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Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us
"Can you believe what Donald Trump said?" In Gaslighting America, Amanda Carpenter breaks down Trump's formula, showing why it's practically foolproof, playing his victims, the media, the Democrats, and the Republican fence-sitters perfectly. She traces how this tactic started with Nixon, gained traction with Bill Clinton, and exploded under Trump. Where some people see lies, Trump's fierce followers see something different. A commitment to winning at all costs; there is nothing he could say that would erode their support at long as it's in the name of taking down his political enemies. His opponents on the left and right continue to act as if his fake narratives and conspiracy theories will bring him down, when in fact, they are the ruses that raised him up. As a conservative former staffer to a competing presidential campaign, Amanda Carpenter witnessed her fellow Republicans fall in line behind Trump. As a political commentator, she was publicly smeared by one of his supporters on live television without a shred of evidence supporting the allegations. Slowly, she watched her entire party succumb to Trump and become defenders of his tactics, and Gaslighting America may be the only hope to bring them back to reality.
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First published May 1, 2018
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Amanda Carpenter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
May 20, 2018
Finally, someone who can explain to me in terms that I can understand exactly what Trump is doing! While I do not agree with all, or even many of Carpenter's political positions, what she describes in this book is spot on! I am now watching everything Trump says and does with a new understanding. She breaks down his "gaslighting" process into five easy, recognizable steps.
1. Trump sets the narrative through an outlet that does not challenge him (Fox) to float a wild claim so no one questions it.
2. Once people actually start to question his outrageous claim, he does an "advance and deny" dance where he simply says that he does not know if it is true or not, but it was made by or in some vague unverified source.
3. To keep the story going, Trump promises more information will be coming shortly, even if he knows there is no information in the first place. He just wants people to keep talking about it.
4. If anyone poses a threat to Trump or his story, he simply goes on Twitter and discredits them. He keeps this up at rallies and in any other public forum he can. He will only stop if they recant and become one of his supporters.
5. Trump claims he won the argument, even if he did not. Anything to the contrary is blamed on others because the system is rigged or people are dishonest.
Carpenter goes on to describe how we can avoid falling prey to this scam and allow us to survive the Trump presidency. This is a great read for every citizen and especially for members of the media. Carpenter's book is insightful, timely and extremely well-written.
1. Trump sets the narrative through an outlet that does not challenge him (Fox) to float a wild claim so no one questions it.
2. Once people actually start to question his outrageous claim, he does an "advance and deny" dance where he simply says that he does not know if it is true or not, but it was made by or in some vague unverified source.
3. To keep the story going, Trump promises more information will be coming shortly, even if he knows there is no information in the first place. He just wants people to keep talking about it.
4. If anyone poses a threat to Trump or his story, he simply goes on Twitter and discredits them. He keeps this up at rallies and in any other public forum he can. He will only stop if they recant and become one of his supporters.
5. Trump claims he won the argument, even if he did not. Anything to the contrary is blamed on others because the system is rigged or people are dishonest.
Carpenter goes on to describe how we can avoid falling prey to this scam and allow us to survive the Trump presidency. This is a great read for every citizen and especially for members of the media. Carpenter's book is insightful, timely and extremely well-written.
September 19, 2018
The strength of this book is Carpenter's ability to develop a systematic method of gas lighting and apply it to Trump's activities. Her conservative viewpoint comes out in parts of this book, so if you are more liberal, than you might not agree with everything in the book. However, you want to read it to figure out what Trump is doing. It is a good dose of political science, and I appreciate it.
May 16, 2018
For anyone who’s ever experienced “gaslighting”, I suspect it may be hard to read this book if you’re not a Trump supporter. Before I go on, I want to explain that I am from the Washington DC area, grew up in the 60s and 70s there. I was born into a family who simply didn’t discuss religion or politics in front of me...well, not until I was in my 20s anyway. I had many conversations with my father about politics as an adult but this should illustrate how we were: I never in those conversations even thought once to ask to what party he belonged. He was the most fair minded person on politics and politicians, he knew his history well and so, he critiqued all with a backbone of strong morals and intelligently formed opinions. It was only after his death that I learned he was a Democrat...no doubt because he was a carpenter. Union. To me, partisan politics is not the way forward as we face the problems of the moment. That’s why I feel compelled to warn some that some of Amanda’s opinions may not set well with you.
Amanda Carpenter has come a long way from being part of the Cruz campaign to her role now at CNN and now this book, which was a surprise for me...a pleasant one. I enjoyed this book and felt a sense of relief hearing her articulate what I saw from Donald Trump in the campaign, and frankly, up to now. For those who are left or far left of center, if you know Amanda, you’d think of her as a staunch conservative. She is that, for sure. Don’t let that stop you from reading her book. She’s a solid thinker. She’s smart and funny. If I have any criticism at all, it’s that she expressed some partisan opinions that I feel are not clear to me, or rather, not developed in the same way as my opinions based on historical events have been. Difference of opinions? Perhaps. That said, I think this book shined a wonderful light on how she thinks. My conclusion? I like her, understand her more, and respect her...and this is a good book!
Gaslighting, as she brilliantly describes in this book, is maddening. It is a technique used by master manipulators, from the likes of Adolph Hitler to that ex you may remember who made you feel insane. These are the ones who make you doubt your instincts, or who got you to do things based on fear. Amanda illustrates the method to Trump’s bewildering methodology that has brought so many into his cult of “maga” mayhem. Democrats voted for him. Lifelong Conservatives stick up for him. Christians believe he’s moral...even after his lies, his notorious infidelities with wives, and his abusive language towards those he dislikes. Even Kanye loves him. He makes people follow him, people who would never in a million years accept his behaviors if they were committed by most any other politician, forget the “party” part of it. No one from either party would accept any candidate like him in any previous election.
