Jeremy W. Peters Knihy

How did the party of Lincoln become the party of Trump? A Washington reporter for The New York Times presents the definitive story of the Republican Party's self-destruction. This epic narrative chronicles the fracture and collapse of a major political party, revealing the dark forces that reshaped its identity over the past two decades. The author examines how the Republican Party transformed from one centered on small government and fiscal responsibility to a haven for nativists and far-right social conservatives. This transformation began with the Tea Party revolution in 2009 and was accelerated by Mitt Romney's defeat in 2012. In an effort to save the party, many believed it needed to expand its base by appealing to Hispanic voters, aiming to build a new majority. However, they underestimated the energy of those pulling the party toward the extremes, capitalizing on the discontent of voters overlooked by moderates. The complex moral framework guiding many conservatives’ support for Trump, including evangelicals and one-issue voters, led them to abandon traditional Republican values for the promise of a Supreme Court that could overturn Roe v. Wade. The author traces this engineered revolution through key moments in recent history, revealing how its architects manipulated the political landscape to serve a shrinking minority, ultimately extending the influence of far-right conservatism in U.S. policy for decades to come.