Retribution Donald Trump and the campaign that changed America

Jonathan Karl, 1968-

Book - 2025

"In Retribution, Jonathan Karl's unparalleled access brings us behind closed doors deep inside the White House and presidential campaigns, revealing the extraordinary moments that ended one man's presidency and brought another back to power. This is a story of unprecedented political plot twists, showing what happened behind the scenes as political fortunes fell and rose again, and as a new team coalesced around President Trump with the goal of creating an entirely new world order. From President Biden's shocking withdrawal and Vice President Harris's historic run, to the multiple assassination attempts on President Trump, his election, and the changes he has brought to every corner of the country, this book reveals... in surprising new detail how we got here, and what we can expect from American politics in the years to come." --

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Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Published
New York, NY : Dutton [2025]
Language
English
Main Author
Jonathan Karl, 1968- (author)
Physical Description
438 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9798217047000
  • Felon and front-runner
  • The bridge to nowhere
  • Free on Wednesdays
  • A tale of two Junes
  • Debate debacle
  • Biden digs in
  • Butler
  • "I had God on my side"
  • Locked up
  • Biden bows out
  • Kamala rising
  • "The weave"
  • Cats and dogs
  • Closing argument
  • Meet the new boss
  • Weaponized
  • Raging fire
  • Come retribution
  • The new era.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A new standard in presidential recklessness. Other reporters beat this respected ABC newsman to press, but the scoops in his 2024 campaign book were worth the wait. Though last fall's election results prevented a special counsel investigating Donald Trump from showing his findings in court, Karl's reporting fills in some blanks. He presents previously unpublished handwritten notes by Mike Pence that describe Trump's rash behavior on January 6, 2021; details on how Trump "spent most of the afternoon--scrolling through Twitter--as his supporters attacked the Capitol"; and statements that a top Trump staffer, "shocked" by his handling of secret documents, made to prosecutors. Facing this opponent, Democrats found time to accuse one another of subterfuge. Remember Joe Biden's July 2024 letter telling Democrats to quit trying to oust him as the nominee? "I don't think he wrote it," Nancy Pelosi tells Karl. And count Hunter Biden among those who "believed Barack Obama was somehow behind" George Clooney's op-ed asking Biden to bow out. Striving for "a definitive account," Karl revisits risible episodes (Whither "childless cat ladies"?) and all-caps social media rage that some readers might rather forget. But there's a silver lining: It all could have been much worse. Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, tells Karl that if he hadn't been imprisoned for contempt of Congress when a would-be assassin shot at Trump, he would've tried to incite unrest by "throwing fucking gasoline on" the smoldering tension. And yet, Karl reminds us, Trump has said he wouldn't mind the murder of reporters, and in his second term he's a potentially "more consequential, more radical" president, attacking his enemies, courts, anti-corruption laws, and aid programs. Maybe he won't "topple American democracy, but he has shown how it can be done." Karl's warning stands atop powerful evidence. A journalist unearths information revealing that the president is even more dangerous than previously thought. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.