The Gilded Rage: A Wild Ride Through Donald Trump's America

by Alexander Zaitchik

A grippingly intimate and heart-breaking portrait of the walking wounded who make up the base of the Trump movement. Desperate and angry, these are the men and women of the vanishing industrial heartland and the depressed Appalachian coal country and the drug-running, no-man's land along the Southwestern borderlands. They have no illusions about the grandstanding billionaire and his glaring flaws. But they feel forgotten and screwed over by political, corporate and media elites...and they feel that Donald Trump, despite his flamboyant demagoguery, might well be their last chance for salvation. Part Studs Terkel, part Hunter S. Thompson, Alexander Zaitchik takes us deeper into the ravaged soul of America than any other chronicler of our times.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, American, Journalism, Social Issues, The United States Of America

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Philip Girvan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other books, e.g., Charles Murray's Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, have explored the diminishing fortunes of the white working and middle class in an abstract way. What's unique about Zaitchik's approach is that he mingles with Trump supporters at their homes, at VFW halls, at Trump rallies and just lets them talk. Long sections of the book are people speaking frankly about their struggles, their decaying neighborhoods, their vanishing industries, friends and family lost to drugs... Zaitchik's empathy permits his interview subjects to come across as humans with hopes and fears as opposed to the cruel bigots and unthinking racists portrayed in many media accounts.

It's fascinating ethnography and possibly the most important book so far on the 2016 campaign.

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand to a degree. Sigh. I must take some onus for cocooning myself for quite some time, thinking, perceiving that "things" continued to progress in America. Move ahead. Gay marriage. Women's rights. The racial divide. Of late I have sensed unrest brewing, the wind beginning to stir. Again, I didn't pay attention to the signs. This past summer I visited family in a Midwestern state, rural, farm country . . . .small towns. I have always perceived them as having a certain charm. Not so this visit. Many of the family members were angry. The small towns are drying up, abandoned. Independent businesses going bankrupt . . . .hardware stores, pharmacies, restaurants etc. Major retailers have invaded what used to be corn fields. Walmart. Home Depot. Family members joked about me being a "California Feelgooder" . . . . . . with thin, brittle humor. They firmly expressed their support of Trump. Fox News was on constantly. I remained silent, not wanting to stir the already boiling pot. I just watched and listened. I was happy to return to LA. I remained relatively certain that Hillary would be elected regardless . . . until she wasn't. This book captures the essence of the unspoken or ignored rage that resulted in Donald Trump being elected President of the United States. Racism, sexism and gender preference never really have been abated, just tucked in a back drawer. Large corporations have moved jobs overseas. Labor is cheaper. Labor is the squeeze factor, always has been. Environmental restrictions on certain industries is also an incentive to pack up and leave. Immigrants are among the obvious scapegoats too eh? Stealing jobs. Ahhh. I could go on and on. This book is like consulting a fortune teller. The perspective that I have been blind to remains. Can we find find common ground and mend the divide? I dunno.

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing better than a reporter who lets the person on the street (or in a bar) to do the talking. They tell a pretty simple story of seeing their livelihoods disappearing, lack of concern from those in Government and a frustration that comes from inequality. The reasons why they were voting for Trump were numerous but understandable. I hope Zaitchik does another book in 4 years time and see what these people say then.

[Robert Downes · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the 2016 Republican primary season, freelance journalist Alexander Zaitchik traveled the country, trolling for comments at Donald Trump rallies, bars, cafes, ranches and ruined mining and steel towns.
The result is this slim volume of oral reportage in the style of Studs Terkel-meets-Hunter S. Thompson with some very witty writing and painful insights into the wounded heart of rural America. The book says literally nothing about Donald Trump; it's all about his followers.
Weighing in at just 125 pages in 12 point type with generous leading, I was able to read this book in two sittings over the course of two hours or so, making it more of an extended essay or very long magazine article. But, published by Hot Books, this short-form mini-book seems to be a trend in publishing, similar to the also-brief "Tribe" by Sebastian Junger that came out early this year.
In any event, I enjoyed Zaitchik's writing, which is excellent, and learned a great deal about how the dispossessed feel in present-day America: coal miners whose livelihood is literally being strip-mined by Wall Street interests; ranchers fighting a tide of Mexican smugglers crossing the border; factory workers whose work-places have been leveled and more. Many of Zaitchik's subjects have only low-paying jobs at Walmart or McDonald's to look forward to, along with bills that are beyond redemption and neighbors that have succumbed to drug addiction and petty crime. Well worth reading as we enter what's truly likely to be a "Wild Ride Through Donald Trump's America.'

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually couldn't finish this, too depressing. The author is a fine writer and while my heart went out to *some* of these people that he interviewed, I just couldn't take the backward, "good" ol' fashioned (ugh) thinking of some of them. The point at which I bailed: when one of the trumpsters in coal country opined about climate change that "only the guy upstairs" has any effect on the weather. Now that kind of "thinking" is sad...we're doomed...sigh.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only gave it 4 stars because I think it would have been even better longer. The book lets people talk for themselves and it isn't condescending. I am a liberal who lives in a porous bubble. I have friends, neighbors and family members who voted for Trump, and the writer makes a stop in my state. But the majority of people I know did not, and most of them, like me, were horrified when he won. The Trump phenomenon still baffles me and I want to understand. I'm really not sure if I understand after reading this book but I feel like the author does the best he can. I better understand the pain, hardship, struggle and frustration, but I still don't understand the belief that Trump will fix those wounds? The book is mostly interviews and conversations between the author and Trump supporters. It's good. Big league.

[veronica awald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely worth the read. I strongly consider myself a Democrat and I am not proud to have Trump as my president. HOWEVER, after reading this book I have a better understanding of some things my party neglects and need to focus on. My favorite part of the book was learning about the people and places I know nothing about.

[Wendelle]

so i skimmed through this interesting book, which is a compilation of life-stories and political views from Trump voters from the previous election's battleground states: Wisconsin, West Virginia et al. The author sampled his voters from blue-collar workers, which already seems a bit unfair as the statistics of this election showed Trump voters leaned older, whiter, and above working-class, suggesting factors other than poverty at work. Be that as it may. The common theme of the stories collected in this book is how truly difficult life is for blue-collar workers. I believe this: the physical obligations and dubious futures of working-class labor is something I've witnessed and felt the impact of firsthand.

The workers in this book perceive their difficulties to spring from or be compounded by two factors: they believe strongly that American participation in both the global market, and global politics, take away dollars from improvements at home to pay for military interventions, globalized industries, and undocumented immigrants and foreign workers competing for jobs. They hear Trump's bluster and they feel Trump is acknowledging the hopelessness of the situation of the working-class, and they feel Trump is going to provide the answers.

I had two takeaways from this book:

a) Democrats should learn from Trump about advertising, and repeatedly broadcasting, their plans and achievements on behalf of the working-class. The interviewees covered here don't seem to know that Democrats were the ones to launch bills in Congress funding and protecting veterans and 9/11 responders, for example. Instead, voters here rely on simplified caricatures of what the Democrats and the Republicans stand for: that the Democrats don't support vets or the military, for example.

b) Casual, but not overt, racism still exists in plenitude and must be responded to. "Economic anxiety" has been a catchphrase since the last election cycle, for good reason. Most interviewees in this book quickly point out that they are not racists, I guess because they don't actively lynch people. But they clearly exhibit an "us vs. them" mentality, wherein they believe they should be first in line in reaping the benefits of the American dream. If privilege accrues-- if the minimum wage is to be lifted, if health care is to be provided-- they believe people stamped from their same image, as blue-collar workers, tradesmen, and former vets, should have them. But they feel these shouldn't be equally shared with "welfare queens", or non-vets, or people of other races also desirous of the same jobs, benefits, or subsidized educations. Some of them adhere to this mentality so strongly, they would rather not have the minimum wage raised if that tide lifted all boats the same way. They have a failure of imagination with regards to how other people also struggle in life. Stereotyping others as lazy and subpar is still a form of discriminatory thinking. However, I do believe we should separate this from the desperation working-class workers do feel due to the forces of globalization that make their employment redundant.

Another way that casual racism exists is when the author points out in the introduction that

"But I believe the average Trump voter resents condescending elites many times more than he even thinks about brown people, and cares more about the local unemployment rate much more than national demographic trends."

I can understand that this is true, but voting for Trump using this reasoning remains inexcusable. As can be read from the excellent oral history of Nazi Germany, "They Thought they Were Free", the average Nazi wasn't particularly psychotically zealous about persecuting and killing the Jews. What distinguished the average Nazi or German citizen of the time was his ability to look sideways when this persecutions of "the other" happened, simply because the regime secured privileges and economic benefits for him. And that didn't make him any less a Nazi or morally tethered to the Nazi regime.

