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American Resistance: The Inside Story of How the Deep State Saved the Nation
It could have been so much worse: a deeply reported, insider story of how a handful of Washington officials staged a daring resistance to an unprecedented presidency and prevented chaos overwhelming the government and the nation.
Each federal employee takes an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic,” but none had imagined that enemy might be the Commander-in-Chief. With the presidency of Donald Trump, a fault line between the president and vital forces within his government was established. Those who honored their oath of office, their obligation to the Constitution, were wary of the president and they in turn were not trusted and occasionally fired and replaced with loyalists.
American Resistance is the first book to chronicle the unprecedented role so many in the government were forced to play and the consequences of their actions during the Trump administration. From Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and his brother Yevgeny, to Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, to Bill Taylor, Fiona Hill, and the official who first called himself “Anonymous”—Miles Taylor, among others, Rothkopf examines the resistance movement that slowly built in Washington. Drawing from first hand testimonies, deep background and research, American Resistance shows how when the President threatened to run amok, a few key figures rose in defiance. It reveals the conflict within the Department of Justice over actively seeking instances of election fraud and abuse to help the president illegally retain power, and multiple battles within the White House over the influence of Jared and Ivanka, and in particular the extraordinary efforts to get them security clearances even after they were denied to them.
David Rothkopf chronicles how each person came to realize that they were working for an administration that threatened to wreak havoc – one Defense Secretary was told by his mother to resign before it was too late – in an intense drama in which a few good men and women stood up to the tyrant in their midst.
Each federal employee takes an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic,” but none had imagined that enemy might be the Commander-in-Chief. With the presidency of Donald Trump, a fault line between the president and vital forces within his government was established. Those who honored their oath of office, their obligation to the Constitution, were wary of the president and they in turn were not trusted and occasionally fired and replaced with loyalists.
American Resistance is the first book to chronicle the unprecedented role so many in the government were forced to play and the consequences of their actions during the Trump administration. From Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and his brother Yevgeny, to Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, to Bill Taylor, Fiona Hill, and the official who first called himself “Anonymous”—Miles Taylor, among others, Rothkopf examines the resistance movement that slowly built in Washington. Drawing from first hand testimonies, deep background and research, American Resistance shows how when the President threatened to run amok, a few key figures rose in defiance. It reveals the conflict within the Department of Justice over actively seeking instances of election fraud and abuse to help the president illegally retain power, and multiple battles within the White House over the influence of Jared and Ivanka, and in particular the extraordinary efforts to get them security clearances even after they were denied to them.
David Rothkopf chronicles how each person came to realize that they were working for an administration that threatened to wreak havoc – one Defense Secretary was told by his mother to resign before it was too late – in an intense drama in which a few good men and women stood up to the tyrant in their midst.
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First published June 21, 2022
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About the author
David Rothkopf
19 books123 followersDavid Rothkopf is the internationally acclaimed author of Superclass: The Global Power Elite and the World They are Making (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, March 2008), now available in over two dozen editions worldwide, and Running the World: The Inside Story of the National Security Council and the Architects of American Power (PublicAffairs, 2005), hailed by The New York Times as "the definitive history of the National Security Council." His next book, on the tug of war between public and private power worldwide and its consequences, is due out from Farrar Straus & Giroux late this year.
Rothkopf is President and CEO of Garten Rothkopf, an international advisory firm specializing in transformational trends especially those associated with energy choice and climate change, emerging markets and global risk. He is a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where he chairs the Carnegie Economic Strategy Roundtable. He was formerly chief executive of Intellibridge Corporation, managing director of Kissinger Associates and U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Policy.
Rothkopf has also taught international affairs and national security studies at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, has lectured widely and is the author of over 150 articles for leading publications worldwide.
Rothkopf is President and CEO of Garten Rothkopf, an international advisory firm specializing in transformational trends especially those associated with energy choice and climate change, emerging markets and global risk. He is a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where he chairs the Carnegie Economic Strategy Roundtable. He was formerly chief executive of Intellibridge Corporation, managing director of Kissinger Associates and U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Policy.
Rothkopf has also taught international affairs and national security studies at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, has lectured widely and is the author of over 150 articles for leading publications worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 25, 2022
As a regular listener of David Rothkopf's Deep State Radio podcast, I knew that the "Deep State" in the subtitle was not the "deep state" railed against by Steve Bannon and his ilk, but I'm guessing that many prospective readers are going to be jolted by the notion that this "deep state" is not a mindless bureaucracy whose only raison d'être is to perpetuate itself.
Rothkopf addresses this cognitive dissonance in his introduction, "A Word of Thanks to the Deep State." It's a good place to start. I believe "government" is a good thing, from the most local level up to Congress and the White House, but when I tell people I lived in D.C. for 11 years, I assure them that "I didn't work for the government." I've regularly made snide remarks about "government bureaucrats" that were no better informed that the snide remarks people make about various ethnic or racial groups. If the Trump years and their aftermath have taught us anything, it's that these attitudes can have serious consequences.
In the subsequent chapters of American Resistance, Rothkopf focuses on the Trump administration's attempt to keep "undesirables" (e.g., Muslims and migrants from south of the U.S.-Mexico border) out; its attempt to turn the military into its own political tool; its efforts to do likewise with foreign policy, specifically in regard to Ukraine; its disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and finally the efforts to undermine the 2020 election and democratic process itself that led to the January 6 insurrection.
These overlap and run concurrently, of course, but the narrative makes clear that the more Trump and his circle get away with, the harder they push at what we used to assume were boundaries and guardrails. The narrative also makes clear that, bad as they got, things could have been a lot worse. Career civil servants and career military officers, along with a handful of political appointees, really did make a crucial difference.
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of American Resistance is its insight into the motives of Rothkopf's hundred or so interviewees. Why did some choose to join the administration in the first place, when they had no respect for Trump, his politics, or his entourage? What prompted others to blow the whistle or to just say no to illegal or unethical directives? The common thread seems to be that their bedrock loyalty was to the Constitution and American democracy, not to Donald Trump or the Republican Party.
In this age where so much revolves around celebrities and personalities, this devotion to principle seems almost quaint. Nerdish. Naïve. But it seems to have saved the republic, at least for the moment. Rothkopf's last chapter is titled "Bullets and Boomerangs," from his belief that the bullet we like to think we've dodged is actually a boomerang, and boomerangs will return. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) summarizes it with typical clarity: "The GOP under Donald Trump's thumb has positioned itself outside the constitutional order. It does not accept the basic norms of constitutional democracy. It does not accept the rule of law or the concept of majority rule. And it does not accept elections that don't favor Donald Trump."
And some 74 million U.S. voters voted for Donald Trump in 2020, when all Trump's cards were laid out face-up on the table (although January 6 hadn't happened yet). Most of the GOP leadership still won't concede publicly that Trump lost the election. In other words, it's not over yet.
Before 2016, I was pretty blasé about "American democracy." Over the decades I've seen its principles ignored more in the breach than in the observance. What I've learned over the last six years or so is what a real breach looks like and why those principles are worth fighting for. David Rothkopf's book demonstrates the importance of having allies on the inside -- the "deep state" of the subtitle -- but it sure doesn't let the rest of us off the hook.
Rothkopf addresses this cognitive dissonance in his introduction, "A Word of Thanks to the Deep State." It's a good place to start. I believe "government" is a good thing, from the most local level up to Congress and the White House, but when I tell people I lived in D.C. for 11 years, I assure them that "I didn't work for the government." I've regularly made snide remarks about "government bureaucrats" that were no better informed that the snide remarks people make about various ethnic or racial groups. If the Trump years and their aftermath have taught us anything, it's that these attitudes can have serious consequences.
In the subsequent chapters of American Resistance, Rothkopf focuses on the Trump administration's attempt to keep "undesirables" (e.g., Muslims and migrants from south of the U.S.-Mexico border) out; its attempt to turn the military into its own political tool; its efforts to do likewise with foreign policy, specifically in regard to Ukraine; its disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and finally the efforts to undermine the 2020 election and democratic process itself that led to the January 6 insurrection.
These overlap and run concurrently, of course, but the narrative makes clear that the more Trump and his circle get away with, the harder they push at what we used to assume were boundaries and guardrails. The narrative also makes clear that, bad as they got, things could have been a lot worse. Career civil servants and career military officers, along with a handful of political appointees, really did make a crucial difference.
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of American Resistance is its insight into the motives of Rothkopf's hundred or so interviewees. Why did some choose to join the administration in the first place, when they had no respect for Trump, his politics, or his entourage? What prompted others to blow the whistle or to just say no to illegal or unethical directives? The common thread seems to be that their bedrock loyalty was to the Constitution and American democracy, not to Donald Trump or the Republican Party.
In this age where so much revolves around celebrities and personalities, this devotion to principle seems almost quaint. Nerdish. Naïve. But it seems to have saved the republic, at least for the moment. Rothkopf's last chapter is titled "Bullets and Boomerangs," from his belief that the bullet we like to think we've dodged is actually a boomerang, and boomerangs will return. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) summarizes it with typical clarity: "The GOP under Donald Trump's thumb has positioned itself outside the constitutional order. It does not accept the basic norms of constitutional democracy. It does not accept the rule of law or the concept of majority rule. And it does not accept elections that don't favor Donald Trump."
And some 74 million U.S. voters voted for Donald Trump in 2020, when all Trump's cards were laid out face-up on the table (although January 6 hadn't happened yet). Most of the GOP leadership still won't concede publicly that Trump lost the election. In other words, it's not over yet.
Before 2016, I was pretty blasé about "American democracy." Over the decades I've seen its principles ignored more in the breach than in the observance. What I've learned over the last six years or so is what a real breach looks like and why those principles are worth fighting for. David Rothkopf's book demonstrates the importance of having allies on the inside -- the "deep state" of the subtitle -- but it sure doesn't let the rest of us off the hook.
December 9, 2022
When Donald Trump became president and he was making all these promises I told my husband there’s too many checks and balances in place for him to go off half cocked and change the laws let alone the structure of our government in this book is a great example of that. A man out of control in those fighting to keep the government running as it should. Donald Trump like most wanna be dictators tries to use fear and threats to get his way but the one thing America doesn’t do is it call Tal to fear tactics I don’t know how so many people have supported this man and I know I’m not discussing the book but I am just so overwhelmed and done with the Donald Trump era. A lot of this book is written from The author‘s first hand account in being so well versed in Washington DC and the running of it. I found it educational and personal enough to make the book interesting I highly recommend this book and I am so glad I’ve read it. I received it from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.gg
April 16, 2023
Come for the alligators, stay for the constitutional crisis.
June 16, 2024
Needlessly provocative title on what's a surprisingly readable, mostly first-person account of the career civil servants who spent the length of Trump's administration trying to soften the harm he inflicted. As might be expected, the people who went on record were quite a bit more conciliatory toward their colleagues than the ones who didn't. And the author is *very* generous toward people who have made terrible decisions. For example, Kirstjen Nielsen may have tried to avoid implementing the family separation policy--there are no adjectives sufficient to describe the cruelty of such a banal name--"for months," but she didn't resign when it happened. She participated.
That generosity extends to a whole lot of other people, and I get the point of it, but it was still hard to take sometimes.
That generosity extends to a whole lot of other people, and I get the point of it, but it was still hard to take sometimes.
September 12, 2022
American Resistance by David Rothkopf is an insightful and spot on account of the ways in which many of the career public servants helped save (for now) democracy from the authoritarian attempts to undermine it by Trump and his flunkies.
You'll see the people who either support Trump (like liquidbrains) or are sympathetic to the ideals he encourages (usually with cries of being too biased) do what they can to give the book less credit than it deserves. Well, one-star ratings with no review (because liquidbrains can't read well enough to grasp the book) only speaks to the person's idiocy, so ignore the moron. The ones who complain about not being unbiased, well, when someone who supports their country's democracy is writing about someone who is doing everything possible to destroy it, I don't think I will call their unwillingness to pull punches being biased, but rather very frank in their portrayal of the orange menace.
My biggest issue with the book isn't one of content but of sourcing. Much of what he talks about is either from personal interviews (which he usually mentions in the text) or has been widely circulated elsewhere. Even though we know about, for instance, Trump's exaggeration of his time at military school and that it has been verified, it would have been nice to have more notes showing sources. It isn't that I doubt very much in the book, but those who want to defend the anti-democracy leanings of the former moron-in-chief will use the lack of source acknowledgements as ammunition to pretend to find fault with the book. Unless the notes are only missing from the ARC I read, this is a negative. If the final copy has notes, well, "never mind."
Like many Americans I often make fun of civil servants at the same time that I acknowledge they are the ones keeping the country on a relatively even keel. This volume shows just how important these people are. It isn't about whether many of them lean left or right, they all support the idea of a government that tries to function well and for the benefit of all. They perform their duties as required even if they don't agree completely with the policies. But when the attempts at creating new policies circumvent established norms and are designed to destroy the government, they find every conceivable legal path to avoid implementing them. And we need to thank them.
I would recommend this to those who know how lucky we as a nation, as well as the world at large, were to dodge the bullet that was the tRump administration. This shows some of the ways honorable people resisted. Did they have personal reasons as well as public good? Of course! We all have multiple reasons for what we do. It is horribly disingenuous to pretend that having those other reasons as well as doing good somehow minimizes the good that was done.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
You'll see the people who either support Trump (like liquidbrains) or are sympathetic to the ideals he encourages (usually with cries of being too biased) do what they can to give the book less credit than it deserves. Well, one-star ratings with no review (because liquidbrains can't read well enough to grasp the book) only speaks to the person's idiocy, so ignore the moron. The ones who complain about not being unbiased, well, when someone who supports their country's democracy is writing about someone who is doing everything possible to destroy it, I don't think I will call their unwillingness to pull punches being biased, but rather very frank in their portrayal of the orange menace.
My biggest issue with the book isn't one of content but of sourcing. Much of what he talks about is either from personal interviews (which he usually mentions in the text) or has been widely circulated elsewhere. Even though we know about, for instance, Trump's exaggeration of his time at military school and that it has been verified, it would have been nice to have more notes showing sources. It isn't that I doubt very much in the book, but those who want to defend the anti-democracy leanings of the former moron-in-chief will use the lack of source acknowledgements as ammunition to pretend to find fault with the book. Unless the notes are only missing from the ARC I read, this is a negative. If the final copy has notes, well, "never mind."
Like many Americans I often make fun of civil servants at the same time that I acknowledge they are the ones keeping the country on a relatively even keel. This volume shows just how important these people are. It isn't about whether many of them lean left or right, they all support the idea of a government that tries to function well and for the benefit of all. They perform their duties as required even if they don't agree completely with the policies. But when the attempts at creating new policies circumvent established norms and are designed to destroy the government, they find every conceivable legal path to avoid implementing them. And we need to thank them.
I would recommend this to those who know how lucky we as a nation, as well as the world at large, were to dodge the bullet that was the tRump administration. This shows some of the ways honorable people resisted. Did they have personal reasons as well as public good? Of course! We all have multiple reasons for what we do. It is horribly disingenuous to pretend that having those other reasons as well as doing good somehow minimizes the good that was done.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Read
June 1, 2023Wow, this book took me a long time to complete. I need to stop interrupting my political and serious non-fiction reading with mysteries.
I am happy to have read this book. I have nothing to say that has not already been said about David Rothkopf's book. His books are always similar to taking a political science and history course for me. My big takeaway is a relief that the deep state is full of many military and civilian patriots watching out for our democracy. As a liberal from my high school days in the 1960s, I have been all over the map as I aged (71 this May) with anger at the CIA, FBI, the military, and so on. Like many people, you see things in a new light with age, education, and trying to stay informed. With a man like Trump in office, I am grateful for the many people working every day to protect this country.
The next Rothkopf book on my list is Traitor: A History of Betraying America from Benedict Arnold to Donald Trump. Perhaps another Louise Penny mystery first.
I am happy to have read this book. I have nothing to say that has not already been said about David Rothkopf's book. His books are always similar to taking a political science and history course for me. My big takeaway is a relief that the deep state is full of many military and civilian patriots watching out for our democracy. As a liberal from my high school days in the 1960s, I have been all over the map as I aged (71 this May) with anger at the CIA, FBI, the military, and so on. Like many people, you see things in a new light with age, education, and trying to stay informed. With a man like Trump in office, I am grateful for the many people working every day to protect this country.
The next Rothkopf book on my list is Traitor: A History of Betraying America from Benedict Arnold to Donald Trump. Perhaps another Louise Penny mystery first.
November 15, 2022
The shallow end of the Deep State
The levels of government that continued to function amidst the dysfunction of the Trump Administration remain unrevealed and unexamined here. instead, we find a rehash of the nightly news coverage of Trump outrages, mixed with varying degrees of the mostly milquetoast work-arounds of political appointees to prevent complete disaster. A deep dive into the Deep Stare to reveal the thousands that simply continued to do their jobs as competent government workers would lack the Sturm und Strang of went on in the upper echelons, but would have been a truer accounting of just how strong are the current guardrails of rational, democratic government.
The levels of government that continued to function amidst the dysfunction of the Trump Administration remain unrevealed and unexamined here. instead, we find a rehash of the nightly news coverage of Trump outrages, mixed with varying degrees of the mostly milquetoast work-arounds of political appointees to prevent complete disaster. A deep dive into the Deep Stare to reveal the thousands that simply continued to do their jobs as competent government workers would lack the Sturm und Strang of went on in the upper echelons, but would have been a truer accounting of just how strong are the current guardrails of rational, democratic government.
November 20, 2024
I recently finished reading "The American Resistance: The Inside Story of How the Deep State Saved the Nation" by David Rothkopf, and while I found it to be a thought-provoking and well-researched book, I couldn't shake off the feeling that it was heavily biased and one-sided.
Rothkopf's central argument that the "deep state" - a collection of dedicated public servants, bureaucrats, and experts - played a crucial role in resisting the excesses of the Trump administration is compelling, and he marshals a wealth of evidence to support his case. However, his narrative often feels overly partisan, and he rarely acknowledges the legitimate concerns and motivations of those on the other side of the aisle.
At times, the book reads like a polemic, with Rothkopf using pejorative language to describe his ideological opponents and lauding the actions of his heroes with unqualified praise. This lack of nuance undermines the book's credibility and makes it feel more like an exercise in advocacy than a genuinely balanced analysis.
That being said, I still found the book to be an engaging and informative read, and Rothkopf's expertise in the fields of politics, foreign policy, and national security is evident throughout. His critique of the Trump administration's actions and policies is often spot on, and his defense of the institutions and norms that underpin American democracy is passionate and persuasive.
Ultimately, I would recommend "The American Resistance" to anyone interested in contemporary American politics, but with the caveat that readers should approach the book with a critical eye and be prepared to take Rothkopf's arguments with a grain of salt.
Rothkopf's central argument that the "deep state" - a collection of dedicated public servants, bureaucrats, and experts - played a crucial role in resisting the excesses of the Trump administration is compelling, and he marshals a wealth of evidence to support his case. However, his narrative often feels overly partisan, and he rarely acknowledges the legitimate concerns and motivations of those on the other side of the aisle.
At times, the book reads like a polemic, with Rothkopf using pejorative language to describe his ideological opponents and lauding the actions of his heroes with unqualified praise. This lack of nuance undermines the book's credibility and makes it feel more like an exercise in advocacy than a genuinely balanced analysis.
That being said, I still found the book to be an engaging and informative read, and Rothkopf's expertise in the fields of politics, foreign policy, and national security is evident throughout. His critique of the Trump administration's actions and policies is often spot on, and his defense of the institutions and norms that underpin American democracy is passionate and persuasive.
Ultimately, I would recommend "The American Resistance" to anyone interested in contemporary American politics, but with the caveat that readers should approach the book with a critical eye and be prepared to take Rothkopf's arguments with a grain of salt.
June 5, 2023
A fascinating book. While its badly organized and the writing is mediocre, it tells the story of how those inside the various Executive agencies (mostly DoJ, State, National security council, and DoD) helped sabotage Trump and his agenda.
If you can stomach the self-congradulatory tone, you'll find lots of interesting details on how DoD secretary Esper, Col Vindman, the undersecretary of State, etc. all decided their personal judgment overruled that of the duly elected POTUS.
Trump wanted to get along with Putin? Well, can't let that happen. Trump didn't want to arm Ukraine? Well, better funnel arms to them without Trump knowing. Trump didn't want to sanction Russia? Lets get the Under Secretary of State to wait till Pompeo is out of the office, and then sign off on sanctions!
The biggest and proudest back-stabber is Mark Esper. He's super proud that he implemented his own DoD Covid policy - he wasn't going to let "crazy Trump" have any input. And even more proud, that when Trump wanted to call out the national guard during the 2020 summer riots, Esper not only opposed him, he secretly, without informing the White House, removed weapons/ammo from the National Guard, and returned troops to their homes. Why? Because "crazy trump" might call out the NG. which Esper disagreed with.
The moral of the book is that any POTUS needs to ensure he has loyalists in the various departments. Otherwise he will be sabotaged. Why Trump was so forgiving and lax in getting rid of back-stabbers is beyond me. Maybe future President's will learn from his mistakes.
If you can stomach the self-congradulatory tone, you'll find lots of interesting details on how DoD secretary Esper, Col Vindman, the undersecretary of State, etc. all decided their personal judgment overruled that of the duly elected POTUS.
Trump wanted to get along with Putin? Well, can't let that happen. Trump didn't want to arm Ukraine? Well, better funnel arms to them without Trump knowing. Trump didn't want to sanction Russia? Lets get the Under Secretary of State to wait till Pompeo is out of the office, and then sign off on sanctions!
The biggest and proudest back-stabber is Mark Esper. He's super proud that he implemented his own DoD Covid policy - he wasn't going to let "crazy Trump" have any input. And even more proud, that when Trump wanted to call out the national guard during the 2020 summer riots, Esper not only opposed him, he secretly, without informing the White House, removed weapons/ammo from the National Guard, and returned troops to their homes. Why? Because "crazy trump" might call out the NG. which Esper disagreed with.
The moral of the book is that any POTUS needs to ensure he has loyalists in the various departments. Otherwise he will be sabotaged. Why Trump was so forgiving and lax in getting rid of back-stabbers is beyond me. Maybe future President's will learn from his mistakes.
May 13, 2023
This book needs to be about 900 pages longer with MORE.
Absolutely terrifying the insider stuff going on that the media never caught wind of and that you would "maybe hear about but couldn't be sure."
If you read nothing else about that period in our history, make this one of the top 3-5 books you select to see how close to the edge we came with our democracy.
I didn't understand, at the time, why SecDef Mattis resigned. After reading this? There's only so many times one can field a 3am phone call asking about either invading North Korea or sending missiles to bomb the "migrant caravans" in Mexico - granted Mattis resigned when Trump made it policy to abandon some of our key allies in Syria, but still.
Absolutely absurd this man was in power, absolutely absurd that he still has sycophants in place that are trying to pave the groundwork for his return to office.
A must-read to understand how regular workers in the federal government helped to stymie some of the more insidious actions Trump attempted while in office.
Absolutely terrifying the insider stuff going on that the media never caught wind of and that you would "maybe hear about but couldn't be sure."
If you read nothing else about that period in our history, make this one of the top 3-5 books you select to see how close to the edge we came with our democracy.
I didn't understand, at the time, why SecDef Mattis resigned. After reading this? There's only so many times one can field a 3am phone call asking about either invading North Korea or sending missiles to bomb the "migrant caravans" in Mexico - granted Mattis resigned when Trump made it policy to abandon some of our key allies in Syria, but still.
Absolutely absurd this man was in power, absolutely absurd that he still has sycophants in place that are trying to pave the groundwork for his return to office.
A must-read to understand how regular workers in the federal government helped to stymie some of the more insidious actions Trump attempted while in office.
March 30, 2023
As a literal card-carrying member of the deep state, I am always interested in reading about heroics from the bureaucracy. Recommend reading The Fifth Risk instead. Difficult writing style (I think because he hosts a podcast and this is written in a way that makes more sense when read aloud) and the author succeeds more at proving that the deep state thwarted Trump than showing how the deep state enables equitable enforcement. Best example was the one about DHS and the Muslim travel ban, discussing why the travel ban was so far from being implementable. Book is more emotion than thoughtful or logical.
January 31, 2023
David Rothkopf gives a detailed and quite frankly, frightening look inside the Trump administration and just how much worse things could have been. Fortunately there were those on the inside who were able to thwart or divert 45’s most dangerous plans and stayed as long as they could to continue to work on behalf of our country.
February 7, 2023
At times, confusing to me but at other times I was horrified by what the author was reporting - and this even though I have read too, too many books about the last president.
One of the items that I have suspected, but now have seen documented: 45 looks at his political fund raising as his own money. How have they not prosecuted that guy?
One of the items that I have suspected, but now have seen documented: 45 looks at his political fund raising as his own money. How have they not prosecuted that guy?
March 28, 2023
While I don’t think I learned much more than I already knew, it was nevertheless fascinating to read Trump supporters work hard to temper or thwart his worst impulses in favor of the constitution and democracy over an maniacal maniac. I can’t believe Trump ever won but I’m glad he didn’t get his way by becoming a Putin puppet dictator in the US.
January 16, 2023
Interesting, with some great interviews with key people, but lots of names. Some poor editing as I caught several years that had to be wrong (20/21 had a lot going on, but placed several events in wrong one)
November 21, 2022
Interesting - and frightening how easy it would be to take out the people who are holding together rule of law.
January 2, 2023
Solid and wonderfully read by the author, who is clearly still deeply engaged in the events of the past 6 years
June 16, 2023
The unprinted subtitle to the subtitle: “For Now”.
Next time will be much worse.
Next time will be much worse.
November 5, 2023
Too many acronyms, but well worth the read. Gives a well researched inside look at the Trump administration.
January 10, 2025
Must read if you have ever had doubts about how stupid one man can be.
June 19, 2023
American Resistance The Inside Story of How the Deep State Saved the Nation by David Rothkopf
288 Pages
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Release Date: November 1, 2022
Nonfiction, Politics, Civil Rights, Protests, Immigration, Insurrection
The book is divided into the following parts.
Introduction: A Word of Thanks to the Deep State
Chapter 1: Walking into a Blast Furnace
Chapter 2: The Snake
Chapter 3: “I Obey but I Do Not Comply”
Chapter 4: Russia, Ukraine, and Constitutional Patriotism
Chapter 5: We Have to Act Like We’re Taking This Serious
Chapter 6: The Deep State Versus the Dark State
Chapter 7: Bullets and Boomerangs
The Trump presidency was plagued by greed, misdeed, bad decisions, and poor leadership. Many employees and officials offered advice and options to help the country. The help was not accepted and was also thought to undermine the presidency. The author shows there were people behind the scenes trying to do the right thing.
The issues addressed in the book are the first election, lack of transition team, immigration, border control, building the wall, COVID, Black Lives Matter, and election fraud, and the insurrection of January 6th. This book is written from someone with knowledge of the Washington inner circle and interviews with government officials. If you like politics and current events, this is a peek behind the political curtains.
288 Pages
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Release Date: November 1, 2022
Nonfiction, Politics, Civil Rights, Protests, Immigration, Insurrection
The book is divided into the following parts.
Introduction: A Word of Thanks to the Deep State
Chapter 1: Walking into a Blast Furnace
Chapter 2: The Snake
Chapter 3: “I Obey but I Do Not Comply”
Chapter 4: Russia, Ukraine, and Constitutional Patriotism
Chapter 5: We Have to Act Like We’re Taking This Serious
Chapter 6: The Deep State Versus the Dark State
Chapter 7: Bullets and Boomerangs
The Trump presidency was plagued by greed, misdeed, bad decisions, and poor leadership. Many employees and officials offered advice and options to help the country. The help was not accepted and was also thought to undermine the presidency. The author shows there were people behind the scenes trying to do the right thing.
The issues addressed in the book are the first election, lack of transition team, immigration, border control, building the wall, COVID, Black Lives Matter, and election fraud, and the insurrection of January 6th. This book is written from someone with knowledge of the Washington inner circle and interviews with government officials. If you like politics and current events, this is a peek behind the political curtains.
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