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Trump: De waarheid achter zijn ambitie, ego, geld en macht
Wie is Donald J. Trump? Ondanks decennia van nauwkeurig onderzoek zijn vele aspecten van zijn leven nauwelijks bekend. Om Trump volledig te doorgronden, verzamelde The Washington Post een team van journalisten en onderzoekers wier research tot het winnen van meerdere Pulitzers hebben geleid. Zij onderzochten alle aspecten van Trumps onwaarschijnlijke levensverhaal: van zijn bevoorrechte jeugd in Queens tot het winnen van de Amerikaanse presidentsverkiezingen. Coauteurs Michael Kranish en Marc Fisher beschrijven op onnavolgbare wijze de fascinerende familieachtergrond van Trump, zijn agressieve pogingen om naam te maken in de hoogste regionen van Manhattans betere kringen en zijn hang naar grote risico’s op het gebied van vastgoed, merkactiviteiten en, uiteindelijk, op persoonlijk vlak.
De auteurs kregen voor dit boek ongekende toegang tot Trump en hebben hem meer dan 20 uur kunnen interviewen. Zij stelden kritische vragen over zijn alliantie met power broker Roy Cohn, zijn vermeende banden met de georganiseerde misdaad en zijn controversiële deals in New York, Atlantic City, Florida, Schotland en Azerbeidzjan. Ze onderzoeken zijn enorme rijkdom, de evolutie van zijn politieke denkbeelden, zijn bijzondere identiteit als miljardair, celebrity, wereldmerk, televisiester en president van de Verenigde Staten. Hoe heeft zijn leven zijn denkbeelden over de economie, immigratie, wereldhandel, terrorisme en vrouwen gevormd?
Dit is een essentieel boek voor iedereen die deze veelzijdige man wil kunnen begrijpen. ‘Getalenteerde auteurs Michael Kranish en Marc Fisher hebben alle informatie verweven tot een boeiend verhaal… De top van de onderzoeksjournalistiek richtte zich hier op een man die […] de vrije wereld leidt.
Ze schetsen een onthutsend beeld dat aandacht verdient.’ – USA Today
‘Het meest definitieve boek over Trump.’ – Booklist
‘De meest onthullende passages vallen samen in een fascinerend beeld… Trump, de schaamteloze acteur, wordt sneuer en driedimensionaler in dit uitstekende boek.’ – Evan Thomas, The Washington Post
‘Waarschijnlijk het meest complete en genuanceerde boek over Trump tot nu toe.’ – The Boston Globe
‘Diegenen die bereid en dapper genoeg zijn om zich te verdiepen in dit boek, zullen de aanpak van de auteurs genuanceerd en gelijkmatig vinden.’ – Kirkus Reviews
De auteurs kregen voor dit boek ongekende toegang tot Trump en hebben hem meer dan 20 uur kunnen interviewen. Zij stelden kritische vragen over zijn alliantie met power broker Roy Cohn, zijn vermeende banden met de georganiseerde misdaad en zijn controversiële deals in New York, Atlantic City, Florida, Schotland en Azerbeidzjan. Ze onderzoeken zijn enorme rijkdom, de evolutie van zijn politieke denkbeelden, zijn bijzondere identiteit als miljardair, celebrity, wereldmerk, televisiester en president van de Verenigde Staten. Hoe heeft zijn leven zijn denkbeelden over de economie, immigratie, wereldhandel, terrorisme en vrouwen gevormd?
Dit is een essentieel boek voor iedereen die deze veelzijdige man wil kunnen begrijpen. ‘Getalenteerde auteurs Michael Kranish en Marc Fisher hebben alle informatie verweven tot een boeiend verhaal… De top van de onderzoeksjournalistiek richtte zich hier op een man die […] de vrije wereld leidt.
Ze schetsen een onthutsend beeld dat aandacht verdient.’ – USA Today
‘Het meest definitieve boek over Trump.’ – Booklist
‘De meest onthullende passages vallen samen in een fascinerend beeld… Trump, de schaamteloze acteur, wordt sneuer en driedimensionaler in dit uitstekende boek.’ – Evan Thomas, The Washington Post
‘Waarschijnlijk het meest complete en genuanceerde boek over Trump tot nu toe.’ – The Boston Globe
‘Diegenen die bereid en dapper genoeg zijn om zich te verdiepen in dit boek, zullen de aanpak van de auteurs genuanceerd en gelijkmatig vinden.’ – Kirkus Reviews
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2017
385 people are currently reading
1448 people want to read
About the author
Michael Kranish
8 books21 followersMichael Kranish is an investigative political reporter for The Washington Post. He is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Trump Revealed, John F. Kerry, The Real Romney, and the author of The World’s Fastest Man and Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War. He was the recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists Award for Washington Correspondence in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
August 23, 2016
As a political junkie, I enjoy reading well-written biographies of political figures. Now, I am not a Trump fan, but I appreciated the clear writing and non-sensationalism in "Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power" by Washington Post reporters Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher. Their book is not a hatchet-job by either pro-Trump or anti-Trump agenda writers. The reporters have interviewed both major and minor characters in Donald Trump's rise to wealth and power. People who I wouldn't think to be associated with Trump, had indeed been part of his life.
Whether Donald Trump wins or loses in November, there will be many, many books written about this presidential election. As a life-long Democrat and, as I said, political junkie, I will probably read most of them. But this book, well-written and presenting the facts of Donald Trump, will, I think, be one of the best. I also realised that Michael Kranish was the author of an extremely well-written book on Mitt Romney in 2012.
Whether Donald Trump wins or loses in November, there will be many, many books written about this presidential election. As a life-long Democrat and, as I said, political junkie, I will probably read most of them. But this book, well-written and presenting the facts of Donald Trump, will, I think, be one of the best. I also realised that Michael Kranish was the author of an extremely well-written book on Mitt Romney in 2012.
September 28, 2016
A must read for the knuckle draggers that are planning on voting for this narcissistic clown. Unfortunately, like Orange Grandpa, few of them read.
What a douchebag!
What a douchebag!
September 1, 2016
(Note: I'm not hiding this because of spoilers, because it's a biography....how could a biography have spoilers? But you've been forwarned!)
I went into this book thinking it would be a salacious accounting of Donald Trump's life and campaign. Far from the truth! It's a balanced biography of the man, with detailed reporting on the "deals" he's made over the years, his personality and his goals. There were no comments from the authors on the material; it was presented factually with substantial backup documentation and interviews.
His deals caused my head to spin. His Achilles' heel, evidently, is questioning his net worth. It sets him off. His deals all smack of a hint of corruption. His "empire" (what's left after 5 bankruptcies) sits on a shaky foundation. When something goes wrong with a project, he blames everyone else around him, except himself. (Most notably, he blamed 3 casino execs who were killed in a helicopter crash -- one of whom he counted as a friend -- for the failure of the casinos after they were killed.)
I didn't expect to feel any sympathy for this man, since he brings all manner of bad things to fall on his head by his own doing. However, he couldn't think of a single friend, outside of business, that he could just talk to about things. That's just plain sad. His drive to succeed, to be the best of everything, to wheel and deal, to sell his brand for whatever he can get -- all of that destroyed two marriages and several businesses.
If you're serious about voting for Donald Trump, read this book. It's an eye opener and shows you the basic personality of a man who is driven to succeed no matter the cost, and a man whose temperament can't allow him to take responsibility for any failure. A scary, balanced view of Donald Trump.
I went into this book thinking it would be a salacious accounting of Donald Trump's life and campaign. Far from the truth! It's a balanced biography of the man, with detailed reporting on the "deals" he's made over the years, his personality and his goals. There were no comments from the authors on the material; it was presented factually with substantial backup documentation and interviews.
His deals caused my head to spin. His Achilles' heel, evidently, is questioning his net worth. It sets him off. His deals all smack of a hint of corruption. His "empire" (what's left after 5 bankruptcies) sits on a shaky foundation. When something goes wrong with a project, he blames everyone else around him, except himself. (Most notably, he blamed 3 casino execs who were killed in a helicopter crash -- one of whom he counted as a friend -- for the failure of the casinos after they were killed.)
I didn't expect to feel any sympathy for this man, since he brings all manner of bad things to fall on his head by his own doing. However, he couldn't think of a single friend, outside of business, that he could just talk to about things. That's just plain sad. His drive to succeed, to be the best of everything, to wheel and deal, to sell his brand for whatever he can get -- all of that destroyed two marriages and several businesses.
If you're serious about voting for Donald Trump, read this book. It's an eye opener and shows you the basic personality of a man who is driven to succeed no matter the cost, and a man whose temperament can't allow him to take responsibility for any failure. A scary, balanced view of Donald Trump.
September 18, 2020
So Trump threw stones at a neighbor’s baby when he was a kid. What a b*stard. He hasn’t changed at all.
August 26, 2025
Good investigative biography
April 5, 2019
Before each presidential election cycle the staff at the Washington Post engages in extensive research of the candidates to determine what can be expected should they take up residence at the White House. 2016 was no exception as they dove deep into the background of Donald J. Trump and the result is a deeply informative book entitled TRUMP REVEALED: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY OF AMBITION, EGO, MONEY, AND POWER by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher. The narrative joins the plethora of books on Trump ranging from THE MAKING OF DONALD TRUMP by David Cay Johnston, THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUMP by Michael D’Antonio to the more recent ones since he assumed the presidency that focus on the role Russia played in the last election including COLLUSION: SECRET MEETINGS, DIRTY MONEY, AND HOW RUSSIA HELPED DONALD TRUMP WIN by Luke Harding, RUSSIAN ROULETTE: THE INSIDE STORY OF PUTIN’S WAR ON AMERICA AND THE ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP by Michael Isikoff and David Corn, THE APPRENTICE: TRUMP, RUSSIA AND THEW SUBVERSION OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY by Greg Miller, and HOUSE OF TRUMP HOUSE OF PUTIN: THE UNTOLD STORY OF DONALD TRUMP AND THE RUSSIAN MAFIA by Craig Unger. Others deal with the Trump White House like FEAR: TRUMP IN THE WHITE HOUSE by Bob Woodward and FIRE AND FURY: INSIDE THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE by Michael Wolff. Recently, the Trump children have been the subjects of new books, BORN TRUMP: INSIDE AMERICA’S FIRST FAMILY by Emily Jane Fox, KUSHNER, INC.: GREED. AMBITION. CORRUPTION, THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY PF JARED KUSHNER AND IVANKA TRUMP by Vicky Ward, and lastly the focus shifts to Trump’s relationship with women in GOLDEN HANDCUFFS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF TRUMP’S WOMEN by Nina Burleigh. What is clear in all these narratives is that Trump possesses a flawed personality that dates to his dysfunctional upbringing that has created character traits that have pushed him toward actions and policies that are all to familiar with people who have paid attention the last two years.
As you read Kranish and Fisher’s work William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” speech comes to mind as Trump comes across as obsessed with money, wealth in general, his self-created brand, and gold. The authors present a detailed account of Trump’s life and career beginning with a discussion of the immigration of his paternal German grandparents and Scottish mother, through his childhood, ending with the 2016 Republican National Convention.
His early years are catalogued tracing his family’s “immigrant” background reaffirming Trump’s refusal to give credit to his grandmother, Elizabeth Christ who inherited a significant sum from her husband, who died at 49, and eventually would set up the Trump Organization. Donald gave full credit for the ensuing financial success to his father Fred Trump and down played the role of his grandmother. This would be a pattern in his life as his attitude toward women seemed set at an early age as is argued by Nina Burleigh in her recent book GOLDEN HANDCUFFS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF TRUMP’S WOMEN.
As the authors recount his life, we come across few close friends or humane interests. Apart from reading about himself, he opens few books and is unconcerned about literature, history, or the arts. He will exhibit little interest in foreign cultures or travel abroad, unless of course it can enhance his business interests. The result is a man who exhibits little empathy for others, except perhaps for immigrants who were “the proper white European ethnic stock” as his grandparents were.
Fred Trump receives a great deal of attention because of his impact on his son’s life emotionally and financially. A distant father he ran a tight ship at home, and was absent making money in the Queens, NY real estate market during the depression and post-World War II period. His business techniques relied on bombast, publicity, beautiful women, and government programs would be copied by his son whose quality time with his father was spent at his Coney Island office. A womanizer and at times distant man, Fred Trump would always be there for his son even though he disagreed with in his approach toward the real estate market in Manhattan, and the development of casinos in Atlantic City. Despite their philosophical divergence, Fred would always co-sign loans, guarantee payments, and have his son’s back. Despite Donald’s denials his father provided him with a $1 million trust fund, as he did with all his children, which allowed him to begin his career.
The Donald Trump that is portrayed in the book emerges as the person we see in the White House each day. It begins with his education from elementary school onward with early signs of attention deficit and behavioral issues that are attendant to the malady. Donald disliked reading and listening to teachers and counselors. His attitude towards classmates was one of a bully for which the authors provide evidence from his teachers. Fred decided to send Donald to the New York Military Academy where after a nasty beginning, he learned the ropes and did well. He would go on to Fordham University for two years, then transfer to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School for business for his junior and senior year. Trump constantly points to his Ivy league education to promote his brand and assuage his ego but comments like “perhaps the most important thing I learned at Wharton was not to be overly impressed by academic credentials….the other important thing I got from Wharton was a Wharton degree. In my opinion, that degree doesn’t prove much, but a lot of people I do business with take it very seriously” is evidence of what type of person he is.
The authors do a good job integrating Trump’s own statements and those of others who impacted his life throughout the book in deriving an accurate picture of his personality, approach to business and people, and events surrounding his career. Donald’s relationship with his father is key as in 1971, Trump is made president of Trump Management and his father remained as Chairman.
A major turning point is developed in a chapter that deals with Fred Trump’s unscrupulous approach to government housing programs and racial bias in his properties. Though Fred would escape any prosecution after Senate and New York State investigations, the Justice Department filed one of the most significant racial cases of the era against the Trumps in October 1973 with United States of America v. Fred C. Trump, Donald Trump, and Trump Management, Inc. This came at a bad time for Donald as he was about to enter the Manhattan real estate market, but the result is important as the family decided to fight the federal government and not give in even though the Justice Department offered an extremely lenient settlement. The key in the process was the beginning of the relationship between Roy Cohn and Donald Trump. Cohn, a notorious figure who earned his spurs chasing after Alger Hiss, serving as counsel for Joseph McCarthy and escaping numerous federal charges dealing with tax evasion and other unscrupulous activities would become Donald’s surrogate father, a mentor who he would learn from and mirror during his career. Cohn preached, never settle, always threatened lawsuits, never settle a lawsuit, and employ the art of the counter attack. The authors take the reader through a detailed analysis of the case and its importance in Donald’s development – a mirror into his tactics on the news each night.
A second prominent individual who influenced Trump was Norman Vincent Peale, the Protestant minister who in 1977 officiated at his first wedding. Peale was the author of the 1952 bestseller THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING and predicted that Trump would become the “greatest builder of our time.” Trump saw Peale as another mentor, who taught him “to win by thinking only of the best outcomes.” As one engages the narrative, no matter what difficulty Trump found himself in, particularly in business he would always spin any outcome in a positive fashion, and to his credit in the end he would emerge on top, usually employing unethical tactics that I do not believe Peale would approve of.
Trump makes much of his wealth and the authors point out his ability to manipulate the media and develop his own “brand.” As early as 1973 the New York Times put out a description of Trump which was a publicist’s dream, but it also stated that Trump’s net worth was $200 million at a time when his income was reported to be $24,594 paying taxes of $10,832. Despite the “lies” told about his income and wealth, Trump’s bombast and manipulation of the media which was in the midst of tabloid wars in New York, “the Donald” was able to feed the public any information he desired, even acting as his own publicist, John Barron a totally fictitious character that Trump mimicked in phone calls to reporters. I find it fascinating that he named his son, “Baron!”
Trump is addicted to publicity and name recognition, his focus has always been to get his name on products, buildings, and news stories. His obsession with his wealth is well documented whether it is $200 million or the $3 through $9 billion that Trump has reported depending on his mood, and other factors. For decades he would begin his day reviewing stories about himself that appeared in the previous days news cycle and if he was not satisfied with what he read he would threaten to sue the offending newspaper, magazine, or author. All told in over thirty years, Trump and his companies filed more than 1900 lawsuits!
The author’s follow Trump’s acquisitions of real estate thoroughly from his purchase of the Commodore Hotel, Bonwitt Teller’s building in Manhattan, developing casinos in Atlantic City, raising the Trump logo on all his properties, i.e.; Trump Tower etc. They delve into how he financed his real estate empire in detail and what emerges is “New York City sleaze” as a lack of enforcement and corruption falls easy prey to bullying, disingenuous tactics, being in bed with organized crime, all facilitating Trump’s rise. Trump has an insatiable appetite for loans with little collateral and the accumulation of debt, but banks continually support him even as it reaches a point when he is nearing bankruptcy over his three Atlantic City casinos in 1990.
Perhaps the author’s best work is reported in the chapters dealing with Trump’s entrance into the Atlantic City casino market which says all we need to know about the president’s approach to business, negotiations, and the accumulation of wealth to maintain his image and brand. Seen as a savior by the Atlantic City political establishment and bureaucracy that approves casino licensing through tax relief and funding, Trump was able to cajole, bully, bullshit, coerce, blackmail his way into building three casinos, one larger than the next in a market that could not support his financing. Trump had Atlantic City leaders believing the mirage of “bait and switch” compounded by fabrication and outright lies and deception. The use of junk bonds, and threats against the Casino Control Commission were effective in getting approval of his next projects. It was clear, despite his self-created image based on his version of publicity that he was in deep trouble by the late 1980s. His need to feed his ego by controlling all gambling on the east coast meshed with Atlantic City politician’s belief that he was the economic savior of their downtrodden city helped created this catastrophe. By 1990 he was unable to pay his debts which amounted to $3.2 billion, most of which was owed to seven major banks. They would restructure the loans and allowances for Trump because he was worth more to them “alive, rather, than dead!” There were others that Trump stiffed, contractors who either did not get paid or were paid very little as compared to what was agreed to – a number of which were family businesses that eventually had to declare bankruptcy.
Of the many components of Trump’s life and career presented his attitude towards women is fully played out from his three marriages, purchase of beauty pageants, his affairs, and in general treatment of the opposite sex. What emerges is a carefully crafted image designed to enhance his brand as he will become, in his own mind, the arbiter of what is beautiful in a woman. For him “as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass” that was all that was needed to maintain your celebrity and brand. Trump wrote the script and he protected it with prenuptial and non-disclosure agreements that maintained the silence of any female who had a relationship with him. For Trump women are nothing but pawns to his ego and his brand. His wives, girlfriends, mistresses etc. had to measure up to a certain image or they were not worth his time and interest.
According to the authors a major turning point that led to Trump’s run for the presidency was the reality television program, The Apprentice. Trump’s character would become his bridge to Middle America as his popularity with average citizens was enhanced. He was a person who turned from a “blowhard Richie Rich who had just gone through the most difficult decade into an unlikely symbol of straight talk, an evangelist for the American gospel of success, a decider who insisted on standards in a country that somehow slipped into handing out trophies for just showing up.” The program sold an image of the host-boss as supremely competent and confident who quickly achieved results. The transition to politics was easy and it served as a stepping stone to the White House.
The authors venture into Trump’s repeated dabbling with politics until he finally goes down the escalator at Trump Tower in 2015. The primary campaign is covered in detail until he gains the Republican nomination. There is a great deal of information in the book, much of which is now known by the public. But at the time it was written it should have been an eye opener for those people who read it. The Donald J. Trump that is presented is the mirror image of the occupant of the White House. One must ask the question, based on the last two years and the background presented by the authors is what will become of the American political system if he is reelected, because it is obvious that he will not change as his personality and attitudes originated in his childhood. But what is clear is that Trump’s real estate career evolved into what can only be described as the “huckster-in-chief” as he figured out how to profit from branding, whether or not projects succeeded as long as he made a profit, even to the extreme detriment of others.
Kanish and Fisher’s work is remarkable due to the three-month time table they were working under. Relying on numerous interviews representing a cross section of Trump’s life the authors have prepared an insightful and at times scary portrayal of a man who holds the destiny of the American people for the foreseeable future in his hands.
As you read Kranish and Fisher’s work William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” speech comes to mind as Trump comes across as obsessed with money, wealth in general, his self-created brand, and gold. The authors present a detailed account of Trump’s life and career beginning with a discussion of the immigration of his paternal German grandparents and Scottish mother, through his childhood, ending with the 2016 Republican National Convention.
His early years are catalogued tracing his family’s “immigrant” background reaffirming Trump’s refusal to give credit to his grandmother, Elizabeth Christ who inherited a significant sum from her husband, who died at 49, and eventually would set up the Trump Organization. Donald gave full credit for the ensuing financial success to his father Fred Trump and down played the role of his grandmother. This would be a pattern in his life as his attitude toward women seemed set at an early age as is argued by Nina Burleigh in her recent book GOLDEN HANDCUFFS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF TRUMP’S WOMEN.
As the authors recount his life, we come across few close friends or humane interests. Apart from reading about himself, he opens few books and is unconcerned about literature, history, or the arts. He will exhibit little interest in foreign cultures or travel abroad, unless of course it can enhance his business interests. The result is a man who exhibits little empathy for others, except perhaps for immigrants who were “the proper white European ethnic stock” as his grandparents were.
Fred Trump receives a great deal of attention because of his impact on his son’s life emotionally and financially. A distant father he ran a tight ship at home, and was absent making money in the Queens, NY real estate market during the depression and post-World War II period. His business techniques relied on bombast, publicity, beautiful women, and government programs would be copied by his son whose quality time with his father was spent at his Coney Island office. A womanizer and at times distant man, Fred Trump would always be there for his son even though he disagreed with in his approach toward the real estate market in Manhattan, and the development of casinos in Atlantic City. Despite their philosophical divergence, Fred would always co-sign loans, guarantee payments, and have his son’s back. Despite Donald’s denials his father provided him with a $1 million trust fund, as he did with all his children, which allowed him to begin his career.
The Donald Trump that is portrayed in the book emerges as the person we see in the White House each day. It begins with his education from elementary school onward with early signs of attention deficit and behavioral issues that are attendant to the malady. Donald disliked reading and listening to teachers and counselors. His attitude towards classmates was one of a bully for which the authors provide evidence from his teachers. Fred decided to send Donald to the New York Military Academy where after a nasty beginning, he learned the ropes and did well. He would go on to Fordham University for two years, then transfer to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School for business for his junior and senior year. Trump constantly points to his Ivy league education to promote his brand and assuage his ego but comments like “perhaps the most important thing I learned at Wharton was not to be overly impressed by academic credentials….the other important thing I got from Wharton was a Wharton degree. In my opinion, that degree doesn’t prove much, but a lot of people I do business with take it very seriously” is evidence of what type of person he is.
The authors do a good job integrating Trump’s own statements and those of others who impacted his life throughout the book in deriving an accurate picture of his personality, approach to business and people, and events surrounding his career. Donald’s relationship with his father is key as in 1971, Trump is made president of Trump Management and his father remained as Chairman.
A major turning point is developed in a chapter that deals with Fred Trump’s unscrupulous approach to government housing programs and racial bias in his properties. Though Fred would escape any prosecution after Senate and New York State investigations, the Justice Department filed one of the most significant racial cases of the era against the Trumps in October 1973 with United States of America v. Fred C. Trump, Donald Trump, and Trump Management, Inc. This came at a bad time for Donald as he was about to enter the Manhattan real estate market, but the result is important as the family decided to fight the federal government and not give in even though the Justice Department offered an extremely lenient settlement. The key in the process was the beginning of the relationship between Roy Cohn and Donald Trump. Cohn, a notorious figure who earned his spurs chasing after Alger Hiss, serving as counsel for Joseph McCarthy and escaping numerous federal charges dealing with tax evasion and other unscrupulous activities would become Donald’s surrogate father, a mentor who he would learn from and mirror during his career. Cohn preached, never settle, always threatened lawsuits, never settle a lawsuit, and employ the art of the counter attack. The authors take the reader through a detailed analysis of the case and its importance in Donald’s development – a mirror into his tactics on the news each night.
A second prominent individual who influenced Trump was Norman Vincent Peale, the Protestant minister who in 1977 officiated at his first wedding. Peale was the author of the 1952 bestseller THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING and predicted that Trump would become the “greatest builder of our time.” Trump saw Peale as another mentor, who taught him “to win by thinking only of the best outcomes.” As one engages the narrative, no matter what difficulty Trump found himself in, particularly in business he would always spin any outcome in a positive fashion, and to his credit in the end he would emerge on top, usually employing unethical tactics that I do not believe Peale would approve of.
Trump makes much of his wealth and the authors point out his ability to manipulate the media and develop his own “brand.” As early as 1973 the New York Times put out a description of Trump which was a publicist’s dream, but it also stated that Trump’s net worth was $200 million at a time when his income was reported to be $24,594 paying taxes of $10,832. Despite the “lies” told about his income and wealth, Trump’s bombast and manipulation of the media which was in the midst of tabloid wars in New York, “the Donald” was able to feed the public any information he desired, even acting as his own publicist, John Barron a totally fictitious character that Trump mimicked in phone calls to reporters. I find it fascinating that he named his son, “Baron!”
Trump is addicted to publicity and name recognition, his focus has always been to get his name on products, buildings, and news stories. His obsession with his wealth is well documented whether it is $200 million or the $3 through $9 billion that Trump has reported depending on his mood, and other factors. For decades he would begin his day reviewing stories about himself that appeared in the previous days news cycle and if he was not satisfied with what he read he would threaten to sue the offending newspaper, magazine, or author. All told in over thirty years, Trump and his companies filed more than 1900 lawsuits!
The author’s follow Trump’s acquisitions of real estate thoroughly from his purchase of the Commodore Hotel, Bonwitt Teller’s building in Manhattan, developing casinos in Atlantic City, raising the Trump logo on all his properties, i.e.; Trump Tower etc. They delve into how he financed his real estate empire in detail and what emerges is “New York City sleaze” as a lack of enforcement and corruption falls easy prey to bullying, disingenuous tactics, being in bed with organized crime, all facilitating Trump’s rise. Trump has an insatiable appetite for loans with little collateral and the accumulation of debt, but banks continually support him even as it reaches a point when he is nearing bankruptcy over his three Atlantic City casinos in 1990.
Perhaps the author’s best work is reported in the chapters dealing with Trump’s entrance into the Atlantic City casino market which says all we need to know about the president’s approach to business, negotiations, and the accumulation of wealth to maintain his image and brand. Seen as a savior by the Atlantic City political establishment and bureaucracy that approves casino licensing through tax relief and funding, Trump was able to cajole, bully, bullshit, coerce, blackmail his way into building three casinos, one larger than the next in a market that could not support his financing. Trump had Atlantic City leaders believing the mirage of “bait and switch” compounded by fabrication and outright lies and deception. The use of junk bonds, and threats against the Casino Control Commission were effective in getting approval of his next projects. It was clear, despite his self-created image based on his version of publicity that he was in deep trouble by the late 1980s. His need to feed his ego by controlling all gambling on the east coast meshed with Atlantic City politician’s belief that he was the economic savior of their downtrodden city helped created this catastrophe. By 1990 he was unable to pay his debts which amounted to $3.2 billion, most of which was owed to seven major banks. They would restructure the loans and allowances for Trump because he was worth more to them “alive, rather, than dead!” There were others that Trump stiffed, contractors who either did not get paid or were paid very little as compared to what was agreed to – a number of which were family businesses that eventually had to declare bankruptcy.
Of the many components of Trump’s life and career presented his attitude towards women is fully played out from his three marriages, purchase of beauty pageants, his affairs, and in general treatment of the opposite sex. What emerges is a carefully crafted image designed to enhance his brand as he will become, in his own mind, the arbiter of what is beautiful in a woman. For him “as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass” that was all that was needed to maintain your celebrity and brand. Trump wrote the script and he protected it with prenuptial and non-disclosure agreements that maintained the silence of any female who had a relationship with him. For Trump women are nothing but pawns to his ego and his brand. His wives, girlfriends, mistresses etc. had to measure up to a certain image or they were not worth his time and interest.
According to the authors a major turning point that led to Trump’s run for the presidency was the reality television program, The Apprentice. Trump’s character would become his bridge to Middle America as his popularity with average citizens was enhanced. He was a person who turned from a “blowhard Richie Rich who had just gone through the most difficult decade into an unlikely symbol of straight talk, an evangelist for the American gospel of success, a decider who insisted on standards in a country that somehow slipped into handing out trophies for just showing up.” The program sold an image of the host-boss as supremely competent and confident who quickly achieved results. The transition to politics was easy and it served as a stepping stone to the White House.
The authors venture into Trump’s repeated dabbling with politics until he finally goes down the escalator at Trump Tower in 2015. The primary campaign is covered in detail until he gains the Republican nomination. There is a great deal of information in the book, much of which is now known by the public. But at the time it was written it should have been an eye opener for those people who read it. The Donald J. Trump that is presented is the mirror image of the occupant of the White House. One must ask the question, based on the last two years and the background presented by the authors is what will become of the American political system if he is reelected, because it is obvious that he will not change as his personality and attitudes originated in his childhood. But what is clear is that Trump’s real estate career evolved into what can only be described as the “huckster-in-chief” as he figured out how to profit from branding, whether or not projects succeeded as long as he made a profit, even to the extreme detriment of others.
Kanish and Fisher’s work is remarkable due to the three-month time table they were working under. Relying on numerous interviews representing a cross section of Trump’s life the authors have prepared an insightful and at times scary portrayal of a man who holds the destiny of the American people for the foreseeable future in his hands.
