The fundamental resource for this book is, naturally, Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership. I’ve also relied on my years of covering politics and Donald Trump, but in some places I drew on valuable outside reporting about Project 2025 and its principals, interviews posted online, and other materials.

Introduction

3          blamed him for the riot     Scott Clement, Emily Guskin, and Dan Balz, “Post-ABC Poll: Overwhelming Opposition to Capitol Attacks, Majority Support for Preventing Trump from Serving Again,” The Washington Post, January 15, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-poll-post-abc/2021/01/14/aeac7b96-5690-11eb-a817-e5e7f8a406d6_story.html.

3          many GOP elected officials           Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, “‘I’ve Had It with This Guy’: G.O.P. Leaders Privately Blasted Trump After Jan. 6,” The New York Times, April 21, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/us/politics/trump-mitch-mcconnell-kevin-mccarthy.html.

5          shambolic improvisation  David A. Graham, “Trump's Dangerous Love of Improvisation,” The Atlantic, August 9, 2017, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/get-on-board-the-trump-trane/536379/.

6          “The stark reality in America”    Molly Redden, Andy Kroll, and Nick Surgey, “‘Put Them in Trauma’: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda,” ProPublica, October 28, 2024, https://www.propublica.org/article/video-donald-trump-russ-vought-center-renewing-america-maga.

6          “living under kind of a tyrannical reign”          Mark Willacy and Amy Donaldson, “The Plan for Power,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, July 15, 2024, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-16/trump-project-2025-plan-us-election-four-corners/104015688.

7          pseudonymous 2016 article         Publius Decius Mus, “The Flight 93 Election,” Claremont Review of Books, September 5, 2016, https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/digital/the-flight-93-election/.

8          burn it all down       Derek Thompson, “The Americans Who Need Chaos,” The Atlantic, February 23, 2024, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/need-for-chaos-political-science-concept/677536/.

8          Dans has said           “The Project 2025 ‘Battle Plan’ to Give Trump Unprecedented Power | Four Corners,” ABC News In-Depth, YouTube, July 17, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Fy6Tu-w-M. 

8          “rival 1776 and 1860”       Redden, Kroll, and Surgey, “‘Put Them in Trauma.’”

8          “We are in the process”    Ali Swenson, “A Conservative Leading the Pro-Trump Project 2025 Suggests There Will Be a New American Revolution,” Associated Press, July 3, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-trump-american-revolution-6e02a297fb91b55de01ba7e86615bb08.

9          many voters first heard     David A. Graham, “The Mistake That Could Cost Trump the Election,” The Atlantic, August 19, 2024, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/08/project-2025-backfired-trump/679509/.

9          “I have nothing to do”       Riley Hoffman, “READ: Harris-Trump Presidential Debate Transcript,” ABC News, September 10, 2024, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-trump-presidential-debate-transcript/story?id=113560542.

10        Policy director         “RNC, Trump Campaign Announce Leadership for 2024 Republican National Convention's Platform Committee,” GOP.com, May 15, 2024, https://gop.com/press-release/rnc-trump-campaign-announce-leadership-for-2024-republican-national-conventions-platform-committee/.

10        Vice President J.D. Vance   Katherine Doyle, “Book With Ties to Project 2025 and JD Vance Delayed Until After the Election,” NBC News, August 7, 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/book-project-2025-jd-vance-delayed-heritage-foundation-rcna165632.

10        “very bought in with this” Eric Hananoki, “Unearthed Video: Project 2025 Director Said Project Has ‘Great’ Relationship with Trump and He’s ‘Very Bought in with This,’” Media Matters, July 11, 2024, https://www.mediamatters.org/project-2025/unearthed-video-project-2025-director-said-project-has-great-relationship-trump-and.

10        “We have integration”       “The Project 2025 ‘Battle Plan’ to Give Trump Unprecedented Power,” YouTube, July 17, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Fy6Tu-w-M.

10        “This is really going to be”                       Willacy and Donaldson, “The Plan for Power.”

10        20-point platform   Donald J. Trump, “Agenda 47,” https://www.donaldjtrump.com/platform.

10        When Heritage commissioned     Graham, “The Mistake That Could Cost Trump the Election.”

10        Amid the uproar      Andrew Restuccia and Vivian Salama, “Head of Project 2025 Steps Down Following Trump Criticism,” The Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2024, https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/project-2025-head-steps-down-89cba52b.

