Trump's trials : one started with a phone call ; the other started with a deadly riot ; here is the story

A compelling and masterful account, based on fresh reporting, of the investigation, impeachment, and acquittal of President Donald Trump, a ferocious political drama that challenged American democracy itself. In the spring of 2019, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did not favor pursuing Trump’s impeachment. Her view was: “He’s just not worth it.” But by September, after a whistleblower complaint suggesting that Trump had used his office for his political benefit, Pelosi decided to risk it. The impeachment inquiry led to charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, a gamble that ultimately meant Trump would be the first impeached president on the ballot in US history. Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post reporters Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan have crafted a powerful, intimate narrative that concentrates on the characters as well as the dramatic events, braiding them together to provide a remarkable understanding of what happened and why. Drawing on the deep reporting of Post journalists as well as new interviews, Sullivan and Jordan deliver a crisp page-turner with exquisite detail and scenes. They put readers in the room for both sides of the now-famous phone call between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25, 2019, revealing the in-the-moment reactions of those listening to the call in Washington, as well as the tension in Kyiv, as aides passed notes to Zelensky while he was talking to Trump. Sullivan and Jordan deftly illuminate the aims and calculations of key figures. Pelosi’s evolution from no to yes. Trump’s mounting fury as “the I-word” became inevitable. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell firmly telling Trump on the phone about the Senate trial: You need to trust me. Trump on Trial teems with unexpected moments. House member Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, alone at the National Archives, walking amid the nation’s founding documents, weighing her vote on impeachment. Fiery Republican congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida, a favorite Trump warrior, deciding to lead the storming of the secure room in the US Capitol basement, where witnesses were testifying. The authors paint vivid portraits of the men and women branded by the president’s supporters as foes from the “deep state”: Ukraine experts Fiona Hill and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman; ambassadors Marie Yovanovitch and William Taylor. The narrative spools out amid Trump’s nonstop tweeting and the infinite echo chamber of social media, which amplified both parties’ messages in ways unknown during past impeachments. Sullivan and Jordan, aided by editor Steve Luxenberg, follow the story into the aftermath of Trump’s acquittal and the president’s payback for those whom he believed had betrayed him. The retributions took place as the nation reeled from a devastating pandemic and widespread protests about racial injustice, with another trial looming: the 2020 election. "Sets a standard for political storytelling with impeccable research and lively writing." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Page-turning...riveting...colorful and detailed...a barometer of the health of our democracy." —Barbara McQuade, The Washington Post Two investigations. Two impeachments. Two acquittals. One president. The full story. Unprecedented. Unimaginable. Until Donald Trump's presidency. A year apart, two ferocious political dramas challenged American democracy. As Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post reporters Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan show in this gripping account, the two Trump impeachments and acquittals shared common threads: An American president, relentless in his drive to win re-election, willing to disregard the laws that limit his powers, no matter the cost. A divided Congress, split along party lines, unable to agree on whether Trump's actions met the Constitutional standard for removal from office. The Constitution itself, tested in ways that its framers had not anticipated. Trump's Trials is an expanded version of Trump on Trial , Sullivan and Jordan's compelling and masterful 2020 account of the first impeachment. That narrative, a crisp page-turner with exquisite detail and vivid scenes, deftly conveyed the calculations of the central figures, in particular Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. The authors have added three new chapters, and revised others, to carry the narrative through the 2020 presidential election of Joe Biden; Trump's feverish attempts to overturn Biden's victory; his supporters' deadly attack on the Capitol as Congress was certifying the electoral votes; Trump's second impeachment and acquittal—but this time, with seven Republican senators voting against him. Sullivan and Jordan, aided by editor Steve Luxenberg, have written a fast-paced, authoritative account of the historic events that rocked America—an invaluable examination of what happened and why. "Sets a standard for political storytelling with impeccable research and lively writing." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Page-turning...riveting...colorful and detailed...a barometer of the health of our democracy." -Barbara McQuade, The Washington PostTwo investigations. Two impeachments. Two acquittals. One president. The full story.Unprecedented. Unimaginable. Until Donald Trump's presidency.A year apart, two ferocious political dramas challenged American democracy. As Pulitzer Prize"“winning Washington Post reporters Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan show in this gripping account, the two Trump impeachments and acquittals shared common threads: An American president, relentless in his drive to win re-election, willing to disregard the laws that limit his powers, no matter the cost. A divided Congress, split along party lines, unable to agree on whether Trump's actions met the Constitutional standard for removal from office. The Constitution itself, tested in ways that its framers had not anticipated.Trump's Trials is an expanded version of Trump on Trial, Sullivan and Jordan's compelling and masterful 2020 account of the first impeachment. That narrative, a crisp page-turner with exquisite detail and vivid scenes, deftly conveyed the calculations of the central figures, in particular Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. The authors have added three new chapters, and revised others, to carry the narrative through the 2020 presidential election of Joe Biden; Trump's feverish attempts to overturn Biden's victory; his supporters' deadly attack on the Capitol as Congress was certifying the electoral votes; Trump's second impeachment and acquittal-but this time, with seven Republican senators voting against him.Sullivan and Jordan, aided by editor Steve Luxenberg, have written a fast-paced, authoritative account of the historic events that rocked America-an invaluable examination of what happened and why. "A year apart, two ferocious political dramas challenged American democracy. As Washington Post reporters Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan show in this gripping account, the two Trump impeachments and acquittals shared common threads: An American president, relentless in his drive to win re-election, willing to disregard the laws that limit his powers. A divided Congress, split along party lines, unable to agree on whether Trump's actions met the Constitutional standard for removal from office. The Constitution itself, tested in ways that its framers had not anticipated. Trump's Trials is an expanded version of Trump on Trial, Sullivan and Jordan's masterful 2020 account of the first impeachment. That narrative, through its exquisite detail and vivid scenes, deftly conveyed the calculations of the central figures, in particular Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. The authors have added four new chapters to carry the narrative through the 2020 presidential election: Trump's feverish attempts to overturn Joe Biden's victory; his supporters' violent attack on the Capitol as Congress was certifying the electoral votes; Trump's second impeachment and acquittal--this time, with seven Republican senators voting against him. Sullivan and Jordan, aided by editor Steve Luxenberg, have written a fast-paced, authoritative account of the historic events that rocked America--an invaluable examination of what happened and why"--Page [4] of cover Sullivan and Jordan, Washington Post reporters, put readers in the room for both sides of the now-famous phone call between Trump and Ukrainian president Zelensky on July 25, 2019, revealing the in-the-moment reactions of those listening to the call in Washington, as well as the tension in Kyiv, as aides passed notes to Zelensky while he was talking to Trump. They concentrate on the characters as well as the dramatic events, braiding them together to provide a remarkable understanding of what happened and why. In the aftermath of Trump's acquittal and the president's payback for those whom he believed had betrayed him, they examine a nation reeled from a devastating pandemic and widespread protests about racial injustice, with another trial looming: the 2020 election. -- adapted from jacket Washington Post journalists Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan present an account of the investigation, impeachment, and acquittal of Donald Trump, a political drama that challenged American democracy itself