The Destructionists by Dana Milbank

The Destructionists

by Dana Milbank

A scathing history of twenty-five years of Republican attempts to hold on to political power by any means necessary, by a hugely popular Washington Post political columnist

In 1994, more than 300 Republicans under the command of obstructionist and rabble-rouser Congressman Newt Gingrich stood outside the U.S. Capitol to sign the Contract with America and put bipartisanship on notice. Twenty-five years later, on January 6, 2021, a bloodthirsty mob incited by President Trump invaded the Capitol. 
 
Dana Milbank sees a clear line from the Contract with America to the coup attempt. In the quarter century in between, Americans have witnessed the crackup of the party of Lincoln and Reagan, to its current iteration as a haven for white supremacists, political violence,  conspiracy theories and authoritarianism.
 
Following the questionable careers of party heavyweights Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove, Mitch McConnell, and Rudy Giuliani, and those of many lesser known lowlights, Millbank recounts the shocking lengths the Republican Party has gone to to maintain its grip on the American people.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Destructionists is a wide-ranging look at the fundamental rot currently plaguing the GoP and how it developed over the last 25 years from Newt Gingrich on, written by Dana Milbank. Released 9th Aug 2022 by Doubleday, it's 416 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very well written, meticulously researched, annotated, and by turns infuriating and depressing excoriation of the Republican party as it stands in the USA. The author is a political commentator and analyst for the Washington Post. He draws a direct line, connecting the points along the way, from the ousting of house Republican minority speaker Bob Michel by Newt Gingrich and the following antagonistic and increasingly violent rhetoric which has become characteristic of American politics today.

It's impossible to read the book without becoming indignant (and/or nauseous) and outraged. I was left with an overwhelming feeling of futility and powerlessness. It's an important book, but one which the readers whose mind should be changed will ignore, and the ones who do understand the critical danger facing the USA will feel powerless to impact.

Four and a half stars. There were some repetitions in the text of the same players and the same occurrences discussed in differing contexts which felt like continual body blows and a rogues gallery of obstructionist destruction.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

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Reading updates

  • 29 January, 2023: Started reading
  • 29 January, 2023: Finished reading
  • 29 January, 2023: Reviewed