by Joshua Green
Internet Gaming Entertainment: Julian Dibbell, “The Decline and Fall of an Ultra Rich Online Gaming Empire,” Wired, November 24, 2008, www.wired.com/2008/11/ff-ige/.
“Politics is downstream from culture”: Steve Oney, “Citizen Breitbart,” Time, March 25, 2010, content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1975339,00.html?iid=pw-ent.
a “villain,” a “prick”: Michael Calderone, “Not All Kennedy Critics Hold Fire,” Politico.com, August 26, 2009, www.politico.com/story/2009/08/not-all-kennedy-critics-hold-fire-026475.
Chapter Five: Nobody Builds Walls Like Trump
falling behind its major competitors: Emily Yahr, Caitlin Moore, and Emily Chow, “How We Went from ‘Survivor’ to More Than 300 Reality Shows: A Complete Guide,” Washington Post, May 29, 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/entertainment/reality-tv-shows/.
Mark Burnett, the show’s creator: Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher, “The Inside Story of How ‘The Apprentice’ Rescued Donald Trump,” Fortune, September 8, 2016, fortune.com/2016/09/08/donald-trump-the-apprentice-burnett/.
Randal D. Pinkett, an African American: Kathleen Fearn-Banks and Anne Burford-Johnson, Historical Dictionary of African American Television (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014).
known as “visual diversity”: “Race Becomes More Central to TV Advertising,” NBCNews.com, March 1, 2009, www.nbcnews.com/id/29453960/ns/business-us_business/t/race-becomes-more-central-tv-advertising/.
“Going forward, all advertising”: “Race Becomes More Central to TV Advertising,” NBCNews.com.
no Republican had won: R. W. Apple, Jr., “G.O.P. Tries Hard to Win Black Votes, but Recent History Works Against It,” New York Times, September 19, 1996, www.nytimes.com/1996/09/19/us/gop-tries-hard-to-win-black-votes-but-recent-history-works-against-it.html.
John McCain had pulled: “How Groups Voted in 2008,” Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, Cornell University, n.d., ropercenter.cornell.edu/polls/us-elections/how-groups-voted/how-groups-voted-2008/.
“Muggers and murderers”: Sarah Burns, “Why Trump Doubled Down on the Central Park Five,” New York Times Op-Ed, October 17, 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/opinion/why-trump-doubled-down-on-the-central-park-five.html?_r=0.
Nielsen ratings for The Celebrity Apprentice: Joshua Green, “Trump’s Birther Antics Are Driving Away His Liberal Audience,” Atlantic, April 27, 2011, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/04/trumps-birther-antics-are-driving-away-his-liberal-audience/237965/.
“the Inspector Clouseau”: Michael Isikoff, “The Strange Case of Christopher Ruddy, Slate, October 19, 1997, http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/1997/10/the_strange_case_of_christopher_ruddy.html.
There he befriended Trump: Caitlin Huey-Burns, “Q&A with Chris Ruddy: Trump SpokesPal, Newsmax Chief,” RealClearPolitics.com, March 2, 2017, www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/03/12/qa_with_chris_ruddy_trump_spokespal_newsmax_chief.html.
“Trump Declines Prime-Time”: Jim Meyers, “Trump Declines Prime-Time GOP Convention Speech.” Newsmax, August 9, 2012, www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-convention-gop-romney/2012/08/09/id/448081/.
Ruddy even arranged: Jeremy W. Peters, “Trump to Moderate Republican Debate,” New York Times, The Caucus (blog), December 2, 2011, thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/trump-to-moderate-republican-debate/.
The debate was canceled: Alexander Burns, “Trump Debate Appearance Canceled,” Politico.com, Burns & Haberman Blog, December 13, 2011, www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2011/12/trump-debate-appearance-canceled-107281.
