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The Day of the Donald: Trump Trumps America
THERE’S GOING TO BE HELL TOUPEE!
On January 20, 2017, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., a tall, orange man with a dubious hairline places his hand on a paperback of The Art of the Deal and pledges to defend the Constitution of the United States, whatever that is. Before the sun sets on this hugely momentous day, the real-estate mogul-turned-reality show star-turned-leader of the hypothetically Free World reclines in the Oval Office, a glass of Trump Ice in his little hand. He Skypes in with his BFF Vladimir Putin; assembles his Cabinet and White House staff, including the current Miss Universe as chief of staff; and procures some sizzling new lingerie for the new First Lady.
Two years later, as the increasingly ironically named United States of America barrels toward war with the United Kingdom, and the never-quite-finished Mexican wall is continually breached by refugees (risking their lives to get to Mexico), disgraced ex-tabloid reporter Jimmie Bernstein drags himself through his days temping and podcasting to no one...until The Donald plucks him from the depths of despair. Jimmie becomes the president’s official biographer, giving him enviable access to the gold-plated Trump White House and all of its secrets. This, in turn, makes him a prime recruitment target of a ragtag resistance movement determined to dump The Donald and Make America Great Again (Again). When one of the rebel instigators turns up dead, Jimmie finds himself uncharacteristically seized with the compulsion to do some real investigative reporting, get to the bottom of what proves to be only the first in a long series of murders...and, if it’s absolutely unavoidable, save the country.
On January 20, 2017, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., a tall, orange man with a dubious hairline places his hand on a paperback of The Art of the Deal and pledges to defend the Constitution of the United States, whatever that is. Before the sun sets on this hugely momentous day, the real-estate mogul-turned-reality show star-turned-leader of the hypothetically Free World reclines in the Oval Office, a glass of Trump Ice in his little hand. He Skypes in with his BFF Vladimir Putin; assembles his Cabinet and White House staff, including the current Miss Universe as chief of staff; and procures some sizzling new lingerie for the new First Lady.
Two years later, as the increasingly ironically named United States of America barrels toward war with the United Kingdom, and the never-quite-finished Mexican wall is continually breached by refugees (risking their lives to get to Mexico), disgraced ex-tabloid reporter Jimmie Bernstein drags himself through his days temping and podcasting to no one...until The Donald plucks him from the depths of despair. Jimmie becomes the president’s official biographer, giving him enviable access to the gold-plated Trump White House and all of its secrets. This, in turn, makes him a prime recruitment target of a ragtag resistance movement determined to dump The Donald and Make America Great Again (Again). When one of the rebel instigators turns up dead, Jimmie finds himself uncharacteristically seized with the compulsion to do some real investigative reporting, get to the bottom of what proves to be only the first in a long series of murders...and, if it’s absolutely unavoidable, save the country.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2016
14 people are currently reading
797 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Shaffer
48 books1,518 followersAndrew Shaffer is the New York Times bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including the Obama Biden Mysteries. He is also the writer and illustrator of the children's book, "Mothman's Merry Cryptid Christmas." He lives with his wife, novelist Meg Shaffer, in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 1, 2018
Still chuckling over the concept of Shaffer's newer (and hopefully better) book Hope Never Dies, which reunites Obama and Biden as private detectives. But our library didn't have that yet, so I settled for this totally dumb, silly but also fairly funny substitute.
If you've seen the Mike Judge movie "Idiocracy" (excellent BTW), then you know the basic plot of this story - except in the movie, the U.S. government didn't get this stupid for another 500 years; who knew that we'd actually have Beavis (or is Trump more of a Butthead?) running the world this soon?
Artistically, there's not much to say here. Shaffer's writing is pretty weak; this definitely ain't literature. But he really nails Trumps speech pattern and voice - which is really depressing, because everything he says is totally idiotic - and does give him some clever malapropisms: "from sea to shiny sea," "have to get all our dicks in a row," etc.
