Never Trump

March 15, 2020
Requiem for the GOP's anti-Trump movement. Traditionally, the Republican Party in the U.S. espoused such conservative ideas as low taxes, limited government, a reliance on civil society, and a morality-based foreign policy. Then Donald Trump joined the race for president. At first, the Republican elite considered him a bottom-feeding con man who would soon be laughed off the stage. Instead, his popularity grew, and the party's stalwarts formed a NeverTrump movement (as it is referred to throughout the narrative) to combat his rise. As political science professors Saldin and Teles demonstrate, they openly did everything they could to stop him, but the people who vote Republican nominated him anyway, and the NeverTrump effort began to crumble. A trickle of NeverTrumpers switching sides to Trump soon became a flood, and their work had given Trump a long list of enemies, which essentially eliminated virtually all experienced officials from even being considered for any government post. That left Trump with no choice but to name inexperienced, incompetent people to high government positions, which he did. In this scholarly, occasionally wonkish, but always readable and deeply insightful book, the authors, both of whom have written extensively about American public policy and legal and economic matters, describe the story of NeverTrump's demise by focusing on four specific groups: national security professionals, who are the experts involved with foreign policy; political operatives, such as pollsters and fundraisers, who provide services to the party and its candidates; professional public intellectuals, such as think tank members, columnists and authors; and lawyers and economists. After clearly laying out how Trump has proceeded to exploit his power over anyone who would challenge him, the authors conclude that someday, both extremes will have to share power with a liberal-conservative faction grounded in free trade, pluralism, and constitutionalism. A useful study of how the once-powerful NeverTrumpers sank into insignificance.

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