Trump didn't break American democracy—he revealed how broken it already was. In this urgent, deeply researched book, four-time Project Censored Award–winning, New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann argues that Trump is a symptom, not the disease. The real story is the ecosystem that built him: a childhood defined by cruelty, a mentor who weaponized shamelessness, a political party that sold its principles for power, and a donor class that used him to dismantle the guardrails on their own greed. Inside, you'll find
- a psychological portrait of how Trump was made—not born;
- a clear-eyed account of how the Republican Party and billionaire networks enabled his rise;
- global comparisons to Hungary, Venezuela, and Weimar Germany—because this pattern has a name; and
- 7 proven, history-backed strategies for defeating authoritarianism before it becomes permanent.
This is not a book about despair. It is a book about recognition—and resistance. For readers of How Democracies Die and On Tyranny who are ready to move from understanding the crisis to doing something about it.