December 9, 2016
This is an exceptionally well done biography of Donald Trump; put together by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher, supported by the staff of the "Washington Post". The 'Post' has traditionally produced biographies of presidential candidates every four years, in an attempt to provide the electorate with timely information prior to the election. This biography covers Trump's life up through the Republican Convention in June 2016. As many reviewers have said, this book is not pro or anti Trump. It is a clear-eyed, thorough, well-researched, and extensively annotated biography. In the spring of 2016 after he secured sufficient delegates for the Republican nomination, Mr. Trump sat for extensive interviews with the authors. Although produced in an extremely short amount of time, the book is interesting, well written, and thoughtful. I feel it is at least a 4.5 star read.
Full disclosure: I am not a fan of Donald Trump. He scares me. And I'm afraid the book did not alleviate my concerns. Throughout his life, really only one thing has been important to Donald Trump: Donald Trump. Not family, not friendship, not religion, not country come before Donald Trump. Secondly, truth is a concept that eludes him. Or maybe what he says becomes the truth to him. He has no discernible ideology - he's not a fiscal conservative, he's a recent convert to some aspects of social conservatism, he's officially changed his party affiliation at least seven times, and he's evasive about his beliefs. We truly don't know who this man really is philosophically or policy-wise. Finally, he has an extremely steep learning curve in front of him and, to date, has shown very little evidence that he can be bothered with the necessary study/work the job requires. That bodes extremely ill for the nation and the world.
What he is is perhaps the world's greatest showman/salesman (in the vein of P.T. Barnum). He's a genius at picking up on the mood and desires of groups and crowds and feeding them what they want. He's figured out how to sell his politics to a segment of society - a segment which he is not really part of. He may have just completed one of the greatest scams in history - I guess we'll find out.
I highly recommend "Trump Revealed" by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher.
Full disclosure: I am not a fan of Donald Trump. He scares me. And I'm afraid the book did not alleviate my concerns. Throughout his life, really only one thing has been important to Donald Trump: Donald Trump. Not family, not friendship, not religion, not country come before Donald Trump. Secondly, truth is a concept that eludes him. Or maybe what he says becomes the truth to him. He has no discernible ideology - he's not a fiscal conservative, he's a recent convert to some aspects of social conservatism, he's officially changed his party affiliation at least seven times, and he's evasive about his beliefs. We truly don't know who this man really is philosophically or policy-wise. Finally, he has an extremely steep learning curve in front of him and, to date, has shown very little evidence that he can be bothered with the necessary study/work the job requires. That bodes extremely ill for the nation and the world.
What he is is perhaps the world's greatest showman/salesman (in the vein of P.T. Barnum). He's a genius at picking up on the mood and desires of groups and crowds and feeding them what they want. He's figured out how to sell his politics to a segment of society - a segment which he is not really part of. He may have just completed one of the greatest scams in history - I guess we'll find out.
I highly recommend "Trump Revealed" by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher.
October 26, 2017
This is a biography of Donald Trump written by two Washington Post writers covering Trump’s life through the Republican nomination. Otherwise a well written 4 star biography. I downgraded it to 3 stars because the capable authors rushed the book to press prior to the election presumably to capitalize on Trump’s candidacy.
The origin portion of the biography that covers Donald Trump through the mid 1980s was superbly done. You get a sense where Trump came from and that his father played a big role in the business sense but that their personalities differed significantly. After the 1980’s the authors decided to cover the various projects of Trump’s manic career in separate chapters rather than chronologically. This drove me more than a little crazy. Each chapter was well written in isolation but the disjointedness did not provide any progression in the story.
The evidence for rushing to print is the sparse number of pages, only about 175 pages, covering the last 20 years of Trump’s life including the campaign. Whether you despise him or love him there is a lot more relevant material for a biography than this.
I would recommend this biography because the portion that covered the first half of Trump’s life is quite good. There were many revealing anecdotes about Trump as a bullying little boy punching little kids, throwing rocks at a younger neighbor and so on that eventually led an exasperated Fred Trump to send Donald to military school in 8th grade. There are also some sympathetic stories of Trump evolving to become a popular and hard working leader, effectively the go to guy for his classmates and someone that they looked up to and as supply officer he helped them with his influence.
The origin portion of the biography that covers Donald Trump through the mid 1980s was superbly done. You get a sense where Trump came from and that his father played a big role in the business sense but that their personalities differed significantly. After the 1980’s the authors decided to cover the various projects of Trump’s manic career in separate chapters rather than chronologically. This drove me more than a little crazy. Each chapter was well written in isolation but the disjointedness did not provide any progression in the story.
The evidence for rushing to print is the sparse number of pages, only about 175 pages, covering the last 20 years of Trump’s life including the campaign. Whether you despise him or love him there is a lot more relevant material for a biography than this.
I would recommend this biography because the portion that covered the first half of Trump’s life is quite good. There were many revealing anecdotes about Trump as a bullying little boy punching little kids, throwing rocks at a younger neighbor and so on that eventually led an exasperated Fred Trump to send Donald to military school in 8th grade. There are also some sympathetic stories of Trump evolving to become a popular and hard working leader, effectively the go to guy for his classmates and someone that they looked up to and as supply officer he helped them with his influence.
October 16, 2016
The book is good. Trump, not so much!
September 18, 2016
Everything this man's done and said. Everyone he's offended and he's still going to get over 40% of the popular vote. He's the symptom of a greater illness. This is the real issue and uncomfortable fact.
December 4, 2021
A balanced but flimsy compilation from Washington Post journalists... with very little journalism, since 20% of the content is straight from Art of the Deal. So if you're looking for a data-driven analysis of the man, look elsewhere.
Interesting quotes :
-------————-
“On the same day that he first agreed to be interviewed for this book, he told the New York Post that the project was ‘ridiculous.’”
“Donald Trump has lived by the credo that all attention - fawning, critical, or somewhere in between - accrues to his benefit.”
“The man who would be president is far more complex than his simple language might indicate.”
“ ‘He was head-strong and determined,’ said Anne Tries, a teacher who monitored students in the cafeteria. ‘He would sit with his arms folded, with this look on his face, I’ll use the word surly, almost daring you to say one thing or another…’ ”
“He found success in the gymnasium and on the ball field, where his athletic prowess was unmistakable. ‘The Trumpet was always the last man standing’, remembered Chrisman Shirf, a classmate…”
“By 6th grade, Donald’s ability as a right-handed hitter was fearsome enough that opponents shifted toward left field to defend against him. ‘If he had hit the ball to right, he could have had a homerun, because there was no one there,’ said Nicholas Kass… ‘But he always wanted to hit the ball through people. He wanted to overpower them.’ ”
“‘ He was fearless,’ Peter Brant recalled. ‘If he stole a base, he came in all guns ablazing.’ ”
“For all his wealth, Fred did not want to spoil his children, encouraging them to earn money by collecting empty White Rock soda bottles… A workaholic, Fred would take Donald with him to construction sites.”
“Fred always told his son that he was a king, and that he needed to become a killer in anything he did.”
“Trump quickly added Ivana to his executive staff, putting her to work as a vice president…”
“City planners had grown leary of new skyscrapers… Trump’s deal-making won out. City officials did trim his design from 63 to 58 stories. But Trump got the last word, simply renumbering the 58-storied tower’s floors so they extended up to 68.”
“Trump Tower was a hit. Its 266 condos, which went on sale in late 1982 and started at $500,000 for a 1-bedroom apartment, sold for a combined $277 million, enough to pay off the entire building even before the first tenant moved in.”
“For decades, Trump’s daily morning routine included a review of everything written or said about him in the previous 24 hours. The clippings were culled by Norma Forderer, for 2 decades Trumps’ ever-present chief assistant.”
“If Trump failed, he might bring down much of Atlantic City with him. Trump had bet on the city, but it had also bet on him.”
“Some of the executives felt sympathy for Ivana, having learned that Trump was having an affair with Marla Maples… In the end, Trump removed Ivana from the casino, and dispatched her back to New York to run his newly-acquired Plaza Hotel.”
“My big mistake with Ivana was taking her out of the role of wife. The problem was, work was all she wanted to talk about. When I got home at night, rather than talking about the softer subjects of life, she wanted to tell me how well the plaza was doing… I will never again give a wife responsibility within my business.”
“President Jimmy Carter’s administration turned the property… over to the private Post Foundation, saying it was too expensive to maintain. Trump wanted it, and offered $28 million. Not enough, the foundation said. Trump didn’t raise his offer; he lowered it. He decided to play hardball. Through a third party, he bought the beach-front property directly in front of Mara Lago, and threatened to erect a hideous home to block the Post Estates’ ocean view. ‘That drove everybody nuts’, Trump said. ‘They couldn’t sell the big house because I owned the beach, so the price kept going down and down.’ In the end, Trump bought the landmark for a bargain $5 million…”
“He failed to make payments on his yacht, yet he convinced the bank to pay for the insurance… Trump missed so many payments on his 5 helicopters, that bankers clamored to claim them… Trump nonetheless still radiated star power. When he and Bollinbach were in Atlantic City, they strolled now and then… Crowds followed along, eager to get close, talk to him, touch him. The more time Bollinbach spent with Trump, the more he was struck by Trump’s unshakeable faith that his empire would endure intact.”
“For months after Trump had worked things out with his bankers, he was required to meet with a group of them every Friday morning, to report what he had spent and what progress he had made…”
“Some thought it odd that Trump kept referring to himself as being not Scottish, but Scotch, like the whisky.”
“ ‘Whoever said less is more, never had more’ boasted the marketing material for the 70-story complex of hotel rooms, condos, restaurants, offices, and a casino - all part of the tallest most unapologetically Trumpian building in Central America.”
“Even as he warned of the dangers of Indian gambling in New York, he pushed for an Indian casino in Connecticut. Trump had a stake in that project, partnering with the Pawcatuck Indians.”
