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The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World
The Day After has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2026
About the author
Brian Tyler Cohen
2 books124 followersIn 2011, Cohen graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a BS degree in Business and Economics and a BA degree in English. He addressed the graduating class of 2011 as their class president.
Cohen acted in a handful of film and television roles from 2012 to 2016.
In October 2018, Cohen started posting political content on his YouTube channel which primarily covers national politics. Cohen later started his first podcast, No Lie, during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020. Cohen has since created multiple different shows on his channel. On February 25, 2022, Cohen became the first YouTube creator/podcaster to interview U.S. President Joe Biden.
Abridged from Wikipedia.
Cohen acted in a handful of film and television roles from 2012 to 2016.
In October 2018, Cohen started posting political content on his YouTube channel which primarily covers national politics. Cohen later started his first podcast, No Lie, during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020. Cohen has since created multiple different shows on his channel. On February 25, 2022, Cohen became the first YouTube creator/podcaster to interview U.S. President Joe Biden.
Abridged from Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 29, 2026
★ 3.25 stars ★
uh ohhhhh.
here comes the leftisttttt...
why, yes. I am here to be a dick. don't get me wrong. i truly don't mind brian tyler cohen that much. he seems fine and at least slightly genuine in what he espouses. And this book was well written as far as diction/syntax goes.
that being said, this book just did not need to exist. within these pages are just restatements of what BTC often discusses in his YouTube videos. This book doesn't say anything new that he hasn't already said.
And yet...
He completely fails to address the elephant in the room: The democrats and their corruption.
Because they are just as wicked as the Republicans, just in a different way. I won't go into a whole rant about dark money, AIPAC, etc because frankly, I'm tired. it's depressing and angering.
The democrats and US government as a whole have made it clear they don't care about representing the needs and desires of the US population.
But I'm disappointed (although unsurprised) that BTC does not address the fact that the biggest thing holding our nation back is not Trump. It is not the Republicans. It's the collusion. It's the dark money and the greed. The late stage capitalism. The undying fealty to Israel. The SuperPACs. And that will long outlive Trump if we don't do anything about it.
And I doubt the author of this book wants to do anything about it.
So, in summary...
this book was kind of pointless. it does nothing.
I don't trust BTC.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION
p.s. i found it very funny that BTC seems so confident we'll have a dem president in 2028 lol.
the DNC will almost certainly find a way to f**k that up with the way they're going.
------
Many thanks to HarperAudio for a audio copy— NOT
HarperAudio did not deign to accept my request but don't worry... this radical left lunatic is here to critique anyway.
I like Brian Tyler Cohen. He seems decent. But he's also a major player in the democratic establishment and keeping the Overton Window where it is (aka very right leaning).
So, all this to say, I am very excited to here how Mr. Cohen thinks we should wield power in a 'post-trump' world and if he believes we should do so in a way that will actually reflect the voice of the people or keep things how they are.
uh ohhhhh.
here comes the leftisttttt...
why, yes. I am here to be a dick. don't get me wrong. i truly don't mind brian tyler cohen that much. he seems fine and at least slightly genuine in what he espouses. And this book was well written as far as diction/syntax goes.
that being said, this book just did not need to exist. within these pages are just restatements of what BTC often discusses in his YouTube videos. This book doesn't say anything new that he hasn't already said.
And yet...
He completely fails to address the elephant in the room: The democrats and their corruption.
Because they are just as wicked as the Republicans, just in a different way. I won't go into a whole rant about dark money, AIPAC, etc because frankly, I'm tired. it's depressing and angering.
The democrats and US government as a whole have made it clear they don't care about representing the needs and desires of the US population.
But I'm disappointed (although unsurprised) that BTC does not address the fact that the biggest thing holding our nation back is not Trump. It is not the Republicans. It's the collusion. It's the dark money and the greed. The late stage capitalism. The undying fealty to Israel. The SuperPACs. And that will long outlive Trump if we don't do anything about it.
And I doubt the author of this book wants to do anything about it.
So, in summary...
this book was kind of pointless. it does nothing.
I don't trust BTC.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION
p.s. i found it very funny that BTC seems so confident we'll have a dem president in 2028 lol.
the DNC will almost certainly find a way to f**k that up with the way they're going.
------
Many thanks to HarperAudio for a audio copy— NOT
HarperAudio did not deign to accept my request but don't worry... this radical left lunatic is here to critique anyway.
I like Brian Tyler Cohen. He seems decent. But he's also a major player in the democratic establishment and keeping the Overton Window where it is (aka very right leaning).
