of the Mueller Report, the Senate Intelligence Report on Russia, Congressional testimony; court documents, U.S. and foreign intelligence findings, FBI 302 interviews and search warrant affidavits; relevant literature and memoirs; and international reporting. Donald Trump’s embrace of the Russian interference campaign was the original sin of his presidency and presaged the rampant criminality and corruption that followed.

While We Slept provides a vivid description of Vladimir Putin’s career in the KGB, his alliance with organized crime in post-Soviet Russia during his early political career, and the role manipulating elections played in his ruthless rise to power. It provides a comprehensive accounting of Donald Trump’s corrupt early career and numerous connections to the American Mafia in New York and Atlantic City. It describes how Trump and Putin share linkages to the nexus of Eurasian organized criminals spanning from the former Soviet Union to Israel to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, in New York City.

The book exhaustively details Trump’s suspected money laundering activities and multiple attempts to build a Trump Tower Moscow; Roger Stone’s interactions with Russian military intelligence and WikiLeaks; Paul Manafort’s corrupt activities in Ukraine and his interactions with Russian intelligence during the 2016 campaign; George Papadopoulos’ foreknowledge that the Russians possessed Hillary’s emails; Carter Page’s interactions with Russian foreign intelligence and his 2016 trip to Moscow; the June 9th Trump Tower Meeting; the corrupt activities of Cambridge Analytica; the profiles of Erik Prince and Michael Flynn, and the mysterious role Israeli politicians and intelligence sources played in the 2016 election.

700 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2024

Reviews

[Margarita Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.

This is a provocative reading which will make you think of what happened in the presidential elections in 2016. ''While We Slept'' develops in the investigation that the author did with testimonies of the Congress, judicial documents, foreign intelligence findings, interviews of the FBI 302, and more to find out how Russia's intelligence services interfered in the presidential elections of that year.
The author conducted a serious investigation and explored how that put the democracy of the country at risk, but also how much the country has to work to strengthen the security of the country and keep it safe. What happened in that year is something that deserves to maintain attention, and people must learn about something that affects an entire nation.

[Caro Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

A book filled with research and information that will give the reader a different view of politics from two controversial men. I am not a political junkie myself, but this book was one, to say the least, that I became very interested in.
The author goes on a mission to investigate and study two important men- Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Within the author's investigation, we will see the sources the author used such as; Special Counsels Reports, congressional hearings and leaked documents, just to name a few.
I believe this is a well researched and exposed book. In a time where democracy is so fragile, two of the less likely to agree men found some sort of common ground and agreements in views.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Wow, this is an incredible book. At 700 pages long, it's not a book for the faint hearted, but man does it dive deep into the rise of DT. Starting with the history of Putin and the Russia (Soviet Union) he was born into as well as t's family background and history of family success, this is an in depth, solid, objective look at how these two dictators intertwine. The book is very well researched, with so many facts and quotes that are all referenced to back them up. Just an amazing book to read, a must read to learn about not only the facts of what's happening to our political world, but the reasons behind them.

[Santiago Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to read more than once

"While We Slept" provides an incisive and comprehensive look at the unsettling synergies between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, and how these influenced the 2016 American presidential election.
I appreciated how the book goes beyond mere political analysis. It explores the backgrounds of both figures, showing how their careers have been intertwined with criminal elements long before the 2016 election. This historical context adds depth to the discussion of their actions and impact on democracy.

[Farrell Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Interesting Book.
It was a long read, with so many facts, and figures.
It was fascinating to read. Scary to say the least.