by David Frum
ridiculed by white men, 196–97
supporter demographics, 212–13
Trump’s demands for proceedings against, 66
CNN
analysis of Trump’s tweets, 110
barred from White House briefings, 111
Kessler on Fareed Zakaria GPS, 137
as traditional media, 120
Trump retweet of “body slam CNN,” 97
Trump’s criticism of, 81
Trump’s retribution against, 106–7
“coalition of the ascendant” (Brownstein), 37–38
Coggin, John, 215
Cohen, Eliot, 86–88
Cohn, Gary, 80, 147
college tuition tax subsidies, 207
collusion with Russians, conservative rationalization of, 137–38
Comedy Central, Daily Show, 200
Comey, James, 73, 111, 135–36
Confederate monuments, 16
conflict-of-interest statutes, federal, 63
Congress of the United States
on Assad, 165
Bush, George W., and, 3–4, 92–93
debt-ceiling fights, 3–4, 95, 98
and election of 2018, 206, 233
frantically working to protect Trump, 96
original Obamacare debate in, 10
Trump’s threats to members of, 78–79
unpopularity of Republican agenda, 95
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), 100, 159
conservatives and conservatism
boomers as, 213–15, 216
crisis in Trump era, 47–49
decision to work in the Trump administration, 86–88
despair in Obama era, 203–4
and dying republic, 204
effect of Trump’s deception, 31
and Gianforte’s assault on a reporter, 112–13
IRS scrutiny of tax-exempt groups, 96
platform adjustments that work, 207–8
rationalizing treason, 137–38
threat of Trump dead end, 206–7
Trump critics, 28
conspiracy thinking, 6–7, 240n8
Constitution, US, 4–5, 160, 168, 240n8
Conway, Kellyanne
on Clinton’s anti-Catholic bigotry, 23
on CNN to talk about Comey firing, 73
defending Spicer’s provable falsehood with veiled threat, 107
personal staff in White House, 77
shutting down a reporter, 109
Trump’s praise for, 72–73
on Trump’s tax returns, 63
Cook, Nancy, 81
Coppins, McKay, 96
Corker, Bob, 79
corruption
in culture of impunity, 52–53
of Flynn, 77
of McMaster, 84–86
as outcome of hiring flatterers, 83–84
protection from, 66–67, 159–60
of Sekulow, 74–75
as threat to liberty, 235
Transparency International’s index of, 51
and Trump’s business income, 54, 83, 153–54
Trump’s influence, 64–66, 86, 88, 89–90, 154–55, 157, 208–9
Trump’s pick of US attorney for the District of Columbia, 66
“Court Packs Itself, The” (Ackerman), 8
Craig, Susanne, 56–57
criminal jurisdiction of US attorneys, 66
crisis in the United States, ix–x, xi
criticism of the press
by Conway, 107
as political maneuver, 108
by Trump, 80–81, 104–6, 110
See also fake news
Crowe, William J., 179
Cruz, Ted, 39–40, 42, 48, 217
Cuban Missile Crisis, 109–10
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), 95
Daily Show on Comedy Central, 200
Daschle, Tom, 51
Dawes, Nic, 108
Dawsey, John, 81, 183
Deb, Sopan, 190–91
debt-ceiling fights, 3–4, 95, 98
deconstruction of the administrative state, 100–101
democracy
culture of impunity as death knell, 52–53
death by degrees, 1, 2–3, 13, 140–42
decline since 1975–2000 boom, ix
Founders’ awareness of danger of powerful leaders, x–xi, 30
nepotism vs., 67–69
restrictions on media freedom vs., 122–23
self-serving strongmen vs., 230
threat to, 235
Trump calls a rigged system, 129–30
“Democracy Dies in Darkness” epigram (Washington Post), 1
DeStefano, Johnny, 99
DeYoung, Karen, 152–53
Díaz, Porfirio, 150
Dickerson, John, 74
District of Columbia, Trump’s US Attorney for, 66
Doocy, Steve, 111
Douthat, Ross, 197–98
“Dreamers,” 4–6
Drucker, Jesse, 56–57
Drudge Report, 19
DuBois, W. E. B., 194
Duda, Andrzej, 121
Duterte, Rodrigo, 59–60
Earhardt, Ainsley, 111
Economic Times, The (Indian publication), 59
Egypt and Qatar, 152
election of 2018, 206, 233
enablers, 15, 25–26
conservative true believers, 15–16
and fear of Trump supporters, xv
negative partisanship concept, 26
Trump’s reliance on, xii
WikiLeaks and Julian Assange, 19–24
See also Hannity, Sean
enemies of the people, 106, 108. See also fake news; media
entitlement programs, 43, 214–15
Entous, Adam, 164–65, 172–73
Erdoğan, Recep Tayyip, 122, 157
ethical rules, 62–63, 64–65, 67–69, 207–8
Europe, 117, 150–51, 155–56, 168
European Union, alienation of, 157–59
evangelical Christians for Trump, 197–98
Exxon Mobil and US sanctions against Russia, 180–81
Facebook confirms Russia’s ads, 116
Face the Nation (CBS), 74
Fahrenthold, David, 16–18
fake news
and Bernie Sanders, 116–17
future of, 118
papal endorsement of Trump as, 25–26
Russia’s involvement with, 114–16, 117
Trump convincing supporters of, 104
Trump’s accusations, 104–6
Trump supported by, 115–16
Trump using the term as a weapon, 116–17
Farage, Nigel, 156
FBI, 58, 67
federal government
in chaos, from Trump, xv–xvi
decision to work in the Trump administration, 86–88
failure of, xiii, 30–31
and federal judicial nominations, 8–9
General Social Surveys, 195–96
federal judicial system
anti-nepotism law, interpretation, 68–69
and Muslim ban, 178–79
nominations, 8–9
Supreme Court, 4–6, 9, 127, 182
US attorneys, 65–66
Fehrnstrom, Eric, 24
Ferrara, Emilio, 117–18
Filkins, Dexter, 183
financial crisis of 2008, 11–12, 61
financial disclosure forms, 63–64
Flake, Jeff, 79
“Flight 93 Election, The” (Publius Decius Mus [pseud.]/Anton), 203–4
Flynn, Michael, 75–77, 166, 180
Foa, Roberto, 230–31
Foucault, Michel, 222–23
Founders of the United States, x–xi, 30, 67, 69, 186
Fox & Friends (morning show), 47
Fox News
on Ailes’s sexual abuse of women, 189
alternative facts put forth by, 46–47
exempt from Trump’s ire, 107–8
/>
and Megyn Kelly, 44–46
on Obama tapping Trump’s phone, 166–67
and O’Reilly, 189
and Republicans, 43
support for Trump’s lies and manipulation of supporters, 111
and Trump, 43–47
on Trump campaign’s meeting with Russians, 137–38
on violence at Montana special election, 112–13
France, 117
Francis, Pope, 24–26, 71–72
Frum, David, xiii, xiv, 137, 233–34
G20 Summit, Hamburg, Germany, 68
Galileo (Brecht), 232–33
Gallup poll of Trump’s unpopularity, 95–96
Garland, Merrick, 8–9
General Social Surveys, 195–96
George Washington University polls, 97–98, 194
Gergen, David, 120
Germany
and EU treaty agreement, 157
Merkel, Angela, 105–6, 157, 158
relationship with Trump, 151, 158–59
and US trade deficit, 156, 158
Gessen, Masha, 109
Ghilarducci, Teresa, 214–15
Gianforte, Greg, 112–13
gifts of Trump presidency
disgust toward bullies, 224–27
and national security agencies, 227–28
new spirit of citizen responsibility, 219–20, 230, 233–35
for political Right, 228–29
preciousness of truth, 221–22, 223–24
recognition of danger of Putin, 227–28
stemming the rise of nondemocratic systems, 229–30
wider vision, 220–21
Gingrich, Newt, 46, 51, 111, 137–38, 210
Glasser, Susan, 85–86
globalism
issues predicted by the Founders, 30
rise of authoritarian regimes, 229–30
Trump on special interests, 129–30
Trump and staff’s support for Putin, 162–64
Gorka, Sebastian, 116, 166
Gorsuch, Neil, 9
Grynbaum, Michael, 106–7
guns at political events, 12–13, 142–43
Haberman, Maggie, 67, 72, 112, 139
Halpin, John, 21–22
Hamburg G20 Summit, 68
Hannity, Sean
Assange interview, 47
defense of Trump, 111
on immigration, 35
and Never Trumpers, 209–10
rationalizing treason, 137–38
Rivera interview, 137
Twitter demands of Trump, 111
Harward, Bob, 180
Havel, Václav, 168
Heller, Dean, 78–79
Heritage Foundation, the, 10–11
Hermann Park, Houston, Texas, 142
Hewitt, Hugh, 16
Heyer, Heather, 81
Holmes, Josh, 79
hope for the future, xvi
Huckabee, Mike, 7
Hughley, D. L., 192–93
Hume, Brit, 138
Hungary, 122
Hussein, Fatima, 126–27
identity-shielding corporations, 62
immigration
assimilating immigrants, 207, 216–17
concerns of conservative voters, 36–37
Kushner family, and “investor visas,” 57
Obama’s rhetoric and actions, 4–6
as Republican Party problem in 2012, 35–36
Trump’s campaign promises, xiii, xiv
impeachment remedy, 186
inaugural committee for 2017, 40–41
income inequality, 207
independent media, 111–14, 120
India, 122
Trump-licensed projects, 59
Indiana voting-procedure revisions, 126–27
Indianapolis Star, 126–27
Infowars Assange interview, 19
integrity, 67
Iran, 91, 152
Iran nuclear deal, 152
Iran-Contra scandal, 182
Iraq War, 11
Isikoff, Michael, 171–72
ISIS, 91, 161, 173–74
It’s Even Worse Than It Looks (Mann and Ornstein), 13
Jacobs, Ben, 112–13
Jaffe, Greg, 161, 164–65
Japan, 150
Jarrett, Laura, 66
Jay Sekulow Live! program, 75
Jefferson, Thomas, 69
jobs announcements and Trump, 105
Johnson, Kevin, 53
Jones, Alex, 19
Kasich, John, 42
Kazakhstan, 60
Kellogg, Keith, 180
Kelly, John, 79, 179–80
Kelly, Megyn, 44–46
death threats to, 46
Kennedy, John F., 221
Kerry, John, 125
Kessler, Ronald, 137
Keyssar, Alexander, 232
Khan, Humayun, 93–94
Khan, Sadiq, 91
Kinetz, Erika, 61
Kislyak, Sergey, 58
Klavin, Andrew, 193–94
kleptocracy, 52–55, 58–59
Kludt, Tom, 121
Krauthammer, Charles, 35
Kushner, Jared
claims of safeguards against conflicts of interest, 62
federal government assignments, 67–68
meetings with Russians, 58
personal White House press aide, 77
role in Trump administration, 57
and 666 Fifth Ave., 55–56, 62
Kushner family, 53, 56–58, 57, 64, 68–69
Landler, Mark, 112
Landy, Jonathan, 58
Lavrov, Sergey, 161
Le Pen, Marine, 117, 212, 229
Lee, Mike, 18, 97
Levin, Mark, 43
Lewandowski, Corey, 200–201
liberty, threat to, 235
life expectancy decline, 201–2
Lifton, Robert, 223
Limbaugh, David, 210
Limbaugh, Rush, 29–30, 113, 202, 203–4
Lincoln, Abraham, 218
Lombardi, Vince, 208–9
Lopez-Sanchez, Juan Francisco, 37
Los Angeles Times, 152
Macri, Mauricio, 58–59
Macron, Emmanuel, 117
Manafort, Paul, 167, 224
Manigault, Omarosa, 83
Manila, 59–60
war on drugs in, 60
Mann, Thomas, 13
Mansfield, Harvey, 28
Mar-a-Lago, 53, 54, 175–76
Marist poll on freedom of the press, 103–4, 127–28
Marshall, George C., 179
Martin, Jonathan, 79
Mattis, James, 179, 183–85
McCaffrey, Barry, 179
McCain, John, 10
McConnell, Mitch
on Assad, 165
doubts about Russian interference in US election, 133–34
and failure of Obamacare repeal, 79
on Mexico not paying for the wall, 105
speech at Republican convention, 40
on Trump’s attack on Dean Heller, 79
on Trump’s NATO position, 96–97
McFarland, K. T., 166, 180
McFarlane, Bud, 182
McGahn, Don, 77
McGurn, William, 210
McInnes, Gavin, 202–3
McMaster, H. R.
on America First policy, 147
influence in White House, 79
lies in the line of duty, 86
and McFarland, 166
NSC memo denouncing, 59
replacing Flynn, 180
and Trump–Netanyahu meeting, 68
and Trump’s NATO speech, 84–86
media
crackdown in Poland, 154
independent media, 111–14, 120
Trump’s attacks on, 111–14, 121–23
White House briefings, 119
YouGov poll, 103
See also criticism of the press
Medicare, 215
Meet the Press, 107
Merkel, Angela, 105–6, 157
Mexico, 19, 24–25, 92, 104–5, 150
Meyer, Nicole Kushner, 57
military-civilian relations, 179–85
millennials, 193, 194–96, 231, 232
Miller, Greg, 161, 172–73
Milosz, Czeslaw, 223–24
mini-Trumps, 88–90
Mohutsiwa, Siyanda, 194–95
Montana special election, violence at, 112–13
Morning Joe (MSNBC program), 28–29
Morris, Gouverneur, 186
Mounk, Yascha, 230–31
Mulvaney, Mick, 98
Murdoch, Rupert, 21, 35
Murkowski, Lisa, 18
Muslim ban, 178–79, 192
Nakashima, Ellen, 152–53, 172–73
National Catholic Register, 24
National Enquirer, 46
National Immigration Forum, 36
National Review, 28, 39–40
National Scout Jamboree, Trump at, 100
national security
identifying “normal,” 186–87
recognition of agencies’ value, 227–28
surveillance efforts compromised, 171–73
Trump shares secret information about ISIS with Russians, 161, 173–74
US inability to maintain, 166, 167–68
National Security Act (1947), 179
National Security Council (NSC)
memo on McMasters, 59
personnel, 166, 180
and Trump’s alignment with Putin, 164
Trump’s staffing foibles, 100
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
alienation of members, 84–86, 150–52, 155–56
American armored brigade deploying in Poland, 185–86
McConnell on Trump’s position, 96–97
summit in Brussels, 84–86
Trump refuses to defend Baltic allies against Russia, 139
Navarro, Peter, 156, 158
Nazism, 232
negative partisanship concept, 26
Nehlen, Paul, 93–94
nepotism, 67–69
Netanyahu, Benjamin, 68
Neugass, James, xv
Never Trumpers, 209–11
Newman, Sandy, 21, 22–23
New York Daily News, 65–66
New York magazine, 212–13
New York Times
barred from White House briefings, 111
on black voters and Clinton, 125
on boomers’ retirement savings, 214–15
on FBI reporting to the president, 67
on Kushner and Wu negotiations, 56–57
on Obamacare repeal meeting, 78
on Scion developer, 60
on Trump’s attack on Heller, 79
on Trump’s criticism of, 80
on Trump’s debt, 64
on Trump’s revenge on CNN, 106–7
on Trump’s threats to US senators, 79
on violence against press at campaign rallies, 112
New York Times Magazine, 114–15
Nicholson, John, 183
Nixon, Richard, post-Watergate, 183
Noonan, Peggy, 226–27
Norquist, Grover, 93