I note that this book was actually written before the election, I imagine with the hopes that people would be reading it in 2017 or so and laughing along, wondering "how could we have almost done something so disastrous? WHAT were we thinking??" But now that much of the nonsense in this book - and worse - has in fact come to pass, I guess it isn't so damn funny after all...
...and now I need a drink.
If you've seen the Mike Judge movie "Idiocracy" (excellent BTW), then you know the basic plot of this story - except in the movie, the U.S. government didn't get this stupid for another 500 years; who knew that we'd actually have Beavis (or is Trump more of a Butthead?) running the world this soon?
Artistically, there's not much to say here. Shaffer's writing is pretty weak; this definitely ain't literature. But he really nails Trumps speech pattern and voice - which is really depressing, because everything he says is totally idiotic - and does give him some clever malapropisms: "from sea to shiny sea," "have to get all our dicks in a row," etc.
I note that this book was actually written before the election, I imagine with the hopes that people would be reading it in 2017 or so and laughing along, wondering "how could we have almost done something so disastrous? WHAT were we thinking??" But now that much of the nonsense in this book - and worse - has in fact come to pass, I guess it isn't so damn funny after all...
...and now I need a drink.
July 4, 2016
Admittedly, this will probably have a short shelf life; a year or two after this election year it'll be pretty dated. But Andrew Shaffer delivered some hilarity--of both the stupid and the terrifying kind--in this satire. I especially appreciated the subplot in which Ted Cruz was convicted of being the Zodiac Killer... too funny!
I listened the the audiobook which was a lot of fun. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to take the disaster that is American politics a little less seriously.
I listened the the audiobook which was a lot of fun. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to take the disaster that is American politics a little less seriously.
February 13, 2017
If you abhor Trump, you will adore this book!! A total, laugh out loud spoof on the idiot running our country! It's like SNL in book form!! I hope Jim Lehrer reads it!!
July 21, 2016
I received an arc of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew that I wanted to read this novel. The author's portrayal of Trump is very accurate, which is all the more great when reading since the things Trump said and did in this book were ridiculous. (He kind of reminded me of Michael Scott from "The Office" at times.) Many faces in politics are mentioned and play amusing side characters, along with a few celebrities. And I found myself enjoying almost every bit of it. I don't usually laugh out loud when reading books, but within 10 minutes of picking up this one, I did so multiple times. So if you are looking for a quick, easy read, I highly recommend picking up this book.
As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew that I wanted to read this novel. The author's portrayal of Trump is very accurate, which is all the more great when reading since the things Trump said and did in this book were ridiculous. (He kind of reminded me of Michael Scott from "The Office" at times.) Many faces in politics are mentioned and play amusing side characters, along with a few celebrities. And I found myself enjoying almost every bit of it. I don't usually laugh out loud when reading books, but within 10 minutes of picking up this one, I did so multiple times. So if you are looking for a quick, easy read, I highly recommend picking up this book.
October 20, 2016
This book is ridiculously stupid, but then again so is Donald Trump. This is definitely not a masterpiece of complex characters and riveting prose, but it's not supposed to be. It is, however, at times laugh out loud hilarious and worth a quick read. I think the author captured Trump's voice quite well, and some of the jokes were both intelligent and stupid at the same time. For anyone who is getting sick of this current political climate, this is a great read. The die-hard Trump supporter, however, might find it a little difficult to take, so this book is mostly for those who find the idea of a Trump presidency to be a ludicrous nightmare of epic proportions.
September 19, 2016
This hilarious, surprisingly good story knows how to captivate its readers. From a well-written intrigue to funny, over-the-top plot twists, The Day Of The Donald is a recipe for success. One of its biggest accomplishments is that everybody can somehow relate to it, regardless of their political opinion. A must-read! (Sorry for my bad english)
July 23, 2017
Won this in goodreads giveaways.