11        An analysis by Bloomberg Government      Jonathan Tamari and Brandon Lee, “Trump’s Early Actions Mirror Project 2025 Plan He Once Dismissed,” Bloomberg, January 24, 2025, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-24/trump-s-early-actions-mirror-project-2025-plan-he-once-dismissed?srnd=homepage-americas&embedded-checkout=true.

Section I

14        Launched in 1973   Kevin D. Roberts, “Tomorrow’s Heritage,” Heritage Foundation, December 3, 2021, https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/tomorrows-heritage.

14        “the manifesto of the Reagan revolution”         Mark Dowie, “Learning from the Right Wing,” The New York Times, July 6, 2002, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/06/opinion/learning-from-the-right-wing.html

14        In September 2000 “Rebuilding America’s Defenses,” September 2000, https://web.archive.org/web/20130817122719/http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf.

15        Tea Party stalwart Jim DeMint     Jessica Taylor, “Jim DeMint Ousted from Heritage Foundation in Major Shake-Up,” NPR, May 2, 2017, https://www.npr.org/2017/05/02/526617944/jim-demint-ousted-from-heritage-foundation-in-major-shake-up.

15        clashed with Trump allies             Jeff Stein and Yeganeh Torbati, “Heritage Foundation, Former Powerhouse of GOP Policy, Adjusts in Face of New Competition from Trump Allies,” The Washington Post, February 7, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/02/07/heritage-foundation-trump-republicans/.

15        Kevin Roberts was named president      “The Heritage Foundation Names Dr. Kevin Roberts Next President,” The Heritage Foundation, October 14, 2021, https://www.heritage.org/press/the-heritage-foundation-names-dr-kevin-roberts-next-president.

15        Work began in April 2022             Andrew Restuccia, “Project 2025 Has a Radical Agenda for Trump. He Has Other Plans.,” The Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2024, https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/project-2025-donald-trump-election-2024-b89ed4dd.

15        Roberts directed Dans       American Moment, “How to Staff the Federal Government (ft. Paul Dans),” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsEPTggY7oE.

16        “We need a big-picture vision”    “Project 2025 Director Says That the Plan Is the ‘Instruction Manual' for a Second Trump Administration,” Media Matters, June 20, 2024, https://www.mediamatters.org/project-2025/project-2025-director-says-plan-instruction-manual-second-trump-administration.

16        “We have detailed agency plans”                        Redden, Kroll, and Surgey, “‘Put Them in Trauma.’”

17        personnel is policy             Matthew Yglesias, “The Price Progressives Paid for Getting Rid of Trump: A Moderate President,” The Washington Post, November 25, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-obama-biden-clinton-progressive-moderate/2020/11/25/9bb8263c-2ea1-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html.

17        the lacrosse player he once was  Alec MacGillis, “The Man Behind Project 2025’s Most Radical Plans,” ProPublica, August 1, 2024, https://www.propublica.org/article/project-2025-trump-campaign-heritage-foundation-paul-dans.

17        “I come from a pure-blooded”     American Moment, “How to Staff the Federal Government (ft. Paul Dans).”

18        His most notable work      MacGillis, “The Man Behind Project 2025’s Most Radical Plans.”

19        “the question number one”          American Moment, “How to Staff the Federal Government (ft. Paul Dans). 

20        John McEntee           Jonathan D. Karl, “The Man Who Made January 6 Possible,” The Atlantic, November 9, 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/trump-johnny-mcentee-january-6-betrayal/620646/.

20        She quit in frustration       Daniel Lippman, “OPM Chief Dale Cabaniss Abruptly Resigns,” Politico, March 17, 2020, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/17/opm-chief-resigns-134541.

21        blue-collar family   Richard Lardner, “Russell Vought, a Project 2025 Architect, Is Ready to Shock Washington if Trump Wins Second Term,” Associated Press, August 5, 2024, https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/russell-vought-a-project-2025-architect-is-ready-to-shock-washington-if-trump-wins-second-term/.

21        working for Senator Phil Gramm            Garrett M. Graff, “The Insider: Russell Vought,” Washingtonian, August 13, 2008, https://www.washingtonian.com/2008/08/13/the-insider-russell-vought/.

