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Trump's Enemies: How the Deep State Is Undermining the Presidency
Now available in paperback, the New York Times bestseller that reveals the shocking truth about President Trump's enemies.
The assault on the 45th president began immediately following Donald J. Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election. It was then that Democrats concocted the absurd story of Russian spies and international plots as an excuse for Hillary's humiliating defeat.
It was in those early days, too, during the presidential transition, when enemies of Donald Trump began to tunnel their way into the White House with the intent to undermine the president and subvert his agenda.
Perhaps there are no two people better to tell what is certain to be the story of our lifetime than Corey R. Lewandowski and David N. Bossie. The guys in the room who brought you the bestselling account of the 2016 Donald J. Trump for President campaign, Let Trump Be Trump , Lewandowski and Bossie now offer a first-hand account of what is, perhaps, the battle for the life of our very democracy.
Using unparalleled, behind-the-scenes sourcing from inside the White House and on Capitol Hill, and access to the president and other key players, Trump's Enemies offers a look deep into the forces aligned against the president.
Lewandowski and Bossie were present in Trump Tower and at Bedminster during the presidential transition and saw the events that gave root to the unelected "resistance" in the White House today. Bossie was witness to the moment the fake Russia investigation was enacted by James Comey, who legitimized the phony "Steele dossier" by presenting it to the new president-elect. A close confidant of the president, Lewandowski knows what goes on behind the West Wing walls as well as anyone.
But Trump's Enemies is also the story of how President Trump is fighting back. In the face of a gale of media disinformation and the looming black cloud of Mueller's politically motivated investigation, President Trump has still managed to accomplish more than any of his predecessor in the short time he's been in office.
Often traveling with the president on Air Force One to rallies around the country, Lewandowski and Bossie tell, as no one else can, the story of Donald Trump bringing his message to the people who are the only ones who should decide the future of his presidency-the American voters.
The assault on the 45th president began immediately following Donald J. Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election. It was then that Democrats concocted the absurd story of Russian spies and international plots as an excuse for Hillary's humiliating defeat.
It was in those early days, too, during the presidential transition, when enemies of Donald Trump began to tunnel their way into the White House with the intent to undermine the president and subvert his agenda.
Perhaps there are no two people better to tell what is certain to be the story of our lifetime than Corey R. Lewandowski and David N. Bossie. The guys in the room who brought you the bestselling account of the 2016 Donald J. Trump for President campaign, Let Trump Be Trump , Lewandowski and Bossie now offer a first-hand account of what is, perhaps, the battle for the life of our very democracy.
Using unparalleled, behind-the-scenes sourcing from inside the White House and on Capitol Hill, and access to the president and other key players, Trump's Enemies offers a look deep into the forces aligned against the president.
Lewandowski and Bossie were present in Trump Tower and at Bedminster during the presidential transition and saw the events that gave root to the unelected "resistance" in the White House today. Bossie was witness to the moment the fake Russia investigation was enacted by James Comey, who legitimized the phony "Steele dossier" by presenting it to the new president-elect. A close confidant of the president, Lewandowski knows what goes on behind the West Wing walls as well as anyone.
But Trump's Enemies is also the story of how President Trump is fighting back. In the face of a gale of media disinformation and the looming black cloud of Mueller's politically motivated investigation, President Trump has still managed to accomplish more than any of his predecessor in the short time he's been in office.
Often traveling with the president on Air Force One to rallies around the country, Lewandowski and Bossie tell, as no one else can, the story of Donald Trump bringing his message to the people who are the only ones who should decide the future of his presidency-the American voters.
288 pages, Paperback
Published December 3, 2019
131 people are currently reading
758 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 5, 2019
I did not expect to start 2019 with the worst book I've read in three years, but here I am.
Childish and churlish, at worst the book reads like one of those ridiculous tellin' it like it is dashboard cellphone rants you see on Facebook. At best, it reads like Hannity's greatest hits. With all the obfuscation, logical fallacy, conspiracy, and accoutrement from both.
It assumes the reader is dumb enough to believe its yarn and doesn't allow for much opportunity to fact check along the way, as the writers conveniently avoid footnotes or other citations throughout. Normally a book of this nature has an extensive notes section; here in its place is a list of accomplishments. But it is difficult to spend a significant portion of the book attacking the paper of record and other outlets and then cite them as sources.
The book has little reason to exist. If you believe what it says, you've heard it before and this is just further confirmation. And even if you don't, you also have heard it before. In either case the only thing missing is the slavish salivating and love lavished on 45 by Dobbs or that Wohl imbecile on Twitter.
Childish and churlish, at worst the book reads like one of those ridiculous tellin' it like it is dashboard cellphone rants you see on Facebook. At best, it reads like Hannity's greatest hits. With all the obfuscation, logical fallacy, conspiracy, and accoutrement from both.
It assumes the reader is dumb enough to believe its yarn and doesn't allow for much opportunity to fact check along the way, as the writers conveniently avoid footnotes or other citations throughout. Normally a book of this nature has an extensive notes section; here in its place is a list of accomplishments. But it is difficult to spend a significant portion of the book attacking the paper of record and other outlets and then cite them as sources.
The book has little reason to exist. If you believe what it says, you've heard it before and this is just further confirmation. And even if you don't, you also have heard it before. In either case the only thing missing is the slavish salivating and love lavished on 45 by Dobbs or that Wohl imbecile on Twitter.
December 7, 2018
Great book. It's amazing to read how events portrayed by those involved in those events differ so astoundingly from the way the media portrays those same events.
noway-josé
November 25, 2018tick-tock 
December 15, 2018
A Nest of Vipers
In this account by people who have been close to Donald Trump during the campaign and after he became President we are informed about how from the start agents of the" Deep State," have worked to undermine his presidency. But also we are told some things about Trump himself that will never be covered by the drive by media, and at the end we have a list of the accomplishments of his administration up to the date of writing. I highly recommend this book to supporters and detractors of President Donald J. Trump.
In this account by people who have been close to Donald Trump during the campaign and after he became President we are informed about how from the start agents of the" Deep State," have worked to undermine his presidency. But also we are told some things about Trump himself that will never be covered by the drive by media, and at the end we have a list of the accomplishments of his administration up to the date of writing. I highly recommend this book to supporters and detractors of President Donald J. Trump.
July 9, 2020
If you want a pro-Trump account of the first couple years of his presidency written in such a way that it reads like the friendly analysis one can find on Trump Twitter, this book is definitely for you. It must say that this book didn't strike me as being particularly informative in the sense of telling me what I didn't already know, but someone who was not as well versed in the Twitterverse would likely find some of this information to be new and the interview with Trump that occurs towards the end of this book is funny and entirely in character. The authors have a philosophy that Trump should be left to be himself and that accounts for their benign view of his efforts to attack the bureaucrats of Washington DC and their respect for those who have the stomach for institutional warfare rather than simply getting along to get along. This view is not going to be universal, but as I encounter a fair amount of people online who I get along and generally agree with who espouse precisely this view, I have to say it is an easy one to appreciate for me at least.
This book is between 250 and 300 pages and is divided into eighteen chapters. The authors begin with a cast of characters which includes some humorous attempts at people trying to become president whose campaigns failed. The authors discuss the president (1), a dinner at Cambridge that started the phony Steele dossier (2) and the awkwardness of the handoff of the presidency (3). After that there is a discussion about the phoniness of the Steele dossier (4), the efforts of people to dig up dirt on the president (5), and the crossfire problems (6). There is a discussion of the abuse of surveillance when Obama's team spied on the Trump campaign (7), the nature of fake support after the election (8) and the inside nature of the opposition to Trump within the bureaucracy (9). There is a look at the west wing (10), the discussion of Trump's enemies in congress (11) and a discussion of the administrative state (12), after which there is an entertaining interview with the president that sounds exactly like a conversation one would have with him. After that there is a look at fake news (13), the coordination of leaks (14) and the Mueller report (15). The book then ends with a discussion of the IG report (16), pleas and verdicts (17) that don't mean much, and then a discussion of Trump's success against all odds (18), after which there is an accomplishment, acknowledgements, and some information about the authors.
What does it take to be Trump's enemy. The authors make a pretty convincing case, admittedly easy because of my own first hand experience with the Left, that there are a great many people in the bureaucracy who think that they are better fit to decide what the United States should do than the president and who attempt to thwart the interests of the president. If Trump is definitely not a micromanager, it is clear that he was harmed by a great deal of people seeking to jump in on the chance for offices who did not in any way agree with the president's program. And the authors point out, at least implicitly, that there are negatives to being an insurgent campaign that does not have a lot of understanding or a large infrastructure in that it is hard to vet enough people to have reliable folks in charge of cabinet positions or various offices and departments. This is something worth considering and pondering because there is a great deal of intrigue when it comes to dealing with the problem of trust. And trust is always a big problem, certainly in the Trump administration and in our world at large.
This book is between 250 and 300 pages and is divided into eighteen chapters. The authors begin with a cast of characters which includes some humorous attempts at people trying to become president whose campaigns failed. The authors discuss the president (1), a dinner at Cambridge that started the phony Steele dossier (2) and the awkwardness of the handoff of the presidency (3). After that there is a discussion about the phoniness of the Steele dossier (4), the efforts of people to dig up dirt on the president (5), and the crossfire problems (6). There is a discussion of the abuse of surveillance when Obama's team spied on the Trump campaign (7), the nature of fake support after the election (8) and the inside nature of the opposition to Trump within the bureaucracy (9). There is a look at the west wing (10), the discussion of Trump's enemies in congress (11) and a discussion of the administrative state (12), after which there is an entertaining interview with the president that sounds exactly like a conversation one would have with him. After that there is a look at fake news (13), the coordination of leaks (14) and the Mueller report (15). The book then ends with a discussion of the IG report (16), pleas and verdicts (17) that don't mean much, and then a discussion of Trump's success against all odds (18), after which there is an accomplishment, acknowledgements, and some information about the authors.
What does it take to be Trump's enemy. The authors make a pretty convincing case, admittedly easy because of my own first hand experience with the Left, that there are a great many people in the bureaucracy who think that they are better fit to decide what the United States should do than the president and who attempt to thwart the interests of the president. If Trump is definitely not a micromanager, it is clear that he was harmed by a great deal of people seeking to jump in on the chance for offices who did not in any way agree with the president's program. And the authors point out, at least implicitly, that there are negatives to being an insurgent campaign that does not have a lot of understanding or a large infrastructure in that it is hard to vet enough people to have reliable folks in charge of cabinet positions or various offices and departments. This is something worth considering and pondering because there is a great deal of intrigue when it comes to dealing with the problem of trust. And trust is always a big problem, certainly in the Trump administration and in our world at large.
December 28, 2018
The purpose of this book appears to be to counter the narrative emerging of a chaotic and disorganized administration as told in such books as Woodward's Fear: Trump in the White House and Comey's A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership. The writers engage in damage control. They attempt to contextualize and explain away some facts, reject claims that they see as untruthful or motivated by political animus: the Russian dossier (Clinton fabrication) and Woodward's book (product of disgruntled staff). The book is, of course, very partisan and anti-Clinton. Actually, the Trump people seem to see themselves as surrounded by enemies. They name a lot of names in chapters like "Enemies in Congress", "Fake News", and "The Administrative State." When writing about Mueller, they rehearse their available arguments to discredit the investigation, including the partisan emails from two FBI agents and Mueller's supposed partisan hiring of democrats for his crew. They suggest, too, that "Evidence shows that Mueller is highly motivated to repay the president for firing his friend Comey and is willing to use the subpoena power of the special counsel to require the president to testify under oath." Included in the book is a complete 45 minute interview with Trump on the topic of his enemies. It is a fast read and offers a somewhat interesting view of how the Trump administration would like to be viewed and who is responsible for everything that has gone wrong. Interestingly the book has no citations to sources and relies wholly on the authors. [Note to authors, Russia has not "yet" annexed Ukraine, so you might want to fix this one in the meantime: "Putin had just annexed Ukraine a few days earlier, and word around the room was that he had his sights on the Crimean Peninsula next" (p. 10). )
December 30, 2018
I couldn't find much credibility in this pro-Trump book. For one thing it has very little documentation with no notes or sources listed in the back, although there are some within the text of book. The authors deliberately withhold information that might weaken their point. For example they applaud Trump opening millions of acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the largest national wildlife refuge in the country, for oil exploration, simply stating that it probably has substantial oil reserves. Nothing is mentioned about the wildlife that rely on the refuge for survival and the massive threat that oil exploration poses for that area and the life there. But this kind of dishonesty is typical of the Trump camp. Trump himself has thousands of documented lies that he's told since becoming president. It seems foolish to believe anything Trump or those who support him has to say or write about him and his policies. Don't waste your time and money.
December 28, 2018
There is some good insight here on how pervasive Trump Derangement Syndrome has become on the Left. The section on California Democrats is particularly amusing. But ultimately this is just a snapshot in time, with new examples of egregious behavior by the disenfranchised occurring daily.
July 23, 2021
This book was written in such a way, that anyone who walked through this awful time of Trump-bashing can read some behind the scenes without the narrative and bias of the mainstream bias desiring to taint any accomplishment with a BUT, spinning a take on things, that at times are outright lies. The book reads as easily as someone who journals. Short descriptions of people and things. Information from reports clearly showing the attempt of some in Government who tried to remove President Trump, when they were guilty of what they charged. The book left a warm, happy feeling with the President's trust and words with those he trusted, and a deeply sad example of all he had to fight through. Maybe the best book I have read that shows a side of the President, actual events, people close to him, and not the bitter words found in some of the popular books by Trump haters who want nothing more than to attack the man without verifying their facts. Without listing any of the good he did. I do not Twitter, never have, do not have an account, but have watched many (most) of the things like bills signed and passed, changes in a minority, and women being hired. Changes to more stable health care not reliant on government. Advantages of housing and jobs in high crime areas with incentives for work to come back. First steps of change to criminals after serving their time and the means of every child to go to the school of their choice, not just the rich and famous of the past. These writers have deliberately and obnoxiously shied away from some of the tough issues that is a good truth about the man slighted by those he needed, and some of who rallied for him during this time.
February 3, 2019
Writing is pretty good. First part of book is an interesting account of the start of the Russian collusion investigation. Some inside information makes sense of the situation. Second half is a lot more partisan. Some of the rhetoric is colorful.
February 23, 2019
Not sure how this ended up on my need to read pile but it’s not worth reading and not sure why it was written.
Terribly narrated by John Pruden.
Terribly narrated by John Pruden.
January 11, 2019
Interesting read. I've read pretty much all the Trump related books to come out the past two years so had to check this one out.
The first part is well done...the editor could have caught a few typos where "through" should have been used instead of "though" but given how quickly the book had to have been put together -- given the most recent information in it and the publication date I can see where there could be some sloppy editing. The authors tell their story in a conversational style which makes for easy reading.
There weren't any citations to where some of their stories came from -- no annotations which I've seen in some other books. The beginning they lay their facts out pretty clearly. When they get into discussing other people -- the "enemies" it gets more playgroundish with what in fiction we'd refer to as purple prose. The nasty (even if true in some cases) adjectives before pretty much everyone's name took away from what could have been, for me, credible allegations.
At points the writing came across like someone who was desperate to tell the other side of a story but did it so quickly that details didn't matter.
The first part is well done...the editor could have caught a few typos where "through" should have been used instead of "though" but given how quickly the book had to have been put together -- given the most recent information in it and the publication date I can see where there could be some sloppy editing. The authors tell their story in a conversational style which makes for easy reading.
There weren't any citations to where some of their stories came from -- no annotations which I've seen in some other books. The beginning they lay their facts out pretty clearly. When they get into discussing other people -- the "enemies" it gets more playgroundish with what in fiction we'd refer to as purple prose. The nasty (even if true in some cases) adjectives before pretty much everyone's name took away from what could have been, for me, credible allegations.
At points the writing came across like someone who was desperate to tell the other side of a story but did it so quickly that details didn't matter.
December 17, 2018
Very disappointed ... just a rehash of tweets ... So Sad
May 29, 2020
This is quite an eye-opening book. I had never understood the details of the Steele Dossier or the Strozk/Page texts or the ins and outs of the Clinton Email Investigation. The two writers do a very good job of outlining what happened, albeit with a lot of bias sprinkled in.
One thing that I think is great about this book is it's accessibility. The writers don't assume the reader is a scholar of government or politics, so they clearly outline exactly what everything means, without seeming condescending. While their incorporation of vernacular that is somewhat crude and uneccessary is slightly annoying, their overall writing style makes it so that anyone can pick up the book and appreciate its information.
Obviously, this shouldn't be the only book read about the various investigations revolving the President. These guys only present one side of the story, although they do a very good job of presenting as much as possible without being repetitive.
The biggest flaw that irked me a lot was the lack of footnotes/endnotes. There were ZERO in the entire book, and there was no index at the back of the book(which is Standard Operating Procedure when writing a political nonfiction/current events). The book reads like a narrative(from the point of view of Lewandowski and Bossie), but that doesn't excuse the lack of notes. For the most part, they site a lot of what they are discussing in the text, but its not truly sited and my professors at college would have a field day with this.
I also didn't agree with some of the assertions in the book. A lot of them, I did like, but one thing that annoyed me was their hatred of the establishment. Both Lewandowski and Bossie seem to dislike anyone who has worked in Washington D.C. for any period of time or who has worked for a political party. They seem to dislike anyone chosen during the transition that wasn't a hardcore Trump supporter from the beginning. Even though I usually disagree with moderates on issues, I firmly believe that the party needs to have a "big tent" mentality, and that those of all subgroups should be involved with working with the President.
Also, there were a few instances of editorialising that could have been excluded, but those weren't a deal breaker for me.
What was really fascinating in this book is the background on the investigation(s) into Trump. Some of them make sense in a limited fashion, but the amount of investigations that ensued from one Dossier that wasn't entirely factual in and of itself is bothersome. I definitely feel bad for President Trump(and even President Obama to an extent) for all of the investigations that have occured.
Overall, this is an intersting book, but should be read with a grain of salt that the authors are biased(and admit it). It provides a lot of useful information while having some needless editorialising. If it weren't for the notes and editorialising this book would get a much higher score. However, this gets a solid 7.5 out of 10. Good work overall Lewandowski and Bossie.
One thing that I think is great about this book is it's accessibility. The writers don't assume the reader is a scholar of government or politics, so they clearly outline exactly what everything means, without seeming condescending. While their incorporation of vernacular that is somewhat crude and uneccessary is slightly annoying, their overall writing style makes it so that anyone can pick up the book and appreciate its information.
Obviously, this shouldn't be the only book read about the various investigations revolving the President. These guys only present one side of the story, although they do a very good job of presenting as much as possible without being repetitive.
The biggest flaw that irked me a lot was the lack of footnotes/endnotes. There were ZERO in the entire book, and there was no index at the back of the book(which is Standard Operating Procedure when writing a political nonfiction/current events). The book reads like a narrative(from the point of view of Lewandowski and Bossie), but that doesn't excuse the lack of notes. For the most part, they site a lot of what they are discussing in the text, but its not truly sited and my professors at college would have a field day with this.
I also didn't agree with some of the assertions in the book. A lot of them, I did like, but one thing that annoyed me was their hatred of the establishment. Both Lewandowski and Bossie seem to dislike anyone who has worked in Washington D.C. for any period of time or who has worked for a political party. They seem to dislike anyone chosen during the transition that wasn't a hardcore Trump supporter from the beginning. Even though I usually disagree with moderates on issues, I firmly believe that the party needs to have a "big tent" mentality, and that those of all subgroups should be involved with working with the President.
Also, there were a few instances of editorialising that could have been excluded, but those weren't a deal breaker for me.
What was really fascinating in this book is the background on the investigation(s) into Trump. Some of them make sense in a limited fashion, but the amount of investigations that ensued from one Dossier that wasn't entirely factual in and of itself is bothersome. I definitely feel bad for President Trump(and even President Obama to an extent) for all of the investigations that have occured.
Overall, this is an intersting book, but should be read with a grain of salt that the authors are biased(and admit it). It provides a lot of useful information while having some needless editorialising. If it weren't for the notes and editorialising this book would get a much higher score. However, this gets a solid 7.5 out of 10. Good work overall Lewandowski and Bossie.
February 12, 2019
Lewandowski worked closely with Trump during the 2016 campaign. This book describes Lewandowski's interactions and perspective of Trump's presidency from 2017-2018. Trump has attracted an unprecedented number of memoirs and political books. The vast majority of the Trump books are negative toward Trump. Lewandowski goes the other direction and pulls a positive spin for Trump. This book goes by quickly and has a few interesting narratives. This book is raw and full of partisan perspectives. The details are fascinating but tread carefully with the political rhetoric. I am still waiting for an unbiased historical book on Trump, usually those take a few years after a President's term.
October 3, 2019
Excellent breakdown on how the unhinged Left is working overtime to try to block President Trump at every turn, even resorting to impeachment. They know they can't beat him next November, so they want to remove him from office! How did our political environment sink so far? Lewandowski is not only a great campaign advisor, he's a great author, too. Even Democrats who disagree with President Trump on most issues surely distance themselves from the unhinged tactics of the radical Left. Lewandowski explains all this. Worth reading as we head into election season: The Iowa caucuses are only a few weeks after Christmas.
December 13, 2020
This book cries out as political propaganda for the disastrous Trump presidency. The most poignant part if the book actually admits that the Trump show is made for campaigning not managing the country. It shows that Trump is never happier than when he’s the center of attention - no matter for what reason. In Michael Cohen’s book, he has some choice descriptions for Lewandowski and although both are crooks, I’m inclined to trust Cohen’s book over this one. The agendas are clear on both sides.
May 8, 2019
This is a very well written book it is written in strict, tight, chronological order which really helps the reader understand the circumstances in the 2016 election and following two years. There is a alphabetical list of the main characters at the beginning of the book which helps the reader with clarification as the story unfolds. Highly recommended.
November 17, 2019
Meh. Not from an informational standpoint do I give it this rating, but from a readability and interest standpoint. I'm well aware of the problems within our government and Trump's successes at peeling back the layers of corruption. But I wish someone with writing skills would have taken on the task of writing this book for Lewandowski and Bossie.
May 19, 2020
No matter what side of the political fence you are on, you'll have to agree that our federal government is not that efficient. For me, this book highlights the fact that government has become a bloated bureaucracy that has entrenched leadership, whose primary function is to ensure its continued growth. Irregardless of what the elected officials plans are for attempting to affect change.
February 6, 2019
Nicely written propaganda:
My favorite political science teacher taught me to read books from both sides of the aisle. This is a well written book espousing the virtues of Trump from one of his worshipers.
My favorite political science teacher taught me to read books from both sides of the aisle. This is a well written book espousing the virtues of Trump from one of his worshipers.
February 7, 2019
A conservative's view
T his book is an account of the authors concern about anti-Trump media, congress, and many individuals of never_Trump actions . Many accomplishments ignored by the press.
T his book is an account of the authors concern about anti-Trump media, congress, and many individuals of never_Trump actions . Many accomplishments ignored by the press.
September 19, 2022
This is a Good Book. It is crazy that the FBI had all democrats FBI agents investigate Trump. All 12 investigators donated to Hillary Clinton. When are the Democrats going to stop using corrupt people to attack Americans?
February 22, 2019
So informative! I listened to this and there was so much information!
March 20, 2019
I read 4 chapters and gave up. It is so poorly written, filled with slang/colloquial language. Don’t bother.
March 18, 2019
After reading this book, it's nice to finally see some of these people getting called out for their illegal and inexcusable behavior.
May 27, 2019
This was a much better book than their first one. It is less "cheer leading" and more facts.
November 25, 2019
For the most part if you have heard or seen a Trump rally or Fox news you have read this book.
June 21, 2023
Good book very informative
November 17, 2024
Love trump
This book was a excellent follow up to the previous book. It helped me get to know my favorite president and his struggles with the deep state and corrupt media
This book was a excellent follow up to the previous book. It helped me get to know my favorite president and his struggles with the deep state and corrupt media
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews