All the Wrong Moves

How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump

By: Anthony Scaramucci

We’re living in an age of deep political anger and frustration. Where did it come from? All the Wrong Moves offers a new, eye-opening answer, rooted in history, business, and the author’s firsthand experience, that reveals the true origins of America’s current political crisis.

In All the Wrong Moves, Anthony Scaramucci charts how both political parties, over three decades, made a series of catastrophic decisions that quietly dismantled the system supporting the American dream. First came Bill Clinton’s trade deal with China, which opened U.S. markets while abandoning American workers. Next, George W. Bush’s choice to wage war while cutting taxes, exploding the deficit. Finally, Barack Obama’s bank bailout, which saved Wall Street but left millions of ordinary families behind. Each decision deepened inequality, corroded trust, and fueled the anger that empowered Donald Trump’s rise and his ongoing assault on democracy and the rule of law.

From the trading floors of Wall Street to the corridors of Washington, Scaramucci has witnessed how money, ambition, and hubris reshaped American politics. A product of the working class who rose to the heights of finance and power, he brings a rare insider’s perspective to how both parties lost touch with the people they once represented.

But All the Wrong Moves isn’t just about how we got here—it’s about how we get out. Scaramucci lays out practical solutions, including economic policies to rebuild opportunity for the working class and constitutional reforms to protect our democracy. It’s a sharp, surprising critique that cuts through partisanship and challenges readers on the left, right, and center to reclaim what the American dream was always meant to be.

Critic reviews

"Thoughtful, witty, and always provocative, this is a wonderfully insightful reflection on the Trump phenomenon. Anthony Scaramucci takes the long view, looking back into American history for the roots of Trumpism, and identifies three crucial moments that shaped the political landscape of the 2020s. From the embrace of globalization and the rise of China to the invasion of Iraq and the Wall Street bailouts, this is an essential guide to what’s gone wrong with America. It’s an irresistibly engaging, lively, and clever read—just as you’d expect from such a gifted communicator."
—Dominic Sandbrook, co-host of The Rest Is History

“Establishment elites got some big things wrong both at home and abroad, and the rise of populism and Donald Trump are two of the results. What’s more, divisions in this country could well increase as jobs disappear and the American dream fades for many. Anthony Scaramucci has given us an intellectually honest, unvarnished book that explains how his thinking has changed--and why yours should as well.”
—Richard Haass, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations

"A provocative and heartfelt rethink of how a few critical policy decisions, seemingly reasonable at the time, might account for the dire political straits America finds itself in today. Clear and engaging, with frequent references to historical analogies, Scaramucci challenges the usual consensus that the Trump phenomenon is mainly about the idiosyncratic views of one individual."
—Kenneth S. Rogoff, Maurits C. Boas Chair of International Economics at Harvard University

"All the Wrong Moves is a profound, compelling, and deeply thought-provoking book. Drawing on the past centuries of America’s rich history, this is a story filled with razor-sharp analysis, wisdom, and pragmatic common sense. Authoritative, incisive, often disturbing, but ultimately offering a path for redemption, it needs to be read by as wide an audience as possible."
—James Holland, author of Normandy '44