So, all this to say, I am very excited to here how Mr. Cohen thinks we should wield power in a 'post-trump' world and if he believes we should do so in a way that will actually reflect the voice of the people or keep things how they are.
July 30, 2026
Cohen feels strongly about what’s happened/is happening to our country and what needs to be done. The system is broken, he observes, and the next Democratic administration and Congress have to recognize the extent of the destruction because there's no going back to as it was before. New laws need to be written, the Supreme Court must be reformed (enforceable ethical codes) and expanded (settling on 9 seats was because there were 9 federal circuits at the time; there are now 13), the independence of DOJ must be formally written into law, and so on. Most importantly, he argues that Democrats in Congress must be as single-minded and ruthless as Republicans have been. It's been manifestly clear for decades that the GOP is not interested in compromise. Democrats should acknowledge that fact and stop acting as if they're above it all.
It all makes good sense, in my opinion, but I am less that sanguine about the prospect for a couple of reasons. First, will the midterms and 2028 general election be free and fair? The Administration and its supporters are already doing a lot to interfere with voting, that’s for sure, through voter suppression, gerrymandering, efforts to get rid of voting by mail (how does this not affect Republican voters in rural districts, one might ask), and disinformation. Second, if Democrats do retake the House and Senate in the mids and the White House in '28, will they have enough political will and courage to do what’s necessary? Will they honestly acknowledge and address the problems the Trump years has exposed, or will they just make a lot of outraged speeches and try to return things to the way they used to be (and haven't been for a very long time)? Cohen has a lot of very good ideas about what sets need to be taken. It’s going to be a difficult slog, he says many times. I hope the country is up to the challenge.
(PS: I'm listening to a late July episode of The New Yorker Politics Hour. The subject is why Congress no longer works or even tries to work. I recommend it highly.)
Thanks to Harper’s and Edelweiss+ for providing a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
It all makes good sense, in my opinion, but I am less that sanguine about the prospect for a couple of reasons. First, will the midterms and 2028 general election be free and fair? The Administration and its supporters are already doing a lot to interfere with voting, that’s for sure, through voter suppression, gerrymandering, efforts to get rid of voting by mail (how does this not affect Republican voters in rural districts, one might ask), and disinformation. Second, if Democrats do retake the House and Senate in the mids and the White House in '28, will they have enough political will and courage to do what’s necessary? Will they honestly acknowledge and address the problems the Trump years has exposed, or will they just make a lot of outraged speeches and try to return things to the way they used to be (and haven't been for a very long time)? Cohen has a lot of very good ideas about what sets need to be taken. It’s going to be a difficult slog, he says many times. I hope the country is up to the challenge.
(PS: I'm listening to a late July episode of The New Yorker Politics Hour. The subject is why Congress no longer works or even tries to work. I recommend it highly.)
Thanks to Harper’s and Edelweiss+ for providing a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
July 15, 2026
There’s no going back
Our first step to fix the country, argues Brian Tyler Cohen, is to recognize that our democracy has been broken. The rest of his book lays out what has broken, by whom, and what could be done to fix it.
To Cohen, our descent into autocracy didn’t begin with Trump; it has been decades in the making. Meanwhile, Democrats have been playing a bipartisanship game that the other side has refused to play and flipped the game board over, as Cohen points out. The Biden administration’s cardinal sin was acting as if we could go back to normal after Trump; Cohen suggests the next president will have to understand we can’t and act like the country’s democracy, rule of law, and fate are at stake.
I think his previous book, “Shameless,” was a work I couldn’t recommend more highly, and it is a great proof of why Cohen ought to be considered one of the best leaders of a new media network like what he calls for in this book.
Our first step to fix the country, argues Brian Tyler Cohen, is to recognize that our democracy has been broken. The rest of his book lays out what has broken, by whom, and what could be done to fix it.
To Cohen, our descent into autocracy didn’t begin with Trump; it has been decades in the making. Meanwhile, Democrats have been playing a bipartisanship game that the other side has refused to play and flipped the game board over, as Cohen points out. The Biden administration’s cardinal sin was acting as if we could go back to normal after Trump; Cohen suggests the next president will have to understand we can’t and act like the country’s democracy, rule of law, and fate are at stake.
I think his previous book, “Shameless,” was a work I couldn’t recommend more highly, and it is a great proof of why Cohen ought to be considered one of the best leaders of a new media network like what he calls for in this book.