This book was hilarious. I could hear Trump talking through the dialogue, as well as several other notable figures included in the book. This is a highly unlikely potential future (goddamnit it happened). terrifyingly hilarious.
This book was hilarious. I could hear Trump talking through the dialogue, as well as several other notable figures included in the book. This is a highly unlikely potential future (goddamnit it happened). terrifyingly hilarious.
July 18, 2016
From the publisher: Summer 2018: Two years into President Donald J. Trump’s first term in office, America has never been greater. The Even Greater Wall along the Mexican border is under construction, paid for by Mexico. Americans have more money in their pockets thanks to lower taxes and the president’s creative money-raising strategies. (Who else would have thought to pay for FMA’s budget to buing the Catholic Church over property damage caused by acts of God?) And while Trump’s detractors may call him a tyrant, the American People love bullies when the victim is Congress: very time they impeach him, his approval rating skyrockets to an all new high.
Ever conscious of his hugely important historical legacy, The Donald plucks disgraced tabloid reporter Jimmie Bernwood - the man responsible for publishing the infamous Ted Cruz sex tape - - from the depths of anonymity to become his official biographer, giving him enviable access to the gold-plated White House and all of its secrets. When Trump’s previous biographer turns up dead, Bernwood must do some real investigative reporting, get to the bottom of a long series of murders . . . and, if it’s absolutely unavoidable, save the country. . . . A hilariously hair-raising look at the [possible] future of America.
First things first: The sub-title of this novel – and it is a novel, which the author describes on the cover is “A completely untrue, utterly unauthorized, but not thoroughly impossible thriller,” is “Trump Trumps America!,” exclamation mark the author’s. Second thing I should state: It may not matter whether the reader is a supporter of Mr. Trump or not - - well, then again, it may. The third thing: By page two I was smiling, by page three I was laughing out loud. And that did not stop as I continued reading.
The very first page is headed Praise for Donald J. Trump, and the quotes that continue for a page and a half are all those of the aforesaid Mr. Trump. Then there is another quote, attributed to President-Elect Trump in his acceptance speech, November 8, 2016: “It’s like Mahatma Gandhi said: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win . . . and then you make them all kiss your a**.”
The memoir Jimmy is hired to write is to be titled “America’s Greatest Decade.” That is explained as follows: “He’ll have to remove term limits, but he considers that a formality.” The White house is now referred to as The Gold House, which Trump took “as a tremendous compliment,” and the name “Trump” is emblazoned on the façade. Just a sampling of what follows: During Trump’s administration, he had vetoed neary ninety percent of the bills that that had crossed his desk; following the President’s “overhauling” of the White House, there is now an 18-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus; the door to the Oval Office now has a brass”T” on it; the rooms within now have gold-trimmed ceilings; the elevators have gold-trimmed doors and contain bonsai trees on decorated pillars; and the position formerly known as that of Chief of Staff is now the White House apprentice. (None of those things could actually happen, could they??)
There are some familiar names here, e.g., Sarah Palin is Secretary of the Energies; Chris Christie is Chief Janitor. For fear of spoilers, I leave the rest of this wonderful book to your enjoyment, which I pretty much guarantee will be in store for you. (The aforementioned murders, btw, qualify the book as a mystery.) Highly recommended. (Regardless of your political leanings, or the outcome of the upcoming Convention and election.)
Ever conscious of his hugely important historical legacy, The Donald plucks disgraced tabloid reporter Jimmie Bernwood - the man responsible for publishing the infamous Ted Cruz sex tape - - from the depths of anonymity to become his official biographer, giving him enviable access to the gold-plated White House and all of its secrets. When Trump’s previous biographer turns up dead, Bernwood must do some real investigative reporting, get to the bottom of a long series of murders . . . and, if it’s absolutely unavoidable, save the country. . . . A hilariously hair-raising look at the [possible] future of America.
