The Destructionists by Dana Milbank

Happy National Book Lovers Day!  It is celebrated every year on August 9th. Today also marks almost 50 years since Nixon resigned (on August 9, 1974) while also being the first time that the FBI utilized a court order to “raid” the home and offices of a former President. Seems fitting to turn to a book about politics and the Republican Party: 

THE DESTRUCTIONISTS by Dana Milbank, a nationally syndicated columnist for the Washington Post, was recently published and is subtitled “The Twenty-Five Year Crack-Up of the Republican Party.” Milbank traces the modern day evolution from the mid-1990s when Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House.  Clearly not a fan, Milbank argues that “Republicans have become an authoritarian faction fighting democracy.” He asserts that Republican leaders have “repeatedly put short-term self-interest ahead of the national interest” and illustrates this by investigating four major actors and their eras: Gingrich’s savage attacks during the Clinton presidency; Karl Rove’s “dishonesty” during the Bush presidency; Mitch McConnell’s (and Sarah Palin’s) assault during the Obama Presidency and the ongoing debacle that Trump has created. What is even more interesting is the pattern of action which Milbank documents with Republicans “hacking away at the foundations of democracy and civil society” through “their war on truth, their growing exploitation of racism and white supremacy, their sabotage of the institutions and norms of government, and their dehumanizing of opponents and stoking of violence.” Kirkus’ review aptly labels THE DESTRUCTIONISTS “A well-researched, dispiriting dissection of politics.” Yes, Milbank devotes roughly a third of the text to notes in this disheartening chronicle. He certainly focuses on the negatives, barely mentioning Liz Cheney and making no reference to other brave Republicans like Adam Kinzinger or Rusty Bowers. The events and motives Milbank chooses to stress make reading difficult at times for anyone who values America’s traditional values. Interested to learn more for yourself? The Washington Post has made an excerpt available here (or via our ProQuest database).