A review by bethmitcham
Unpresidented: A Biography of Donald Trump by Martha Brockenbrough

3.0

I don't know if it's possible to write a fair biography of Trump. People who like him have to ignore vast amounts of reality -- facts, his lies, etc. But people who believe in objective reality have trouble remaining calm while describing his actions. Brockenbrough does her best, starting with the good feelings she had about Trump while watching his first season of his reality TV show. She documents his childhood and business career, noticing the times that he fell afoul of regulations or needed to be bailed out by his father. She then traces his political career, noting the deviations from the truth and the enthusiasm his brash manner evokes. But she is clearly starting to fray as she describes the presidency, especially during the twitter war with Korea followed by the fruitless meetings, and the constant caving to Russia and pandering to Putin. Comparisons to Nazi Germany will never feel balanced. At least her epilogues of Trump campaign workers, family, and political aides aren't separated into columns for Convicted/Indicted/Unburdened by Legal Trouble, although that would have been convenient.