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The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the Future of Trump's America
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The inside story of Donald Trump’s first two years in Washington as viewed from Capitol Hill, a startling account that turns “Congress into a Game of Thrones book” (Trevor Noah, The Daily Show). Taking readers into secret strategy calls and closed-door meetings from the House to the White House, Politico Playbook writers Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer trace the gamesmanship and the impulsiveness, the dealmaking and the backstabbing, in a blow-by-blow account of the power struggle that roiled Congress. Moving from the fights for advantage between Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer; to Mitch McConnell’s merciless, Machiavellian handling of the sexual assault accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh; to Paul Ryan’s desperate, failed attempts to keep Mark Meadows from pushing Trump into a government shutdown over immigration, The Hill to Die On bristles with fresh news and tells the story of what really happened in some of the most defining moments our era. Like The West Wing for Congress, or Shattered meets This Town, The Hill to Die On tells an unforgettable story of politics and power, where the stakes going forward are nothing less than the future of America and the lives of millions of ordinary Americans.Praise for The Hill to Die On“[Sherman and Palmer] go deep inside the halls of Congress to document the deal making, backstabbing, power struggles and political knife fights that have roiled the nation’s capital during President Donald Trump’s first two years in office. . . . Anything but boring.”—USA Today, “5 Books Not to Miss” “[The Hill to Die On] painstakingly chronicles the return to divided government and the restoration of an institutional check on a mercurial chief executive. . . . The book depicts a foul-mouthed president in love with his own reflection, a House GOP encased in the amber of self-delusion, and Nancy Pelosi’s unblinking focus on twin recapturing the House and returning to the speaker’s chair.”—The Guardian “If you are one of the many Americans who hates Congress, this book is for you. In the Washington depicted in Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer’s new book, there are no heroes—only winners and losers. . . . With these lawmakers, Sherman and Palmer get inside their heads and capture what they’re thinking in real time.”—The Washington Post
425 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2019
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1685 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
April 21, 2019
This book is a view of the first two years of Trump's term (first term, and I'm hoping only term) from the perspective of Congress. It is at times gripping, at other times fun, and at other times frustrating. I was most frustrated when reading about the times that congressmen from both sides wanted to work together but were prevented from doing so by the leadership.
One criticism: There are so many congressmen and congresswoman -- obviously not as many senators but still a lot -- that it often became hard to remember everyone. I had to check the index many times to see when the first mention of someone was to remind myself. This book could have used a glossary of names with short summaries about each people.
One criticism: There are so many congressmen and congresswoman -- obviously not as many senators but still a lot -- that it often became hard to remember everyone. I had to check the index many times to see when the first mention of someone was to remind myself. This book could have used a glossary of names with short summaries about each people.
wish-list
April 9, 2019They thought Trump was taking notes, then they saw the paper. The President is notorious for not paying attention to details but according to a new book, even when he was writing during a meeting, he wasn’t taking notes. Politico's Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer join Lawrence to discuss their new book and what it reveals about the Trump White House and the President’s own party.
May 29, 2019
If there had ever been a doubt in my mind about Congressional term limits this book confirms the necessity. The book covers the activities in the House of Representatives from 2016 through 2018. The authors relate a fascinating tale of the twists and turns of the new majority Republicans attempting to interface with President Trump along with pushing their legislation though the now minority Democratic party. For me it was a page turner, a hard to put down, and very well written
account of accepted indolence, corruption, selfishness and complete disregard of their electorates bidding's except for a very few in both parties. I asked myself why do we continue to vote these nimrods into office and almost never hold them accountable year after year?
account of accepted indolence, corruption, selfishness and complete disregard of their electorates bidding's except for a very few in both parties. I asked myself why do we continue to vote these nimrods into office and almost never hold them accountable year after year?
August 20, 2019
The book was okay, very informative. I could tell the authors had their journalism hat on for the duration. I would have liked to know more about constituent's on-going reaction and grass roots efforts to get the House to flip. What about the US population's reaction to Charlottesville, Kavanaugh, or DACA? Or the government closure, tax break for the rich, or the RNC giving campaign money to Roy Moore in Alabama? I think the authors were too easy on the Republicans by not including any of the public's response. So while the book was informative, I think the authors forgot to include the hefty charge of those Americans who rose up and ended the Republicans' lives on that hill. And what person couldn't see this coming?
April 17, 2019
"The Hill to Die On" is a well-reported and serviceable account of recent congressional history. There's unfortunately little in the way of analytical insight as the authors opt instead for a narrative play-by-play of events with which political watchers are already familiar. But readers who haven't followed the daily reporting closely will enjoy this book.
(Note: Jake Sherman's narration sounds like it's playing at double-speed. I've never heard a narrator speak so fast. The publisher should adjust the audio.)
(Note: Jake Sherman's narration sounds like it's playing at double-speed. I've never heard a narrator speak so fast. The publisher should adjust the audio.)
May 30, 2020
This book is really all over the place. 3 1/2 stars. The players in the House and Senate through Trump's presidency up to Impeachment. Lots of details on major players, while still feeling very surface. Writing was good, but it felt a bit scattered. Worth a read, definitely.
April 12, 2019
The great Charles Pierce once described Politico as “Tiger Beat on the Potomac, which manages on a regular basis to cover the worst of our politics through the worst of our political journalism.”
It was an apt description, and while Politico has improved since then, aspects of it (like the morning playbook) still revel in that approach. So too does this book. It’s the platonic ideal of access journalism, wearing its sources on its sleeve and eschewing depth or real analysis for gossipy bon mots that will look great excerpted in a paragraph in Politico’s own Playbook.
It’s a breakfast of chocolate frosted sugar bombs cereal, sure it gets you through the morning but you got nothing of value out of it and will feel the worse for it when you’re done.
It was an apt description, and while Politico has improved since then, aspects of it (like the morning playbook) still revel in that approach. So too does this book. It’s the platonic ideal of access journalism, wearing its sources on its sleeve and eschewing depth or real analysis for gossipy bon mots that will look great excerpted in a paragraph in Politico’s own Playbook.
It’s a breakfast of chocolate frosted sugar bombs cereal, sure it gets you through the morning but you got nothing of value out of it and will feel the worse for it when you’re done.
July 21, 2019
With grinding teeth and tense shoulders I read this survey of Congress during the era of #45. Very informative and a necessary glimpse at how things work in The Hill, I hated reading about despised, venal figures like Paul Ryan and Mark Meadows as if they were normal human beings and not selfish, entitled, ignorant white men who only give a fuck about their own classes' power and wealth while they pretend to work for the good of the country as a whole.
But that's me. Like any institution with a history, Congress has hierarchies, procedures, traditions, and other accouterments of power and it was interesting to have those exposed.
But that's me. Like any institution with a history, Congress has hierarchies, procedures, traditions, and other accouterments of power and it was interesting to have those exposed.
April 15, 2019
As a history specifically of Republican congressional leaders, this is fairly thorough and hits all the gossip buttons. As a chronicle of the midterm elections it's disappointing, and some of the moments chosen as hallmarks of Congress during this time are bizarre. I'm biased of course but there was a lot more to the 2018 cycle than what Paul Ryan was doing, and hopefully another book will capture that.
May 8, 2019
It’s a great book if you want to understand Congress, especially in recent years. Since I follow politics closely, some was just a review of everything that went on up to the Government Shutdown.
I didn’t know about all the perks they get, all the back-dealings, inner works and outright lying to put out a message. Also, how much Trump really doesn’t know and how he frustrates all, especially his allies.
It’s all very sad and difficult to take. Not sure why I wanted to read it!
I didn’t know about all the perks they get, all the back-dealings, inner works and outright lying to put out a message. Also, how much Trump really doesn’t know and how he frustrates all, especially his allies.
It’s all very sad and difficult to take. Not sure why I wanted to read it!
June 2, 2019
This could easily be four stars; I’ve just read too many current politics books recently. This one takes an inside look at Washington DC by two Politico legislative reporters, rehashing the 2016 presidential primaries and general election, and concluding in early 2019. Parts of it were fun to relive; other parts gave me a little political PTSD. Some interesting insider tidbits, like which congressional representatives sit near each other in chambers.
December 19, 2025
I seriously doubt there has ever been a book writen by either side of the aisle that is this praising of Nancy Pelosi. You get it right in the first few chapters when the authors take pains to point out how handsome her husband is.
Aside from that, the book offers a play by play account of the 2017/2018 congressional session, with very little analysis of the events recounted. There's not much to find here that wasn't blasted on cable news 24/7 during those years.
Aside from that, the book offers a play by play account of the 2017/2018 congressional session, with very little analysis of the events recounted. There's not much to find here that wasn't blasted on cable news 24/7 during those years.
July 7, 2019
A tick-tock of what was going in with Congress during the first two-plus years of the Trump administration. It's an interesting read, but doesn't add anything extremely new.
September 11, 2019
GOP hill to die on? Immigration..Individual #1 hill to die on? The Wall. And Congress seldom works well together.
October 19, 2020
"It takes a certain level of confidence—some would say narcissism—to believe that you, above all others in your congressional district, are the best fit to represent your community. Unlike the White House, which has one principal, each member of Congress is his or her own boss—an independent contractor, operating with little guidance or oversight and within few bounds. At their disposal is millions of dollars in government and campaign cash that, broadly speaking, they can spend however they please."
"In short, next time a politician says that money doesn't play a role in politics, you should be skeptical."
"No polling, no prep, just a name thrown almost at random by two aides over dinner. This is how one of the nation's most important Republican groups started the 2018 cycle."
