Steffens strives mightily to balance the achievements of his subject with other aspects of Trump’s character, such as his “anti-intellectualism,” his “love of splendor and magnificence,” and the behavior that some label as that of “a schoolyard bully” (and others see as evidence of a “fighting spirit”). Steffens dates to 1987 Trump’s public declaration that tariffs burden foreign producers rather than U.S. consumers. Avoiding the word lie, he notes Trump’s predilection for “exaggeration,” and tactfully describes his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic as “unsteady.” He does repeatedly label as “false” Trump’s claims of a stolen 2020 election, however. The book acknowledges the economic successes of the first Trump years and covers his reshaping of the Supreme Court and support from working-class people. Major omissions include accusations of racism and the racial demographics of his supporters as well as his xenophobia, unpaid bills, bankruptcies, failed businesses, self-confessed and adjudicated sexual misconduct, and false claim that Ukraine started the war with Russia. Other overlooked topics—some perhaps due to timing—are Project 2025, DOGE’s failure at cost-cutting, and attacks on free speech, due process, education, and birthright citizenship. Nevertheless, there’s enough material here to spur readers to conduct their own investigations. Steffens won’t please everyone, but he aims for objectivity and sticks mostly to verifiable facts.