“He had a crazy policy”: Ronald Kessler, “Donald Trump: Mean-Spirited GOP Won’t Win Elections, Newsmax, November 26, 2012, http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Donald-Trump-Ronald-Kessler/2012/11/26/id/465363/
“I believe that if we’re successful”: Byron Tau, “Obama: Republican ‘Fever’ Will Break After the Election,” Politico.com, June 1, 2012, www.politico.com/blogs/politico44/2012/06/obama-republican-fever-will-break-after-the-election-125059.
Rupert Murdoch, the CEO of News Corp.: Rupert Murdoch, “Immigration Reform Can’t Wait,” Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2014, www.wsj.com/articles/rupert-murdoch-immigration-reform-cant-wait-1403134311.
“God bless Fox”: Ryan Lizza, “Getting to Maybe,” New Yorker, June 24, 2013, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/06/24/getting-to-maybe.
“We have to make America strong again”: Transcript of Donald Trump’s Remarks (2013 Conservative Political Action Conference, March 15, 2013, Washington, DC), Democracy in Action, www.p2016.org/photos13/cpac13/trump031513spt.html.
Cantor’s defeat was “a great signal”: Matthew Boyle, “Donald Trump: Cantor’s Defeat Shows ‘Everybody’ in Congress Is Vulnerable if They Support Amnesty,” Breitbart.com, June 12, 2014, www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/06/12/donald-trump-cantor-s-defeat-shows-everybody-in-congress-is-vulnerable-if-they-support-amnesty/.
“He made it clear”: Susanne Craig and David W. Chen, “Donald Trump Considered Path to Presidency Starting at the Governor’s Mansion in New York,” New York Times, March 5, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/nyregion/donald-trump-new-york-governor.html.
“She thought that it was possible”: Ryan Lizza, “Kellyanne Conway’s Political Machinations,” New Yorker, October 17, 2016, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/kellyanne-conways-political-machinations.
Chapter Six: The Alt-Kochs
Christmas party at Owl’s Nest: Owl’s Nest Party research: Zachary Mider, “What Kind of Man Spends Millions to Elect Ted Cruz?” Bloomberg.com, January 20, 2016, www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2016-01-20/what-kind-of-man-spends-millions-to-elect-ted-cruz-.
“He’s a very independent thinker”: Jane Mayer, “The Reclusive Hedge Fund Tycoon Behind the Trump Presidency,” New Yorker, March 27, 2017.
“We need samples of your urine”: Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, mailer, n.d., www.oism.org/Sample_Bank_A_34_For_Internet_op.pdf.
“I don’t know him very well”: Dan Eggen, “Concerned Taxpayers of America Supported by Only Two Donors,” Washington Post, October 16, 2010, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/16/AR2010101602804.html.
the Mercer family had given: Elise Viebeck and Matea Gold, “Pro-Trump Megadonor Is Part Owner of Breitbart News Empire, CEO Reveals,” Washington Post, February 24, 2017. According to The Washington Post, between 2009 and 2014, the family donated $35 million to conservative think tanks and at least $36.5 million to individual GOP races, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pro-trump-megadonor-is-part-owner-of-breitbart-news-empire-ceo-reveals/2017/02/24/9f16eea4-fad8-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html?utm_term=.86e1f0f5e7c4.
modern speech-recognition: Zachary Mider, “What Kind of Man Spends Millions to Elect Ted Cruz?,” Bloomberg Politics, January 20, 2016, https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2016-01-20/what-kind-of-man-spends-millions-to-elect-ted-cruz-.
“Bob told me he believed”: Jane Mayer, “The Reclusive Hedge-Fund Tycoon Behind the Trump Presidency,” New Yorker, March 27, 2017, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-tycoon-behind-the-trump-presidency.
The film debuted: Joshua Green, “‘Clinton Cash’ Has Been Made into a Movie,” Bloomberg.com, April 28, 2016, www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-04-28/clinton-cash-has-been-made-into-a-movie.
Robert Mercer became principal owner: Jane Mayer, “The Reclusive Hedge-Fund Tycoon Behind the Trump Presidency.”
“One of the realities”: Davis Richardson, “Hillary Spokesman: We Didn’t Account for the ‘Breitbart Effect,’” Daily Caller, March 29, 2017, dailycaller.com/2017/03/29/hillary-spokesman-we-didnt-account-for-the-breitbart-effect/.
Chapter Seven: A Rolling Tumbleweed of Wounded Male Id and Aggression
Trump had made his annual: “Donald Trump Remarks at CPAC,” C-SPAN, February 26, 2015, www.c-span.org/video/?324558-11/donald-trump-remarks-cpac.
“Truth and veracity”: Matthew Garrahan, “Breitbart News: from Populist Fringe to the White House and Beyond,” Financial Times, December 7, 2016, www.ft.com/content/a61e8e12-bb9c-11e6-8b45-b8b81dd5d080.
To lead his Texas bureau: Josh Harkinson, “How a Radical Leftist Became the FBI’s BFF,” Mother Jones, September/October 2011.
They included Michelle Fields: McKay Coppins, “Young, Pretty, and Political: The Highs and Lows of Conservative Media Stardom,” BuzzFeed, March 10, 2014, www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/the-highs-and-lows-of-being-a-ris?utm_term=.pkDJX4vB0n#.xnYV9w4l3M.
There was also Alex Swoyer: Terri, “New Miss Southwest Florida Is Crowned,” Cape Coral Internet Services, February 21, 2011, capecoralinternetservices.com/new-miss-southwest-florida-is-crowned/; “Alex Swoyer Joins Breitbart News as Newest Capitol Hill Reporter,” Breitbart.com, March 29, 2015, www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/03/29/alex-swoyer-joins-breitbart-news-as-newest-capitol-hill-reporter/.
Julia Hahn, a whip-smart: Andrew Maratnz, “Becoming Steve Bannon’s Bannon,” New Yorker, February 13 and 20, 2017, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/13/becoming-steve-bannons-bannon.
“Paul Ryan Builds Border Fence”: Julia Hahn,“Paul Ryan Builds Border Fence Around His Mansion, Doesn’t Fund Border Fence in Omnibus,” Breitbart.com, December 7, 2015, www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/17/paul-ryan-builds-border-fence-around-mansion-doesnt-fund-border-fence-omnibus/.
millennials had just eclipsed: Richard Fry, “Millennials Overtake Baby Boomers as America’s Largest Generation,” Pew Research Center, Fact Tank, April 25, 2016, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/.
“Practically grotesque,” wrote Harvard: Lawrence Lessig, “Democrats Embrace the Logic of ‘Citizens United,’” Washington Post, May 8, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-clintons-citizens-united-and-21st-century-corruption/2015/05/08/7f11a0d6-f57b-11e4-b2f3-af5479e6bbdd_story.html?utm_term=.c4341d792faa.
“On any fair reading”: Ibid.
Giustra subsequently won lucrative: Jo Becker and Mike McIntire, “Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal,” New York Times, April 23, 2015.
“I still don’t like the way it looked.”: Margaret Sullivan, “An ‘Exclusive’ Arrangement on a Clinton Book, and Many Questions,” New York Times, April 23, 2015, publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/an-exclusive-arrangement-on-a-clinton-book-and-many-questions/?_r=0.
“deemed it unnecessary”: Annie Linsky, “Clinton Charity Never Provided Foreign Donor Data,” Boston Globe, April 30, 2015, www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2015/04/29/clinton-health-charity-failed-report-foreign-grant-increases-required-under-agreement-for-hillary-clinton-confirmation/yTYoUTi3wGhy3oDonxy6gI/story.html.
Chapter Eight: “The Traffic Is Absolutely Filthy!”
with the exception: Gabriel Sherman, “The Trump Campaign Has Descended into Civil War—Even Ivanka Has Gotten Involved,” New York, August 6, 2015, nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/08/trump-campaign-has-descended-into-civil-war.html.
Trump and some aides: Dylan Byers, “Maggie Haberman: The New York Times Reporter Trump Can’t Quit,” Money.CNN.com, April 7, 2017, money.cnn.com/2017/04/07/media/maggie-haberman-trump/.
one of the first outlets: Brandon Darby, “Leaked Images Reveal Children Warehoused in Crowded U.S. Cells, Border Patrol Overwhelmed,” Breitbart.com, June 5, 2014, www.breitbart.com/texas/2014/06/05/leaked-images-reveal-children-warehoused-in-crowded-us-cells-border-patrol-overwhelmed/.
“Border Open for Criminals”: Robert Wilde, “Border Patrol Union Spokesman: Border Open for Criminals as Agents Forced to Babysit Illegals,” Breitbart.com, June 30, 2014, www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/06/30/border-patrol-agent-interview-claims-70-of-manpower-not-patrolling-border/.
Local 2455, the Border Patrol Union: David Sherfinsky, “Local Union for Border Patrol Agents Pulls Out of Donald Trump Events,” Washington Times, July 23, 2015, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/23/local-union-border-patrol-agents-pull-trump-events/.
The National Border Patrol Council: Richard Marosi, “Union for Border Patrol Agents Under Fire for Endorsement of Trump,” Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2016, www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-border-patrol-trump-20160511-snap-story.html.
Laredo was the nineteenth-safest: Amelia Acosta and Annmargaret Warner, “The 20 Safest Cities in America,” BusinessInsider.com, July 25, 2013, “http://www.businessinsider.com/safe-cities-in-america-2013-7.
called it “extraordinarily ugly”: Patrick Healy, “Indignant Jeb Bush Says He Takes Donald Trump’s Remarks Personally,” New York Times, July 4, 2015, www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/07/04/an-angry-jeb-bush-says-he-takes-donald-trumps-remarks-personally/.
Trump had surged past Bush: Dan Balz and Peyton M. Craighill, “Poll: Trump Surges to Big Lead in GOP Presidential Race,” Washington Post, July 20, 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-trump-surges-to-big-lead-in-gop-presidential-race/2015/07/20/efd2e0d0-2ef8-11e5-8f36-18d1d501920d_story.html?tid=a_inl.
over a private dinner in 2013: Jason Horowitz, “Marco Rubio Pushed for Immigration Reform with Conservative Media,” New York Times, February 27, 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/us/politics/marco-rubio-pushed-for-immigration-reform-with-conservative-media.html?_r=0.
a story published in: Brandy Zadrozny and Tim Mak, “Ex-Wife: Donald Trump Made Me Feel ‘Violated’ During Sex,” Daily Beast, July 27, 2015, www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/27/ex-wife-donald-trump-made-feel-violated-during-sex.html.
“trying to take out Donald Trump”: Ian Hanchett, “Breitbart’s Editor Alex Marlow: Fox News ‘Trying to Take Out Trump’ for GOP Establishment,” Breit-bart.com, August 7, 2015, www.breitbart.com/video/2015/08/07/breitbarts-editor-alex-marlow-fox-news-trying-to-take-out-trump-for-gop-establishment/.
“In the beginning, virtually 100 percent”: Gabriel Sherman, “Donald Trump and Roger Ailes Make Up—for Now,” New York, August 10, 2015, nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/08/donald-trump-and-roger-ailes-make-up-for-now.html.
“If you can’t get past me”: Pam Key, “Megyn Kelly: ‘If You Can’t Get Past Me, How Are You Gonna Handle Vladimir Putin?,’” Breitbart.com, August 9, 2015, www.breitbart.com/video/2015/08/09/megyn-kelly-if-you-cant-get-past-me-how-are-you-gonna-handle-vladimir-putin/.
“Mr. Trump is an interesting man”: Megyn Kelly, “Megyn Kelly Addresses Donald Trump’s Remarks,” The Kelly File, August 10, 2015, video.foxnews.com/v/4412819805001/?#sp=show-clips.