Frank Sanzillo, Trump’s lobbyist in New York in the late 1990s and early 2000’s, says ‘Trump was privately dismissive about politicians. He laughed about them, like ‘Let’s give his campaign $25,000. That’ll shut him up.’ And it was our job to translate that to the politician as ‘He loves you.’ Trump was also loathe to attend political fundraisers, often asking Sanzillo ‘How much more do I have to give not to show up?’ “
“By the end of 2015, Trump’s rivals understood they were now operating in a world defined by the renegade candidate…. That summer, Trump dominated the news. He was a ratings machine…. Trump rules made the old-fashioned ways seem quaint… ‘Virtually every question you were asked by the media had the words Donald Trump in them’ said Donny Diaz, Bush’s campaign manager. "
“To prove he had Lindsay Graham’s personal cellphone number, he read it aloud at a rally.”
“His father, who had warned him of being a nothing, was gone and never got to see this astonishing American journey to its conclusion.”
.
Interesting quotes :
-------————-
“On the same day that he first agreed to be interviewed for this book, he told the New York Post that the project was ‘ridiculous.’”
“Donald Trump has lived by the credo that all attention - fawning, critical, or somewhere in between - accrues to his benefit.”
“The man who would be president is far more complex than his simple language might indicate.”
“ ‘He was head-strong and determined,’ said Anne Tries, a teacher who monitored students in the cafeteria. ‘He would sit with his arms folded, with this look on his face, I’ll use the word surly, almost daring you to say one thing or another…’ ”
“He found success in the gymnasium and on the ball field, where his athletic prowess was unmistakable. ‘The Trumpet was always the last man standing’, remembered Chrisman Shirf, a classmate…”
“By 6th grade, Donald’s ability as a right-handed hitter was fearsome enough that opponents shifted toward left field to defend against him. ‘If he had hit the ball to right, he could have had a homerun, because there was no one there,’ said Nicholas Kass… ‘But he always wanted to hit the ball through people. He wanted to overpower them.’ ”
“‘ He was fearless,’ Peter Brant recalled. ‘If he stole a base, he came in all guns ablazing.’ ”
“For all his wealth, Fred did not want to spoil his children, encouraging them to earn money by collecting empty White Rock soda bottles… A workaholic, Fred would take Donald with him to construction sites.”
“Fred always told his son that he was a king, and that he needed to become a killer in anything he did.”
“Trump quickly added Ivana to his executive staff, putting her to work as a vice president…”
“City planners had grown leary of new skyscrapers… Trump’s deal-making won out. City officials did trim his design from 63 to 58 stories. But Trump got the last word, simply renumbering the 58-storied tower’s floors so they extended up to 68.”
“Trump Tower was a hit. Its 266 condos, which went on sale in late 1982 and started at $500,000 for a 1-bedroom apartment, sold for a combined $277 million, enough to pay off the entire building even before the first tenant moved in.”
“For decades, Trump’s daily morning routine included a review of everything written or said about him in the previous 24 hours. The clippings were culled by Norma Forderer, for 2 decades Trumps’ ever-present chief assistant.”
“If Trump failed, he might bring down much of Atlantic City with him. Trump had bet on the city, but it had also bet on him.”
“Some of the executives felt sympathy for Ivana, having learned that Trump was having an affair with Marla Maples… In the end, Trump removed Ivana from the casino, and dispatched her back to New York to run his newly-acquired Plaza Hotel.”
“My big mistake with Ivana was taking her out of the role of wife. The problem was, work was all she wanted to talk about. When I got home at night, rather than talking about the softer subjects of life, she wanted to tell me how well the plaza was doing… I will never again give a wife responsibility within my business.”
“President Jimmy Carter’s administration turned the property… over to the private Post Foundation, saying it was too expensive to maintain. Trump wanted it, and offered $28 million. Not enough, the foundation said. Trump didn’t raise his offer; he lowered it. He decided to play hardball. Through a third party, he bought the beach-front property directly in front of Mara Lago, and threatened to erect a hideous home to block the Post Estates’ ocean view. ‘That drove everybody nuts’, Trump said. ‘They couldn’t sell the big house because I owned the beach, so the price kept going down and down.’ In the end, Trump bought the landmark for a bargain $5 million…”
“He failed to make payments on his yacht, yet he convinced the bank to pay for the insurance… Trump missed so many payments on his 5 helicopters, that bankers clamored to claim them… Trump nonetheless still radiated star power. When he and Bollinbach were in Atlantic City, they strolled now and then… Crowds followed along, eager to get close, talk to him, touch him. The more time Bollinbach spent with Trump, the more he was struck by Trump’s unshakeable faith that his empire would endure intact.”
“For months after Trump had worked things out with his bankers, he was required to meet with a group of them every Friday morning, to report what he had spent and what progress he had made…”
“Some thought it odd that Trump kept referring to himself as being not Scottish, but Scotch, like the whisky.”
“ ‘Whoever said less is more, never had more’ boasted the marketing material for the 70-story complex of hotel rooms, condos, restaurants, offices, and a casino - all part of the tallest most unapologetically Trumpian building in Central America.”
“Even as he warned of the dangers of Indian gambling in New York, he pushed for an Indian casino in Connecticut. Trump had a stake in that project, partnering with the Pawcatuck Indians.”
Frank Sanzillo, Trump’s lobbyist in New York in the late 1990s and early 2000’s, says ‘Trump was privately dismissive about politicians. He laughed about them, like ‘Let’s give his campaign $25,000. That’ll shut him up.’ And it was our job to translate that to the politician as ‘He loves you.’ Trump was also loathe to attend political fundraisers, often asking Sanzillo ‘How much more do I have to give not to show up?’ “
“By the end of 2015, Trump’s rivals understood they were now operating in a world defined by the renegade candidate…. That summer, Trump dominated the news. He was a ratings machine…. Trump rules made the old-fashioned ways seem quaint… ‘Virtually every question you were asked by the media had the words Donald Trump in them’ said Donny Diaz, Bush’s campaign manager. "
“To prove he had Lindsay Graham’s personal cellphone number, he read it aloud at a rally.”
“His father, who had warned him of being a nothing, was gone and never got to see this astonishing American journey to its conclusion.”
.
September 2, 2016
I think this biography does a remarkably even-handed job of presenting the facts about Donald Trump. The difference in opinion about him largely rests on how you read into those facts. Trump is unabashedly concerned with one person: Donald Trump. This does not make him unique or scary or terrible: It simply is his primary motivation.
It seems different and strange because a) he never says so directly, choosing instead to rely on his salesman's instincts to read the mood and close the sale, and b) this hyperfocused narcissism never faded or tempered the way we expect it to once a person reaches a certain level of success. It seems especially odd to us since politicians who run for president almost by definition have the same level of self-confidence, but they've learned it's better
electorally to obfuscate any self-interest - or at the very least it gets filtered by staff and handlers.
This book is unlikely to clear up any mysteries for you in terms of who you want to be president! You will likely find the right information to push you one way or the other in whatever direction you were already leaning. Nonetheless, it's worth the read if you're interested in the "why" of why Donald Trump does/did anything. I'll even give you a clue as his motivation: Because Donald Trump thought that doing that thing was the best for Donald Trump.
It seems different and strange because a) he never says so directly, choosing instead to rely on his salesman's instincts to read the mood and close the sale, and b) this hyperfocused narcissism never faded or tempered the way we expect it to once a person reaches a certain level of success. It seems especially odd to us since politicians who run for president almost by definition have the same level of self-confidence, but they've learned it's better
electorally to obfuscate any self-interest - or at the very least it gets filtered by staff and handlers.
This book is unlikely to clear up any mysteries for you in terms of who you want to be president! You will likely find the right information to push you one way or the other in whatever direction you were already leaning. Nonetheless, it's worth the read if you're interested in the "why" of why Donald Trump does/did anything. I'll even give you a clue as his motivation: Because Donald Trump thought that doing that thing was the best for Donald Trump.
December 25, 2016
- Great reporting job by my colleagues at The Post.
- Overall, I learned some new tidbits...
- Nothing terribly surprising, though.
- I wish more people read this!
- Figure I will read parts again in four years.
- Overall, I learned some new tidbits...
- Nothing terribly surprising, though.
- I wish more people read this!
- Figure I will read parts again in four years.
October 19, 2016
What an a**hole.
September 26, 2016
Like most educated people who aren't filled with hatred or guided by a sociopathic "win at all costs" outlook on life, from the start of Trump's run for the presidency, I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing.
The worst part was I couldn't believe how many people actually think this egomaniac could be good for them and the country.
Some wishful thinkers thought his bombastic "act" would become more "presidential" eventually. It's not an act, folks. Come on, is that really a spoiler?
Read the book. It's well-written and as objective as it can be considering it's meant for people that can read.
I drove my wife crazy with a lot of, "You've got to hear this one"s.
The major take-away from this book?
"Wow, he's been doing these thing his entire life and getting way with it!!"
Remember when Trump told the public that his father ONLY gave him around a million dollars to get started? Well, during The Donald's Atlantic City period, Trump was near total financial collapse. He was desperate to find investors, who Trump hadn't already burned, to bail him out.
However, investors had to go through a approval process and time was running out. Along comes daddy. Through a surrogate, Daddy Trump bought over 3 million dollars of chips from one of sonny's casino and just stored them way, circumnavigating the rules for investing in casinos in New Jersey.
Depending on a person's own moral compass, one can either admire their ingenuity or shake one's head with disgust. After all, if you can get away with something, why not do it? Right?
Warren Harding is hoping Trump gets elected!
The worst part was I couldn't believe how many people actually think this egomaniac could be good for them and the country.
Some wishful thinkers thought his bombastic "act" would become more "presidential" eventually. It's not an act, folks. Come on, is that really a spoiler?
Read the book. It's well-written and as objective as it can be considering it's meant for people that can read.
I drove my wife crazy with a lot of, "You've got to hear this one"s.
The major take-away from this book?
"Wow, he's been doing these thing his entire life and getting way with it!!"
Remember when Trump told the public that his father ONLY gave him around a million dollars to get started? Well, during The Donald's Atlantic City period, Trump was near total financial collapse. He was desperate to find investors, who Trump hadn't already burned, to bail him out.
However, investors had to go through a approval process and time was running out. Along comes daddy. Through a surrogate, Daddy Trump bought over 3 million dollars of chips from one of sonny's casino and just stored them way, circumnavigating the rules for investing in casinos in New Jersey.
Depending on a person's own moral compass, one can either admire their ingenuity or shake one's head with disgust. After all, if you can get away with something, why not do it? Right?
Warren Harding is hoping Trump gets elected!
June 15, 2017
Fairly interesting but left me feeling stressed. I wonder how anyone can stay sane living the way some people, like Trump, do.
August 29, 2019
This is a very good book about a bad person (my characterization, not the authors'). On August 29, I wrote:
"Ordinarily I wouldn't get near a bio of Donald Trump, but I'd seen interviews of these authors a number of times over the past few weeks. They seemed pretty balanced and neutral about Donald Trump. In spite of Trump's immediately denouncing the final product on publication date (August 23) as "boring," he apparently cooperated with the team's research and gave them at least twenty hours of interview time. The work is neither a hatchet job nor a panegyric of Mr. Trump, and the overall tone, so far, is fundamentally factual reporting and non-judgmental, allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. The authors offer no opinion or commentary. The narrative is drawn primarily from public documents and court records, direct statements of Mr. Trump and his associates (pro and con), and personal interviews; all are carefully annotated. I found the family history of his immigrant parents and his relationship with Roy Cohn most interesting."
I have no reason to alter my initial impressions. Trump's story only gets more alarming as the authors delve meticulously into the substantial record of Mr. Trump's financial and business dealings spanning more than three decades and which continue to the present. The mainstream media has done the public a great disservice by not reporting more extensively on this story. The information is all out there in contracts and lawsuits and settlements. The only person who has consistently benefited from underhanded, fraudulent, and corrupt practices is Donald Trump. I realize financial stories are difficult to cover in a two-minute segment on television (and make for difficult reading in this book) and are not as sexy or popular as extramarital affairs, conspiracy theories, or Hillary's emails, all of which we are treated to endlessly on a daily basis. But the press regularly proclaims piously that its duty is to report news that the public needs to know; Mr. Trump's business history is an important story that reveals much about the man. Kudos to these authors for telling it.
"Ordinarily I wouldn't get near a bio of Donald Trump, but I'd seen interviews of these authors a number of times over the past few weeks. They seemed pretty balanced and neutral about Donald Trump. In spite of Trump's immediately denouncing the final product on publication date (August 23) as "boring," he apparently cooperated with the team's research and gave them at least twenty hours of interview time. The work is neither a hatchet job nor a panegyric of Mr. Trump, and the overall tone, so far, is fundamentally factual reporting and non-judgmental, allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. The authors offer no opinion or commentary. The narrative is drawn primarily from public documents and court records, direct statements of Mr. Trump and his associates (pro and con), and personal interviews; all are carefully annotated. I found the family history of his immigrant parents and his relationship with Roy Cohn most interesting."
I have no reason to alter my initial impressions. Trump's story only gets more alarming as the authors delve meticulously into the substantial record of Mr. Trump's financial and business dealings spanning more than three decades and which continue to the present. The mainstream media has done the public a great disservice by not reporting more extensively on this story. The information is all out there in contracts and lawsuits and settlements. The only person who has consistently benefited from underhanded, fraudulent, and corrupt practices is Donald Trump. I realize financial stories are difficult to cover in a two-minute segment on television (and make for difficult reading in this book) and are not as sexy or popular as extramarital affairs, conspiracy theories, or Hillary's emails, all of which we are treated to endlessly on a daily basis. But the press regularly proclaims piously that its duty is to report news that the public needs to know; Mr. Trump's business history is an important story that reveals much about the man. Kudos to these authors for telling it.
Want to read
May 28, 2017
I am sure Trump will say: that's a work by fake news media.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic...
February 13, 2017
There are three excerpts from this book that I believe tell you everything you need to know about Donald Trump.
1. Regarding the working conditions when building the infamous Trump tower:
2. On black people:
3. Lastly, a point which you may have surmised from the first two, on his abilities:
What else is there to say? I read this for two reasons: I hoped the credibility of the research would reveal to me some sort of redeeming quality, some opportunity to be hopeful. If you find yourself of a similar mindset — abandon, hope, ye who enter, etc.
This team deserves respect for putting this together so quickly. However, I found myself tiring of the middle section of this biography, which is concerned with just endless examples of his slimy business practices. It's important to report on it, but man is it overwhelming. I'd hoped for a bit more insight into the man himself, but nothing I found here surprised me in the slightest.
To close, I wanted to share what is possibly one of my new favorite quotes of all time, from a pastor (Norman Vincent Peale) who performed his (second? I forget) marriage and whom Trump has admitted is a mentor of his:
1. Regarding the working conditions when building the infamous Trump tower:
“The work was done by hundreds of undocumented Polish immigrants known as the “Polish brigade.” The men toiled through spring and summer of 1980 with sledgehammers and blowtorches, but without hard hats, working twelve- to eighteen-hour days, seven days a week, often sleeping on Bonwit Teller’s floors. They were paid less than $5 an hour, sometimes in vodka. Many went unpaid and were threatened with deportation if they complained.”
2. On black people:
“I’ve got black accountants at Trump Castle and at Trump Plaza—black guys counting my money!” Trump said, according to O’Donnell’s memoir, Trumped! “I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day. Those are the kind of people I want counting my money. Nobody else. . . . Besides that, I’ve got to tell you something else. I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is; I believe that. It’s not anything they can control.”
3. Lastly, a point which you may have surmised from the first two, on his abilities:
“As Barrett, one of his biographers, put it, “He was born with bullshit capabilities beyond what you and I could possibly imagine.”
What else is there to say? I read this for two reasons: I hoped the credibility of the research would reveal to me some sort of redeeming quality, some opportunity to be hopeful. If you find yourself of a similar mindset — abandon, hope, ye who enter, etc.
This team deserves respect for putting this together so quickly. However, I found myself tiring of the middle section of this biography, which is concerned with just endless examples of his slimy business practices. It's important to report on it, but man is it overwhelming. I'd hoped for a bit more insight into the man himself, but nothing I found here surprised me in the slightest.
To close, I wanted to share what is possibly one of my new favorite quotes of all time, from a pastor (Norman Vincent Peale) who performed his (second? I forget) marriage and whom Trump has admitted is a mentor of his:
“I know that with God’s help, I can sell vacuum cleaners.”
February 6, 2017
I can see why the right is constantly screaming foul about all the negative press. The horrifying reality is it is all awful but unfortunately all true. The content of this book, the story of his life is damning, nauseating, unjustifiable, and nearly unbelievable. I started to read this book genuinely wanting to get a comprehensive look at the man who will lead us, to see the other side of the brash unpalatable attention whore I love to hate. There is no other side.
There are not enough cups of coffee bought for the stranger in line after you, kind words spoken, doors held open that could bring this man's character redemption. He is quite simply a horrible human being.
If a measure of someone's worth is how much money they have acquired at whatever cost necessary to do it, then he is remarkably successful. The end.
I found the book fascinating. The only thing I didn't like was it jumping around chronologically so much. It made the narrative a bit tricky to follow at some times, but extremely well researched and written.
There are not enough cups of coffee bought for the stranger in line after you, kind words spoken, doors held open that could bring this man's character redemption. He is quite simply a horrible human being.
If a measure of someone's worth is how much money they have acquired at whatever cost necessary to do it, then he is remarkably successful. The end.
I found the book fascinating. The only thing I didn't like was it jumping around chronologically so much. It made the narrative a bit tricky to follow at some times, but extremely well researched and written.
February 2, 2017
A thorough account that paints a picture of a man for whom the concept of truth means nothing.
Some parts of the book delve into things that I'm surprised I never saw in media discussion during the campaign. The ripping-off of people buying into Trump Vitamins and Trump-licensed condo projects in Florida were unknown to me, for example. A striking theme throughout the book is how much he has able to get away with at a number of pivotal moments through his career.
I found myself wondering if perhaps this book project would have been more valuable to our country as a documentary film using the same deeply researched interviews obtained for the book. It's a compelling and readable book, but as a film it would likely reach and open more eyes. The authors are even-handed, but the material gathered exposes a disturbed personality.
Some parts of the book delve into things that I'm surprised I never saw in media discussion during the campaign. The ripping-off of people buying into Trump Vitamins and Trump-licensed condo projects in Florida were unknown to me, for example. A striking theme throughout the book is how much he has able to get away with at a number of pivotal moments through his career.
I found myself wondering if perhaps this book project would have been more valuable to our country as a documentary film using the same deeply researched interviews obtained for the book. It's a compelling and readable book, but as a film it would likely reach and open more eyes. The authors are even-handed, but the material gathered exposes a disturbed personality.
March 12, 2017
It took me more than two months to finish this book, not because of its quality (it is excellent), but because I would get so worked up about some of its content I would have to take a break now and then.
The authors and their team of researchers accomplished quite a feat: they put together a thorough and informative chronicle of Trump's beginning and rise to fame in time for the 2016 presidential campaign. I felt like this account was balanced; it wasn't propaganda for either side, which means it shows the positives as well as the negatives about his personal life, his career as a businessman and his temperament.
No matter what your politics are, you will finish this book knowing much more about the man. I hope more books are written like it throughout and after his presidency.
The authors and their team of researchers accomplished quite a feat: they put together a thorough and informative chronicle of Trump's beginning and rise to fame in time for the 2016 presidential campaign. I felt like this account was balanced; it wasn't propaganda for either side, which means it shows the positives as well as the negatives about his personal life, his career as a businessman and his temperament.
No matter what your politics are, you will finish this book knowing much more about the man. I hope more books are written like it throughout and after his presidency.
November 18, 2018
What a thoroughly researched and well documented account. The first hand accounts, first party accounts, financial records and quotes from Trump made it an especially informative read. I will say that this book is heavy. I had a hard time getting through some parts because the narcism was just soul crushing.
It is fair to criticize the book as not really trying to dig deeper into Trump's warmer moments, but based on first hand quotes from his children and wives, that wasn't really his thing.
