by Tim Alberta
GOP primaries of 2012 and, 111–13
GOP primaries of 2016 and, 235
House GOP vs. Democrats and, 157
Mississippi Senate primary of 2014 and, 198–99
NFL kneeling controversy and, 360–62
Obama as first black president and, 20, 37, 42–43, 52–53, 95, 128–31
police killings of unarmed, 207–8, 229, 468
Ryan and, 182
Scott as lone GOP Senator, 143–44, 468–70, 479–80, 565
Scott elected to House, from South Carolina, 73–74, 143
Steele as first RNC chair, 50, 52–54
Steve King’s attacks on, 159
Texas Senate race of 2018 and, 545–46
Trump friendships with, 409, 462, 530–31
Agnew, Spiro, 113
agriculture, 416, 531
subsidies and, 165
tariffs and, 496–97
Agriculture Department, 108
AIG, 26
Ailes, Roger, 23, 187–90, 192, 238, 308, 310, 359
Airbnb, viii
Air Force One
GOP rewarded with rides on, 514–15
Russia Trump Tower story and, 459
Akin, Todd, 133
Alabama, 293, 472
Alaska, 21–23, 58–59, 81
Ali, Yashar, 425
Alinsky, Saul, 34
Allen, Ray, 200
Almanac of American Politics, The, 346
“alternative facts,” 429
alt-right, 414, 425, 458, 515
aluminum tariffs, 487, 495
Amash, Justin, 73, 151–52, 179, 191–92, 221–22, 233, 253, 403, 417–18, 477, 493, 504–5, 513–14, 518
America First, 359, 425, 547, 610
American Action Network, 231
American Civil Liberties Union, 563
American Conservative Union, 173
American Crossroads, 90, 194, 323
American Enterprise Institute, 277, 416, 419
American exceptionalism, 36
American Health Care Act (AHCA, proposed, 2017), 431–43, 447–54
failure of, and House Freedom Caucus, 434–43, 517
failure of, in Senate, 449–54
House compromise passed, 447–50
American Media Inc. (AMI), 305–7
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus, 2009), 48
Americans for Tax Reform, 145
America’s Renewable Future, 281
Andy Card Principle, 413
anger (grievance, resentment), 36, 39, 54–57, 260–61, 297–98, 502, 531–32, 570, 585–88, 598. See also outrage culture; populism
Angle, Sharron, 78–79
Anonymous (internet hacking group), 107
anonymous (New York Times op-ed author), 516
Antifa, 466
anti-intellectualism, 25, 39, 580
anti-Semitism, 98, 355, 425, 466, 603
anti-Washington sentiment, 66
Anuzis, Saul, 50
Appomattox, 465
Apprentice, The (TV show), 96, 213, 268, 328, 372, 377, 462
Arab Americans, 476–77
Arizona, 71–72, 259–60, 323, 391, 393, 500, 546–47, 577
Arizona Republic, 364, 505
Arkansas, 323
Arpaio, Joe, 471, 500–501, 533
Arrington, Katie, 492–93
Art of the Deal, The (Trump), 98, 402
Asian Americans, 137, 203, 235
Assange, Julian, 591
assault weapons ban, 535
Associated Press (AP), 378, 389, 393, 395, 541
AstroTurf, 56
asylum requests, 429. See also family-separation policy; illegal immigrants; immigration; refugees
Atwater, Lee, 129–30
Audit the IRS rally, 161
August recess
(2009), 62, 80
(2013), 167–68, 172
(2017), 471
austerity, 499
authoritarianism, 270, 576
auto industry, 11–12, 424, 531
bailouts and, 54–56, 122, 124, 135, 424
job cuts of 2018, 558–59
tariffs and, 559
automation, 5, 299, 424
autopsy (RNC). See Growth and Opportunity Project
Axelrod, David, 22, 24, 36, 40, 125, 134, 136, 598
Axiom Strategies, 226
Axios, 537
Ayers, Nick, 385, 554
Ayres, Whit, 224
Bachmann, Michele, 84, 111, 129, 151, 161–62, 189, 222
Bachus, Spencer, 32
Baier, Bret, 235–36, 443–44, 540–41
bailouts. See auto industry; bank bailouts
Bain Capital, 112, 123–24
Baker, Charlie, 542–43
Baker, James A., III, 74
Bakersfield Tea Party, 57
balanced budget proposals, 19, 103, 111, 153
state governments and, 216
Baltimore, 229
banks, 345
bailouts, 2–3 26–29, 33–34, 40, 54–56, 73, 77
fraud and, 520
Bannon, Steve, 114, 202, 358–60, 365, 373, 399, 409
ACA and, 438–39
CPAC and, 457–58
elections of 2018 and, 528
fired, 463–64
Freedom Caucus and, 415
infrastructure and, 419
Meadows and, 415, 417
Russia story and, 422
Ryan and, 415, 420, 438–39
Trump’s ego and, 447–48
Trump’s inaugural and, 425
White House role of, 411, 414–15, 463
Wolff’s Fire and Fury and, 481–82, 484
Barbour, Haley, 198, 552
Barr, Andy, 540
Barr, William, 605–6
Barra, Mary, 558
Barton, Joe, 439
Beck, Glenn, 73, 161
Beeson, Rich, 37
Benghazi attacks, 133, 189–90, 250, 330, 358
Bennet, Michael, 80
Bennett, Bill, 41, 372, 595
Bennett, Bob, 76–77
Benton, Jesse, 194–95
Bernanke, Ben, 26–27
Best, Helen, 260
Better Way agenda, 434
Bevin, Matt, 194–95, 450
Bible, 120, 282, 580
Biden, Joe, 69, 93–95, 130–31, 398, 597–98, 602
big government, 33, 327, 504
Biggs, Andy, 512
Bill of Rights, 347
Bipartisan Budget Act (2013), 185–86
bipartisanship. See also partisanship; polarization
criminal justice reform and, 562–66
House GOP insurgents vs., 191
Obama and, 43–44, 48–49, 52, 53
birtherism, 6, 52–53, 80, 93–99, 159, 190, 263, 345
Cruz and, 278–79, 282
birthright citizenship, 537–38
Bishop, Mike, 575
Black, Charlie, 303
Black, Diane, 436, 491–92
Black, Manafort and Stone, 303
Blackburn, Marsha, 151–52, 540
Black Hebrew Israelites, 587–88
Black Lives Matter, 466
Black Monday (September 15, 2008), 26
Blackwell, Ken, 50, 408–9, 448
Bliss, Corry, 490–91
Blue Dogs, 17, 72, 74, 578
Blue Wall
elections of 2012 and, 127
elections of 2016 and, 325, 357, 397
elections of 2018 and, 545
“Blue Wave,” 518, 525, 549, 578–79
Boehner, Debbie, 242
Boehner, John, 21, 23, 297, 611
Abedin and, 129
ACA and, 63, 68–70, 441
Ailes and Fox News and, 187–90
background of, 57–59
birtherism and, 94, 97
budget bills and, 497
Bush 43 and, 442–43
Cantor loss and, 203–7
career of, in House, 255
committe
e assignments and battles of, 147–48, 150, 175
Cruz and, 348
debt ceiling and, 102–3, 153, 176, 178, 180
elections of 2008 and, 37–38
elections of 2010 and rise to Speaker, 75, 83–85
elections of 2012 and, 121–22, 135, 138
elections of 2016 and, 189–90, 398
exit strategy planned by, 193, 200–201, 234
Farm Bill and, 165
financial crisis and, 27, 29–33
fiscal cliff negotiations and, 145–47
GOP dysfunction under Trump and, 442–43
GOP primaries of 2014 and, 200, 204
Grand Bargain and, 104–6, 164
Hastert Rule violated by, 153–54
Hillary Clinton and, 189–90
House GOP retreat of 2009 and, 51
House renegades and, 343
immigration and, 138, 231
immigration reform bill of 2013 and, 157–59, 161, 163–64
Jedi Council and Williamsburg Accord and, 152–54
Jordan and, 59, 575
Meadows and, 417, 517
Meadows and, chairmanships stripped, 232–33
Mulvaney and, 143
mutinies vs. and plots to oust, 146–52, 163, 192–93, 219–21, 230–35, 457
Obama and, 44, 46, 92–95, 103–4, 243, 254
Pence and, 342
Pope Francis and, 240–41
right-wing media and, 188
RSC and, 140–42
Ryan and, 57–58, 180–81
Ryan-Murray budget deal and, 184–86
Ryan replaces, 319
Ryan’s AHCA failure and, 442–43
Ryan style vs., 477
sequestration and, 103
shutdown of 2013 and, ACA defund attempt, 170, 172–80, 572–73
shutdown of 2019 and, 573
Speakership and, 86–87, 89–90, 93–95, 101–4, 187, 571
Speakership and, loss and retirement of, 203–4, 240–43, 250–55, 263–64
stimulus and, 46–49
Tea Party and, 57–60
Trump and, 97, 228, 348, 457, 601
“vacate the chair” motion and, 241–42
Bolten, Josh, 28–29, 31, 33, 412–13
bond markets, 26
Booker, Cory, 124, 478–79, 566
Book of Mormon, The (musical), 120
Boone, Pat, 79
border security, 6, 138, 543, 575. See also Mexican border wall
alternatives to wall, 582–83, 590
budget bill of 2018 and, 497–98
caravan and, 529–31
immigration bill of 2013 and, 154, 161
Trump inaugural and, 424–25
Bossie, David, 365–66, 373
Boston Globe, 10
Bouie, Jamelle, 468
Bowles, Erskine, 71, 87
Boyer, Nate, 361
Bozell, Brent, 363–64
Bozell, David, 551–52
Bracamontes, Luis, 533
Bradbury, Anne, 95, 243
Brady, Kevin, 33
Brannon, Greg, 195
Branstad, Terry, 281
Brat, Dave, 200–203, 219, 348, 417, 495, 543
Brazile, Donna, 356
Breitbart, Andrew, 114
Breitbart News, 188, 202, 359, 378, 414, 417, 458, 463, 528
Brennan, John, 421, 511
Brexit, 331
Bridenstine, Jim, 148–50, 219–20
Bridgegate scandal, 285, 338
Britain (United Kingdom), 331, 510
broadband internet, 47
Brookings Institute, 394
Brooks, Arthur, 277, 419
Brown, Brian, 267
Brown, Michael, 207–8, 468
Brown, Scott, 67–68
Brownback, Sam, 297
Brownstein, Ron, 37, 544
Brzezinski, Mika, 277
Buchanan, Pat, 5, 98–99, 299, 595–96
Buck, Ken, 79–80
Buckley, William F., 5
budget, 101–3. See also federal deficits; government shutdown; sequestration; spending; taxes
continuing resolutions and, 153, 174
omnibus bill of 2018, 497–99, 506, 567–68, 572–73
Ryan-Murray deal of 2013, 182–87, 191, 230
Ryan proposals, 125–27
Budget Control Act (2011), 103
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 563
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30
Burgess, Michael, 159
Burke, Edmund, 60
Burnett, Mark, 372
Burning Tree Club, 443
Burr, Richard, 170
Bush, Barbara, funeral of, 524
Bush, Billy, 367
Bush, Columba, 247
Bush, George H.W. (Bush Sr.), viii, 5, 98, 100, 130, 188, 255, 303, 326, 353, 551
funeral of, 559–60
Bush, George W. (Bush 43), 104, 223, 256, 343, 412, 446, 501, 534, 577, 609, 611
approval ratings and, 551
blacks and, 531
Christian right and, 456
conservative activists and, 106
criminal justice and, 158, 562
Cruz and, 168
deficits and, 126
elections of 2000 and, vii–viii, 187, 406
elections of 2004 and, 18, 133, 138, 394
elections of 2006 and, 27
elections of 2008 and, 22–24, 39
executive authority and, 416
financial crisis and bailouts and, 2–3, 26–33, 56, 424
GOP Convention of 2016 and, 353–54
GOP disillusionment with, 15–18, 60, 66, 72, 73
GOP primaries of 2016 and, 213, 290, 292
Hispanics and, 17
immigration and, 15–18, 72, 138, 533
Iraq War and, 3, 225
Islam and, 18
“isms” seen as threat by, 18, 40–41, 425–26, 579
Katrina and, 3
legacy of, 48
McCain and, 19, 524–25
Michelle Obama and, 585
9/11 and, 2, 3
Obama and, 40–41, 45
Palin and, 22–23
Pence and, 118
polarization and, 523
RNC and, 49
Rove and, 322
Ryan and, 52, 442–43
same-sex marriage and, 38
Social Security and, 15–16
spending and, 497
TARP and, 56
tax cuts and, 10
Texas primaries of 2010 and, 74
Trump criticized by, 473–75
Trump inaugural and, 425–26
Trump on, 3
Bush, Jeb, 64, 163, 195, 209, 524
Boehner retirement and, 243
primaries of 2016 and, 211–13, 222–24, 226–27, 238–39, 243, 247–48, 258, 262, 264–65, 270, 273, 275–76, 284, 287–88, 290, 292–93, 338
Trump attacks on, 213, 335, 486
business, 107, 257, 312, 506, 559. See also corporations
BuzzFeed, 215, 281, 362, 421–22
cabinet, 430, 447–48, 481, 484
Cain, Herman, 111
California, 147, 172, 259–60, 315–16, 324, 543, 544, 561
Calipari, John, 240
Camp, Dave, 88
campaign finance, 9–10, 66, 78, 112, 222–23, 275, 352, 485, 488–89, 520
Campbell, Carroll, III, 73
Camp David, GOP retreat (2018), 481–84
Canada, 495, 525, 531
Canadian border, 79
Cantor, Eric, 34, 42–46, 74, 93, 94, 101–2, 348, 417
conservative mutiny vs. Boehner and, 147–48, 150, 152
elections of 2012 and, 121, 128, 132–33, 135, 138
fiscal cliff and, 145–46
Grand Bargain and, 104–5
House GOP insurgents vs., 191
House GOP retreat of 2009 and, 51
immigration and, 138, 189
immigration reform bill and, 156–59, 161
primary loss by, 200
–205, 207, 219, 252, 457, 495, 543
role of, 58
RSC and, 141
shutdown of 2013 and, 172–74, 180
stimulus and, 46–49
Tea Party and, 57, 59, 108
Young Guns and, 105
cap-and-trade, 61, 83
Capital Grille, 306–7
capitalism, 124
Capitol Police, 469
caravan, 529–31
Card, Andy, 413
Carrier company, 314, 418–20, 458, 559
Carson, Ben, 275, 278, 283–84, 290, 306, 318, 349
Carson, Ben, 410
Carter, Jimmy, 67, 256, 456–57, 551, 574
Cassidy, Bill, 195
Castle, Mike, 80–82
Catholics, 240–42, 253
CBS News, 121, 290, 389, 540
CBS TV, 25, 280
Census of 2010, 84
Center for American Progress, 563
Central America, 530, 588
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 172, 559, 584–85, 589
Trump appointments to, 407–8
Trump inaugural visit to, 426–27, 429
Trump-Russia and, 421, 509–10, 511
Central Park Five, 369
Chaffetz, Jason, 369
Chapman, Tim, 502–4
Charleston
AME Church massacre in, 229, 465, 468–69
Walter Scott killing in, 468
Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally, 465–68, 470–71, 555
checks and balances, 513
Cheney, Dick, 19, 21, 30, 74–75
Cheney, Liz, 568
Chicago Mercantile Exchange, 54
child tax credits, 257, 475
China, 111, 232, 261, 271, 325, 431, 496, 511, 585, 558
Christian right, 19, 115, 120–21, 209, 217, 261, 282, 326–28, 387, 455–57, 580–81
Pence as VP and, 331–32, 342, 431
Supreme Court and, 381–83
Christian Science Monitor, 214
Christie, Chris, 118, 125, 134, 276, 285–87, 293, 336, 338, 342, 365, 373, 397, 406, 409
Christmas, war on, 261
Chrysler, 56, 124
Cincinnati Enquirer, 364
Citibank, 281
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), 553
Citizens United, 212
Citizens United vs. FEC, 78, 90, 222–23
civility, 532, 594
Civil War, 465, 537
climate change, 172, 454–55, 599
Clinton, Bill, 38, 95, 118, 189, 533, 561, 577
abortion and, 404–5
Christian right and, 456
election of, 323, 386, 406
Hillary’s campaign of 2016 and, 341, 369
impeachment of, 3, 49, 187, 329
polarization and, 523
popularity of, 551
sex scandals and, 370–71
Trump and, 246, 369, 425
Clinton, Hillary, 463
Abedin and, 129
Ailes and, 189–90
Benghazi and, 189–90, 250, 330, 354
Bill’s sex scandals and, 329, 370–71, 375–76
Christian right and, 381–83
Comey and, 388–89, 445
conservatives’ hatred of, 329–30, 380–81