July 14, 2026
A much needed to do list of how to push democratically elected officials to actually do what we want them to do rather than just propping up the establishment that has failed us for decades.
July 21, 2026
The Day After - how to wield power in a post trump world
- Brian Tyler Cohen
- The fecklessness of the Democratic Party. Their adherence to honoring institutions, compromise, and ethical governing
- The failures of the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations
- Republican presidents have only won the popular vote twice since ‘88. The won in ‘24 and ‘04
- When Democrats win reelection they are aggressive and unafraid. Clinton and Obama easily won in ‘96 and ‘12
- The Biden administration really did nothing to go after Trump or stop him coming back to power. What did Biden do in four years?
- Republicans are ruthless, they are terrorists. They have no ethics, no morals, and will not compromise
- Republicans rule with power over principle and it has made everything worse. Democrats choose principle over power and it has made everything worse
- This is one of the main thesis of the book
Congress:
- Congress has essentially ceded the power of the purse to the executive branch. Their most powerful tool and purpose they have turned over. They are no longer a co equal branch of government, they are a part of the executive branch
- Trump blatantly does illegal actions with his conflicts of interest and profiting off of the presidency. He illegally manipulates the budget and withholds funding
- I don’t understand the filibuster
- BTC is not beholden to the old institutions and norms. Republicans have violated, broken, and ignored all norms and institutions. The ones that they hold to, they only use to their advantage
SCOTUS
- Wow, he’s right the constitution makes no mention of the number of justices on the court. In the early years of the republic there were six justices. The court has gone as high as ten
- BTC suggests 13 justices, one for each district court in the US. The court should represent the size of the country
- He also wants a mandatory retirement age of 70, eight year terms, a clear ethics code, and more
- I have always been hesitant to expand the court but he has changed my mind
- As long as the court stays a conservative majority, they will block everything that democrats do
- Trump has made extensive use of the previously rarely used shadow docket. It was intended for emergency and time sensitive matters. I don’t understand the shadow docket
- Jesus Christ, Alito flew a flag upside down and pro January 6th flag in the days after
- Clarence Thomas is in a different category, wow. It’s incredible the amount of gifts he has received
- His wife was at the January 6th rally. She cofounded a conservative organization with Steve Bannon. She has direct ties to the Trump administration and the Bush administration. I had no idea she was so intertwined with these people, it’s awful
- The court is working for Trump. They are serve to endorse his behavior. They really did grant the president/him a significant amount of immunity
- Lower courts have ruled against Trump 90% of the time. SCOTUS has ruled with him 90%
- We need to change the court
Voting:
- Hello, we are NC, we get brought up in every conversation about voting
- Republicans rule with power over principle and it has made everything worse. Democrats choose principle over power and it has made everything worse
- Trump and his pardons - as all things in this book it’s worse than you think
- BTC hits on the economy, healthcare, climate change, media, all the important topics. In each one it is worse than I realized
- The media section is critically important
- It did give me hope for a green new deal
- Take action on day one. We will have a brief moment in time, we must seize it. Not to go back to how things were, but to make things better
- He does not have a specific 10 point plan but he does have a vision. I believe in that vision and I will help make that happen
- I discovered BTC this year and he has become my primary news source, he’s awesome
- I would have more notes but I was doing soil for the last three hours
- Brian Tyler Cohen
- The fecklessness of the Democratic Party. Their adherence to honoring institutions, compromise, and ethical governing
- The failures of the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations
- Republican presidents have only won the popular vote twice since ‘88. The won in ‘24 and ‘04
- When Democrats win reelection they are aggressive and unafraid. Clinton and Obama easily won in ‘96 and ‘12
- The Biden administration really did nothing to go after Trump or stop him coming back to power. What did Biden do in four years?