I recommend this book to anyone curious about Trump.
It is fair to criticize the book as not really trying to dig deeper into Trump's warmer moments, but based on first hand quotes from his children and wives, that wasn't really his thing.
I recommend this book to anyone curious about Trump.
March 13, 2017
«Donald fala como um operário, mas tem o mundo.» - 296
Trump Revelado resulta de uma investigação levada a cabo por mais de 20 jornalistas do The Washington Post. Nestas páginas consta toda a vida do 45º presidente dos Estados Unidos até à eleição, narrada de forma exaustiva e imparcial; uma leitura interessantíssima para todos os que desejem conhecer o percurso de vida de Donald Trump, como o passado influenciou as suas escolhas/personalidade, como conseguiu chegar a presidente e perspetivar como se poderá comportar no futuro.
Trump ocupa atualmente o cargo de presidente dos Estados Unidos da América em grande parte porque foi subestimado pelos outros candidatos e pela imprensa. Ao menosprezar a dimensão da frustração do eleitor, o quão fartas as pessoas estão de políticos e das suas mentiras, não se aperceberam que a retórica de Trump ia exatamente ao encontro das preocupações de muitos americanos. «Estão tão zangados que perderam a capacidade de pensar. Trump diz tudo o que é polémico e faz clique com a raiva deles.» - 377 Trump mudou as regras do jogo… Só assim um tipo cheio de dinheiro se poderia apresentar como a voz operária oprimida e ainda receber o apoio que recebeu!
Também as ações da imprensa, noticiando tudo o que Donald Trump dizia ou fazia, chafurdado em escândalo atrás de escândalo, acabaram por ter o resultado oposto. As afirmações escandalosas de Trump («a sua linguagem vulgar, os insultos às mulheres, aos mexicanos, aos muçulmanos, a um repórter com deficiência e aos media em geral» - 382), embora mediáticas, pareciam não ser realmente importantes. Frases que acabariam com a carreia política de muitos, foram simplesmente subvalorizadas, eram apenas anedotas inofensivas proferidas por um tipo que sempre se orgulhou de ser politicamente incorreto e corrosivamente honesto.
É de lhe admirar, no entanto, a obstinação, confiança, otimismo e perseverança com que sempre conduziu a sua vida e os seus negócios embora raramente olhasse a meios para obter o fim desejado. Ao longo do livro vemos como passou por cima de muita coisa e de muita gente para levar os seus negócios a bom porto, como se tem vindo a comportar como um mentiroso potológico, um gabarolas ridículo, um preconceituoso, um elitista… e é essa conduta que assusta o mundo, isso e, tal como disse McCain, a sua capacidade para «inflamar os malucos».
Trump Revelado resulta de uma investigação levada a cabo por mais de 20 jornalistas do The Washington Post. Nestas páginas consta toda a vida do 45º presidente dos Estados Unidos até à eleição, narrada de forma exaustiva e imparcial; uma leitura interessantíssima para todos os que desejem conhecer o percurso de vida de Donald Trump, como o passado influenciou as suas escolhas/personalidade, como conseguiu chegar a presidente e perspetivar como se poderá comportar no futuro.
Trump ocupa atualmente o cargo de presidente dos Estados Unidos da América em grande parte porque foi subestimado pelos outros candidatos e pela imprensa. Ao menosprezar a dimensão da frustração do eleitor, o quão fartas as pessoas estão de políticos e das suas mentiras, não se aperceberam que a retórica de Trump ia exatamente ao encontro das preocupações de muitos americanos. «Estão tão zangados que perderam a capacidade de pensar. Trump diz tudo o que é polémico e faz clique com a raiva deles.» - 377 Trump mudou as regras do jogo… Só assim um tipo cheio de dinheiro se poderia apresentar como a voz operária oprimida e ainda receber o apoio que recebeu!
Também as ações da imprensa, noticiando tudo o que Donald Trump dizia ou fazia, chafurdado em escândalo atrás de escândalo, acabaram por ter o resultado oposto. As afirmações escandalosas de Trump («a sua linguagem vulgar, os insultos às mulheres, aos mexicanos, aos muçulmanos, a um repórter com deficiência e aos media em geral» - 382), embora mediáticas, pareciam não ser realmente importantes. Frases que acabariam com a carreia política de muitos, foram simplesmente subvalorizadas, eram apenas anedotas inofensivas proferidas por um tipo que sempre se orgulhou de ser politicamente incorreto e corrosivamente honesto.
É de lhe admirar, no entanto, a obstinação, confiança, otimismo e perseverança com que sempre conduziu a sua vida e os seus negócios embora raramente olhasse a meios para obter o fim desejado. Ao longo do livro vemos como passou por cima de muita coisa e de muita gente para levar os seus negócios a bom porto, como se tem vindo a comportar como um mentiroso potológico, um gabarolas ridículo, um preconceituoso, um elitista… e é essa conduta que assusta o mundo, isso e, tal como disse McCain, a sua capacidade para «inflamar os malucos».
September 6, 2016
A very good look at Donald Trump, his father and his grandfather. Whatever your political leaning is, this is a good look at a man who has changed the way a presidential campaign is run.
On the anti-Trump side, this book gives a good look at his many business failings and how he often did things that while may have been ok legally, we're morally very wrong.
This is a great book to read before the November election.
On the anti-Trump side, this book gives a good look at his many business failings and how he often did things that while may have been ok legally, we're morally very wrong.
This is a great book to read before the November election.
October 7, 2016
Ok i already knew Trump is a lunatic before reading this book but it's still a good book. Great research by the authors.
November 5, 2016
This is a must read on the eve of the election and beyond. The authors provide an interesting peak into this man's life. Well done.
March 13, 2021
It’s nearly impossible to write an objective book on our 45th president. Though the market was flooded with Trump books on a level not seen with any other POTUS, there’s not much middle ground to be found. In 2016, before that momentous election even took place, a couple Washington Post editors put together Trump Revealed. It’s as balanced an account as you’ll find, and you’ll realize that nothing Trump did in office was surprising if you know about his life and career up to 2016. It’s not only, well, revealing, but easy reading too, which is sort of a rarity in this list. To get a good picture of Trump, I would certainly recommend this book as a starting point. His years in office are so insanely polarizing that I think a book published before any of that happened is actually pretty darn useful.
June 19, 2023
Vertelt het hele verhaal van Trump zijn voorouders tot aan het moment dat hij president wordt. Blijft een hele bijzondere man. Alle verhalen zijn lekker uitgebreid en goed geschreven. Leuk boek!
June 13, 2025
كتاب ضروري للقراءة لكل من يرغب في معرفة كيف يكون الشغف والإصرار على النجاح والتركيز على تحقيق الأهداف مرضاة لصاحبه ومجلبة لاحترامه مهما كثرت الانتقادات على مسيرته وأسلوبه! ولم أكن لأقرأه لولا ما تسبب به ترامب من إشغال مواطنيه والعالم بأسره باعتراضه على نتيجة انتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية عام2020 وتشكيكه في نزاهتها، ومتابعة أمريكا وربما العالم بأسره لكافة التفاصيل حتى موعد تسليم السلطة لخلفه في ال20من يناير 2021، وتوقع الآثار البعيدة المدى المترتبة على اعتراض ترامب وتشكيكه في نزاهة الانتخابات الأمريكية !
في عام 2012، أكد دونالد ترامب أنه لن يترشح لانتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية، لأن أعماله الخاصة والقطاع الخاص هما شغفه الأكبر !؟
وفي عام 2015، أي بعد ثلاثة أعوام، دخل الحملة المخصصة للتنافس على الرئاسة الأمريكية مستعينا بفريق متواضع جدا من حيث العدد والخبرة، مما أثار سخرية المناوئين له ومستشاري حملات منافسيه، متوقعين له وضعا مترديا بسبب عدم خبرته في الممارسات السياسية وتواضع إمكانيات ذلك الفريق، ولكن ترامب وكعادته في الاعتداد برأيه والثقة في قراراته وتجاهل أي انتقاد له أو لقراراته، كان يتباهى بفريقه الصغير ويراه مثالا على الفعالية والكفاءة .. وقد عرف العالم كله نتيجة ذلك: فقد قلب ترامب وفريقه المتواضع الطاولة على كل المنافسين له من حزبه ليصبح مرشح الحزب الجمهوري في انتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية لذلك العام (أول مرشح رئاسي لحزب رئيسي أمريكي يصل لتلك المكانة خلال ما يزيد عن نصف قرن، دون أن يكون قد تبوأ منصبا عن طريق الانتخابات).
ثم فاز ترامب على مرشحة الحزب الديمقراطي المنافسة له في انتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية (هيلاري كلينتون)، ليصبح الرئيس ال45 للولايات المتحدة الأمريكية اعتبارا من يناير2017، وذلك على الرغم من أنه لم يسبق له وأن شغل منصبا عاما، وأنه قد سبق له تغيير انتماءه الحزبي سبعة مرات خلال أربعة عشر عاما، وعلى الرغم من أنه قد أوضح بجلاء لناخبيه بأنه لم يمض الكثير من الوقت في التخطيط لما سيفعله بعد فوزه بالانتخابات لتحقيق ما وعدهم به غير أنه سيدير البلاد بنفس الطريقة التي يدير بها أعماله: مراقبة كل شيء عن كثب، والتمسك بالمعايير العالية وأن ذلك سيكون لمصلحة مجتمعهم؛ وقد كان ذلك بعد نجاحه في تقديم نفسه للناخبين بصفته مليارديرا من الطبقة الكادحة، وأنه رجل الأعمال ذا البصيرة القادر على تحقيق الأشياء التي يعجز عن تنفيذها الآخرين.