First things first: The sub-title of this novel – and it is a novel, which the author describes on the cover is “A completely untrue, utterly unauthorized, but not thoroughly impossible thriller,” is “Trump Trumps America!,” exclamation mark the author’s. Second thing I should state: It may not matter whether the reader is a supporter of Mr. Trump or not - - well, then again, it may. The third thing: By page two I was smiling, by page three I was laughing out loud. And that did not stop as I continued reading.
The very first page is headed Praise for Donald J. Trump, and the quotes that continue for a page and a half are all those of the aforesaid Mr. Trump. Then there is another quote, attributed to President-Elect Trump in his acceptance speech, November 8, 2016: “It’s like Mahatma Gandhi said: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win . . . and then you make them all kiss your a**.”
The memoir Jimmy is hired to write is to be titled “America’s Greatest Decade.” That is explained as follows: “He’ll have to remove term limits, but he considers that a formality.” The White house is now referred to as The Gold House, which Trump took “as a tremendous compliment,” and the name “Trump” is emblazoned on the façade. Just a sampling of what follows: During Trump’s administration, he had vetoed neary ninety percent of the bills that that had crossed his desk; following the President’s “overhauling” of the White House, there is now an 18-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus; the door to the Oval Office now has a brass”T” on it; the rooms within now have gold-trimmed ceilings; the elevators have gold-trimmed doors and contain bonsai trees on decorated pillars; and the position formerly known as that of Chief of Staff is now the White House apprentice. (None of those things could actually happen, could they??)
There are some familiar names here, e.g., Sarah Palin is Secretary of the Energies; Chris Christie is Chief Janitor. For fear of spoilers, I leave the rest of this wonderful book to your enjoyment, which I pretty much guarantee will be in store for you. (The aforementioned murders, btw, qualify the book as a mystery.) Highly recommended. (Regardless of your political leanings, or the outcome of the upcoming Convention and election.)
July 4, 2016
This book is a silly spoof, mystery/thriller about what might happen if Donald Trump were to be elected president. It presents Donald and the rest of the politicians as inept buffoons. With lines like "So when people see me saying the stuff out loud that they can only scream at their TVs? I'm their hero...being an asshole and getting away with it. And if I can do it, maybe they can do it too.", it captures how many people feel about Trump and his supporters. The story follows a reporter named Jimmie, who has been hired to ghost write for Trump after having released a scandalous Ted Cruz sex tape, losing his job, and following refugees from the US crawling under the wall into Mexico. Jimmie soon learns about his predecessor's mysterious disappearance and uncovers all kinds of ineptitude and scandal in the White House, that Trump has painted gold. Can Jimmie survive to tell the tale though? I received this book free to review from Netgalley. While the book is a silly spoof, it is not at all funny that Trump is the republican nominee for president. That he is, is just evidence of how broken and corrupt the US political system is, and that is not a joke.
July 23, 2016
Great Satire
I am fully aware of the anger and heated discussions surrounding the presidential election, but if anyone wants to take a break with a little levity, I highly recommend The Day of the Donald. It's a murder mystery, satire, set in the Trump White House. Anti-Trump people will love it, and even Trump supporters with a sense of humor who enjoy satire will enjoy it.
Not to spoil the book, but to give an example of its flavor, I'll give two examples: First, when the protagonist dives into the expanded Rose Garden to hide, he discovers the bushes are fake and made in China.
Next, the Washington Mall has been converted into a shopping mall where the most prestigious hangout is the Ritz Cracker Barrel. This is the site of a murder of a British spy who is interning at the White House and is poisoned by her sweetened ice tea and dies in spite of being given mouth to mouth by George Clooney.
I am fully aware of the anger and heated discussions surrounding the presidential election, but if anyone wants to take a break with a little levity, I highly recommend The Day of the Donald. It's a murder mystery, satire, set in the Trump White House. Anti-Trump people will love it, and even Trump supporters with a sense of humor who enjoy satire will enjoy it.
Not to spoil the book, but to give an example of its flavor, I'll give two examples: First, when the protagonist dives into the expanded Rose Garden to hide, he discovers the bushes are fake and made in China.
Next, the Washington Mall has been converted into a shopping mall where the most prestigious hangout is the Ritz Cracker Barrel. This is the site of a murder of a British spy who is interning at the White House and is poisoned by her sweetened ice tea and dies in spite of being given mouth to mouth by George Clooney.
June 29, 2016
Hilarious, absurd, and kind of scary. American fascism with a goofy face. I bought this the day it came out because I was legitimately afraid there would be some kind of Trump-related censorship if I waited a couple of weeks. Sad to live in a time where you have to worry about actual censorship from a thin-skinned autocrat. Anyway, hilarious book and did not regret a single moment of the reading.
August 8, 2016
Scary and fun book about Donald Trump being president of the United States. The games that are played within the political world is scary.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the Goodreads First Reads Program.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the Goodreads First Reads Program.
August 17, 2016
This book was so funny, I couldn't put it down!! If you love books that make you laugh out loud, THIS goes above and beyond those expectations! I highly recommend not reading it in public where you need to be quiet because it just won't happen!
June 30, 2016
Very funny and entertaining!
July 24, 2016
A great political parody thriller that will have you smiling with the crazy and wild characterizations.
My favorite individual throughout this parody is Chris Christie.
My favorite individual throughout this parody is Chris Christie.
February 25, 2019
An extremely poor political satire, The Day of the Donald: Trump Trumps America! plays like a really bad knock off of an SNL sketch. The story follows a disgraced journalist named Jimmie Bernwood who’s hired to be the ghost writer of President Donald Trump’s biography, but he ends up uncovering a political scandal that could bring down the Trump Administration. Donald Trump, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, and pretty much every political figure in the book is written as a grotesque caricature that has no resemblance to reality. There are a few clever bits here and there (such as Trump taking the oath of office with The Art of the Deal) but most the parodies and satire are taken to the extreme (way beyond the extreme) and lose their humor. The Day of the Donald: Trump Trumps America! is ridiculously absurd, and is just too stupid to be funny.
November 2, 2019
Quick silly read.
September 22, 2016
This Presidential election has to be one of the most heated ones in US History. Honestly, I wasn't sure about this book upon being notified I had won a copy. After receiving it and reading it, It was very comical, whether you are a Trump supporter or not. In my own opinion I believe the non-Trumpsters would love it even more. This book, as the author Andrew Shaffer states, "a completely untrue, utterly unauthorized, but not thoroughly impossible thriller" is strictly a novel parody. There is NO truth to this novel whatsoever. It is a very comical read, that will make you laughed out loud, literally. The author did a fantastic job with his imagination and the way he put it all together is phenomenal. Without spoiling anything, I will say this book comes highly recommended by me and I think you would love it too!
August 29, 2016
Silly, silly, silly. And because it was, I was able to read it quickly. Of course, Mr. Schaffer did toss in a murder or two to liven the action. The hero, Jimmie Bernwood, is the antithesis of hero, but trying his darnedest to clear up some political shenanigans. I couldn't help but like his bumbling missteps. The Donald is The Donald and easily recognizable through dialogue and visual description.
I'm looking forward to Mr. Shaffer tackling hillbill and her criminal enterprise called the Clinton Foundation/State Department. Should be equally entertaining except that deaths connected to her are for real.
Thank you, Mr. Schaffer, for the entertainment.
I received The Day of the Donald through goodreads.
I'm looking forward to Mr. Shaffer tackling hillbill and her criminal enterprise called the Clinton Foundation/State Department. Should be equally entertaining except that deaths connected to her are for real.
Thank you, Mr. Schaffer, for the entertainment.
I received The Day of the Donald through goodreads.
November 7, 2016
I wasn't expecting much going in, but I thought this was smart and amusing. The satirical humor reminded me of Jennifer Government.
