The Despot's Apprentice

Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy

By: Brian Klaas, David Talbot - foreword

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

An ex-US campaign advisor who has sat with the world's dictators explains Donald Trump's increasingly authoritarian tactics and the threat they pose to American democracy.

Donald Trump isn't a despot. But he is increasingly acting like the "despot's apprentice", an understudy in authoritarian tactics that threaten to erode American democracy, including attacking the press, threatening rule of law by firing those who investigate his alleged wrongdoings, using nepotism to staff the White House, and countless other techniques.

Donald Trump is borrowing tactics from the world's dictators and despots. Trump's fascination with the military, his obsession with his own cult of personality, and his deliberate campaign to blur the line between fact and falsehood are nothing new to the world of despots. But they are new to the United States. With each authoritarian tactic or tweet, Trump poses a unique threat to democratic government in the world's most powerful democracy.

At the same time, Trump's apprenticeship has serious consequences beyond the United States. His bizarre adoration and idolization of despotic strongmen - from Russia's Putin, to Turkey's Erdogan, or to the Philippines' Duterte - has transformed American foreign policy into a powerful cheerleader for some of the world's worst regimes.

The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy explores how Trump uniquely threatens democracy - and how to save it from him.

©2017 Brian Klaas, David Talbot (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Excellent!

I liked this book a lot. Listened to it all in one day. Brought a wide variety of stories about Trump together with the analysis of its affect on America.

Did they use a crystal ball?

Amazing foresight! For a book which was written early in Trump’s presidency, it describes events, behaviors and personality characteristics which did not become apparent to many of us until much later.

Excellent

I love Brian Klaas’s podcast, Power Corrupts, and this book is similar in content, although focused more on the former POTUS. I missed his voice from the audiobook, but so glad I could listen for free! Def recommend!

Just wow

I waited until 2021 to listen to this and wow! Very prescient. We have all seen just how fragile our democracy is. But it is always worth fighting for.

Revealing!

I learned so much from this book! I highly recommend it to understand what happened at the White House.