“The Arrogance of Power”: Stephen K. Bannon and Alexander Marlow, “The Arrogance of Power: Megyn Kelly’s ‘Good Journalism,’” Breitbart.com, August 11, 2015, www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/08/11/the-arrogance-of-power-megyn-kellys-good-journalism/.
“Roger Ailes just called”: Donald J. Trump, Twitter post, August 10, 2015, 8:35 A.M., twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/630764447716540417.
“Flashback: Megyn Kelly”: Katie McHugh, “Flashback: Megyn Kelly Discusses Her Husband’s Penis and Her Breasts on Howard Stern,” Breitbart.com, August 12, 2015, www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/08/12/flashback-megyn-kelly-discusses-her-husbands-penis-and-her-breasts-on-howard-stern/.
“smaller, more cohesive”: Sabrina Eaton, “It’s Official: Rep. Jim Jordan Now Chairs the House Freedom Caucus,” Cleveland.com, February 11, 2015, www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/02/its_official_rep_jim_jordan_no.html.
“The craziest of the crazy”: Matt Fuller, “House Freedom Caucus Looks to Be a Force—in Leadership and Lawmaking,” Roll Call, February 4, 2015, www.rollcall.com/218/house-freedom-caucus-looks-to-be-force-in-leadership-and-lawmaking/.
“Behind the Scenes”: Matthew Boyle, “Behind the Scenes with John Boehner’s Worst Nightmare: Mark Meadows Launches Mission to Fix Broken Congress,” Breitbart, September 5, 2015, http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/09/05/exclusive-behind-the-scenes-with-john-boehners-wor
st-nightmare-mark-meadows-launches-mission-to-fix-broken-congress/.
“We will have so much winning”: Ian Schwartz, “Trump: ‘We Will Have So Much Winning if I Get Elected That You May Get Bored with Winning,’” RealClearPolitics.com, www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/09/09/trump_we_will_have_so_much_winning_if_i_get_elected_that_you_may_get_bored_with_winning.html.
60 percent of Republicans: “Fox News Poll: 2016 Election, Pope Francis’ Popularity,” Fox News, September 23, 2015, www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2015/09/23/fox-news-poll-2016-election-pope-francis-popularity.html.
Chapter Nine: “Honest Populism”
“Let’s see how much money”: Brian Stelter, “Donald Trump Will Skip Fox News Debate on Thursday,” Money.CNN.com, January 27, 2016, money.cnn.com/2016/01/26/media/donald-trump-poll-debate-fox/index.html.
“I love you people”: Jonathan Martin, “Ted Cruz Wins Republican Caucuses in Iowa,” New York Times, February 1, 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/us/ted-cruz-wins-republican-caucus.html?_r=0.
“I think some people”: Jeremy Diamond, “Trump Says Skipping Debate Might Have Cost Him in Iowa,” CNN.com, February 3, 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/02/02/politics/donald-trump-iowa-new-hampshire/.
“Wow, wow, wow”: Stephen Collinson, “Outsiders Sweep to Victory in New Hampshire,” CNN.com, February 10, 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/02/09/politics/new-hampshire-primary-highlights/.
“Trump’s stumping in Mobile”: Dave Weigel, Twitter post, August 21, 2015, 7:14 a.m., twitter.com/daveweigel/status/634730184508317696.
“We are . . . very well positioned”: Todd J. Gillman, “Ted Cruz’s Southern Strategy Is No Longer the Sure Bet He Hoped For,” Dallasnews.com, February 28, 2016, www.dallasnews.com/news/local-politics/2016/02/28/ted-cruz-s-southern-strategy-is-no-longer-the-sure-bet-he-hoped-for.
Trump racked up additional wins: Wilson Andrews, Kitty Bennett, and Alicia Parlapiano, “2016 Delegate Count and Primary Results,” New York Times, July 5, 2016, nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/primary-calendar-and-results.html.