Why? How does he do it? Amanda sheds light on these questions. She details how gaslighting works, the actual process of it. Then she details the psychology at play among those of us exposed to the gaslighting. It’s tough at moments...I even became irate all over again at times just reading it. But once you know how he works his gaslighting voodoo, then you know how to respond ... or not. Therein lies the secret to successfully dominating a gaslighter.
Well worth the time to read.
Amanda Carpenter has come a long way from being part of the Cruz campaign to her role now at CNN and now this book, which was a surprise for me...a pleasant one. I enjoyed this book and felt a sense of relief hearing her articulate what I saw from Donald Trump in the campaign, and frankly, up to now. For those who are left or far left of center, if you know Amanda, you’d think of her as a staunch conservative. She is that, for sure. Don’t let that stop you from reading her book. She’s a solid thinker. She’s smart and funny. If I have any criticism at all, it’s that she expressed some partisan opinions that I feel are not clear to me, or rather, not developed in the same way as my opinions based on historical events have been. Difference of opinions? Perhaps. That said, I think this book shined a wonderful light on how she thinks. My conclusion? I like her, understand her more, and respect her...and this is a good book!
Gaslighting, as she brilliantly describes in this book, is maddening. It is a technique used by master manipulators, from the likes of Adolph Hitler to that ex you may remember who made you feel insane. These are the ones who make you doubt your instincts, or who got you to do things based on fear. Amanda illustrates the method to Trump’s bewildering methodology that has brought so many into his cult of “maga” mayhem. Democrats voted for him. Lifelong Conservatives stick up for him. Christians believe he’s moral...even after his lies, his notorious infidelities with wives, and his abusive language towards those he dislikes. Even Kanye loves him. He makes people follow him, people who would never in a million years accept his behaviors if they were committed by most any other politician, forget the “party” part of it. No one from either party would accept any candidate like him in any previous election.
Why? How does he do it? Amanda sheds light on these questions. She details how gaslighting works, the actual process of it. Then she details the psychology at play among those of us exposed to the gaslighting. It’s tough at moments...I even became irate all over again at times just reading it. But once you know how he works his gaslighting voodoo, then you know how to respond ... or not. Therein lies the secret to successfully dominating a gaslighter.
Well worth the time to read.
August 28, 2018
Amanda Carpenter is a conservative political pundit on CNN who has worked as a speechwriter for Ted Cruz. I knew going in that the author's political beliefs and mine overlap about 10 percent, and I'd struggle to identify exactly what the 10 percent consists of.
But her deep-dive into the president's favorite pastime of gaslighting seems pretty spot-on to me. To the extent that Donald Trump is consciously aware of or possesses anything you could call a principled belief system, it's that he does seem uniquely skilled in identifying weakness and preying on it without compunction, and was born with an astonishing ability to lie, the two main prerequisites for professional gaslighting.
Carpenter astutely lays out his predictable process of discrediting whoever stands in his way, from the initial broadcasting of the whopper (which is typically a projection of the Trump team's own fears and foibles), to the tepid denial and the vague promise of future evidence ("in two weeks"), to finally claiming victory over an issue of his own invention.
The author herself was gaslit on national TV by a Trump surrogate regarding a spurious rumor about her boss Ted Cruz, and she felt the real and painful effects of being made to feel defenseless about something you can't properly defend in the first place.
My big problem with this book, as with most statements and essays from fellow #NeverTrumpers, is that their analysis, however impassioned and obviously true it is, never does the genuinely hard work of examining their own role in this modern-day American tragedy. It's all well and good that Bill Kristol now presents himself as a conservative rebel, a lonely voice of moderation in a sea of Hannity-level cranks; but he sidesteps a decade's worth of toxic policy and personality (i.e., Sarah Palin) that he was integral in introducing into our politics that led to Trump.
Likewise, Carpenter makes pretty clear that it's not the policies of the current administration she despairs of, it's the grifter-in-chief alone who represents the genuine threat; had anyone else from the Republican primary season been elected (like her boss), my guess is that Carpenter would be A-OK with them.
The truth is that A) despite some libertarian lullabies to the contrary, most people have an authoritarian streak in them and long to be told what to believe in by a strong, powerful figure; and B) Donald Trump's election was the result of a number of particularly disastrous circumstances, but Trumpism was a slowly building catastrophe that we'd be reckoning with no matter who now occupied the Oval Office.
Trump gives permission for the "deplorables" to identify with someone who validates their total fear of everyone and everything; Trumpism is the work of a great many people over a great many years, and I think this represents the true gaslighting of America more than the desperate (and desperately sad) tweet-storming by the president, something Carpenter's otherwise sharp analysis isn't prepared to explore.
But her deep-dive into the president's favorite pastime of gaslighting seems pretty spot-on to me. To the extent that Donald Trump is consciously aware of or possesses anything you could call a principled belief system, it's that he does seem uniquely skilled in identifying weakness and preying on it without compunction, and was born with an astonishing ability to lie, the two main prerequisites for professional gaslighting.
Carpenter astutely lays out his predictable process of discrediting whoever stands in his way, from the initial broadcasting of the whopper (which is typically a projection of the Trump team's own fears and foibles), to the tepid denial and the vague promise of future evidence ("in two weeks"), to finally claiming victory over an issue of his own invention.
The author herself was gaslit on national TV by a Trump surrogate regarding a spurious rumor about her boss Ted Cruz, and she felt the real and painful effects of being made to feel defenseless about something you can't properly defend in the first place.
My big problem with this book, as with most statements and essays from fellow #NeverTrumpers, is that their analysis, however impassioned and obviously true it is, never does the genuinely hard work of examining their own role in this modern-day American tragedy. It's all well and good that Bill Kristol now presents himself as a conservative rebel, a lonely voice of moderation in a sea of Hannity-level cranks; but he sidesteps a decade's worth of toxic policy and personality (i.e., Sarah Palin) that he was integral in introducing into our politics that led to Trump.
Likewise, Carpenter makes pretty clear that it's not the policies of the current administration she despairs of, it's the grifter-in-chief alone who represents the genuine threat; had anyone else from the Republican primary season been elected (like her boss), my guess is that Carpenter would be A-OK with them.
The truth is that A) despite some libertarian lullabies to the contrary, most people have an authoritarian streak in them and long to be told what to believe in by a strong, powerful figure; and B) Donald Trump's election was the result of a number of particularly disastrous circumstances, but Trumpism was a slowly building catastrophe that we'd be reckoning with no matter who now occupied the Oval Office.
Trump gives permission for the "deplorables" to identify with someone who validates their total fear of everyone and everything; Trumpism is the work of a great many people over a great many years, and I think this represents the true gaslighting of America more than the desperate (and desperately sad) tweet-storming by the president, something Carpenter's otherwise sharp analysis isn't prepared to explore.
May 19, 2019
I would have given the book 5 stars except for the last part. It was a little dull and prosaic, but the rest of the book was amazing. Finally, here is someone putting my nebulous feelings about Trump into words. For most of my life, I have been fascinated by Adolph Hitler. I used to listen to his speeches, which I couldn't understand, and wonder what made seemingly normal people follow him like lemmings. Even though I spoke no German, I could feel the power in his voice and the energy of the crowds. Reading this book helped me understand the mechanics of gaslighting are the same whether in English or German. It is not meant to be understood. What can "Make America Great Again" possibly mean? We were already the most powerful nation in the world and probably still would be except for the chaos of Trump's presidency. Truth and lies are all the same to him because the words don't matter. He is the image of Lewis Carroll's Mad Queen of Hearts. Very little of what she says makes sense and all the people who try to follow her commands end up confused, disgraced and abandoned. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the power Trump has over people.
May 20, 2018
Relatively good, an interesting perspective from someone involved so heavily in Republican politics and campaigns. It did feel a bit much for the author to take Republicans to task for falling in line behind him without mentioning her old boss lining up as well, especially after she detailed the attacks in Cruz’s wife and father.
July 8, 2018
If you can get past Carpenter's self-aggrandizing commentary and her staunch right-wing narrative and actually get to where she discusses Trump's gaslighting, it's quite interesting. Almost didn't make it that far into the book though because it's hard to stomach her contorted perspective and arrogance.
April 4, 2018
This was an interesting assessment of President Trump's actions. I will definitely be watching his statements for the duration of his presidency. I feel sorry for the people that were gaslighted. Hopefully, everyone has learned something and can be better moving forward.
July 25, 2018
Amanda’s politics might be completely off (Ted Cruz is a grade A jackass and I feel bad she worked for him), but her breakdown of the Trump gaslighting phenomenon is fantastic and should be read by everyone.
June 9, 2019
Amanda Carpenter sums up our current state of politics as being “about what happens when a politician knows he can’t win by competing in everyone else’s reality, so he creates his own.” Pretty much nailed that.
She provides a concise and detailed analysis of the gaslighting methods Trump has used so successfully to get himself where he is today. Many people have been and continue to be perplexed and confused about how he won the election and seems to have a teflon hairpiece. After reading this book, it won’t seem so shocking.
She provides great advice about moving forward and how to fight against his continued gaslighting of America, but other points she makes cast a dark shadow. While the individual voter may be more equipped to recognize his nonsense once it begins, the media, which she aptly explains loves him and enables him (yes, even liberal media) provide little hope. Most journalists will continue to fall into the traps and many wilfully.
We are in a confounding time and those of us that still believe in science, expertise, education, facts, basic decency, and a semblance of honesty from our leaders are often beside ourselves. I give high praise to anyone who can sift through the garbage and present things in a coherent and productive way with some tools for people like me going forward. Carpenter is a conservative that worked for Ted Cruz so there are plenty of things I don’t agree with her on, but with this book, she deserves to be called a patriot by anyone who still cares about our democracy.
She provides a concise and detailed analysis of the gaslighting methods Trump has used so successfully to get himself where he is today. Many people have been and continue to be perplexed and confused about how he won the election and seems to have a teflon hairpiece. After reading this book, it won’t seem so shocking.
She provides great advice about moving forward and how to fight against his continued gaslighting of America, but other points she makes cast a dark shadow. While the individual voter may be more equipped to recognize his nonsense once it begins, the media, which she aptly explains loves him and enables him (yes, even liberal media) provide little hope. Most journalists will continue to fall into the traps and many wilfully.
We are in a confounding time and those of us that still believe in science, expertise, education, facts, basic decency, and a semblance of honesty from our leaders are often beside ourselves. I give high praise to anyone who can sift through the garbage and present things in a coherent and productive way with some tools for people like me going forward. Carpenter is a conservative that worked for Ted Cruz so there are plenty of things I don’t agree with her on, but with this book, she deserves to be called a patriot by anyone who still cares about our democracy.
July 20, 2021
Having herself been a target of a gaslighting campaign, Ms. Carpenter deftly explains what exactly gaslighting is and how TFG is a master at it. Well-written and informative. Cheers!
September 23, 2018
“One afternoon as I was pulling out of my church’s driveway after dropping off a load of clothes to donate....”
“I was in the car with my husband and kids on the way to do a run through Home Depot and grab some Chick-fil-A for dinner.”
Hmm. Picked this up in the library and was intrigued by the premise of it. There’s some entertaining passages, but the author wastes too many words trying to establish her own credentials for my liking.
“I was in the car with my husband and kids on the way to do a run through Home Depot and grab some Chick-fil-A for dinner.”
Hmm. Picked this up in the library and was intrigued by the premise of it. There’s some entertaining passages, but the author wastes too many words trying to establish her own credentials for my liking.
March 14, 2018
Interesting point of view by someone working in the political campaign arena.
January 17, 2021
Helpful. Gave me a very specific lens with which to view things that Donald Trump (and other politicians, for that matter) say. Knowing some of the tricks he and others can play, I now feel less susceptible to being fooled. Regardless of where you land on the political spectrum, I think that you will appreciate Carpenter’s step-by-step explanation of how Trump “gaslights” people. The list of quotes in the back in Appendix II are super interesting.
Sadly, this book also made me feel even more burdened for the leadership in our country. We must pray for them!
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2
Sadly, this book also made me feel even more burdened for the leadership in our country. We must pray for them!
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2
January 12, 2020
There’s not much I can say about this book that hasn’t already been said by other reviewers. While I don’t agree with her more conservative viewpoints, I find her insight and analysis highly valuable. I also find it reassuring that there are Republicans out there who are not on the “Trump train,” because it’s sanity-consuming to see so many Republicans on the news defending/supporting Trump all the time.
November 29, 2019
Excellent analysis of Trump's one trick and why it works every time. This book is doubly useful because it explains what paved the way for Trump's candidacy to become viable.
May 14, 2018
If you think you know, you have no idea. This book was everything I thought it would be and then some. Even though I get it, I was still dumbfounded by the sheer ignorance in our society. This book was an easy read and made you not want to put it down.
May 12, 2018
Very insightful. Carpenter unveils the method behind the Trump madness. Reading this book is like watching Toto run from Dorothy’s arms to angrily pull back the curtain. Spoiler alert, the Wizard is just an insecure man who is very good at making believe he is wonderful.
January 2, 2020
I enjoy Amanda Carpenter's commentary as a talking head on CNN. Her politics are very different than mine -- she's a Republican who worked for both Jim DeMint and Ted Cruz -- but when it comes to Donald Trump, we are in total agreement. Thus I was compelled to find & read her book "Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us."
Carpenter demonstrates that, while some of his opponents continue to expect Trump's outrageous lies, fabrications and conspiracy theories to bring him down, they are instead propelling his success. She's not the first to describe Trump's strategy as "gaslighting" -- a type of psychological manipulation commonly used by sociopaths and narcissists, designed to confuse and destabilize, which leads victims to question their own perceptions of reality. (Do you feel like Trump is driving you crazy? That's the point, Carpenter says.)
Impressively, however, Carpenter has analyzed Trump's gaslighting and identified the five steps he consistently uses to do it. She then provides ample examples of how he's successfully used this formula, both as a candidate and as president, to sideline his opponents, control the narrative and advance his agenda. Trump isn't the first president to use gaslighting as a strategy -- both Richard Nixon & Bill Clinton employed it, Carpenter says -- but Trump has taken it to a whole new level.
The steps are:
1. Stake a claim: Trump stakes out political territory -- an issue or action -- that no one else is willing to occupy (and that will ensure a media frenzy), and takes over the news cycle. (Example: "President Obama was not born in the United States.")
2. Advance and deny: Trump casts the issue into the public realm and advances the story, but denies responsibility for doing so. He does this by talking about what other people are (supposedly) saying or thinking. If pressed for sources, he'll point to YouTube videos, tabloids, tweets and unverifiable Internet news stories. ("People are saying...").
3. Create suspense: Trump creates suspense by announcing to the media that more information is coming soon. (It never does.) ("We'll see..." and "In two weeks" are frequent Trump catchphrases.)
4. Discredit the opponent: Trump attacks the motives and/or personal character of anyone who challenges him, often by using demeaning nicknames ("Lyin' Ted," "Little Marco," etc.).
5. Declare victory -- under any circumstances, whether or not he's actually successful. By doing this, he effectively buries the issue.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Depressingly (but realistically), Carpenter says we're stuck with Trump and his gaslighting.
But she concludes with some welcome advice and tips on what we can do to cope (and stay sane). Just recognizing what Trump is doing (by reading this book, of course...!) is a good start.
The book is less impressive/more annoying when Carpenter's partisan colours are on display -- when she's singing the praises of Ted Cruz, for example (!), or showing her disdain for Hillary Clinton & the Democrats.
Nevertheless, this is still a worthwhile read. I gave it four stars.
Carpenter demonstrates that, while some of his opponents continue to expect Trump's outrageous lies, fabrications and conspiracy theories to bring him down, they are instead propelling his success. She's not the first to describe Trump's strategy as "gaslighting" -- a type of psychological manipulation commonly used by sociopaths and narcissists, designed to confuse and destabilize, which leads victims to question their own perceptions of reality. (Do you feel like Trump is driving you crazy? That's the point, Carpenter says.)
Impressively, however, Carpenter has analyzed Trump's gaslighting and identified the five steps he consistently uses to do it. She then provides ample examples of how he's successfully used this formula, both as a candidate and as president, to sideline his opponents, control the narrative and advance his agenda. Trump isn't the first president to use gaslighting as a strategy -- both Richard Nixon & Bill Clinton employed it, Carpenter says -- but Trump has taken it to a whole new level.
The steps are:
1. Stake a claim: Trump stakes out political territory -- an issue or action -- that no one else is willing to occupy (and that will ensure a media frenzy), and takes over the news cycle. (Example: "President Obama was not born in the United States.")
2. Advance and deny: Trump casts the issue into the public realm and advances the story, but denies responsibility for doing so. He does this by talking about what other people are (supposedly) saying or thinking. If pressed for sources, he'll point to YouTube videos, tabloids, tweets and unverifiable Internet news stories. ("People are saying...").
3. Create suspense: Trump creates suspense by announcing to the media that more information is coming soon. (It never does.) ("We'll see..." and "In two weeks" are frequent Trump catchphrases.)
4. Discredit the opponent: Trump attacks the motives and/or personal character of anyone who challenges him, often by using demeaning nicknames ("Lyin' Ted," "Little Marco," etc.).
5. Declare victory -- under any circumstances, whether or not he's actually successful. By doing this, he effectively buries the issue.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Depressingly (but realistically), Carpenter says we're stuck with Trump and his gaslighting.
Doesn't matter if he's impeached, if he's censured, or if he loses his 2020 re-election in a landslide; he's not going to go away.
Don't believe me? Close your eyes and try picturing Donald Trump going gently into retired life to spend the rest of his days quietly playing golf and enjoying his two scoops of ice cream after dinner at the country club each night. Ha! I couldn't even write that without laughing. Trump has never been content to fade into the background. There is no way, short of a straitjacket, ball gag, and padded room, that Trump is giving up the power and influence he has gained since becoming president. (pp. 185-186)
But she concludes with some welcome advice and tips on what we can do to cope (and stay sane). Just recognizing what Trump is doing (by reading this book, of course...!) is a good start.
The book is less impressive/more annoying when Carpenter's partisan colours are on display -- when she's singing the praises of Ted Cruz, for example (!), or showing her disdain for Hillary Clinton & the Democrats.
Nevertheless, this is still a worthwhile read. I gave it four stars.
February 7, 2021
Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us
[2018] is an excellent book by Amanda Carpenter. I have read several other books about the Trump Administration — including
two by Michael Wolff
— and I found this book to be much more enlightening than any of those.
Amanda Carpenter wrote her book for readers who want to learn more about the breadth and depth Donald Trump's mendacity. In it she describes in detail the former president's process for convincing his supporters that everything the mainstream media reports is "fake news," while maintaining everything he says is true — when at best the majority of his claims are what Trump's Art of the Deal ghostwriter called "truthful hyperbole" [p. 207].
I am giving Gaslighting America 5 of 5 stars because — unlike other books I have read about DJT which are more fact-based — Amanda reveals the patterns in the former president's divisive rhetoric.
In Chapter One, Birthing a President, Carpenter describes how Trump's particular brand of "Gaslighting is far more aggressive than" just lies, and details the "very specific method to his madness" [p. 15].
The author does not acknowledge that "gaslighting is a type of manipulation that takes place in one-on-one romatic relationships" [p. 185] until the book's Afterword. Instead, from the very beginning she elucidates and focuses on the somewhat more sophisticated gaslighting process that Donald Trump uses.
At the end of Chapter One, Amanda lists the specific steps that "are almost always present in his political attacks" [p. 15]. These steps are "[1] Stake a Claim.... [2] Advance and Deny.... [3] Create Suspense.... [4] Discredit the Opponent.... [and 5] Win" [p. 15, steps numbered for clarity].
The book contains many examples of how Donald used this process before and during his campaign for president. The examples include the tale of how Donald spread the birther lies about Barack Obama, stories of how Trump gaslit each of the mainstream Republican candidates for president in 2016, and a first-hand account of how he gaslighted Amanda and Ted Cruz — who was her boss at the time.
Anyone who has seen one or both of the Gaslight movies — the British version from 1940 or the American version from 1944 — will notice that DJT has enhanced the basic gaslighting technique of simply questioning a lover's perceptions. This is because, of course, he is pulling the wool over the eyes of not just one person, but an entire nation — or at a minimum the entire Republican Party.
In Donald's enhanced gaslighting process, the second step, "Advance and Deny," is the trickiest for us normal, honest people to grasp. As it turns out, one of the former president's favorite techniques is to confuse people by contradicting himself!
An example makes this much easier to understand:
Amanda explains this blatant duplicity in Chapter 10, Kayfabe, by quoting sociologist Nick Rogers, who describes how Donald's supporters resemble fans of professional wrestling. Nick asserts that "To a wrestling audience, the fake and the real coexist peacefully." [p. 130].
As anyone who has confronted a Trump supporter with facts knows, the truth doesn't matter — facts are just "fake news." Rogers explains this by stating "Kayfabe isn't merely a suspension of disbelief, it is philosophy about truth itself. It rests on the assumption that feelings are inherently more trustworthy than facts" [p. 131, emphasis added].
The book's Afterword includes suggestions for "Fireproofing." My favorite section in this part of the book contains Amanda's advice for dealing with conspiracy theorists.
The Afterword concludes with some suggestions for ways "political candidates can fireproof themselves in this new gaslit America" [p. 192]. Carpenter goes so far as to suggest that people running for office "Start gaslighting a little. No, I do not mean making up deranged stories to smear your opponents. What I mean is, take control of the narrative. That's what Trump does best." [p. 200].
The book concludes with three Appendices. In Appendix I she briefly recaps Donald's customized gaslighting process. Appendix II contains a series of quotes that demonstrate how Trump uses "hyperbole to play up his accomplishments and attack critics, often invoking the words 'never before' and 'in history' to dramatize his acts." At best these are just his opinions, and "most are demonstrably false." [p. 207].
Finally, in Appendix III, she offers a list of some quotes from Donald's "official spokespersons and media friends." She finds their efforts "to prove their loyalty to the president" make it "difficult to take [them] seriously," and her recommendation is to just "Roll your eyes .... [And] have a good chuckle" [p. 213].
I recommend Gaslighting America to all Americans who are concerned about our country's future.
Although Donald's term has ended, it is clear that he still exerts influence over many of the Republicans who remain in office. And that's not all: at this time many of those office-holders see Trump as someone worth imitating.
Indeed, Amanda explains how previous presidents Clinton and Nixon tried to gaslight the nation in Chapter 13, Bimbo Eruptions and Chapter 16, Nixon's Shadow.
So it's clear that this sort of mass deception is here to stay. The best we can do is be aware the BS is out there, learn how to detect it, and exercise due diligence in alerting others to it — without wasting time on those who ignore facts and logic, and insist on believing in unprovable conspiracy theories.
For some people, the best thing Gaslighting America offers may be a path to forgiveness. I for one find it impossible to walk around angry all the time, so being able to see the victims of what George Will called Trump's "Vesuvius of Mendacity" as lost souls gives me some peace of mind. They may be worthy of our pity, forgiveness, and prayers, but "If you take [them] seriously, you'll only spin around in dizzying logic circles until you fall flat on your face." [p. 191].
And in that vein, I recommend that you — yes YOU — read this book, for the good of our country!
Amanda Carpenter wrote her book for readers who want to learn more about the breadth and depth Donald Trump's mendacity. In it she describes in detail the former president's process for convincing his supporters that everything the mainstream media reports is "fake news," while maintaining everything he says is true — when at best the majority of his claims are what Trump's Art of the Deal ghostwriter called "truthful hyperbole" [p. 207].
I am giving Gaslighting America 5 of 5 stars because — unlike other books I have read about DJT which are more fact-based — Amanda reveals the patterns in the former president's divisive rhetoric.
In Chapter One, Birthing a President, Carpenter describes how Trump's particular brand of "Gaslighting is far more aggressive than" just lies, and details the "very specific method to his madness" [p. 15].
The author does not acknowledge that "gaslighting is a type of manipulation that takes place in one-on-one romatic relationships" [p. 185] until the book's Afterword. Instead, from the very beginning she elucidates and focuses on the somewhat more sophisticated gaslighting process that Donald Trump uses.
At the end of Chapter One, Amanda lists the specific steps that "are almost always present in his political attacks" [p. 15]. These steps are "[1] Stake a Claim.... [2] Advance and Deny.... [3] Create Suspense.... [4] Discredit the Opponent.... [and 5] Win" [p. 15, steps numbered for clarity].
The book contains many examples of how Donald used this process before and during his campaign for president. The examples include the tale of how Donald spread the birther lies about Barack Obama, stories of how Trump gaslit each of the mainstream Republican candidates for president in 2016, and a first-hand account of how he gaslighted Amanda and Ted Cruz — who was her boss at the time.
Anyone who has seen one or both of the Gaslight movies — the British version from 1940 or the American version from 1944 — will notice that DJT has enhanced the basic gaslighting technique of simply questioning a lover's perceptions. This is because, of course, he is pulling the wool over the eyes of not just one person, but an entire nation — or at a minimum the entire Republican Party.
In Donald's enhanced gaslighting process, the second step, "Advance and Deny," is the trickiest for us normal, honest people to grasp. As it turns out, one of the former president's favorite techniques is to confuse people by contradicting himself!
An example makes this much easier to understand:
If you didn't know that advancing and denying a narrative at the same time was one of Trump's staple techniques, you would think that a statement he made on March 14 to be strange [sic]. "The press is now calling, they're saying, 'Oh, but there's such violence.' There's no violence," Trump said before hedging a bit. "You know how many people have been hurt at our rallies? I think like, basically none, other than I guess maybe somebody got hit once or something. But there's no violence." Yes, someone maybe got hit, but no violence, no!
— From Gaslighting America, by Amanda Carpenter, 2018, p. 112.
Amanda explains this blatant duplicity in Chapter 10, Kayfabe, by quoting sociologist Nick Rogers, who describes how Donald's supporters resemble fans of professional wrestling. Nick asserts that "To a wrestling audience, the fake and the real coexist peacefully." [p. 130].
As anyone who has confronted a Trump supporter with facts knows, the truth doesn't matter — facts are just "fake news." Rogers explains this by stating "Kayfabe isn't merely a suspension of disbelief, it is philosophy about truth itself. It rests on the assumption that feelings are inherently more trustworthy than facts" [p. 131, emphasis added].
The book's Afterword includes suggestions for "Fireproofing." My favorite section in this part of the book contains Amanda's advice for dealing with conspiracy theorists.
One question can determine whether you are dealing with either a conspiracy theorist or someone who may be able to explain some questionable phenomena: "What evidence would prove this isn't true?" If the answer is nothing, back away slowly. You're dealing with a full-blown conspiracy theorist! There's no use in the conversation aside from the entertainment value. If you take it seriously, you'll only spin around in dizzying logic circles until you fall flat on your face.
— From Gaslighting America, by Amanda Carpenter, 2018, p. 191.
The Afterword concludes with some suggestions for ways "political candidates can fireproof themselves in this new gaslit America" [p. 192]. Carpenter goes so far as to suggest that people running for office "Start gaslighting a little. No, I do not mean making up deranged stories to smear your opponents. What I mean is, take control of the narrative. That's what Trump does best." [p. 200].
The book concludes with three Appendices. In Appendix I she briefly recaps Donald's customized gaslighting process. Appendix II contains a series of quotes that demonstrate how Trump uses "hyperbole to play up his accomplishments and attack critics, often invoking the words 'never before' and 'in history' to dramatize his acts." At best these are just his opinions, and "most are demonstrably false." [p. 207].
Finally, in Appendix III, she offers a list of some quotes from Donald's "official spokespersons and media friends." She finds their efforts "to prove their loyalty to the president" make it "difficult to take [them] seriously," and her recommendation is to just "Roll your eyes .... [And] have a good chuckle" [p. 213].
I recommend Gaslighting America to all Americans who are concerned about our country's future.
Although Donald's term has ended, it is clear that he still exerts influence over many of the Republicans who remain in office. And that's not all: at this time many of those office-holders see Trump as someone worth imitating.
Indeed, Amanda explains how previous presidents Clinton and Nixon tried to gaslight the nation in Chapter 13, Bimbo Eruptions and Chapter 16, Nixon's Shadow.
So it's clear that this sort of mass deception is here to stay. The best we can do is be aware the BS is out there, learn how to detect it, and exercise due diligence in alerting others to it — without wasting time on those who ignore facts and logic, and insist on believing in unprovable conspiracy theories.
For some people, the best thing Gaslighting America offers may be a path to forgiveness. I for one find it impossible to walk around angry all the time, so being able to see the victims of what George Will called Trump's "Vesuvius of Mendacity" as lost souls gives me some peace of mind. They may be worthy of our pity, forgiveness, and prayers, but "If you take [them] seriously, you'll only spin around in dizzying logic circles until you fall flat on your face." [p. 191].
And in that vein, I recommend that you — yes YOU — read this book, for the good of our country!
May 29, 2018
This book is really insightful for life in general. A lot of information that can apply to everyday life about this technique that happened to me when I did not fully understand it. Gives a lot of general insight on how dishonest, unkind, dishonorable people operate. It also explains the tricks politicians and their spokespeople use for unscrupulous purposes.
May 9, 2018
I started reading Gaslighting after seeing an interview with the author. Amanda Carpenter is a good American and a good Republican. She offers great insights to help people like me, an ex-Republican who doesn't like or recognize the Trumpian party that calls itself Republican. I recommend this book to all Americans.
November 15, 2021
This book has one purported purpose and, I think, one hidden purpose. It claims to be simply an educational exposé of Donald Trump's method of creating misinformation to boost his popularity--particularly the creation of phony issues that often are an embellishment of trending lying statements from popular extremist far right sources. She implies (but does not say) that her motive is to inoculate her readers from being conned. Carpenter repeats what she says are Trump's 5 stages of inventing and exploiting a bogus "issue", in three separate locations of her book. It appears that she wants her readers to memorize this info.
She also expresses her objections to Trump's character and implies that this is her motivation for writing "Gaslighting...". She is clear that she is vehemently anti-choice, but only includes that fact in the background she gives to her readers about herself, and does not say that this belief is why she wishes to expose Trump's methods. At one point she also describes "freedom" as the right for people to accumulate as much wealth as they can and use it as they wish, without mentioning any reservations whatsoever.
Since she is an veteran political operative, I believe she knows that liberal and other left-leaning operatives and politicians would feel it would be a sin against democracy to themselves use Trump's 5-step program to profit from disinformation. I think the hidden motive for her book is that she also knows that socially conservative Republicans, like herself, on the other hand, would feel that their higher purpose would justify adapting Trump's methods for what she believes is their own, more moral goals. I think the main aim of her book is to train politicians who share her views in the use of an effective weapon.
Of course I can only read between the lines for this interpretation, but I profoundly distrust people in the political world who at the same time they equate abortion with murder, don't feel preventing actual born children from starving is government's business.
She also expresses her objections to Trump's character and implies that this is her motivation for writing "Gaslighting...". She is clear that she is vehemently anti-choice, but only includes that fact in the background she gives to her readers about herself, and does not say that this belief is why she wishes to expose Trump's methods. At one point she also describes "freedom" as the right for people to accumulate as much wealth as they can and use it as they wish, without mentioning any reservations whatsoever.
Since she is an veteran political operative, I believe she knows that liberal and other left-leaning operatives and politicians would feel it would be a sin against democracy to themselves use Trump's 5-step program to profit from disinformation. I think the hidden motive for her book is that she also knows that socially conservative Republicans, like herself, on the other hand, would feel that their higher purpose would justify adapting Trump's methods for what she believes is their own, more moral goals. I think the main aim of her book is to train politicians who share her views in the use of an effective weapon.
Of course I can only read between the lines for this interpretation, but I profoundly distrust people in the political world who at the same time they equate abortion with murder, don't feel preventing actual born children from starving is government's business.
December 12, 2020
If you can ignore the author's misinformation and obvious distaste for the Democratic party, she does have some valid insights regarding Trump and his methods for gaslighting the American public. Other than that, it was a bore slugging through this book. Definitely not one of my better reads this year.
July 18, 2019
I am just finished reading this book by Amanda Carpenter, on the day that Trump is heading to North Carolina, after his racist tweets regarding four American congresswomen on the weekend. As he was leaving to his helicopter to take him to the "faithful", he began step one of gaslighting against Congresswoman Omar...answering a question about a "rumour" that Omar had been married to her brother. He said something to the effect of "no, I don't know anything about that", but Step 1 is now out in the open. He will be sure to be tweeting about this, and I hope that Omar will not fall into this trap.
Besides a few minor personal details which did not enhance the book...details of her personal life, and her 2 "babies", how she and her husband were heading to a fast food joint and Home Depot when she got a call to return to CNN, plus the overly sweet dedication to said husband and babies for allowing her to write this book, continue on her career (I think she probably should have dedicated this book to the children's nanny), this was a well written, well researched and good book. She outlines the steps in "gaslighting", which are very interesting, and shows how this has been used over and over, not only in the Trump campaign but also in this "presidency". This certainly was not an amateurish book like "Team of vipers", there was no ad nauseum name dropping. She did make sure to reinforce her conservative Republican views at the beginning of the book, discussing Democratic failures, abortion, and the unnecessary fact that she goes to church. But then she takes on the topic of gaslighting thoroughly. Read the Appendix also...because you will remember all these things that Trump and his campaign cronies have said or done. A clear, concise and well written book.
Besides a few minor personal details which did not enhance the book...details of her personal life, and her 2 "babies", how she and her husband were heading to a fast food joint and Home Depot when she got a call to return to CNN, plus the overly sweet dedication to said husband and babies for allowing her to write this book, continue on her career (I think she probably should have dedicated this book to the children's nanny), this was a well written, well researched and good book. She outlines the steps in "gaslighting", which are very interesting, and shows how this has been used over and over, not only in the Trump campaign but also in this "presidency". This certainly was not an amateurish book like "Team of vipers", there was no ad nauseum name dropping. She did make sure to reinforce her conservative Republican views at the beginning of the book, discussing Democratic failures, abortion, and the unnecessary fact that she goes to church. But then she takes on the topic of gaslighting thoroughly. Read the Appendix also...because you will remember all these things that Trump and his campaign cronies have said or done. A clear, concise and well written book.
January 7, 2020
While this was written by a Republican media person to illustrate and explain the process Dumbtruck uses to get his way while getting away with everything short of outright direct murder, Carpenter is still a Republican, who still works for Republicans, who still suck DT's dick. Let's not waste any effort on feeling sorry for her. This will save you a lot of rehashed examples of DT's mental illness.
Here are the five steps of DT's system he stumbled into over the years:
1. Stake a claim. Say or do something totally stupid.
2. Advance and deny. Throw it out there and see what sticks, but do not take responsibility in any form. "Websites say..."
3. Create suspense. "In the next weeks, evidence will show..."
4. Discredit the opponent. Attack the motives and personal character of critics.
5. Win. Declare victory, no matter what happens.
Pick any fucked up thing the idiot has said or done, then think back through the progress of the story... and there you go. That's mainly what this book does.
So, what can candidates do?
1. Talk and act like real people.
2. Talk big. Be fresh. Sell the dream.
3. Get people talking.
4. Plan some surprises.
5. Fight back.
6. Go all in.
What can people do?
The test for all conspiracy theories is "falsifiability." What makes these looney ideas successful is that there is no way to prove them false. Ask: "What evidence would prove that this is not true?" This is a basic process in science... which those same idiots constantly deny. This is another weakness of the book. Those same idiots she continues to work for are the least likely to understand or accept this basic concept.
Here are the five steps of DT's system he stumbled into over the years:
1. Stake a claim. Say or do something totally stupid.
2. Advance and deny. Throw it out there and see what sticks, but do not take responsibility in any form. "Websites say..."
3. Create suspense. "In the next weeks, evidence will show..."
4. Discredit the opponent. Attack the motives and personal character of critics.
5. Win. Declare victory, no matter what happens.
Pick any fucked up thing the idiot has said or done, then think back through the progress of the story... and there you go. That's mainly what this book does.
So, what can candidates do?
1. Talk and act like real people.
2. Talk big. Be fresh. Sell the dream.
3. Get people talking.
4. Plan some surprises.
5. Fight back.
6. Go all in.
What can people do?
The test for all conspiracy theories is "falsifiability." What makes these looney ideas successful is that there is no way to prove them false. Ask: "What evidence would prove that this is not true?" This is a basic process in science... which those same idiots constantly deny. This is another weakness of the book. Those same idiots she continues to work for are the least likely to understand or accept this basic concept.
July 8, 2022
"Facts, not feelings, are essential to a good gaslighting." Given that Carpenter worked for Ted Cruz, I put off reading this book for a long time (and rolled my eyes at the digs she manages to get in about Clinton). But she does a great job outlining Trump's bombastic, divisive, lying approach to politics that took him straight to the White House. I also enjoyed being reminded of all the sycophants who lapped up, defended and repeated his racist rhetoric and lies because I like holding grudges.
It's interesting to reflect on how completely unprepared the Democrats, Republican rivals, and the media were to address his style - all thinking that those tactics would sink his chances, rather than take hold with a specific type of voter. And now that the cat's out of the bag and we have more politicians following that pattern, I don't believe any of those groups have learned how to engage in this format. And we're all worse for it.
I wish Carpenter had spent more time investigating/highlighting Roger Stone & Steve Bannon's role in creating Trump's messaging. Sure he's the mouthpiece, but I don't think he's smart enough to have tapped into that zeitgeist on his own and the book would be stronger if she spent even a bit of time on those two. Especially since she covers Nixon for a bit at the end, and Stone had a role there as well.
It's interesting to reflect on how completely unprepared the Democrats, Republican rivals, and the media were to address his style - all thinking that those tactics would sink his chances, rather than take hold with a specific type of voter. And now that the cat's out of the bag and we have more politicians following that pattern, I don't believe any of those groups have learned how to engage in this format. And we're all worse for it.
I wish Carpenter had spent more time investigating/highlighting Roger Stone & Steve Bannon's role in creating Trump's messaging. Sure he's the mouthpiece, but I don't think he's smart enough to have tapped into that zeitgeist on his own and the book would be stronger if she spent even a bit of time on those two. Especially since she covers Nixon for a bit at the end, and Stone had a role there as well.
Read
September 14, 2020Of more than 6 books I've read on Trump, this one is the one I like the most. Written by a republican journalist, she puts her finger right on the man's conduct in life. She brakes gaslighting into five steps. Step One: The very first thing he does is stake a claim over political terrain other candidates consider risky but has a lot of potential. Step Two: slyly both advances and denies the very claim he has staked out in Step One.He advances the narrative without committing himself to it. Gear up the presses! He rarely tells an outright lie. When pressed, he avoids specifics but keeps everyone chattering away with speculation on the topic. Step Three: He creates suspense to keep the media’s interest in him and the subject. Trump promises evidence would come out “soon” to support his inquiries. Step Four: the discrediting. Step Five: the victory; to tell the world that the single most defining issue of his political career-to-be was someone
else’s mishap that he fixed. Very conning.
else’s mishap that he fixed. Very conning.
July 28, 2021
This is a book of opinion and analysis, so perhaps it's not fair to expect objectivity, but still: it's galling to have a book about Trump gaslighting America to be an exercise in the author gaslighting her readers, but that's what much of the first part of the book is, and I struggled to get through this, having to actually set aside the book for a time as I let my frustration simmer down. Thankfully, the second half of the book is much stronger, as she takes apart and analyzes Trump's gaslighting techniques, with numerous examples. I felt most of this analysis was spot-on, and helpful. It would have been even more helpful if she'd taken a closer look at the entire recent history of the Republican party and how it has increasingly become more comfortable with disinformation, lies, and conspiracy theories, a trend for which Trump was just the worst manifestation. This was a useful book, but extremely aggravating.
August 14, 2019
There are so many books being spun out of the Trump presidency. Some are a waste of time. Amanda Carpenter's is not. I believe this book is an important one to read. It provides further background to the history of the 2016 US election and the Trump presidency from an insider's perspective. It is thought provoking and lays out a reasonable analysis of the methodical steps Trump uses to lie and manipulate the American people for his own personal benefit. And it ends by saying Trump and his gaslighting will not disappear even if he loses office! So, we need to get use to it. Her prescription is that we need to understand his gaslighting methods for what they are, and learn how to respond or ignore. I recommend reading this book.
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