The Best Thing That Happened to Him Was Losing in 2020
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan explain how the four years between Donald Trump’s first and second terms changed the presidency.
TL;DR
- Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, authors of "Regime Change," are veteran reporters who have extensively covered Donald Trump.
- Their book "Regime Change" explores the first year of Trump's potential second term, detailing his pursuit of personal goals with limited checks on his power.
- Haberman attributes Trump's rise to a series of national traumas since 9/11, including wars, a fiscal crisis, and growing populist anger.
- She identifies 2010 as a pivotal year, noting the rise of proto-Trump figure Carl Paladino and the controversy over the "Ground Zero Mosque."
- Immigration became a major issue for the Republican Party by 2014, combining with existing anger over debt, Obamacare, and a shifting job market.
- Trump presented himself as a fighter, already known to the electorate as a celebrity and cultural figure.
- The authors suggest that the period between Trump's first term and his 2020 loss led to a radical change in his approach to government and executive power.