يتناول الكتاب بالتفصيل كل ذلك مبتدئا بسيرة ترامب منذ هجرة جده من ألمانيا عام 1885 إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وهجرة والدته من شمال شرق اسكتلندا عام1930 إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وحتى بزوغ نجمه متنافسا على كرسي الرئاسة الأمريكية وذلك ضمن ثمانية عشر فصلا يسبقها تعريف بالكتاب ثم تمهيد له، ومنتهية بخاتمة عنوانها "القانون والنظام"، كل ذلك بأسلوب سردي مشوق وممتع، ومستند لمراجع وشهادات متنوعة وذلك بالطبع ضروري ليكون الكتاب مرجعا ذا موثوقية، وكذلك لتفادي المشكلات مع ترامب الذي عرف طوال مسيرته بأنه كان يسعى بكل الطرق إلى معاقبة من يشكك في صورته التي أراد أن يراه بها العالم، سواء كان ذلك بالتهديد أو بالمقاضاة أو بالكلام الوقح أو بأي أسلوب آخر يرتضيه ترامب !
سيعرف القارئ الكثير عن الإنسان دونالد ترامب الذي لا يتناول الكحول ويعرف كيف تستفيد أعماله وتجارته من ظهوره مع الحسناوات، وكيف ولماذا كانت كلمة "أنت مطرود" من أسهل ما يقوله لكل لا يعجبه أداءهم، وكيف كان تويتر متنفسا له في حياته قبل دخوله معترك السياسة، وكيف غرس في أبنائه الشغف للنجاح في الحياة(وخاصة ابنته إيفانكا)، وكيف ولماذا عمل بنصيحة أسرته لاختيار نائبه للرئاسة متجاهلا توصية مستشاريه لإسمين مختلفين.
اكتملت مادة الكتاب الأصلي باللغة الإنجليزية في أغسطس عام2016، وذلك بعد اختيار ترامب مرشحا عن الحزب الجمهوري، ولكن قبل فوزه في الانتخابات الرئاسية، وقد كان ذلك على شكل مقالات أعدت ونشرت بتمويل من صحيفة الواشنطن بوست، التي لم تكن على وفاق مع ترامب ولا مع حزبه الجمهوري .. وقد توخى كاتبا تلك المقالات الحيادية والمنهجية في تحريرها، مما استحق معه الكتاب حين صدوره متضمنا لتلك المقالات وصف إحدى الصحف الأمريكية له بأنه "أكمل وأدق سيرة لترامب كتبت حتى اليوم" - أي يوم صدور الكتاب بلغته الأصلية في 23 أغسطس من عام 2016، (قبل إجراء الانتخابات الرئاسية بحوالي شهرين ونصف).
وبالرغم من تلك الحيادية وذلك الحذر من اثارة غضب ترامب، فقد أدرج الناشر على الغلاف الخلفي للكتاب الذي صدر قبل فوز ترامب بالانتخابات الرئاسية جملة نصها:-
"لا يستطيع المقترعون ادعاء أن أحدا لم يحذرهم" !
وذلك مع نسبة تلك المقولة لأحدى كبريات الصحف الأمريكية.
صدرت الترجمة العربية للكتاب في عام 2017، عن دار الساقي بلغة سلسة وسليمة، وعدد نادر جدا من الأخطاء المطبعية، وذلك ضمن 512 صفحة من القطع المتوسط شاملة لفهرسين أحدهما للأعلام وثانيهما للأماكن.
والجدير بالذكر أنه تم في 11 أكتوبر عام 2024، أي قبل شهر من إعادة رئيسا لفترة ثانية، تنفيذ فيلم أمريكي مقتبسا من هذا الكتاب، يمكن ترجمة عنوانه إلى "المتدرب" أو التلميذ، وفيما يلي رابطين لمشاهدة مقطعين، أولهما للدعاية للفيلم، وثانيهما يمكن وصفه بأنه لتلخيص قصته:-
https://youtu.be/iOX7mWLk1F4?si=ekC7i...
https://youtu.be/xytSreqPPJs?si=P8MqE...
في عام 2012، أكد دونالد ترامب أنه لن يترشح لانتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية، لأن أعماله الخاصة والقطاع الخاص هما شغفه الأكبر !؟
وفي عام 2015، أي بعد ثلاثة أعوام، دخل الحملة المخصصة للتنافس على الرئاسة الأمريكية مستعينا بفريق متواضع جدا من حيث العدد والخبرة، مما أثار سخرية المناوئين له ومستشاري حملات منافسيه، متوقعين له وضعا مترديا بسبب عدم خبرته في الممارسات السياسية وتواضع إمكانيات ذلك الفريق، ولكن ترامب وكعادته في الاعتداد برأيه والثقة في قراراته وتجاهل أي انتقاد له أو لقراراته، كان يتباهى بفريقه الصغير ويراه مثالا على الفعالية والكفاءة .. وقد عرف العالم كله نتيجة ذلك: فقد قلب ترامب وفريقه المتواضع الطاولة على كل المنافسين له من حزبه ليصبح مرشح الحزب الجمهوري في انتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية لذلك العام (أول مرشح رئاسي لحزب رئيسي أمريكي يصل لتلك المكانة خلال ما يزيد عن نصف قرن، دون أن يكون قد تبوأ منصبا عن طريق الانتخابات).
ثم فاز ترامب على مرشحة الحزب الديمقراطي المنافسة له في انتخابات الرئاسة الأمريكية (هيلاري كلينتون)، ليصبح الرئيس ال45 للولايات المتحدة الأمريكية اعتبارا من يناير2017، وذلك على الرغم من أنه لم يسبق له وأن شغل منصبا عاما، وأنه قد سبق له تغيير انتماءه الحزبي سبعة مرات خلال أربعة عشر عاما، وعلى الرغم من أنه قد أوضح بجلاء لناخبيه بأنه لم يمض الكثير من الوقت في التخطيط لما سيفعله بعد فوزه بالانتخابات لتحقيق ما وعدهم به غير أنه سيدير البلاد بنفس الطريقة التي يدير بها أعماله: مراقبة كل شيء عن كثب، والتمسك بالمعايير العالية وأن ذلك سيكون لمصلحة مجتمعهم؛ وقد كان ذلك بعد نجاحه في تقديم نفسه للناخبين بصفته مليارديرا من الطبقة الكادحة، وأنه رجل الأعمال ذا البصيرة القادر على تحقيق الأشياء التي يعجز عن تنفيذها الآخرين.
يتناول الكتاب بالتفصيل كل ذلك مبتدئا بسيرة ترامب منذ هجرة جده من ألمانيا عام 1885 إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وهجرة والدته من شمال شرق اسكتلندا عام1930 إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وحتى بزوغ نجمه متنافسا على كرسي الرئاسة الأمريكية وذلك ضمن ثمانية عشر فصلا يسبقها تعريف بالكتاب ثم تمهيد له، ومنتهية بخاتمة عنوانها "القانون والنظام"، كل ذلك بأسلوب سردي مشوق وممتع، ومستند لمراجع وشهادات متنوعة وذلك بالطبع ضروري ليكون الكتاب مرجعا ذا موثوقية، وكذلك لتفادي المشكلات مع ترامب الذي عرف طوال مسيرته بأنه كان يسعى بكل الطرق إلى معاقبة من يشكك في صورته التي أراد أن يراه بها العالم، سواء كان ذلك بالتهديد أو بالمقاضاة أو بالكلام الوقح أو بأي أسلوب آخر يرتضيه ترامب !
سيعرف القارئ الكثير عن الإنسان دونالد ترامب الذي لا يتناول الكحول ويعرف كيف تستفيد أعماله وتجارته من ظهوره مع الحسناوات، وكيف ولماذا كانت كلمة "أنت مطرود" من أسهل ما يقوله لكل لا يعجبه أداءهم، وكيف كان تويتر متنفسا له في حياته قبل دخوله معترك السياسة، وكيف غرس في أبنائه الشغف للنجاح في الحياة(وخاصة ابنته إيفانكا)، وكيف ولماذا عمل بنصيحة أسرته لاختيار نائبه للرئاسة متجاهلا توصية مستشاريه لإسمين مختلفين.
اكتملت مادة الكتاب الأصلي باللغة الإنجليزية في أغسطس عام2016، وذلك بعد اختيار ترامب مرشحا عن الحزب الجمهوري، ولكن قبل فوزه في الانتخابات الرئاسية، وقد كان ذلك على شكل مقالات أعدت ونشرت بتمويل من صحيفة الواشنطن بوست، التي لم تكن على وفاق مع ترامب ولا مع حزبه الجمهوري .. وقد توخى كاتبا تلك المقالات الحيادية والمنهجية في تحريرها، مما استحق معه الكتاب حين صدوره متضمنا لتلك المقالات وصف إحدى الصحف الأمريكية له بأنه "أكمل وأدق سيرة لترامب كتبت حتى اليوم" - أي يوم صدور الكتاب بلغته الأصلية في 23 أغسطس من عام 2016، (قبل إجراء الانتخابات الرئاسية بحوالي شهرين ونصف).
وبالرغم من تلك الحيادية وذلك الحذر من اثارة غضب ترامب، فقد أدرج الناشر على الغلاف الخلفي للكتاب الذي صدر قبل فوز ترامب بالانتخابات الرئاسية جملة نصها:-
"لا يستطيع المقترعون ادعاء أن أحدا لم يحذرهم" !
وذلك مع نسبة تلك المقولة لأحدى كبريات الصحف الأمريكية.
صدرت الترجمة العربية للكتاب في عام 2017، عن دار الساقي بلغة سلسة وسليمة، وعدد نادر جدا من الأخطاء المطبعية، وذلك ضمن 512 صفحة من القطع المتوسط شاملة لفهرسين أحدهما للأعلام وثانيهما للأماكن.
والجدير بالذكر أنه تم في 11 أكتوبر عام 2024، أي قبل شهر من إعادة رئيسا لفترة ثانية، تنفيذ فيلم أمريكي مقتبسا من هذا الكتاب، يمكن ترجمة عنوانه إلى "المتدرب" أو التلميذ، وفيما يلي رابطين لمشاهدة مقطعين، أولهما للدعاية للفيلم، وثانيهما يمكن وصفه بأنه لتلخيص قصته:-
https://youtu.be/iOX7mWLk1F4?si=ekC7i...
https://youtu.be/xytSreqPPJs?si=P8MqE...
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