(Wilson's) book is the story of a Republican Party whose shift towards Trumpism has left him furious, which he conveys with a biting, over-the-top writing style — a book he hopes is one 'of a number of poison darts in the neck of the monster.' ... The book has itself the intellectual rigor of a Comedy Central roast for Justin Bieber — and isn't conscious of its own central irony: Though it calls for ascending to a higher plane, beyond Trump, it's filled with empty insults ... He spends just 11 pages of his book briefly touching on what to do about Trump, and none of it is particularly interesting ... this book would have been better off left in a series of tweets.
Hear the sizzle? That’s the sound of Wilson, Republican strategist and now Never-Trumper, burning the president, his family, cabinet, and GOP stalwarts ... Each of the Trump all-stars gets his or her own page or two of skewering. The disclosures aren’t pretty, but the writing is very amusing and most revealing ... This (book) differs from many Trump books in that Wilson knows where the bodies are buried. Have shovel, will exhume. Expect howls of Republican rage and Democratic delight.
To Americans who didn't vote for President Trump, life in Trumplandia can often feel like being a survivor in a zombie flick...If, like me, you relate to this feeling, think of Rick Wilson as the bad-ass hombre who shows up in the middle of the second act, ready to teach us how to fight back ... Wilson critiques Trump and his enablers from the right. His raw-brawling style and deftly articulated rage at 'a certain frequent tweeter with an exotic dead-animal hairstyle and a notoriously short temper' have made Wilson an unexpected darling of the left, and a kind of Cassandra in steel-toed boots for his own party ... his book eviscerates the Republicans, donors, lobbyists, and consultant class that allowed Trump to rise.
This deliciously acerbic take-down of the 45th president feels oddly late to the party ... The story is missing the hope of resurrection, and its ranty-comedic approach betrays helplessness rather than truth-telling. But who can put it down? ... what makes the book unputdownable is who is telling it ... Wilson’s personal journey from Republican attack dog to country-over-party moralist is compelling ... Somehow, still, after a massive rant of a book, Wilson, the hard-nosed political operative, finds it acceptable that the party he helped create saw Donald Trump as a better candidate for president than Hillary Clinton ... As a 'mea freaking culpa' then, the book falls woefully short. As an analysis of the rise of Trump and Trumpism, it covers old ground. As an inside look into the Republican party, it is shallow.
...'The disease of Trumpism,' Wilson writes, 'has consumed the Republican Party and put the entire conservative movement at risk. It has been hijacked by a bellowing, statist billionaire with poor impulse control and a profoundly superficial understanding of the world.' ... Refreshingly, Wilson calls the players out, listing the specific complicities of each. From Reince Priebus to Mike Pence, Tomi Lahren, Steve Bannon, Paul Ryan, Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, evangelicals, and 'Trumpbart,' none escape the whip ... Throughout, the author reiterates his allegiance and mission to restore limited government conservatism, which he believes is still the driving force and true spirit of the GOP.
...Political strategist Wilson, who for decades was a top Republican attack dog and was the guy the party relied on to craft its message and strategy, offers a scathing, profane, unflinching, and laugh-out-loud funny rebuke of Donald Trump and his presidency. With the insight of an insider turned outsider in his own party, Wilson goes after every manifestation of Trumpism: the overt racism, especially the message surrounding 'the Wall' (dubbed 'Douche- henge'), ... Beyond the barbs, Wilson delivers an urgent message to traditional conservatives: take back the Republican party before it’s too late ...Trump supporters may dismiss Wilson’s vitriol as the cathartic screed of a 'Never Trump' Republican dinosaur, but those who share his views will find this rewarding.
