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Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency
Listening length: 7 hours and 41 minutes
Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency is the ultimate behind-the-scenes account of how he became President of the United States.
Corey R. Lewandowski, Trump's campaign manager who contributed to Trump's historic bid for the White House, teams up with David N. Bossie, the consummate political pro who helped steer the last critical months of the Trump Campaign, to offer the first insiders' account of the most historic campaign in modern political history. Starting from the months leading up to Trump's announcement all the way through staff shakeups within the White House, Let Trump Be Trump offers eyewitness accounts of the real stories behind some of the most sensational headlines.
At turns surprising, raw with emotion, and hilarious, Let Trump Be Trump is a book destined to be beloved by Trump supporters and cited by even Trump critics as the first and most definitive insider account of the 2016 campaign.
Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency is the ultimate behind-the-scenes account of how he became President of the United States.
Corey R. Lewandowski, Trump's campaign manager who contributed to Trump's historic bid for the White House, teams up with David N. Bossie, the consummate political pro who helped steer the last critical months of the Trump Campaign, to offer the first insiders' account of the most historic campaign in modern political history. Starting from the months leading up to Trump's announcement all the way through staff shakeups within the White House, Let Trump Be Trump offers eyewitness accounts of the real stories behind some of the most sensational headlines.
At turns surprising, raw with emotion, and hilarious, Let Trump Be Trump is a book destined to be beloved by Trump supporters and cited by even Trump critics as the first and most definitive insider account of the 2016 campaign.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published December 5, 2017
436 people are currently reading
1053 people want to read
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January 9, 2018
Politics aside -- and I realize that's ridiculous, given the subject matter -- this book was almost painful to read. There were so many clichés and typos and outright groan-worthy moments, I thought the best way to review it would be to simply offer a selection of passages. Note: The book is co-written by Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, who worked on the Trump campaign and later on the transition team. It's written in a bizarre kind of boastful third-person, but switches at times to a collective "we." Sigh. Here you go:
"But CNN, in its infinite wisdom (as Corey likes to say)..." (As if Corey Lewandowski is the only person to ever use the phrase, "in its infinite wisdom.")
"Together they walked a deserted Fifty-Fourth Street toward the apartment Dave had taken for the campaign. Steam rose from the manhole covers. The smell of hotel trash filled their nostrils. A man sprayed the sidewalk with a hose. The scene was like something out of a film noir."
"Corey would come to find in the months and years that followed that Donald Trump’s mind works differently than most. His thoughts sometimes come out like pieces of a puzzle. It’s only later when you put the pieces together that you realize how much they’re worth. Sometimes the puzzle pieces form a masterpiece."
"The truth was, the political bug had bitten him, which is something like what sailors in the old days must have felt when they realized that their first true love was the sea."
"When he did start to assemble the core group, it came together like something out of a superhero comic book story – just without the superpowers, or any experience in politics."
"Since Corey had been in Aruba, Trump had probably called him ten times a day. He shuddered to think of his phone bill at the end of the month." (Wait a sec... His multi-billionaire boss isn't going to cover the phone bill?!)
"(Matt) Calamari (chief operating officer of Trump Properties) is a formidable presence. What makes him even more intimidating is that he speaks a little like Joe Pesci from either 'My Cousin Vinny' or 'Goodfellas' – take your pick – but only if you added about a hundred pounds to the voice and made it a foot taller."
"(CNN anchor Don) Lemon disputed the data on which the boss had based his remarks about Mexican rapists in his announcement speech. In Trump’s hand was a magazine article with data showing the increase in rapes, which might or might not have cited Mexican illegals as the cause. It didn’t matter to the people who listened to Trump whether the boss had gotten the details correct. His words captured the way they felt, and that’s all that mattered to them. His was a language the Left couldn’t and wouldn’t ever understand."
"The (campaign finance) disclosure also allowed us to flaunt a number with a nice ring to it: $10,000,000,000. Donald Trump’s net worth was ten billion dollars. How about them apples?"
"Trump zoomed ahead of Jeb Bush and his $150 million campaign like he was Wile E. Coyote and we were the Road Runner. Beep, Beep."
"Although the mainstream media and other haters give him little credit for his intellect, Donald Trump has more than a fundamental grasp on a surprising number of fields, including Jungian psychology. One of his favorite books is 'Memory, Dreams, Reflections,' Jung’s autobiography. Steve Bannon insists that Trump came up with the idea for the names Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco, Low-Energy Jeb, and, later, Crooked Hillary, from his knowledge of Jungian archetypes." (Really?!?!)
"On Corey’s birthday, the team threw him a party at campaign headquarters and presented him with a framed copy of a front-page New York Times profile of him. It’s still on the wall in his office at home, beside a small picture of the whole team." (Fascinating, I think, that Lewandowski treasures something from the "failing, fake-news" New York Times.)
"The boss taped a segment with Dr. Oz on Wednesday, September 13, in which he presented the results of a recent physical exam he was given by his doctor in New York. The results concluded that Donald Trump was not just a horse; he was a thoroughbred – American Pharaoh, as Corey called him."
"Corey didn’t care what they thought. Bold by nature, he was a lightning rod on television, a staunch defender of Donald J. Trump and the movement he led across our great country. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or advocate for his old team in front of anyone, and he certainly didn’t have a problem going toe-to-toe with anyone." (Really, Corey? Tell us more!...)
"No matter what anyone said, Corey was good TV. On air, he was high energy and articulate. Plus, he knew his subject better than just about anyone in the world..."
And in what might be the most infuriating passage in the whole book, on page 241, Lewandowski and Trump are reflecting back on the campaign and what/who made it successful:
“'And we had Hope,' Corey added, referring to Hope Hicks, the campaign’s first communications staffer.
“'She had about as much experience as a coffee cup.'
“'But she’s good-looking,' Corey said.
“'That always helps,' he said."
"But CNN, in its infinite wisdom (as Corey likes to say)..." (As if Corey Lewandowski is the only person to ever use the phrase, "in its infinite wisdom.")
"Together they walked a deserted Fifty-Fourth Street toward the apartment Dave had taken for the campaign. Steam rose from the manhole covers. The smell of hotel trash filled their nostrils. A man sprayed the sidewalk with a hose. The scene was like something out of a film noir."
"Corey would come to find in the months and years that followed that Donald Trump’s mind works differently than most. His thoughts sometimes come out like pieces of a puzzle. It’s only later when you put the pieces together that you realize how much they’re worth. Sometimes the puzzle pieces form a masterpiece."
"The truth was, the political bug had bitten him, which is something like what sailors in the old days must have felt when they realized that their first true love was the sea."
"When he did start to assemble the core group, it came together like something out of a superhero comic book story – just without the superpowers, or any experience in politics."
"Since Corey had been in Aruba, Trump had probably called him ten times a day. He shuddered to think of his phone bill at the end of the month." (Wait a sec... His multi-billionaire boss isn't going to cover the phone bill?!)
"(Matt) Calamari (chief operating officer of Trump Properties) is a formidable presence. What makes him even more intimidating is that he speaks a little like Joe Pesci from either 'My Cousin Vinny' or 'Goodfellas' – take your pick – but only if you added about a hundred pounds to the voice and made it a foot taller."
"(CNN anchor Don) Lemon disputed the data on which the boss had based his remarks about Mexican rapists in his announcement speech. In Trump’s hand was a magazine article with data showing the increase in rapes, which might or might not have cited Mexican illegals as the cause. It didn’t matter to the people who listened to Trump whether the boss had gotten the details correct. His words captured the way they felt, and that’s all that mattered to them. His was a language the Left couldn’t and wouldn’t ever understand."
"The (campaign finance) disclosure also allowed us to flaunt a number with a nice ring to it: $10,000,000,000. Donald Trump’s net worth was ten billion dollars. How about them apples?"
"Trump zoomed ahead of Jeb Bush and his $150 million campaign like he was Wile E. Coyote and we were the Road Runner. Beep, Beep."
"Although the mainstream media and other haters give him little credit for his intellect, Donald Trump has more than a fundamental grasp on a surprising number of fields, including Jungian psychology. One of his favorite books is 'Memory, Dreams, Reflections,' Jung’s autobiography. Steve Bannon insists that Trump came up with the idea for the names Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco, Low-Energy Jeb, and, later, Crooked Hillary, from his knowledge of Jungian archetypes." (Really?!?!)
"On Corey’s birthday, the team threw him a party at campaign headquarters and presented him with a framed copy of a front-page New York Times profile of him. It’s still on the wall in his office at home, beside a small picture of the whole team." (Fascinating, I think, that Lewandowski treasures something from the "failing, fake-news" New York Times.)
"The boss taped a segment with Dr. Oz on Wednesday, September 13, in which he presented the results of a recent physical exam he was given by his doctor in New York. The results concluded that Donald Trump was not just a horse; he was a thoroughbred – American Pharaoh, as Corey called him."
"Corey didn’t care what they thought. Bold by nature, he was a lightning rod on television, a staunch defender of Donald J. Trump and the movement he led across our great country. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or advocate for his old team in front of anyone, and he certainly didn’t have a problem going toe-to-toe with anyone." (Really, Corey? Tell us more!...)
"No matter what anyone said, Corey was good TV. On air, he was high energy and articulate. Plus, he knew his subject better than just about anyone in the world..."
And in what might be the most infuriating passage in the whole book, on page 241, Lewandowski and Trump are reflecting back on the campaign and what/who made it successful:
“'And we had Hope,' Corey added, referring to Hope Hicks, the campaign’s first communications staffer.
“'She had about as much experience as a coffee cup.'
“'But she’s good-looking,' Corey said.
“'That always helps,' he said."
December 31, 2017
This book should have been titled: “My Undying Love for Donald Trump”. 262 pages of embarrassingly effusive praise heaped onto “the Boss” by the two authors doesn’t make for a political thriller - it makes for a sadly transparent attempt to stay in the Presidents good books with the goal of getting a job in the White House.
What struck me most was the complete lack of discussion about campaign strategy and tactics. It seems, based on this book, that the entire approach really was “Let Trump Be Trump” and that nobody involved in the operation had any monumental impact on the outcome (which was amazing).
I’d recommend this if you are looking for a good laugh at the authors expense. I pictured them writing this with a giant poster of their Dear Leader in front of them, praying that “the Boss” would be satisfied with the outcome.
What struck me most was the complete lack of discussion about campaign strategy and tactics. It seems, based on this book, that the entire approach really was “Let Trump Be Trump” and that nobody involved in the operation had any monumental impact on the outcome (which was amazing).
I’d recommend this if you are looking for a good laugh at the authors expense. I pictured them writing this with a giant poster of their Dear Leader in front of them, praying that “the Boss” would be satisfied with the outcome.
January 14, 2018
Excellent book from the very beginning of the campaign until its very end and into the transition. Very informative as well. Goes into detail about had badly Manafort ran the campaign and damn near destroyed the campaign with his idiotic and outrageous way of doing things,goes into detail about how President Trump KNEW the leak was coming from the West Wing and shines light on that he NEVER wanted Spicer,Priebus etc those that were disloyal at the end in the WH but was convinced to hire them but he knew they would not be there for long.Just long enough for him to get his feet under him and hire some loyal people to the spots. Goes into small detail about Bannon wanting OUT of the WH within the first month and was hoping bringing Lewandowksi back in would free him up to leave and go back to Breitbart and getting candidates ready for 2018 mid terms.
April 7, 2021
Eric Weinstein recently commented on how our society has come to expect so many qualifying statements when discussing a hot-button issue such as police brutality or sexual assault (or enjoying a book with Trump on the cover) that it makes conversation cumbersome. He said that from now on, instead of saying "its not that racism isn't a problem and its not that I don't believe the victim and its not that we shouldn't seek a more just handling of these issues, etc....", he would simply say "with all necessary caveats..."
SO, "with all necessary caveats", I really enjoyed this book. Interestingly, this book was not as Trumpy as the title would suggest. This book was a detailed story about Trump's campaign told from the inside. I didn't expect to give this book four stars, but I also didn't expect it to be an engaging narrative. I expected a political opinion piece. Instead, it simply told one of the most unlikely stories in American political history.
The book was obviously subject to its biases, but I have recently decided that people inside an administration are allowed to be biased when writing. I have decided this because I am currently reading Obama's (also biased) autobiography. But "bias" isn't really a fair word in this case. It's more of a "this is my side of the story" kinda thing. I'll continue to be annoyed when I feel that "objective media" is being biased (in either direction), BUT, I'm done faulting those on the inside for trying telling us what occurred from their perspective.
Anyhow, this book loses one star because Lewandowski did gawk over Trump at times, and he certainly adores Trump more than me (or almost anyone else). Other than that, great read. Very entertaining.
SO, "with all necessary caveats", I really enjoyed this book. Interestingly, this book was not as Trumpy as the title would suggest. This book was a detailed story about Trump's campaign told from the inside. I didn't expect to give this book four stars, but I also didn't expect it to be an engaging narrative. I expected a political opinion piece. Instead, it simply told one of the most unlikely stories in American political history.
The book was obviously subject to its biases, but I have recently decided that people inside an administration are allowed to be biased when writing. I have decided this because I am currently reading Obama's (also biased) autobiography. But "bias" isn't really a fair word in this case. It's more of a "this is my side of the story" kinda thing. I'll continue to be annoyed when I feel that "objective media" is being biased (in either direction), BUT, I'm done faulting those on the inside for trying telling us what occurred from their perspective.
Anyhow, this book loses one star because Lewandowski did gawk over Trump at times, and he certainly adores Trump more than me (or almost anyone else). Other than that, great read. Very entertaining.
December 18, 2017
It’s hard to believe that a book this poorly written and edited was actually published. Also, if you’re looking for objectivity, you won’t find it in this text.
December 26, 2017
The ridiculous continues; people just can't stop marveling about the serial liar! Trump has had few original ideas that aren't stupid! Sad!!!
July 15, 2018
Lewandowski and Bossie are out of their cotton-pickin’ minds! The quotes I have included below are nearly all ridiculous doublespeak. I struggle with 1/3 of my country buying the shit they’re selling. Their words illustrate our current obsession with factless entertainment around the clock.
Trump’s Intellect
Steve Bannon was “impressed with Trump’s mastery of the Socratic method of learning.”
“One of his [Trump’s] favorite books is 'Memory, Dreams, Reflections,' Jung’s autobiography. Steve Bannon insists that Trump came up with the idea for the names Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco, Low-Energy Jeb, and, later, Crooked Hillary, from his knowledge of Jungian archetypes.”
“…Donald Trump’s mind works differently than most. His thoughts sometimes come out like pieces of a puzzle. It’s only later when you put the pieces together that you realize how much they’re worth. Sometimes the puzzle pieces form a masterpiece.” Sometimes they indicate a Dadaesque Dementia Denseness.
Trump and the Mindmeld Magat Mindset
“First, it was Donald Trump against the Establishment; soon, it would become the United States against the world—America First!”
“One thing no one can accuse Donald Trump of is not being authentic.”
“Onstage, Donald Trump was like a machine that learns as it goes. As his audiences grew, he seemed to grow with them, feeding off their energy.”
“It didn’t matter to the people who listened to Trump whether the boss had gotten the details correct. His words captured the way they felt, and that’s all that mattered to them. His was a language the Left couldn’t and wouldn’t understand.”
Mark Cuban on Trump before he went against him: “…pay attention to how DJT says things more than what he says.” “People hate politicians. Donald fashioned himself a killer of political correctness. A killer of politics as usual. A killer of those both real and imagined who would threaten Americans’ future.”
“… we called him ‘the blue-collar billionaire.”
Referring to himself during the unconscionably rocky, unplanned transition to the WH, Trump announces, “I’m doing a great job, but my staff sucks.”
“To tell you the truth, the establishment/outsider distinction never mattered all that much to Trump. In his mind, people are placed into two distinct categories: loyal and disloyal.” Believable.
Temperament
“His wrath” “Around the campaign, we’d call it getting your face ripped off.” Very Stable Genius.
Physical Health
“Donald Trump was not just a horse; he was a thoroughbred—American Pharaoh, as Corey called him.”
Hypocrisy
Don Jr was made to fire Corey. Corey elsewhere refers to Trump as the boss of everything. Yet, in the book it’s not chickenshit Trump firing Corey it’s somehow Paul Manafort’s evil doing. Or Trump’s kids. “”…Corey was and still is: a man devoted to Donald Trump, even after the candidate’s family fired him.” So, DJT is master of all things AND his kids fire the people whom he really needs and who are most loyal. Another example of 3D chess!
After pondering the shock of Trump’s win, “It wasn’t as though we were shocked that Donald Trump was elected president; we’d left everything on the field to help make that happen. Rather, we just couldn’t believe our good fortune to have played the small[!] part in it we did.”
Because Trump’s team was so unprepared for a win, they were forced to use The Romney Readiness Project [Romney’s plan for his presidential win that was not to be] as a blueprint for building up an administration. Trump and his supporters claim they didn’t want to jinx his chances by having at least a semblance of a plan in place before election night. BFS.
MSM
“Donald Trump is the undisputed, undefeated heavyweight champ of earned [free] media.” And yet, “the fake news war waged on Donald Trump was unlike anything anyone has ever seen.” Also, “They were after a Hillary Clinton victory and gave the boss the coverage they did only because he was good for ratings.” WTAF?
“The press followed him around like a waddle of deranged penguins… They swallowed his Twitter-announced promises…” I concede.
“It got to the point where he was getting so much airtime not even the boss could take it.” Conceded
“What we couldn’t believe was how tone-deaf all the other candidates and the mainstream media seemed to be.” Conceded
Hillary and the Campaign
“When they came at him, he hit back twice as hard.” Yes, he did.
“If Donald Trump was Twitter, Hillary Clinton was LinkedIn. Her online presence was filled with long descriptions of stances and policies. Every time she had a chance, she explained who she was…. But people never cared who she was. Voters didn’t want a scripted intellectual connection. They wanted a visceral one. That’s what Trump gave them.” True. Politics here and now is dangerously emotion-driven rather than intellectual or ideological.
“In one way, the battle for the Iowa caucuses turned out to be a land war [Clinton] against an air campaign [Trump].” Indeed.
“All we had to do was figure out how to dovetail what we had—namely, Donald Trump and his legion of loyal supporters, ‘the Army of Trump’—with the infrastructure that the RNC had spent years building. It was ‘plug and play’.” To dazzling effect. Plus, Russia.
Conclusion
Lee Atwater is their muse. Citizens United is their cause. Trump will be reelected.
Trump’s Intellect
Steve Bannon was “impressed with Trump’s mastery of the Socratic method of learning.”
“One of his [Trump’s] favorite books is 'Memory, Dreams, Reflections,' Jung’s autobiography. Steve Bannon insists that Trump came up with the idea for the names Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco, Low-Energy Jeb, and, later, Crooked Hillary, from his knowledge of Jungian archetypes.”
“…Donald Trump’s mind works differently than most. His thoughts sometimes come out like pieces of a puzzle. It’s only later when you put the pieces together that you realize how much they’re worth. Sometimes the puzzle pieces form a masterpiece.” Sometimes they indicate a Dadaesque Dementia Denseness.
Trump and the Mindmeld Magat Mindset
“First, it was Donald Trump against the Establishment; soon, it would become the United States against the world—America First!”
“One thing no one can accuse Donald Trump of is not being authentic.”
“Onstage, Donald Trump was like a machine that learns as it goes. As his audiences grew, he seemed to grow with them, feeding off their energy.”
“It didn’t matter to the people who listened to Trump whether the boss had gotten the details correct. His words captured the way they felt, and that’s all that mattered to them. His was a language the Left couldn’t and wouldn’t understand.”
Mark Cuban on Trump before he went against him: “…pay attention to how DJT says things more than what he says.” “People hate politicians. Donald fashioned himself a killer of political correctness. A killer of politics as usual. A killer of those both real and imagined who would threaten Americans’ future.”
“… we called him ‘the blue-collar billionaire.”
Referring to himself during the unconscionably rocky, unplanned transition to the WH, Trump announces, “I’m doing a great job, but my staff sucks.”
“To tell you the truth, the establishment/outsider distinction never mattered all that much to Trump. In his mind, people are placed into two distinct categories: loyal and disloyal.” Believable.
Temperament
“His wrath” “Around the campaign, we’d call it getting your face ripped off.” Very Stable Genius.
Physical Health
“Donald Trump was not just a horse; he was a thoroughbred—American Pharaoh, as Corey called him.”
Hypocrisy
Don Jr was made to fire Corey. Corey elsewhere refers to Trump as the boss of everything. Yet, in the book it’s not chickenshit Trump firing Corey it’s somehow Paul Manafort’s evil doing. Or Trump’s kids. “”…Corey was and still is: a man devoted to Donald Trump, even after the candidate’s family fired him.” So, DJT is master of all things AND his kids fire the people whom he really needs and who are most loyal. Another example of 3D chess!
After pondering the shock of Trump’s win, “It wasn’t as though we were shocked that Donald Trump was elected president; we’d left everything on the field to help make that happen. Rather, we just couldn’t believe our good fortune to have played the small[!] part in it we did.”
Because Trump’s team was so unprepared for a win, they were forced to use The Romney Readiness Project [Romney’s plan for his presidential win that was not to be] as a blueprint for building up an administration. Trump and his supporters claim they didn’t want to jinx his chances by having at least a semblance of a plan in place before election night. BFS.
MSM
“Donald Trump is the undisputed, undefeated heavyweight champ of earned [free] media.” And yet, “the fake news war waged on Donald Trump was unlike anything anyone has ever seen.” Also, “They were after a Hillary Clinton victory and gave the boss the coverage they did only because he was good for ratings.” WTAF?
“The press followed him around like a waddle of deranged penguins… They swallowed his Twitter-announced promises…” I concede.
“It got to the point where he was getting so much airtime not even the boss could take it.” Conceded
“What we couldn’t believe was how tone-deaf all the other candidates and the mainstream media seemed to be.” Conceded
Hillary and the Campaign
“When they came at him, he hit back twice as hard.” Yes, he did.
“If Donald Trump was Twitter, Hillary Clinton was LinkedIn. Her online presence was filled with long descriptions of stances and policies. Every time she had a chance, she explained who she was…. But people never cared who she was. Voters didn’t want a scripted intellectual connection. They wanted a visceral one. That’s what Trump gave them.” True. Politics here and now is dangerously emotion-driven rather than intellectual or ideological.
“In one way, the battle for the Iowa caucuses turned out to be a land war [Clinton] against an air campaign [Trump].” Indeed.
“All we had to do was figure out how to dovetail what we had—namely, Donald Trump and his legion of loyal supporters, ‘the Army of Trump’—with the infrastructure that the RNC had spent years building. It was ‘plug and play’.” To dazzling effect. Plus, Russia.
Conclusion
Lee Atwater is their muse. Citizens United is their cause. Trump will be reelected.
July 25, 2018
Guys. I tried. I really tried to give myself a literary balanced view of Trump's first year. I read "What Happened", "Unbelievable", "Hacked" and "Fire and Fury." This was my reading of a 100% Trump insider book. However, I am not a Trump fan. And this book was unbearable. Lewandowski and Boisse cannot write. Their book read more like an email with every conceivable name drop regarding the Trump administration rather than an actual insider's viewpoint. It's like a more poetic collection of Trump's tweets. Also, it isn't critical. It's OK to take some umbrage or critiques of your "boss", but Lewandowski comes off as having no spine and overly praising Trump. Sure, his rise to power was miraculous and unprecedented. And yes, Lewandowski has a personal stake in the administration/candidate/president. But this book doesn't do any of that justice. It's such a hard, boring, long-winded read. Perhaps it pails to the other books I read and I already know the "facts." So, with the reiteration with the overly praised viewpoint of the events, I couldn't bear this book.
I'm not trying to be mean, spiteful or overly hateful to this book. Hey, they wrote I book. I haven't done that. Doesn't mean the book is good. I would not recommend even if you are the most hard-lined Trump supporter. It just doesn't offer us anything.
I'm not trying to be mean, spiteful or overly hateful to this book. Hey, they wrote I book. I haven't done that. Doesn't mean the book is good. I would not recommend even if you are the most hard-lined Trump supporter. It just doesn't offer us anything.
September 17, 2018
So, tasked with explaining the election of Donald Trump in one of my classes, I thought I would give this book a listen. Afterall, I have heard explanations from progressive commentators and objective sources. What would Corey Lewandowski, Trump's first campaign manager (and no one is blaming you if you can't keep track), et al have to say about Trump's win?
Friends, this is sycophantic prattle that lauds Trump's abusive behavior as "taking charge." It fails to recognize that Trump's demand for "loyalty," something referenced again and again throughout, is tyrannical not leaderly. It engages in distorting truth and mocking decency. AND ON TOP OF THAT, it's badly written. Just truly. Full of cliches and random switches in viewpoint (it was co-written) that go unremarked on in the text which makes it confusing, if not fully incoherent.
Finally, the audible reader puts on a gravely action-hero voice which would be funny if this whole gd situation weren't so... "sad!"
Phew.
Friends, this is sycophantic prattle that lauds Trump's abusive behavior as "taking charge." It fails to recognize that Trump's demand for "loyalty," something referenced again and again throughout, is tyrannical not leaderly. It engages in distorting truth and mocking decency. AND ON TOP OF THAT, it's badly written. Just truly. Full of cliches and random switches in viewpoint (it was co-written) that go unremarked on in the text which makes it confusing, if not fully incoherent.
Finally, the audible reader puts on a gravely action-hero voice which would be funny if this whole gd situation weren't so... "sad!"
Phew.
December 19, 2017
Great book
What a great book about the trump election
Make America great again president trump is doing a great job
I really like president trump
What a great book about the trump election
Make America great again president trump is doing a great job
I really like president trump
December 25, 2017
Worthless
This was a waste of a download. I want my money and my time back. Worse than watching paint dry. Do not bother
This was a waste of a download. I want my money and my time back. Worse than watching paint dry. Do not bother
December 13, 2017
Awesome!
I felt as though I was in a fly on the wall as I read this book. Fellas you did a great job"keeping it real". I loved your candor, and the huge take away way how very dreadful the media is. How lucky you two were to know you were part of the history of this country! While I only worked on the phones, I feel we all together will "MAGA"
I felt as though I was in a fly on the wall as I read this book. Fellas you did a great job"keeping it real". I loved your candor, and the huge take away way how very dreadful the media is. How lucky you two were to know you were part of the history of this country! While I only worked on the phones, I feel we all together will "MAGA"
December 20, 2017
I did finish this poorly-written mess just to glimpse the inside of the other bubble. But the highlights have already been revealed on the talk shows, so I needn’t have bothered with it.
January 26, 2018
An informative insider view of President Donald Trump, and solidifies my respect for a man who clearly loves America.
February 5, 2018
I can remember when this book was announced and press release copies sent out. It seemed like the news could only focus on things like the fact President Trump ate McDonald’s food and anything negative that could be found in its pages. I was surprised then by what I read after hearing those accounts.
Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie both worked long and hard hours on the 2016 Presidential campaign for Donald Trump. They were there on the ground, next to the man and his personal staff, doing their best to see that he was elected. They knew each other but worked on the campaign at different times, notably due to Lewandowski’s dismissal at one point. Don’t let the dismissal mislead you thought as he explains why and how it happened as well as the mutual respect and admiration he and President Trump still have for one another in this book.
While the reader must assume that the perspective that this book is coming from is that of two complete supporters of Donald Trump as President, it still provides a look behind the scenes of the campaign and those involved. These are names that have resonated with political pundits and news agencies ever since Trump announced he was planning on running, more often than not in an unfavorable light. This backstage glimpse into what happened is an interesting read and one that covers everything from the start.
The one thing that will be inevitably happen to those reading the book is that sides will be taken much like they were during the campaign and since. Those who support President Trump will see it as a book that shows his love of this country and its people, the durability, stamina, determination and a man smart enough to hire the best of the best to aid him in his pursuit. Those who hate him will find his discipline, his expectations of only the best from those around him and his outbursts at times, something every human has at one point or another, to paint him as a tyrant.
I was not a supporter of Trump during the primaries but did vote for him, a mark against me I’m sure for those that hate him to this day. For me the book filled in a number of the gaps with items I wasn’t aware of and things none of us were privy to during the election. None of it would have changed my mind and in actuality it might have pushed me more towards a respect for him rather than away.
But as I said, this book is written by two men who are definite supporters. Some would think it’s not surprising that they have a fondness for President Trump but that would ignore the fact that Lewandowski was dismissed. At the same time it would be dishonest to say the book was completely unbiased.
The only complaint I found with the books was that frequently the authors chose to name everyone who helped at various stages of the campaign. I understand they wanted to make a point not to omit the names of those who helped and supported them but at times it reads like a list of names at different parts of the book, not saying much about those people other than to name them. It’s sort of like an Oscar winner who pulls out a sheet and begins reading names.
Aside from that minor bit and admitting the bias, the book was an interesting read and those interested in politics would do well to give it a read.
Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie both worked long and hard hours on the 2016 Presidential campaign for Donald Trump. They were there on the ground, next to the man and his personal staff, doing their best to see that he was elected. They knew each other but worked on the campaign at different times, notably due to Lewandowski’s dismissal at one point. Don’t let the dismissal mislead you thought as he explains why and how it happened as well as the mutual respect and admiration he and President Trump still have for one another in this book.
While the reader must assume that the perspective that this book is coming from is that of two complete supporters of Donald Trump as President, it still provides a look behind the scenes of the campaign and those involved. These are names that have resonated with political pundits and news agencies ever since Trump announced he was planning on running, more often than not in an unfavorable light. This backstage glimpse into what happened is an interesting read and one that covers everything from the start.
The one thing that will be inevitably happen to those reading the book is that sides will be taken much like they were during the campaign and since. Those who support President Trump will see it as a book that shows his love of this country and its people, the durability, stamina, determination and a man smart enough to hire the best of the best to aid him in his pursuit. Those who hate him will find his discipline, his expectations of only the best from those around him and his outbursts at times, something every human has at one point or another, to paint him as a tyrant.
I was not a supporter of Trump during the primaries but did vote for him, a mark against me I’m sure for those that hate him to this day. For me the book filled in a number of the gaps with items I wasn’t aware of and things none of us were privy to during the election. None of it would have changed my mind and in actuality it might have pushed me more towards a respect for him rather than away.
But as I said, this book is written by two men who are definite supporters. Some would think it’s not surprising that they have a fondness for President Trump but that would ignore the fact that Lewandowski was dismissed. At the same time it would be dishonest to say the book was completely unbiased.
The only complaint I found with the books was that frequently the authors chose to name everyone who helped at various stages of the campaign. I understand they wanted to make a point not to omit the names of those who helped and supported them but at times it reads like a list of names at different parts of the book, not saying much about those people other than to name them. It’s sort of like an Oscar winner who pulls out a sheet and begins reading names.
Aside from that minor bit and admitting the bias, the book was an interesting read and those interested in politics would do well to give it a read.
March 7, 2018
This book is so bad, it's awesome like an unintentionally campy movie. Corey R. Lewandowski is a genuinely stupid person, a fact which shines through in this book in so many ways. First, there is the random, changing voice. Some of the book is second person, some is plural first person with the co-author, but the best parts are a third person voice that seems to channel Lewandowski's inner Karl Malone. Perhaps Jimmy Kimmel will do a series of skits on Lewandowski's writing prowess.
Usually when the third person voice is invoked, it is to build up Lewandowski as the patriotic happy warrior that had the courage and temerity to bestow Donald Trump upon the nation. "You're welcome, America." -Lewandowski. When Lewandowski isn't puffing himself up, he's building up Trump as the most greatest uber mensch to walk the face of this planet. Nobody is more gracious, magnanimous or as brilliant as DJT. Lewandowski fawns over Trump as if he were a Deputy Minister of Information under a Banana Republic dictator. It would be completely comical if this weren't all reality.
The most enjoyable part of this book is toward the end when Lewandowski devolves from self-aggrandizement to petty score settling with Paul Manafort. This section of the book reads like a high school teenager who is upset that her BF/GF has moved on, but only blames the new paramour and not the person who actually rejected them. Lewandowski even pines for the hope that Trump will take him back. This section of the book felt like Adam Sandler's old SNL skit "The Denise Show." (Google it). Corey, bro, I have bad news for you. Trump is never taking you back. You were his campaign manager when his campaign was literally a joke and he couldn't do better than you.
Usually when the third person voice is invoked, it is to build up Lewandowski as the patriotic happy warrior that had the courage and temerity to bestow Donald Trump upon the nation. "You're welcome, America." -Lewandowski. When Lewandowski isn't puffing himself up, he's building up Trump as the most greatest uber mensch to walk the face of this planet. Nobody is more gracious, magnanimous or as brilliant as DJT. Lewandowski fawns over Trump as if he were a Deputy Minister of Information under a Banana Republic dictator. It would be completely comical if this weren't all reality.
The most enjoyable part of this book is toward the end when Lewandowski devolves from self-aggrandizement to petty score settling with Paul Manafort. This section of the book reads like a high school teenager who is upset that her BF/GF has moved on, but only blames the new paramour and not the person who actually rejected them. Lewandowski even pines for the hope that Trump will take him back. This section of the book felt like Adam Sandler's old SNL skit "The Denise Show." (Google it). Corey, bro, I have bad news for you. Trump is never taking you back. You were his campaign manager when his campaign was literally a joke and he couldn't do better than you.
January 23, 2018
I was a political science major in college. I am fascinated by our political process. I simply can't read enough about elections, especially presidential ones. I typically read books written by both sides because of this deep desire to ascertain what happened and why. For these reasons I picked up this book by Trump's former campaign manager and another former staffer. I expected to find some incredible insights into this election from people who were on the inside. I was sadly disappointed. I expect that the only people who will like this book are Trump himself and those who listen to him blindly, regardless of facts. To sum up quickly these two authors think, or at least, write that Trump is the most amazing person, businessman and politician to ever walk the earth. There is no discussion as to how the campaign was run, what they did right or wrong, or even why things turned out the way they did. They simply claim that they always knew Trump would win because of how incredible he is. The only thing I sort of learned was how short Jason Miller's role was in the campaign and sort of why - another scandal of course! This book was a waste of my time as it was simply a fan book by two people who, despite their claims that Trump values loyalty above all else, were let go at different times and do not have any role in the White House now. Perhaps after he reads this book and sees how much these two kiss his tush, they will be back. There is no other reason for such a meaningless book.
December 18, 2017
Maybe the first "best" inside take on why Donald J. Trump is POTUS
There have already been two very good books on the 2016 campaign (including "Understanding Trump" by Trump peer Newt Gingrich and the Roger Stone book written by the first "political guy" to push a Trump candidacy as far back as the 1980s). But the authors were the principal and main "workhorses" who put in the 20-hour days seven days per week from 2013 to the present. Their take is very valuable and when historians study the Trump presidency, this will be one of the books they "need" to read. This also happens to be a fun and enjoyable book by two great guys. Don't be surprised if President Trump pulls them back into the White House at some later date.
There have already been two very good books on the 2016 campaign (including "Understanding Trump" by Trump peer Newt Gingrich and the Roger Stone book written by the first "political guy" to push a Trump candidacy as far back as the 1980s). But the authors were the principal and main "workhorses" who put in the 20-hour days seven days per week from 2013 to the present. Their take is very valuable and when historians study the Trump presidency, this will be one of the books they "need" to read. This also happens to be a fun and enjoyable book by two great guys. Don't be surprised if President Trump pulls them back into the White House at some later date.
December 11, 2017
This was a really fun read...couldn't put it down. Definitely furthered my understanding of the boss. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is it needed a more thorough editor. I found mistakes in sentence structure, which is a first. I even found one sentence in there twice. And a couple of misspelled names. (Vanessa Trump, whoops!)
December 13, 2017
What a story
I would like to meet Donald Trump. A human being that God put on this earth to remind us what it is to be human and care for humanity. The book is a fast pace account of the campaign. Hold on to your seat and ride a long for an in-depth, breathtaking run of a non-politician run and win. Glad they wrote the account. Thanks guys.
I would like to meet Donald Trump. A human being that God put on this earth to remind us what it is to be human and care for humanity. The book is a fast pace account of the campaign. Hold on to your seat and ride a long for an in-depth, breathtaking run of a non-politician run and win. Glad they wrote the account. Thanks guys.
December 19, 2017
An insightful look at the Trump presidential campaign from two of the insiders. Since there are coauthors they are writing in the third person out of necessity, which is a little distracting but doesn't detract from the overall value. It is fascinating to learn how lean of an operation the campaign was, particularly in the early days.
October 4, 2021
This was a great follow-up book to Bill O'Reilly's The United States of Trump; however, this work gave the reader a peek inside the operation of the campaign right up to the time he was elected president. The content explained a lot, especially the question of why there were three different campaign managers. What I was pleased to see is how loyal Mr. Trump and his employees are to one another. He empowers and enables his team to perform their job without the disastrous groupthink or crippling political correctness that marks so much of politics and the corporate world today. Whether or not you're a fan of the president, this book is very worthwhile to read.
May 3, 2018
I really tried to go in this book with an open mind, thinking it would be interesting to understand how one decids to enter the presidency race would be interesting.
Even though the insider's look into a campaign and decisions made in order to put Donald Trump at the head of the United States was interesting and insigthfull, it might be the only interesting point about this book.
The weird narrative style used by the co-authors quickly rubbed me up in the wrong. way. Trying to be neutral by using the exterior narrator and third person to describe the actions taken, they seem to often forget that neutrality by using "we" and glorifying one another.
The justification of every decision made during the campaign, particularly Donald Trump's entering the run as a Republican candidat, an the medias' blaming all over the book is also quickly becoming redondant and made me lose interest of what they were trying to explain.
In conclusion, this book is an ego-boosted retelling of a campaign held for a even more ego-boosted boss by two of his subordinates.
Even though the insider's look into a campaign and decisions made in order to put Donald Trump at the head of the United States was interesting and insigthfull, it might be the only interesting point about this book.
The weird narrative style used by the co-authors quickly rubbed me up in the wrong. way. Trying to be neutral by using the exterior narrator and third person to describe the actions taken, they seem to often forget that neutrality by using "we" and glorifying one another.
The justification of every decision made during the campaign, particularly Donald Trump's entering the run as a Republican candidat, an the medias' blaming all over the book is also quickly becoming redondant and made me lose interest of what they were trying to explain.
In conclusion, this book is an ego-boosted retelling of a campaign held for a even more ego-boosted boss by two of his subordinates.
January 25, 2018
This book is pretty awful; packed full of hyperbole at how Donald Trump is the greatest politician ever, the best businessmen ever, the greatest thinker ever, etc., etc. It is very light on argument or fact, making broad statements about Obama or Clinton with little insight into the formation of policy. The surprising thing about this book is the terrible portrait it paints of Trump, as a petty, small-minded, picky child who regularly throws temper tantrums if he doesn't get his way. For that, it is quite entertaining and might even be worth the read.
November 25, 2018
I picked this up in a bookshop while waiting for a sci-fi discussion panel to start.
The prose was pompous and worshipful, hard to believe. It seemed more like a plea to be re-admitted to the anti-Camelot, although why one would willingly subject themselves to Trump’s rants and peccadilloes is beyond me.
Only read perhaps 30 pages.
Utter crap in every way.
I look at the fawning reviews here and wonder what kind of mental illness these reviewers have contracted. Astounding and, as Trump would say, “Sad”.
The prose was pompous and worshipful, hard to believe. It seemed more like a plea to be re-admitted to the anti-Camelot, although why one would willingly subject themselves to Trump’s rants and peccadilloes is beyond me.
Only read perhaps 30 pages.
Utter crap in every way.
I look at the fawning reviews here and wonder what kind of mental illness these reviewers have contracted. Astounding and, as Trump would say, “Sad”.
January 4, 2018
On the plus side, the book gives a peek into the political dealings of the Trump campaign operation. On the minus side, it reads like it was written by complete sycophants - distractingly so. It doesn’t read like a book written for “everyone” to enjoy - it is primarily a book written by Trump fanatics to Trump fanatics. Wading through all the praise to get tidbits of information was both frustrating and exhausting. Nothing in this book was objective at all.
January 14, 2018
This was so fast-written that it consists almost no sources. Writing is from i/we perspective view, so its kind of fan club thing.
Nevertheless, subject has many noteworthy positive qualities in his surprise climb to become president of USA, so these keep the book ticking. His work ethics, perseverance and lack of previous party identification shine through.
Fake news is in final rounds very good read.
However, as a book this is nothing new under the sun
Nevertheless, subject has many noteworthy positive qualities in his surprise climb to become president of USA, so these keep the book ticking. His work ethics, perseverance and lack of previous party identification shine through.
Fake news is in final rounds very good read.
However, as a book this is nothing new under the sun
May 19, 2018
if you want to hear donald trump's former campaign manager praising trump like the second coming of christ this is the book for you. it is filled with propaganda. I have read hillary Clunton what happened and she admits that she has flaws. donald have no flaws. if you don't see the propaganda in this book you watch fox news only.
February 19, 2018
This was a very good book. It brings you inside the campaign for President. This obviously was a very different campaign.
It was only through God‘s providence that the Trump team won. It was truly a miracle. Nothing else can explain the outcome.
It was only through God‘s providence that the Trump team won. It was truly a miracle. Nothing else can explain the outcome.
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