The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: A First Historical Assessment

Description

Leading historians provide perspective on Trump’s four turbulent years in the White House The Presidency of Donald J. Trump presents a first draft of history by offering needed perspective on one of the nation’s most divisive presidencies. Acclaimed political historian Julian Zelizer brings together many of today’s top scholars to provide balanced and strikingly original assessments of the major issues that shaped the Trump presidency. When Trump took office in 2017, he quickly carved out a loyal base within an increasingly radicalized Republican Party, dominated the news cycle with an endless stream of controversies, and presided over one of the most contentious one-term presidencies in American history. These essays cover the crucial aspects of Trump’s time in office, including his administration’s close relationship with conservative media, his war on feminism, the solidification of a conservative women’s movement, his response to COVID-19, the border wall, growing tensions with China and NATO allies, white nationalism in an era of Black Lives Matter, and how the high-tech sector flourished. The Presidency of Donald J. Trump reveals how Trump was not the cause of the political divisions that defined his term in office but rather was a product of long-term trends in Republican politics and American polarization more broadly. With contributions by Kathleen Belew, Angus Burgin, Geraldo Cadava, Merlin Chowkwanyun, Bathsheba Demuth, Gregory Downs, Jeffrey Engel, Beverly Gage, Nicole Hemmer, Michael Kazin, Daniel C. Kurtzer, James Mann, Mae Ngai, Margaret O’Mara, Jason Scott Smith, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, and Leandra Zarnow. Cover Contents About the Contributors 1. Introduction: The Most Predictable, Unconventional Presidency 2. Reckoning with the Trumpian GOP 3. Remade in His Image: How Trump Transformed Right-Wing Media 4. The Crisis of Truth in the Age of Trump 5. Militant Whiteness in the Age of Trump 6. Latinos for Trump 7. “Send Her Back”: Trump’s Feud with Feminists and Conservative Women’s Triumph 8. Immigration Policy and Politics under Trump 9. The Rhetoric and Reality of Infrastructure during the Trump Presidency 10. Against the Tide: The Trump Administration and Climate Change 11. From Color-Blind to Black Lives Matter: Race, Class, and Politics under Trump 12. The Gilded Elevator: Tech in the Time of Trump 13. No More Mulligans: Donald Trump and International Alliances 14. Trump’s China Policy: The Chaotic End to the Era of Engagement 15. Trump’s Middle East Legacy: Arms, Autocrats, and Annexations 16. “Nut Job,” “Scumbag,” and “Fool”: How Trump Tried to Deconstruct the FBI and the Administrative State—and Almost Succeeded 17. The 60/40 Problem: Trump, Culpability, and COVID-19 18. The Path of Most Resistance: How Democrats Battled Trump and Moved Left 19. Impeachment after Trump Notes Index