A review by purplerox220
It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump by Stuart Stevens

4.0

Speaking from my own biases and political perspective, It Was All a Lie brought about dozens of notable quotes and passages for me, all "duh!" moments that put almost-common sense theories and observations into coherent thoughts. As he reflects upon decades of Republican strategy and consulting work, Stevens breaks down the current Republican Party into digestible analyses of race, family values, finances (ex: tax policy), facts (from science and climate change to conservative journalism, or ... "journalism"), authoritarianism, and a stubborn commitment to division and exclusion rather than growth and inclusion. In chapters that focus on each of the above, Stevens considers how the Republican Party has evolved over the past half-century, if not past two decades, to discard and manipulate policy, the realities of America's population, and humanity. Chicken, egg: Republican Party, Donald Trump - which led to which?

Stevens wrote It Was All a Lie in the fall of 2019, prior to the pandemic, recession, and Capitol coup of 2020 and two days ago, so I can only imagine what he has to say on how the Party and Trump manifested each other and how their reactions to the events of 2020 and 2021 reflect the state of the party today. Overall, I found this book a quick and digestible read (not necessary "easy", given inevitable rage when reflecting on reality today). I'm not yet sure on how I feel about Stevens' personal/professional involvement in shaping the Party, as mea cupla feels too little, too late, but I overall recommend this book as an informative take on how exactly we are where we are today.