Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show by Jonathan Karl

Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show

by Jonathan Karl

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Politics & Power

Trump would leave office, by escort if necessary, John Kelly told Jonathan Karl on January 6. The book reconstructs the weeks from the 2020 election to that day, and you see who enabled the push to overturn the result and who, sometimes unexpectedly, stood in the way.

Core ideas
  • The pressure campaign: State officials were pushed to find votes, the Justice Department to back fraud claims, and Mike Pence to refuse to certify electoral votes.
  • Unexpected resistance: William Barr, long seen as Trump's enabler, ultimately resisted him, and Gen. Mark Milley and the service chiefs opposed any attempt to hold power.
  • The 25th Amendment: The book reports Cabinet members discussed invoking it, which Trump denies, while Republican leadership stayed largely muted.
Published2021
Pages384
ISBN9780593186329
ReadNov 2023

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