The Case for Trump

By: Victor Davis Hanson

Narrated by: David Lertham

Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

From an award-winning historian and regular Fox contributor, the true story of how Donald Trump has become one of the most successful presidents in history - and why America needs him now more than ever.

In The Case for Trump, award-winning historian and political commentator Victor Davis Hanson explains how a celebrity businessman with no political or military experience triumphed over 16 well-qualified Republican rivals, a Democrat with a quarter-billion-dollar war chest, and a hostile media and Washington establishment to become president of the US - and an extremely successful president.

Trump alone saw a political opportunity in defending the working people of America's interior whom the coastal elite of both parties had come to scorn, Hanson argues. And Trump alone had the instincts and energy to pursue this opening to victory, dismantle a corrupt old order, and bring long-overdue policy changes at home and abroad. We could not survive a series of presidencies as volatile as Trump's. But after decades of drift, America needs the outsider Trump to do what normal politicians would not and could not do.

©2019 Victor Davis Hanson (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"As a great historian, Victor Davis Hanson makes the case for President Trump with unique insights and historic understanding and clarity. A must-read for everyone who supports the President or wants to understand this moment in history." (Newt Gingrich)

"A brilliant and bracing analysis from one of the great thinkers and writers of our time, and a farmer to boot - Victor Davis Hanson. Hanson understood the circumstances that gave rise to Donald Trump early on, how the president has made long overdue changes, and why his enemies seek to destroy him." (Mark R. Levin)

Great Book but totally different that I EXPECTED.

I Expected this to be a total blow out positive narrative in favor of Donald Trump and wasn't going to read it. The switch came from the very beginning, it was a very good historical review of all the things that have happened in America that set up the total unexpected the election of Donald Trump to be the President of the United States of America. This went back 50 years or more, in some cases with both Republicans and Democrats that have lied, cheated and deceived the American voters. I am 65 years old and have often herd many people say the same thing when it comes to our electoral process and the very people that we have placed in front of us to choose from. "VOTING FOR THE LESSER OF THE EVIL" This book goes into all the many things that have gone into the reason why Trump was in the right place and time for America. This book was very thought provoking in many ways for me because I was not a Trump supporter in the beginning AT ALL. Take the time to read this book and see if you dont agree with all the facts that this history lesson puts in front of the readers.... Great Job

Not Convinced

One of the benefits of reading this book during a pandemic is all the calories I burned shaking my head, rolling my eyes, and saying “oh brother.” I made a deal with a Trump voter friend to read one of hers if she’d read one of mine and this is the one she picked. I was hoping for some information that would help me understand the Trump phenomenon, but it mostly reinforced my feeling that there is a parallel universe where being decent and kind is seen as weakness and trusting anyone is dangerous. The core of Trump’s success seems to be his pursuit of prosperity, defined as the accumulation of wealth. A healthy, safe, and free society and planet is the measure of prosperity, not the stock market. The author shares Trump’s hatred of the elites - from government, corporations, and educational institutions, everyone in the media and the entertainment industry. I didn’t know the term “deep state” before reading this book and do not share the mistrust of career public servants who work to protect our institutions. He praised him for being “relatable”. I prefer to have a president who has a bigger vocabulary than I do, and refrains from behaving in a way I would not allow my children or my students to behave. He praises him for his aggressive words and actions and boasts that he is the only president who continues his campaign rallies well beyond election day. Trump needs to enter rally rehab so he doesn’t end up further spreading COVID-19. And speaking of his mental state, the book I chose for my Trump voter friend has the same title with one word added, Dangerous. The author completely misinforms the readers in his section about the attacks from the mental health community in regards to him being unfit for office. They are stifled by the Goldwater Rule and are speaking out to fulfill their duty to warn when someone is a danger to themselves or others. His claims that mental instability isn’t an issue because of the 30 out of 30 score on a dementia test misses the point that he has a toxic mix of personality disorders that make him a clear and present danger to our lives, our livelihoods, and democracy.

The Heroic Outlaw

An excellent look at the Trump era and the reasons for his highly unlikely political success.

I was very skeptical about Donald Trump and so did a great deal of study. Reading his books, researching his background as reported in the news and various magazing articles. It soon became apparent that he honestly consders himself a true patriot and hard-core nationalist. This added to the fact that he was a political outsider earned my early support, but didn't explain how he managed to step in and take the world by storm, not only against all odds, but against completely corrupt and dishonest actions by his opposition and the main-stream media (propagandia). This book examines not only his accomplishments which, in spite of the lack of having been reported, would be magnificent even for a president who had bipartisan support and positive coverate by the media.. As a folklorist I've been cognizant of Trump's intentional utilization of one of folklore's most popular genres, the heroic outlaw. While Hanson doesn't lay it out in folkloric terms, he does illuminate various aspects of Trumps modus operandi which bring this to life. Aspects of of the outlaw hero:
1. The outlaw is a victim of injustice from authorities, and is paying back the favor.
2. The outlaw helps common people.
3. The outlaw is sacrificing his life for a political stance.
4. The outlaw does things the average Joe would love to try, if he had the courage.
5. The outlaw's outlandish adventures provide entertainment in the manner of a long-
running serial (Cellania 2010).
To this list I would add,
6. The outlaw is cool headed.
The more the anti-Trumpers fight against him, the stronger his outlawic hero persona grows... Fascinating!

To all of this I must add that "The Case for Trump" is quite listenable and holds the listener's interest, AND while many will listen with the "liar, liar, pants on fire" attitude, the facts presented are easily verifiable... In other words, Victor Davis Hanson is a hateful, misogynistic, stupid racist, who wrote a book to protect the hateful, misogynistic, stupid racist president. Which means his book is right on the money!

Well worth the listen!

Trump. A phenomenon

The phenomenon of Donald Trump is not fake news. As I listened to the author’s account, I researched the facts. I’m not surprised to find that all are verifiable.

I am still baffled by the hatred that is spewing for this man and can only conclude that he is the miracle! Trump 2020, please!

the other side of the story

This story of this presidency, like every story, has two sides. You can hear the anti-Trump side everywhere. This book is a rare defense of Trump that is more intellectual than emotional. well written and erudite, without being dry or academic.

:)

Fun to listen to, mostly confirmed what I already knew. Good listen.
a very good synopsis.

well done synopsis of trump

it was a great contrast between an outsider and the government established supported by the democrat-controlled media
it showed in the Deep State's power and expanse

Brilliant!

Sober, reasoned, insightful, beautifully-written. Good read for liberals and conservatives alike... anyone wishing to understand the Trump phenomenon without hyper-partisan invective.

VERY equitable presentation!

This book was FANTASTIC and I recommend it to everyone and anyone (especially during this political season) who wants a factual and historical look at the events and circumstances that created the political world we have today. I was relieved to see that this book was neither pro-Trump (trying to convince everyone to jump on the Trump train); nor anti-Trump (repeating all the negativity we hear daily). It was a very equitable, chronological, and systematic presentation of the facts that are not-so-hidden in plain sight, without any noisy right/left rhetoric. EXCELLENT read!

Less a Trump defense, more an Obama/Clinton attack

VDH is great as always, but this book doesn't exactly live up to it's name. The majority of it is spend setting the political landscape of how forty years of presidential mishandling of the economy gutted the American interior and set the stage for Trump. VDH does go into great detail on the Spygate scandal and this book is a great resource on the subject. However, he spends a single chapter on DJT's achievements. In the end, this is more an argument for voting against Clinton/Obama and less an argument to vote for DJT. I found that disappointing, as the writing is as high quality as all of VDH's works.

Could be leaner and more international.

Since Trump's election victory, the coverage of him and his presidency in the Irish media has been really poor. It is an unending stream of lazy, tabloid, prejudicial, one-sided journalism. All I want is reporting without the "noise" of the journalist's or editor's personal bias. I was looking for a book that might explain in layman's terms, why half of America's voting population voted for him, the rationale for his policies, and what has been/are likely to be, the consequences of his actions for America and for the rest of the world (without the endlessly tiresome vitriole that accompanies most media reports) .
Victor Hanson could reasonably argue that he has done this, but for me, much of the core value of this book is obfuscated by an assumption of the reader's familiarity with the American political system, repetition to the point that I think my audio controls are skipping backwards of their own accord, and an unnecessary protraction of narrative.
I fully accept that my lack of knowledge of the American political system is substantially my problem (and the book is intended for an American audience), but for me, this book would have been far better if it were shorter, less "noisy" in terms of faux exasperation, presented the main arguments in a more cohesive manner, and recognised that non-Americans are interested too.
That said, I did learn several interesting things, such as some aspects of America's relationship with Mexico, that I was not previously aware of.

Trump Season One

As a resident of Britain i’ve been watching events in US with a mixture of horror and hilarity.

VDH has been one of my favourite columnist for some time. He seems to be one of the very few writers able to navigate his way through the labyrinth of American politics objectively.

Like much of his work this will be revisited as an accurate account of this period in US history.

I’m looking forward to Season Two.

PS My Advice to all politicians is to ditch your expensive, know nothing Special Advisors and start listening to VDH

Trump an enigma

Victor Davis Hanson reveals the state of the government and the reasons why Trump was elected President. He shows the corruption that ensued via the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
The corruption and the sexual wrongdoing of previous presidencies , as well as the corruption of the Clintons.
Trump is truly an enigma, but he is amazingly good for America.

Thrilling read

Excellent book and well narrated. Victor Davis Hanson explains brilliantly Trump's rise and his tragic hero status.

Interesting point of view on the Trump Phenomenon

Enjoyed the book. Appears to be historically accurate with a reasoned point of view. Look forward to more audio books from Victor Davis Hanson.

An important part of the Trump story

With hindsight of Trump's presidency this book is really interesting. It tries to explain the pre-Trump era that led to him being voted into office by providing real examples, stories and information without using idiotic exuses and smears like “racism!”. The journalist author is not a Trump insighter or a known republican. His view is quite clear but the book does not lack criticism of Trump and many of his missteps. Though it provides many interesting stories and examples of the “case for Trump” it becomes a little bit too detailed and long. For the average non-American reader it was sometimes hard to follow the story when you don’t recognize some of the parables or the people involved. It does a great job of shining a light on Obama's many failed promises, Hillarys soulless campaign and the biased fake media that all helped to push Trump into the White house.
It will be interesting to see if this author will proceed to write about Trump since this book lacks the last and most eventful year of his presidency.