- Republicans are ruthless, they are terrorists. They have no ethics, no morals, and will not compromise
- Republicans rule with power over principle and it has made everything worse. Democrats choose principle over power and it has made everything worse
- This is one of the main thesis of the book
Congress:
- Congress has essentially ceded the power of the purse to the executive branch. Their most powerful tool and purpose they have turned over. They are no longer a co equal branch of government, they are a part of the executive branch
- Trump blatantly does illegal actions with his conflicts of interest and profiting off of the presidency. He illegally manipulates the budget and withholds funding
- I don’t understand the filibuster
- BTC is not beholden to the old institutions and norms. Republicans have violated, broken, and ignored all norms and institutions. The ones that they hold to, they only use to their advantage
SCOTUS
- Wow, he’s right the constitution makes no mention of the number of justices on the court. In the early years of the republic there were six justices. The court has gone as high as ten
- BTC suggests 13 justices, one for each district court in the US. The court should represent the size of the country
- He also wants a mandatory retirement age of 70, eight year terms, a clear ethics code, and more
- I have always been hesitant to expand the court but he has changed my mind
- As long as the court stays a conservative majority, they will block everything that democrats do
- Trump has made extensive use of the previously rarely used shadow docket. It was intended for emergency and time sensitive matters. I don’t understand the shadow docket
- Jesus Christ, Alito flew a flag upside down and pro January 6th flag in the days after
- Clarence Thomas is in a different category, wow. It’s incredible the amount of gifts he has received
- His wife was at the January 6th rally. She cofounded a conservative organization with Steve Bannon. She has direct ties to the Trump administration and the Bush administration. I had no idea she was so intertwined with these people, it’s awful
- The court is working for Trump. They are serve to endorse his behavior. They really did grant the president/him a significant amount of immunity
- Lower courts have ruled against Trump 90% of the time. SCOTUS has ruled with him 90%
- We need to change the court
Voting:
- Hello, we are NC, we get brought up in every conversation about voting
- Republicans rule with power over principle and it has made everything worse. Democrats choose principle over power and it has made everything worse
- Trump and his pardons - as all things in this book it’s worse than you think
- BTC hits on the economy, healthcare, climate change, media, all the important topics. In each one it is worse than I realized
- The media section is critically important
- It did give me hope for a green new deal
- Take action on day one. We will have a brief moment in time, we must seize it. Not to go back to how things were, but to make things better
- He does not have a specific 10 point plan but he does have a vision. I believe in that vision and I will help make that happen
- I discovered BTC this year and he has become my primary news source, he’s awesome
- I would have more notes but I was doing soil for the last three hours
July 27, 2026
End the filibuster, reform the Supreme Court, seek accountability for corruption, see through a wave of change after Trump for actual change: these are the basic principles of this book that got muddied along the way but i was reminded in the epilogue that this was his thesis. Most everything else was a retelling of everything we’ve been through in 2025 and a splash into 2026 before he had to take this book to publication. I was hoping for more “this is how we take down Trump” but got “these are the reminders of why Trump is awful in a short form in case you missed or forgot something, even though it’s now tracking as outdated as the days tick on” and instead is a “this is what we need to do January 6, 2028.” This is now basic entry-level expectation for the next slate of candidates’ policy platforms. Assuming we get there without intervention attacking or removing Trump first. More like 4.5 stars but the GR overlord needs data saying it’s a 5 rather than a rounded down 4.
July 16, 2026
4.5 stars
July 20, 2026
If you're expecting Project 2029 you'll be disappointed. Cohen, a top political commentator, gives a lot of history both of Trump 47 and what led up to it. His reforms are the obvious ones: the Supreme Court, elimination of the filibuster and the electoral college, restoring the integrity of the Justice Department, and resuming our transition to renewable energy. Perhaps his most important message is that President 48 -- assuming it's a Democrat -- has got to hit the ground running.
July 22, 2026
I have been a fan of Brian Tyler Cohen for years, and The Day After feels like the playbook the Democratic Party needs in a post-Trump world.
This is not about pretending we can simply go back to normal. Cohen makes the case that restoration is not enough when the systems themselves helped create the crisis. Democrats need to stop treating power like something to apologize for and start using it to protect democracy, reform broken institutions, and deliver for the people who put them in office.
The sections on institutional reform, accountability, the courts, and the limits of endless appeals to bipartisanship all hit hard. This is urgent without feeling hopeless, practical without being dry, and direct in a way I wish more Democratic leaders would be.
Smart, clear, and necessary. I hope the right people read it, absorb it, and act on it.
This is not about pretending we can simply go back to normal. Cohen makes the case that restoration is not enough when the systems themselves helped create the crisis. Democrats need to stop treating power like something to apologize for and start using it to protect democracy, reform broken institutions, and deliver for the people who put them in office.
The sections on institutional reform, accountability, the courts, and the limits of endless appeals to bipartisanship all hit hard. This is urgent without feeling hopeless, practical without being dry, and direct in a way I wish more Democratic leaders would be.
Smart, clear, and necessary. I hope the right people read it, absorb it, and act on it.
July 30, 2026
This was a dynamic impactful book that provides hope for the return of democracy and a system of checks and balances, in our near future. Brian lists the things necessary for democracy to return to our everyday lives. This resonated deeply with me, as I'm sure it did with others too, that are looking for a way back. Reclaiming our basic rights to birth control and voting rights without maga gestapo at the polls to deter people of color, and bringing ICE back under control and answerable to the laws, not above them.
I listened to the audio version of this narrated by the author who did a phenomenal job bringing the story to life, and the information accessible and understood. Thanks Brian for all your work for Democracy.
I listened to the audio version of this narrated by the author who did a phenomenal job bringing the story to life, and the information accessible and understood. Thanks Brian for all your work for Democracy.
July 30, 2026
This new book by one of my favorite independent media creators, Brian Tyler Cohen, is an engaging and accessible look at where the United States could go after the period of deep political division we have faced for the past ten years. It is a challenge to think of what we could and should do to emerge from the ashes. It is an opportunity and a challenge that we shouldn’t squander.
Cohen does a great job of explaining complicated political issues in a way that is easy to follow without feeling overly simplistic. This book encourages readers to think critically about democracy, civic engagement, and the future of the country. If you are a fan of his podcast or YouTube videos, you will enjoy this book.
Cohen does a great job of explaining complicated political issues in a way that is easy to follow without feeling overly simplistic. This book encourages readers to think critically about democracy, civic engagement, and the future of the country. If you are a fan of his podcast or YouTube videos, you will enjoy this book.
July 26, 2026
Even as a Canadian I found this book interesting and full of hope especially with Trump's repeated threats and insults against Canada. We will never be the 51st state! In this book Brian gives a game plan on how the Democrats when they get back into power can right the ship called the United States of America. It will not be easy or done quickly but it must be done. I highly recommend this book if you hope to see the US regain any of the status it once had around the world.
July 30, 2026
Great summary of what got us where we are today, and a very loose plan of what to do going forward should we get a Democrat congress after the midterms. He doesn't go into a lot of detail about each of the steps that need to be taken, but I do agree with them all on principle. It will be up to a reasonable Congress to implement them. I follow Brian on social media, so I'm aware he's a great speaker and a very good writer.
July 23, 2026
Excellent book of instructions for our next president to repair the damage Trump made during his second term. Repairing the judicial system, refilling and replacing the public heath department and WHO (World Aid) repair our soft power that we desperately need.
BTC did an excellent job writing this one. Best one yet of his works.
BTC did an excellent job writing this one. Best one yet of his works.
July 18, 2026
Finally the whole truth!
An eye opening history of how the nightmare we're living came about and a sobering look at what awaits us when we boot the monsters out of office. Because it's coming, and soon. I'm ready for change. Are you?
An eye opening history of how the nightmare we're living came about and a sobering look at what awaits us when we boot the monsters out of office. Because it's coming, and soon. I'm ready for change. Are you?
July 21, 2026
I would have liked a few more suggestions, but everything he said was/is spot on. This was in the same tone as his podcasts, so it was easy to read and understand. I loved it. It should be must read for all of us in order to get through the next couple of years.
July 25, 2026
Wisdom for our democracy
Brian Tyler Cohen has done it again! This book gives explanations and answers on the issues confronting us since Donald Trump took office for a second time. I highly recommend everyone read this.
Brian Tyler Cohen has done it again! This book gives explanations and answers on the issues confronting us since Donald Trump took office for a second time. I highly recommend everyone read this.
July 29, 2026
Another Political Masterpiece...
... as well as a thought-provoking eye-opener by Brian Taylor Cohen. Furthermore, he not only points out the problems, but dares to provide workable solutions!
... as well as a thought-provoking eye-opener by Brian Taylor Cohen. Furthermore, he not only points out the problems, but dares to provide workable solutions!
July 31, 2026
Brian Tyler Cohen has done a great job of laying out how Trump, with the help of his yes men and women, has tried to destroy Democracy. Each chapter covers a different topic and ends with Cohen sharing his opinion on how the next Democratic President can correct the course.
July 16, 2026
Not just a diagnosis! Brian Tyler Cohen gives concrete steps toward healing and real change.
All Americans should read this book
All Americans should read this book
July 19, 2026
Brian has a steady grip on the pulse of Democracy.
July 20, 2026
Great information, inspiration and food for thought.
July 21, 2026
Preaching to the choir, but still an ok listen.
July 25, 2026
Very interesting
July 29, 2026
It more like 3.5 stars. The historical backgrounds were excellent. Reforming the Supreme Court is a great idea. I just hope that as a nation we aren’t too far gone.
July 29, 2026
A necessary read.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews