What do you think?
Rate this book
Proof of Conspiracy: How Trump's International Collusion Is Threatening American Democracy
Seth Abramson shows how Trump has conspired and colluded with leaders from Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, from even before he won the presidency
In late 2015, convicted pedophile, international dealmaker, and cooperating witness in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation George Nader convened a secret meeting aboard a massive luxury yacht in the Red Sea. Nader pitched Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and other Middle Eastern leaders a plan for a new pro-U.S., pro-Israel alliance of Arab nations that would fundamentally alter the geopolitics of the Middle East while marginalizing Iran, Qatar, and Turkey. To succeed, the plan would need a highly placed American politician willing to drop sanctions on Russia so that Vladimir Putin would in turn agree to end his support for Iran. They agreed the perfect American partner was Donald Trump, who had benefited immensely from his Saudi, Emirati, and Russian dealings for many years, and who, in 2015, became the only U.S. presidential candidate to argue for a unilateral end to Russian sanctions and a far more hostile approach to Iran.
So begins New York Times bestselling author Seth Abramson’s explosive new book Proof of Conspiracy: How Trump's International Collusion Threatens American Democracy, a story of international intrigue whose massive cast of characters includes Israeli intelligence operatives, Russian oligarchs, Saudi death squads, American mercenary companies, Trump’s innermost circle, and several members of the Trump family as well as Trump himself—all part of a clandestine multinational narrative that takes us from Washington, D.C. and Moscow to the Middle Eastern capitals of Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem, Cairo, Tehran, and Doha. Proof of Conspiracy is a chilling and unforgettable depiction of the dangers America and the world now face.
In late 2015, convicted pedophile, international dealmaker, and cooperating witness in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation George Nader convened a secret meeting aboard a massive luxury yacht in the Red Sea. Nader pitched Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and other Middle Eastern leaders a plan for a new pro-U.S., pro-Israel alliance of Arab nations that would fundamentally alter the geopolitics of the Middle East while marginalizing Iran, Qatar, and Turkey. To succeed, the plan would need a highly placed American politician willing to drop sanctions on Russia so that Vladimir Putin would in turn agree to end his support for Iran. They agreed the perfect American partner was Donald Trump, who had benefited immensely from his Saudi, Emirati, and Russian dealings for many years, and who, in 2015, became the only U.S. presidential candidate to argue for a unilateral end to Russian sanctions and a far more hostile approach to Iran.
So begins New York Times bestselling author Seth Abramson’s explosive new book Proof of Conspiracy: How Trump's International Collusion Threatens American Democracy, a story of international intrigue whose massive cast of characters includes Israeli intelligence operatives, Russian oligarchs, Saudi death squads, American mercenary companies, Trump’s innermost circle, and several members of the Trump family as well as Trump himself—all part of a clandestine multinational narrative that takes us from Washington, D.C. and Moscow to the Middle Eastern capitals of Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem, Cairo, Tehran, and Doha. Proof of Conspiracy is a chilling and unforgettable depiction of the dangers America and the world now face.
592 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2019
515 people are currently reading
1005 people want to read
About the author
Seth Abramson
27 books191 followersSeth Abramson is author of The Suburban Ecstasies (Ghost Road Press, 2009) and a contributing author to The Creative Writing MFA Handbook (Continuum, 2008). In 2008 he was awarded the J. Howard and Barbara M.J. Wood Prize by Poetry. His poems and prose have recently appeared or are forthcoming in Best New Poets 2008, Poetry, American Poetry Review, AGNI, Poets & Writers, and New American Writing. A graduate of Harvard Law School and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he is currently a doctoral student in English Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 21, 2020
I have decided to embark on a mission to read a number of books on subjects that will be of great importance to the upcoming 2020 US Presidential Election. Many of these will focus on actors intricately involved in the process, in hopes that I can understand them better and, perhaps, educate others with the power to cast a ballot. I am, as always, open to serious recommendations from anyone who has a book I might like to include in the process.
This is Book #29 in my 2020 US Election Preparation Challenge.
This reading challenge has surely taken me on some very interesting paths. With only a short time before the formal Election Day, I now turn to some more legal and analytical tomes that explore some of the most sinister aspects of the Trump Administration and their dealings with others. Seth Abramson has penned three decisive novels about Trump and those around him, arguing some substantial claims of collusion, conspiracy, corruption in the years before he became president and into his authoritarian reign. This is the second of those books, where conspiracy takes centre stage. The tome offers copious amounts of research and proof to support much of what is argued, something Trump finds difficult to produce when pressed. Recommended to those who enjoy the political history game and seeing how to connect some of the dots that many likely did not know were even on the page.
Building on some of the foundational statements made in the opening tome, Seth Abramson effectively argues that there was collusion between the Trump Campaign and others, but it went deeper than Russia. In fact, one could say that it all relates to the Red Sea Conspiracy, hatched in the summer of 2015. The players include: Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain. Their goal, to ensure a presidential candidate for the upcoming American election can be chosen that will benefit them all in various ways. Abramson explores how each of these countries will benefit and what their leaders will have to do in order to pave the way to a successful win by Donald J. Trump. This will, as the tome argues throughout, create a reliance and sense of being beholden by Candidate (eventually, President) Trump, which will ensure massive changes to US Foreign Policy occur, moves that baffled many unaware of these nefarious ties.
Abramson rehashes some of the early Russian involvements, as far back as Putin-Trump bantering over the Miss Universe Pageant. This, as the reader who is familiar with the first book will know, created a strong sense of blackmail that will keep Candidate Trump in line as he makes his way through the Republican primaries. The reader also learns that Russian ties to Paul Manafort exist, one of Trump’s 2016 campaign managers, who will eventually fall on charges of bribery and witness tampering when the Mueller Investigation takes centre stage in the United States.
Abramson explores other actors who develop close relationships with the campaign, all while representing foreign governments and trying to shape upcoming US foreign policy. George Nader, a convicted paedophile, emerges repeatedly as a representative for the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (UAE) and pushes forward many strong views that could benefit the region. While the complexities of these benefits can, at times, surpass my understanding and easy explanation, Abramson does a wonderful job laying them out repeatedly. The UAE seeks stability in the region, something that cannot be done with Iran treated so fairly by the American Government, stemming from a nuclear del negotiated by President Obama. Nader serves bridge the gap and seek to push Emirati views in the early stages, which are already echoed by others within the Red Sea Conspiracy.
Erik Prince is a mercenary whose policy ideas come unsolicited to the Trump Campaign. His ties to armies for hire will become a highly important position for the UAE and Saudis, as they seek to neutralise some of their regional enemies, small fish in the larger sea of the Middle East. Prince has ways of making progress and can help curry favour between Trump and these Middle East partners, though it will not be easy. Abramson posits that Prince will also be key in securing an American withdrawal from Syria (much to the benefit of Russia), seeking to install a mercenary army answerable only to President Trump, but off the books and thereby outside the purview of the US Congress.
Jared Kushner, son-in-law to Trump and a real-estate tycoon will play a strong role in the entire debacle. He has no foreign policy background, but is looking for money to fund his numerous enterprises. He looks to the Emir of Qatar, who has been a strong financial ally in the past. However, those days appear over and Kushner is not happy about the lack of money flowing into his hands. He uses his animosity to help develop a policy to sink the Qataris, longtime allies of America, by ensuring the Emiratis and Saudis get what they want and uses his keen business sense to violate proper channels and speak directly to members of the Red Sea Conspiracy to make promises that will completely turn US foreign policy on its head. Protected by Trump himself, Kushner has little fear of reprisals, as those with the titles fall by the wayside and earn the repeated ire of the president. The reader will see just how dangerous Kushner proves to be as it relates to legal and diplomatic processes within the United States, though no one has reined him in, even though scores of security reports have red flagged his actions.
The tome explores not only the actors, but the decisions that occurred to help create the 2016 electoral win and subsequent changes in US policy that leave some baffled to this day. Abramson presents proof that it was an Israeli software program the Russians used to ensure they could hack into the Democrats emails and lay the groundwork for social media disruptions throughout. As the Kushners have strong ties to the Israeli prime minister, this is no leap to make the connection. Israel has long sought an ally when it comes to the Middle East and Trump could be used to push back against those who might try to push for a softer solution, carving Israel up even more than it has already been.
Of particular interest is that Trump issued the travel ban list early in his presidency, those six countries whose citizens were no longer welcome to visit any part of the United States. Abramson tries to understand the list, with none of the six having citizens accused of plotted any domestic terrorism on US soil for the preceding four decades. By contrast, one country left off the list is Saudis Arabia, where a number of the September 11th terrorists were born. That may be because there were plans for Trump to head out to see the Saudis and sell them over $100 billion in arms for their upcoming push to defend the region. It would seem that money talks and policy walks in that direction, no matter who is at the helm.
The attentive reader will recognise many of the names that repeat themselves throughout the discussions in the book, which builds on a larger group being complicit in turning the Trump candidacy into a collection of collusive acts to ensure massive changes would occur to US foreign policy in the months after the 2016 election. The were also numerous violations of the Logan Act (a piece of legislation that bars private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments with whom the country has an active dispute) by many close to Trump, especially Jared Kushner and brief National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Abramson proves much of it through his research and testimony made to the Mueller Investigation. While rarely enforced, there was no chance that anyone would be prosecuted in a Trump Justice Department, just as the pleas for Russian interference fell on ignorant and deaf ears.
Sitting in power, President Trump knew those who had done him favours and it was time to pay the piper. Abramson shows how the tune changed and the tweets turned docile towards some and venomous when directed at others. If the reader needs any examples of this, Abramson offers a thorough and intense discussion surrounding the murder of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. As he did when Putin dismissed claims of Russian election interference, Trump assures Americans that the Saudis were not involved when their government denies any ties to the killing. Even when the truth came out, Trump refused to take action and blocked any move by American investigators to get answers. It is both mind-blowing and sickening to read this!
It is with the aforementioned evidence and substantiation that things begin to make a little more sense and some of the decisions the Trump Administration made can be explained away (but not accepted). The Red Sea Conspiracy has deep roots and can surely continue to work effectively for as long as Trump is in the White House. There may only be a short time left before Election Day, but you can be sure it’s no holds barred when it comes to keeping the puppet in the Oval Office, even if it means blurring the lines and making the impossible occur. With this information, I am a little more worried. I’ll turn to Seth Abramson’s third book on the corruption that befell America, to see how things can be explained there. I am hooked and cannot wait to see what else there is to learn.
This reading journey has opened my eyes to much, with Seth Abramson’s books serving to expand my understanding of a great deal more. While many may be used to hearing Trumpers spewing conspiracy theories with nothing to back them up, Abramson presents a narrative that cannot easily be dismissed, substantiated with countless documents and admissions under oath. Whereas the first book was filled with information about which I was aware, much within these pages was completely new and jaw-dropping to me. Each chapter is broken down into a time period, which makes the larger narrative palatable, though still stunning with every turn of the page. The chapters offers both the substantial arguments and then an annotated section to include more information, creating long chapters for the reader. This should not be overly daunting to the curious reader, as the writing is clear and easy to understand. There are many characters and dates, which can get a little intense at times, as well as much overlapping and repetition. Some may find this annoying, but with so much to cover and things intertwined on numerous levels, there is a need to revisit portions of the narrative on occasion. I am eager to continue into some of the deeper and darker areas of the Trump story, sure to be blown away yet again, particularly as we enter the domestic chaos that comes from much of the meddling from these first two books. Seth Abramson does a masterful job and had me spellbound throughout as I read it. This is a tome that deeply dedicated political junkies will want to read, leaving them stunned and wanting more.
Kudos, Mr. Abramson, for a stunning continuation of your political trilogy. Glad I left some of the heavy mental lifting until now, as much of what you reveal is best told to voters as close to Election Day as possible!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
This is Book #29 in my 2020 US Election Preparation Challenge.
This reading challenge has surely taken me on some very interesting paths. With only a short time before the formal Election Day, I now turn to some more legal and analytical tomes that explore some of the most sinister aspects of the Trump Administration and their dealings with others. Seth Abramson has penned three decisive novels about Trump and those around him, arguing some substantial claims of collusion, conspiracy, corruption in the years before he became president and into his authoritarian reign. This is the second of those books, where conspiracy takes centre stage. The tome offers copious amounts of research and proof to support much of what is argued, something Trump finds difficult to produce when pressed. Recommended to those who enjoy the political history game and seeing how to connect some of the dots that many likely did not know were even on the page.
Building on some of the foundational statements made in the opening tome, Seth Abramson effectively argues that there was collusion between the Trump Campaign and others, but it went deeper than Russia. In fact, one could say that it all relates to the Red Sea Conspiracy, hatched in the summer of 2015. The players include: Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain. Their goal, to ensure a presidential candidate for the upcoming American election can be chosen that will benefit them all in various ways. Abramson explores how each of these countries will benefit and what their leaders will have to do in order to pave the way to a successful win by Donald J. Trump. This will, as the tome argues throughout, create a reliance and sense of being beholden by Candidate (eventually, President) Trump, which will ensure massive changes to US Foreign Policy occur, moves that baffled many unaware of these nefarious ties.
Abramson rehashes some of the early Russian involvements, as far back as Putin-Trump bantering over the Miss Universe Pageant. This, as the reader who is familiar with the first book will know, created a strong sense of blackmail that will keep Candidate Trump in line as he makes his way through the Republican primaries. The reader also learns that Russian ties to Paul Manafort exist, one of Trump’s 2016 campaign managers, who will eventually fall on charges of bribery and witness tampering when the Mueller Investigation takes centre stage in the United States.
Abramson explores other actors who develop close relationships with the campaign, all while representing foreign governments and trying to shape upcoming US foreign policy. George Nader, a convicted paedophile, emerges repeatedly as a representative for the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (UAE) and pushes forward many strong views that could benefit the region. While the complexities of these benefits can, at times, surpass my understanding and easy explanation, Abramson does a wonderful job laying them out repeatedly. The UAE seeks stability in the region, something that cannot be done with Iran treated so fairly by the American Government, stemming from a nuclear del negotiated by President Obama. Nader serves bridge the gap and seek to push Emirati views in the early stages, which are already echoed by others within the Red Sea Conspiracy.
Erik Prince is a mercenary whose policy ideas come unsolicited to the Trump Campaign. His ties to armies for hire will become a highly important position for the UAE and Saudis, as they seek to neutralise some of their regional enemies, small fish in the larger sea of the Middle East. Prince has ways of making progress and can help curry favour between Trump and these Middle East partners, though it will not be easy. Abramson posits that Prince will also be key in securing an American withdrawal from Syria (much to the benefit of Russia), seeking to install a mercenary army answerable only to President Trump, but off the books and thereby outside the purview of the US Congress.
Jared Kushner, son-in-law to Trump and a real-estate tycoon will play a strong role in the entire debacle. He has no foreign policy background, but is looking for money to fund his numerous enterprises. He looks to the Emir of Qatar, who has been a strong financial ally in the past. However, those days appear over and Kushner is not happy about the lack of money flowing into his hands. He uses his animosity to help develop a policy to sink the Qataris, longtime allies of America, by ensuring the Emiratis and Saudis get what they want and uses his keen business sense to violate proper channels and speak directly to members of the Red Sea Conspiracy to make promises that will completely turn US foreign policy on its head. Protected by Trump himself, Kushner has little fear of reprisals, as those with the titles fall by the wayside and earn the repeated ire of the president. The reader will see just how dangerous Kushner proves to be as it relates to legal and diplomatic processes within the United States, though no one has reined him in, even though scores of security reports have red flagged his actions.
The tome explores not only the actors, but the decisions that occurred to help create the 2016 electoral win and subsequent changes in US policy that leave some baffled to this day. Abramson presents proof that it was an Israeli software program the Russians used to ensure they could hack into the Democrats emails and lay the groundwork for social media disruptions throughout. As the Kushners have strong ties to the Israeli prime minister, this is no leap to make the connection. Israel has long sought an ally when it comes to the Middle East and Trump could be used to push back against those who might try to push for a softer solution, carving Israel up even more than it has already been.
Of particular interest is that Trump issued the travel ban list early in his presidency, those six countries whose citizens were no longer welcome to visit any part of the United States. Abramson tries to understand the list, with none of the six having citizens accused of plotted any domestic terrorism on US soil for the preceding four decades. By contrast, one country left off the list is Saudis Arabia, where a number of the September 11th terrorists were born. That may be because there were plans for Trump to head out to see the Saudis and sell them over $100 billion in arms for their upcoming push to defend the region. It would seem that money talks and policy walks in that direction, no matter who is at the helm.
The attentive reader will recognise many of the names that repeat themselves throughout the discussions in the book, which builds on a larger group being complicit in turning the Trump candidacy into a collection of collusive acts to ensure massive changes would occur to US foreign policy in the months after the 2016 election. The were also numerous violations of the Logan Act (a piece of legislation that bars private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments with whom the country has an active dispute) by many close to Trump, especially Jared Kushner and brief National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Abramson proves much of it through his research and testimony made to the Mueller Investigation. While rarely enforced, there was no chance that anyone would be prosecuted in a Trump Justice Department, just as the pleas for Russian interference fell on ignorant and deaf ears.
Sitting in power, President Trump knew those who had done him favours and it was time to pay the piper. Abramson shows how the tune changed and the tweets turned docile towards some and venomous when directed at others. If the reader needs any examples of this, Abramson offers a thorough and intense discussion surrounding the murder of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. As he did when Putin dismissed claims of Russian election interference, Trump assures Americans that the Saudis were not involved when their government denies any ties to the killing. Even when the truth came out, Trump refused to take action and blocked any move by American investigators to get answers. It is both mind-blowing and sickening to read this!
It is with the aforementioned evidence and substantiation that things begin to make a little more sense and some of the decisions the Trump Administration made can be explained away (but not accepted). The Red Sea Conspiracy has deep roots and can surely continue to work effectively for as long as Trump is in the White House. There may only be a short time left before Election Day, but you can be sure it’s no holds barred when it comes to keeping the puppet in the Oval Office, even if it means blurring the lines and making the impossible occur. With this information, I am a little more worried. I’ll turn to Seth Abramson’s third book on the corruption that befell America, to see how things can be explained there. I am hooked and cannot wait to see what else there is to learn.
This reading journey has opened my eyes to much, with Seth Abramson’s books serving to expand my understanding of a great deal more. While many may be used to hearing Trumpers spewing conspiracy theories with nothing to back them up, Abramson presents a narrative that cannot easily be dismissed, substantiated with countless documents and admissions under oath. Whereas the first book was filled with information about which I was aware, much within these pages was completely new and jaw-dropping to me. Each chapter is broken down into a time period, which makes the larger narrative palatable, though still stunning with every turn of the page. The chapters offers both the substantial arguments and then an annotated section to include more information, creating long chapters for the reader. This should not be overly daunting to the curious reader, as the writing is clear and easy to understand. There are many characters and dates, which can get a little intense at times, as well as much overlapping and repetition. Some may find this annoying, but with so much to cover and things intertwined on numerous levels, there is a need to revisit portions of the narrative on occasion. I am eager to continue into some of the deeper and darker areas of the Trump story, sure to be blown away yet again, particularly as we enter the domestic chaos that comes from much of the meddling from these first two books. Seth Abramson does a masterful job and had me spellbound throughout as I read it. This is a tome that deeply dedicated political junkies will want to read, leaving them stunned and wanting more.
Kudos, Mr. Abramson, for a stunning continuation of your political trilogy. Glad I left some of the heavy mental lifting until now, as much of what you reveal is best told to voters as close to Election Day as possible!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
September 5, 2019
I first discovered Seth Abramson on Twitter, and became intrigued by his lengthy chains of tweets. Seth has a habit of pointing his laser at a topic that merits further consideration and then leading the reader, step by logical step, through the supporting arguments. It's bullet-proof. It's brilliant. Every time I make it to the end of a thread, I feel better-informed and also exhausted, because Seth always gives my brain a real workout.
Proof of Conspiracy is a tour de force that picks up where the Mueller Report ended, though it incorporates key evidentiary points from the Mueller report. There are more Russian names than you'll find in a novel by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, and, much as I used to do in college, I found myself taking notes on all the shadowy characters who insinuated their way into the orbit of our current president.
But the book isn't just about Russia/Putin. It starts, in fact, with a discussion of Middle Eastern politics -- the Saudis, the Iranians, the Emirates -- all the players and their ever-shifting relationships with one another. Although there's no way to simplify this inherently complex and dynamic situation, I have a better grasp now than I did before PoC, and I'm pretty clear on the similarities and differences between MBZ and MBS. Their relationship and support of the president deserve more scrutiny, but unsurprisingly, it all comes down to power and wealth.
"Trump's venality, penchant for deception, and disregard for American values and the nation's security interests in dealings abroad can persist for only so long without severely destabilizing America's rule of law, its democratic principles, and, finally, its abiding self-identity." That is the main takeaway from this meticulously researched and documented book. It's hard to get through ten pages without asking "why isn't someone in authority taking action?"
The book is not perfect. The writing is dense in places, and there are lots of names to remember. Because the author wanted to get the information out as quickly as possible, the editing suffered: a few sentences don't parse properly, and occasionally information is repeated. But those minor flaws don't detract from the overall potency of the work. If you care about the future of this country and the collective values that we thought defined us, Proof of Conspiracy is a must-read.
Proof of Conspiracy is a tour de force that picks up where the Mueller Report ended, though it incorporates key evidentiary points from the Mueller report. There are more Russian names than you'll find in a novel by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, and, much as I used to do in college, I found myself taking notes on all the shadowy characters who insinuated their way into the orbit of our current president.
But the book isn't just about Russia/Putin. It starts, in fact, with a discussion of Middle Eastern politics -- the Saudis, the Iranians, the Emirates -- all the players and their ever-shifting relationships with one another. Although there's no way to simplify this inherently complex and dynamic situation, I have a better grasp now than I did before PoC, and I'm pretty clear on the similarities and differences between MBZ and MBS. Their relationship and support of the president deserve more scrutiny, but unsurprisingly, it all comes down to power and wealth.
"Trump's venality, penchant for deception, and disregard for American values and the nation's security interests in dealings abroad can persist for only so long without severely destabilizing America's rule of law, its democratic principles, and, finally, its abiding self-identity." That is the main takeaway from this meticulously researched and documented book. It's hard to get through ten pages without asking "why isn't someone in authority taking action?"
The book is not perfect. The writing is dense in places, and there are lots of names to remember. Because the author wanted to get the information out as quickly as possible, the editing suffered: a few sentences don't parse properly, and occasionally information is repeated. But those minor flaws don't detract from the overall potency of the work. If you care about the future of this country and the collective values that we thought defined us, Proof of Conspiracy is a must-read.
September 18, 2019
Conjecture and lack of logic make this not too realistic a read. I'm sure some people are gonna like it.
November 10, 2019
Starting on page 1, this is an American horror story that rattles, startles, and scares you. It has no traditionalist protagonists, only evil, nefarious people who have been brought into power and conspire together to gain money, power, and influence jailing and murdering those against them.
All Americans should read at least the first chapter to start to understand what has happened in the past few years. It dares you to dig deeper and read on. It’s a tough but necessary read.
The heroes of the book are the hundreds of journalists that this book cites thousands of times. The author has done an amazingly meticulous job of stringing together all of their stories as well as public records.
All Americans should read at least the first chapter to start to understand what has happened in the past few years. It dares you to dig deeper and read on. It’s a tough but necessary read.
The heroes of the book are the hundreds of journalists that this book cites thousands of times. The author has done an amazingly meticulous job of stringing together all of their stories as well as public records.
September 20, 2019
The most important book I've read in my 52 years. Depressing, infuriating, compelling, and expertly written, Proof of Conspiracy is a must-read.
If you want to know why America is on the brink of war with Iran, why Saudi Arabia has its first nuclear reactor, why Russia, Israel, UAE, and Saudi Arabia wanted Donald Trump elected president, and what they were willing to pay to ensure it happened, this book is for you.
If you wonder who is complicit in the outright sale of US foreign policy, democratic process, and rule of law, how the transactions were conducted, who paid for it, and how, this book is for you.
If you wonder who MBS and MBZ are, why you should fear them, and why they would conspire
to overpay for a Russian-owned DaVinci painting by $350 million dollars, this book is for you.
If you wonder how and why Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi was lured to his death, how many men it took to torture, dismember, dissolve, and incinerate his remains, who knew about the murderous plot and did nothing, then this book is for you.
If you wonder why this country is divided and who is to blame, and what happened to the America you once knew and loved, this book is for you.
If you want to know why America is on the brink of war with Iran, why Saudi Arabia has its first nuclear reactor, why Russia, Israel, UAE, and Saudi Arabia wanted Donald Trump elected president, and what they were willing to pay to ensure it happened, this book is for you.
If you wonder who is complicit in the outright sale of US foreign policy, democratic process, and rule of law, how the transactions were conducted, who paid for it, and how, this book is for you.
If you wonder who MBS and MBZ are, why you should fear them, and why they would conspire
to overpay for a Russian-owned DaVinci painting by $350 million dollars, this book is for you.
If you wonder how and why Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi was lured to his death, how many men it took to torture, dismember, dissolve, and incinerate his remains, who knew about the murderous plot and did nothing, then this book is for you.
If you wonder why this country is divided and who is to blame, and what happened to the America you once knew and loved, this book is for you.
September 22, 2019
Disappointing. Granted, the first in this "series", Proof of Collusion was going to be a tough act to follow, but this one let much to be desired, not so much in content but presentation. Excessively long sentences without punctuation which led to long paragraphs which led to really long chapters. While the information appeared to be solid, the text rambled, often repeating the same information in no discernible order. I don't know if Abramson was pushing for a deadline or just got sloppy but it was a difficult read because of the technical issues.
November 3, 2019
Good job nailing down all the detail. But what I got out of it most is that it's not just 'Russia'. It's also the Saudis, the UAE, the Turks, the Israelis and a few more--all tied into the 'Red Sea Conspiracy.' so named because all the players met on a yacht in the Red Sea to plan Trump's election. So you end up with a new 'Arab NATO' to unseat the old NATO, with all the oil autocrats, including Putin, the big winners. You can watch it unfolding on the news every day now.
September 3, 2019
Seth Abramson makes a compelling and harrowing case that Donald Trump is compromised in multiple nefarious ways and, in my estimation, impeachment and removal is long overdue. EVERY congressperson should be reading it TODAY and demanding hearings, issuing subpoenas and using all available tools to bring this rogue enterprise to justice tommorow. Seth has done a masterful job telling a complex tale.
August 17, 2020
Holy smokes. Where do I even start? This book is long and yet very concise at outlying how the Trump administration is involved Russia and the Middle East. Although I'd already read throughout the last 2 years most of what is covered in 'Proof of Conspiracy', Abramson ties everything together to paint a more coherent picture at the intentions and motivations of Trump, his enablers, the GOP and other foreign leaders/dictators.
This and Seth's other book Proof of Collusion are must reads.
This and Seth's other book Proof of Collusion are must reads.
October 13, 2019
The last few weeks have not been kind to this book. The Ukraine whistleblower scandal has caused Trump's colorful catalog of crime to recede into the distance. Trump has basically self-impeached. Who cares about his other scandals?
Abramson didn't learn anything from his first book, Proof of Collusion. It was a surprise bestseller, so it makes sense that he'd go with the same frustrating format in this book, which is a very long slog, much of it a tiresome rehash of the same stuff.
If I'm gonna read a 588-page book called Proof of Conspiracy, there better be some goddamn proof. There isn't any. Abramson curated three years of news stories from other talented journalists, most of which I'd already read, and then rewrote those stories in his own boring legalese without providing any analysis. This scattershot approach results in some occasionally interesting bits that I'd apparently missed in the news media. However, without a compelling narrative to make sense of these events they are as meaningful as hot spaghetti noodles thrown against the wall.
I didn't think it was possible, but Abramson's book is duller than the Mueller Report, which actually reached some conclusions.
Abramson didn't learn anything from his first book, Proof of Collusion. It was a surprise bestseller, so it makes sense that he'd go with the same frustrating format in this book, which is a very long slog, much of it a tiresome rehash of the same stuff.
If I'm gonna read a 588-page book called Proof of Conspiracy, there better be some goddamn proof. There isn't any. Abramson curated three years of news stories from other talented journalists, most of which I'd already read, and then rewrote those stories in his own boring legalese without providing any analysis. This scattershot approach results in some occasionally interesting bits that I'd apparently missed in the news media. However, without a compelling narrative to make sense of these events they are as meaningful as hot spaghetti noodles thrown against the wall.
I didn't think it was possible, but Abramson's book is duller than the Mueller Report, which actually reached some conclusions.
August 27, 2020
Trump is a criminal and is all about personal enrichment. He has no interest in democracy or protecting the constitution. All he cares about is himself, not about the American people nor about historical American allies. He lies constantly and is still getting away with it today. This book gives hundreds of examples of the crimes Trump has been committing in order to help himself and hurt the United States. The section about the murder of Jamal Kashoggi was among the most disturbing sections of the book. Trump never criticised Saudi Arabia's leader MBS for this atrocity because this Arab country spent a lot of money to buy military equipment from the US. It's absolutely sickening. Trump is amoral and he is destroying all the things that once made the United States a great country.
January 15, 2021
In eighth grade English, the big assignment was the research paper. All of us would spend time in the library, 3x5 index cards and pencils at the ready, writing out facts and citations that we then would organize and tie together in the paper itself. We were graded on every step, from index cards down.
This book is much like that project. Thousands of citations strung together in a coherent , albeit extremely repetitive manner, with no original reporting and often excruciating detail. And there are quite substantial leaps of legal logic, absolute in their certainty, much of which is disputed by actual attorneys.
The epilogue may be the best part as it contains substantial conclusions without the ironically off-putting assumptions regarding what act violates which legal code.
If you want a very detailed overview of how corrupt the administration is, the book is a good reference point as it combines reporting from seemingly a billion different sources. Then again, everything in the book has been reported prior by others and the author adds nothing except the ordering of the index cards.
Much like Michael Cohen’s book, I think other ratings are based more on hatred of Trump, with which I don’t disagree, than the quality of the work.
This book is much like that project. Thousands of citations strung together in a coherent , albeit extremely repetitive manner, with no original reporting and often excruciating detail. And there are quite substantial leaps of legal logic, absolute in their certainty, much of which is disputed by actual attorneys.
The epilogue may be the best part as it contains substantial conclusions without the ironically off-putting assumptions regarding what act violates which legal code.
If you want a very detailed overview of how corrupt the administration is, the book is a good reference point as it combines reporting from seemingly a billion different sources. Then again, everything in the book has been reported prior by others and the author adds nothing except the ordering of the index cards.
Much like Michael Cohen’s book, I think other ratings are based more on hatred of Trump, with which I don’t disagree, than the quality of the work.
September 29, 2019
Read this book! And learn about how the Trump campaign / administration has sold out our country not only to Russia, but also Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Israel. If only half of this is true, then this is the worst political and criminal scandal in US history.
October 2, 2019
Fact filled and devastating indictment of the criminal conduct of Team Trump
December 21, 2019
This is an enormously important book. Abramson continues the work he began in Proof of Collusion by laying out the story of the several foreign nations that set out to get Donald Trump elected and then use his business interests and his greed to achieve foreign policy goals. Abramson cites major news media from around the globe and, honestly, there is not a reasonable argument against the narrative he presents. Will that matter in the weeks, months, and years to come? Time will tell.
October 3, 2019
1001 Exhibits "A"s ... 'nuf said.
I had to take notes to keep the dozens of names and criminal acts from oozing out my ears. Abramson puts it all together, hundreds of items from the Mueller Report and 35+ reputable media sources, connecting the dots to every Red Sea-Russia-Trump move that padded his pocket, inched the Saudis & Emiratis toward nuclear power status, made Iran the enemy and as you read this, still attempts to lift the Russian sanctions. The foreign policy of Erik Prince, a half-billion dollar painting, the Qatar bailout of Kushner, the real story behind Khashoggi's killing and the billions of money laundered. This is a chilling expose that should keep you screaming into your pillow because Trump has sold America down the road. Abramson paints an incredible Red Seascape that is drowning in despicable acts of abuse of power, all high crimes, all gross-dimeanours, all coming home to roost, one Zelensky at a time. A tome of this unfortunate time. Inescapable.
I had to take notes to keep the dozens of names and criminal acts from oozing out my ears. Abramson puts it all together, hundreds of items from the Mueller Report and 35+ reputable media sources, connecting the dots to every Red Sea-Russia-Trump move that padded his pocket, inched the Saudis & Emiratis toward nuclear power status, made Iran the enemy and as you read this, still attempts to lift the Russian sanctions. The foreign policy of Erik Prince, a half-billion dollar painting, the Qatar bailout of Kushner, the real story behind Khashoggi's killing and the billions of money laundered. This is a chilling expose that should keep you screaming into your pillow because Trump has sold America down the road. Abramson paints an incredible Red Seascape that is drowning in despicable acts of abuse of power, all high crimes, all gross-dimeanours, all coming home to roost, one Zelensky at a time. A tome of this unfortunate time. Inescapable.
August 5, 2019
Must read. Trump betrayed our nation. Gitmo is too good for him and Seth's case is airtight.
November 3, 2019
The thing to keep in mind with Seth’s books is they’re written in the midst of the maelstrom. Will history prove some of his assumptions or projections incorrect? Probably. But given the grim reality that the most prominent voice in the world is a one-man fog machine of lies and disinformation, surrounded by Republicans willing to condone and defend it all, and covered by a both-sides addicted press unable or unwilling to stop amplifying his obfuscations long enough to see the forest for the trees — Seth has been remarkably focused and effective in accurately describing the big picture.
Seth has been one of the most consistently accurate chroniclers of this awful age. His meticulous examination of the disparate evidence available to all based on his unique experience a trial attorney and professor of journalism.
Seth has been one of the most consistently accurate chroniclers of this awful age. His meticulous examination of the disparate evidence available to all based on his unique experience a trial attorney and professor of journalism.
October 3, 2019
Top tip: get used to having an aching jaw coz it spends so much time on the floor! This book is so well researched (and referenced) and dense but utterly compelling. I really enjoyed Seth Abramson’s writing style and admire the scale of this task which he has pulled off with astonishing style and success. A phenomenal book of our times.
January 3, 2020
This is by far the most intruiging, fascinating and deeply disturbing book I have read. Ever. Seth Abramson makes a more than compelling case of a conspiracy between a number of Middle Eastern nations to draw the U.S. into a collision course with Iran. Using numerous major media reports, he carefully reconstructed all activities surrounding the Trump candidacy, election, transition and administration and a lot of geopolitical manoeuvring related to his ascendancy by the conspirators.
Although a few of the initial chapters may be a bit difficult to plod through - the number of actors in this narrative is gigantic, and their relationships are complex - later chapters paint a clearer (and infinitely more sober) picture of what has been going on behind the curtains of global politics involving the US and the Grand Bargain conspirators. The insight it gives into the raw, Machiavellian dystopia that is unfolding in which literally the only virtues seem to be money and power is incredibly sobering and depressing. This book is distinctively not for those that easily let their mood be influenced by others.
While the contents are thoroughly curated from numerous sources, the structure of the book is at times lacking and I am hoping that future reprints will include some further editing. Some parts seem out of place even, like a paragraph about Jacob Wohl, which does not contribute to narrative of the section at all.
Regardless of some of its structural and stylist flaws, the sheer depth and scope of the book and the amazing curation of sources, combining them in one narrative makes this a must-read for anyone that is into contemporary political non-fiction books. Moreover as we see the consequences of what is described in the book unfold in real time, the necessity and urgency of this book cannot be understated. Time will tell if Mr. Abramson has written a magnum opus of the most elaborate, important and deeply disturbing political scandal of the 21st century. As it currently stands, it weathers most close scrutiny and developments of current events.
Although a few of the initial chapters may be a bit difficult to plod through - the number of actors in this narrative is gigantic, and their relationships are complex - later chapters paint a clearer (and infinitely more sober) picture of what has been going on behind the curtains of global politics involving the US and the Grand Bargain conspirators. The insight it gives into the raw, Machiavellian dystopia that is unfolding in which literally the only virtues seem to be money and power is incredibly sobering and depressing. This book is distinctively not for those that easily let their mood be influenced by others.
While the contents are thoroughly curated from numerous sources, the structure of the book is at times lacking and I am hoping that future reprints will include some further editing. Some parts seem out of place even, like a paragraph about Jacob Wohl, which does not contribute to narrative of the section at all.
Regardless of some of its structural and stylist flaws, the sheer depth and scope of the book and the amazing curation of sources, combining them in one narrative makes this a must-read for anyone that is into contemporary political non-fiction books. Moreover as we see the consequences of what is described in the book unfold in real time, the necessity and urgency of this book cannot be understated. Time will tell if Mr. Abramson has written a magnum opus of the most elaborate, important and deeply disturbing political scandal of the 21st century. As it currently stands, it weathers most close scrutiny and developments of current events.
September 17, 2020
Exhaustively researched, logically organized, & compellingly written, this book is a thorough indictment of the Trump administration and all the central and ancillary players from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Israel, and Russia in the far-reaching and complicated plot to redraw the map of power and influence in the Middle East. We are seeing the effects daily in our news feed as Trump takes credit for new agreements and alliances between Israel and the Suni Arab states, Russia positions itself as the new chief outside influence in Middle East affairs, the Palestinians are largely sold out, and the Saudis and Emeratis get access to heretofore classified U.S. nuclear tech and eventually to the fissionable materials they will need to fashion nuclear weapons, and also a blind eye turned to their human rights abuses, and military adventuring in Yemen.
This is all part of a grand bargain laid out in a secret meeting in 2015 on a yacht in the Red Sea attended by, among others, representatives of the Arab states mentioned above and people who served as national security advisors to the Trump campaign. The plot thickens throughout the campaign and also throughout the Trump administration's 1st term. It continues today.
The plot is convoluted, largely hidden, and stinks to high heaven of every imaginable kind of corruption and self-dealing. If you want a concise and fundamental understanding of what's going on in our world today, this book is a must read.
This is all part of a grand bargain laid out in a secret meeting in 2015 on a yacht in the Red Sea attended by, among others, representatives of the Arab states mentioned above and people who served as national security advisors to the Trump campaign. The plot thickens throughout the campaign and also throughout the Trump administration's 1st term. It continues today.
The plot is convoluted, largely hidden, and stinks to high heaven of every imaginable kind of corruption and self-dealing. If you want a concise and fundamental understanding of what's going on in our world today, this book is a must read.
March 14, 2020
I listened to this book on Audible as I usually do with politically-oriented books. This is the second book I've read by Seth Abramson. The book was long and filled with detail. What I found interesting in this book was the shift and references back to the Middle Eastern Countries named "Red Sea Conspiracy" which I've not thought about in the context the author puts them in. There were four countries that met early on on a multi-million dollar yacht ... I believe the countries were Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt. This becomes important all the way through the book, and the author leaves references for it all along the way.
I've listened and read about the collusion / conspiracy with Russia and the Trump campaign, and I feel quite knowledgeable. What I didn't realize is the part that the middle eastern countries are playing into this. There seems to be even far more ongoing collusion with those countries. Abramson walks the reader through step-by-step slowly building the story of what has happened for many years. I appreciated getting this information as I have not put those pieces into the puzzle until reading this book.
I've listened and read about the collusion / conspiracy with Russia and the Trump campaign, and I feel quite knowledgeable. What I didn't realize is the part that the middle eastern countries are playing into this. There seems to be even far more ongoing collusion with those countries. Abramson walks the reader through step-by-step slowly building the story of what has happened for many years. I appreciated getting this information as I have not put those pieces into the puzzle until reading this book.
June 22, 2020
Was Donald Trump guilty of "collusion"? Most definitely. But that is not what this book is about. Trump is a bad actor. Of that there is no doubt. But he is also a puppet, and not just of Russia. The conspiracy included Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other middle eastern countries who saw in Trump the potential to advance their geoplolitical goals. In this meticulously researched book, Abramson details how they hatched their plan to hook him in and get him elected, and how they have used him, and his children, to achieve their goals, against the interests of the U.S.A., NATO, and other allies. The scope of this plot, and the level to which it succeeded, is terrifying! But it is not fiction! The story begins well before the 2016 election, includes the Meuller Report, and the role of Attorney General Bill Barr.
What remains to be told is the part about the GOP allowing this to continue! I am hoping that will be covered in Abramson's next book, "Proof of Corruption", scheduled for release September 8, 2020.
What remains to be told is the part about the GOP allowing this to continue! I am hoping that will be covered in Abramson's next book, "Proof of Corruption", scheduled for release September 8, 2020.
October 6, 2019
Like Seth Abramson's prior book this is meticulously researched, annotated, and well written. It brings a lot to light about the corruption and treachery that is happening today.
To sum it all up the epilogue describes a 'prank' that was done back in 1990 to see how extremely rich individuals would do with a diminishing check amount starting at $1.11, then 64 cents, and then 13 cents. There was only two that tried to cash the 13 cents check - a Saudi arms dealer and Donald Trump. That demonstrates the level of Trump's greed and that of which he is willing to sell out America to benefit himself. I feel sick after reading this book for all that is going on in the world today and like to believe I can hope we can return America back to the right direction.
To sum it all up the epilogue describes a 'prank' that was done back in 1990 to see how extremely rich individuals would do with a diminishing check amount starting at $1.11, then 64 cents, and then 13 cents. There was only two that tried to cash the 13 cents check - a Saudi arms dealer and Donald Trump. That demonstrates the level of Trump's greed and that of which he is willing to sell out America to benefit himself. I feel sick after reading this book for all that is going on in the world today and like to believe I can hope we can return America back to the right direction.
October 7, 2019
Terrifying...this book will keep you up at night. Who needs a horror movie? Not just a repeat of the Mueller Report or what has been written about Ukraine thus far, this book attempts to look at Trump and US foreign policy (if you can even call it that) with Russia and the Middle East. Agree with the critics who state that at times Abramson resorts to conjecture and speculation but I found that at other times his conclusions are well-documented and illuminating. So on balance this book is worth reading.
Agree he could have used more assistance in editing, and the book is at times quite dense. Be warned...you may find it helpful if you have a "cheat sheet" next to you to keep all the players straight.
Agree he could have used more assistance in editing, and the book is at times quite dense. Be warned...you may find it helpful if you have a "cheat sheet" next to you to keep all the players straight.
November 5, 2020
I wish everyone would read this book, particularly the half of the country that voted for Trump. Abramson traces all the articles and ties all the investigative journalism from the past five years together to illustrate the ways in which Trump is willing to be a puppet for the Saudis, Russians, and Emiratis as long as he is getting an influx of cash to his hotels and getting new deals for more developments in their countries. He could not care less what this does to the US long term, and he could not care less about the circumstances of ordinary Americans, and this book makes that plain(as if it weren't already).
July 7, 2025
The overuse of the word INDEED drove me so crazy that it was difficult to listen to this book.
The almost unlimited proof of the Red Sea Conspiracy of the middle east, Israel, Russian pact to use the greedy, amoral American candidate Donald Trump and his corrupt family members to increase their nuclear weapons and power is so horrifying that I couldn't stand to hear it.
It is evident how the American values and basic principles of freedom, free speech, free press ,compassion, scientific advancement, economic stability and love of immigrants are being destroyed one by one with the Republican party complicit by their greed and cowardice.
Incredibly depressing.
The almost unlimited proof of the Red Sea Conspiracy of the middle east, Israel, Russian pact to use the greedy, amoral American candidate Donald Trump and his corrupt family members to increase their nuclear weapons and power is so horrifying that I couldn't stand to hear it.
It is evident how the American values and basic principles of freedom, free speech, free press ,compassion, scientific advancement, economic stability and love of immigrants are being destroyed one by one with the Republican party complicit by their greed and cowardice.
Incredibly depressing.
October 10, 2019
Every American should read this book. Seth Abramson does an incredible and meticulous job of curative journalism, piecing together the events that have led us to where we are today with Trump and his seemingly unexplainable decisions, especially when it comes to foreign policy. Drawing from diverse new sources and investigative journalism, he collects information into a cohesive whole. In a day of sensationalistic headlines, I am grateful to people like Seth for providing us with facts and information to make this all manageable, albeit chilling.
January 22, 2020
Amazing level of detail backed up with lots of reference material. I got through about 100 pages but it was very difficult to keep track of the number of players in this treasonous grifting racket. I've read other books about the money-laundering and kickback world but this book really exposes the process behind all that. It's clear that President Trump understands this dirty world very well and has an army of people that do his grifting work. For anyone with any morals/ethics, it's sickening to understand how much they will do to line their pockets.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews