Politics & Government
![Dana Milbank - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_dana_milbank.jpg)
The Destructionists: The Twenty-Five Year Crack-Up of the Republican Party
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A scathing history of twenty-five years of Republican attempts to hold on to political power by any means necessary, by a hugely popular Washington Post political columnist
In 1994, more than 300 Republicans under the command of obstructionist and rabble-rouser Congressman Newt Gingrich stood outside the U.S. Capitol to sign the Contract with America and put bipartisanship on notice. Twenty-five years later, on January 6, 2021, a bloodthirsty mob incited by President Trump invaded the Capitol.
Dana Milbank sees a clear line from the Contract with America to the coup attempt. In the quarter century in between, Americans have witnessed the crackup of the party of Lincoln and Reagan, to its current iteration as a haven for white supremacists, political violence, conspiracy theories and authoritarianism.
Following the questionable careers of party heavyweights Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove, Mitch McConnell, and Rudy Giuliani, and those of many lesser known lowlights, Millbank recounts the shocking lengths the Republican Party has gone to to maintain its grip on the American people.
In 1994, more than 300 Republicans under the command of obstructionist and rabble-rouser Congressman Newt Gingrich stood outside the U.S. Capitol to sign the Contract with America and put bipartisanship on notice. Twenty-five years later, on January 6, 2021, a bloodthirsty mob incited by President Trump invaded the Capitol.
Dana Milbank sees a clear line from the Contract with America to the coup attempt. In the quarter century in between, Americans have witnessed the crackup of the party of Lincoln and Reagan, to its current iteration as a haven for white supremacists, political violence, conspiracy theories and authoritarianism.
Following the questionable careers of party heavyweights Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove, Mitch McConnell, and Rudy Giuliani, and those of many lesser known lowlights, Millbank recounts the shocking lengths the Republican Party has gone to to maintain its grip on the American people.
Editorial Reviews
"A thorough and scathing account of how the Republican Party fell prey to Trumpism."
--The New York Times Book Review
"[Milbank] has well-honed edge as a commentator...[his] fans will not go away disappointed."
--NPR
"There is a fine and elegant line between humor and horror, and no one walks it any better than Dana Milbank. Literally no writer in Washington is better suited to answering the GOP's ever-present 'How Did We Get Here?' question. It's all right here in The Destructionists, in all its depressing, spiraling detail – and yet so thoroughly enjoyable, too. That's the Milbank Miracle, right there. I devoured this."
--Mark Leibovich, author of This Town and Thank you for Your Servitude
"Dana Milbank is a sizzling hot observer of American politics. His writing is irreverent, provocative and, whether or not you agree with his point of view - always entertaining."
--Jonathan Karl, author of Front Row at the Trump Show and Betrayal
"In this painful, powerful, and deeply necessary account of the devolution of the GOP, one of the nation's most trenchant political observers chronicles the growing threats to our democracy. Dana Milbank has written a riveting history and a bracing warning about the challenges we continue to face. How did we get here? Where did the epic failures, divisions, and dysfunctions in our politics come from? Milbank argues that Donald Trump, for all his faults, didn't create this noxious environment -- he was the monster that the GOP had been creating for more than a quarter century."
--Charles J. Sykes, author of How the Right Lost its Mind
"In this stunning historical review of the modern Republican Party, Dana Milbank chronicles the GOP's race to the bottom in undermining faith in government by destroying long held and established democratic norms and principles. From swift boating a presidential candidate to sparking the birtherism movement of America's first Black President and the non stop repeats of the 'Big Lie,' Milbank proves that the Republicans' war is with democratic institutions and perhaps with de...
--The New York Times Book Review
"[Milbank] has well-honed edge as a commentator...[his] fans will not go away disappointed."
--NPR
"There is a fine and elegant line between humor and horror, and no one walks it any better than Dana Milbank. Literally no writer in Washington is better suited to answering the GOP's ever-present 'How Did We Get Here?' question. It's all right here in The Destructionists, in all its depressing, spiraling detail – and yet so thoroughly enjoyable, too. That's the Milbank Miracle, right there. I devoured this."
--Mark Leibovich, author of This Town and Thank you for Your Servitude
"Dana Milbank is a sizzling hot observer of American politics. His writing is irreverent, provocative and, whether or not you agree with his point of view - always entertaining."
--Jonathan Karl, author of Front Row at the Trump Show and Betrayal
"In this painful, powerful, and deeply necessary account of the devolution of the GOP, one of the nation's most trenchant political observers chronicles the growing threats to our democracy. Dana Milbank has written a riveting history and a bracing warning about the challenges we continue to face. How did we get here? Where did the epic failures, divisions, and dysfunctions in our politics come from? Milbank argues that Donald Trump, for all his faults, didn't create this noxious environment -- he was the monster that the GOP had been creating for more than a quarter century."
--Charles J. Sykes, author of How the Right Lost its Mind
"In this stunning historical review of the modern Republican Party, Dana Milbank chronicles the GOP's race to the bottom in undermining faith in government by destroying long held and established democratic norms and principles. From swift boating a presidential candidate to sparking the birtherism movement of America's first Black President and the non stop repeats of the 'Big Lie,' Milbank proves that the Republicans' war is with democratic institutions and perhaps with de...
Readers Top Reviews
OutwestKirk S.Bluema
The Destructionists: The Twenty-Five Year Crack-Up of the Republican Party by longtime reporter Dana Milbank analyzes the devolution of the Republican party of the 80s to its present state. Milbank follows how the party that was once led by Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole and John McCain morph as it became the party of Gingrich and Mitch McConnell and, ultimately, Donald Trump. The main turning point, according to Milbank, was Gingrich. He argues Gingrich was seminal in turning the party towards conspiracy-minded: from the conspiracy that Clinton aide Vince Foster was murdered, to the defense of right-wing militias, to demanding Clinton’s ouster. And, critically, demanding that Republicans refer to the opposing party as traitors, sick, corrupt, anti-flag, anti-family etc. If you are a fan of Milbank’s other books, or his opinions as a reporter, then you will appreciate this book. It offers interesting insight and analysis, and Milbank's voice is apparent throughout.
Wayne Klein
Dana Milbrrok’s book “The Destructionist: The Twenty-Five Year Crack-Up Of The Republican Party” takes us down the rabbit hole of insanity that the Republican Party has embraced. It began as a glimmer in the eye of Newt Gingrich but can be traced back even further. Gingrich believed in demonizing and attacking opponents not on policy but on patriotism first. He was an example of everything wrong in politics today. His extremist rhetoric was akin to verbal terrorism. It continued on with that along with others including Karl Rove. Those who hitched their political careers to these two men made a deal with the devil in both cases. Except it got worse with Rove the essence of a dirty trickster attacking the very institution he had chosen to serve. The destruction of our Republic is directly attributable to these heinous people. They still advise people in power and they have birth to the ugliness of Trump. An ugly sideshow president y that continued to cripple and undermine our institutions. Fox News likewise used this template with reckless disregard for the cost to our society. This is an excellent book that demonstrates how one party of a two party system unraveled leading to looks in power and the crippling of the greatest Republic. They all crossed the Rubicon together crippling a nation that had once been a beacon of shining hope. It is that beacon no more as political Opportunists have dosed it with gasoline and set it on fire.
Zach Winter
The founders had been inspired by the philosophy of Baron de Montesquieu, who wrote about the centrality of character to democracy. “Not much probity is needed for maintaining or sustaining a monarchical government or a despotic government,” he wrote. “But in a popular state, one more recourse is necessary, which is virtue.”
Frank Manfredi
Much of the information contained in Dana Milbank’s work, The Distructionists. Is within the public domain. The history of the Republican methods from Newt Gingrich to the present is marvelously summarized. But reading the recitation of lies, racist statements, attacks on our democracy, sentence after sentence; paragraph after paragraph; page after page, created varied emotional responses. First, I felt shock, then anger, but in the end, I was overwhelmed with despair. Nevertheless, this book is highly recommended. It provides a history in stunning detail of how we find ourselves in our current political state
SLD
This book couldn't be more relevant right now. Even if we can keep Trump out of the White House, the forces that propelled him into office are with us and have been for 25 years. It's shocking to look back and realize we were the proverbial frogs in a pot when the Right fomenting conspiracy theories, impugned Democrats' patriotism, demonized opponents and normalized racism. Really well written by someone who was in the front row.
