Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

All the Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump

Not yet published
Expected 22 Sep 26
Rate this book
We’re living in an age of deep political anger and frustration. Where did it come from? All the Wrong Moves offers a new, eye-opening answer, rooted in history, business, and the author’s firsthand experience, that reveals the true origins of America’s current political crisis.

In All the Wrong Moves, Anthony Scaramucci charts how both political parties, over three decades, made a series of catastrophic decisions that quietly dismantled the system supporting the American dream. First came Bill Clinton’s trade deal with China, which opened U.S. markets while abandoning American workers. Next, George W. Bush’s choice to wage war while cutting taxes, exploding the deficit. Finally, Barack Obama’s bank bailout, which saved Wall Street but left millions of ordinary families behind. Each decision deepened inequality, corroded trust, and fueled the anger that empowered Donald Trump’s rise and his ongoing assault on democracy and the rule of law.

From the trading floors of Wall Street to the corridors of Washington, Scaramucci has witnessed how money, ambition, and hubris reshaped American politics. A product of the working class who rose to the heights of finance and power, he brings a rare insider’s perspective to how both parties lost touch with the people they once represented.

But All the Wrong Moves isn’t just about how we got here―it’s about how we get out. Scaramucci lays out practical solutions, including economic policies to rebuild opportunity for the working class and constitutional reforms to protect our democracy. It’s a sharp, surprising critique that cuts through partisanship and challenges readers on the left, right, and center to reclaim what the American dream was always meant to be.

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 22, 2026

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Anthony Scaramucci

25 books62 followers
Anthony Scaramucci is an American financier, entrepreneur and political figure. He is the founder and co-managing partner of SkyBridge Capital, a global alternative investments firm.
As part of the first generation of his family to attend college, Scaramucci graduated from the Tufts University and Harvard Law School before embarking on a successful career in the financial services industry. In November 2016, Scaramucci was named to President-Elect Trump’s Presdential Transition Team Executive Committee. In June 2017, he was named the Chief Strategy Officer of the Export-Import Bank. He served as the White House Communications Director for 11 days in July 2017.
In 2016, Scaramucci was ranked #85 in Worth Magazine’s Power 100: The Most Powerful People in Global Finance. In 2011, he received Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year-New York” Award in the Financial Services category. He is a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations (CFR).
Scaramucci was born and raised on Long Island, New York, where he still resides today.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
4 (22%)
4 stars
10 (55%)
3 stars
2 (11%)
2 stars
1 (5%)
1 star
1 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
28 reviews
Did Not Finish
June 27, 2026
I'm sorry, Goodreads, but the writing style made this too hard to read, I just couldn't finish it.
856 reviews7 followers
Review of advance copy
August 7, 2026
All the Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump offers a provocative examination of the political choices and turning points that helped reshape modern American politics. Anthony Scaramucci brings an insider's perspective to a story involving power, ambition, political calculation, and the unintended consequences of decisions made at pivotal moments.

What immediately stands out is the book's focus on cause and effect. Rather than simply recounting Trump's political rise, Scaramucci examines the critical decisions that created the conditions for it, encouraging readers to consider how seemingly separate political choices can ultimately produce enormous consequences. That approach gives the book a strong analytical dimension beyond conventional political commentary.

I was particularly impressed by the perspective Scaramucci brings to the subject. Having experienced the political world from the inside, he offers readers a perspective shaped by firsthand knowledge of Washington, political personalities, and the forces that influence American leadership. This gives the narrative an immediacy that should appeal to readers interested in both political history and contemporary affairs.

Ultimately, All the Wrong Moves is more than a book about one political figure. It is an examination of decisions, institutions, ambition, and the unpredictable consequences of political strategy. Timely, provocative, and highly relevant to ongoing conversations about American democracy, the book has strong potential to engage readers across political history, current affairs, and political nonfiction.
131 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
July 1, 2026
Anthony Scaramucci, a former Wall Street banker who founded SkyBridge Capital, was President Trump’s White House Communication Director for a total of 11 days in 2017. All the Wrong Moves is a detailed account of bad decisions made by Clinton, Bush and Obama that he believes laid the groundwork for the rise of Donald Trump. While Scaramucci acknowledges Trump’s excellent political instincts, he is critical of what he sees as Trump’s abuses of power, especially during his second term.