22        Senator Bernie Sanders quizzed Vought            Emma Green, “Bernie Sanders's Religious Test for Christians in Public Office,” The Atlantic, June 8, 2017, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/bernie-sanders-chris-van-hollen-russell-vought/529614/.

22        “Muslims do not simply have”     Russ Vought, “Wheaton College and the Preservation of Theological Clarity,” The Resurgent, January 17, 2016, https://web.archive.org/web/20171014053136/http://theresurgent.com/wheaton-college-and-the-preservation-of-theological-clarity/.

22        “The first priority ever”    “Tennessee Talks with Tim Burchett: Russ Vought, President of Center for Renewing America,” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2RLa6rm450.

22        “Unlike most pejoratives”            Charlie Kirk, “Why ‘Christian Nationalist’ Should Be a Compliment,” The Charlie Kirk Show, February 22, 2024, https://www.truthnetwork.com/show/the-charlie-kirk-show-charlie-kirk/78196/.

23        “I had a front-row seat”    “Theology of American Statecraft: The Christian Case for Immigration Restriction,” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgmtsmhSIQw.

23        Trump promised to pay down     Allan Sloan and Cezary Podkul, “Donald Trump Built a National Debt So Big (Even Before the Pandemic) That It’ll Weigh Down the Economy for Years,” ProPublica, January 14, 2021, https://www.propublica.org/article/national-debt-trump.

24        A 2024 analysis       “The Fiscal Impact of the Harris and Trump Campaign Plans,” Center for a Responsible Federal Budget, October 28, 2024, https://www.crfb.org/papers/fiscal-impact-harris-and-trump-campaign-plans.

24        The Washington Post reported     Beth Reinhard, “Trump Loyalist Pushes ‘Post-Constitutional’ Vision for Second Term,” The Washington Post, June 8, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/08/russ-vought-trump-second-term-radical-constitutional/.

24        “I think the [2020] election was stolen”            “Diamond & Silk Chit Chat Live Joined by Russell Vought,” January 21, 2022, https://www.diamondandsilkinc.com/chit-chat/chit-chat-live-diamondandsilk-joined-by-russell-vought-5492g.

24        “The Federalist Society doesn’t know”  Jonathan Swan, Charlie Savage, and Maggie Haberman, “If Trump Wins, His Allies Want Lawyers Who Will Bless a More Radical Agenda,” The New York Times, November 1, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/01/us/politics/trump-2025-lawyers.html.

25        “We are in a post constitutional moment”        Russell Vought, “Renewing American Purpose,” The American Mind, September 29, 2022, https://americanmind.org/salvo/renewing-american-purpose/.

25        “Do not tell me”      Russell Vought, X, May 31, 2024, https://x.com/russvought/status/1796491951476199754?lang=en.

26        “What we’re trying to do” Jonathan Swan, Charlie Savage, and Maggie Haberman, “Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025,” The New York Times, July 17, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html.

27        an unlikely Great Recession         Heather Horn, “What Makes Peter Orszag Hot?,” The Atlantic Wire, February 2, 2010, https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/02/what-makes-peter-orszag-hot/346782/.

28        Trump promised to use it Paul M. Krawzak, “Trump Says He’ll Restore Presidential Impoundment Authority,” Roll Call, June 20, 2023, https://rollcall.com/2023/06/20/trump-says-hell-restore-presidential-impoundment-authority/.

28        Vought has advocated        Russell Vought, X, June 25, 2024, https://x.com/russvought/status/1805618023107064181.

28        Legislators and presidents clashed        Dylan Matthews, “This Obscure Budget Procedure Could Be Trump’s Biggest Weapon,” Vox, December 2, 2024, https://www.vox.com/politics/388393/donald-trump-congress-impoundment-budget-supreme-court.

29        In a letter to Congress        Paul M. Krawzak, “Trump Budget Office Slams 1974 ‘Impoundment’ Law on Way Out,” Roll Call, January 19, 2021, https://rollcall.com/2021/01/19/trump-budget-office-slams-1974-impoundment-law-on-way-out/.

29        called the law “unconstitutional”            Mark Paoletta, Daniel Shapiro,  and Brandon Stras, “The History of Impoundments Before the Impoundment Control Act of 1974,” Center for Renewing America, June 24, 2024, https://americarenewing.com/the-history-of-impoundments-before-the-impoundment-control-act-of-1974/.

28        “will take action to challenge”     Donald J. Trump, “Agenda47: Using Impoundment to Cut Waste, Stop Inflation, and Crush the Deep State,” June 20, 2023, https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-using-impoundment-to-cut-waste-stop-inflation-and-crush-the-deep-state.

30        “We want to put them in trauma”                       Redden, Kroll, and Surgey, “‘Put Them in Trauma.’”

30        Trump didn’t expect to win          Chris Cillizza, “Let’s Dispel the Biggest Myth of the 2016 Election,” CNN, June 15, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/politics/trump-2016-election-not-expect-to-win-mary-jordan/index.html.

31        “We want people who’ve been cancelled”        Willacy and Donaldson, “The Plan for Power.”

33        civil servants lean heavily Democratic  Jörg L. Spenkuch, Edoardo Teso, and Guo Xu, 2023, "Ideology and Performance in Public Organizations," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(4), pages 1,171-1,203, https://www.nber.org/papers/w28673.

34        “The notion we’re going to can”  MacGillis, “The Man Behind Project 2025’s Most Radical Plans.”

34        “We want the bureaucrats”          Redden, Kroll, and Surgey, “‘Put Them in Trauma.’”

36        Many presidents have corrupted             Bob Bauer, “Trump Is Poised to Turn the DOJ into His Personal Law Firm,” The Atlantic, January 9, 2025, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/trump-doj-appointments-protection/681247/.

37        “The notion of an independent agency”            H. J. Mai and Steve Inskeep, “If Trump Is Reelected, the Independence of Federal Agencies Could Be at Risk,” NPR, August 16, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/08/07/1192432628/conservatives-mull-how-2nd-trump-presidency-could-reshape-the-federal-government.

37        he told The New York Times          “Excerpts from Trump’s Interview with ‘The Times,’” The New York Times, December 28, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/us/politics/trump-interview-excerpts.html.

37        This did not stop him         Claire Hansen, “Trump Lashes Out at Appointment of DOJ Special Counsel, Says Move Is ‘Unfair’ and a ‘Disgrace,’” U.S. News, November 18, 2022, https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2022-11-18/trump-lashes-out-at-appointment-of-doj-special-counsel-says-move-is-unfair-and-a-disgrace.

37        an architect of Trump’s policy     Caitlin Dickerson, “’We Need to Take Away Children,” The Atlantic, August 7, 2022, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/09/trump-administration-family-separation-policy-immigration/670604/.

38        “For my friends, everything”       Tom Nicols, “The Kash Patel Principle,” The Atlantic, November 30, 2024, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/11/kash-patel-principle/680838/.

40        “In four years”        Tim Reid, “Trump Tells Christians They Won't Have to Vote After This Election,” Reuters, July 28, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-tells-christians-they-wont-have-vote-after-this-election-2024-07-27/.

41        Matt Gaetz was reportedly chosen          Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, “How Trump Picked Gaetz,” The New York Times, November 14, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/14/us/politics/trump-gaetz-decision-plane.html.

Section II

Chapter 1

45        in a 1967 speech     Ronald Reagan, Inaugural Address, January 5, 1967, https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/january-5-1967-inaugural-address-public-ceremony.

48        A first-generation American         Emma Green, “The Man Behind Trump's Religious-Freedom Agenda for Health Care,” The Atlantic, June 7, 2017, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-man-behind-trumps-religious-freedom-agenda-for-health-care/528912/.

48        Although the Vatican issued         “Vatican CDF Says Use of Anti-Covid Vaccines ‘Morally Acceptable,’” Vatican News, December 21, 2020, https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-12/vatican-cdf-note-covid-vaccine-morality-abortion.html.

49        nearly two-thirds of U.S. abortions         Rachel K. Jones and Amy Friedrich-Karnik, “Medication Abortion Accounted for 63% of All U.S. Abortions in 2023—An Increase from 53% in 2020,” Guttmacher Institute, March 2024, https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020.

49        Nationwide abortion rates actually rose           Isaac Maddow-Zimet and Candace Gibson, “Despite Bans, Number of Abortions in the United States Increased in 2023,” Guttmacher Institute, March 2024, https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/despite-bans-number-abortions-united-states-increased-2023.

49        has been retracted  “Retraction Notice,” Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology, February 5, 2024, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23333928231216699.