"Throughout recent American history, Congress has thought wise to knowingly set itself up for a crisis. Think of it like this: Imagine if, for some reason, you purposely set up a date on which all your household appliances would break down and needed to be fixed, on the assumption that fixing them all at once would somehow be easier. Congress does this all the time."
"Almost everyone involved in crafting the tax reform bill had the same takeaway: It was a success because of relatively limited involvement by Donald Trump and the White House."
"Sloppy Steve, Trump had scrawled on the top of the card in black marker. Copious notes then followed. As Cohn had detailed his plans to rebuild America's roads, the president was writing down how he wanted to trash Steve Bannon the next time someone asked him about it."
"Longtime politicians struggled to contend with the movement, Crowley perhaps chief among them. At every turn, his team discounted the work that Ocasio-Cortez and her campaign were doing."
"If one wanted to understand the source of the gridlock that has kept Congress's approval ratings so low for so long, one need not look further than the crisis generated by the immigration discharge petition. What it showed was that a majority of the House wanted and was willing to pass progressive-looking immigration reform. The votes were there for Hurd-Aguilar, a bipartisan bill approved by Democrats and pushed by a moderate Republican. But its very bipartisanship was what doomed it."
"Grassley's inner circle was hoping the White House would nominate someone like Amy Coney Barrett, a judge with virtually no paper trail who could sail through the conformation process."
"Ford's testimony will forever be remembered for its raw emotion—a woman who lived for more than thirty years, bearing the scars of a teenage sexual assault. Kavanaugh's portion of the day will be remembered for a different kind of raw emotion: anger."
"It was a remarkably bloodless perspective, especially in light of the situation: A man accused of serial sexual assault had just been elevated to the Supreme Court. Republicans were the subject of constant protesting. The Capitol looked like a 1960s-era war protest."
"Two days after he'd pitched a bill to spend $23 billion on a border wall and filmed a campaign ad at the border, urging voters to help him build it, McCarthy was extolling the virtues of a diverse America."
"But Pelosi was already priming the pump, swearing that Democrats would never impeach the president unless it was bipartisan and promising a tight investigation operation."
"At one point, Ryan eyed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the twenty-nine year old Democrat who was the star of the new class. "Hey, I know you," he said with a big smile on his face. "I'm Paul." Ocasio-Cortez smiled and shook his hand."
"Ocasio-Cortez voted for Pelosi, as expected, as Republicans booed and hissed, but her vote for Pelosi had never been doubt. Shortly after she beat Joe Crowley, Pelosi had lunch with her in San Francisco. Pelosi's charm offensive began early."
"In short, next time a politician says that money doesn't play a role in politics, you should be skeptical."
"No polling, no prep, just a name thrown almost at random by two aides over dinner. This is how one of the nation's most important Republican groups started the 2018 cycle."
"Throughout recent American history, Congress has thought wise to knowingly set itself up for a crisis. Think of it like this: Imagine if, for some reason, you purposely set up a date on which all your household appliances would break down and needed to be fixed, on the assumption that fixing them all at once would somehow be easier. Congress does this all the time."
"Almost everyone involved in crafting the tax reform bill had the same takeaway: It was a success because of relatively limited involvement by Donald Trump and the White House."
"Sloppy Steve, Trump had scrawled on the top of the card in black marker. Copious notes then followed. As Cohn had detailed his plans to rebuild America's roads, the president was writing down how he wanted to trash Steve Bannon the next time someone asked him about it."
"Longtime politicians struggled to contend with the movement, Crowley perhaps chief among them. At every turn, his team discounted the work that Ocasio-Cortez and her campaign were doing."
"If one wanted to understand the source of the gridlock that has kept Congress's approval ratings so low for so long, one need not look further than the crisis generated by the immigration discharge petition. What it showed was that a majority of the House wanted and was willing to pass progressive-looking immigration reform. The votes were there for Hurd-Aguilar, a bipartisan bill approved by Democrats and pushed by a moderate Republican. But its very bipartisanship was what doomed it."
"Grassley's inner circle was hoping the White House would nominate someone like Amy Coney Barrett, a judge with virtually no paper trail who could sail through the conformation process."
"Ford's testimony will forever be remembered for its raw emotion—a woman who lived for more than thirty years, bearing the scars of a teenage sexual assault. Kavanaugh's portion of the day will be remembered for a different kind of raw emotion: anger."
"It was a remarkably bloodless perspective, especially in light of the situation: A man accused of serial sexual assault had just been elevated to the Supreme Court. Republicans were the subject of constant protesting. The Capitol looked like a 1960s-era war protest."
"Two days after he'd pitched a bill to spend $23 billion on a border wall and filmed a campaign ad at the border, urging voters to help him build it, McCarthy was extolling the virtues of a diverse America."
"But Pelosi was already priming the pump, swearing that Democrats would never impeach the president unless it was bipartisan and promising a tight investigation operation."
"At one point, Ryan eyed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the twenty-nine year old Democrat who was the star of the new class. "Hey, I know you," he said with a big smile on his face. "I'm Paul." Ocasio-Cortez smiled and shook his hand."
"Ocasio-Cortez voted for Pelosi, as expected, as Republicans booed and hissed, but her vote for Pelosi had never been doubt. Shortly after she beat Joe Crowley, Pelosi had lunch with her in San Francisco. Pelosi's charm offensive began early."
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December 29, 2025Upon the conclusion of Trump's first year during his eventful second term (what an understatement), I thought it be appropriate to look back at the president's first term. "The Hill to Die On" is a thick slab of insider (if not gossipy) reportage exploring the legislative drama of the first half of the initial Trump presidency. Indeed, Sherman and Palmer are writers for Politico and this book reads like a 400-page version of that publication's usual offerings. Most of the focus is on the Republican house leaders (Speaker Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, and Steve Scalise) and their mostly unsuccessful attempts at: (1) directing Trump towards a coherent agenda, (2) avoiding intraparty leadership disputes, and (3) saving the House's Republican Majority. In their depiction of Trump, Sherman and Palmer show the man we have come to love: deficient in attention, vainglorious in pursuits and interests, and easily malleable in opinion. The great tragedy of the book, if implicit in the authors' retelling of the early negotiations between the president and Democratic leadership, is that the latter party may have been able to capture Trump ideologically. The indications of that possibility were there, if slim (Fox News was probably always a stumbling block to that hypothetical alliance). I mean, the man is at heart a New York Democrat, whose immense self-conceit has let him be ensnared by ultra-conservative Republicans. Nonetheless, rightly or wrongly, the investigations, the closeness to Republican operatives, and even personality differences lead to a hostile relationship. While Trump continued to express admiration for the Democrats, it was always from a place of envy at their uniformity (something the Republicans lacked during the president's first two years in office).
Sherman and Palmer are on the Congress beat, so don't expect "The Hill to Die On" to feature too much on foreign policy, Trump's cabinet chaos, election results (definitely electioneering though). There are other books for that, many stuffed compactly in clearance sections in innumerable bookstores across the country. Yet, even with the focus squarely on squabbles about the tax code or immigration policy, it is amazing how quaint it all seems. It seems damn near apocalyptic at the time, but we were all suffering from a bit of Trump Derangement Syndrome at the time. What an overreaction is hindsight--we should have been girding our loins for the real fun that started immediately this January, with chainsaws, ketamine, and global TACO tariffs.
Sherman and Palmer are on the Congress beat, so don't expect "The Hill to Die On" to feature too much on foreign policy, Trump's cabinet chaos, election results (definitely electioneering though). There are other books for that, many stuffed compactly in clearance sections in innumerable bookstores across the country. Yet, even with the focus squarely on squabbles about the tax code or immigration policy, it is amazing how quaint it all seems. It seems damn near apocalyptic at the time, but we were all suffering from a bit of Trump Derangement Syndrome at the time. What an overreaction is hindsight--we should have been girding our loins for the real fun that started immediately this January, with chainsaws, ketamine, and global TACO tariffs.
August 4, 2022
As a life-long democrat, Former President Donald Trump had the opportunity to become a great leader. To begin with, I entered with a non bias mindset, only with curiosity with Trumps true intentions for my country. To get out of the way, here are some recommendations for those who have thought about reading this book:
1. A lot of unnecessary names (I would have to research them to just put a face to help understand the reading a bit more).
2. Requires an excessive amount of interest in politics
3. Absolutely loath Donald Trump.
This book offered a perspective different form how Trump represented himself on the front of the house. However, interestingly enough, his willingness to cooperate with Chuck Schumer (D. Senate Minority Leader) and Nancy Pelosi (D. House Minority Leader) took everybody by surprise, especially for House and Senate Republicans. We have Mitch McConnell (R. Senate Majority Leader), Kevin McCarthy (R. House Majority Leader) and of course primary members from the Freedom Caucus (individuals who executed their power to prevent a bill because of not having their policies included in preexisting legislation). In general, Donal Trump, throughout his presidency, wanted senators to bring him any piece of legislation to only do one thing; sign the damn thing.
Former President Donald Trump created a disruption amongst the GOP Party and political institution indefinitely. Paul Ryan (R. Speaker of the House) abhorred the thought of Trump assuming the oval office and denied to support his candidacy bid for president. Mitch McConnell (R. Senate Minority Leader) also intended to ignore his impudent behavior and attempted to seek out other potential presidential candidates. Kevin McCarthy (R. House Majority Leader) didn't pay no attention as well, hoping to avoid conversations with the guy.
Nevertheless, the moment finally came when Donald Trump assumed office in 2016. Throughout his first term, he struggled indefinitely with the hardball of politics and having a concrete public support.
Overall, if you don't read follow-up on the news or read articles then this book is for you OR if you just simply don't care about politics and how it works.
1. A lot of unnecessary names (I would have to research them to just put a face to help understand the reading a bit more).
2. Requires an excessive amount of interest in politics
3. Absolutely loath Donald Trump.
This book offered a perspective different form how Trump represented himself on the front of the house. However, interestingly enough, his willingness to cooperate with Chuck Schumer (D. Senate Minority Leader) and Nancy Pelosi (D. House Minority Leader) took everybody by surprise, especially for House and Senate Republicans. We have Mitch McConnell (R. Senate Majority Leader), Kevin McCarthy (R. House Majority Leader) and of course primary members from the Freedom Caucus (individuals who executed their power to prevent a bill because of not having their policies included in preexisting legislation). In general, Donal Trump, throughout his presidency, wanted senators to bring him any piece of legislation to only do one thing; sign the damn thing.
Former President Donald Trump created a disruption amongst the GOP Party and political institution indefinitely. Paul Ryan (R. Speaker of the House) abhorred the thought of Trump assuming the oval office and denied to support his candidacy bid for president. Mitch McConnell (R. Senate Minority Leader) also intended to ignore his impudent behavior and attempted to seek out other potential presidential candidates. Kevin McCarthy (R. House Majority Leader) didn't pay no attention as well, hoping to avoid conversations with the guy.
Nevertheless, the moment finally came when Donald Trump assumed office in 2016. Throughout his first term, he struggled indefinitely with the hardball of politics and having a concrete public support.
Overall, if you don't read follow-up on the news or read articles then this book is for you OR if you just simply don't care about politics and how it works.
August 6, 2020
The Hill to Die On, as with many political books I've read over the course of the past year, feels redundant. With Donald Trump's first (and hopefully only) term nearing its end, I've noticed that many political analysts seem to proffer the same answers and explanations for his behavior. Similarly, they seem to view congressional proceedings through the same lens. As such, I didn't really learn anything new in this book.
It also struck me as odd that about 85-90% of this book was focused on internal Republican strife rather than the midterms. Every now and then, a specific midterm election outcome would be brought up, or a specific race that was widely covered (AOC gets a few paragraphs here for her besting of Joe Crowley). Not only did Tim Alberta's book, American Carnage come out around the same time as this (covering this internal party strife with more depth and success, in my opinion), but it also seems odd to look at the midterm election through the eyes of the people who lost. Considering the historic margins by which Democrats won in 2018, I was expecting a play-by-play of the candidates who had flipped important seats. Rather, what the book is about is the internal dynamics of the Republican party, its splintering base, and the feud between McCarthy and Scalise -- most of which had nothing to do with the midterms as a whole.
All in all, just a disappointing read.
It also struck me as odd that about 85-90% of this book was focused on internal Republican strife rather than the midterms. Every now and then, a specific midterm election outcome would be brought up, or a specific race that was widely covered (AOC gets a few paragraphs here for her besting of Joe Crowley). Not only did Tim Alberta's book, American Carnage come out around the same time as this (covering this internal party strife with more depth and success, in my opinion), but it also seems odd to look at the midterm election through the eyes of the people who lost. Considering the historic margins by which Democrats won in 2018, I was expecting a play-by-play of the candidates who had flipped important seats. Rather, what the book is about is the internal dynamics of the Republican party, its splintering base, and the feud between McCarthy and Scalise -- most of which had nothing to do with the midterms as a whole.
All in all, just a disappointing read.
January 19, 2021
This book is embarrassing. I would be embarrassed if I was the author, whom authored this book.
This book, was said to be of 26 months of research. I'm not quite certain if the research took longer, but it's not necessary to evaluate, and / or utilize information from 26 months of political archives, to analyze, so that a person can generate a political thought that will aid a person to author a useless political science novel. A person... just needs a day of political activity to write a novel. Not 26 months or more.
Embarrassing.
This book, is literally a compilation of pages defaulted in criticizing, berating, hating, threatening, and breaking laws to deface and facility terroristic harm onto the president and those whom are of his association.
I don't understand, and don't even care of how this book happened. What I don't understand, is how can someone, any person, allow themselves to be confident enough, to generate an associated "professional work..." - this work is by far, no means anything professional... and create a novel - a book; hundreds of pages long to deface and criticize a person and a group of people, without providing context of how to resolve the associations in which is disagreed and unfavorable, from the author's stance. The person's disagreements with those whom is of context. And. Providing context, in regards to why the author's favorability is of whom was disclosed as favorable.
This book, was said to be of 26 months of research. I'm not quite certain if the research took longer, but it's not necessary to evaluate, and / or utilize information from 26 months of political archives, to analyze, so that a person can generate a political thought that will aid a person to author a useless political science novel. A person... just needs a day of political activity to write a novel. Not 26 months or more.
Embarrassing.
This book, is literally a compilation of pages defaulted in criticizing, berating, hating, threatening, and breaking laws to deface and facility terroristic harm onto the president and those whom are of his association.
I don't understand, and don't even care of how this book happened. What I don't understand, is how can someone, any person, allow themselves to be confident enough, to generate an associated "professional work..." - this work is by far, no means anything professional... and create a novel - a book; hundreds of pages long to deface and criticize a person and a group of people, without providing context of how to resolve the associations in which is disagreed and unfavorable, from the author's stance. The person's disagreements with those whom is of context. And. Providing context, in regards to why the author's favorability is of whom was disclosed as favorable.
May 17, 2021
How do parties manage elections in the US? How does the seemingly never-ending struggle of gamesmanship and tactical Senate procedures turn a non-passable bill into a bipartisan agreement between the Democrats and Republicans? How do political titans avoid and deal with internal strugglers? How does the media shape policymaking and elections? How do the two parties work together in a divided America?
All of these questions are answered in the book in well-written and good chapters, that cover the events of the U.S. Congress and U.S. Federal policymaking in the 2010s fantastically, focusing on the 2018 midterm elections.
This book details a nice and well-written saga of the electoral and political "Battle for Congress", and many parts and events including several magnificent gridlocks and seeming dead-ends of politics. From narrow and nail-biting House races to the inner workings of the "World's greatest deliberative body", the U.S. Senate, the personalities and workstyles of several Titans of the Senate and House, including Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Charles E. Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Jim Clyburn, Steve Scalise, Steny Hoyer, Kevin McCarthy, the House Freedom Caucus and its political players from Jim Jordan to Mark Meadows and countless others, in an interpretive and good manner, without prejudice.
All of these questions are answered in the book in well-written and good chapters, that cover the events of the U.S. Congress and U.S. Federal policymaking in the 2010s fantastically, focusing on the 2018 midterm elections.
This book details a nice and well-written saga of the electoral and political "Battle for Congress", and many parts and events including several magnificent gridlocks and seeming dead-ends of politics. From narrow and nail-biting House races to the inner workings of the "World's greatest deliberative body", the U.S. Senate, the personalities and workstyles of several Titans of the Senate and House, including Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Charles E. Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Jim Clyburn, Steve Scalise, Steny Hoyer, Kevin McCarthy, the House Freedom Caucus and its political players from Jim Jordan to Mark Meadows and countless others, in an interpretive and good manner, without prejudice.
June 9, 2019
Another look at the first half of the Trump Administration, but this time from the perspective of Congress. The authors appear to have been granted access to some key Congressional leaders from both parties, leveraging that access to produce a work that will likely confirm some of the worst public perceptions of the Congress.
The book is not Trump dominated, but most certainly shows how the interactions with the President are handled by Congress, and how Trump (and staff) himself managed the Congressional process. It is not a pretty picture for any of the players involved, even when some measure of success is achieved. The book extends beyond Trump, allowing us to see how the GOP leadership race played out after Speaker Paul Ryan announced his retirement, giving us a close view of the attempt by Steve Scalise to find a way to bump off Kevin McCarthy. Nancy Pelosi fighting off the insurgent effort to replace her as the Democratic leader is covered, and she comes off as a master, while the insurgents do not look so good. The battle for control of Congress, won by the Pelosi led Democrats, is covered extensively. In that coverage we get a good look at the Joe Crowley- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Democratic primary, and how Crowley, interested in leadership of the Democratic caucus, never saw the train coming that took him out of Congress. The role of money, and how it is allocated, and its importance in shaping the races, is shown clearly.
The leadership races, and the battle for control of Congress, is not all that the authors look at. The important legislative battles that brought us the government shutdown, the GOP passed tax bill, Supreme Court nominations, and the rather unique Trump method of dealing with Congress are all covered. Paul Ryan’s exasperation, and frustration, come through clearly on that front. Ryan, as Speaker, had to deal with the dynamic of the GOP Freedom Caucus, which wreaked all sorts of havoc on Ryan and GOP leadership. Trump back dooring the Speaker on multiple occasions by dealing directly with Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows of the Freedom Caucus created all sorts of problems for the GOP leadership. Trump’s fundamental miscalculation, against all GOP advice, on forcing the government shutdown, and then being forced to capitulate to Nancy Pelosi, is covered in some detail. The response to the shutdown, and the out of touch nature of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, is highlighted. The coverage of Kushner is unflattering, to say the least. Not sure how it could be otherwise, as this guy is a walking train wreck, with little or no self awareness. Here are some of the Kushner gems from the book.
“It was at this point that Kushner got more involved in trying to solve the shutdown. He seemed to view himself as uniquely qualified to break legislative logjams, although there was scant evidence that that was the case. Kushner had played a central role in passing a bipartisan criminal-justice reform bill, and appeared to relish his work on that front. But, to longtime aides on Capitol Hill, this wasn’t the triumph he seemed to think it was, since Democrats were always yearning to rewrite the nation’s incarceration laws. Just before the shutdown set in, Kushner told Ryan, McCarthy, and Scalise that he wasn’t focused on the immigration standoff because he was “distracted with criminal justice reform.” But now that reform was done, he expected to make short work of it. I’m on it, he told Ryan. I can quickly fix it.”
Sherman, Jake. The Hill to Die On (p. 389). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
Of course Kushner solved nothing, but his self importance and self delusion are astounding.
“When Sen. John McCain visited the White House early in the administration, he was in the midst of telling Trump about military procurement reform, a longtime passion, when Kushner interjected. “Don’t worry, Senator McCain. We’re going to change the way the entire government works,” Kushner said without a hint of irony. “Good luck, son,” McCain responded.”
Sherman, Jake. The Hill to Die On (p. 48). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
Kushner was also convinced he could solve the issue of immigration, constantly telling people that a big deal was possible. Never mind not understanding his negotiating partner, Kushner did not even grasp the actual position of his own team. Kushner’s involvement in immigration talks ended like everything he touches ends. With recriminations, bad blood, and of course no deal.
“Perhaps unsurprisingly, the sessions, which happened over the first weekend of 2019, did not bear much fruit. Participants were struck by how many aides the White House had gathered—more than fifty, by several estimates—which made the sessions un-conducive to deal cutting. Kushner began speaking more regularly in these meetings. In one, he marveled at the fact that it costs the government $750 per day to keep an undocumented child in the United States. They might as well put them up at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, he quipped. He also said he was bringing a businessman’s mind-set to the border talks. The border needed more money because people were trying to cross it more often, he said. He brushed aside concerns about cost, and said the federal government should spend whatever it needs on security. The meetings left Democrats and Republicans alike bewildered. How, they thought, could they come to a deal with a White House that was so scattershot in its thinking? How could the president put his trust in a neophyte like Kushner?”
Sherman, Jake. The Hill to Die On (pp. 392-393). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
I enjoyed the book, and I do recommend it. The authors garbled what a “pocket veto” is, but aside from that minor complaint the book is another look at the first couple of years of the Trump Administration from a different vantage point, and contributes to understanding some of the forces pulling the political system apart. It does not always take new ground, but certainly gives more detail than you will get from reading Politico, where the authors write a daily newsletter.
The book is not Trump dominated, but most certainly shows how the interactions with the President are handled by Congress, and how Trump (and staff) himself managed the Congressional process. It is not a pretty picture for any of the players involved, even when some measure of success is achieved. The book extends beyond Trump, allowing us to see how the GOP leadership race played out after Speaker Paul Ryan announced his retirement, giving us a close view of the attempt by Steve Scalise to find a way to bump off Kevin McCarthy. Nancy Pelosi fighting off the insurgent effort to replace her as the Democratic leader is covered, and she comes off as a master, while the insurgents do not look so good. The battle for control of Congress, won by the Pelosi led Democrats, is covered extensively. In that coverage we get a good look at the Joe Crowley- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Democratic primary, and how Crowley, interested in leadership of the Democratic caucus, never saw the train coming that took him out of Congress. The role of money, and how it is allocated, and its importance in shaping the races, is shown clearly.
The leadership races, and the battle for control of Congress, is not all that the authors look at. The important legislative battles that brought us the government shutdown, the GOP passed tax bill, Supreme Court nominations, and the rather unique Trump method of dealing with Congress are all covered. Paul Ryan’s exasperation, and frustration, come through clearly on that front. Ryan, as Speaker, had to deal with the dynamic of the GOP Freedom Caucus, which wreaked all sorts of havoc on Ryan and GOP leadership. Trump back dooring the Speaker on multiple occasions by dealing directly with Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows of the Freedom Caucus created all sorts of problems for the GOP leadership. Trump’s fundamental miscalculation, against all GOP advice, on forcing the government shutdown, and then being forced to capitulate to Nancy Pelosi, is covered in some detail. The response to the shutdown, and the out of touch nature of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, is highlighted. The coverage of Kushner is unflattering, to say the least. Not sure how it could be otherwise, as this guy is a walking train wreck, with little or no self awareness. Here are some of the Kushner gems from the book.
“It was at this point that Kushner got more involved in trying to solve the shutdown. He seemed to view himself as uniquely qualified to break legislative logjams, although there was scant evidence that that was the case. Kushner had played a central role in passing a bipartisan criminal-justice reform bill, and appeared to relish his work on that front. But, to longtime aides on Capitol Hill, this wasn’t the triumph he seemed to think it was, since Democrats were always yearning to rewrite the nation’s incarceration laws. Just before the shutdown set in, Kushner told Ryan, McCarthy, and Scalise that he wasn’t focused on the immigration standoff because he was “distracted with criminal justice reform.” But now that reform was done, he expected to make short work of it. I’m on it, he told Ryan. I can quickly fix it.”
Sherman, Jake. The Hill to Die On (p. 389). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
Of course Kushner solved nothing, but his self importance and self delusion are astounding.
“When Sen. John McCain visited the White House early in the administration, he was in the midst of telling Trump about military procurement reform, a longtime passion, when Kushner interjected. “Don’t worry, Senator McCain. We’re going to change the way the entire government works,” Kushner said without a hint of irony. “Good luck, son,” McCain responded.”
Sherman, Jake. The Hill to Die On (p. 48). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
Kushner was also convinced he could solve the issue of immigration, constantly telling people that a big deal was possible. Never mind not understanding his negotiating partner, Kushner did not even grasp the actual position of his own team. Kushner’s involvement in immigration talks ended like everything he touches ends. With recriminations, bad blood, and of course no deal.
“Perhaps unsurprisingly, the sessions, which happened over the first weekend of 2019, did not bear much fruit. Participants were struck by how many aides the White House had gathered—more than fifty, by several estimates—which made the sessions un-conducive to deal cutting. Kushner began speaking more regularly in these meetings. In one, he marveled at the fact that it costs the government $750 per day to keep an undocumented child in the United States. They might as well put them up at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, he quipped. He also said he was bringing a businessman’s mind-set to the border talks. The border needed more money because people were trying to cross it more often, he said. He brushed aside concerns about cost, and said the federal government should spend whatever it needs on security. The meetings left Democrats and Republicans alike bewildered. How, they thought, could they come to a deal with a White House that was so scattershot in its thinking? How could the president put his trust in a neophyte like Kushner?”
Sherman, Jake. The Hill to Die On (pp. 392-393). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
I enjoyed the book, and I do recommend it. The authors garbled what a “pocket veto” is, but aside from that minor complaint the book is another look at the first couple of years of the Trump Administration from a different vantage point, and contributes to understanding some of the forces pulling the political system apart. It does not always take new ground, but certainly gives more detail than you will get from reading Politico, where the authors write a daily newsletter.
March 2, 2021
Access matters! There are a lot of serious and intimate behind-the-scenes moments. I never doubted their reporting, not like the uncomfortable feeling Fear or Fire & Fury gave me wondering about the sources and their motivations. Jake and Anna were there & saw it for themselves, or had multiple sources. They tell you who was in the room and what was said. This is real reporting. Frequently annoying reporting too, not because I doubted them but because I didn’t and some of these pols are such selfish bums.
March 21, 2021
Clear-eyed and real, just like their daily coverage of Congress, Sherman and Palmer’s book on the 2018 midyear cycle is a rapid fire retelling of how the blue wave went down. In some ways, this was hard to read because of how utterly depressed I was while this was all playing out in real time; re-reading these events dredged some of that up. But that aside, I admire the authors’ doggedness, their tirelessness to chase all these characters down and weave a ver y readable narrative of one of the weirdest/scariest periods in US political history.
October 9, 2025
A book that I was told to read if I wanted to get a peek into the dynamics inside the two houses of Congress and the dynamics between the branches of Government. Well, it was a good peek. Throughout the book, there was not a single mention of the average citizen. The politicians were concerned with money, money, money, money, and allies. They wanted to have some kind of legislative record, but it was missing that crucial factor of improving the lived experience of the common man. It is no wonder that Congress disapproval rating is at 71% in September 25. That is wild.
January 1, 2024
Read / listened to audiobook. Really loved this! Fascinating to “catch up” on how Congress functioned (or lack thereof) during the Trump admin, before I really started to follow the inter workings of politics. I also enjoyed hearing the POV of Republican leadership that found Trump extremely hard to work with, and often cut deals with Schumer/ Pelosi behind Republicans’ backs, despite being worshiped by the HFC.
April 6, 2021
Good overview of Congress under Trump
Good read on the Trump administration up until his first impeachment. Book can a bit wandering sometimes, but overall, a quick and engaging read. Would love a sequel that covered the first impeachment trial (it only goes through the house impeachment), COVID, and the second impeachment trial.
Good read on the Trump administration up until his first impeachment. Book can a bit wandering sometimes, but overall, a quick and engaging read. Would love a sequel that covered the first impeachment trial (it only goes through the house impeachment), COVID, and the second impeachment trial.
April 14, 2020
This made for an interesting and different read to many political history books that tend to focus on the overarching pictures, in that it focuses specifically on one branch of the US government. The authors are excellent journalists and it shows in this book where the relationship with their sources allows for a far more detailed picture than would otherwise have been on offer.
June 7, 2020
I had to stop mid way... very interesting information but really didn't care for the narration... Also, with the current situation(s) I found it difficult to stay focused... I do believe I will go back and 'read' this at some point...just not now...
October 23, 2020
Mostly the who's who of the Republican party. If you pay even passing attention to the news you'll know the characters in this story. If you don't pay attention to the news, then this a good primer for the ins and outs of the players in the U.S. Capitol.
May 19, 2021
You should read this if you want a fly-on-the-wall view of the first two years of a presidency written by two of the best House reporters in all of DC. It's a process story so I'd understand if some people were hoping for a "big reveal." I'd love to see a part 2!
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