A similar racism is imputable to Trump voters. Trump was a bundle of policies and most of the Trump voters were lured by some parts while managing to ignore his persecution of Muslims and Mexicans. At least that is what this book tries to say. But that means they bear the same guilt of disengagement as the average German citizen.

[Karen A. Wyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My actual reaction is closer to how Goodreads defines two stars ("okay"), but I'm rounding up because two stars is generally viewed as condemnation.

This book has some internal contradictions. It takes media and liberals (two largely overlapping sets) to task for condescension, yet occasionally condescends. It is most valuable for the narratives it presents, as opposed to the author's asides airing the author's own political views. To its credit, it does try to rebut the common liberal/Democratic preconception that Trump's supporters are largely motivated by one or more forms of bigotry. This is not a new or unique point, but it is one that needs to be hammered home in as many ways as possible.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It’s a fantastically written breath of fresh air that gives real insight into what motivates the Trump voter. As the author points out, todays standard reporting model relies on soundbites and tweets, and ultimately polemic stereotypes that help no-one understand what’s driving the current seismic shift in politics. Zaitchik takes an original tack, and through in-depth interviews in their homes, bars and rallies we get to know the real Trump supporter. The result is a fascinating and often surprising journey.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gilded Rage is an excellent book about why people voted for Trump and it helps to explain why these people are, for the most part, not misogynists, racists, and homophobes, as the Left wishes us to believe, but are deeply concerned about issues of immigration, jobs, corporatist globalization, racism, political correctness, American identity, and political identity...amongst other things.

A must read to understand the working class and working poor perspective on the Trump tsunami.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gets five stars because of the insight this guy pulled together. Glad I read it.

[Donald Shank · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful look at what the people who aren't thinking are thinking, told in the words of Trump supporters.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, and not at all what I expected.

[Adam McPhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published before 'the journey into the dark heart of Trump's America' became a genre in The Atlantic and the New Yorker, and the only example of the genre worth reading.

[Paul Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Gilded Rage: A Wild Ride Through Donald Trump's America by Alexander Zaitchik is the author's travels and interactions with Trump supporters during the GOP's primaries in 2016. At the time, the MAGA brand was only just starting to become a household word. Mr. Zaitchik spent much of his time travelling through a few of the mid-West primaries. Along the way, he makes it a point to listen to what Trump supporters believe. In 2016, the Trump phenomenon was still relatively new. Even now, all these years later, many people still want to understand Mr. Trump's popularity. There is one quote from a Trump supporter in Pennsylvania that Zaitchik spoke to, which offers some explanation, "We don't see change. We don't see it. We tried. We voted Democrat. We voted Tea Party. Nothing is working and now it's like, 'Here is our last chance.'" Many times, the people Mr. Zaitchik interviewed are dealing with job loss or health concerns, sometimes both. There is a type of melancholy that resonates within some of these people's comments. It appears there is a longing for better days, more productivity and more benefits. That time, if it ever existed, isn't now. They're angry at politicians who let them down when, in fact, they should be angry at multi-national corporations. In my opinion, corporate power has superseded political power. That's where the anger might be better directed. Corporations have a way of deflecting criticism and staying above the fray. Politicians must face the voters. The author mentions those whom he came across who engaged in bigoted rhetoric, misogyny directed at Hillary Clinton, people who read political websites for their information and the many who were simply frustrated. The author neither endorses or condemns the people to whom he spoke. He gave them a chance to say their peace. This book tells you what he heard. I recommend this book. Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, this book is worthwhile. This book is available in accessible formats from the Centre for Equitable Library Access in Canada and Bookshare in the United States.

[Robert S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alexander Zaitchik's The Gilded Rage with the benefit of hindsight is one of those signs of foreboding that was to come for the Democratic Party in 2016.

Zaitchik's brand of journalism is more Hunter S. Thompson than the traditional brand as the author finds himself with a trip across America talking to the people who supported Donald J. Trump for President of the United States. Zaitchik does his best not to judge his interviewees, instead choosing to listen and largely empathize with the men and women who have chosen to vote for a man that appalls large sections of the country.

Its interesting to note Zaitchik visited six stages as mentioned in this book: Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Mexico, and California.

Arizona was at one point considered a swing state and a state that the Clinton campaign put some effort in at the eleventh hour. However, she came up short and lost the state by a little over 3%.

West Virginia is the clearest sign of how far the Democratic Party has fallen, with Trump taking the state by 42 points. Clinton wasn't competitive whatsoever in coal country.

Pennsylvania was a swing state that Trump won by less than 50,000 votes. So the voters Zaitchik spoke to in this book made a larger difference than they may have thought.

Wisconsin was arguably one of the two biggest shocks of the 2016 election, with the Clinton campaign's "Blue Wall" of Wisconsin and Michigan collapsing on election night.

Definitely an interesting read.

[Dev Goswami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, sometimes we don't have empathy for others and unwilling to hear others point of view. I wanted to gain a perspective of what drove Trump supporters, who they were, and this style of Gonzo style journalism on the individual was a perfect for me. It was a short book, but very informative..The media can't give a God's eye view of everything, which is why they give generalizations characterized by faulty logic. Some of the same thing Trump supporters want, progressives have been fighting for decades. Some of the same criticisms people who were against Trump had was also given by Trump's own supports, no individual is perfect and our leaders sometimes have messages that resonate with many. Instead of calling them names, racists, categorize them into prejudiced generalization...We need to understand their point of views, Trump supports had some very just views in this book and liberals should read this book to understand them. Let's unite, not divide.

[Nae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think one of the best ways to solve a problem is to listen to someone who doesn't agree with you. I am not the best at it but I try to remind myself to. Because it gives you a broader understanding of people with different experiences, since, to be honest, the United States is a large country. Reading the accounts in this book humanizes people and although I disagreed with a lot of the things these people were saying, it gives context. And hopefully I can do better when I try to discuss things with people who voted Trump by remembering a lot of these people were desperate for something new and something that would work for them when they feel they've been forgotten, even if people in opposition to Trump could see the writing on the wall (no pun intended).

[Caroline Harbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have liked to see a little more analysis from the author rather than just recounting people’s thoughts (although he’s a journalist and that’s perhaps the reporting style he was going for). A lot of what the interviewees say here, I disagree with and some of it I find quite disturbing, mainly the character flaws people are willing to forgive in a world leader if they think it will economically benefit them.

That being said, this book does lend some human stories and credibility to a truth many Democrats don’t like to acknowledge, that people who support Trump often do so because they’re financially struggling, they’re seeing their kids and grandkids even worse off, they’ve lost faith in the current government, and they want something to change.

[Shayla Kenniston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a nice, short, entertaining read where the author travels throughout multiple states to interview random people about Donald Trump, i.e. why they support him, what they think of his policies, etc. If you’re looking for something that won’t take too long and that is entertaining and easy to read regarding why people support Donald Trump, then read this book. This book would be good for a sociology/politics class. The only con I would say was maybe that the book was too simple. I just felt like maybe there could have been a more in depth analysis on the authors view of everything.

[Frances Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend who’s the AARP rep for our district at the State capital said this is a great book for people who don’t pay a lot of attention to politics and were blindsided by the election. If you follow politics closely, you’re already aware of the revelations in this book.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. It tries to answer the question, “Who are these people?” Unfortunately, the book doesn’t give any analysis. You’ll have to do that yourself. Still, it does give you a close-up view of “Who are these people” as well as their motivations.

[Jennifer Blowdryer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It’s part good old fashioned, news reporting part modern attention span. It’s just a really, really smart book That lets you hear from a range of Americans Who are worthy people too overwhelmed for logic

[Melissa Kayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting to read this book now, during the second Trump presidency, as this book follows a journalist on the campaign trail of Trump in the 2016 election and what made voters support him. I wish there was a follow up to see what these voters think now.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's left leaning tendencies were evident as I read the book.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done, fun book, kinda hard to relate to these folks...as I don’t follow politics or vote.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old school reporting of … Us. Great job, fairly quick read and I shared it with my smart friend

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

As Bono sang, I still haven't found what I am looking for. I have been asking myself for at least 15 years, "What the fuck is wrong with us?" "How does this keep happening?" "Why can't we get our fucking act together and solve the issues that are for sure going to ruin us?" We put a man on the fucking Moon for God's sake. But we chose not to. And there is no answer given in this little book either, not that I thought there would be, but one's gotta hope. The author, thinking along the lines of Studs Terkel, drove around Amerika LISTENING to Trump supporters: a disabled vet in Arizona, an out-of-work machinist in Wisconsin, a construction worker in Pennsylvania, a miner in West Virginia, and small-business owner in California, and some New Mexico goof balls, but it's New Mexico, what what do you expect? I don't know. I think it is way beyond figuring out what ails us and perhaps the best thing is to split into the nine nations of North America as proposed by Joel Garreau. The guy must be right for God's sake, he wrote Edge City: Life on the New Frontier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nin...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_city
We are fucked.

[Javier Contreras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting points of view. Eye opener to events I am never exposed.