One of the nice things about this book is that Scaramucci does not hold back and criticizes both political parties. He stops short of pretending that the Democrats being in power would easily make everything okay again. He lays out three compounding mistakes made (one each by the three presidents referenced above) which financially negatively impacted many Americans. His suggestions at the end of the book for potential constitutional amendments which might help put America back on the right foot again were thought provoking.

There is a lot of history in this book. I personally enjoyed it as I learned about all sorts of things which happened in the years before I started paying attention to politics, as well as Trump’s involvement in politics many years before his 2016 run.

The book is narrated the author, who I found to be very easy to listen to. I listened at a 1.25 speed.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read All the Wrong Moves. The above opinions are my own.
33 reviews1 follower
Read
June 25, 2026
Anthony Scaramucci is a well-known figure in finance and a frequent television commentator, often sought out for his experience as a longtime Republican operative and former member of the first Trump administration. Famously dismissed after just eleven days as White House Communications Director, Scaramucci draws on both his political and financial background in All the Wrong Moves, an examination of how policy decisions by both parties have disproportionately harmed lower- and middle-income Americans. He argues that Republicans and Democrats alike neglected these groups, creating the conditions that allowed Donald Trump to capture the GOP and reshape American politics.
Although the book is dense with economic and historical detail—and at times somewhat dry—many readers will appreciate its broad survey of modern U.S. history from a financial perspective rarely presented in mainstream political discussions. Scaramucci, who comes across on television as both intelligent and brash, traces three major political and economic developments over the past forty years that he believes paved the way for the Tea Party movement and Trump's takeover of the Republican Party. While now a vocal critic of Trump, he remains largely evenhanded, offering a useful account of how pivotal decisions in the early 2000s helped shape today's America.
The author's candid reflections on his brief tenure in the Trump administration help explain why he initially joined it and why he ultimately became disillusioned. He concludes with a series of thought-provoking proposals for reform, including several constitutional amendments designed to curb the concentration of power in the executive branch and strengthen congressional and judicial oversight.
Scaramucci narrates the audiobook himself, and his self-assured Long Island delivery adds energy to material that can occasionally feel dense. Hearing the author make the case in his own voice is a definite advantage. Having followed his The Rest Is Politics US podcast in recent months, I have gained respect for his perspectives and found his proposals worthy of serious consideration. Whether readers agree with his conclusions or not, All the Wrong Moves offers a balanced and engaging assessment of the political and economic forces that have shaped contemporary America.
92 reviews8 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
July 8, 2026
Anthony Scaramucci is a well-known figure in finance and a frequent television commentator, often sought out for his experience as a longtime Republican operative and former member of the first Trump administration. Famously dismissed after just eleven days as White House Communications Director, Scaramucci draws on both his political and financial background in All the Wrong Moves, an examination of how policy decisions by both parties have disproportionately harmed lower- and middle-income Americans. He argues that Republicans and Democrats alike neglected these groups, creating the conditions that allowed Donald Trump to capture the GOP and reshape American politics.
Although the book is dense with economic and historical detail—and at times somewhat dry—many readers will appreciate its broad survey of modern U.S. history from a financial perspective rarely presented in mainstream political discussions. Scaramucci, who comes across on television as both intelligent and brash, traces three major political and economic developments over the past forty years that he believes paved the way for the Tea Party movement and Trump's takeover of the Republican Party. While now a vocal critic of Trump, he remains largely evenhanded, offering a useful account of how pivotal decisions in the early 2000s helped shape today's America.
The author's candid reflections on his brief tenure in the Trump administration help explain why he initially joined it and why he ultimately became disillusioned. He concludes with a series of thought-provoking proposals for reform, including several constitutional amendments designed to curb the concentration of power in the executive branch and strengthen congressional and judicial oversight.
Scaramucci narrates the audiobook himself, and his self-assured Long Island delivery adds energy to material that can occasionally feel dense. Hearing the author make the case in his own voice is a definite advantage. Having followed his The Rest Is Politics US podcast in recent months, I have gained respect for his perspectives and found his proposals worthy of serious consideration. Whether readers agree with his conclusions or not, All the Wrong Moves offers a balanced and engaging assessment of the political and economic forces that have shaped contemporary America.
Profile Image for Kristi.
676 reviews8 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
March 29, 2026
After seeing Anthony Scaramucci on Real Time with Bill Maher, I decided to read an ARC of his upcoming book. I like the way he spoke on the show, and I thought that this book would be an interesting and educational read. I wasn't wrong.
If you think this is a book that is going to bash Trump, you are wrong. If that's what you thought this book was, you can just skip over it. He doesn't hold back when talking about Trump. He spreads the blame for the current state of the country on several former presidents. Remember, this book is talking about the rise of Trump.

What I found fascinating about this book was that it is from the money point of view. How all of the historical events that we learn about growing up affected the economy and our lives. Yes, we think about the everyday expenses like groceries, gas, and utilities, but this book delves deeper into how events affected those things.

I liked the author's writing style. I am not a finance or economics person by any means, but the book is written in a way that I understood what he was talking about. I liked his voice and the tone he used throughout. I especially liked the section where he said what he did wrong in the Trump administration, he was part of....for all of those 10 days he was part of it.

This book isn't the type of book I usually read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel like I walked away from it knowing more about the financial effects caused by history. Good book and good use of my time reading it. Well done, Mr. Scaramucci.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
Profile Image for Andrew Langert.
Author 1 book17 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
June 18, 2026
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. Book to be available in September, 2026.

The author is a well-known financial man and TV personality. This book focuses on how financial decisions made by past Presidents impact the lives of all Americans. The “wrong moves” cited by the author have hurt lower and middle class Americans. The author blames both Republicans and Democrats for neglecting the welfare of these people. That neglect created the opportunity for Trump to take over the GOP and impose his brand of leadership on the USA.

The first third of the book has a lot of somewhat ancient history in it, which I found a bit dry, but the rest of the book was more relevant and on point. The author has become a Trump critic, but he is pretty evenhanded in explaining what is happening in the country and why it is happening. The author is optimistic and has some suggestions on how we can deal with the autocratic Executive Office, hopefully to prevent this from happening again in the future.
Profile Image for Amanda.
16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
July 13, 2026
I won an ARC before I realized this book was written by Anthony Scaramucci, and as a hater, I wasn’t very excited to pick this one up.

I….liked it.

I know, I’m as shocked as you are.

All the Wrong Moves is a thoughtful look at how the United States arrived at its current political moment. I didn’t agree with everything Scaramucci argued, and there were a few places where I thought he overstated events or relied on rhetoric that weakened otherwise solid points. But I also appreciated that he was willing to acknowledge where he’d been wrong and reflect on how his own views had evolved. He didn’t attack any party or person in full, but provided what felt like a fair critique of basically everyone.

What I found most valuable was reading from the viewpoint of someone that is different than my own by a long shot (and still finding common ground).

As much as I wanted to hate it, this book is worth picking up with an open mind.
Profile Image for Megan.
67 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
June 17, 2026
This book really exceeded my expectations. I thought it would just be a typical anti-trump book (considering the title) but I would argue it’s actually bipartisan and would be enjoyed by anyone who wants to critically think through recent American decision making and whether these choices created the America we want. I thought the author did an excellent job talking through the history of America and how we got to a number of big decisions made in the 2000s which really shaped the America of today. The antidotes were fascinating, and as someone born in the 90s, it was super interesting to go back and read about events that happened when I was growing up and didn’t fully appreciate the significance of at the time. Highly recommend not judging a book by its cover and giving this really interesting and informative book a chance!
Profile Image for Pamela Beckford.
Author 4 books21 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
July 13, 2026
Anthony Scaramucci became a punch line in the first Trump administration. He seems to acknowledge that by saying he had ‘Potomac Fever’. No matter the reason, his tenure was the shortest ever.

Scaramucci outlines some basic presidential history and how Trump defies the norms. But he doesn’t leave it there. He also lists some solutions and recommendations. In a world where the news changes minute by minute, it is difficult to put out a book and have updates before it’s published. But this book highlights how some of the old norms need to codified and reformed.

I listened to this on audiobook (read by the author) and recommend it for those who don’t just want problems but potential solutions.

I was given this publication by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest opinion.
27 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
June 30, 2026
I won an advance copy to review in a Goodreads giveaway.

Scaramucci makes an interesting argument: actions of three former presidents (Clinton, Bush and Obama) that hurt the working class made it possible for Trump to be elected. Although I found his style of writing a bit irritating -- too many sentence fragments masquerading as sentences -- I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged I was in reading the book. He makes a clear case for his premise, and offers some suggestions for how to move on from here. Although Scaramucci is clearly not a fan of the current president, the book is not an attack on Trump (or the other former presidents), and I think it's worth reading, no matter what your politics are.
Profile Image for Lydia Wagner.
174 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
March 25, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the advanced copy of All the Wrong Moves. This one is very dense with facts, but the short sections help break it up and keep you moving through. I wish there were more personal stories to ground it in, but I appreciated the interesting framing on how we say we don’t like socialism but so many of our societal constructs are actually socialist. I also liked that the author was honest about his time with Trump. The end is full of interesting ideas for a path forward, which left me thinking and perhaps more hopeful than not.​​​​​​​​​​​
Profile Image for Brandi Pearl Reynolds.
197 reviews6 followers
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
June 20, 2026
All the Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump by Anthony Scaramucci is well-written and informative, but I believe it is too simplistic. I believe there is a lot of societal factors, that have nothing to do with economic policy, that gave rise to the current administration. This book totally ignores these other issues. My copy of this book was won from a Goodreads giveaway.
174 reviews6 followers
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
July 15, 2026
While the economic theories and complicated history are a bit dense for my wee brain, the conversational tone helps guide you through. While I don't agree with all of Scaramucci's conclusions, this certainly redeems him from becoming a joke after his record-breaking time in the White House. That, and being a Superman super-fan.
Profile Image for Kristin.
663 reviews76 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
June 25, 2026
I learned so much political history from this book - so much that I had never heard before! I really loved how bipartisan this book was. It doesn't take sides. It states the history and facts of events. The audio was great! Highly recommend.
135 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
June 29, 2026
All the Wrong Moves is an interesting political book, however it is written by a RINO and is clearly biased left by a guy with an ax to grind against Trump.
47 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
June 18, 2026
Thank you for choosing me to read and review this book. This was a very interesting book. We hear so much political talk and opinions these days. I don't agree with everything in this book. It feels somewhat biased, but I found it interesting nonetheless.
160 reviews8 followers
Review of advance copy
August 11, 2026
What do Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama have in common? They did, for one, precede as presidents the Trump administration which began in 2017. The author of this personal memoir and political analysis believes there is much more to understand. He addresses political developments in the three preceding presidential administrations. These administrations, he argues, created the political circumstances through public policy initiatives which led directly to the election of Trump in 2016. Anthony Scaramucci served as White House communications director beginning in July 2017. His tenure in office was a controversial period leading ultimately to his dismissal by President Trump. He has since become a prominent media critic of Trump and his administration. Scaramucci’s new book focuses on the rise of China in global economic markets, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the rescue of banks from their financial distress as public policy initiatives. These policy initiatives dramatically impacted the lives and finances of ordinary Americans. All of these actions, furthermore, led in public reaction to Donald Trump’s dramatic political rise and national presence. But this book isn’t just about how we got here—it’s also about how we can get out of our national malaise. Scaramucci offers practical solutions including economic policies to rebuild opportunity for the working class and constitutional reforms to protect our democracy. The book offers a seemingly bipartisan critique of national policy. Highly recommended for readers interested in the development of national government and the public policy initiatives coming from elected administrations.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews