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Deep State: Trump, the FBI, and the Rule of Law
Instant New York Times Bestseller
"Important and stunning. This is must-read material if you want to understand what the Trump administration is still up to right now." --Lawrence O'Donnell
There are questions that the Mueller report couldn't—or wouldn't—answer. What actually happened to instigate the Russia investigation? Did President Trump’s meddling incriminate him? There’s no mystery to what Trump thinks. He claims that the Deep State, a cabal of career bureaucrats—among them, Andrew McCabe, Lisa Page, and Peter Strzok, previously little known figures within the FBI whom he has obsessively and publically reviled—is concerned only with protecting its own power and undermining the democratic process. Conversely, James Comey has defended the FBI as incorruptible apolitical public servants who work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law.
For the first time, bestselling author James B. Stewart sifts these conflicting accounts to present a clear-eyed view of what exactly happened inside the FBI in the lead-up to the 2016 election, drawing on scores of interviews with key FBI, Department of Justice, and White House officialsand voluminous transcripts, notes, and internal reports. In full detail, this is the dramatic saga of the FBI’s simultaneous investigations of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump—the first time in American history the FBI has been thrust into the middle of both parties' campaigns for the presidency. Stewart shows what exactly was set in motion when Trump fired Comey, triggering the appointment of Robert Mueller as an independent special counsel and causing the FBI to open a formal investigation into the president himself. And how this unprecedented event joined in ongoing combat two vital institutions of American democracy: the presidency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
At stake in this epic battle is the rule of law itself, the foundation of the U.S. Constitution. There is no room for compromise, but plenty for collateral damage. The reputations of both sides have already been harmed, perhaps irrevocably, and at great cost to American democracy. Deep State goes beyond the limits of the legally constrained Mueller report, showing how the president’s obsession with the idea of a conspiracy against him is still upending lives and sending shockwaves through both the FBI and the Department of Justice. In this world-historical struggle—Trump versus intelligence agencies—Stewart shows us in rare style what’s real and what matters now. And for the looming 2020 election.
"Important and stunning. This is must-read material if you want to understand what the Trump administration is still up to right now." --Lawrence O'Donnell
There are questions that the Mueller report couldn't—or wouldn't—answer. What actually happened to instigate the Russia investigation? Did President Trump’s meddling incriminate him? There’s no mystery to what Trump thinks. He claims that the Deep State, a cabal of career bureaucrats—among them, Andrew McCabe, Lisa Page, and Peter Strzok, previously little known figures within the FBI whom he has obsessively and publically reviled—is concerned only with protecting its own power and undermining the democratic process. Conversely, James Comey has defended the FBI as incorruptible apolitical public servants who work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law.
For the first time, bestselling author James B. Stewart sifts these conflicting accounts to present a clear-eyed view of what exactly happened inside the FBI in the lead-up to the 2016 election, drawing on scores of interviews with key FBI, Department of Justice, and White House officialsand voluminous transcripts, notes, and internal reports. In full detail, this is the dramatic saga of the FBI’s simultaneous investigations of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump—the first time in American history the FBI has been thrust into the middle of both parties' campaigns for the presidency. Stewart shows what exactly was set in motion when Trump fired Comey, triggering the appointment of Robert Mueller as an independent special counsel and causing the FBI to open a formal investigation into the president himself. And how this unprecedented event joined in ongoing combat two vital institutions of American democracy: the presidency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
At stake in this epic battle is the rule of law itself, the foundation of the U.S. Constitution. There is no room for compromise, but plenty for collateral damage. The reputations of both sides have already been harmed, perhaps irrevocably, and at great cost to American democracy. Deep State goes beyond the limits of the legally constrained Mueller report, showing how the president’s obsession with the idea of a conspiracy against him is still upending lives and sending shockwaves through both the FBI and the Department of Justice. In this world-historical struggle—Trump versus intelligence agencies—Stewart shows us in rare style what’s real and what matters now. And for the looming 2020 election.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2019
484 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
About the author
James B. Stewart
37 books329 followersJames Bennett Stewart is an American lawyer, journalist, and author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 28, 2019
If you have read other books about Trump and the FBI such as James Comey’s book, none of the information in this book will be a new to you. If you have not read or kept up with the news, this will be a good summary of what has happened.
The book is well written and researched. It covers the period from Comey’s investigation of Hilary Clinton’s emails to Bill Barr’s handling the Mueller Report. The book does cover more information about various people in the FBI after Comey was fired than other books. The Term “Deep State” is a name made up by the “Alt-Right”. It is a prejudicial misnomer for the thousands of federal government employees.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and one minute. Keith Szarabajka does a good job narrating the book. Keith is an actor and video game actor as well as an audiobook narrator.
The book is well written and researched. It covers the period from Comey’s investigation of Hilary Clinton’s emails to Bill Barr’s handling the Mueller Report. The book does cover more information about various people in the FBI after Comey was fired than other books. The Term “Deep State” is a name made up by the “Alt-Right”. It is a prejudicial misnomer for the thousands of federal government employees.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and one minute. Keith Szarabajka does a good job narrating the book. Keith is an actor and video game actor as well as an audiobook narrator.
October 30, 2019
This is a good book for Trump haters, but, except for some details about what the Justice Department and FBI were going through under Trump's attacks, you won't learn much more if you already read Comey's and/or McCabe's books and/or the Mueller report.
Nonetheless, I am a Trump hater, so I do enjoy a reminder like this book of how unhinged and unfit he is.
Nonetheless, I am a Trump hater, so I do enjoy a reminder like this book of how unhinged and unfit he is.
October 31, 2019
James Stewart's 'Deep State' book reads like a novel. It covers the time span of Jim Comey's anguish about the on-again off-again Hilary email investigations through Bill Barr's controversial handling of the Mueller Report. The book describes Comey's unpleasant interactions with Trump, and Trump's attacks on Jeff Sessions and Andy McCabe as well as Trump's manipulation of Rod Rosenstein. I found this book to be useful in understanding these important events which have an impact on our country.
wish-list
October 9, 2019 Rod Rosenstein thought these two cabinet officials would help remove Trump from office A new book from author James B. Stewart reveals which two members of the Trump cabinet Rod Rosenstein thought would help remove Trump from office using the 25th amendment. Lawrence O'Donnell talks with author James B. Stewart about his new book "Deep State."
November 1, 2019
This was quite a read. It didn’t contain new information for me, I’ve read James Comey’s and Andrew McCabe’s books as listened to parts of the Mueller Report and the news. What this book did for me was put it all into context and add multiple points of view. A very well read audiobook and well worth a listen.
October 27, 2019
It really disturbs me how many people have been caught up in Trump’s vindictiveness while trying to do the right thing.
April 7, 2020
Okay, I’m tapping out. Despite making it this far, I just can’t concentrate on this book given the world outside my screens. Plus, it’s fairly repetitive of other books I’ve already read. Just not the right time for this one.
October 20, 2024
I'll be interested in seeing reviews before I decide whether to read this book. I'm doubtful of it from the get-go because of the title. "Deep State" is a false name made up by the infamous alt-right and Trumpublicans, a prejudicial misnomer for the tens of thousands of already existing federal government employees who do their job putting their country before their own political party and having worked for presidents of both parties. So I'm skeptical because of the name. But if he's a good journalist and is only using the name because of it's sad acceptance by the public, I'll read it. If it's another blind Pro-Trump book, I'll pass. Looking forward to reviews. Don't get me wrong - I'll read books by "both sides" and do my best to be objective, but I won't give a dollar of my book bucks to a writer who actually believes the "deep state" crap.
July 20, 2020
Excellent reporting and storytelling. Stewart has assembled a full report on the 2016-19 investigations of both Hillary Clinton’s email server and Donald Trump’s Russian collusion scandals. The biggest contributions of this book are the careful time line, and the details about how the FBI and Justice Department made decisions about what to reveal and do in each case.
As a woman, it was hard for me to read how quickly James Comey and those around him decided to break with long-held traditions of coordinating their investigatory revelations with AG Loretta Lynch (his boss), and decided to behave with unusual and poorly executed transparency around Clinton—twice. However, it is also clear that the Clintons generated a swirl of problems as a consequence of their general approach to pursuing their ambitions without regard for norms and rules. They left an exhaust of suspicious behavior in their wake that was catnip to any investigatory, rule-following mindset.
The FBI went largely by the book with Trump, but by then the agency was working under a truly bizarre administration that breaks with all norms—trying to obstruct the investigation, badmouthing it on Twitter, and undermining incoming Justice Department leaders Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein.
I would have liked to know more about the inception of the Inspector General investigations and the decisions around revealing the completely legal and very personal text messages between FBI stalwarts Peter Strzok and Lisa Page; it appeared this decision and the Comey firing letter, were a couple of Rosenstein’s bungled calls, to disastrous effect.
FWIW, I never thought that the Steele dossier or actual “collusion” with Russia seemed credible. Collusion requires a reciprocal planning and shared intent. As this book conveys clearly, Trump is not capable of planning anything that involves more than satisfying his own moment-to-moment physical urges and ego needs. This book also confirms my sense that many of the “collusion” problems stemmed from Trump being stuck with a “B team” during his campaign since the “A teamers” rejected him, with predictably sloppy results from Flynn to Manafort to Papadopoulos to Stone.
Where he went off the rails was in his reaction to this kind of standard Washington political exercise to put on the record what happened during his campaign. A mentally normal president would have just let these political investigations run their course.
What we see in this book is how abnormal Trump truly is. We also see the template that his enablers in the 2019 investigation of the Ukraine scandal (a real corruption) are following.
The Ukraine situation is different—it is legitimately catching the president in a behavior that violates fundamental principles of the position: withholding aid approved by Congress to a foreign ally to extract personal domestic political favors. His actions play into Russia’s hands very well by undermining Ukraine’s self defense against Russia and promoting internal dissension within our own political system.
But if you listen to Rep. Jordan, you hear an attempt to frame this as another merely political investigation that weakens the president. Nope.
Fascinating reading if you want to see the “order” under the chaos that Trump generates: a leader with a utterly neurotic focus on self-preservation and a complete refusal to abide by norms and rules. It appears nearly impossible to reason with him. This is required reading for anyone being asked to serve. Think twice: being associated with him follows a predictably sad pattern of being used, disposed of, and permanently tarnished. It is hard not to feel empathy for anyone who has had to live under his command, whether at home or the office. Legions of counselors, media relations consultants, and religious will be required to mend those who have endured direct contact with him.
As a woman, it was hard for me to read how quickly James Comey and those around him decided to break with long-held traditions of coordinating their investigatory revelations with AG Loretta Lynch (his boss), and decided to behave with unusual and poorly executed transparency around Clinton—twice. However, it is also clear that the Clintons generated a swirl of problems as a consequence of their general approach to pursuing their ambitions without regard for norms and rules. They left an exhaust of suspicious behavior in their wake that was catnip to any investigatory, rule-following mindset.
The FBI went largely by the book with Trump, but by then the agency was working under a truly bizarre administration that breaks with all norms—trying to obstruct the investigation, badmouthing it on Twitter, and undermining incoming Justice Department leaders Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein.
I would have liked to know more about the inception of the Inspector General investigations and the decisions around revealing the completely legal and very personal text messages between FBI stalwarts Peter Strzok and Lisa Page; it appeared this decision and the Comey firing letter, were a couple of Rosenstein’s bungled calls, to disastrous effect.
FWIW, I never thought that the Steele dossier or actual “collusion” with Russia seemed credible. Collusion requires a reciprocal planning and shared intent. As this book conveys clearly, Trump is not capable of planning anything that involves more than satisfying his own moment-to-moment physical urges and ego needs. This book also confirms my sense that many of the “collusion” problems stemmed from Trump being stuck with a “B team” during his campaign since the “A teamers” rejected him, with predictably sloppy results from Flynn to Manafort to Papadopoulos to Stone.
Where he went off the rails was in his reaction to this kind of standard Washington political exercise to put on the record what happened during his campaign. A mentally normal president would have just let these political investigations run their course.
What we see in this book is how abnormal Trump truly is. We also see the template that his enablers in the 2019 investigation of the Ukraine scandal (a real corruption) are following.
The Ukraine situation is different—it is legitimately catching the president in a behavior that violates fundamental principles of the position: withholding aid approved by Congress to a foreign ally to extract personal domestic political favors. His actions play into Russia’s hands very well by undermining Ukraine’s self defense against Russia and promoting internal dissension within our own political system.
But if you listen to Rep. Jordan, you hear an attempt to frame this as another merely political investigation that weakens the president. Nope.
Fascinating reading if you want to see the “order” under the chaos that Trump generates: a leader with a utterly neurotic focus on self-preservation and a complete refusal to abide by norms and rules. It appears nearly impossible to reason with him. This is required reading for anyone being asked to serve. Think twice: being associated with him follows a predictably sad pattern of being used, disposed of, and permanently tarnished. It is hard not to feel empathy for anyone who has had to live under his command, whether at home or the office. Legions of counselors, media relations consultants, and religious will be required to mend those who have endured direct contact with him.
November 30, 2019
Of all the books published about the Trump administration this, without a doubt, is the best (even though a big chunk of the book is about the FBI's investigation of Clinton's emails). The author is not interested in sensational stories but is rather interested in documenting how the FBI, and in particular Comey, behaved during the investigation into the Clinton emails, in opening an investigation into people connected to the Trump campaign, how Trump dealt with Comey, the events that resulted in Comey's firing, and the subsequent Mueller investigation.
James Stewart is one of the most unbiased writers writing about these events. He does not interject himself into the story, his writing is first rate, and he clearly has talked to everyone and read everything connected to the events he describes. At the end of the book he provides a summary of what we know about the key points. I can't think of anyone who has done a better job of summarizing the key points and coming to a well-reasoned judgment.
Some of the main points I came away from the book.
First, Trump is a horrible human being who is surrounded by toadies who refuse to stand up to him. He is completely unfit to be President and is a stain on our country. I continue to be amazed that no Republicans are willing to stand up to him. I am represented by Peter Stauber and I have no doubt that he is someone who is honest, who has good values, who values his family, and has made great sacrifices for our country. But he has been dragged down by Trump. Stauber's unwillingness to stand up for the values he knows that Trump is denigrating and his unwillingness to criticize Trump's actions and words is sad. He, along with many Republicans, has failed a crucial moral test. Just one example of Trump's boorishness: when he was talking to McCabe, he talked about the race McCabe's wife had lost and said, "how does she feel to be a loser." Not enough bad things can happen to Trump and his family members.
Second, Comey is a complicated figure. He did have a sense that he was the moral one but Stewart does an excellent job of explaining why Comey made the decisions he did.
Third, the Clintons are horrible people and they have to live the rest of their lives knowing that they helped to make Trump President. Hillary Clinton's reason for having emails on a private server was pathetic. During the height of the FBI's investigation of Clinton, Bill Clinton decides to visit Attorney General Lynch's plane, which was on the same tarmac as Bill Clinton's plane. He comes in and despite numerous hints that he should leave stays for 40 minutes. What a self-absorbed person. And part of the reason for Comey making a public statement was the appearance of conflict that Clinton's visit created.
Fourth, Rosenstein is an unbalanced and corrupt person. Stewart's description of Rosenstein's meltdowns is worth reading the book. His ability to stay in power by being a toady for Trump is disheartening.
Fifth, it is clear that Barr is a dishonest person. He has lied about so many things but one that is clear is his claim in his confirmation hearings that he wasn't interested in being Attorney General. What a lie that was. Why would you write unsolicited columns for newspapers defending Trump, why would you write unsolicited letters to Trump officials providing justifications for Trump's reasoning?
Sixth, a depressing conclusion is that Trump's actions and the actions of Fox News (which is a state TV station) worked. They were able to tell lies that the base believed, to cast doubt on the actions and motives of nonpartisan investigators, and telling stories that had no connection to reality.
Overall, this is a great book.
James Stewart is one of the most unbiased writers writing about these events. He does not interject himself into the story, his writing is first rate, and he clearly has talked to everyone and read everything connected to the events he describes. At the end of the book he provides a summary of what we know about the key points. I can't think of anyone who has done a better job of summarizing the key points and coming to a well-reasoned judgment.
Some of the main points I came away from the book.
First, Trump is a horrible human being who is surrounded by toadies who refuse to stand up to him. He is completely unfit to be President and is a stain on our country. I continue to be amazed that no Republicans are willing to stand up to him. I am represented by Peter Stauber and I have no doubt that he is someone who is honest, who has good values, who values his family, and has made great sacrifices for our country. But he has been dragged down by Trump. Stauber's unwillingness to stand up for the values he knows that Trump is denigrating and his unwillingness to criticize Trump's actions and words is sad. He, along with many Republicans, has failed a crucial moral test. Just one example of Trump's boorishness: when he was talking to McCabe, he talked about the race McCabe's wife had lost and said, "how does she feel to be a loser." Not enough bad things can happen to Trump and his family members.
Second, Comey is a complicated figure. He did have a sense that he was the moral one but Stewart does an excellent job of explaining why Comey made the decisions he did.
Third, the Clintons are horrible people and they have to live the rest of their lives knowing that they helped to make Trump President. Hillary Clinton's reason for having emails on a private server was pathetic. During the height of the FBI's investigation of Clinton, Bill Clinton decides to visit Attorney General Lynch's plane, which was on the same tarmac as Bill Clinton's plane. He comes in and despite numerous hints that he should leave stays for 40 minutes. What a self-absorbed person. And part of the reason for Comey making a public statement was the appearance of conflict that Clinton's visit created.
Fourth, Rosenstein is an unbalanced and corrupt person. Stewart's description of Rosenstein's meltdowns is worth reading the book. His ability to stay in power by being a toady for Trump is disheartening.
Fifth, it is clear that Barr is a dishonest person. He has lied about so many things but one that is clear is his claim in his confirmation hearings that he wasn't interested in being Attorney General. What a lie that was. Why would you write unsolicited columns for newspapers defending Trump, why would you write unsolicited letters to Trump officials providing justifications for Trump's reasoning?
Sixth, a depressing conclusion is that Trump's actions and the actions of Fox News (which is a state TV station) worked. They were able to tell lies that the base believed, to cast doubt on the actions and motives of nonpartisan investigators, and telling stories that had no connection to reality.
Overall, this is a great book.
November 11, 2019
I do not believe there is a Deep State. I do not believe James Comey was correct in how he handled Clinton or the saint some paint him to be in dealings with Trump. As the author indicates this is more complicated than that. I think Trump a master at manipulating media and a story. He shades facts to his version of a story. This book will be read through your individual political lens but I think it closer to the truth on events than most on the subject through the release of the Mueller report. I would suggest you read with as open a mind as possible.
February 23, 2020
This is a well-researched and informative look at the first years of the Trump presidency through its relationship with the FBI. While I have read extensively about this period of our history, this book provided me with new information and insights, making it a wonderful resource. Of course, if as a reader one is a Fox News and Trump fan, this is not the book for you, unless of course, you are open to reading things that will never appear on Fox. I highly recommend this book for everyone.
July 3, 2020
Anticlimactic but informative; not entirely objective. Already knew/heard much of this from news. Disappointed that it delved so shallow into the title/topic Deep State. The author does a thorough job overall but again, there’s a slight bias that pervades the entire work. I had hoped for this to delve into the mystery of what she (Clinton) is concealing. My fear is that it is something, well, abominable. Why do I go there? Well I think that there were things found that are quite disturbing to The American People and that are of some nature or content that is extremely embarrassing to the Clinton foundation. Moreover why was there an interest-concern in Ronan Farrow’s reporting on Harvey Weinstein, the omnipresent Hollywood producer, from them? This book did little to explain why Anthony Weiner had that stuff on his laptop, and how its contents had so moved the FBI to look into it. Stewart, the author, turns the story around James Comey, holding him out to be a most upright and trustworthy man, and goes further to encourage support for the FBI and other branches of government, generally speaking. If you’re looking to go down a rabbit hole with an author who reveals a deep state then you’re out of luck here. It’s pretty conventional reason from James Stewart. From his ultimate view there is no evidence of a secret cabal. It’s all just a mesh of agencies. I’ve not read the other books that relate to the whole subject, books from Comey or others, but the reviews say that such books confirm what Stewart has written here.
Is it me or does anyone else want to REALLY know the content of the emails? If it was some thing that is outside the purview of the general public, some thing that would have caught us all unaware or off-guard, then this is problematic, no? Was it all to do with the election, some back-deal stuff that the Clinton campaign was up to? This book doesn’t go there.
The content on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, whatever it really was, in it’s entirety, caused enough consternation in the conscience of investigators that there came necessary the moment for the FBI to reckon with themselves: if we don’t say anything about this, about what we’ve found, then we’ll look complicit or guilty of concealing important information, but if we do say something about this, how do we say it, and (my most fervent inquiry), how much of it do we say?
We’re in an age of low literacy. NBC, CNN & FOX got us hooked. Their narratives. And then Facebook & Twitter & YouTube. They push narratives. Their nature is to be without bounds, or to push bounds. Our low literacy leaves us weak and without the volition to research or stay actively engaged in political science. There’s hardly enough time to read in a day amidst the buzz of the world! But our schools don’t do well to prepare us for political realities. The country advanced far in obtaining for more and more citizens the right to vote for a person to make executive decisions for the country for four years. It is our alternative to war. And yet the voting depends upon being informed. And well-informed voting leads to the most just decisions. But how informed are we Americans if we’re only permitted the filtered water of information which Anderson Cooper or Sean Hannity (et. al) yields? Who are their bosses?
A common rebuttal is that conspiracies fail the test because too many people cannot keep such a secret or operate so deceptively and synchronously. Say, “ if you fool the right ones, then the rest will fall in behind.” I think that theories that help to unravel what our rational mind grapple with are useful and valid. It is part of being human. It is the seeker in us. The seeker for truth. What aids me to comprehend the big mysteries of the 21st & 20th centuries are theories that do not require a great many minds to be in on a secret.
What this book did not do was: go there! It was quite objective in portraying Comey’s countenance. But what else about him? How could he be conceivably compromised? Why was it that the second event of the email leak, the one about the laptop, why was it that that took so little time to look over? If there was so much data to go through and only so small a staff , how could Comey say that he had confidence enough not to incriminate Clinton? Someone else had brought this point up, and I agree with it: Something prompted the FBI to go up to the public and say yet another thing about her emails. What else did they discover? And why did it take so little time for them to decide that it wasn’t serious enough to investigate? This is why I agree with the current president, that there is something fishy about all of that, and this whole book feels like an encouragement or a push for us to all trust the FBI wholeheartedly and entirely and completely because they will never deceive the American public, or that they will never lie to us, or that they are not interested in seeing one or another win an election. If the FBI is to be so trustworthy, and if the director is to serve a 10 year term, then who is their check, who balances their authority and investigates them?
The establishment of order in the world and of tranquility amongst its peoples is the desire of every denizen on earth. I fancy this. So I am personally not out to bash the FBI or any institutions of authority and power today. We need to be informed! If there is wrongdoing, and if it is serious, then the FBI needs to do its job! Arrest people. Finish it. Finish it all and get everyone who needs to be punished punished. Otherwise we lose faith in the whole system when we see guilty people, or suspect people, go untried and free without any investigation or consequence or penalties. Democratic party adherents are quick to forget or eager to overlook the blatant and technical foul, nay, flagrant foul of sideswiping Bernie Sanders at the Democratic national convention. This is unfair to Trump. It’s unfair because it’s moving according to a certain double standard: when the guy I dislike does the slightest suspect move I will pounce upon him and denounce him. Reds did it to Obama. Dems now do it to Trump. Shame. It is so damn silly, and irksome, because the hatred of the president beclouds objective judgment, and the animosity toward conservatism hinders sound reason. They sound bite Trump. A lot of his followers voted for him because they felt like every one among the politicians lies and that he, at the least, would be known and familiar to them to some degree for his speech and candor. Fake news. Well—is it true news? Shall we debate that? Is it unbiased news? Is the bad orange guy mad to suggest that media outlets push agendas and narratives?
I liked that the book took seriously the wonderment and puzzlement of the Comey “thing” but felt underwhelmed.
Is it me or does anyone else want to REALLY know the content of the emails? If it was some thing that is outside the purview of the general public, some thing that would have caught us all unaware or off-guard, then this is problematic, no? Was it all to do with the election, some back-deal stuff that the Clinton campaign was up to? This book doesn’t go there.
The content on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, whatever it really was, in it’s entirety, caused enough consternation in the conscience of investigators that there came necessary the moment for the FBI to reckon with themselves: if we don’t say anything about this, about what we’ve found, then we’ll look complicit or guilty of concealing important information, but if we do say something about this, how do we say it, and (my most fervent inquiry), how much of it do we say?
We’re in an age of low literacy. NBC, CNN & FOX got us hooked. Their narratives. And then Facebook & Twitter & YouTube. They push narratives. Their nature is to be without bounds, or to push bounds. Our low literacy leaves us weak and without the volition to research or stay actively engaged in political science. There’s hardly enough time to read in a day amidst the buzz of the world! But our schools don’t do well to prepare us for political realities. The country advanced far in obtaining for more and more citizens the right to vote for a person to make executive decisions for the country for four years. It is our alternative to war. And yet the voting depends upon being informed. And well-informed voting leads to the most just decisions. But how informed are we Americans if we’re only permitted the filtered water of information which Anderson Cooper or Sean Hannity (et. al) yields? Who are their bosses?
A common rebuttal is that conspiracies fail the test because too many people cannot keep such a secret or operate so deceptively and synchronously. Say, “ if you fool the right ones, then the rest will fall in behind.” I think that theories that help to unravel what our rational mind grapple with are useful and valid. It is part of being human. It is the seeker in us. The seeker for truth. What aids me to comprehend the big mysteries of the 21st & 20th centuries are theories that do not require a great many minds to be in on a secret.
What this book did not do was: go there! It was quite objective in portraying Comey’s countenance. But what else about him? How could he be conceivably compromised? Why was it that the second event of the email leak, the one about the laptop, why was it that that took so little time to look over? If there was so much data to go through and only so small a staff , how could Comey say that he had confidence enough not to incriminate Clinton? Someone else had brought this point up, and I agree with it: Something prompted the FBI to go up to the public and say yet another thing about her emails. What else did they discover? And why did it take so little time for them to decide that it wasn’t serious enough to investigate? This is why I agree with the current president, that there is something fishy about all of that, and this whole book feels like an encouragement or a push for us to all trust the FBI wholeheartedly and entirely and completely because they will never deceive the American public, or that they will never lie to us, or that they are not interested in seeing one or another win an election. If the FBI is to be so trustworthy, and if the director is to serve a 10 year term, then who is their check, who balances their authority and investigates them?
The establishment of order in the world and of tranquility amongst its peoples is the desire of every denizen on earth. I fancy this. So I am personally not out to bash the FBI or any institutions of authority and power today. We need to be informed! If there is wrongdoing, and if it is serious, then the FBI needs to do its job! Arrest people. Finish it. Finish it all and get everyone who needs to be punished punished. Otherwise we lose faith in the whole system when we see guilty people, or suspect people, go untried and free without any investigation or consequence or penalties. Democratic party adherents are quick to forget or eager to overlook the blatant and technical foul, nay, flagrant foul of sideswiping Bernie Sanders at the Democratic national convention. This is unfair to Trump. It’s unfair because it’s moving according to a certain double standard: when the guy I dislike does the slightest suspect move I will pounce upon him and denounce him. Reds did it to Obama. Dems now do it to Trump. Shame. It is so damn silly, and irksome, because the hatred of the president beclouds objective judgment, and the animosity toward conservatism hinders sound reason. They sound bite Trump. A lot of his followers voted for him because they felt like every one among the politicians lies and that he, at the least, would be known and familiar to them to some degree for his speech and candor. Fake news. Well—is it true news? Shall we debate that? Is it unbiased news? Is the bad orange guy mad to suggest that media outlets push agendas and narratives?
I liked that the book took seriously the wonderment and puzzlement of the Comey “thing” but felt underwhelmed.
April 20, 2025
This didn't have a lot of new information by itself but taken with other books I have read this is a good addition to those.
March 10, 2020
I sensed in all the chapters up to the "conclusion" chapter that Stewart was telling a relatively balanced story of the months/years of the Trump candidacy/campaign. Most of his reportage could make people on either side of the aisle squirm a bit from time to time; although overall his anti-Trump bias poked out a bit. However, in the conclusion he seems to have taken a distinct turn to throw cold water on the idea of a 'deep state' and while not quite skewering Trump he came close. His defense of the idea of prosecuting a conspiracy without an underlying crime was, I believe the point of departure for me. Although that argument might be successfully made in some cases, I think here is clearly missed the boat. And having been subjected in my own experience to the caterwauling of senior civil servants who blatantly chafe at administration policies they don't like, Stewart's defense of the bureaucratic state makes me cringe. If one were to substitute for Stewarts conclusion the entire work of Gregg Jarrett in "Witch Hunt" you might have the sum total of how this all came to pass.
October 3, 2022
Reading this book years after it was published (and already knowing the most shocking quotes and anecdotes from Twitter) the only contextually important thing I've gotten from it was how absolutely insane the Hillary Clinton email scandal was.
The first third of the book details the actions taken by the FBI (clearly told from Jim Comey and Andrew McCabes defensive POV) and notes the lengths they went to and the precedents they broke in order to show that they were taking this very stupid scandal seriously. Comey commented on active investigations twice (something almost never done) all because of his worry that history would judge him unkindly if he did not do this (despite his not saying anything at the same time for the ongoing investigation into most of Trump's inner circle, all suspected of Russian collusion).
The insanity of all this is comparing the hoops the FBI jumped through at the time against Clinton against the relative crickets we've heard about extremely similar scandals since then surrounding Trump and his senior staff also flouting email/phone security laws. Or in thinking of the far more worrisome actions Trump later took (extorting Ukraine for dirt on a political rival or leading a mob of people to storm the Capital for instance).
This book is an exercise in character rehabilitation. It's a painfully obvious platform for Comey to pontificate about the virtues of nonpartisan leadership while failing to admit that he made terrible (repeated) decisions based on pressure from the right to not look too soft on Clinton.
While we don't learn much more about Mueller or what his thoughts were surrounding the special investigation, his passive investigation when it came to Trump (the book details an obvious set of misleading written answers by Trump that he should have followed up on at the very minimum) and his hands off approach to leveling any actual verdict showed that he seemed completely opposed to actually indicting a president regardless of what happened (not a great position for the special investigator to have).
The whole thing is incredibly frustrating to read and is probably only worth it as a reminder to not trust any of these individuals (Comey and Mueller especially) when it comes to how objective, courageous and principled they have conducted themselves.
So, if you are a masochist who wants to re-live a really chaotic and unsatisfying couple of years through the prism of several FBI investigations, read this, but it does not really add much that we already knew from the news of the time.
The first third of the book details the actions taken by the FBI (clearly told from Jim Comey and Andrew McCabes defensive POV) and notes the lengths they went to and the precedents they broke in order to show that they were taking this very stupid scandal seriously. Comey commented on active investigations twice (something almost never done) all because of his worry that history would judge him unkindly if he did not do this (despite his not saying anything at the same time for the ongoing investigation into most of Trump's inner circle, all suspected of Russian collusion).
The insanity of all this is comparing the hoops the FBI jumped through at the time against Clinton against the relative crickets we've heard about extremely similar scandals since then surrounding Trump and his senior staff also flouting email/phone security laws. Or in thinking of the far more worrisome actions Trump later took (extorting Ukraine for dirt on a political rival or leading a mob of people to storm the Capital for instance).
This book is an exercise in character rehabilitation. It's a painfully obvious platform for Comey to pontificate about the virtues of nonpartisan leadership while failing to admit that he made terrible (repeated) decisions based on pressure from the right to not look too soft on Clinton.
While we don't learn much more about Mueller or what his thoughts were surrounding the special investigation, his passive investigation when it came to Trump (the book details an obvious set of misleading written answers by Trump that he should have followed up on at the very minimum) and his hands off approach to leveling any actual verdict showed that he seemed completely opposed to actually indicting a president regardless of what happened (not a great position for the special investigator to have).
The whole thing is incredibly frustrating to read and is probably only worth it as a reminder to not trust any of these individuals (Comey and Mueller especially) when it comes to how objective, courageous and principled they have conducted themselves.
So, if you are a masochist who wants to re-live a really chaotic and unsatisfying couple of years through the prism of several FBI investigations, read this, but it does not really add much that we already knew from the news of the time.
November 4, 2019
This book is an intense summary of the going-ons of Trump in regards to "the Russia thing" (aka firing Comey and the eventual Mueller Report).
This was the audio version of the book, which was engaging. But there are a lot of Trump's tweets in the book so you know what Trump is thinking and how he responds to things almost on a daily basis. What I took away from this was how UNSTABLE Trump is. I don't follow Trump's tweets, so having them in this book and hearing so many of what he says made me very very unsettled. It was very obvious after listening to hours and hours of this I concluded Trump is mentally ill. Toxic. Pathological. Dangerous. Trump's entire mental focus is on HIM, HIM, HIM, and being a total victim - ALL THE TIME. Trump's go-to behavior is to lash out and rip apart any one that is not aligned with him, and he then tries to DESTROY that person.
By the end of the book, I was exhausted.
It was like being with a 2 year old who has screaming fits and constant temper tantrums that never end. Only he is the President.
This was the audio version of the book, which was engaging. But there are a lot of Trump's tweets in the book so you know what Trump is thinking and how he responds to things almost on a daily basis. What I took away from this was how UNSTABLE Trump is. I don't follow Trump's tweets, so having them in this book and hearing so many of what he says made me very very unsettled. It was very obvious after listening to hours and hours of this I concluded Trump is mentally ill. Toxic. Pathological. Dangerous. Trump's entire mental focus is on HIM, HIM, HIM, and being a total victim - ALL THE TIME. Trump's go-to behavior is to lash out and rip apart any one that is not aligned with him, and he then tries to DESTROY that person.
By the end of the book, I was exhausted.
It was like being with a 2 year old who has screaming fits and constant temper tantrums that never end. Only he is the President.
January 5, 2020
If you've been following the whole Trump campaign investigation, then you probably won't find much new in this book. That being said, there is something to being able to cover all of this material in chronological order rather than the piecemeal way it came out to the public. The book focuses on the perspective of the FBI during the investigation with particular emphasis on James Comey and Andrew McCabe. No one comes off as a saint in the FBI, but the general perception is that these were men and women honestly trying to do their jobs and protect America. Not shockingly, the only person who comes off 100% "bad" is Trump himself. Much like the Mueller Report, this book concludes that if Trump had either had a longer attention span or if his subordinates had actually followed his orders, he would almost certainly have faced any even more problematic set of facts that would have made impeachment even easier.
November 23, 2019
A riveting and outstanding book that i read in 48 hours, which demonstrates the lengths to which Trump bent the will of the FBI and DOJ to serve him rather than the American people. It also debunks the ridiculous notion that Mueller exonerated Trump. While it found no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, there were multiple instances of obstruction of justice, that, but for the rule of protecting a siting President from a criminal proceeding, could have and may yet still be prosecuted.
Stewart rationally explains why the FBI and DOJ took the actions that it did and demonstrates how Trump has perverted both institutions to serve himself.
November 11, 2019
This is the Audible version of the book. It is very well written and thoroughly researched. It details the bizarre circumstances of the Trump election and the men and women charged with the mission of uncovering the truth behind the lies. Not much new information but a good, even handed account of what most intelligent people (that live outside of the Fox friendly echo chamber) believe to be true.
December 30, 2019
The roller coaster ride of the FBI investigations of possible Trump involvement in Russian interference with the 2016 Presidential election. We've followed the press coverage and read James Comey's account. James B. Stewart is a clear and compelling writer who pulls it all together. I found it difficult to put this book down and was exhausted by the frenetic pace of events as they unfolded.
January 2, 2020
A thoroughly engaging and detail oriented book. It baffles me that trump is still the president, in light of all his nefarious dealings revealed in this book. One can only hope that he will be in our history books, as a warning to future generations, on who NOT to elect as president. Our democracy will NOT survive another like him.
March 13, 2020
Most of what is written here is familiar, but it is still compelling. Stewart joins the ranks of many others as he clearly lays out the utter repulsiveness, coarseness, hatefulness, and beyond, of the one currently occupying the Oval Office. It is on full display and is staggering, as is his total destruction of anyone who crosses him.
April 8, 2020
I have enjoyed two other books by this author a great deal, but this one left me cold as I detected a bit of an anti-Trump bias which turned me off. I did not vote for Trump and am really turned off by his personality, but I feel the author went beyond reason to paint his foibles and that hurt the book in my opinion.
October 26, 2019
One of the better, if not the best Trump book I've read, and I have read several.
Well written and researched from the primary through the election to the many noteworthy moment's if this presidency.
If you read just one Trump book, I recommend this one.
Well written and researched from the primary through the election to the many noteworthy moment's if this presidency.
If you read just one Trump book, I recommend this one.
November 7, 2019
James Stewart coherently and brilliantly synthesizes a vast array of facts and perspectives, including the Mueller report, Comey’s and McCabe’s books and other reporting. I did not find this redundant but rather helpful in understanding how all the pieces fit together.
December 27, 2019
This is the best of all the Trump administration books I've read. It gives a very clear-eyed account of how we arrived at where we are today, from the campaign until just before the Ukraine scandal. Nobody is completely spared of blame.
February 4, 2020
Donald John Trump is absolutely a complete and utter moron and an idiot. He is also the most corrupt and vile man to ever be President. He is destroying our institutions because they put a check on criminals...and he is one.
October 30, 2019
Another Orange Man Bad puff piece. Very disappointed in both the writing and the story. Nothing new.
November 28, 2019
3.75 stars, informative and interesting, some new information and a good refresher on some of what has happened in the last few years regarding the low-life trump and his stupid and corrupt goons.
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