Mad House: How Donald Trump, MAGA Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby, and a Man with Rats in His Walls Broke Congress
by Annie Karni
View on GoodreadsThe 118th Congress enacted just 27 bills, the fewest since the Great Depression. Karni and Broadwater show you why: a razor-thin Republican majority let about 20 hard-right members hold the rest hostage, from Kevin McCarthy's 15 speaker ballots to his ouster about ten months later.
Core ideas
- Bannon's basement: Steve Bannon's daily podcast near Capitol Hill gave far-right members a fundraising platform, and he helped plan Matt Gaetz's move against McCarthy.
- The dog park handoff: To pass Ukraine aid, Mike Johnson's chief of staff swapped folders with Biden advisers at a dog park, and Marjorie Taylor Greene threatened to oust Johnson.
- A job people quit: Several Republicans quit mid-term or retired, citing travel, family time and violent threats that meant paying for their own security.
Published2025
Pages320
ISBN9780593731260
ReadDec 2025
