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The Steal: Four Right-Wing Hard-Liners, One Republican Presidency, and the Raid on America's Courts
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26From celebrated news anchor, journalist, and host of Crooked Media's "Runaway Country," Alex Wagner, the wild and true story of how a group of right-wing raiders changed the American judiciary forever.
The election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 was a sharp right turn for American governance. After decades on the fringes, the conservative right had risen to power, finally poised to fashion some of the country's most pressing issues in its image. Tax cuts, aggressive foreign policy, and law and order would soon become the cornerstones of Reagan's agenda. But, behind the scenes, a select group of administration officials and ideological allies had their eyes set on something much more valuable: an institution with the power to shape the country's legal, cultural and existential identity, long after any presidential term ended.
Ed Meese, a native Californian, former DA, and aide to Reagan from his days as governor, knew exactly what he had to do to seize the Supreme Court: get as many judges on the bench as possible, and make sure they were as conservative as he was on issues like abortion rights, taxes, and criminal justice. Working in parallel to achieve the same goal were a band of fellow true-believers: Paul Weyrich, the firebrand organizer; Joe Coors, the beer magnate whose fortune funded many of Weyrich’s efforts; and Robert Bork, the towering legal intellect of the right, and an important mentor to a few young law students starting a new organization called The Federalist Society. By the end of the decade, these men would change the face of the American judiciary forever. Told with a pitch-perfect blend of journalistic rigor and propulsive storytelling, The Steal takes readers into the closed-door meetings, public nomination hearings, and back rooms of American political power to reveal the true story behind one of the most significant moments in American history, and how it affects us to this day.
The election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 was a sharp right turn for American governance. After decades on the fringes, the conservative right had risen to power, finally poised to fashion some of the country's most pressing issues in its image. Tax cuts, aggressive foreign policy, and law and order would soon become the cornerstones of Reagan's agenda. But, behind the scenes, a select group of administration officials and ideological allies had their eyes set on something much more valuable: an institution with the power to shape the country's legal, cultural and existential identity, long after any presidential term ended.
Ed Meese, a native Californian, former DA, and aide to Reagan from his days as governor, knew exactly what he had to do to seize the Supreme Court: get as many judges on the bench as possible, and make sure they were as conservative as he was on issues like abortion rights, taxes, and criminal justice. Working in parallel to achieve the same goal were a band of fellow true-believers: Paul Weyrich, the firebrand organizer; Joe Coors, the beer magnate whose fortune funded many of Weyrich’s efforts; and Robert Bork, the towering legal intellect of the right, and an important mentor to a few young law students starting a new organization called The Federalist Society. By the end of the decade, these men would change the face of the American judiciary forever. Told with a pitch-perfect blend of journalistic rigor and propulsive storytelling, The Steal takes readers into the closed-door meetings, public nomination hearings, and back rooms of American political power to reveal the true story behind one of the most significant moments in American history, and how it affects us to this day.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 15, 2026
About the author
Alex Wagner
3 books21 followersAlexandra Swe Wagner is an American journalist and author. She is the co-host of The Circus on Showtime and the author of FutureFace: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging. She is also a contributor for CBS News and a contributing editor at The Atlantic.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First, I enjoyed getting to know Alex Wagner when she had her own show on the former MSNBC. She was tough, articulate and credible - and I especially remember an interview she did with several Trump voters in Philadelphia, allowing them to showcase their horrible ignorance with no side commentary. She’s very fair and even handed. In this book, she’s bringing to the fore “a story of the men in the shadows who brought our country and its courts this moment . . . in a harebrained plot to retake this country.” And which started in the Reagan administration.
Ed Meese and his cronies, Joe Coors, Paul Weyrich and Robert Bork were on a mission in the Reagan Administration to change the Supreme Court among other tasks to bring the country into a conservative stranglehold of America. In 1980 the Free Congress Foundation released its Blueprint for Judicial Reform determined to change the “nature of the judiciary” to correct its “verbicide” of the Constitution along with the nascent Federalist Society. To achieve this it would be necessary to put conservative judges on the court and move away from activist thinkers, I.e. liberals. These men had never forgiven the Brown v School Board decision and disdained the Fourteenth Amendment.
Particularly interesting to me was how Clarence Thomas fit into this administration. He was the head of the EEOC and worked with Meese to shut down a New Orleans police mandate to hire new policemen - one white/one black due to inequalities in hiring. Of course, Thomas stuck to his rubric: blacks were not disadvantaged. I also learned that Neil Gorsuch’s mother, Anne, served as head of the EPA and didn’t do that agency any good. We can thank Weyrich for perverting the idea of separation of church and state.