The book pokes fun at just about everyone involved in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, not just Trump. Trump comes off looking pretty good actually, or at least, I don't think Trump supporters would be too offended. I expected more Trump bashing. Hillary gets a small part, but she isn't put in a very flattering light either. Poor Ted Cruise though. That guy was humiliated. Almost all the Presidential Primary candidates make an appearance, or get at least a mention.
I listened to the audio book version, and it was very well done.
The book pokes fun at just about everyone involved in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, not just Trump. Trump comes off looking pretty good actually, or at least, I don't think Trump supporters would be too offended. I expected more Trump bashing. Hillary gets a small part, but she isn't put in a very flattering light either. Poor Ted Cruise though. That guy was humiliated. Almost all the Presidential Primary candidates make an appearance, or get at least a mention.
I listened to the audio book version, and it was very well done.
April 14, 2018
I thought this book was absolutely hilarious. It is a parody, and not meant to be taken seriously. With Tom Brady as vice president, Chris Christie as White House janitor, Hillary Clinton and Jeb! aligned together against Trump in a conspiracy to get tapes to ruin Donald, the scenarios are laugh-out -loud funny! Murder, romance, stupid-as -heck heroes, suspense and comedy, who could as for more? Andrew Shaffer's satire in The Day of the Donald reminded me a lot of Art Buchwald's satirical writing in the '80's about the Reagan White House and politics. The Day of the Donald is light-hearted, moves quick and great if you need a break from the seriousness of life.
I won this book in a giveaway; my thanks to the author and publisher.
I won this book in a giveaway; my thanks to the author and publisher.
Read
October 4, 2016So I read this as did my hubby after I got it from goodreads.... was a good read but went a little overboard at the end. seemed to be in a hurry to wrap up the story and things went crazy in the last few chapters to where it was definitely a fictious story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2016
OMG book was so funny it is a book that I wasn't sure was gonna like when I entered the give away but, what can I say thank you for giving me the chance to change my mind what a wonderful book. This is a must buy and read book.
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December 6, 2016"The Day of the Donald" is a satire of the Trump presidency with a little mystery thrown it. What makes it a more interesting read is that it was written and published before the 2016 election took place.
February 6, 2017
It started delightfully ridiculous but rapidly spiraled into ludicrous, even for a Trump parody. I enjoyed some of the silliness and wittier jokes but the wacky nonsense toward the end wasn't my jam. So while my overall review is 3.5, I'm rounding down for sheer silliness.
December 1, 2016
It was like reading an SNL skit turned into a movie. Every sentence had purpose and was funny throughout.
March 19, 2019
If one compares this book to the author's writing in the Obama-Biden mystery series, which takes as its starting point the political afterlife of the previous president and vice president, one can see a great many differences that demonstrate the bias of the author and his poor opinion of his potential reading audience. While Biden and Obama come off relatively well, and certainly sympathetically, Trump appears here as a full caricature. Even though one of the characters correctly notes that Trump is a Beibs when it comes to dealing with bad publicity, the author simply lacks the respect for Trump (and Republicans in general) that he has so obviously for Obama and Biden. As someone who thinks that Trump should get at least the same amount of respect that Obama did, I find that bias to be disappointing but not particularly surprising. The author here shines through in his cowardly writer protagonist, who finds himself involved with various women and put in danger of his life but who is essentially unable to show an interest in the part of the United States that does not exist between New York City and Washington DC. And that is a great shame.
The plot of this novel is ridiculous, something the author is familiar with from some of his other writings. If this book is not as offensive as it could have been, for it could easily have been worse, the book is a dramatization of the worst sorts of fears that Democrats like the author had about Trump's presidency, including a belief that Trump was a loose cannon who would get the United States involved in all kinds of bellicose foreign policy adventures (far from it) and that Trump viewed himself as above the law, and surrounded by foreign leaks and able to run roughshod over the entire constitutional framework of the United States. Intriguingly enough, the author portrays the Secret Service as being somewhat lukewarm about Trump, signifying some awareness of the coolness towards our president felt by many of the swamp monsters who are a part of the Department of Justice that has proven so problematic in its refusal to execute the executive will. Suffice it to say that the author constructs this story to end somewhat happily for the author, although it is not something bears anything remotely close to reality.
In looking at this book I felt a sense of frustration that in some ways our nation's laws concerning books was not on the level of Great Britain. I happen to feel that our press and publishing establishment would be far more responsible in its dealings if we had libel laws like that of the United Kingdom, where it was possible for public figures to sue for libel and demand retractions and recompense from irresponsible writers. Sadly, that is not the case here in the United States, as it would make impossible the sort of yellow journalism that we see from the New York Times or Washington Post or other sources. That said, this book is not aimed at the audience of people who actually voted for Trump (unlike the Obama-Biden mysteries, which are aimed clearly at people who are sympathetic to those two bumbling ex-politicians), and that does color the way that this novel is written. As is so often the case in the author's work, the desire on his part to gain an easy laugh by going after what he views to be an easy target misses the mark in a variety of ways, not least the way that he demonstrates a great deal of disrespect and a lack of understanding for whose whose political worldviews are very different from his own.
The plot of this novel is ridiculous, something the author is familiar with from some of his other writings. If this book is not as offensive as it could have been, for it could easily have been worse, the book is a dramatization of the worst sorts of fears that Democrats like the author had about Trump's presidency, including a belief that Trump was a loose cannon who would get the United States involved in all kinds of bellicose foreign policy adventures (far from it) and that Trump viewed himself as above the law, and surrounded by foreign leaks and able to run roughshod over the entire constitutional framework of the United States. Intriguingly enough, the author portrays the Secret Service as being somewhat lukewarm about Trump, signifying some awareness of the coolness towards our president felt by many of the swamp monsters who are a part of the Department of Justice that has proven so problematic in its refusal to execute the executive will. Suffice it to say that the author constructs this story to end somewhat happily for the author, although it is not something bears anything remotely close to reality.
In looking at this book I felt a sense of frustration that in some ways our nation's laws concerning books was not on the level of Great Britain. I happen to feel that our press and publishing establishment would be far more responsible in its dealings if we had libel laws like that of the United Kingdom, where it was possible for public figures to sue for libel and demand retractions and recompense from irresponsible writers. Sadly, that is not the case here in the United States, as it would make impossible the sort of yellow journalism that we see from the New York Times or Washington Post or other sources. That said, this book is not aimed at the audience of people who actually voted for Trump (unlike the Obama-Biden mysteries, which are aimed clearly at people who are sympathetic to those two bumbling ex-politicians), and that does color the way that this novel is written. As is so often the case in the author's work, the desire on his part to gain an easy laugh by going after what he views to be an easy target misses the mark in a variety of ways, not least the way that he demonstrates a great deal of disrespect and a lack of understanding for whose whose political worldviews are very different from his own.
March 26, 2019
It's 2018, two years into President Donald Trump's first term, and America has never been greater! With Trump's creative money-raising ideas (supplying a FEMA budget by suing the Catholic Church over property damaged caused by acts of God, getting America a company credit card and others...) his supporters have more cash in their pockets. He needs someone that can really tell his story....
Enter journalist-now-ghostwriter Jimmy Bernwood. Due to questionable decisions of the past he was a pariah as far as the written world was concerned. Caught in Mexico on a mission to discover and write about the Migrant experience- why so many are going into underground tunnels to leave their homes for the freedom and jobs of Mexico. When a woman comes to visit him in a prison hospital with a proposition that will not only get him out of jail but secure work for him, he thinks he hit the lottery. It isn't the job he's always wanted, but it pays and it beats getting shanked in jail... again.
But what if the crazy things coming out of the President's mouth aren't the only things he has to worry about? There are plans in the works that Jimmy doesn't understand, and rumors abound about what happened to Trump's detractors... and his last ghostwriter. It's going to take some top notch sleuthing and fancy footwork to make it out of this one alive.
I read Hope Never Dies last year and fell completely in love with it. The spooftacular nod to the bromance that is Obama and Biden just tickled me and I had to see what else Shaffer had in him. The Day of the Donald keeps true to the irreverent jabs I loved in the last book. They were not as kind to Trump as they were to the others, but they weren't completely cruel either. I think the hardest part was that it seemed too real. The things coming out of Trump's mouth could have been extracted straight from his twitter account, and I can absolutely see him sugesting some of the things in here. In that, it's terrifying. You can't take it too seriously, though, it's a political spoof and not meant for that. Just follow the main character- a slightly smarmy, down on his luck reporter, on his great adventure. Jimmy makes for a great guide in that he's aproachable. Sometimes you even like him. Heck, sometimes I liked most of the characters including The Donald. There's something to be said for an over-the-top crazy man with an odd sort of charisma. For me this was a four star book.
On the adult content scale, there's language, violence and light sexual content- mostly allusions to them. I would give it a four.
Enter journalist-now-ghostwriter Jimmy Bernwood. Due to questionable decisions of the past he was a pariah as far as the written world was concerned. Caught in Mexico on a mission to discover and write about the Migrant experience- why so many are going into underground tunnels to leave their homes for the freedom and jobs of Mexico. When a woman comes to visit him in a prison hospital with a proposition that will not only get him out of jail but secure work for him, he thinks he hit the lottery. It isn't the job he's always wanted, but it pays and it beats getting shanked in jail... again.
But what if the crazy things coming out of the President's mouth aren't the only things he has to worry about? There are plans in the works that Jimmy doesn't understand, and rumors abound about what happened to Trump's detractors... and his last ghostwriter. It's going to take some top notch sleuthing and fancy footwork to make it out of this one alive.
I read Hope Never Dies last year and fell completely in love with it. The spooftacular nod to the bromance that is Obama and Biden just tickled me and I had to see what else Shaffer had in him. The Day of the Donald keeps true to the irreverent jabs I loved in the last book. They were not as kind to Trump as they were to the others, but they weren't completely cruel either. I think the hardest part was that it seemed too real. The things coming out of Trump's mouth could have been extracted straight from his twitter account, and I can absolutely see him sugesting some of the things in here. In that, it's terrifying. You can't take it too seriously, though, it's a political spoof and not meant for that. Just follow the main character- a slightly smarmy, down on his luck reporter, on his great adventure. Jimmy makes for a great guide in that he's aproachable. Sometimes you even like him. Heck, sometimes I liked most of the characters including The Donald. There's something to be said for an over-the-top crazy man with an odd sort of charisma. For me this was a four star book.
On the adult content scale, there's language, violence and light sexual content- mostly allusions to them. I would give it a four.
December 13, 2018
I found it funnier than Shaffer's initial Obama/Biden mystery, Hope Never Dies. Written before the inauguration, the author invests the title character with far more intelligence than he has demonstrated, but who knew his mental state was going to degenerate so far, so quickly? One of my favorite parts was when the protagonist first meets the "president" and vomits all over him. It's a delightful mystery/fantasy which answers the timely question, "Can a sitting 'president' who has committed crimes be arrested?" Lots of familiar characters and lotsa laughs.
January 6, 2021
I have to admit I picked up this book at an Ollie's Bargain Outlet for $1.99 because I thought the cover was funny. It started out pretty good but the satire is really, really heavy-handed (as you might imagine) and it just starts to get tiresome after a while. Trump is obviously the best character in this book but he's hardly in it. There's some really great stuff at the beginning where we see him interacting with Putin and Chris Christie, but eventually it shifts completely to the extremely unlikeable protagonist and the half-baked murder subplot, which is not enjoyable whatsoever.
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