49        the Supreme Court rejected         Food and Drug Administration, et al. v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, et al. 602 U.S. 367, 2024, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-235_n7ip.pdf.

49        1873 Comstock Act “18 USC 1461: Mailing Obscene or Crime-Inciting Matter,” https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1461&num=0&edition=prelim.

50        began stockpiling abortion drugs           Anne Flaherty, “More Democratic Governors Stockpile Abortion Drugs as Legal Dispute Escalates,” ABC News, April 10, 2023, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/massachusetts-stockpile-abortion-pill-legal-dispute-escalates/story?id=98472694.

50        In a Dobbs concurrence     Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 597 U.S. 215, 2022, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf.

51        Medical researchers           Amanda Seitz, “FDA Changes Plan B Label, Clarifies It Won’t Cause Abortion,” Associated Press, December 23, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/health-db2f43fdb72be1815e589584612235fc.

52        and produced poor results           “Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Policies and Programs: An Updated Position Paper of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, Journal of Adolescent Health, Vo. 61, Issue 3, pp. 400-403, September 2017, https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(17)30297-5/fulltext.

55        first put in place in 1964: “42 USC 2000,” https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964.

56        spread disinformation about trans people       Matt Lavietes, “Trump Repeats False Claims That Children Are Undergoing Transgender Surgery During the School Day,” NBC News, September 9, 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/trump-false-claims-schools-transgender-surgeries-rcna170217.

56        adopting different gender identities      Katie J. M. Baker, “When Students Change Gender Identity, and Parents Don’t Know,” The New York Times, January 22, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/22/us/gender-identity-students-parents.html.

59        poor and getting worse     “Scores Decline Again for 13-Year-Old Students in Reading and Mathematics,” The Nation’s Report Card, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/ltt/2023/.

60        The federal government has long guaranteed  “Why Did the Federal Government Get Involved in Student Loans?,” Peter G. Peterson Foundation, June 1, 2022, https://www.pgpf.org/article/why-did-the-federal-government-get-involved-in-student-loans/.

60        $180 billion in debt                        Zach Montague, “Biden’s Push to Cancel Student Debt Surpasses 5 Million Borrowers,” The New York Times, January 13, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/13/us/politics/biden-student-loan-forgiveness.html.

62        Medicare Advantage actually costs         “March 2023 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy,” Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, March 15, 2023, https://www.medpac.gov/document/march-2023-report-to-the-congress-medicare-payment-policy/.

63        effectively privatizes          Linda F. Hersey, “Influx of Bills to Increase Community Care for Veterans Prompts Warning of Pushing VA to ‘Breaking Point,’” Stars and Stripes, December 17, 2024, https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2024-12-17/veterans-health-care-legislation-private-sector-16199249.html.

66        elected district attorneys  Allan Smith, “Progressive DAs Are Shaking Up the Criminal Justice System. Pro-Police Groups Aren’t Happy.,” NBC News, August 19, 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/these-reform-prosecutors-are-shaking-system-pro-police-groups-aren-n1033286.

Chapter 2

69        he has demonized immigrants     Amanda Terkel and Megan Lebowitz, “From 'Rapists' to 'Eating the Pets': Trump Has Long Used Degrading Language Toward Immigrants,” NBC News, September 19, 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-degrading-language-immigrants-rcna171120.

69        riven by battles       Caitlin Dickerson, “The Secret History of Family Separation.”

70        shoddily constructed         Andy Rose and Paul LeBlanc, “Portion of U.S. Border Wall in California Falls Over in High Winds and Lands on Mexican Side,” CNN, January 29, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/29/politics/us-border-wall-falls-over-high-winds/index.html.

70        ineffective     Nick Miroff, “Biden Says the Border Wall Is Ineffective. Here Are Key Things to Know.,” The Washington Post, October 12, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2023/10/12/border-wall-biden-trump-policies/.

70        deported fewer people      Maria Ramirez Uribe, “Ron DeSantis Is Right, Barack Obama Deported More People Than Donald Trump Did,” PolitiFact, January 4, 2024, https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/jan/04/ron-desantis/ron-desantis-is-right-barack-obama-deported-more-p/.

70        law called Title 42  Colleen Long, “Title 42 Has Ended. Here’s What It Did, and How U.S. Immigration Policy Is Changing,” Associated Press, May 12, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d.

71        A growing number of Americans Jeffrey M. Jones, “Sharply More Americans Want to Curb Immigration to U.S.,” Gallup, July 12, 2024, https://news.gallup.com/poll/647123/sharply-americans-curb-immigration.aspx.

73        both appointments were later declared            James Doubek, “Judge Says Ken Cuccinelli Was Appointed Unlawfully to Top Immigration Post,” NPR, March 1, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/03/01/811023475/judge-says-ken-cuccinelli-was-appointed-unlawfully-to-top-immigration-post.

73        including in the liberal magazine            Matt Ford, “Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security,” The New Republic, February 21, 2018, https://newrepublic.com/article/147099/dismantle-department-homeland-security.

74        a series of embarrassing   David A. Graham, “The Shame of the Secret Service,” The Atlantic, July 15, 2022, https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/07/the-shame-of-the-secret-service/670550/.

74        disaster-relief experts       David A. Graham, “Trump’s Border Obsession Is Courting Disaster,” The Atlantic, April 10, 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/danger-dhs-myopically-focused-border/586804/.

76        1878 Posse Comitatus Law           Joseph Nunn, “The Posse Comitatus Law Explained,” Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, October 14, 2021, https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/posse-comitatus-act-explained.

77        Russell Vought has elsewhere argued    Vought, “Renewing American Purpose.”

77        a 2023 settlement   Press release, “U.S. Government Reaches Settlement in Class Action Family Separation Case Seeking Injunctive Relief,” U.S. Department of Justice, October 16, 2023, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-government-reaches-settlement-class-action-family-separation-case-seeking-injunctive.

77        According to the Brookings Institution Alan Berube, “Which Places Would Be Most Affected by the Trump Administration’s Immigrant Deportation Proposals?,” Brookings Institution, December 18, 2024, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/which-places-would-be-most-affected-by-the-trump-administrations-immigrant-deportation-proposals/.

80        The best data suggest         Jeffrey S. Passel and Jens Manuel Krogstad, “What We Know About Unauthorized Immigrants Living in the U.S.,” Pew Research Center, July 22, 2024, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/.

80        As The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer    Adam Serwer, “The Cruelty Is the Point,” The Atlantic, October 3, 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/the-cruelty-is-the-point/572104/.

81        the need for migrant labor           Oren Cass, “Worker Power, Loose Borders: Pick One,” American Compass, December 16, 2020, https://americancompass.org/worker-power-loose-borders-pick-one/.

81        As many leaders and residents    Howard Schneider, “How Haitian Immigrants Fueled Springfield's Growth,” Reuters, September 11, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/haitian-immigrants-fueled-springfields-growth-now-us-presidential-debate-2024-09-11/.

81        In 1954, the Eisenhower administration           Mae Ngai, “A New Bracero Program Is Not the Solution,” The Atlantic, December 9, 2024, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/12/disturbing-history-bracero-program/680926/.

Chapter 3

84        Big Tech has recently taken steps           Bobby Allyn, “Tech Executives Are Courting Trump,” NPR, December 16, 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/12/16/nx-s1-5227120/tech-executives-are-courting-trump.

87        has repeatedly claimed     Katie Lobosco, “Fact Check: Trump and Vance Keep Falsely Describing How Tariffs Work,” CNN, September 9, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/politics/fact-check-trump-vance-tariffs/index.html.

87        A 2024 academic study      David Autor, Anne Beck, David Dorn, and Gordon Hanson, “Help for the Heartland? The Employment and Electoral Effects of the Trump Tariffs in the United States,” January 14, 2024, https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2024-01/Help%20for%20the%20Heartland%20-%20The%20Employment%20and%20Electoral%20Effects%20of%20the%20Trump%20Tariffs%20in%20the%20United%20States.pdf.

88        He publicly feuded  Kristen Holmes, Arman Azad, and Nick Valencia, “White House Trade Adviser Argues That CDC ‘Let the Country Down’ on Testing,” CNN, May 17, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/17/politics/peter-navarro-cdc-testing/index.html.

88        was sent to prison   Adriana Gomez Licon and Alanna Durkin Richer, “Peter Navarro Is 1st Trump White House Official to Serve Prison Time Related to Jan. 6 Attack,” Associated Press, March 19, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/peter-navarro-jan-6-prison-congress-contempt-ea6f0e60dda1a7bcaef31012cd2c7678.

