It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump

by Stuart Stevens

The transition of the National Rifle Association is a perfect parable: over a couple of decades, it evolved from a gun-safety education organization to a thuggish gang that rewards those at the top with millions of dollars based on proven ability to muscle elected officials into doing what they mostly know is wrong. Today the leaders of the Republican Party follow Donald Trump’s lead and routinely attack the foundations of law enforcement, from the FBI to the Justice Department to the judiciary. At first glance it seems stunning to witness a party that once defined itself as a “law-and-order party” take the same position as every drug dealer, child pornographer, Mafia don, and human trafficker who claims innocence and attacks government officials for unfair tactics. Like another guy who lived in Queens named John Gotti, Donald Trump calls criminals who tell the truth “rats” and uses a deep bench of corrupt and compromised lawyers like Rudy Giuliani to plead his case in public and rally support against law enforcement for doing their jobs.