This book is an excellent history of how the right wing conservatives in conjunction with the Reagan administration changed the Supreme Court to reflect their values that have had far reaching consequences we see today. What is important about this book is that it clears up what happened to the Supreme Court while many of us slept. While most citizens are busy with their everyday world, they can’t know the ins/outs of political circles, the secret meetings, and the subterfuge that goes behind the scenes. So fifty years later they find themselves betrayed, obfuscated and angry - why do these rich people get to tell us what to do? While this book doesn’t espouse to answer that question, this book does expose dirty secrets and confirms why I’ve believed for so long that Reagan started the path to destruction of our democracy.
For much of what I wrote in the paragraph above are some of the reasons I gave this book five stars. It’s also well researched and written - it’s easy to read too (other reasons for five stars). But mostly I’m grateful that a book like this has been written at all. We should have information that explains our history accurately and truthfully. My thanks to Alex Wagner. Highly recommend.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for allowing me access to this ARC.
Ed Meese and his cronies, Joe Coors, Paul Weyrich and Robert Bork were on a mission in the Reagan Administration to change the Supreme Court among other tasks to bring the country into a conservative stranglehold of America. In 1980 the Free Congress Foundation released its Blueprint for Judicial Reform determined to change the “nature of the judiciary” to correct its “verbicide” of the Constitution along with the nascent Federalist Society. To achieve this it would be necessary to put conservative judges on the court and move away from activist thinkers, I.e. liberals. These men had never forgiven the Brown v School Board decision and disdained the Fourteenth Amendment.
Particularly interesting to me was how Clarence Thomas fit into this administration. He was the head of the EEOC and worked with Meese to shut down a New Orleans police mandate to hire new policemen - one white/one black due to inequalities in hiring. Of course, Thomas stuck to his rubric: blacks were not disadvantaged. I also learned that Neil Gorsuch’s mother, Anne, served as head of the EPA and didn’t do that agency any good. We can thank Weyrich for perverting the idea of separation of church and state.
This book is an excellent history of how the right wing conservatives in conjunction with the Reagan administration changed the Supreme Court to reflect their values that have had far reaching consequences we see today. What is important about this book is that it clears up what happened to the Supreme Court while many of us slept. While most citizens are busy with their everyday world, they can’t know the ins/outs of political circles, the secret meetings, and the subterfuge that goes behind the scenes. So fifty years later they find themselves betrayed, obfuscated and angry - why do these rich people get to tell us what to do? While this book doesn’t espouse to answer that question, this book does expose dirty secrets and confirms why I’ve believed for so long that Reagan started the path to destruction of our democracy.
For much of what I wrote in the paragraph above are some of the reasons I gave this book five stars. It’s also well researched and written - it’s easy to read too (other reasons for five stars). But mostly I’m grateful that a book like this has been written at all. We should have information that explains our history accurately and truthfully. My thanks to Alex Wagner. Highly recommend.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for allowing me access to this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Steal by Alex Wagner is a fascinating and deeply researched book that kept me turning the pages. It reminded me of the way Rachel Maddow weaves together seemingly separate stories into a compelling, larger narrative. Wagner has a gift for connecting politics, business, and history in a way that's engaging without feeling overwhelming.
One of the things I appreciated most was how much I learned about the role major corporations and wealthy individuals played behind the scenes during the 1970s and 1980s. There were so many historical connections and influential figures I hadn't known about before, and the book gave me a new perspective on how those relationships continue to shape American politics and society today.
If you enjoy smart, investigative storytelling that uncovers the hidden forces behind major events, The Steal is well worth reading. I highly recommend it.
One of the things I appreciated most was how much I learned about the role major corporations and wealthy individuals played behind the scenes during the 1970s and 1980s. There were so many historical connections and influential figures I hadn't known about before, and the book gave me a new perspective on how those relationships continue to shape American politics and society today.
If you enjoy smart, investigative storytelling that uncovers the hidden forces behind major events, The Steal is well worth reading. I highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Alex Wagner presents a well-researched and engaging look at the decades-long effort to reshape the American judiciary. The book reads more like a political thriller than a history text, making a complex subject accessible without sacrificing depth. Even readers who don't agree with every conclusion will likely appreciate the extensive reporting and clear storytelling. A thought-provoking read that offers important context for understanding today's legal and political landscape.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Chronicles who created the building blocks for current-day conservatism. Highlights the actions, rulings, words and rhetorics that snowballed and ultimately led to the Republican takeover of the SCOTUS.
This is very informative & packed with so much political & judicial history of the US.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Alex Wagner for allowing me to access the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
This is very informative & packed with so much political & judicial history of the US.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Alex Wagner for allowing me to access the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An accounting of how Ed Meese, Joe Coors, Paul Weyrich and Robert Bork determinedly set out during the Reagan administration to make the Supreme Court into an ultra conservative court. It is depressing to see how money influences politics and how naive the Democratic party was to the machinations of the Republicans. Unfortunately, we are all now paying the price.
Come back to your Review on the pub date, Sep 15 2026, to post to retailers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
As much as most of these bastards annoy me now that I am old enough (was a child when they were pulling their shit in the country) to know better, it is always good to go back and refresh my memories of the political landscape in the Reagan years.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews