He Started It!: My Twitter War with Trump

by Danny Zuker

In 2013, Donald Trump got involved in his first sustained Twitter War. Unfortunately for Trump, in this endeavor as in so very many others, he was not up to the task. If you’re someone with no discernible sense of humor – someone for whom ridicule is like Kryptonite – a professional comedy writer would not be an ideal opponent with whom to engage. He Started It!: My Twitter War with Trump is the complete record (with commentary) of Donald Trump’s hilarious three-month-long delusion that he was outwitting Danny Zuker. Introduction by Paul Slansky.

Genres: Humor, Politics, Nonfiction

94 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2018

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars (mostly because I admire that all profits will go to charity) for He Started It!: My Twitter War with Trump. This is a quick read that is part funny and part very sad.

In 2013, Danny Zuker found himself caught up in a twitter war with the then reality tv star, Mr. Trump. The book opens with a brief introduction about how the twitter war came to be, and then moves along to display the actual tweets that made up the twitter war along with brief bits of amusing commentary -- I definitely laughed out loud a few times. On the other hand, I was left feeling terribly sad that this is what our public discourse has become.

Overall, this is a VERY short book but will appeal to those who find such things amusing. The price tag would normally seem a bit high to me for such a short tome, but since all profits are going to charities that need assistance, I might just end up scooping up a couple of these as Christmas gifts.

PROFITS GO TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD, RAICES (the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) and the WORLD WILDLIFE FUND.

Thank you to NetGalley and Griffith Moon Publishing for providing me with a DRC of this book.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was equal parts funny and terrifying.
I adore the fact that he made this in order to donate all profits to charities that got screwed by Trump.
That is truly winning.

Thank you NetGalley and Griffith Moon Publishing for this early copy.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

He Started It!: My Twitter War with Trump by Danny Zuker is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. This is a entertaining and sad book! Very entertaining because Zucker wipes the floor with tRump and tRump doesn't have a clue! The exchanges between them is childish, and it is meant to be from Zucker's view to bait tRump and it works every time!
It is sad because tRump is suppose to be our leader! Really? A childish buffoon that tweets these things? Lol!
I had some giggles, tried not to think about the leader of the USA part and just let myself enjoy!
The sales of the book goes to three agencies that tRump is trying to destroy now... So I hope tRump sees the sales and tweets! It will just increase the sales!

[Books & Vodka Sodas · Rating 5 out of 5]

clever, funny, and i donated to charity...

This was a hilarious timeline of one persons outing of donald trump. i was reading this at work while on an overnight shift, reading it out loud and we all were laughing until we hurt. Not only was this funny -- but it was horrifying just like the author intended. it wasn't long and that's okay. why? because it gave us a base as to what america has become, and how we allowed the rage virus to take over middle america. please give us back some sanity! I'm just glad there are people like zuker still around and relevant enough to fight for us.

[David Rush · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's fine book, it's a good book. And I agree with most of the other reviews, in that is definitely a quick read. And I'm all for proceeds going to charities, although I got my copy free from Netgalley.

That said, it is exactly what you would expect. Trump tweets something stupid and Zuker has some pretty good zingers. It is just that by the end the funny stuff is outweighed by the sadness that these tweets really show what Trump is like, and that he is our president. SAD!

[Chris Roberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

In ordinariness live and die this Twitter,
Twitter is an overly obvious construct,
less the oceanfront view,
Twitter depopulates continental cultures,
mine stripping the globe,
social media or user as mathematical oddity,
disengage, rearrange your time and breathe for sanity.

To the idiotic author:

In order for the comedian to top all others,
to raise the craft,
he must vacillate between first and sixth realities.

Learn it, live it, pops.

#comedy #poem #socialmedia

Chris Roberts, God Suddenly

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

| Reader Fox Blog |


He Started It! by Danny Zuker is a short and quick read that basically amounts to a horror story and a comedy all rolled into one. The unfortunate piece Presents itself in the fact that the nightmare is real and none of us can really wake up from it while the humorous pieces sadly only serve to exacerbate the horrifying nature of it all. Zuker is a man with a hilarious, yet truly distressing account of the current trash that is warming up a seat in the Oval Office. His book, He Started It! depressingly reveals a number of key facets to the personality of the man currently attempting (and failing miserably) to run the country of the United States via a variety of tweets between him and the author.

Had this despicable narcissist not been elected as President, I imagine this book would have been a lot more amusing and a lot less terrifying. I always thought Donald Trump was a joke, continued to think it as he announced his candidacy, and was horrified by it when my idiot father suddenly told me that he supported him. There is truly no greater feeling of dejection than realizing that the racist, sexist, homophobic narcissist was actually being taken seriously.

This book is mainly just a collection of tweets between Danny Zuker and Donald Trump in which Zuker regularly calls out to Trump’s low self-esteem and incessant need for complimentary approval. It reveals truths about the President even as his everyday tweets continue to reveal them now. With commentaries from Zuker throughout, you get a real sense of what was important to Donald Trump, the fact that his lying certainly didn’t start with his run for President, and a deep look into his deeply unstable mental state.

But the best part about He Started It! is the fact that Zuker is donating all proceeds from this book to wonderful and exceedingly important organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, and World Wildlife Fund all that have been hurt by Trump and his administration in their goals to destroy the country (and quite possibly the world). And that alone is a reason to buy this book. We’ve got to resist Trump as much as we can and I truly could not thank Zuker more for his efforts.

I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Thomas Tyrer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The proceeds from this small book go to good causes that the Trump administration would otherwise decimate, but that's about the only value it creates. It's predictably narcissistic, arrogant and petty, but regrettably, that's true of both sides. From one of the writer-producers of "Modern Family," the former comedy now gone all-too-PC, this brief interchange is nothing but a pissing contest between an idiot poseur who somehow became president and way-too-precious liberal constantly patting himself on the back for a 140-character or less insult. Waste of (little) time and money is better spent/donated elsewhere.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having missed Danny Zuker's Twitter war with Trump - and, apparently, being a glutton for punishment - I thought I'd give this a go. It's very short, light, and ultimately unsatisfying - mostly because Trump constantly reveals himself to be an idiot, was still somehow elected, and continues to remain in office despite having the temperament of a petulant child.

It's a quick, fun little read - but also depressing.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book>. Rated 2.0 of 5

While I would very much like to keep politics out of this blog (and this review), that's going to be a little difficult with the reviewing of this book.

First I feel as though I need to note that I am not a fan of Donald Trump. Not his politics, not his behavior, not his tweets. In fact, I requested this book hoping to get a few laughs and to see him brought down to size a bit.

I say this because I didn't enjoy this book and I don't want it presumed that I'm simply a crazed fan of the POTUS and trying to enact some strange revenge. No ... I just didn't like the book.

This book, featuring mostly just the actual twitter exchange between the POTUS and a Hollywood writer, really doesn't have much meat to it at all.

I feel as though there isn't much of the Twitter war here at all, but rather just select bits of the longer Twitter battle. If that's not the case, then this "Twitter War" has been REALLY exaggerated.

Danny Zuker, the Tweets author, explains his intentions in the tweets and how Trump is clearly stymied by Zuker's wit. And it's a good thing he explains how he manages to 'zing' Trump because honestly, I'm not sure I'd get them all. Which suggests to me that Zuker is as enamored with himself and his own wit as Trump is with his.

Let's face it ... Trump is not a smart man. He's a bully and a liar (I base this on his public behavior) he believes the truth is whatever is said the loudest and most often.

But he 'wins' this twitter war because he managed to engage someone. And, sorry Zuker, telling someone that you are not responding to their requests is a response. It's a childish, school-child response, but it still is a response.

And that's really all this is - a school-yard brawl with abbreviated words. The more intelligent person thinks they win because they are smarter and quicker-witted and use better words. The bully thinks he wins because he has gotten attention and engaged someone to go toe to toe with him - and because he's less intelligent, he doesn't know when he's beaten. In the end, we all lose because the rest of us wasted our time watching it.

I like that the proceeds from this book go to funding programs that Trump has cut, but I really wish I could recommend this book so that it would raise more money. Unfortunately it's just a pissing contest that isn't very exciting to watch.

Looking for a good book? He Started It!: My Twitter War with Trump by Danny Zuker contains some of the public tweets he and Donald Trump exchanged over a few years. Once was bad enough ... we have to experience them again and again?

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hilarious!! A laugh out loud, actual account of Twitter exchanges......from who would eventually become President of the USA! Totally amazing.....(actually might be kind of scary, if one thinks about it....) If you're not laughing as you're reading this, you're probably shaking your head in wonder/amazement that this person actually typed those words for public viewing..... I was alternately shaking my head & laughing out loud thru out this book! Every part of this book is worth the read, from the dedication & preface to the epilogue & the acknowledgments..... & all proceeds from the sale of the book goes to great causes....... Yep......5 stars!
I received this e-book from NetGalley & Griffith Moon Publishing, in return for reading it & offering my own honest review.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quick read about the tweets between the author and Donald Trump. Basically, it is what we have come to expect from Trump, insults, bullying, etc. Some of the author's tweets were funny, some from Trump were sad. Just their Twitter exchange in one place. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Although I received the book in this manner, it did not effect my opinion of this book nor my review.

[Taira Meadowcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

This caught my eye at the public library and oh boy, am I glad it did. Danny Zucker relays his famous twitter war with Donald Trump and donates all the proceeds to charity. I may have to buy a copy of this because of the hilarious commentary and how much he basically takes down the idiot Donald Trump everyone should read this super quick book.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read and funny

Had to read the book after I saw Danny tweet once Donald was permanently banned from Twitter. I never knew of their Twitter fued but this is well worth the read!

[Lee Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!

A quick read that will have you laughing hysterically with every turn of the page! Slansky and Zuker never disappoint.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why did I pick this up? Pure curiosity.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hysterical!!!!!!!!!

[Cristine Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny little book of Twitter Treats with you can probably guest with you know WHO!!!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny! It has all the best words.... check that, it has all best HILARIOUS words.

[Sarah Hadd · Rating 5 out of 5]

How?? How has the last 3ish years actually happened? How?!? 😆😆😆

[Needer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psychology and sociology students will be reading and discussing this book for generations. I'm sure there will be more than a few PhD dissertations written about it over the years.

[Bram Macgregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an archive of Trumps first twitter war, from his victim, comedian “Danny Zucker”

It’s just the tweets with occasional commentary blurbs from Zucker and his editor. You can read it in 15 minutes.

[Jackie Lantern · Rating 1 out of 5]

“He started it!” is the very thing we tell children not to say when they deflect from accepting responsibility for their poor choices. People in life will always start things with you, but true character is not responding to every provocation that exists, real or imagined. I think the author dost protest too much, as he is laughing all the way to the bank while lavishing in the attention that attacking the president affords people nowadays.

[Sayo -bibliotequeish- · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast read. It documents the Donald Trump, Danny Zuker "twitter war"
Essentially this is exactly what you can find online but bundled up nicely in an easy to read format.
Usually I would chalk this kind of book up to a cash grab, but 100% of the proceeds from this book, are going to charity.
This book is good for a few laughs.

[Andrea Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

*deep inhale* OK, ladies and gents. Here we go. I will admit that I LOVE seeing any example, instance, etc. of Trump getting taken down a notch and there have been so many wonderful, poignant comebacks that have been fired at the President since he's taken office. So I was thrilled to see this work on the NetGalley request list and immediately put myself down for a copy. I thought the book was going to be filled with zingers and "OH DAMN!"s but let me tell you folks, it was not to be. One of the things that really got under my skin and made me frustrated at this work is that Zuker continuously claims that his tweets are more informed, more educated, that taking down Trump is only "too easy", and that Trump defaults to petty insults when he's caught in a lie. And while Trump can be seen floundering and throwing around school-age insults, Zuker is NO better. His "zingers" are basically along the same lines as, "Yeah, but you're stupid and you have no friends." He cites his many followers compared to Trump and rarely makes a comeback that I would deem "mature and well-informed." Frequently throughout this work I felt that Zuker was at the same playing level as Trump and that it was two rather immature men trying to one-up another. For example, Zuker brings up "the deal" that Trump offers him. He states in the work that he knew the best way to piss Trump off would be to ignore "the deal" and never refer to it. Guess what he immediately does? Talks about "the deal". And brings it up just as many times as Trump does. *sigh*

Nonetheless, I appreciate Zuker challenging Trump and throwing his lies back in his face. I think it's a good work to see Trump's Twitter account in the early years and to show that he's just as immature as he's always been. I also think it's a wonderful idea that all the proceeds from this book will be going to charities that support causes that Trump has tried to undermine since he's been president. It's for that reason that I will definitely purchase a copy for our Library but the true zingers that I was hoping for were just not there.

[TheOtherJessyca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick fun read, that was hilarious. I love that the proceeds from this book go to charity. Not only was it great to read but even better that it goes for a good cause. Enjoyable and recommended.