88        failed to shrink the trade deficit  Ryan Hass and Abraham Denmark, “More Pain Than Gain: How the U.S.-China Trade War Hurt America,” Brookings Institution, August 7, 2020, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/more-pain-than-gain-how-the-us-china-trade-war-hurt-america/.

89        after meeting with Jeff Yass          Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa, “Trump's TikTok Ban Reversal Comes After Meeting Megadonor Who Has Stake in TikTok,” ABC News, March 11, 2024, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-tiktok-ban-reversal-after-meeting-megadonor-stake/story?id=108013785.

94        This aligns with the preference   Robert Stevens, “Securities vs. Commodities: Why It Matters for Crypto,” CoinDesk, March 9, 2024, https://www.coindesk.com/learn/securities-vs-commodities-why-it-matters-for-crypto.

96        Phil Gramm demanded      Eric Lipton and Stephen Labaton, “Deregulator Looks Back, Unswayed,” The New York Times, November 16, 2008, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/business/economy/17gramm.html.

99        blue-collar workers            Michel Martin, “Why Working-Class Voters Have Been Shifting Toward the Republican Party,” NPR, November 14, 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/11/14/nx-s1-5183060/why-working-class-voters-have-been-shifting-toward-the-republican-party.

Chapter 4

107     The infrastructure law added      “Legislative Analysis for Counties: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” National Association of Counties, March 4, 2022, https://www.naco.org/resources/legislative-analysis-counties-bipartisan-infrastructure-law.

107     another nearly $800 billion         “The Inflation Reduction Act: Here’s What’s in It,” McKinsey and Company, October 24, 2022, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/the-inflation-reduction-act-heres-whats-in-it.

109     the functioning of major western reservoirs    John Schwartz, “Two of America’s Largest Reservoirs Reach Record Lows amid Lasting Drought,” The New York Times, July 27, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/us/lake-powell-water-level.html.

111     AccuWeather has long advocated                       Miranda Green, “Trump’s Pick to Lead NOAA Pushed for Privatizing Weather Data,” CNN, October 14, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/14/politics/noaa-nominee-accuweather/index.html.

116     Twice in the last four years          Lisa Friedman, “Trump Wants Oil Drilling in Alaska. A Lease Sale There Just Flopped.,” The New York Times, January 8, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/climate/arctic-wildlife-refuge-drilling-leases.html.

117     investigations by both regulators           “Texas Grid Over Relies on Natural Gas to Restore Power After Blackouts - Study,” Reuters, December 19, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-grid-over-relies-natural-gas-restore-power-after-blackouts-study-2023-12-19/.

117     the University of Texas      “The Timeline and Events of the February 2021 Texas Electric Grid Blackouts,” The University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute, July 2021, https://energy.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/UTAustin%20%282021%29%20EventsFebruary2021TexasBlackout%2020210714.pdf.

Chapter 5

122     he accused Joe Biden          CNN staff, “READ: Biden-Trump debate transcript,” CNN, June 28, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/27/politics/read-biden-trump-debate-rush-transcript/index.html.

122     “with fire and fury”            Peter Baker and Choe Sang-Hun, “Trump Threatens ‘Fire and Fury’ Against North Korea if It Endangers U.S.,” The New York Times, August 8, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/world/asia/north-korea-un-sanctions-nuclear-missile-united-nations.html.

122     deploying troops to Venezuela    Sarah Westwood and Devan Cole, “Trump Says Use of Military Force in Venezuela Is Still on the Table,” CNN, February 3, 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/03/politics/trump-nicolas-maduro-military-force/index.html.

122     ordered a missile launch   Aaron Blake, “Trump Confirms He Wanted to Assassinate Assad. In 2018, He Denied It Was Even Considered.,” The Washington Post, September 15, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/09/15/trump-confirms-he-wanted-assassinate-assad-2018-he-denied-it-was-even-considered/.

122     considered strikes on cartels       “President Trump Suggested Missile Strikes in Mexico Against Drug Cartels, Former Defense Secretary Says,” CBS News, May 6, 2022, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-mexico-missile-strikes-drug-cartels-mark-esper-60-minutes-2022-05-06/.

122     the largest chunk of discretionary funds           Moraa Ogendi and David Wessel, “What Is Discretionary Spending in the Federal Budget?,” Brookings Institution, July 11, 2023, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-is-discretionary-spending-in-the-federal-budget/.

124     the United States bet          “The Chinese Revolution of 1949,” State Department Office of the Historian, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/chinese-rev.

125     “China hands”         Byron C. Tau, “How a China Hand Lost to McCarthyism,” Roll Call, September 28, 2009, https://rollcall.com/2009/09/28/how-a-china-hand-lost-to-mccarthyism/.

126     reportedly called Trump a “moron”       Carol E. Lee, Kristen Welker, Stephanie Ruhle, and Dafna Linzer, “Tillerson's Fury at Trump Required an Intervention from Pence,” NBC News, October 4, 2017, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/tillerson-s-fury-trump-required-intervention-pence-n806451.

126     later told Foreign Policy    Kelly Bjorklund, “‘We’re in a Worse Place Today Than We Were Before He Came In,’” Foreign Policy, January 11, 2021, https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/11/rex-tillerson-interview-trump/.

126     reportedly ignored directions     Dexter Filkins, “John Bolton on the Warpath,” The New Yorker, April 29, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/06/john-bolton-on-the-warpath.

126     later said in a statement    Jeffrey Goldberg, “James Mattis Denounces President Trump, Describes Him as a Threat to the Constitution,” The Atlantic, June 3, 2020, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/james-mattis-denounces-trump-protests-militarization/612640/.

126     Trump suggested in 2023 Brian Klaas, “Trump Floats the Idea of Executing Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley,” The Atlantic, September 25, 2023, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/trump-milley-execution-incitement-violence/675435/.

126     began after a whistleblower complaint “Trump Impeachment: Officer Alexander Vindman Raised Alarm over Ukraine Call,” BBC News, October 29, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50223635.

130     the military has struggled             Lolita C. Baldor, “Military Recruiting Rebounds After Several Tough Years, but Challenges Remain,” Associated Press, September 26, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/military-recruiting-army-shortfalls-enlist-1611ea378b32826cc4615dc3731f3f70.

130     Trump became convinced Robert Draper, “Unwanted Truths: Inside Trump’s Battles with U.S. Intelligence Agencies,” The New York Times Magazine, August 8, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/magazine/us-russia-intelligence.html.

130     In a 2018 press conference           “Transcript: Trump and Putin's Joint Press Conference,” NPR, July 16, 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/07/16/629462401/transcript-president-trump-and-russian-president-putins-joint-press-conference.

130     Trump fired Maggie Haberman, Julian E. Barnes, and Peter Baker, “Dan Coats to Step Down as Intelligence Chief; Trump Picks Loyalist for Job,” The New York Times, July 28, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/28/us/politics/dan-coats-intelligence-chief-out.html.

131     The Senate rejected Ratcliffe       Shane Harris, “The Rise of John Ratcliffe,” The Atlantic, January 3, 2025, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/01/ratcliffe-dni-cia-trump/681197/.

132     Defense spending makes up         “Policy Basics: Where Do Our Federal Tax Dollars Go?,” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, July 18, 2024, https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go.

133     more than $80 million per plane             Greg Hadley, “DOD, Lockheed Agree on Price for Next 145 F-35s, Air and Space Forces Magazine, December 23, 2024, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-35-program-office-lockheed-lot-18/.

133     from forty-two in the 2025 budget         Stephen Losey, “U.S. Air Force Budget Request Leans Toward R&D, Trims Fighter Purchases,” Defense News, March 11, 2024, https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/03/11/us-air-force-budget-request-leans-toward-rd-trims-fighter-purchases/.

133     opposed by Mattis   Paul McLeary and Lee Hudson, “How Two Dozen Retired Generals Are Trying to Stop an Overhaul of the Marines,” Politico, April 1, 2022, https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/01/corps-detat-how-two-dozen-retired-generals-are-trying-to-stop-an-overhaul-of-the-marines-00022446.

135     questioned the value          Didi Tang, “Trump Says Taiwan Should Pay More for Defense and Dodges Questions if He Would Defend the Island,” Associated Press, July 17, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/trump-taiwan-chips-invasion-china-910e7a94b19248fc75e5d1ab6b0a34d8.

135     according to former           Ben Fox and Deb Riechmann, “Bolton: Trump said Xi Was Right to Detain Ethnic Minorities,” Associated Press, June 17, 2020, https://apnews.com/article/63f156933a5520d157dea25ab764af09.